by Tami Dee
As for Kat, she slept the sleep of the innocent. Leif brushed a dark strand of hair from her forehead and was relieved that she remained cool to his touch. He had been concerned that she would succumb to fever; he should have known better.
She had a way of experiencing hardship and coming out of it unscathed. He lifted her covering and boldly inspected her supine naked body. The only outward signs of the last twenty-four hours were a few light scrapes on her cheek, and a large bruise rounding her stomach where his arm had squeezed her as punishment for her impulsive dare to end her life.
The brave little fool. He chuckled softly then belched. The remaining alcoves held his brothers and as many guests as would fit. As for the rest of his guests, they had pushed the table slabs to the empty walls of the hall and slept atop them. The sound of snoring made its way through the thick door of his alcove, all but rattling it.
A small whimper escaped her as Kat stirred. Perhaps, Leif thought, her sleep was not as innocent as her angelic face had caused him to presume.
He fingered the twisted gold armband he held between his fingers. He had chosen the piece because it was easily recognizable by their clan as belonging to him. It was also the means he'd chosen to assure that none touched Kat. To do so would mean certain death for the one foolish enough at attempt it. Leif had let his decree be known tonight, holding the arm band high into the air for all to see and shouting over the exuberant merry-making that the slave wearing it was not to be touched by any one but himself, under the pain of death.
His announcement had been greeted by shock, then speculation and finally grudging acknowledgment. Word would set out in every direction by the morrow.
It was the only protection he could offer Kat from the sentence he himself had dealt her.
His mother had sent an ambatt with clothing for her. It was the typical garb all his female slaves wore, a simple tunic of undyed homespun. He absently fingered the wool garment, knowing that the material would be harsh upon Kat's fair skin.
Feeling suddenly weary, he shook his head. He couldn't ask for a soft linen shift for her to wear underneath it. If any suspected his tender feelings for the woman his clan thought was their enemy, it would cause him serious trouble, possibly even an outright rebellion.
Leif cursed his rash words which had condemned Kat to the life of a slave before clinching his jaw in resolve. At the time it had been the only way to save her life and he'd best remember it.
He was still angry at her for her deception, but whereas before he was unwilling to listen to her reason, he had now calmed down enough to hear her out.
He touched her shoulder and her eyes fluttered open.
"Oh!" She shot up causing the covering to slip down exposing the creamy rose tipped globes of her breasts, now pebbling in the chilled room.
She looked up and her mouth dropped as she caught sight of him reclining only an arms length away.
"Oh!" she said again, clutching the covering and jerking it to her chin. Leif was more than a little disappointed to loose the perfect view and considered commanding her to let it drop again. But then Leif decided to bide his time. He rubbed his aching head. Likely making her comply with his command would be more of a fight than he was in the mood to endure right now.
Putting aside his disappointment, he languidly met her eyes only to find them flashing at him angrily. "You tried to kill me!"
His lip twitched. The tenacity of this girl! He forced himself not to laugh.
"If I had tried to kill you," he said mockingly, "You would be dead right now."
As she sputtered and fumed, Leif realized that it was time to remind her why she was in this predicament in the first place.
"Why did you keep the pendant from me?"
"It's not what you think," she said defiantly. "I'd only just found the pendant. It was in a secret compartment in my Amma's safe deposit box."
Her face crumbled at the mention of her Amma and it was all Leif could do not enfold her in his arms and comfort her. One thing he knew to be true about Kat was her love for her grandmother. He understood that her grief ran deep.
"Before you washed up in my time," she said, clearly struggling to compose herself, "My Amma had told me that someone, a man, would come. And when he did, I should return with him."
She reached out her hand and grasped his wrist. "Leif," she said earnestly, "It became clear that you were the man Amma spoke of. She had told me that I had to return with you, but until I found the pendant, I didn't know how I could. And then, you see, I didn't want to go back a thousand years to a time I knew nothing about. Your world is not like mine Leif, I can't survive here and I knew I couldn't. And so when I found the pendant, I hid it," she finished in a flat voice, her eyes downcast and vacant as her hand dropped from his wrist. His skin, now absent her touch, felt cold, empty.
