At the beginning, when I first saw him naked, he thought that I might think less of him. That I might not want him.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
Chapter 5
I ran through the night, trying to find my way back to Asger's house. I needed to know. Needed to see. I'd woken up covered in sweat and wet between my legs. Like I'd actually been with the Viking.
The dream had been so real, unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. Not so much the thing about the sea serpent, but the bit after. The sex. This hadn't just been a wet dream. It had been so much more than that.
Dawn was slowly turning the darkness into shades of grey, exposing the silhouette of Asger's hut in the distance. Smoke was rising from the hole in the roof, signalling me to come closer.
Before I reached the house, the door banged open, and a large figure stepped outside.
I didn't hesitate. I flung myself at him, right into his wide open arms. There was no question about it. He'd had the same dream. While I was wearing a long cotton shirt that Heather had given me, Asger was naked. His arousal pressed against me as he held me in his arms.
I couldn't help it. I pushed him away a little and looked down. Damn. It was too dark to see any details. I took his hand and wordlessly pulled him closer to his hut, where the shine of a fire illuminated the grass around the door.
He let me turn him towards the light, his expression hopeful. He wanted me to see it. To believe that it hadn't been a dream.
I looked at his cock. Only one ball was dangling behind his very hardened manhood.
"Fuck," I muttered, completely thrown off guard even though I had kind of expected this.
Something strange was happening. Something that I couldn't explain. I'd seen us together and I'd known that we were in a relationship and had been for a while. I saw us make out at the top of a cliff, like we had many times before. Did I really see the future? Did he? Or did I simply read something into a dream?
"Fuck?" Asger asked with a grin. "Fuck?"
He pulled me close again, his cock rubbing against my belly. Damn, that felt good. And familiar. Then I remembered that I'd technically never been with a man, and put a hand on his chest, pushing him away.
"Not now," I whispered hoarsely. I wanted him; my body was screaming for him. But no, I couldn't let the future determine the present. If that had been the future. I wished Hjalmar was here to help me figure it out. I could talk to Heather, but did I really want to tell her that I'd slept with her son in a dream and now wanted to feel him inside me again? And again... and again... until I was raw and sore and satisfied.
"Soon?" he asked, his voice gleaming with hope.
I sighed. "Maybe. I need to figure this out in my head. Let's go and find Hjalmar first, and then we can see. Okay?"
I realised he probably didn't understand what I'd just said. In the dream, he'd spoken perfect English, albeit with an accent. Did that make it more likely that it had just been my imagination? But how would I have known about the missing testicle? I'd never seen him naked, and Hjalmar hadn't told me anything about his brother. Something strange was going on here.
I stepped around him and walked into the hut.
"Lucas!" I shouted, my eyes having trouble to adjust to the light. "I need you!"
Movement at the back of the house made me walk that way. Two beds lined the back wall, one for each of the men. Lucas stumbled towards me, his hair messy, his eyes half-shut.
"Whatsamatter?"
He yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes.
"Translate for us," I ordered, not caring that I was being rude. "Ask Asger what he dreamed. Why he came running out to meet me."
"Huh?"
"Do it," I said impatiently.
Lucas sighed. "I have no idea what's going on, but alright, if you let me sleep again after." He turned to Asger and started talking to him in Old Norse. "He says he had the same dream he always has. A woman running away from him. This time though, he didn't wake up before he could catch up with her. This time, he..."
Lucas blushed when Asger kept talking. "He... ehm... he made love to her."
I snorted. "Is that what he said? Made love?"
The young man cringed. "No. His words were a little cruder. Very crude. Not something I need to repeat, or even imagine. Anyway, he says they... made love... and that he told her a story. How he lost his precious stones-"
He gaped at me. "Wait, he actually told that woman? I've been pestering him ever since I arrived here and he's always refused to talk about it."
I shrugged. "Maybe he didn't want to talk about it to another man?"
"It still isn't fair," Lucas muttered. "I was here first."
"Maybe you should have tried sleeping with him," I quipped. Asger started laughing. I needed to figure out how much English he actually understood. Was he just toying with me? Did he comprehend every word I said? If he did... he was dead.
"I tried." Lucas chuckled. "Turns out Asger isn't into men. Such a pity. He's totally my type."
"You're gay?" I asked, a little surprised.
"Pansexual. I love who I love, irrespective of gender. I do have a thing for Vikings though. There's that one guy in the village... well, he's so hot he'd turn any straight man gay. That kind of hot." He licked his lips. "Asger has suggested I should become the guy's sex slave. That's the only way I could be with him. He's married and while he could take female frille, he could only have a man as his slave. Stupid rules."
Asger said something and Lucas groaned. "Yes, Vikings don't like to submit, and being penetrated by another man counts as submission. If you do that, you basically become worthless in everyone's eyes. Much easier to be a slave who can't complain. No one would tell a slave that he's doing something wrong if his master is sleeping with him."
