Viking Love Beyond Time (Time Travel Romance) (42 page)

             
“Try again, maiden” said a deep, oddly accented voice and the hands were removed.  Heart in her mouth Anstice turned slowly, terrified of what she might see but knowing in her heart what it would be.  Even though she and her mother had escaped and stayed with her aunt up country during the Viking invasion of Bredond she had heard too many tales from those who had been in the village and lived through it not to have an inkling of what would meet her gaze.

             
It was worse than she thought.  Standing in front of her was a giant of a man.  He was clad in black leather
britches
fastened with a belt made of silver links, a sleeveless jerkin and a black cloak.  On his head was a huge silver full faced helmet and he was flanked by twenty or thirty grinning Vikings.  “Oh my God!” she whispered “Jesu preserve us!  The Northmen!”

             
The huge figure nodded “I am only sorry it was not Edwy, my dear” he said.  The men around him sniggered.

             
“I’ll change my name to Edwy if she wants Herger!”  leered a huge red haired warrior next to him in heavily accented Saxon, licking his lips.

             
Anstice felt blind panic bubble up from the pit of her stomach and she began to back up toward the house, whereupon the giant, the one called Herger, snapped his fingers and the red haired Viking began to advance toward her grinning evilly.  That was the last straw!  With a scream she turned and bolted for the hall, there should be two or three people abroad by now - though what good they would be....................flinging open the door she hurled herself through it.

             
Godgyth was up and about as was Herluva the cook.  Ham was throwing logs on the fire. At her sudden, gasping entrance, they all looked up.  “The Vik...........” her yell was cut off in mid sentence as a large hand was clamped over her mouth and nose, and she was thrown, still struggling, over the leather clad shoulder of her red haired captor.  She began to beat his back but it was like hitting a brick wall.  He marched with her to the nearest bench and pulling it backward sat on it and calmly settled her down onto his knee.

             
With a roar Ham, the largest man in the village, rushed at the Vikings who were now coming through the door and, in an obviously rehearsed manoeuvre, drawing their swords and splitting into two phalanxes, one surrounding the hall to the left and the other to the right, standing in the middle in front of the door was Herger.  “Ham NO!” screamed Godgyth.  The man skidded to a halt inches from the gleaming point of the leader’s  sword.  There was silence for a moment or two then the huge Viking extended his sword and lifted the man’s head with the point under his chin.  “Spare him Viking” begged Godgyth “he has a wife and young children”

             
Herger lowered his sword point and snapped his fingers.  One of his warriors strode over and taking Ham by the upper arm led him out of the hall.   “What do you intend to do, Viking?” asked Godgyth quietly.

             
Herger looked up.  The lady was standing at the far end of the table with her plump arms round the cook.  “No harm will come to him or anyone else in this village my lady Godgyth” he said, and pulling out a stool lowered himself onto it.  “The men will be taken to the stables for the time being, the women will be quartered here for the duration of our visit - now can we talk somewhere where we will not be disturbed?”

             
Godgyth could not believe her ears - talk!  A marauding band of Viking pirates with the most fearsome leader she had ever seen in her life and he wanted to talk!   She opened her mouth to answer but found it was dry and the only sound she could emit was a croak.  “M-my room, Viking” she whispered, and seating Herluva tenderly on a nearby bench she headed, heart pounding, for the stairs.  Herger walked quickly after her.

             
Quaking, Godgyth climbed the steps and turning left down the corridor fumbled with the latch of her door and entered.  The Viking followed a footstep behind her and shut the door.  He gestured almost absently to the bed.  “Be seated milady” he said, not unkindly.  She sat down and looked up at him - in the confines of this room he was even larger, he seemed to fill it.

             
“How do you know my name?” she whispered.

