Chapter 16
Skars
Skars dragged his thoughts away from the past to the conversation with his brother to contemplate the dilemma that Thorsen found himself in. If Thorsen found Xioarius first, no amount of possible Viking mates for his warriors would be considered for a trade. Thorsen had sworn an oath that he intended to fulfill. There could be another option, which the chieftain would consider. That was if she was still with him and was still alive.
“Xioarius didn’t destroy Raum on his own and hasn’t been able to hide from so many without help. Those could be used for trade when we capture them.”
“Too true,” Thorsen said from the computer in the wall. “Those, I may be willing to bargain with. I will give it deep consideration when I find Xioarius and those who I find with him.”
Unexpected relief allowed him to breathe easier.
“If you’re not far, I sent Bjorn, Arne, and Njal to the others in my wife’s group. I gave instructions that I didn’t want them hurt. Are you in the vicinity…?” Skars hesitated to ask.
Thorsen picked up on his concern. “I will send more men. It may dissuade them from acting too rashly when they are confronted.”
“My thoughts also.” Skars rubbed his temples, growing tired. If he hadn’t needed to be available to his warriors if there was trouble, he would be asleep next to his new bride. “Any luck in your search for Xioarius, or someone to work the computer?” Skars asked, forgetting about his duties.
“None. The humans have become adept at hiding before we arrive. Erik has yet to find how to work the sensors to search for the underground cities that Reva describes from her visions.”
“You didn’t sacrifice Erik?” Skars taunted his brother at the irritation he could hear from Thorsen.
A disgusted snort came from the wall. “The gods would have punished us for sending Erik their way. We need to appease them, not anger them further.”
Since his brother refused to sacrifice Erik, Skars had one he would enjoy sending their way.
“I have a worthy sacrifice in mind. I will send word when it has been completed.”
“Keep me informed.”
“As always.”
Skars ended the communication and began pacing the room. Moving to the table, he pressed a button for a screen to appear. “Show me my sleeping room.”
Skars stopped pacing long enough to see Raine was still sleeping, the clothes he had wanted her to wear in a clump at the foot of the bed.
Anger arose anew at how she had maintained that none of the clothes would fit her, comparing her size to Ulf. Were the human males that the Martians had left on Earth blind as well as weak-willed and frail?
Raine was a tall, buxom beauty who drew many appreciative gazes from all the Viking males, along with the Olggans. He wouldn’t be surprised if Jurzed offered to trade her for the frail woman he had stolen, even if she was the descendent Reva had seen in her vision.
He wished he could be there when Jurzed found out he had captured a woman. He had already violated their law just by the mere act of touching her. The Viking males in Jurzed’s clan wouldn’t care that he hadn’t been aware the boy was a woman. Unlike Thorsen, Jurzed didn’t have the benefit of having a seeress.
He was still watching his Raine sleep when Bjorn sent a communication that he had found the group. He refrained from instructing him again not to take aggressive tactics against them.
It wasn’t his un-confidence in Bjorn that had him resuming his pacing; it was the unpredictable humans which worried him.
Growing concern filled him as time passed without another word from Bjorn. His worry eased when the message came they were loaded and were coming to the ship.
After sending a transmission to Thorsen, Skars left the navigation room to go down to the main greeting room.
Feeling the slight bump of Bjorn’s spaceship docking to his, Skars clasped his hands behind his back to stand commandingly within eyesight as Bjorn brought them out of the lift.
Keeping his expression neutral, he surveyed the group of survivors that filed out. All of them appeared unharmed and without the restraining devices he had ordered Bjorn to use only in case of an emergency, but one. The lone male. The device on his chest showed he had tried to fight.
When they saw him, the quiet room broke into rapid shrieking chatter, which the translation tool in his ear had trouble keeping up with.
Skars raised an imperious hand to silence the noise. Why were female humans all so loud and made that same obnoxious sound when they talked?
“Quiet.” Snapping out the order immediately silenced the females, but provided the male an opportunity to ask his questions once they were silenced.
“Where is my brother?”
“You are Lucas?”
The man narrowed his eyes on him. “Yes.”