Pagan Fire (17 page)

“A nun?” A low laugh rose from Eugis and rumbled past his lips. “Manfred and Rhea must be restless in their graves over this.” He shook his head. “I suppose ‘tis sad she recalls naught of the old ways.” His hand swept up the goddess’ well-curved side. “But it matters not.” His expression grew hard. “I’ll have her anyway. Her and her power.”

Morrigu’s pink tongue flicked over her lips. She ran her palms over her nipples and smiled. Eugis pulled her roughly to him and his mouth claimed hers, then moved down her neck. “Tell me,” he whispered against her throat. “Where is Maere?”

“Not far.” Morrigu chuckled, a low throaty sound. She shoved Eugis to the ground. “A little over a day’s ride from here, still to the north.” She watched him closely. “Dylan mac Connall is with her.”

Eugis sucked in his breath.
So, it was Fox’s son who had stolen the girl away from him
. “I suspected as much.” He shrugged. “No matter. It will be my pleasure to let him watch me take Maere away from him once again. Then I’ll kill him. Perhaps I’ll kill Maere too. Or leave her for the nuns.”

“You have said what I wanted to hear, Eugis.” The goddess smiled. “Now worship me.”

Eugis rose up slightly from where he lay on the earth, pulled his woolen tunic over his head, and tossed it aside. He held out his hand and Morrigu slipped hers into his. “Come, Goddess. You bring me great news and I would worship you, just as you deserve.”

“And so you shall.” Morrigu lowered herself onto him until their naked forms merged. “You should know I’ve insured against them leaving the grotto with a sleeping spell.” She smiled and began to move against him. “And I’ve sealed the cave against intruders. Anyone looking in will think it empty and be compelled to leave. Send that tall Northman in the morning to retrieve the girl.” She groaned with the thought of the Viking. “He dislikes my brothers and sisters so much that I’ve decided to set a test for him.”

“Should I be jealous?” Eugis whispered against her throat before nibbling the tender flesh.

Morrigu kissed him roughly, biting his upper lip and drawing blood. “That would be your choice, wouldn’t it?”

Chapter Nineteen

Jorvik and his men rode hard along the worn paths that led to the northern part of the isle. Eugis had roused them all early the day before, his words urgent, as he instructed them as to the task at hand. Only a day away, he’d said, was the young woman he sought. Asleep in a cave in the north region, she’d be easy to take.

Morrigu had been nowhere about, which was good as far as Jorvik was concerned, cursed goddess that she was. If he’d known one of them was involved, he’d never have accepted the work Eugis offered. Jorvik and his men had plenty to do raiding along the coast, storming the monasteries littering it. Eugis had lured them inland with the promise of something different, a diversion for Jorvik’s weary men, but now he regretted the decision.

In spite of his misgivings, Jorvik was compelled to stay true to his word and finish the task. Though a man’s oath might not mean much to these southerners, where he came from it was binding. The gold was easy, too. Perhaps easier than taking the coastal Christian compounds, now that the monks were learning how to fight. Actually, it was the easiest payment they had ever come by—four pouches of gold just for the retrieval of a simple girl. Jorvik chided himself. He should know by now that nothing is as easy as seems.

He leaned in his saddle and adjusted a legging where it slid down his thick calf. Jorvik knew little of Eugis’s plan, only that the girl had some sort of special ability he hoped to gain. And that she had to be kept virginal. Jorvik smiled to himself. Perhaps. It would, of course, depend on how comely she might be. He shrugged his cloak into place and put his hand over the gold and silver medallion that held it around him, a gift from his father in celebration of his entry to manhood. It’d been many months since he’d last seen Otto and he’d be happy when this task was complete and he could return to his base camp, to his father and his people.

As they rode, Jorvik’s thoughts drifted back to Morrigu. He knew nothing of these gods and goddesses in the southern worlds, but they all seemed to possess the same traits of his land. And they all seemed amused with dabbling in the world of man. What cared Morrigu whether or not Eugis succeeded in his plan? She must have her own motives. He knew this in his bones.

