Norse Valor (5 page)

Chapter 3

Svana sat in the large hut with her mouth gaping. Everywhere
she looked had her filling with more stunned surprise. The entire setting was
beyond medieval and then some. The floor of the domicile was hard-packed dirt.
A fire blazed in an open hearth with a small black cauldron hanging over the
flames. Something inside bubbled and gave off a somewhat interesting odor—neither
pleasant nor unpleasant. Steel and wooden utensils were hung on the wall near
where the fire burned brightly. It was the only lighting in the rustic home.

Who lives like this?

The furniture was all homemade, from wooden chairs to
leather cushions. In a far corner was a pile of furs with a few leather throw
pillows…no doubt stuffed with feathers. The hut walls were worn and smooth, but
it was apparent they were made from wood and stone and mud. The domicile seemed
sturdy enough. Snow had begun to fall before they had made it to Vakr’s
mother’s home. The wind had picked up and the one window was shuttered and
closed against the cold bluster. February, Vakr claimed it to be late February.

How is that possible?

Vakr’s mother was bustling about with a brilliant smile on
her face. Every once in awhile she would stop what she was doing to pinch the
sides of either Vakr’s cheeks or Svana’s. The tall thin woman kept up a steady
stream of chatter that Vakr did his best to translate…except when he was
blushing. Seeing a six foot six, two-hundred-eighty-pound man blush was
adorable. Or it would be if Svana hadn’t been so worried. The entire village
was all under the impression it was the eighth century. Every one of them was
delusional.

How can that be?

Svana had begged Vakr for a phone, but he had just nodded
politely and looked at her as though she were the insane one. It took her
twenty minutes to explain what a cop was and even then he just laughed at her.

Vakr had once again informed her that she belonged to him
and he would take care of her. He claimed that in his own home, he was the law.
As long as she obeyed him, she would be fine.

That had made her feathers ruffle. Like hell she would obey
anyone.

The village itself looked like some ancient movie setting.
The dirt roads were covered in snow. Mountains in the distant were snow-capped.
Trees were so tall they reached the sky. And the people, good lord, the people.
The men in the village were all huge. The women and children had all come out
to throw themselves into embraces as if they hadn’t seen loved ones in a year.
Their clothing was so odd. Many had fur wraps or dresses made of wool. Svana
had given herself a sound shake as she was led through their small village. It
felt as though she had been propelled back through time—way back.

Svana was handed a bowl full of something by Vakr’s mother.
It was thin, runny and gray and looked like gruel. She was amazed when Vakr
lifted the bowl to his lips and downed the entire thing in a few noisy
mouthfuls. His mother laughed and clapped her hands. Svana tasted the contents
of her meal. It wasn’t as bad as it looked and she gave her brother a shove.
Once more Mr. Picky was looking like he had been handed soggy mushy worms.

“David, stop being so rude,” Svana whispered out the corner
of her mouth.

“It looks like puke,” he whispered back.

“It tastes fine,” she snarled. “Now stop embarrassing me.”

David glared at her, then he took a sip from his bowl and gagged.
“Mmm, yummy,” he said through gnashed teeth.

“What do you suppose is going on?” she asked him.

“Isn’t it apparent? They are all involved in a TV reality
show,” David said.

Svana breathed a sigh of relief. “Of course. That explains
it.”

“All we need to do is find the leader here and offer him an
outstanding wad of cash and the village will fall over themselves to get a
piece.”

“How do we find out who’s in charge?” Svana asked.

“Ask your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my…”

“Oh please, Svana. You look at him like you’re on the rag
and he’s made of chocolate.”

Svana felt the blush creep up her neck. She never could hide
anything from David. “Fine,” she snapped.

Vakr was placing a buffalo hide around his mother’s
shoulders and she was smiling up at him. When the woman took a bite of the
maple syrup candy he gave her, she looked like she had never eaten it before.
Svana thought she was either a really good actress or she really never had
eaten any.

“Vakr?” Svana said hesitantly.