Tears ran in a stream down her cheeks. Both hands now clutched the covering to her chin, her knuckles showing white with distress.
"I felt so guilty after my Amma died," she went on. "I had to get away," she abruptly met his eyes, her own shining with uncertainty. "She knew you Leif. How could she possibly know you? But she did. And she still insisted that I return with you." She shook her head, perplexed. He was tempted to tell her about all the night visits her Amma had made to him, but for some reason, he held back. Perhaps because he knew that he could not explain something to Kat that he did not understand himself.
"She even said that you agreed to protect me, but how could she have known that, Leif? When could she have spoken to you? It was all just so overwhelming and I didn't know what to do."
His heart went out to her as she struggled to put her thoughts together.
"I still didn't know what I was going to do even when McCarty found me. I wanted so much to give you the pendant so that you could go home. But how could I do that and then not do as Amma told me and return with you? I saw the look you gave me when she pressured you to take me with you. As ridiculous as it sounds, I was hurt that you didn't want me to come with you, even though I didn't want to come with you, either."
She dropped her dark head into her hands, shaking it back and forth. "It was all so confusing." Her voice was shrill now. "Then, when my tote fell off the pier, I knew that I had to give you the pendant. I was ashamed that I had wanted, even for a moment, to keep your ticket home from you. It was selfish of me. Selfish and mean."
She looked up at him then, her face pale, her bottom lip trembling with emotion.
"I would have done anything to save the pendant that night, I even jumped off a pier knowing I couldn't swim, but that didn't matter, all that mattered was getting my tote back and giving you the pendant. I'm so sorry Leif, I know it's asking a lot but I'm begging you to forgive me. Please."
Leif pulled her into his arms, his anger gone as if it had never been. As broken as her story was, he believed her. She had not made excuses, simply told him the truth. Clearly she was frightened. And rightly so, for look where coming with him had gotten her! They now had a very real problem and he had no idea how he was going to solve it.
Leif knew that he had to get her back to her time. And he had to take care of the matter he learned of in Dagmar's book. Somehow, each of these things needed to be accomplished before any harm came to Kat.
"Kat," he said. "Listen to me. I understand what you were going through. I can even forgive you for deceiving me. Once. But that does not change you situation. You are here, now, and in grave danger."
Leif took her left hand in to his and slipped the spiraled armband over her wrist pushing it to her upper arm. With a firm squeeze he tightened the band until it stayed stationary.
"I betrayed you and yet you're giving me jewelry?" she said, frowning.
"You must never remove this arm band," Leif told her. "It belongs to my household. The villagers all know of the significance of your wearing this."
"What significance? I don't know what you mean."
"I condemned you to the life of a slave, Kat,
the lowest of slaves. As such you have no rights, not over your movements or even your body."
The image of the young ambatt being raped at his own table swam before his lids, sickening him. "Because of my ship-board pronouncement -- the pronouncement that saved your life, if you remember -- you will do whatever I command."
Kat sucked in a sharp breath. Fear darkened her sea-blue eyes as she stared at him incredulously.
"And you couldn't have stopped for two seconds and come up with another way to save me?" she exclaimed. "How could you do this to me, Leif?"
"I had no choice," he told her. "Your ancestor, whom all of my men believe you to be, was responsible for the death of half my wedding party. Yes, my brothers remained alive, but many good men did not. I could not even trust my sisters to care for you as two of them lost their husbands to Katla's treachery. Even they would not hesitate to slit your throat while you sleep."
Kat put a shaking hand to her throat.
"This armband is the only thing that will keep you from being harmed."
Kat started to shake her head in denial.
