The Pagan's Prize

by Miriam Minger

  "You may not agree with me, but I think that's all the more reason you should learn. I'm an excellent swimmer, Zora, so you have nothing to fear. I'd be with you every moment." Feeling her stiffen despite his assurances, he gently stroked her cheek. "It's a lovely spot, Princess. I know you would like it. Let me show it to you."

  "But Nellwyn is bringing me some dinner, and then I promised Yakov that we'd go over our lists again—"

  "Yakov can check the lists without you," Rurik said firmly, although he was encouraged by Zora's concern for the details of her trip to Novgorod . . . a promising sign that sent his pulse racing. "I already spoke to Nellwyn on my way over here from the cooking house, where I picked up some food to eat after our swim. Now what do you say?"

  Staring into Rurik's eyes, Zora felt her reservations fading in the sudden wave of hope that swept over her.

  He was being so insistent. Surely it must be for some special reason, for he had never before left the training field early to spend time with her. Dear God, please may it be so! If she at least had some words of love to reassure her before he left, maybe his absence wouldn't seem so bad . . .

  "Very well," she murmured, suddenly both excited and nervous. "But if I decide when we get there that I don't want to swim—"

  "I would never force you, Zora." He kissed her then so tenderly that it took her breath away, her hope flaring all the brighter.

  ***

  The winding stream they had followed was beautiful, Zora couldn't deny it, but no more so than the spot where Rurik finally halted their mount. At its narrowest point, much of the tumbling water had been dammed by huge craggy boulders that looked as if they had been strewn there by some giant's hand, forming a glistening pool that was framed by deep green firs of majestic beauty.

  "I call this place Thor's Grove. Do you like it?"

  "It's lovely," she said as Rurik slid from the saddle and lifted her to the ground.

  "I haven't been here since early April, right before I left on my mission." Still clasping her waist, Rurik looked around him. "The snow was thick then . . . almost as high as that small pine."

  Following his gaze, Zora couldn't help asking, "Who came out here with you that time?"

  He met her eyes, a curious smile upon his lips. "No one, Princess. I've never brought anyone here before."

  Her breath suddenly jammed in her throat, Zora had no idea how she should respond but Rurik solved her dilemma by taking her hand and leading her to the mossy bank. Bending on one knee, he glided his hand across the sparkling, sunlit surface.

  "Hmmm, it may not be warm enough for you. Why don't you try it and tell me what you think?"

  Zora kicked off her slipper and stuck her toe tentatively in the water. "It's not that cold," she pronounced. Then startled to see some small, silvery blue fish dart by, she grew doubtful. "It looks deep."

  "No more than a few inches above my head near the middle—"

  "Then a good foot and a half above mine." Zora backed away. "I don't know, Rurik . . ."

  "If it will make you feel better," he said, grabbing her hands to stay her retreat, "I'll make sure your head stays above water. You must trust me, Zora. I would never let anything happen to you."

  Here he was telling her to trust him! Zora wished that she had the courage to demand of him the same thing. Yet his promise had done much to sway her reluctance. Her nod was greeted by a broad grin, and he released her to begin stripping off his clothes.

  "Are you sure no one will see us?" she asked uncertainly, glancing behind her. To reach the stream, they had ridden past tilled fields being tended by slaves and, farther out, cleared pasture where cattle and sheep were grazing under the watchful eyes of armed shepherds ever alert for thieves. She still remembered her surprise when she had found out from Yakov during her tour of the domestic buildings that the compound wasn't wholly surrounded by forest.

  "We're out too far," said Rurik as he pulled off his boots. "I told you before I would never risk another man glimpsing your beauty, Zora." In moments, he had yanked off his trousers to stand naked before her but for his gold earring, his battle-hardened body a burnished golden brown in the bright sunlight.

  Her heart suddenly beating faster, Zora found she could not stop staring at him, and still she hadn't made a move to take off her own clothing.

  "This happens so often, Princess, my undressing before you do, that I'm beginning to think you like for me to help you.

