by Lisa Plumley
‘I could ask you the same thing! It takes time to organise a journey like this.’
‘Not as much time as you might think. I’m used to getting by with little sleep. When you’ve sold your service, you have to be prepared to reach the battle on time.’
‘Are you going to battle? I thought you were going home.’
‘Have you ever travelled all night?’ he asked rather than answering her question. Going home for him was a matter of facing his demons, but she didn’t want to know about his suffering. Kara wanted an invincible hero. ‘You seem more than half-asleep.’
Kara reached up and pulled her cloak’s hood more firmly over her head. ‘My horse and I can go many miles yet.’
‘You and your horse can, but I require rest. This place is good ground for a battle. I’ve learnt to always camp where you are sure of the ground,’ he said, pulling his horse to a halt. ‘Good ground about this hut.’
‘Who is going to attack here in Raumerike?’
‘I want to be prepared in case of the unexpected,’ he said lightly. Maybe he was wrong and Kara was right. His uncle might use the law instead, but he doubted it. Maybe he had lived far too long with war and he’d seen the look in his uncle’s eye before his uncle had stormed out of the temple. ‘Tonight mainly I want my rest. I hope I get it.’
‘Perhaps if we had started later, you wouldn’t be so tired.’
‘Tomorrow I meet my son. I want to do that fully alive rather than half-dead.’
She pushed her hood back and he caught a glimpse of her expressive eyes. ‘You truly want to stop? You aren’t simply being kind because you think me weak?’
‘Why would I ever consider you weak?’
‘You used to get impatient when I couldn’t keep up. Even on our wedding night, you kept going when I begged you to stop.’
‘I was younger then.’ He instinctively rubbed the knot in his leg. The hours of riding had caused it to seize up. ‘When you are older, you learn the value of respecting your body. I’ve learnt the value of conserving my energy until the battle begins.’
‘You plan to do battle with our son?’
‘Hardly...unless he wishes to do battle with me. Sons have a habit of doing that with their fathers.’
Ash waited for an answering smile. Her eyes drooped further and her hands went slack on the reins.
‘You never fought your father,’ she murmured, her head nodding. ‘Rurik dreams of being a warrior. Your father encouraged it.’
Ash slid off his horse. His father. He knew all about that sort of encouragement. And his father had always said that he wasn’t ready to fight, that he’d never make a true warrior.
‘Down you come. Stop protesting. When did you last have a proper sleep?’
He put his hands about her slender waist and lifted her down. She weighed less than he imagined, but there was an inner strength in her back.
‘I know how to dismount.’ She gave a half-hearted push against his chest. ‘You try planning a wedding which gets interrupted as well as running a large estate. Hardly any time to breathe, let alone sleep.’
He gave in to temptation and held her for another heartbeat, drinking in the soft floral scent.
Something stirred deep within his memory. No other woman he’d ever encountered smelled like Kara. It had been one of the biggest mistakes he’d ever made, leaving her in the way he had. He had to hope he wasn’t making another one coming back and turning her life upside down. But now he was here, he had to try.
‘Were you always this independent?’ he murmured against her hair, making a new memory. ‘In my mind, you always agreed to my suggestions, no matter how outlandish.’
‘I learnt the value of independence and using my mind.’ She wriggled and he set her on her feet. ‘It means the only person you have to blame is yourself.’
‘The only thing you do tonight is sleep. Orders. In there. Sleep with no one to disturb you. Know you are safe.’
She shook her head. ‘There is a lot to be done before I sleep. The men will need food for a start. Someone will need to make certain the horses are secure and fed. The fire will have to be started. Food cooked.’
‘My men look after their own needs. It is understood.’ He straightened her hood. ‘You will do no one any favours if you try to keep awake. It is when accidents happen, Kara. The last thing we need is you getting injured. You look half-dead.’
She made an annoyed noise. ‘You know how to make a woman feel special.’
Ash regarded her soft hair and creamy skin. She looked exhausted, but utterly delectable. It was all he could do to keep from gathering her into his arms again and kissing her thoroughly. Patience, rather than force. He had to prove himself to her. ‘I was under the impression that you preferred the unvarnished truth these days. Shall I pay compliments instead?’
‘The truth is preferable to compliments which you’ve paid to a hundred other women.’
Ash ignored the ‘hundred other women’ remark. He couldn’t remember any other women. He certainly had not had one while he’d been away. It had been easier to keep his focus that way. ‘I’ll remember that, but you mustn’t complain if the truth is not to your liking.’
She tilted her head to one side. ‘Are you certain your men know how to make a proper camp? Some of them appear quite desperate.’
Ash cast a practised eye over his men—a diverse bunch of men and not pretty to look at, but they were good men to have in a fight. ‘Warriors, pledged to me. If they didn’t know their business, I wouldn’t have them.’
‘But so many of them.’
‘Safety in numbers.’ Over the years, he’d learnt that there was value in numbers. On his way to Sand, he’d laid careful plans—make his peace with his king and his father before going to the east and finding new trade routes. The money he planned to make there would have paid for another estate as he refused to live under the same roof as his father. But now with the problem with his uncle, he was glad of his men. They’d keep Kara and Rurik safe, should anything happen to him.