             
The huge Viking laughed “You forget milady, I was here for a short time last year.  I am married to your niece, Alodie.  My name is Herger, sea king and a high jarl of blood, it is for her I have come” Godgyth moaned aloud and crossed herself.  “Why do you moan, lady?” he asked, leaning forward, his eyes glinting like chips of emerald though his visor.  Godgyth took a deep breath and Herger smiled.  “Tell me, Lady Godgyth, where is your husband.  Do not fear, I mean him no harm”

             
Godgyth sat up and straightened her shoulders.  “He is where you
cannot
harm him Viking, he died in October.”

             
Herger patted Godgyth’s shoulder “I am sorry for that, lady - I had great respect for that hoary old warrior.  He was one of the few men in the Saxon fyrd”

             
“Hmph!” snorted Godgyth, anger beginning to overcome her fear, “we beat you though - twice!”   Herger grinned under his helmet.

             
“Ah I would disagree with you there” he replied “I do not consider an army to be beaten when it is paid to leave, and although I was absent during the Exeter campaign I understand we were - er beaten - if that is how you wish to describe it, because most of our ship army had been destroyed in a storm and therefore you vastly outnumbered us.  Let us say on both occasions we had a negotiated peace”

             
Godgyth sniffed in reply and folded her ample arms.

             
Pulling up a stool and putting one foot on it, Herger began to examine the point of his sword.  “My wife, Alodie - I assume you married her to that milksop Luke Edmundson”

             
“Aye, more’s the pity” replied Godgyth.

             
Herger snapped up his head “so, he beats her then?”

             
The old lady looked up at him and nodded.  “Aye, he did, regularly, and not only that, he tried to kill her, me too, and the babes.....”

             
Herger drew in his breath with a hiss.  “Where is the bastard?” he growled.  “I will have the heart beating from his body for this!”

             
Godgyth sat back on the bed and looked up “and I would not try to stop you Lord Herger, he hastened the death of my husband with his behaviour that’s certain but you are too late - he too is dead”

             
The Viking punched his mighty fist into the palm of his other hand.  “Where is Alodie now - wait, you mentioned babes, whose babes?”

             
“Why Alodie’s of course - the twins, Tom and Nerissa”

             
Herger got to his feet.  “Twins?  Alodie has twins?  When - when were they born?”

             
Godgyth looked confused.  “Why?  Why do you need to know that?”
             
He snapped his fingers “Their birthday lady, when were they born?”

             
“The fifth day of May last year - why?”

             
Herger began to reckon in his head - the dates fitted.  He walked over to the window then turned once again to Godgyth.  “I repeat, where is Alodie?”

             
Godgyth began to smile.  “She’s out of harm’s way sir Viking.  She’s gone to Chippenham to the court.  She is to wed Edric of Lamporth - tonight - and you will be too late to stop it!  Your few men can’t storm Chippenham, all the fyrd is there and anyway” she grinned “Lord Edric is a different kettle of fish to Luke.  He does not beat women he kills men - Vikings for choice.  He is King Alfred’s greatest housecarle and he worships the ground Alodie walks on!”

             
Herger clenched his fists and groaned then walking to the door threw it open, turning as he did so to face Godgyth.  “Has she taken the babes with her?”

             
Godgyth jumped to her feet “No!” she snapped “they are here, but you will have to kill me to get to them!”

             
The huge warrior raised his hands in the air  “have no fear lady.  I mean them no harm” he said gently.  “I want to see them, that’s all”

             
For some ridiculous reason Godgyth trusted him.  “The - the last door along the passage” she whispered.

             
“My thanks”

             
“Oh, and Viking” Godgyth said quietly.  “If you lay one finger on those innocents I will kill you myself”

             
Herger smiled again, and turning walked down the landing to the last door and lifting the latch entered the room.  It was dark, the shutters not having been opened, removing his helmet and placing it quietly on the floor he opened them.  Sunlight streamed into the room and lit up two cribs.

             
Drawing a deep breath he walked over to the first one and looked down.  A mass of dark curly hair lay in abandon over a small pillow framing the sweetest face Herger had ever seen.  The quiet
tic
of the little girl’s breathing seemed to be the only sound in the room.

