Viking Ecstasy (16 page)

❧

Tanaka closed the curtain so that she had privacy. She groaned, running her hands up her hair-stubbled legs. She hadn't shaved or waxed since Ingmar had captured her months earlier, and though her body hair did not bother Tabor, it bothered her. She felt unclean, and twice she had asked Tabor to let her use his sharp shaving dagger. But he had refused her permission, saying that she had no need to kill herself.

Leaning back in the blankets that she shared with Tabor, Tanaka closed her eyes and thought about her life on the boat. Things could not remain the same much longer, she knew. The food was plentiful, but water was not. Also, the Viking warriors had been away from women for a long, long time. Neither the respect nor fear they felt for Tabor could keep their eyes from straying toward her when she went about the ship. Even Tabor realized that soon it would be necessary to take the men to land.

It was for that reason that Tanaka stayed in their private bedroom area most of the time. She and Tabor continued to enjoy the pleasures their bodies could give one another, but now Tanaka was careful to never make any noise. She did not want to twist the dagger of desire even more cruelly into Sven and the rest of the Viking crew.

Pulling her knees beneath her, she pushed her hair away from her eyes and looked over the edge of the ship. The arid land, so familiar from her youth, was still to her right, as it had been for days now. The north African coastline had to be followed if she was ever to return to Opar. But how far away was she from home? She had no experience in such matters.

But she did know the spires of Alexandria; and far off, looking like needles pointing upward toward the heavens, she saw the familiar twin spires of her homeland.

"Tabor! Tabor!" she screamed joyously, leaning over the edge of the boat, unconsciously reaching out for her home as though she could grasp it in her hand.

The great Viking jerked the curtain aside with such haste that he ripped it from its moorings. He grabbed Tanaka by the shoulders, turning her to face him, his expression showing the concern he felt.

"Home!" Tanaka shouted. "Tabor, we're home!"

She pulled out of his grasp and pointed at the twin spires. Tabor squinted, then a smile creased his handsome features.

"You are sure?" he asked warily. He knew that the mind could play tricks on people, especially if they've been aboard ship too long.

"I know my home," Tanaka replied without hesitation. She wheeled around to face him; and, even though the crew were all looking at them now that the curtain had been ripped down, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. "Thank you," she said, tears moistening her eyes as she whispered into his ear. "Thank you for taking me home. I promise. . . .I promise you with my heart and soul as high priestess to Pharaoh Moamin Abbakka that I will repay you a thousand fold for what you have done for me."

Tabor chuckled, resisting the urge to let his hands slide downward to cup Tanaka's buttocks. He dared not tempt the discipline of his Vikings unnecessarily.

"I have only done that which is honorable, that which I have promised I would do," Tabor replied, pushing Tanaka away. He felt it wasn't right for a Viking leader to show emotion, particularly not the more gentle emotions, in front of his men.

He turned to Sven. "Prepare the men. I want to be ready for whatever happens."

Instantly, the Vikings began readying their weapons, testing their bows and checking their swords and daggers.

"That won't be necessary," Tanaka said, defensive, fearing the bloodshed of her own people. "You are returning me to my land. My people will not harm you. Oparians are peaceful people."

"So you say," Tabor replied, moving toward the stern, determined to be at the rudder when they approached land. "But a Viking cannot trust anyone but himself."

So damn stubborn!
Tanaka thought, but she was happy and did not voice her thoughts.

She watched as Tabor took the rudder, his blond hair streaming over his shoulders, blowing in the slight breeze. He had lost some weight since his injury, but his left arm was much better now, though it was still considerably weaker than his right. He no longer was in any danger of getting the sickness in the blood, and for that Tanaka was thankful.

Tanaka had seen violence, and she had no doubts about the Vikings' fighting abilities. She went to Tabor's side. Her hand was light against his arm as she looked up into his brilliant blue eyes, but her face showed deep concern.

"These are my people," Tanaka said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please. ... I don't want any fighting. There's been too much of that already."

Tabor placed his hand on her shoulder. "A Viking never wants to fight. Sometimes, he simply has no choice. For you, I will make sure we do all we can to prevent bloodshed."