He had charged his best oarsmen and a handful of his men with the task of bringing the boat upriver. Right now, he wanted to see how his uncle would respond to the division. Would he chase after him or go after the ship?
The departure from Sand had gone far too smoothly. Ash distrusted smooth. His uncle would show his hand. Soon.
‘Viken warriors?’ She put her hand over her mouth. ‘Does the king approve?’
‘Men without a country, but with strong sword arms and a keen will to fight. I know what it feels like to be without a country and we’ve fought together in the past.’
He waited for her to understand why he refused to leave these men behind and why he needed them now. But the last thing he wanted was to give Kara an excuse to leave him or bar him from Jaarlshiem. He would claim his son and he would keep his inheritance. And he would show Kara that he was the sort of hero whom she’d dreamt about.
‘Sell-swords.’ Her lip curled about the word. ‘And you think our son will be safe with them?’
‘You say sell-sword like it is a dirty word. It is best to be honest about why you are fighting for a particular side. Coin is a wonderful motivator. Far better than glory.’
He looked over her shoulder at the darkened hut. Its door gaped open, but there was no one inside. All was silent. He forced his shoulders to relax. The ambush would not come from the hut.
‘Can you trust a sell-sword?’
‘I was a sell-sword until very recently,’ he said bluntly. ‘I find such men to be pragmatic. The ones who pretend to fight for lofty ideals and principles or simply for the joy of killing are the ones you need to be wary of. Men who fight for money know what fills an empty belly. They also know when to stop. I’ll have no berserkers under my command. You can’t control them. I learnt i
t to my cost.’
The sleep fled from Kara. She looked at each of the men with new eyes. They were harder and more desperate than she had first considered. They fairly bristled with menace and scars. And Ash? Did he remain a hardened sell-sword? Or did the gentle boy she remembered lurk under everything? How would he react when he met Rurik? Rurik needed kindness and a steady hand rather than blows and harsh words.
Her hands curled into fists. One used hardened sell-swords to raid and to conquer. Earlier she’d overheard several of them complaining that they missed the sea and couldn’t wait to get back to their ship. Proof if she needed it that Ash intended to go raiding again, rather than staying to farm.
She knew the heartbreak that came from loving a man who just went. Ash had broken her heart once. She refused to allow him the chance to do it a second time. She wanted a man who would share the burden of running the estate, rather than adding to that burden.
‘Loyalty which lasts as long as the gold in your pocket,’ she whispered. ‘That is what hiring a sell-sword buys—temporary loyalty.’
‘Nobody truly buys a warrior. Ultimately a warrior fights because he wants to fight for a particular leader. My men trust me because I’m tried in battle, pay an honest wage and pick my fights.’
‘And some don’t.’
‘It rarely happens twice.’ Ash’s face hardened to a furious stone mask. ‘Cheats and cowards tend to end their days with a knife in their back if they’re lucky. Slow torture if they aren’t. I can’t abide such men. Death is far too good for them.’
A cold prickle crept down Kara’s back. Ash had encountered someone like that. Had he been the one to plunge in the knife and buy his freedom that way? Did she want to know how many people he’d killed? Her mother used to say that the reason why her father had changed was that a man lost a little of himself with each man he slew. Kara wasn’t sure if it was true, but the Ash who stood before her was very different from the boy who had left. Had he become empty in the same way her father had been in his final years?
‘Have you fought many battles?’ she asked, putting the thought from her mind.
‘Enough to know that, given the choice, I never want to fight another one. I only fight when forced to these days. Luckily my reputation is such that few dare cross me.’ He made a bow. ‘My days of fighting for someone else have vanished.’
‘What do you want?’ she whispered, fingering her throat.
‘My needs are simple tonight—a warm fire and food in my belly. Tomorrow will take care of itself.’
‘Where did you fight your battles?’ Kara asked carefully. ‘Did you kill many men?’
‘Twenty-one major battles, my lady, your lord has fought,’ one of Ash’s men called out. ‘The little skirmishes are not worth the sweat it takes to fight them. But they reckon your man has over thirty victories to his credit. It is what they whispered when I signed with him. They reckon he is luckier than most.’
‘And who told you that?’
‘Your husband, just after he killed the robber who tried to lift my purse.’
Kara’s heart beat faster. ‘It doesn’t surprise me. Ash always did enjoy playing the hero.’
‘Not just playing, my lady. He’s the genuine article. The sea water flows in his veins. The way he can handle a ship and time his raids—nothing short of perfection. He lives for the battle.’
‘Thank you, Saxi.’ Ash gave a bow, but his features had hardened to an impenetrable mask which reminded her of Hring in one of his tempers. ‘It is good to know my men think highly of me.’
‘You are like your father.’
‘I’m his son.’
Kara put her hand on his sleeve. ‘And were you a hero? Did you turn the tide of battle every time as you always claimed you would?’
His blue eyes assessed her. ‘A young man’s claims are not worth the spit it takes to say them. Odin harvests the bravest from the battle. I returned. It should tell you much.’