             
She had kicked off her bedding in the night and as Herger gently covered her he felt tears fill his eyes and kissing his index finger he placed it on the child’s perfect cupid’s bow mouth, she spluttered slightly then opened her eyes.  They were startlingly blue, blue as the sky in August, blue as sapphires.  A lump came into Herger’s throat as he remembered the last time he had looked down into those eyes.

             
The baby looked startled for a second on seeing a huge stranger bending over her but her good nature overcame her momentary fear and a tenuous smile crinkled the corners of her mouth.  Herger smiled back and ran his fingers over the soft skin of her face.  “Fear not, little one” he murmured “no harm will come to you from me”

             
The small smile became a broad grin and sitting up she held up her arms to be lifted from the crib.  The Viking had never lifted up a baby in his life and was not sure what to do but he placed his huge hands one on either side of her tiny body and lifted her into the air.  The child began to giggle at this and hit the end of his nose - her favourite pastime.  Herger grinned back at her and sucked one of her chubby fingers then sat down and put her on his lap.  “Well madam” he said “I have a notion that you are my daughter, I would recognise that unruly hair anywhere, but I think it best kept a secret for now.  What?  You want to go down on the floor?  Very well, but don’t hurt yourself”

             
Herger gently put the child down on a padded mat which had been placed in the centre of the room with various rag dolls strewn across it and smiled as she crawled rapidly toward them.

             
He then turned his attention to the other crib.  As he leaned over it he gasped.  Tom was already awake and sitting up looking at him intently.  Herger lifted him bodily out of the cradle, astonished at his weight compared to that of his sister.  Silently he carried him to the window and looked into the child’s face.  Emerald green eyes stared into emerald green eyes.  He had not made a sound at being picked up by a stranger nor showed the slightest fear.  Herger then walked over to the large mirror which was propped up against the wall and looked at himself with his face next to the child’s.  It was uncanny.  Feature for feature the boy was his double, except for the hair.  The same chin with the slight cleft in it, the same nose in miniature, the same mouth.

             
“Well” he said quietly “so I have my huge golden son - and you are huge boy - you’re going to be as big as me before you’re done”

             
The boy began to suck his fist solemnly then reached down to where Herger’s sword hilt was fastened into his belt.  “So, my little warrior - you want my sword do you?  Do not worry, you’ll get it by and by, and all my ships!” he kissed the boy’s head then placed him on the mat.  “Look after your sister Tom, I’ll be back before long - I just have to go fetch your mother” with that he turned, his eyes brimming over with unaccustomed tears, and picked up his helmet.  He had no sooner placed it on his head than the door flew open and Godgyth bustled nervously in.  On seeing the children playing happily she breathed a sigh of relief.

             
“Thank God that they are unharmed” she murmured and crossed herself.  “That helmet you wear Viking, why did you keep it on?  You could have frighted the babes!”

             
Herger laughed.  “No, good woman, I would have frighted them if I had removed it”

             
She clicked her tongue.  “Ah yes, I forgot, your injuries”

             
Herger walked passed her and leaned over the balcony.  “Hrolf” he yelled in Norse “you go back to the ship and get the rest of the men” he walked down the stairs and over to his second in command who appeared to be in deep conversation with Anstice who was blushing prettily and seemed to be smiling.  “Bjarnie” he said “put that wench down and listen.  I’m leaving you in charge, along with twenty five men.  Keep the male villagers in the barn until you think it’s safe for them to go about their business - at least for two days.  Kill no one unless there is no other way and don’t let anyone make too much of a pig of themselves with the women - the rest of you, I hope you’re feeling fit, we’ve got forty miles to cover before nightfall!”  A chorus of groans greeted these words and with a grin their leader ran towards the door, there he turned. “Oh and Bjarnie” he said “there are two babes in the house, twins, a boy and a girl, look after them as though they were your own”