  "Perhaps I do," she said playfully, breaking her gaze from his formidable physique to look into his eyes. "You've quite a knack with women's clothing, husband."

  With a low growl he drew her roughly toward him, his hands expert as he divested her of every stitch. Then he enfolded her in his arms, not to hug her as she had thought but to sweep her from her feet.

  "It will be easier this way," he said as he began to walk into the pool, the water quickly rising from his knees to his hips. Zora gasped, feeling the cold upon her bare bottom, but she shrieked when he suddenly seemed to step off a ledge, the water now covering her to her chin.

  "I—it's freezing!" she cried, her teeth chattering.

  "But not as ice-cold as the tub."

  "N-no," she agreed, wondering how far into the pool Rurik planned to go. He seemed to be drawing ominously close to the middle. "S-should you w-walk out any m-more? It—it might g-get too deep."

  "I doubt it. The water seems shallower this year—"

  Suddenly Rurik slipped as if the bottom had plummeted from beneath his feet. Zora flung her arms around his neck, terrified.

  "Easy, Princess," he soothed her, swimming effortlessly with her back the way they had come. "It's not as shallow as I had thought, but at least I know where the drop-off is." Finding his footing, he stood again, his broad shoulders above the water, his tanned skin beaded with moisture. "Now I want you to hold my hands like this"—tugging her arms gently from his neck, he interlaced his fingers with hers— "and I'm going to push you out just a little—"

  "Rurik . . ."

  "Trust me, Zora, I'm right here with you. Now kick your legs."

  In her panic, she kicked so vigorously that water flew high into the air and all around them. Rurik began to laugh.

  "Easy, Princess, or we won't have enough water in this pool to swim back to shore."

  Gradually Zora was able to relax and encouraged by Rurik's patient coaching, teasing, and coaxing, she grew braver and even let go of his hands a few times to attempt swimming on her own. It was a bit embarrassing, for she must hardly appear graceful flailing her arms and legs about. But if Rurik thought her ungainly he said not a word.

  He didn't let her rest until she had tried swimming not only on her stomach but her back, then as if sensing her limbs were growing tired, which they were, he drew her back to shallower water that came only as high as her breasts. Staring at her lingeringly, he nonetheless released her and moved backward a few steps.

  "My turn," he said with a smile. Before she could answer, he dived away from her so cleanly that he left scarcely a ripple behind him.

  "Rurik?"

  She rolled her eyes at herself. Of course he couldn't hear her, yet when was he going to come up for air? It felt so strange to be standing there with no other sounds around her than the breeze whooshing through the trees and the water rumbling between the gap in the boulders . . .

  He must have read her anxious thoughts for he burst above the mirrorlike surface at that moment and began to swim with long, powerful strokes from one end of the pool to the other. Wondering how many of Rurik's lessons it would take before she might be able to swim so expertly, Zora felt a pall drift over her enjoyment. Would there be many more lessons before he left with his men? Would she ever come here with him again?

  Heartsick, Zora watched as Rurik dived once more, but this time the sun was so bright upon the water she couldn't see where he had gone. Standing in place, she began to circle slowly, looking for him and feeling so terribly alone

  "Oh . . . !"

/>   Zora couldn't have been more surprised when he suddenly broke through the surface right in front of her, and grabbing her around the waist, he lifted her high from the water, his laughter resounding all around them.

  "By Odin, a river nymph!" Rurik exulted, lowering Zora back down to face him. Expecting to find her smiling, he couldn't have been more startled to find that she had burst into tears.

  Chapter 24

  "Zora? By God, little one, I didn't mean to frighten you . . ."

  Hugging her close, Rurik was totally at a loss. Her slender body was shaking with sobs, and feeling her beginning to shiver, he lifted her in his arms and made his way to the bank, where he set her down upon the soft moss. He left her for only an instant to grab the leather bag hanging from the saddle and then he was back at her side, gathering her close again as he pulled out a blanket and whipped it around her quaking shoulders.