Somewhere in the woods an owl hooted, swiftly followed by another. All about her, the men instantly became alert, fingering their weapons. Kara narrowed her gaze. A natural reaction of mercenaries, or was there something else?
‘The tawny owls call to their mates,’ she commented, seeking to defuse the tension. ‘A true sound of autumn, hardly a call to battle.’
Ash gestured towards the hut with an impatient hand. ‘Do you walk in or do I carry you?’
‘And your men? Where will they sleep? The hut appears scarce big enough for all of us.’
‘They are used to the cold ground. We have no enemies here. And the rain has cleared. There is no need for them to sleep in the hut. You needn’t worry. Guards will be posted.’
The men agreed with Ash.
‘There haven’t been any bandit attacks recently. The king keeps a good peace.’
‘Did I say I was worried about such a thing?’ Ash retorted. ‘It is always important to take precautions. Now sleep so this journey does not take several days longer than it should. We stop every time you fall off your horse.’
At Ash’s indulgent expression, the back of her neck prickled. Did he have alternative plans? What is mine stays mine. Did he mean her? Seduction with his men camped around the hut? Was he going to ensure they stayed married?
Traitorous warmth curled deep within her as she remembered what it was like to lie in Ash’s arms and feel his mouth on hers. She banished it. Making love with Ash would cause more problems than it would solve. She wasn’t going to lose her heart again. She was not going to become that gullible girl who believed heroes really did exist.
Instantly she was awake, cursing herself for not insisting on her own men or at the very least a woman companion.
‘And you, where will you sleep?’ she asked, narrowing her eyes, searching for a loophole in Ash’s intentions.
‘With my men. I prefer to sleep outside these days.’ A dimple flashed in his cheek. ‘Unless you have a better idea... I await the invitation, my lady. If you feel so inclined, you must speak and save us both a cold and lonely night.’
‘I sleep alone.’
‘Some other time, then.’ He rubbed a hand across his chin. ‘I gave you my word. It should be enough.’
A hot tide flowed up Kara’s face. He had known what she was thinking. She hurriedly straightened her pinafore dress. ‘You used to enjoy your creature comforts. It surprises me that you give them up so readily.’
‘A roof over my head, a full belly and a halfway decent cloak.’ His lips curved up. ‘Yes, they are luxuries rather than necessities. I’ve done without them in the past and survived. Tonight will be no different unless someone takes pity on me.’
Kara put a hand on her hip. This teasing Ash she could handle. The other Ash when he was being kind or spoke about his experiences as a sell-sword, that Ash was a stranger. ‘You seek to mock me when I was only curious why you were so willing to give up basic comfort. I deserve better than that.’
He tapped a finger against his mouth before smiling. ‘Curious. A start, I suppose.’
Kara blinked. ‘A start?’
‘You have to care about something to be curious about it.’ He clasped his hand to his chest. ‘A tiny crumb of comfort from my lady as I lie on the cold ground.’
Her heart flipped to be called his lady. She hardened it as a memory clanged from years ago. ‘I know that trick from years ago. I am my own lady.’
‘Alone until you say differently.’ He sketched a bow and his eyes twinkled in the dusk. ‘I will be here when you wake, even if you should wake at noon.’
Kara tilted her head to one side. ‘And this morning’s little demonstration? The need to leave like the Valkyries were at our heels? What was that about? Showing Valdar you had claimed me?’
‘I like to know who my enemies are and how they will strike.’
‘Do you know them?’
‘Now I do.’
Kara walked with as much dignity as she could muster to the hut. Inside her something ached. The new Ash was every bit as dangerous to her heart as the old one had been.
Ash struck a spark and lit a reed, holding it above his head. The light threw shadows over the nearly bare hut.
‘The roof appears solid enough to keep the damp off for the night. And no large animal appears to be making this its home.’ He gestured towards an old pile of leaves. ‘I regret I can’t do better for a bed, but it is better than falling asleep in the saddle and getting hurt.’
‘You needn’t make any concession for me.’
He laughed. ‘You’re beautiful when you are angry. So fiery and full of passion. But I like my women rested.’
‘Stop trying to change the subject.’ Kara concentrated on the makeshift bedding. ‘I don’t belong to you. I never have. We might be married, but I am no slave to do your bidding.’
He came over to her and laid his hand on her shoulder. ‘I can only apologise for the boy I used to be. I should have waited until the spring to leave. I was wrong and I paid a high price.’
Something melted inside Kara. His eyes in the dim light had become pools she could drown in. She wanted to lean her head against his shoulder and draw strength. There were far too many reasons why that would be a bad idea.
Memories assaulted Kara’s brain. Thousands of images of Ash being kind that she had deliberately forgotten. She shook her brain to rid it of them. What was in the past had to stay there.
She curled her fist. She refused to go back to being the girl who expected her hero to solve all her problems. She didn’t require a hero. She required someone who would pull his weight. ‘All that is in the past.’
‘That is the trouble. Lie to yourself if you must, but don’t expect me to believe it. I can always tell when you are lying, Kara.’
She thought about how she had waved him goodbye. ‘Not always.’
‘I came back, Kara. And I intend to show you that I can be the right sort of husband for you.’