It was fascinating, but how did we end up talking about gay Viking sex? I had something more important on my mind. Sorry, gay Vikings. I wasn't homophobic, just busy.
"Ask him what he thinks this means. I need to know."
Lucas nodded and translated my question for Asger, who immediately started talking quickly, waving his hands around in emphasis. How I wished that I could understand him. My basic Old Norse knowledge was useless here. How had I ever thought I'd be able to communicate with the locals?
"Asger thinks it's a side effect of time travel. He says his mother had visions of her husband before they ever met. Time isn't linear, it's not a straight string you travel along. Sometimes, the string curls and touches a part of the past or future, giving us a rare glimpse into what might happen."
"Might?" I asked sharply.
"Time isn't reliable. Things change all the time. A tiny pebble that you throw off a mountain could create an avalanche, wiping out a village, preventing someone important from every being born. Wars could be fought that would never have existed. Every action has consequences, no matter how small. That's why the TTA was founded. To help us prevent from setting off a ripple effect when we travel in time."
I blushed. "We never got to that part," I muttered.
"Well, let's get you back so that you can go back to your lessons," Lucas said, not unkindly. "But first, I need some more sleep. We all do. Tired time travel is best avoided. You need a clear head."
I huffed. Even with some more sleep, my head wouldn't be any clearer. A certain Viking had barricaded himself in my mind and was doing his best to remind me of his presence, no matter what I did.
WE ASSEMBLED IN FRONT of Asger's house. It was further away from the village than Heather's hut, and we didn't want to be seen. I hadn't found out yet where the Vikings thought Lucas had come from, but we certainly didn't want any of them to see three of us disappear into thin air.
Heather handed Asger and me a bracer each, while she took the more modern one that Lucas had given her. The young man was standing a little removed from us, watching with sadness in his eyes.
I walked towards him while Asger was talking to his mother.
"Are you alright?
" I asked. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"
Lucas looked at me, and I realised it wasn't just sadness mirroring in his expression. There was fear mixed into it, a deep-rooted angst that made me understand why he was here. Why he wasn't in the present.
"If anyone sees me there, I'll be dead," he said quietly. "I only survived thanks to Hjalmar. I don't think I'll ever be able to return." He shrugged and looked around. The sun was slowly making its way across the sky, reflecting on dew drops on the grass around our feet. The smell of smoke filled the air, the result of fire being the Vikings' only source of light and warmth. I doubt I would ever get the smoke out of my uniform. I was wearing it again, while Asger was in a strange sort of suit that looked like it had been modelled on modern fashion, but executed with the wrong materials and techniques. Heather wore a dress that was timeless enough not to stand out in either society.
Lucas handed me a folded piece of paper. It was notepaper, just like the one I'd used at the Academy. "It's a shopping list," he said with a sheepish grin. "All the things I miss most. Could you give it to Hjalmar, once you find him? Or bring those items here yourself? Even if they don't let you travel again until you're done with your training, it will only be mere days for me if you travel to this same time destination. I can spend a few days without chocolate."
His smile turned sad. "I hope you'll find Hjalmar. He's a good friend. A good man."
"We need to go!" Heather shouted from behind me. "I don't know how long I can keep up the flow of energy between the bracers. Hurry!"
I rushed to her and held my arm against hers. Asger touched his bracer to mine, and without warning, both of them began to vibrate. My entire arm was shaking. This was very different from the bracelet that had brought me here.
"What was the date when you left?" Heather asked impatiently. I told her and she keyed in something into the holographic display of her bracelet. I felt Lucas watching us from afar, but I didn't turn to look at him. I couldn't get distracted. This was our only chance to return, to find Hjalmar.
"You need to focus on the present as hard as you can," Heather instructed. "You're the one with the strongest link. Asger has never been there, and the last time I was at the Academy was when Hjalmar graduated. You're our anchor, the only way we can find the right time. Now hold hands."
I did as she asked. We stood in a triangle, our hands entwined, the bracers vibrating like crazy.
Lucas started shouting something in Old Norse, likely aimed at Asger, but then we were ripped apart, our stomachs pulled from our bodies, our minds driven from our heads. It was torture, the worst pain I'd ever felt. My body was disintegrating, being torn in all directions, in all times.
"Concentrate!"
I barely heard Heather's shout, but it was enough to make me focus on Hjalmar. The pain was worth it if we managed to get to him. He was worth the pain.
Asger screamed close to my ear, his voice so similar to that of his brother, but not quite the same. I hoped he wasn't feeling the same pain I was.
On and on it went. Flickers of images flew across my mind, too fast to make out any details. Was I seeing time? My own past? Someone else's?
Then it was over. No warning. No crash landing.
I was kneeling on the ground, two polished shoes in front of me. The stone floor looked familiar, but it was moving somehow, like waves on the sea. My body didn't feel right. Like I hadn't quite arrived in the present yet. I looked up, barely making out the familiar figure of the Archivist, before bending over and puking all over his feet.
