by Kris Tualla
By Kris Tualla:
Loving the Norseman
Loving the Knight
In the Norseman’s House
A Nordic Knight in Henry’s Court
A Nordic Knight of the Golden Fleece
A Nordic Knight and his Spanish Wife
A Discreet Gentleman of Discovery
A Discreet Gentleman of Matrimony
A Discreet Gentleman of Consequence
A Discreet Gentleman of Intrigue
A Discreet Gentleman of Mystery
Leaving Norway
Finding Sovereignty
Kirsten’s Journal
A Woman of Choice
A Prince of Norway
A Matter of Principle
The Norsemen’s War: Enemies and Traitors
The Norsemen’s War: Battles Abroad
The Norsemen’s War: Finding Norway
An Unexpected Viking
A Restored Viking
A Modern Viking
*****
A Primer for Beginning Authors
Becoming an Authorpreneur
Finding
Norway
The Norsemen’s War
Book 3:
Kyle & Dahl
Kris Tualla
Finding Norway: The Norsemen’s War is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Published in the United States of America.
© 2016 by Kris Tualla
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the
Publisher, except for brief quotations used in critical articles or reviews.
ISBN-13: 978-1542306003
ISBN-10: 1542306000
This book is dedicated to the
wives and mothers of our
brave soldiers no matter which war
their husbands and sons
fought in.
Chapter
One
July 2, 1950
Arendal, Norway
Kyle held five-year-old Thor’s hand as they got off the bus in the town square of Arendal. The two days of travel, flying from Minneapolis to Oslo, spending the night in a hotel, then taking the four hour bus ride to her late husband’s ancestral home were as exhausting as they were intimidating.
What if they don’t like me?
Little Thor had come through like a champ, fascinated by every aspect of the journey, and his dual citizenship with Norway and America made that part easy.
Kyle furtively looked over the people in the square while the bus driver unloaded their two large suitcases, wondering if Teigen Hansen remembered that he needed to pick her up.
“Thank you,” she said to the driver. “We’ll be fine.”
At least I speak Norsk.
Making this trip was important to Tor, who in his active-duty survivor’s letter asked Kyle to please stay in contact with his family and take his son to meet them. The fact that she was full-blooded Norwegian but had never visited her own ancestral land made the journey all the more poignant.
“Where’s my uncle?” Thor asked in English as the bus pulled away from the square.
Kyle wished she’d been able to teach him Norsk, but with completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Minnesota and starting her master’s program, she’d been far too busy.
Maybe I should have looked for a roommate who also spoke Norwegian.
It was too late now.
“He’s on his way,” Kyle said with a confidence she didn’t own. “We’ll just wait right here. Isn’t this a nice town?”
It truly was.
Picturesque and sitting on the island-strewn southern coast of Norway, Arendal was protected from the North Sea by a multitude of rocky outcroppings. Tor explained that with Denmark only ninety miles across the water from Arendal this was a perfect location for his Viking ancestors to settle in—and later for his family’s long-standing shipping business to thrive.
Kyle heaved a nervous sigh.
What if they don’t like me?
She shaded her eyes from the bright summer sun and scanned the square again. Then she gasped. Her free hand pressed against her mouth. Her heart pounded against her ribs.
A ghost was walking toward her.
“Kyle?”
Now that he was close enough she could see his bright green eyes. Not blue, green.
She nodded. “I’m sorry. I just…” Tears blurred her vision. “Tor always said you looked alike.”
Teigen smiled his surprised understanding. “I didn’t think about that. I guess it would be a shock.”
“Mamma?” Thor’s face was twisted in concern. “What’s wrong.”
Kyle quickly wiped her eyes. “Nothing darling. I’m just happy to meet your Uncle Teigen.”
Thor looked up at his tall uncle. “You look like my Pappa.”
“Do you know any English?” Kyle asked Teigen after she translated her son’s comment.
“A little.” Teigen squatted down so his eyes were level with Thor’s. “And you are same as your Pappa,” he managed in heavily-accented English.
“Everybody says that.” Thor pulled his hand from Kyle’s and held it out to Teigen. “It’s nice to meet you, Uncle Teigen.”
Teigen laughed, sounding so much like his older brother that Kyle’s chest tightened.
He grabbed Thor’s hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Thor Hansen.”
Then he straightened and looked down at Kyle. “Shall we go?”
*****
Hansen Hall was built on the top of a bluff about a mile west of the center of Arendal. Looking exactly like Tor described, the structure was dominated by a round stone tower which stood three stories over the road. There were no windows in the tower, only the vertical slits which allowed archers to defend the inhabitants.
Viking archers.
Extending off one side of the tower was the two-story medieval structure with glass windows leaded in a multitude of small diamond-shaped panes. Peeking over the flat roof of the medieval façade were several tall chimneys and slanted slate roofs declaring the presence of the “modern” wing—built over two hundred years ago.
