by Tami Dee
Kat gaped after him, feeling more confused by the minute. When he didn't return right away she picked up her bowl and blew the steam away before taking a sip.
The taste of whatever was in the bowl was disgusting.
"My heavens!" she exclaimed.
Leif's soft chuckle reached her ears and she swing around to glare at him, silhouetted in the doorway.
"You had better get used to the food here, lady, for as you well know, we are not as advanced in food preparation as those in your time," Leif joked as he opened a small round container and swiped out a finger full of what looked like jell; a light scent filled the air that she couldn't identify.
"Ha ha," she mockingly replied, but her joke quickly shifted to a blissful "Oh" as he rubbed the concoction deep into her sore hands. The heat and pain in them lessened markedly. "That stuff really works."
His finger seared her chin as he tilted her head back to meet his eyes. A softness filled the blue depths that Kat didn't dare try to interrupt. The candle flickered, casting dancing shadows across the alcove's stone walls.
Time stood still. Kat ceased to breath with his nearness. Ever so gently, his lips covered hers.
The touch of his lips sent a warming shiver through her, then sent the pit of her stomach into a wild swirl. Without conscious thought, she returned his kiss with reckless abandon. Raising his mouth from hers, he gazed into her eyes, then his lips recaptured hers, more demanding this time, forcing her lips open with his thrusting tongue.
She rubbed her piercing against his tongue and was rewarded by the small gasp of pleasure that escaped him. Ah, she thought on a heady wave of triumph, she wasn't the only one affected by their kisses.
She curled her arms around his neck as she splayed her fingers into his thick blond hair, reveling in the softness of it. He hadn't shaved since their arrival in his time and the sharp golden-brown whiskers that brushed her tender lips created delicious little tremors of pleasure throughout her body.
And then his hands were on her breast. Remembered vows shouted a warning and she pushed away from him with all her might. He released his hold on her, his light brows drawn in confusion even as his eyes glowed with passion.
"What's the matter, lady?" His voice was thick with desire.
Kat struggled to catch her breath and calm the erratic beat of her heart as she scooted as far away from him as she could.
"I'm not having sex with you, Leif," she said. "I will never have a child that is not conceived from love. I don't care what is at stake."
She met his eyes fully, her chin held high, willing herself to have the courage to defy him. To deny herself. "If you force me, it will be rape and I will never forgive you."
Kat's heart was pounding so hard that she feared Leif could hear it.
Pulling a long breath, Leif met her eyes unflinchingly.
"Kat," he said. "I kissed you because I wanted to, not with the intent of forcing you to bear my child. I understand you are from another time, with different standards and ways. You do belong to me and I have the legal right to take you, but I promise, if you should share your body with me, it will be by mutual agreement. Do I make myself clear?"
Kat was embarrassed by her display of passion, a passion that she had not known that she possessed, but his answer reassured her.
"You will, however," he continued. "Have to endure sleeping in my alcove with me. It is important for you to remember who my clan thinks you are and the reason they believe I stayed justice and kept you alive. We must share a bed so that my people believe I am trying to plant my seed in you." His tone told her there would be no use arguing with him, and in truth, she could see the sense of what he said. But she could also see the flaw.
"What happens when some time goes by and I am not pregnant?"
"I don't know, Kat," he said with a shrug. "We will have to wait until the time when such a fact is commented on and then decide what to do. In the meantime, you look exhausted. I brought this for you to take your rest in. You may wish to wear it under your day clothing, also." He handed her a deep purple, sleeveless slip that was made of the finest linen Kat had ever seen. "I will return before the hour is up."
With that he was gone, leaving Kat holding the soft slip to her chest and teary eyed at his thoughtfulness. Her stomach protested its emptiness, but one look at the strange film that now covered the top of the cold soup had it quieting.
She eyed the pulled down coverings of Leif's bed much as she would a basket containing a snake she was expected to charm.
It was a relief to pull off the woolen dress -- or tunic, she reminded herself sarcastically. As she expected, her skin had red, itchy splotches all over it. She pulled the exquisite, full length slip over her head and it slipped down her body like an embrace. Oh yes, she thought on a sigh, she would be wearing this under her hated thrall uniform.
She believed that Leif wouldn't force himself on her. That wasn't the problem. The problem was, could she trust herself to stay out of his arms?
The still full drinking horn caught her eye and she picked it up with slightly unsteady hands. Without bothering to give an exploratory sniff first, she put the horn to her lips and swallowed deeply.
Fire licked its way down her throat. Her eyes watered and she coughed, then, to her amazement, she felt her body relax. The anxieties of the past day, and the coming night, seemed to melt away and her eyes became heavy. Very heavy.
Without giving the matter another thought, she climbed under the covers and fell asleep.
*****
Leif gazed longingly at the woman now sleeping like a baby in his bed. Removing the full bowl of soup and empty horns from the alcove he placed them in the great hall before stripping off his own clothes and sliding beside her under the bed furs. Guilt for her situation pricked at his conscience and he fought it off as he tucked her head into the crook of his arm and kissed her forehead. He whispered "Good sleep." against her scraped cheek.