Tanaka turned away from Tabor. She could now see, far away along the hazy blue shore line, the familiar Egyptian fishing ships. Though she couldn't be sure, it looked like one of those boats, perhaps loaded with soldiers, was being sent out. Her heart constricted as she thought of how good it would be to once again be with people who looked like her and spoke her language, people who shared the same gods. Comparing the size of her kinsmen to the extraordinary size —the height and strength —of the Vikings she had spent too much time with in the past months, Tanaka knew that if the soldiers of Opar ever fought the Vikings, her native people had no chance of surviving.

"Tabor . . . promise me there will be no fighting," Tanaka prodded, determined that nothing would spoil her return.

"I am not good at promising," Tabor replied sharply, distracted. He was counting the arrows in his quiver and making a final check on the notched string of his bow.

"I know you're not good at it, but I want you to promise me anyway."

His eyes narrowed, and Tanaka knew that she had made him angry, but she would not be easily deterred. Tabor and his men would fight and kill if provoked, but they were also barely a handful of men compared to all the strong-willed Egyptian soldiers that Pharaoh Moamin Abbakka could send out. In the end, the death of Tabor was assured, and the thought horrified Tanaka.

After much prodding, Tabor finally turned to Tanaka and said, "We will not fight unless we are forced to fight, woman!"

Tanaka smiled, rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his chin, and moved to the high bow of the boat, where she could hear Sven, Carl, and the other Vikings laughing at the domesticity of the argument and at how she had calmed and cajoled Tabor into saying what she wanted him to.

No boat could approach the harbor without Pharaoh Moamin Abbakka sending defensive ships out to meet it. When the first Egyptian boats met with Tabor's longboat, Tanaka stood at midships and called out to the Egyptian commander.

"I am Tanaka, High Priestess to Pharaoh Moamin Abbakka, High Priestess of Opar," Tanaka called out in Egyptian, standing proud, her ebony waves flowing beautiful and black in striking contrast to the coarse woolen dress of Scandinavian design that Tabor had given her what now seemed long ago. "These men you see me with are heroes! They have saved me from my captors and have returned me to my home!"

The boats were very near, and archers on all sides had arrows notched and ready to fire. Tanaka raised her hands above her head, as though delivering a proclamation from her temple. Her native tongue tasted good on her lips; and, though all the faces she saw were tight-lipped and grim, she was certain that she could avoid bloodshed.

"Speak to me! Tell me of your understanding, and that you will escort your high priestess to Pharaoh Moamin Abbakka."

Standing beside Tanaka, Tabor waited to see how the return of a high priestess would be accepted. Though he had learned many Egyptian words during his time with Tanaka, she spoke the language now so quickly that he understood little of what she said and that disturbed him.

"Will your commander show his face to High Priestess Tanaka? Will he come forth to offer me his protection and loyalty?" Tanaka continued, her dark eyes blazing with the inner fire of conviction.

At last a man moved to midships, to the very edge of the Oparian war vessel. His hair and skin were dark, and he wore the headdress of a leader of men.

"The High Priestess Tanaka was taken long ago," he said, but there was clearly doubt in his voice.

"I am that woman," Tanaka replied.

"You say you are that woman. How do I know this is not trickery, magic?"

Tanaka studied the man's features. Sixty feet separated them, and she wished that she could stand face to face with him. Though few subjects of Opar had been close to her, virtually every resident of the city had, at one time or another, attended a celebration in which she had given a proclamation. Even in the enormous city of Alexandria she was known. Had she seen him before?

Looking away from the man, Tanaka gazed at the high twin spires of the temple she loved, at the outline of the city that had been her birthplace. She had been through so much since her initial capture by Ingmar the Savage that she was confident the gods would not destroy her now that she had at last returned home.

"If I am not who I say I am," she said, speaking Egyptian and hoping that Tabor could not understand her words, "then explain how I am able to command these massive, pale-skinned warriors from afar to bring me to my home?"

The Oparian captain pondered the statement. Try as he might, he could find no error in the logic. The foreigners, with their light skin, pale eyes, and yellow hair, were large and fierce-looking. If the woman were not Tanaka, High Priestess for Pharaoh Abbakka, then how could she wield power over such men?

"High Priestess, you have me to command," the soldier said, symbolically tossing his spear to the deck of his boat.

The Egyptians lowered their arrows. Tanaka looked at Tabor and nodded, but he did not signal for his men to lower their drawn bows until she scowled at him.

The moment the Vikings lowered their arrows, a cheer went up among the Egyptians.

