Under A Viking Moon

by Tami Dee

  Whether the treachery of her ancestor also ran in this Katla's veins remained to be seen. It was fortunate for her he did not hold with the view of his warriors, that any blood relation of an enemy was an enemy. For if he did, he would be honor bound to avenge his brothers' and his warriors' deaths at her expense. It would not matter that this girl was apparently centuries removed from her relative, she would be dead by now.

  "I don't believe chance brought me to your time," he continued. "To you. I must have been sent here to accomplish something, Katla."

  "Kat," she interrupted, a catch in her voice. "Everyone except my Amma calls me Kat."

  He nodded. "Kat then. It is reasonable, Kat, to assume you are a key element to my doing so. It is imperative that I learn what I must do here, complete my task and, if possible, return to my own time. Will you help me?"

  Seeing the tears now streaming down her cheeks Leif fought the urge to brush them away with his fingertips, or his lips.

  Would she help him, or would he have to force her to assist him? Could he bring himself to force her after all he had already put her through? Tightening his jaw he realized that yes, he would if had to. With his brothers' deaths, and his sojourn to this time and place, his father was now unprotected, his mother and sisters uncared for. They were completely vulnerable. There was no time to waste. If it was at all possible, he had to get home.

  Chapter Four

  "I -- I don't know how to help you. What could I possibility know, or do, that would explain why you're here or enable you to go home?"

  Her words were sincere, yet Leif was certain he saw a flash of guilt cross her eyes. She was hiding something, but what, he could only guess. Her earlier words swirled in his mind; something she had said was hugging the edge of his memory, yet eluding him. What was it?

  "I am not certain either, Kat. Take me to your shelter and we can consider our course." The look of panic that settled on her beautiful face when he made that suggestion would have been comical had the stakes not been so high.

  "I can assure you that your honor will remain intact."

  Her cheeks turned a soft pink and she focused on a point just over his left shoulder.

  "I can't take you home with me," she said in a somewhat strangled voice. "It's insane. Besides, you wouldn't even fit into my apartment, and I am most definitely not sharing my futon with you."

  "I don't know what an apartment is but I am sure the lodging will be adequate. As to your futon, I will promise not to attempt to share it with you. All you need do is point out and I will avoid it at all costs. Now, the sun has all but set and you are shivering. I suggest that we make our way to your shelter."

  He turned toward the village, hoping that she would comply.

  After what seemed like an eternity, she blew out a louder than necessary breath and grasped his extended arm. Noting her lack of enthusiasm Leif had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.

  "Okay," she said. "But one wrong move, buster, and you're out on your ear."

  He admired the bravado of her threat. As a matter of fact, there were many things he admired about this apple-scented woman so full of sprit and courage.

  And secrets, he reminded himself pointedly.

  "Lead the way, lady."

  She shocked him by boldly looking him up and down.

  "You're a walking arsenal, if the cops stop us just say that you're an actor and the weapons are just props. Whatever you do, don't let anyone touch them," she advised.

  Leif wondered what a cop was even as he nodded his understanding of her instructions. They walked in silence. Leif was riveted, and a little unnerved, by this future world. It was all he could do not to twist his head this way and that with all the new, awe-inspiring sights surrounding him.

  It was the biggest village he had ever seen. Full of stone buildings. People, most of them apparently belonging to the same stunted race that he had seen on the ship in the harbor, bustled along, occasionally stopping to gawk at him.

  Everywhere he looked buildings were shrouded in light, despite the fact that there were no open fire pits. White lights, red, yellow and blue. Some blinking, some solid. Katla was doing her best to explain the different sights and sounds, and on occasion, smells. She spoke reassuringly, but he noticed that now her voice held a ring of excitement. It seemed she was beginning to enjoy showing him her time.

  By far the most amazing part of this advanced time was the metal boxes that rolled along paths made of a solid substance, boxes that had replaced horses as a means of land travel and came in several sizes, some even stacked atop one another.

  As for the people, they were indeed a stunted race. Leif straightened his shoulders, proud of the fact that he stood at least a head higher than even the tallest of these people.

  His pride took a savage blow when a 'Taxi' made a loud, obnoxious sound as it passed by them. Leif all but jumped into Kat's arms for protection. To her great credit, she pretended not to notice.

  His stomach rumbled and she swung her head towards him so fast he feared she might have injured herself.

  "Ohmygod, you're hungry!" The statement sounded more like an accusation than an observation.

  He gave her a smile that he hoped was reassuring. "Yes, it would seem so. But you don't need to look so horrified, I have yet to eat my escorts, regardless of how hungry I've become in the past."

  "Huh? Oh, no I didn't think you were going to eat me," she quickly assured him, a little too quickly, he thought, amused.

  She shook her head as if to clear it.

  "We can stop by the diner before we head to my place."

  The bright lights on the outside of the glass structure they stopped in front of said Bob's Diner. Leif was astounded that he could read the strange writing. He also noted that it was not only Kat's tongue he understood, but the surprisingly different tongues of the hundreds of people they had passed by.