"If you will recall, I also acknowledged you as my wife and vowed to plant my seed in your womb. None would dare to bed you until after my heir has thickened your womb, until a son has been born."
Storm clouds gathered on her face as soon as this was said. Leif braced himself and hoped that everyone in the hall behind the alcove door was sound asleep. It would not do for his guests to hear a slave upbraid her master.
"Bed me!" her voice rose. "You've got to be kidding? Bed me!"
Leif pulled her back into his embrace, hoping to soothe and quiet her. His breath came out in a swoosh as her small fist landed a solid punch into his side.
"What the--" He sputtered.
"If you think for one minute that I am going to have a baby with you then you'd better think again!" she told him. "You're not touching me, buster. I don't care who you are or what you told your men. You can just un-tell them. For that matter, you can also un-tell them that I am your slave. Just say that I am a relative of that Katla. It's the truth, anyway." Her shouts echoed off the stone walls and vibrated around them.
Leif hoped that his brothers sleeping in the adjoining alcoves could not hear her.
Frustrated and trying to calm his own rising temper, Leif grasped her wrist with one hand and rubbed his throbbing side with the other.
"You, lady, have a sharp little fist. I bid you to refrain from piercing my kidneys in the future."
"I don't give a wig about your kidneys, Leif! I won't have sex with you, or anyone else in this god-forsaken place! If you force me it will be nothing short of rape!"
"Rape!" Leif roared, his own voice now echoing off the stone walls. "It is not rape when a man beds his own wife! Nether is it rape when a slave is taken by her owner or his guests."
"I'm not your wife or your slave and yes it is!" she shouted, her temper matching his. Then the bright splashes of anger on her cheeks paled. "And what do you mean 'his guests'?"
Her eyes held no small amount of fear, although Leif doubted that she was aware that he could see it. "I claimed you in front of witness," he said, ignoring her last question. "We are as legally married as if we stood in front of a holy man in your time. You would do well to remember that."
Leif realized that he was losing track of his goals. The armband was there to protect her from other men using her body. Why did not she see that? Her stubborn refusal to accept her changed circumstances was becoming tiring. Whereas he had once hoped to ease her into this new life, he was now ready to throttle her and be done with it.
"Understand this, lady, I am not asking your permission. It is not for you to choose to be my wife or my slave. You are my wife and you are my slave. And as such you will accept the protection that the arm band affords you. During sleeping time you will be here, with me. And during your waking hours you will wear the band and be under the control of Cavan, my head slave master who was once a slave himself, but bought himself out and became my loysing, or bondsman. He has been made aware of your unique position in this household and will not overstep his bounds regarding disciplining should you should you prove uncooperative."
"What?" she cried, eyes wide. "Discipline me? That's barbaric! You can't do this to me."
She reached out to shove his chest, he caught her hands easily.
"You heard me, Kat," Leif warned her. "This is no game. The time you find yourself in is un-like your time. I cannot show you any favoritism. To do so would cause untold trouble within my clan. I am not free to simply exonerate you for your -- your ancestor's -- crimes."
He held up a hand to keep her from speaking. "My clan would lose confidence in my ability to rule them, to protect them from their enemies. As far as my people are concerned Kat, you are the enemy."
Distraught, she pulled away from him, not seeming to notice that in the process the covering slipped from her shoulders. With great effort, he forced his eyes to her face. Barbarian or not, even he realized that tonight would not be a good time to claim the bounty her lethal little body had to offer.
"I want to go home," she sobbed, almost breaking his heart. "Why did my Amma wish me to come to your time anyway?"
Leif had been wondering the same thing. Sighing, Leif pulled the covering from her lap and tugged it to her chin, giving her a crooked smile as her mouth dropped in a silent 'O' and her cheeks turned a bright red.
"Kat, why did your Amma want you to come to my time?" he said. "She must have given you some reason, some direction."