  "Forgive me, Princess." Rurik stroked her damp hair as her tears soon soaked his chest. I wasn't thinking. I should have known I might alarm you, but it never occurred to me."

  He hadn't frightened her, Zora wanted so desperately to tell him as she sobbed harder than she could remember ever having done before. But if she said that, he would want to know what had brought on this bout of tears and she wasn't ready to tell him that either! Not when she still wasn't sure if he would even want to hear how she felt . . . if it even mattered to him how much she loved him, how much she feared for him . . . how much she didn't want him to leave her . . .

  "Easy, Zora, it can't be that bad," he said, holding her slightly away from him and tilting up her face. Tenderly, he stroked her tearstained cheek with his thumb. "Sshh, now, everything's fine. We're out of the water and you're here safe with me. Sshh . . ."

  Staring into his eyes, her vision blurred from crying, Zora felt herself soothed by his words despite the ache in her heart, and she shuddered in his arms, her sobs gradually lessening. She did feel safe and warm and protected and, with each passing moment, more in control of herself. Shuddering one last time, her hiccup brought a smile to Rurik's face.

  "That's it, little one. It was only a small scare. Nothing to cause so many tears."

  Zora softly drew in her breath as Rurik bent his head and pressed his lips to hers, the warm pressure of his mouth lulling her more than anything he could have said. Then she hiccupped again, and to her amazement, she found herself giggling when he chuckled against her mouth.

  "How quickly the fair lady's feeling better," he teased, his breath warming her lips. "Perhaps another kiss and she'll forget what so upset her."

  Rurik's lips this time were not so gentle, his tightening embrace swamping Zora with excitement. Yet she knew nothing that he did could make her forget the anguish lying hidden inside her.

  And she didn't want to forget! She would share with him just how she felt but not in words, for she couldn't bring herself to voice what she held in her heart. Yet there were other ways, ways perhaps more expressive than anything she could say . . .

  It was Zora who deepened their kiss, her wandering tongue surprising his as she wantonly tasted the inside of his mouth, her hands gliding up Rurik's chest to his immense shoulders where she caressed muscles that were wonderfully hard beneath her palms. If at first he had seemed startled, he soon groaned with pleasure, yet he did not allow her to keep the upper hand for long.

  His tongue sought to ravage her mouth as wildly as she had just done, their kiss becoming a passionate dueling that made Zora feel as if she were on fire. Wrenching off the blanket that was only fettering her, she pressed herself that much closer to Rurik's body, for his was the heat she craved. His was the kiss she wanted, and as she slid her hands up the back of his neck, her fingers funneling along his scalp and entwining in his hair, she cried out to him in her mind.

  I love you!

  She felt herself falling backward as Rurik pushed her to the spongy, moss-covered ground, his mouth burning a blistering path down her throat and across her shoulder while his masterful hands stoked the flames building inside her. She caressed him in kind, his powerful back, his upper arms so thick with muscle, the massive breadth of his chest and the crisp golden curls upon it, delighting in the smooth texture of his skin and the sun-warmed scent of his body.

  Then she strayed even lower, wrapping her fingers around silken steel and muscle, exulting when Rurik groaned and called out her name. But she didn't stop, squeezing and stroking him until his body was shaking and he rolled onto his back as if he feared he might collapse upon her. Zora was astride him before he could reach out to her, her lips branding the spot above his racing heart.

  I love you!

  She moved lower, her hands splayed upon his taut abdomen as she kissed the glistening blond hair trailing to his navel. Then she teased the sensitive hollow with her tongue while Rurik cried out again.

  "Woman . . . !"

  He tried to pull her up to him but she deftly eluded his hands and found what she had been seeking, his turgid flesh leaping against her mouth as she kissed him and began to stroke the thick length of him with her tongue. Already he was tossing beneath her but she didn't stop, torturing him relentlessly as she drew him with a swirling caress into her mouth.

