Viking Love Beyond Time (Time Travel Romance) (54 page)

             
Herger
she wrote, in Saxon, knowing he could read it.

             
I do not know how to begin to write this.  I have left you.  It is not because of Edric, it is because I need to know I am no one’s possession.

             
My dear, I love you, I always will, nothing will change that but look at this, if you can, from my point of view.  I was never asked if I wanted to be brought here - I am a captive of war and it is a captive’s duty to escape if he or she can.

             
I truly believe we are meant to be together but not now, there is too much at stake.  How do I explain to Godgyth that the children she adores are not her kin? They are all she has.  How do I explain to Aehlswith that her best friend is in love with her husband’s mortal enemy?

             
Someday our peoples will be at peace, then Herger, if you still want me, I will come to you, but by choice, not by force, that is the only way we can be happy together.  I need to be your companion, not your possession.  Your wife, not your horse.  I hope and pray you understand.

Alodie

             
She put down her pen and sighed.  It left so much unsaid.  Would he come after her? Possibly, or maybe he would just stop loving her altogether - she would have to take that chance.  Leaving the letter propped up against the mirror she turned and, not daring to look back, left the room.

             
The deafening rumble of snoring from the hall below reminded her that the place was full of sleeping warriors and creeping gingerly down the stairs, she walked into the kitchen. It was deserted apart from a grubby child fast asleep on a  sack.

             
On examination the outer door appeared to be locked by a simple bar arrangement and biting her lip Alodie lifted and slid it back.  Apart from a slight thud the door opened quietly and taking a cloak from a nail behind the door she stepped outside.

             
The snow was falling silently and efficiently, covering the ground with a thick white blanket.  Shivering slightly Alodie pulled the cloak round her with a quiver of distaste - the material was coarse, not too clean and definitely not what she was used to.  She thought wistfully of her own thick wool cloak and wondered where it, and the rest of her clothes, had gone.

             
A sneeze and the muffled sound of voices from the hall behind her alerted her to the fact that she had better hurry and, hugging the walls of the cottages, she broke into a shambling trot.

             
After about five minutes she spotted the little cottage she and Aehlswith had been  brought to the night before.  The inhabitants must be stirring, smoke curled lazily into the morning air from the smoke hole and the smell of cooking bacon assailed her nostrils.  She cautiously approached and, standing on tiptoe, gingerly pushed aside the grubby hide which covered the tiny window.

             
Suddenly the door opened and Erik walked out, luckily he was looking in the other direction and did not see Alodie as she almost threw herself round the corner.  She fell with a dull thud onto a pile of snow which had drifted up against the wall of the tiny dwelling.  Grimacing, she stood up and brushing the dampness from her clothes, she peeped round the corner.  Erik was relieving himself against a snowdrift and holding his head with the other hand, he had obviously over celebrated his return to Herger’s favour the night before and was suffering this morning.

             
Alodie bit her lip, she was in a quandary; how to get Aehlswith alone in order to arrange her escape?  She ducked round the corner again as Erik walked back to the hut and then took her place by the window.  By lifting a corner of the hide she could see that the only people in the hut were Aehlswith, who appeared to be in an uneasy sleep, Cnut and Erik.

             
Erik took a deep swallow of ale then belched and turned to Cnut.  “Well, lad, I’m going to see Herger in a minute, I’ll send Ragnor down to you to keep you company”

             
Cnut stood up then stretched and looked at Aehlswith.  “No need on my account Erik, I think I can keep an eye on Aehlsemma here on my own, she can’t be very strong!”

             
Erik walked over to the fire and took a piece of bacon from the frying pan, then tossing it the air he caught it in his mouth.  “Thor’s balls, that was hot!” he spluttered “that, as you well know you randy little bastard, is not the problem.  We agreed that no one was to touch this little beauty.  She’s obviously a favourite of Herger’s woman and I’ve never seen anyone so mazed over a wench as he is over her”

             
Cnut laughed. “Can you blame him?”