David was nudging her ribs.

“Yes?”

“Who leads your village?”

“I do now that I am home.”

“Great,” David moaned from beside her.

“Vakr, David and I need to get in touch with our father.”

Vakr frowned. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

“Please, Vakr. You kept your word and took care of us, but this
has gone far enough. We’re on land now. We need to go home.” Svana hated the
pleading sound in her voice but she was becoming desperate.

Vakr pulled her into his arms. “You are home. You will be
with me for the rest of our lives.”

“Vakr,” she whispered as she filled with dread.

Vakr lifted his hand to cup her chin. “Don’t look so
frightened. I will always protect you. I swear I am done traveling and will be
home for you and our children.”

“Children?” Svana squealed.

“I think six is a good number,” Vakr said and smiled
heartily.

Svana felt the blood drain from her face.
Six kids? Good God, the man really is
insane.
Svana’s heart almost stopped with another thought. Who would take
care of the children in her village? They would go hungry. Who would pay to
keep them going? If she and her brother were missing, their father would be
concentrating all of his efforts on finding them. He wouldn’t give a rat’s ass
about anyone else.

“I have other commitments. I need to care for the children
in a village I have been helping. Vakr, if I don’t, they will starve.”

Vakr looked at her grimly. “The children here are starving.”

“What? Why?” she asked, startled.

“There is no food left in the village.”

“Just find a food bank. Or contact the government. You must
have something. The village I take care of has neither of those things. Is it
that bad here, too?”

“I have no idea what either of those things are. The food my
mother gave you, the gruel your brother turns his nose up at is all that’s left
here. That and what little flour we make from tree bark. The crops were bad
last year and because of a drought, many of the animals had to be slaughtered
early. Many of the wild animals suffered as well and hunting has been scarce.
We need to move our village, but it’s impossible to do that in February. I need
to go and speak with my men.”

Svana’s mind was racing. Her eyes searched Vakr’s. Worry
lines were etched around them. Vakr was serious; the idea was overwhelming.
“The children won’t starve. You have enough food in your vessel,” Svana reasoned.

“We have no idea how to use it, or cook it,” he reminded
her. “If I set you free, we will starve.”

“If I teach you how to use it, will you let me and David
go?”

Vakr took a deep breath. “Svana, for some reason, you don’t
believe me about what year it is. Your devices sound odd and very far advanced
so I am willing to believe you when you claim to be from the future. But know
this, as far advanced as you think you might be, you and your brother wouldn’t
last a day without my protection. Less if you set out on your own. There isn’t
another settlement near here. You would freeze to death or starve. Stay with
me, Svana, and live. I swear you will be happy. Somehow we will overcome this
together.

“Right now, I have more important things to worry about. If
you run, I will be forced to tie you for your own safety. Now tell me, will you
allow the children here to starve in front of you?”

Svana glared at him. “Of course not. But
you
know this; this is kidnapping and
you will be charged when my father finds us…and he will find us.”

“Fair enough,” Vakr said.

* * *
*

Vakr stared down into Svana’s enraged face. By the Gods she
was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her anger made her beautiful
eyes flash like a shooting light in the dark sky. Her long tresses were more
colorful than an autumn day. Red lips were lush as the sweetest berries and
begged to be tasted. He felt his cock stiffen and could almost taste her skin.
That would have to wait. Right now he had a meeting to set up. He kissed the top
of Svana’s head and told her to stay where it was warm until he came for her.
There was no need for her to stand outside freezing with the men until it was
necessary.

Vakr strode outside and began shouting and pounding on
doors. He wanted every man to join him by their large gathering rock. It was
where he made all of his announcements. One by one, his men trouped to the
large boulder where he stood. Many were wrapped in the hide Svana declared to
be buffalo. This was one thing Vakr had been delighted with when the strange
people had begun loading his vessel with things. He had never before seen such
strange hulking beasts. It was a shame his men had needed to eat their dried
stores on the long trip home.