But then, it could be Eugis only lusted for the goddess and hoped to gain nothing more than their sensual encounters. After all, a man would have to be dead not to notice her shapely body and welcoming mouth. Jorvik shifted, growing more  uncomfortable with his thoughts. Eugis likely considered himself blessed by Morrigu’s attentions. Jorvik snorted. The man was indeed a fool if he did.

* * * *

The sun had risen and set over the cave where Dylan and Maere slept. Pilgrims came and went, unaware of the sleeping inhabitants. They quietly left their simple offerings of bread or cider in the hope the patron saint, Cedric, would intercede on their behalf with the Christian God and they’d see their prayers answered.

One such pilgrim was lingering near the outside of the cave when the sound of horse hooves and men’s voices reached out from the dense forest and touched her ears. She quickly gathered her things and disappeared into the thicket.

As the Northmen neared their destination, they found their way blocked more than once by tree branches. One, long and thin, suddenly slapped Jorvik across the chest. Another grabbed at his horse.

“What goes on here?” he muttered as Asa rode up alongside him.

“This place is enchanted,” the
rynstyr
answered. He gestured at the path ahead of them. “Look at the trees. It’s as if they would prevent us from the task at hand.”

“Morrigu. She’s behind this.”

“I think not.” Asa looked around. “This reeks of magic, but not of that one. We should stop. I should cast the stones and find out what goes on here.”

Jorvik cursed as another branch bent down in front of him. “We will not stop.”  He raised his sword high and swung it in a wide arc. The offending limb, severed, fell to the ground with a muffled thud, the scent of sap filling the air. He held his sword in front of him as he made his way forward. “I do not fear your tricks,” he shouted. “I will cut all of you if I must.” The trees slowly withdrew their branches and the Northmen continued unimpeded toward their destination.

Once at the edge of the woods, Jorvik spied the grotto. It was just as Morrigu had described it. The men dismounted and the group of five approached. An old man who had been resting near the petition bush took one look at the raiders and pushed himself to his feet. He hurried away, calling curses behind him. Jorvik laughed. So much for the Christian conversion of these people: When faced with real trouble, they reverted to the old ways, calling on their so-called pagan gods for protection.

“Are you certain this is the right place?” asked Vala, one of the men, as he craned his neck to see into the cave from his mount. “I see no one in there.”

“This is the place.” Jorvik dismounted and walked toward the shrine. “I would bet that goddess of Eugis’s cast a spell so none could see the girl as she slept.” He approached the opening as he would an animal. Slowly, he extended his hand in front of him. It was like touching stone with a picture painted on it. Jorvik picked up a rock and tossed it at the scene. It bounced back at him. He shook his head. Blast Morrigu to
Hel
. Her goddess-hide was in need of some time in that underworld.

“Now what?” Asa asked.

“Yes, Jorvik, how are we getting in there?” another asked.

Jorvik drew himself up and threw his entire body against the wall. The full force of his weight struck it and the momentum sent him sprawling backward. He stumbled as he found his footing again.

“Maybe we need to call for Thor?” Asa said. “We could use some help and his hammer might break the spell.”

“Not Thor!” Vala said. “Loki is who we need. The Trickster is just the one to know how to get in there.”

“Enough of this talk!” Jorvik thundered. “I’ll not call on any of
them
to help us.” He began pacing. Of course, Morrigu did this on purpose. She wanted him to have to ask for help because she knew he despised her and her “family” of gods and goddesses. But she’d miscalculated: He’d give up the gold before he’d give her the satisfaction.

Jorvik stomped off until he was about fifteen feet away from the opening. “Out of the way! All of you!” he shouted, waving his arm sideways. In a rage, he reached behind his head and unsheathed his battle sword. A shimmer of light ran along its length and coursed through Jorvik’s body as he drew on his birthright, the power of the Valkyrie. A roar escaped his mouth as he flung the steel shaft forward, straight at the opening. On impact, the magical shield shattered into a thousand pieces, revealing the contents of the cave.

Jorvik strode forward and retrieved his sword, stopping just short of the entrance. Behind him, his fellow Vikings peered inside. There, just as described to them by Eugis, slept a man and woman. Two of the men started to rush past Jorvik, hands on the hilt of their swords. Jorvik held his arms out and stopped them.

“No. This one is mine.”