Kat thought for a moment, pulling her brow in. "She told me that I had to make amends for the suffering my ancestor had caused your people, and our own. But she didn't tell me how I was supposed to do that. And she insisted that I save Katla's baby. Yet she didn't say from what I'm supposed to save him from or how I could do so. I mean, you didn't even know that she was pregnant at the time of her betrayal."
Her words were drowned out by the sound of his blood rushing through his head and pounding in his ears.
Kat looked at him, puzzled. "What's the matter, Leif? Have you heard anything about the baby since we arrived? Do your people know that she had a son?" She bit her lip so hard a small bead of blood escaped. Leif absently wiped it away with a fingertip. "Leif, answer me."
He met her eyes, careful to keep his emotions to himself. But his mind was reeling.
She was to save the very infant that he had vowed to slay. Dagmar's saga had related in detail how Katla's infant had grown to be a mighty warrior, after having been raised by the midwife that birthed him, a woman who poisoned his mind against Leif and his people. When the boy had reached his young manhood, he had raised an army and slain all of Leif's household and his people. His legacy of terror was told in glowing detail, even outweighing that of his own father, Scipio.
Leif needed time alone to think, now, before he met with his brothers.
"I must go," he told Kat, rising. "Here is the clothing you are to wear. Cavan will be coming to get you within the hour. Make sure that the armband is visible, Kat. "It means your very life. You will be brought back to this chamber at the end of the day. We will talk more then."
He threw open the door and stepped out, careful to slide the bolt home behind him even as her angry, frightened cries for him to return rang in his ears. He hoped she had enough sense to listen to Cavan, for he was a firm taskmaster.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Davyn, Ofeig and Balmung watched him carefully as he put a horn of mead to his lips and drank deeply. Three sets of piercing, blood-shot eyes bore into him, each warily assessing what they saw. Leif knew that they feared for his mental state. The darkness that had shadowed their family for the past fourteen years was always in the back of their minds.
Who among them might be struck next?
Balmung spoke first from where he perched against the side of the wide table his brothers now sat at. "You learned much about our situation last night," he said gruffly, his gray eyes meet
ing Leif's unflinchingly. "But as I am sure you expect there is more to the tale."
Leif nodded solemnly and gave the locked door of his sleeping chamber one last look before forcing his mind fully on his brother's words.
"After the attack on your ship Davyn, Ofeig and I were gravely injured," Balmung continued, winding his long legs over the bench seat across from Leif and settling in. "Our people still fear our father. Mother had to take him to the caves and hide him while we recovered. It took a good many months before we were able to seek her out and bring her and Father home safely."
Balmung clenched his fist around the drinking horn a thrall handed him and he absently waved her away, obviously disturbed by the much too raw memories he now related.
"With each of us wounded, and you thought dead, our vast clan became divided. Warriors fought and plotted against each other for power here. Our spies tell us that Rollo was convinced that you had initiated the attack upon them as they made ready for the marriage ceremony.
"Rollo led many raids during our convalescence. Your retainer, Cavan, did what he could to protect the fortress. Nevertheless there was much damage and large losses of animals and slaves."
Balmung took a long drink, then brushed a hand across his bearded mouth. "It took many months before we were healed enough to pick up a sword and protect what was ours, and during that time we learned that Scipio betrayed his own jarl. In fact, our spies tell us that three months ago, he killed Rollo's entire household, leaving none to carry on the family line. Why he was so vengeful, we have yet to learn. Then, not surprisingly, he set himself as jarl of Iceland."
Leif sat in stunned silence. As a result of those rumors, chiefs and jarls that were once their allies joined Scipio to take over Denmark as their own.
"After weeks of meetings," Balmung continued. "We were able to convince our own warring chiefs that were vying for rulership to cease fighting against each other and to band together against Scipio." Balmung was exactly one year younger than Leif and the most serious of his brothers, which showed as his mouth was set in a thin, angry line. He took a deep breath and continued his accounting.