“What will we do?” Baldr shouted. “My wife weeps over our
youngest who is half-starved and sickly. I fear we may lose her.”

“I have returned to find my mother dead!” Ing yelled. “What
the hell happened?”

“My woman is dead!” Ari bellowed. “I was told she gave what
she had to our son and ate nothing. Now I am without a wife and my son is
without a mother.”

Vakr ached for his friend as Ari’s arm wrapped around his
son who had seen twelve summers. Because of his mother’s selfless love, the boy
was whole and strong.

Soon all of the men were yelling. Until Vakr held up his
hands for silence. “Enough. Hakon has explained what has befallen our people.
We have returned to great famine and unrest.”

“Hakon was supposed to take care of our families!” Baldr
yelled.

“What of you?” Hakon bellowed back. “Our great warriors
returned with roots! By the Gods, what were you thinking?”

Vakr felt his face flame. He heard the mutters from around
him, all declaring him too kindhearted and now they would suffer because of it.
A Viking vessel should have been overflowing with riches and decent food,
slaves and even a few animals they could slaughter for a feast of welcoming. In
his lust for knowledge, Vakr had gone a different route instead. They had
traveled to a land too distant and primitive. The village felt he had failed
them.

“Our great leader leaves with promises of riches and returns
with nothing. Where is the silver?” Hakon spat out in loathing.

“Can you eat silver?”

Vakr heard the comment and his eyes rose in surprise when
Svana approached. The men gaped at her and let her through to Vakr.

Svana lifted her hand to him and he pulled her up on the
boulder to stand at his side.

“You are learning our words well,” he said.

“I’ve been listening to your men. I don’t understand
everything they’ve said but enough to know they’re pissed. So much for a warm
welcome home,” she whispered.

“Who is this?” Hakon demanded.

“She is my woman and any who would touch her with harm will
die by my hand!” Vakr shouted. He was glad that was out of the way. It was
touchy returning with a woman from a distant land. In this case, it was going
to be far harder. His Svana was a pigheaded, mouthy little thing. He would need
to keep a close eye on her.

“She knows how to make those roots into a very tasty
breakfast!” Ing shouted. “If we had returned with her earlier, she might have
been able to save my mother from your failure.”

“What is this nonsense?” Hakon yelled in outrage.

Vakr could see the sadness in his eyes. Other men who had
been left behind shuffled their feet. It appeared to Vakr that everyone in the
village also thought of themselves as failures too.

As they bickered back and forth, Vakr could see the women
and children creeping from their homes. When they had landed and emerged from
his vessel Vakr had seen the despair through their happiness. He had known
immediately something awful had happened. When the foreign foodstuff was hauled
from the ship, their desperation was apparent. It had hurt his entire being for
his people to look at him as though he had botched their salvation. But
standing there with his determined woman at his side, Vakr knew different. It
would seem the Gods had smiled on him. Not only had they given him Svana, the
Gods had saved his people.

“This woman is named Svana. Just this morning our men ate a
filling meal with the roots you claim are useless. The yellow dust in the
baskets appears to be more wealthy than gold. It will keep our families from
starving until spring. We will then scout an area and move to a place where
there is more game!” Vakr shouted.

Everyone looked skeptical, all except his crew members. A
woman muscled her way to the front of the boulder. She was holding up what
appeared to be a greenish black ball. She was scowling.

“Don’t tell me you can eat this,” she demanded. “I almost
broke my tooth on it.”

“Give it to me, Auga.” Vakr took the odd object and handed
it to Svana. “What is this thing? When it was given to us, I thought it a small
ball for children to play with. It appears to be darkening.”

Svana giggled. “It’s a black walnut. You need to smash the
husk for the nut inside.”

“A nut?”

“Yes, Vakr, a nut. It tastes very good. But the husk is full
of black die. It stains. If we grind down the nut inside we can add it to the
cornmeal and pemmican and it will be very nutritious. It would appear by your saving
one Native girl, her people have saved an entire village.”