  Kat pushed open the clear door and stepped inside. A bell tinkled from somewhere above their heads and warm air swished around him as he stepped over the threshold. He could not resist running his hand over the clear surface of the door before it swung closed behind them.

  "It's called glass." she explained with a smile. He nodded, awed.

  "There you are. You're late." A short, bald man barked at Kat.

  Leif tensed and reached behind him for the hilt of the sword strapped to his back. Kat's eyes gave him a clear warning to behave even as she smiled at the man yelling at her. Reluctantly, Leif dropped his arm back to his side, not taking his eyes off the man that dared to speak to her in such a manner.

  "I don't know how to break this to you Sam, but its Sunday. I don't work on Sundays."

  The man she called Sam waved a long, shiny object in front of him. Leif reached for his sword again. Regardless of Katla's wishes, if this man made a move to strike her he would be dead before he hit the floor.

  "Well, you're working now," Sam announced. "We're busy. Go get into your uniform." Sam shot Leif a dismissive look from small bloodshot eyes and shuffled away muttering something about costume parts.

  "Look, Leif, it seems I have to work," she nibbled her lip, the action sending an unexpected jolt of heat through him. "I could find someone to take you to my place after you eat if you want, or you could hang out here."

  She looked miserable, and tired.

  A terrible thought occurred to him, whipping up his temper in record time. "Why must you obey that man? Is he your husband?"

  She looked up at him, her expression blank. And then she laughed. It was a light, carefree sound that made Leif's heart clench.

  "Husband? Sam? Heavens no! That spatula wielding guy is my boss, and if I don't do what he says he will fire me."

  Leif was horrified that she would be put to the flames if she did not obey that puny man. His face must have revealed his emotion for she hurried to continue her explanation.

  "If he fires me, it means that I'll have to go out and find another low paying, dead end job.
I have three such jobs now and frankly, I don't have the energy to search for another one."

  Leif digested her words as he slid into the booth where she led him. The sword strapped to his back was more than uncomfortable, but he was loath to remove it in this crowed, unfamiliar village. He was much too long and his knees hit the underside of the table. Something sticky attached itself to his knee. He and pulled at the pink glob and it stretched in his fingers, a strange, sweet smell assaulted his nose that made him rather sick to his stomach. He became increasingly alarmed when, despite his best efforts; he could not dispatch the substance from his fingers.

  Two men sitting in a nearby booth were openly laughing at his efforts. He would have to kill them for their disrespect.

  Kat hurried over. "Here, let me."

  He could see she was trying to keep from laughing herself as she grabbed a folded piece of parchment from a shiny container sitting at the end of the table and pried the glob off. He felt strangely betrayed by the lack of loyalty she now displayed, laughing at his expense.

  "It's gum," she told him. "People stick it under the tables all the time. I'm guessing you don't have bubble gum in your time?"

  Ah, the soothing voice again. Perhaps he would forgive her indiscretion, this time at least. The men at the next booth, on the other hand... he shot a glare towards them only to find that they were concentrating on their food, apparently having forgotten about him.

  Noticing his glance she laughed softly, "One Hungry Man Special coming up."

  As Kat disappeared through a door at the back, Leif looked around him curiously. There were no torches burning and yet the light was more intense than any he had ever seen at night, coming apparently, from long cylinders above him. Other people, seated like himself, were being accosted by weary looking women wearing short blue dresses and clasps engraved with what must be their names, each carrying a small piece of parchment on which they seemed to be scribbling messages.

  "You want some water, honey?"

  Leif looked up, startled from his thoughts.

  Gifting him a patient smile, she tried again. "I'm Rosie. Can I get you something to drink?"

  Kat's words on the beach rang in his ears. Rosie is the only one I confided that legend to. Does she actually think this is funny? A joke? Good lord, she knows how upset I've been since Amma gave me that key.

  That's it! That is what had been playing at the edge of his memory. What key? Leif narrowed his eyes in speculation and Rosie backed away.

  "Water would be fine," he said before she turned away from him. "Thank you."

  "Yeah. Sure, coming right up." The hand that poured him a glass of water trembled ever so slightly. Finishing her task, she gave him the briefest of smiles then hurried away, tossing a puzzled glance behind her.

  Leif leaned his head back against the tall cushioned back of his seat and drummed his fingers on the table. Kat had asked him how he knew about Leif and Katla. And then she had spoken of telling Rosie about a legend and that she was upset about a key. What key?

  Pushing aside the parchment Rosie had left on the table, Leif narrowed his eyes. Kat knew something. Something important. He might be drawn to Kat, but if she did not share the information she had with him of her own accord, he would take it from her by force. He had to go back to his own time. And soon. The well-being of his family depended on it.

  Chapter Five

  "Kat, why is that drop dead gorgeous nutcase, dressed like a Viking in booth two staring at you like you just divorced him and were awarded the house, car, bank account, kids and his favorite dog?" Rosie asked as she scooted past Kat in the narrow walkway behind the counter.

  Katla glanced over her shoulder at the scowling Viking in question.

  "Oh, him," she said as casually as possible. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

  Rosie laughed, her curiosity obviously piqued. "Give me a try, I'm gullible."