Leif tenderly, protectively, admittedly possessively, locked her in his embrace before falling asleep himself. By morning, Leif would acknowledge that he had never had such a peaceful rest in his life.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Morning came much too soon for Kat. She awoke from a dreamless sleep to the feel of Leif's whisker-laden cheek rubbing against her arm. Forcing her eyes open, she tried to scowl at him, but found herself smiling instead.
"You have the most delicate snores I have ever heard from a woman," he told her.
"I most certainly don't snore," she said in mock outrage. "And if I did, it's rotten of you to mention it."
He chuckled and she swatted his arm, pushing him away as he leaned in as if to kiss her. Thank goodness her mouth tasted very much like that mystery soup she tasted last night or she may not have pushed quite so hard.
"Have it your way, elskaminn," he said, on a louder than necessary sigh. "I'll go get you something to break your fast. Dress yourself. Cavan will be coming for you anytime."
Leaving the door ajar he walked through the long hall, stepping over sleeping bodies.
Stunned that he had neglected to shut her in, Kat poked her head out of the door and looked around the great hall, where long planks of wood set atop crude wooden stands lined the walls. Men in various sleeping positions were sprawled up atop the slabs of wood, uncovered and looking extremely uncomfortable. She counted nine other alcoves lining her side of the hall, and ten across from her. One, she noted, was barred as hers was. How many unwelcome guests was Leif keeping anyway?
She heard his voice and saw him standing at the entryway of the hall, speaking to a slave she recognized from yesterday.
Leif disappeared out the double doors, she supposed to get her breakfast and Kat quickly pulled on her hated tunic over the deliciously soft slip she'd slept in. Gritting her teeth, she rolled on the scratchy stockings. She reached for her thin fish skin slippers, and was pleased to find instead a pair of sturdy, yet soft, leather lace up boots that reached almost to her knee.
Thank you, Leif.
A short time later, Leif returned with a platter of food. Eggs, smoked ham, a large chunk of bread and a slice of cheese, and Kat was pleased to see that it all looked, and smelled, completely edible.
"Good day to you, lady." Leif nodded and turned away, closing the door behind him. Did she hear a lock? Was that, she wondered, to keep her in or others out?
Oh well, she though resignedly, she was warm and dry, and her stomach was about to be filled.
Except for being a slave in a time she knew nothing about, with all the other slaves, villagers, and as far as she knew Leif's family hating her, it didn't get much better than this.
A few minutes after she took her last bite, the door opened and Cavan gestured her out. She forced a bright smile even as Cavan deftly strung the hated rope through the medal loop in her collar.
"The rope is not necessary you know," she told him. "I have nowhere to go, and I wouldn't know how to get there if I did."
Nothing.
So, led like a cow out of the still sleeping house Kat began her second day as a as a slave.
*****
Her third day, fourth day, then fifth were all remarkably alike. She had mastered a number of demeaning tasks -- laundry in a frigid freshwater spring, sweeping dirt floors of the kitchen, peeling potatoes until she couldn't peel any more. She was trying to get the hang of the weaving wheel but, just as she had been when her Amma had tried to teach her, so far she was all thumbs. All she accomplished after hours of effort was to make enemies out of women who needed the thread she was supposed to be providing them by turning the wool into an impossible knot.
Each morning she left Leif's alcove before the household awoke, and returned at the end of her endless days after family members were asleep, presumably in the remaining alcoves.
The nights were her only reprieve.
Leif did his best to comfort and console her in the privacy of his alcove. As they lay spooned together under the toasty animal skins, they talked until one of them fell asleep.
They reminisced about Rosie, Singlee and the other people and events they'd shared in her time.
They spoke about his time, his mother, brothers and sisters. Once she asked about his father but his eyes had grown haunted, then hard and she dropped the subject, not wishing to spoil the easy camaraderie they had established.
Kat knew he was trying to make up for the hours of back-breaking work she put in at his command and, having accepted the fact that it was no one's fault but her own that she was here instead of her own time, she appreciated him for it.
True to his word, he hadn't touched her sexually again. Every now and then he would treat her to a soft caress or a light kiss on the forehead, but never more.
Kat was glad of course, yet at the same time rather let down. While in her time he had seemed to be quite taken with her, now he seemed content to be companions.
Friends, but nothing more.
Kat pushed back a pang of regret and felt a spark of anger replace it. It wouldn't kill him to at least try and persuade her let him make love to her. According to Leif they were, after all, married.
Kat gazed at the sleeping face next to her with longing. Letting out a sigh, she propped herself on her elbow and blew out the flickering candle in the small alcove above their heads. Careful not to disturb him, she settled herself within the crook of his arm. Within minutes she was also asleep.
*****
On the sixth night Kat waited in the alcove feeling less than fresh. The soft cloth and basin of water Leif provided for her each morning was appreciated but didn't do an adequate job of cleansing after the backbreaking days of work she put in. She looked at her hands in disgust. They had gone from blistered to callused in a remarkably short time and she would kill for some lotion.