Kyle climbed out of the car and breathed in the salt air of the North Sea, wondering how far down the water was. The view from the bluff was spectacular.
The sound of the big black sedan’s engine seemed to have awakened the old building and her doors opened, spilling people onto the drive.
Kyle knew Matilda and Nikolai immediately.
Tor’s mother was thin and fragile looking, but she wrapped Kyle in a tearful hug that was surprisingly strong. “I am so happy you both are finally here.”
Kyle hugged her back. “As am I, Mamma Hansen.”
Matilda loosened her hold and stepped back to look at Thor, who was walking shyly around the back of the car. She looked as shocked to see her grandson as Kyle had been to see Teigen.
“Oh my word. He really is the image of Tor at that age.”
Kyle smiled at her mother-in-law. “I hope you have pictures. I’d love to see them.”
Nikolai hefted one of the suitcases while Teigen claimed the other. “Welcome to Hansen Hall, Kyle and Thor. We’ve all been eagerly waiting for this day for a long time.”
“Thank you,
Pappa Hansen.” She rested her hand on Thor’s shoulder. “We’re so happy to be here.”
A petite woman with short, light brown hair and pale blue eyes stepped forward, smiling. She had a baby on her hip and a pretty little girl held onto her hand.
“Hello, Kyle. I’m Selby.” She lifted the hand held captive by her daughter. “And this is Torhild.”
Kyle squatted down to her niece’s eye level the same way Teigen had to Thor. “I’m your Aunt Kyle. My son Thor is your cousin.”
Torhild chewed a finger and looked at Thor who was now leaning against his mother.
“How old are you?” Kyle asked even though she knew the answer.
Torhild held up five fingers.
“Five years old? That’s wonderful. Thor is five years old, too.” Kyle put her arm around her son. “But he doesn’t speak very much Norsk, so you’ll have to teach him.”
Kyle straightened and tucked her finger into the baby’s hands. “This must be Jans. How old is he now?”
“Just turned four months. We waited to have him christened until his Aunt Kyle got here.” Selby lifted her free shoulder. “We figured everyone would want to meet you, anyway.”
Kyle looked around at the people gathered together: Nikolai and Matilda, Teigen and Selby, Torhild and Jans, and knew without any doubt that she and Thor were exactly where they should be.
Teigen and Nikolai carried her suitcases to the door while Matilda linked her arm through Kyle’s. “Let’s get you both settled.”
Kyle took Thor’s hand and walked into Hansen Hall.
We’re here, Tor. We finally made it.
*****
Thor was itching to explore the fascinating old house and Selby assured her it was fine for him to do so, so Kyle placed him in Torhild’s care.
“Remember that he doesn’t know what he’s allowed to do, so you have to show him,” she said to her niece. “And come get me if he’s naughty.”
Torhild nodded solemnly.
Kyle looked at Thor. “Stay with Torhild, don’t wander off on your own. And try to understand what she tells you. I’ll be in our room unpacking or in the kitchen helping with supper.”
Thor’s eyes were bouncing everywhere but on hers. “Yes, Mamma.”
“Okay, dere to gå.” Kyle said it in Norsk, knowing that it sounded enough like English for Thor to understand you two go.
It occurred to her that if she spoke Norsk to him while they were here and he was immersed in the language that Thor might learn to speak a substantial amount during the month they were spending in Arendal. When they got home she could easily build on that foundation.
“Thank you, Gjertrud.” Selby handed Jans to a young red-haired woman before she followed Kyle into the room she would share with Thor.
“We do have domestic help here,” she told Kyle as she opened the big pine wardrobe painted with traditional Nordic designs.
Selby turned to face Kyle again. “Mrs. Nilssen’s the housekeeper and cook. Her husband was killed when the Germans attacked Norway ten years ago and she’s been working for Matilda ever since. Gjertrud is her daughter—she’s nineteen—and I employed her to help me with the children.”
“This is a big house,” Kyle observed as she opened one of their suitcases. Her own little half of her duplex in Minneapolis could probably fit inside the great hall. “How long have you and Teigen lived here?”
“We moved in after the war ended, so Torhild was born here.” Selby looked awkwardly apologetic. “We named her after Tor. Teigen insisted.”
Kyle nodded. “He had every right to do that.”
“We didn’t know you yet. And with you being American…” Selby let the sentence fade away.
Kyle left her suitcase and approached Selby. “I know it was a shock to you all when you found out Tor was married, especially to an American you’d never heard of.”
“It was. And just so you know, having Tor buried in Minnesota was very hard on Matilda and Nikolai.”
Kyle swallowed. “I thought about having his body sent here, I really did. But then I realized that Thor would need a grave to visit so he’d know his father was a real person. And honestly I needed that, too. Our time together was so short. Does that make any sense?”