"What is it?" Tabor asked, standing at Tanaka's side, his hand protectively placed at the small of her back.

"They are pleased that their spiritual leader has been returned to them," Tanaka explained, her eyes sparkling. "Thank you, Tabor, for bringing me home."

She looked up at Tabor, feeling happier than she could remember being in a long time. However his attention was not on her, but on the city of Opar that they approached. She saw the determined set of his strong jaw, the hawkish line of his nose, the resolution gleaming in his eyes. And she could not help but wonder what changes would occur in their lives when they reached the city.

He would be the outsider, not she. How would Tabor handle that difference? Also, in Opar and Alexandria, she held enormous power. Tabor was an unknown to everyone but his own Vikings. She was home now, in the land she loved, in the city that loved her. What would happen to the man she had shared her body with these many nights? Had her heart, despite its shield, become involved with the rugged Viking with the tender caresses? Had she —and Tanaka really didn't want to think about this — actually fallen in love with Tabor? He had never said a word about the future to her; he had never indicated that she would have a place in his life in the future. But the future was now. The future was the city of Opar, her temple, Pharaoh Moamin Abbakka. But was Tabor, Son of Thor, in her future?

Tabor looked down at Tanaka and saw the concern in her eyes. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side.

"Do not be afraid," he said, completely misreading her hesitation. "I will be at your side. No one can harm you as long as I am at your side."

"Then you must stay at my side for all time," Tanaka replied.

She would have felt much more confident if Tabor had said he would. He didn't. He just looked at the approaching city, his palm warm and possessive against her shoulder.

❧

Tabor didn't like it at all. Not one bit. The early warning the city had received from the advance ships that High Priestess Tanaka had been returned to her homeland had prompted a city-wide celebration.-

Though he understood Egyptian when Tanaka spoke it to him slowly and carefully, he did not understand a tenth of the words that these people spoke to her. The words jumbled together. And, even more difficult for Tabor, the people of Opar were openly effusive in expressing their appreciation for the return of Tanaka.

Men hugged him. But it wasn't until he had bodily lifted one man over his head and threatened to toss him to the ground (Tanaka's timely intrusion into the clash of cultures saved the man from broken bones) that the Egyptians finally realized that no matter how thankful they were that Tabor had sailed from far away to bring High Priestess Tanaka back to them, they must never touch his person.

"When we get to the temple, the pharaoh will want to see you immediately," Tanaka said, sitting at Tabor's side in a carriage carried by eight strong men. They made their way through the crowded streets, surrounded by cheering mobs. "He will shower you with riches, I promise."

The wary look in Tabor's eyes disturbed Tanaka's sense of peace. A solitary man who understood his Viking warriors and the privacy of women who desired him, he was emotionally adrift when surrounded by this woman.

"But perhaps you would like to bathe, rest, eat? Would that please you more than to meet Pharaoh Moamin Abbakka?"

Tabor, never overly expressive, gave just the slightest nod of his head. But Tanaka knew what was important to him. "I am concerned for my men. They must be cared for before I can accept comforts for myself."

"They will have the finest foods this land has to offer," Tanaka promised. "Food and drink will be plentiful."

"And they will be safe?"

"Guards will be posted."

Tabor grinned. "My men can guard themselves," he said. "Best you put guards around your most attractive women. Sven and the others . . . they have been away from women for a long time."

Tanaka, as high priestess to the temple, had never any fear that anyone from Opar might force themselves upon her. In her position, she had access to and was indulged by men and women of power and status. She was privy to secrets and even knew of Princess Natankin's clandestine affair with a young guard twenty years her junior. Tanaka believed that as long as neither violence nor the threat of reprisal was involved, the gods did not care who shared pleasure with whom.

"Your men will be taken care of," Tanaka said, deliberately ambiguous.

"Then I will accept your hospitality," Tabor said finally.

Tanaka controlled the urge to take his hand. It would be inappropriate for a high priestess to hold hands in public. Her concern for Tabor's well being surprised her. Since he had recovered from his nearly fatal wounds, everything about him seemed invincible. Now, in a strange, foreign land, he had only a few of his Viking warriors at hand. And although he towered over a sea of dark-haired dark-skinned people, he seemed lost. No amount of iron-hard resolve could hide the faintly haunted look in the depths of his sea-blue eyes.