Gingerly, she pulled back her hair. Leif had given her a comb, one that looked to be made of bone, and a thin strap to tie her hair back with. She kept the comb hidden in the alcove through, it being a forbidden gift. Should the other slaves see it, a gift given to a woman that was supposedly being punished in the worst possible way for her treachery, her relationship with them would be even worse that it was now.
Leif clambered into the alcove just as she was tying off her braid, flashing his boyish smile.
Noting his damp hair, she scowled at him and he frowned back, lifting a questioning brow.
Kat leaned in and took a healthy sniff of his underarm. "Ah ha!"
Leif's eyes widened and his mouth dropped a notch. "Excuse me, lady?"
Thumping an outraged finger into his chest, she laid into him. "Don't 'excuse me,' buster. You're squeaky clean and I'm filthy." She grabbed him by his tunic and pressed her nose to his. "Where are you bathing?"
He opened his mouth to speak and she stepped back and held up a warning hand. "Don't even think of lying to me, Leif Nabboddrson, I know hot bath clean when I see it and you, buster, are hot bath clean."
"Indeed I am, lady." His eyes twinkled merrily in the candlelight. "What exactly is your concern regarding this matter?"
Kat wasn't amused. "I wish a bath. It's the least you could do considering that I spend fourteen, sometimes fifteen hours a day slaving for you and your family." A distracting thought pulled her from her hygienic goals for a moment. "A family, I might add, that I have never even seen. Why is that anyway? Do they even know that I am here? Do they know why?"
The teasing light left his eyes and he considered her for a long moment. "Aye, they know you are here and aye, they know the why of it. They also know that you are not who you look to be but are from another time."
Kat's lips parted in surprise. She hadn't expected that.
"They fear that some witchery is responsible for your time travels," Leif continued. "Nothing I can say will dissuade them of the notion, so it is for their peace of mind and your safety that you do not present yourself to them as of yet."
"That's ridiculous!" Her eyes misted and she blinked several times to clear her vision. "If they feel that way, then why haven't you been banned from their sight?" she hated that her voice broke.
He winced. "They blame you for my unfortunate sojourn through time, not me."
Kat's mind swirled. "Is that why the slaves don't talk to me? Do they think I'm a witch or something?"
"Nay Kat, they are unaware of our extraordinary travels." He picked up her long braid, rubbing it between his fingers before he met her eyes. "It is this."
He lifted her braid and her eyes fell to it.
"It is customary for women slaves to have their hair shorn above their ears," he told her quietly. "I forbad Cavan to shear yours."
"Oh." She had guessed that the other women were jealous of her hair that first day by the way Mary had acted toward her, but she hadn't realized that it had been at Leif's orders that her hair was not cut. Although, now that she thought about it, she should have realized as much.
She struggled with her hurt feelings under his intense scrutiny. Why should she care what his family or the slaves thought about her anyway? Why did she care what anyone in this accursed time thought about her? But she did.
"If you're not too tired I will take you to the hot spring and let you bath. It will cheer you up, elskaminn."
He called her elskaminn again. My love. How she wished he meant it.
Kat propelled herself across the small space and into his arms. "Oh yes," she said. "Oh yes!"
Leif crinkled his nose and laughed. "Aye lady, you definitely need a bath."
*****
Guided by the moon, a giant silver ball hanging low in the sky, they made their way down a well worn path. The only sound breaking the silence was that of their leather shod feet stepping on the scattered pates of snow. It was about midnight and the day had finally relinquished its hold and allowed the night to seep in, if only for a few hours.
Once away from the fortress, Leif had tucked her under his arm. A leather bag containing who knew what was slung over his other shoulder a
nd a secretive smile played on his lips.
Lips she very much wanted to kiss right now.
It took about twenty minutes to reach the hot springs and when they did, Kat's breath caught and tears of marvel gathered in her eyes, for he had led her to a magical place where large puffs of white steam rose from the surface of the water and billowed into the moonlit sky. The springs were surrounded by tall, jagged rocks, placed at the edge of the water as if they were sentries.
Leif held her hand as he maneuvered them to a smooth clearing which separated the springs from a shallow cave, all surrounded by shadowy trees and foliage.
"Take off your clothes and enjoy your bath, Kat." His voice was silken against the darkness, sending shivers of pleasure and anticipation down her spine.
In sudden shyness, her fingers fumbled with the pins that held in place her long, woolen cloak that Leif had given her.
Leif laughed softly, his eyes glowing in the moonlight. "Allow me, lady."
Obediently, she dropped her arms to her sides and allowed him to remove first the cloak and then the long tunic until all that was left was to slip the linen straps from her shoulders until, at last, nude, she allowed him to lead her toward the steam covered spring. There, on its edge, he pulled off his sleeved jerkin, long woolen shirt and untied the drawstring of his trousers. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she stood, spellbound, watching him remove each item of clothing, but she wasn't cold. On the contrary, she was warm. Very warm. Her heart hammered in her chest. Surely, he could hear it.
She allowed her eyes the luxury of roaming his huge, warrior's body, now bathed in silver and shadow.
"The stone under the water is not level," he told her. "So you must hold on to me and step where I step."
