Lord of Falcon Ridge (Viking Era 4)

ut he had to, else I would have brought him low. He was only doing his duty.”

“Naturally then you would be overcome with goodwill toward him,” Rorik said, and a golden eyebrow shot up. “You will sleep with my wife and I will remain out here with all the men. I want to ensure that this Ragnor doesn’t try to kill us in our sleep.”

“He’s such a worm,” Chessa said. “I wonder how I could have ever believed otherwise.”

“This,” Mirana said, taking Chessa’s arm, “is a story I look forward to hearing in all its splendid detail.”

“Aye,” Rorik said, patting Chessa’s shoulder, “And I want to know all about King Sitric, that old man magically made young again by Hormuze. Mirana, take Aglida and the boys and put them to bed.”

“Aye, my dear lord,” Mirana said, and gave him a smile that was identical to Chessa’s. Rorik just stared at the two women, standing there side by side, their black hair thick and curling slightly, no red streaks, just the midnight black of the sky outside in the storm. So many memories overtook him in that moment. Life remained ever interesting, he thought, as he took a woolen blanket and joined Hafter near the fire pit.

7

7

THE MORNING WAS warm and balmy, the sky a bright blue, scattered with white clouds. The water was utterly calm; the waves washed gently onto the shore. Kerzog, a huge mongrel whose tongue was as long as a longboat plank, Rorik was used to saying, raced after the receding waves, then barked loudly as the sea rushed back in, many times curling around his hind paws. Rorik breathed in deeply. “Were it not for all the broken branches and refuse tossed onto the shore, I wouldn’t know that just two days ago a storm tried to tear us apart.”

“Aye, you’re right,” Gunleik said as he leaned down to pick up a piece of oddly shaped driftwood, thinking he could carve something nice for his wife, Erna. A dolphin, perhaps. “What think you of the warship, Rorik?”

Rorik straightened from his examination of the ship. “We can repair the ship well enough for the men to row it to York. The mast sheared off completely. We can do nothing about that. The rudder needs repair, but it can be done.”

“We will take one of your warships,” Ragnor said, striding across the beach. “I have looked at both of them and the trading vessels too. I believe I will have one of each. You will consider it your tribute to me.”

Rorik merely looked at Ragnor of York, who was more ragged than most of his men. None, evidently, had offered him clothing, else he simply hadn’t thought of it.

“Aye,” Ragnor said more loudly, for now Kerek and six of his warriors were behind him. “We’ll take that warship over there. It looked sound enough for us.”

“I see,” Rorik said mildly. “And will you return it to us once you’ve done with it?”

“Naturally not. It is your tribute, as I told you. We will leave after the morning meal. I told your wife and that toothless old hag to prepare extra food for us for our journey. She looked at me so strangely that I think she must be simple. I told Chessa to ready herself. Also there is a young girl who much pleases me. Her name is Utta. I will take her with me. She would be honored to be my concubine.”

Kerzog growled, showing vicious yellow teeth.

Rorik grinned and said in that same mild voice, “I doubt her husband would be honored at the notion. My dog doesn’t like it either. The dog’s name is Kerzog. Her husband’s name is Haakon. Perhaps you could speak to him about taking Utta. He’s the tall man over yon, helping lift away the broken mast. I will call him for you.”

“Nay, my lord, that isn’t necessary,” Kerek said quickly. “Lord Ragnor merely jests. He wouldn’t want a girl who was wed to another man.”

“Mayhap not,” Ragnor said, eyeing the flexing muscles of Haakon’s arms and back. “However, I will have that warship and one of the trading vessels.”

Kerek said, “My lord Rorik, this is difficult. I must get my lord Ragnor back to York, the princess with him.”

“Nay, it’s not at all difficult,” Hafter said. “You will keep your mouths shut, else I and my men will kill each of you slowly and with a good deal of pleasure. You will keep quiet until Lord Rorik decides what is to be done with you. Is that clear enough, even for you, lackbrain?”

Ragnor shrieked, “Nay, I am Ragnor of York, you cannot speak to me like that. Lackbrain? Not even my mother ever called me that. I’ll have you flogged.” He paused a moment, eyes frightening in their anger, then he calmed, as suddenly as the sky had after it had nearly killed them in the storm. “Listen, Rorik. You must help me. You must give me what I demand.”

Kerzog looked ready to leap. “No, down,” Rorik said, pulling on Kerzog’s ears. “Kerek, do remove him. He grows wearisome. Not my dog, your master. As Hafter says, I will inform you what you will do and when you will do it.”

“My lord, come with me. The island isn’t at all a pile of rocks. There is no mud now. It’s quite beautiful with a lot of arable land. We can explore, perhaps—”

Ragnor turned and struck Kerek hard in his mouth with the flat of his palm. “You stupid old graybeard, how dare you treat me like a witless child? How dare you take their side? I’ll flay the flesh from your coward’s back, I’ll—”

Rorik heard a furious yell. He saw Chessa scrambling down the path, running straight at Ragnor. She was red in the face, from exertion, and from anger, he realized. She didn’t stop, but ran right into Ragnor, shoving him hard in his chest with her fists, pushing him backward, kicking his shins with first one foot then the other, yelling into his face all the while, “You filthy bully! Kerek tries to keep you alive but you are too stupid to realize it. Leave him alone. I will hurt you badly if you strike him again.”

Ragnor tried to grab her, but she was like leaping fire, her hands flying out to hit him hard in his belly, in his chest, in his face. He yelled when she brought up her knee and kicked him in the groin. Then she snorted as he doubled over, and coolly shoved him off the dock into the water. She turned and said in a voice as sweetly calm as the beautiful morning, “Are you all right, Kerek?”

He looked at her from his great height and said, “I must take you to York, Princess. Surely you realize it is the Danelaw’s only hope. You must marry the worm.”

“You’re being ridiculous, Kerek. I would kill him or he would kill me. I’m not this Boadicea or any other warrior woman you can come up with. I am nothing but an ordinary woman. Ah, Ragnor cut your cheek with that silver ring of his. Let me bathe it for you.”