  Kat rolled her eyes. "About as gullible as a loan shark."

  Rosie's almond shaped golden eyes sparkled with curiosity. "This must be a doozy. Go on Kat girl, spill it."

  Arms behind her back Kat struggled with the long ties of her apron. "Fix this for me will you?"

  Rosie made short work of untangling the ties and in less than a minute, she finished off a perfect bow. She smacked Kat playfully on the behind and waited, eyebrows raised, for Kat to fill her in.

  Kat poured a cup of coffee for Harry, a regular seated at the counter, before joining Rosie who was now wrapping silverware into neat little cocoons with paper napkins. Other than Leif -- who was still glaring at her while waiting for his order -- the rest of the customers were, for the moment, not needing assistance.

  Kat heaved a deep breath. "You remember me telling you about my Amma adding to the story she has told me for as long as I can remember?"

  Rosie drew in her winged brows. "Sure I remember. You were freaked out for days trying to think what that key might open. What's that got to do with Hercules over there?"

  "I have an awful suspicion that it has every thing to do with him. By the way, Hercules' real name is Leif Nabboddrson."

  Rosie dropped the silverware she was holding. The fork, spoon and knife clattered as they hit the counter, causing several heads to turn in their direction. Including Sam's.

  He scowled.

  "Sorry Sam, I'm all thumbs tonight," Rosie called out cheerfully while Kat tried to stifle a giggle.

  "You'll both be laughing when you're out of a job, now won't you?"

  Kat winked at Rosie. Sam knew Rosie didn't need this job. She was twenty years old, and had inherited a small fortune form her grandmother when she was fifteen. She only worked in the dinner a couple of days a week to kill time between her archeology classes and hang out with her.

  The small bell stationed over the swinging door chimed as the door flew open. A biting wind gushed inside the dinner, bringing along with it several more customers. A storm was brewing and for the next two hours the diner was swamped with customers waiting out the downpour.

  Every time Rosie passed Kat she gave her a look that said, "When are these people going to get out of here so we can talk?" To which Kat could only smile and shrug.

  Kat served Leif three full meals before he slowed down shoveling the food into his perfect mouth. She had no idea how she was going to feed him on a regular basis. The man apparently had a hollow leg that needed filling along with his stomach.

  She tried to ignore him as she waited on her customers, but it was a useless effort. His intense blue eyes followed her every move and caused her blood to heat and her hands to shake so badly she was terrified she would end up pouring a pot of hot coffee onto someone's lap. She especially worried about this horrifying possibility as she served the object of her clumsiness. Kat tried to get Rosie to wait on him, but Rosie flat out refused to go near him. The coward.

  To make matters worse, for some reason the friendlier she was to her customers, the fiercer Leif's scowl became. Didn't he know that she had to get as many tips as she could tonight in order to pay for the meals he was wolfing down?

  By a quarter to twelve, the storm was letting up and customers gradually left. It always amazed Kat that this city could be as busy at midnight as it was at noon. For the next twenty minutes, Kat and Rosie were busy bussing their tables and wiping them down. Kat did a quick count of her tips and found that thanks to the storm bringing in extra customers, she would be able to pay for Leif's meals and grab one to go for herself.

  Taking what was needed to cover the cost of what Leif had eaten from her tip money, Kat placed it in the till and turned, only to find him close behind her. "You shouldn't sneak up on someone like that," she told him, uncomfortably aware that his close proximity was making her heart jolt. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

  He was frowning. Kat wasn't surprised. In the short time that she'd known him, that seemed to be what he did best. That and kissing. Kat felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment at her own thoughts. She prayed he woul
dn't notice her blush as she hazarded a glance from beneath her lashes. He was looking down at her with an arrogant half smile playing across his lips. Oh yes, he had noticed the blush all right.

  Unexpectedly, and to Kat's immense relief, Leif pointed toward the register.

  "What is this parchment that has been changing hands all night?"

  The drawer was open and the crinkled ones, fives, tens and twenties' were tucked away under their thin metal holders.

  "This is our money, the numbers printed on them represent the value of each bill. Here's a one," she took out a one dollar bill and handed it to him, "This is worth one hundred of these pennies," she gestured toward the pennies. "Anyways, the higher the number, the more the value. I'm not sure how it worked in your time, but in my time every thing has a value, and you can't take anything with out paying for it. Even our heat and water costs money."

  "And do you have a lot of this money?" he asked as he examined the wrinkled bill, holding it toward the light and turning it from front to back.

  Kat laughed, the sound coming out with a bit more bitterness than she planned. "Money is one thing I always seem to be short on. I work three jobs, usually about fifteen hours a day seven days a week. Not to mention--"

  "Have you no one to provide for you?" he interrupted sharply.

  "I've been on my own since I was fifteen when my Amma accidentally set fire to our flat," Kat explained. "It turned out that she was ill, in her mind, and had to be taken to an institution to be cared for. I tried to finish high school, but it was impossible. I dropped out just before I finished tenth grade. Just surviving took all my time and energy. In my time, if you don't have an education, you will not be able to get a decent job. Period."