***THE END (FOR NOW)***
That's it! We're back in the present, but is Hjalmar there? How will Asger cope in this strange new time? And most importantly: will the Archivist ever forgive Lainie for destroying his favourite pair of shoes? Find out in the next episode of the Norsemen Academy, Defending Her Vikings.
Not-so-fun Fact
The scene where Asger and the people from his village are almost burned to death by their enemies is inspired by real events, such as the ‘Burning in Upsal’.
King Ingjald, Onund’s son, came to Gamla Uppsala in Sweden (near the city of Uppsala), the residence of Swedish kings. He built a great hall with seven thrones and invited all the important kings and jarls. Six kings came, and when they were drunk, Ingjald and his men left the hall, barred the doors and set it on fire, killing anyone who tried to escape. Ingjald then took possession of the dead kings’ territories. In a twist of karma, he later died himself by being burned in his own hall.
Red Wedding, anyone?
(Although that one is inspired by events at Edinburgh Castle in 1440, but that’s another story.)
"Konung Ingjald Illråda bränner upp 6 Fylkiskonungar" by Hugo Hamilton (1802–1871). 1830. Teckningar ur Skandinaviens Äldre Historia. Stockholm: Gjöthström & Magnusson. Digitalized by Martling Bok & Grafik.
Resources
Here are some resources that I found particularly helpful while studying Old Norse and Runology. This is by no means an extensive list and I’m sure there are some great other resources out there that I’ve not come across yet (if you know something good, email me!).
My favourite book:
‘Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas’ by Jesse Byock. ISBN 978-0988176416
A free Memrise course teaching the most important 246 Old Norse words mentioned in the book:
https://www.memrise.com/course/365561/the-246-top-old-norse-words-audio/
Some short videos about Norse culture and studies:
http://www.vikingnorse.com/old-norse-teaching-videos
English to Old Norse Dictionary:
http://www.vikingsofbjornstad.com/Old_Norse_Dictionary_E2N.shtm
The Futhark song (like the ABC song but for the Futhark):
http://www.sassafrassmusic.com/songs/norse-mythology/futhark-song/
Dr Jackson Crawford’s Old Norse Youtube channel (lots of fun stuff):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXCxNFxw6iq-Mh4uIjYvufg/featured
The Orkneyinga Saga in English translation: https://archive.org/details/orkneyingasaga00goudgoog/page/n12
More information about runes:
https://www.omniglot.com/writing/runic.htm
All sorts of interesting Viking facts:
https://www.vikingrune.com/
Including a fascinating article on Viking hairstyles:
https://www.vikingrune.com/2014/03/viking-hairstyles-is-ragnars-haircut-historical/
Love and Marriage in Viking times:
http://avaldsnes.info/en/viking/kjaerlighet-og-ekteskap/
THE ELDER FUTHARK
Also By
You can find all my books at skyemackinnon.com/books. Most of them are also available as audiobooks and paperbacks.
Daughter of Winter Series (Paranormal reverse harem)
Winter Princess
Winter Heiress
Winter Queen
Winter Goddess
>> Box set
Mother of Gods (prequel)
Demon’s Revenge (spin-off)
SEVEN WARDENS (Paranormal RH co-written with Laura Greenwood)
From the Deeps
Into the Mists
Beneath the Earth
Within the Flames
Above the Waves
Under the Ice
Rule the Dark
Prequel: Beyond the Loch
Spin-off: Through the Storms
CLAIMING HER BEARS (Dystopian bear shifter RH)
Polar Destiny
Polar Fates
Polar Miracle
>> Box set
THE MARS DIARIES (Sci-fi RH linked to the Drowning series)
Alone
Hidden
Found
>> Box Set
DEFIANCE (contemporary dark RH)
Abandoned Heart
Broken Princess
Stolen Soul
INFERNAL DESCENT (paranormal RH based on Dante’s Inferno, co-written with Bea Paige)
&nb
sp; Hell’s Calling
Hell’s Weeping
Hell’s Burning
CATNIP ASSASSINS (urban fantasy)
Meow
Scratch
Purrr
ANTHOLOGIES AND BOX Sets
Hungry for More – charity cookbook
Captivated – contains my post-apocalyptic shifter RH Three Arrows
About the Author
Skye MacKinnon is a USA Today Bestselling Author with a slight obsession with bunnies, dried mango and Scotland. And when she says slight... her friends are trying to find ways to trick her into not having a book set in Scotland.
Whether it's set in space (Scottish space, obviously), fantasy worlds (Scottish fantasy worlds, obviously), or Scotland, Skye's tales are full of magic, romance and adventure. Oh, and unicorns. There's a few demons, too.
Follow her on social media:
Newsletter:skyemackinnon.com/newsletter/
Website:skyemackinnon.com/
Twitter:twitter.com/skye_mackinnon/
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Seducing Her Vikings Page 4