Carefully, he entered the grotto and took in the scene before him. Cold embers were piled between the sleeping pair. The man’s hand rested lightly on the young woman’s shoulder. Jorvik wondered at the intimate scene before him. Perhaps she was no longer a virgin after all? He crouched down and turned the girl over onto her back. Her head rolled to the side, her hair covering her face. Jorvik pushed back her hair, revealing her features. She was comely indeed, in a dreamy, innocent sort of way. Delicate, too, as if she needed a man to protect her.

“What do you see in there that you stay so long?” Asa called.

Jorvik shook himself out of his reverie. He shoved his own hair out of his eyes and scooped up the woman called Maere. He righted himself and strode out of the cave.

“Do we kill him?” Vala asked, nodding toward the interior of the grotto.

“He has black hair.” Jorvik shook his head as he walked. “He could be Morrigu’s kin, for all we know. This might be another game arranged by the evil one. If Eugis wants him, he can get him himself or send that cursed goddess for him. Our bargain was for the woman only.”

Jorvik handed Maere to Asa, then swung himself onto the back of his horse. Once settled, Asa handed Maere up and Jorvik settled her in front of him, a strong arm across her chest. Her head bobbed forward as she still slept the charmed sleep. Jorvik spun his horse around and reentered the forest as his men followed close behind.

As he rode, Jorvik thought of the man they left behind, asleep in grotto.
If he’s lucky, the wolves will have him, a better fate than being taken by Morrigu, to be certain
.

Chapter Twenty

The Vikings stopped in a forest clearing about two hours ride away from the grotto and prepared to make camp for the night. Some of the men busied themselves putting together makeshift snares from bits of leather and fallen branches, while others tended to the horses. Jorvik carried Maere, still asleep, looking around him for a place to lay her. He found a great fir in their midst, and laid Maere on a bed of boughs and needles near its base.

Jorvik stood back and considered the huge tree before him. Surely it is a grandmother, he thought, recalling the teachings of his native land.
Yggdrasil
, the great tree of life with roots deep to the center of the earth and branches that reached to the sun, must look the same. He inhaled the rich heady scent of pine tar, the scent of life. Or, at least, the scent of life as one who was young might imagine it to be—clean, fresh, full of promise.

Behind him, Jorvik’s horse snorted and whinnied. He quickly spun around, his hand on his dagger. He scanned the area but saw nothing. Then, overhead, a great flapping of wings drew his attention to the raven circling in the twilight sky. “Now what?” he muttered, watching in bemused silence as the creature landed in front of him. With a few steps, it shook off its bird form in the same bizarre dance he had witnessed in Eugis’s camp, revealing the goddess Morrigu herself.

“What brings you here?” Jorvik gestured toward Maere where she still slept. “Are you checking to see if I was up to the task?”

“Careful, Jorvik,” Asa said, as he and the others came forward. “She is not one to anger.”

Morrigu glanced at the band of men. “Away with all of you.” She stomped her foot and they were pulled into the tree line as if by an unseen hand.

The goddess returned her attention to their leader, staring hard at the Viking before her. “Do you really believe such mundane details interest me?” She stepped forward and ran a finger down the Viking’s arm. His eyes widened for a brief moment as he watched a trickling of blood follow the same course.

“What is this?” He clasped his hand over the wound. “Do you curse me?” he asked, his voice a harsh whisper.

“Is that fear I detect in your words, Northman?”

Jorvik turned away from the goddess. “Any man – mortal or god – would be foolish not to fear you.”

“What you say is true,” Morrigu said. “But I do not curse you this evening.” The goddess smiled, her full red lips glistening. “Could it be that I only wished to see you again?”

Jorvik grunted. “Save your pretty words. They mean nothing to me.” His eyes narrowed as he looked over his shoulder at her. “Why did Eugis send us to the cave with no direction as to how to unlock its secrets? Or did you not tell him of your spell?”

“I told him. But I have no control over what he tells you.”

“That I do not believe,” Jorvik said, turning to face the goddess again.

She looked past him to the sleeping girl. “It would seem to me you did fine.” Her silver eyes met his and she smiled again. “So, tell me fair Viking: When you found your way blocked, did your gods come to your aid? Given your scorn of all that is holy, I would imagine they were most amused to hear your entreaties for help.”