  She tasted a wetness and knew he was very close to release, but she wanted to tease him to the brink of endurance. Her fingers enmeshed for a brief instant in the thatch of blond curls she found so arousing before she drifted lower and cupped him in her hand, squeezing gently.

  "Zora, enough!"

  Rurik's voice was so hoarse with passion that she knew she could not sway him and she didn't resist when he pulled her up beside him and pushed her once more on her back. Before she could blink he was poised between her legs, his midnight-blue eyes sweeping her with a look of fire.

  "Where did you learn such wicked things, Princess?"

  Zora gasped as he easily slid his fingers inside her before she could answer and teased her legs wider apart as she arched beneath his carnal caress. She already wanted him so badly, she was trembling from head to toe, and she cried out when he buried himself deep inside her with a ragged groan.

  "Hold me, Zora . . . hold me!" came his wild plea and she gripped him with all her strength, her arms flying around his neck and her legs locking at his back.

  She felt him stiffen, heard his breath snag in his chest . . . then her own climax came upon her so suddenly that she felt hot tears burn her eyes, but this time they were tears of sweet fulfillment. When she at last opened her eyes heart-pounding moments later, she was staring up into the clear blue sky, Rurik's damp head resting upon her shoulder, his breath warm upon her cheek.

  It was so wonderful holding him like this that she wished it could go on forever and she hugged him tightly, willing him to stay. Yet she knew that soon he would roll from her, fearing as always that he might crush her even though she had insisted time and again that she was stronger than she may appear.

  Just as she had thought, he shifted and rose onto his forearms but instead of lifting himself from her, he smiled into her eyes. She smiled back, hoping that he could read what she could not yet tell him . . . I love you, Rurik Sigurdson.

  "You know, wife, you never cease to amaze me," Rurik said gently, struck as ever by her tawny beauty but even more so by the softness in her gaze. By the gods, surely she would not be looking at him like that if . . .

  "How so?" she replied, the warmth in her voice only fueling a gut intuition that he wanted so badly to believe. Tempted as never before to admit what lay in his heart, he nonetheless forced himself to think rationally, his fear of betrayal rearing its ugly head like a thing he could not control.

  "Tears one moment, passion the next." He shrugged. "You're a hard one to understand."

  "Not so hard as you may think, Rurik," said Zora, wondering why he had grown so somber when he had been smiling at her an instant before. "I could say the same about you . . . although I believe there are things you haven't shared with me yet that could explain so much." To
her amazement, he suddenly seemed irritated, and rolling to one side, he lay next to her on his back, stone silent as he stared up at the sky.

  She had never seen him quite like this before, sensing in him an agitation that was palpable enough to touch.

  Usually after their lovemaking, he was open and willing to talk, and so they had, about his childhood and his life since he had left Norway for Rus, his quick rise within her uncle's ranks. About his trading ventures to far-off Byzantium, and even how he had come to be called Beast-Slayer, a story that had convinced her if any wild creatures had come after her in the woods the night of her escape, Rurik would have had no trouble bringing them down.

  The only thing they hadn't talked about was the woman who had betrayed him, and she couldn't help thinking that perhaps that was what he feared she was going to ask him now. Well, why shouldn't she? She could hardly ease the treachery from his heart as Lady Ingigerd had said if she didn't know the full story behind it.

  Taking a deep breath, Zora raised herself on one elbow to face him. She didn't think to cover her nakedness with the blanket, for their intimacy was such now that she felt completely at ease around him. He knew every inch of her.

  "Rurik?"

  He refused to look at her, convincing her all the more that he sensed exactly what she was going to say.

  "Why did you swear never to marry?"

  His expression became grimmer but he didn't get up and walk away, which to Zora was a good sign.

  "You already know the answer to that, Princess. You have thrown it in my face once before."

  "Yes, I know, and it was unkind of me," she said, watching him for his reactions. "I was hurt that day and I wanted to hurt you back, but I don't think it's true anymore."

  He met her eyes. "What?"

  "That you're hard and unfeeling . . . that your heart is made of stone."