“It does.” Selby took Kyle’s hand. “I think you should tell them that. It might help them to hear things from your side.”
“I will.” Kyle squeezed Selby’s hand. “Thank you. I hope I can count on your honesty all the time.”
Selby smiled softly. “Even if it’s hard?”
“Especially if it’s hard.” Kyle chuckled. “I haven’t survived the last five-and-a-half years by running away from reality.”
Selby’s eyes narrowed. “I think you and I are going to need a night out together to compare our stories. It takes a strong woman to handle a Hansen man. I’d bet we’re more alike than we know.”
Kyle grinned. “I would love that.”
She let go of Selby’s hand and returned to her unpacking. “So tell me what to expect here. Like supper—does the whole family eat together? Do the children sit with the adults?”
“Normally Torhild has her supper in the kitchen because she’s bored with us old people, but on special occasions she does join us.” Selby winked. “You and Thor are a special occasion.”
Kyle laughed. “So tonight we’ll eat together, but Thor will have his supper with Torhild in the kitchen as a rule. Got it.”
“We’ll have other guests this weekend as well.” Selby hung up the blouse Kyle handed her. “Because the christening is on Sunday, our friend Dahl Holter, and Teigen’s cousin Olina
Bakke are coming down from Bergen. They’ll be Jans’ godparents.”
Kyle handed Selby two more blouses. “They’re coming together?”
“Yep. Because apparently they’re going together.” Selby looked at Kyle over her shoulder. “We introduced them a few months ago and I guess they’re an item now.”
“What does Dahl do?”
Kyle opened a drawer in the wardrobe and laid her lingerie inside, sad and worn cotton things that they were. What did a widow and single mother need expensive silk for? Better to be practical and spend her limited income on more important things.
“He’s an actor.”
Kyle’s mouth fell open. “Really? Would I have heard of him?”
Selby shook her head. “I doubt it. He’s a stage actor, so unless you attend theater in Oslo or Bergen you wouldn’t have seen him.”
Kyle put the last of her clothes in a drawer and closed the empty suitcase. “How did you get to know him?”
“He was my captain in Milorg—you know what that is?”
“Yes.” Tor told her that Teigen became part of Milorg after being released from the labor camp. “So that’s where you met?”
Selby nodded proudly. “I served for three years. I was a lieutenant. Teigen was a sergeant.”
Kyle smiled at her sister-in-law. “I was a second lieutenant in the Women’s Army Corps for a year-and-a-half. Until Thor happened along.”
“I wasn’t sure if the American Army allowed married women.” Selby accepted the empty case and set it by the door.
Kyle hesitated, wondering if she should tell the truth. But someone was bound to figure it out.
If they haven’t already.
“We weren’t married until I found out I was pregnant. Even though Tor did tell me he loved me and he asked me way before that.” Kyle opened Thor’s suitcase and handed Selby a pile of shirts. “Did anyone here compare the dates?”
“If they did, they didn’t say anything.” Selby put Thor’s shirts in a drawer. “But now I have to ask you why you didn’t say yes before the baby—is that the only reason you married Tor?”
“Yes and no.” Kyle knew she had to tell Selby everything or nothing—there was no middle ground here. “I loved him so, so deeply. He was the most amazing man I ever knew. And I told him I loved him too, the first time he mentioned marriage.”
Selby nodded, her brow furrowed. “So what held you back?”
“He was going away to war on another continent. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again.” Kyle heaved a weary sigh. “Turns out I was right.”
“But you and he were…sharing a bed?”
“No!” Kyle wagged a negating finger. “We were only intimate one time, in a very weak moment. I was a virgin and I didn’t think pregnancy could happen the first time.”
“But it did.” Selby watched her carefully.
“Thank God it did. Tor was so happy when I told him.”
“He was?” Selby’s expression eased. “That’s good to know.”
“He told me over and over that he was glad that he’d given me his child to remember him by in case anything happened to him.” Kyle swallowed the lump that choked her. “Somehow I think he knew what was coming. But he trusted me to raise Thor and bring honor to his memory. I still thank God every day for that.”
Selby wiped a tear. “So do we.”
Kyle waved a hand around her. “And now He’s given my son a fine, strong family to be a part of.”
Selby came to Kyle and hugged her. “You’re such a blessing to us.”
Kyle couldn’t speak past the lump anymore, but she held her petite sister-in-law close.
Thank you, Tor.
Chapter
Two
Teigen Hansen closed the door to his father’s office and settled into one of the two chairs facing the desk. “Did you want to talk to me about Kyle?”
His father looked surprised. “No. But she seems lovely, don’t you think?”
“I do. Selby’s helping her unpack. We’ll see what she thinks after that.” Teigen gave his father a significant look. “My wife’s a very good judge of character.”
“Yes, she is…” Nikolai nodded distractedly. “Tell me, are you planning to teach in the fall?”