             
“No, but I’ll blame you if you have a crafty one with this little darling and it gets back to Herger, which it will, and we end up clapped in irons or worse.  I’ll never forget Herger cutting
at rista bloorn
on Sigvard Leifssen.  I’ve never seen a man last as long, twenty five breaths he took” Cnut shuddered and held his hands to the flames.  “Well, I’ll get off then”.  Erik turned as he got to the door.  “and remember what I said - no touching the goods or you may end up without your balls tomorrow morning”

             
Alodie shot round the corner again and flattened herself against the wall of the cottage.  After a few seconds she heard the door slam and Erik’s footsteps crunching across the snow.   She waited a couple of minutes, her breath smoking in the cold air, then crept round to take up her place by the window. She had to get Cnut out of the hut  - but how?  And whatever she did she would have to do soon.

             
She noticed that there was another window at the back of the hut opposite the door and just next to where Aehlswith was sleeping.  Quietly she crept round the dwelling and took up her station by that window, now she was hidden from anyone leaving or approaching the hut, the only chance someone had of seeing her was if they came over the fields from the river.

             
Cnut got to his feet and glanced over at Aehlswith as if trying to make up his mind about something, then left the hut unfastening his braeis as he did so.  Alodie grabbed her chance and, pushing the hide completely to one side, she leaned through the window and whispered frantically.  “Aehlswith, don’t answer me, just look up” her friend jumped and jerked her head round. “How can you sleep in your position?” hissed Alodie.

             
Aehlswith smiled.  “I wasn’t asleep, I haven’t slept a wink, I was just pretending.  Oh Alodie, are you alright?”

             
“Fine, look have these bastards touched you?”

             
Aehlswith shook her head.  “No, not even rumpled my clothes, they must be terrified of your - husband”

             
“If you saw him you would understand - look, I can get us out but it will have to be now - can you distract this one?”

             
“I’ll try, what do you suggest?”

             
Alodie groaned.  “For the wisest woman in
Wessex
you can be a silly goose sometimes!  Use your imagination your Grace!”

             
“At least he seems to be the best looking one, give me five minutes.  What are you going to do?”

             
“Trust me!” she hissed.

             
Alodie dropped the hide as the door opened and the young Viking re-entered the hut fastening his
britches
.  Aehlswith stretched her arms above her head and yawned, then slid sinuously from the bed.  Alodie watched, open mouthed, as her deeply religious friend swayed toward the blond young man.  “Er - tell me” she said breathlessly, gesturing to the corner of the room “which one of those spears over there is yours?”  Alodie was amazed, not only was Aehlswith acting like
a
twentieth century vamp but she spoke in fluent Norse.  The lad’s jaw dropped, what had happened to the terrified girl of the night before?

             
“The - the end one, why?” he gasped, his eyes raking her from top to toe.

             
She smiled, showing her dimples and walking languorously over to it she ran her finger along the blade.  “You disappoint me Cnut” she said.

             
“Wh-why?” croaked the lad, clenching his hand into a fist.

             
Aehlswith shrugged off her cloak and began to unlace the top of her dress.  “My, isn’t it hot in here?” she said, thrusting her not insubstantial bosom in Cnut’s direction then, walking over him she ran her finger tips along his jaw and began to pull open the thongs of his jerkin, the lad backed up.  “You disappoint me Cnut” she murmured “because I thought your spear would be the biggest” she glanced down meaningfully to where he was fighting a losing battle with the bulge in his braeis “it certainly looks that way from here”.  With a groan of sheer frustration Cnut gathered Aehlswith in his arms and throwing her onto the bed, jumped on top of her.

             
Alodie wasted no time.  She almost flew round the cottage, through the door and before either of them knew what had happened she had Cnut pinned to the bed with his own spear.

             
Aehlswith wriggled out from under him and grabbed her cloak.   He rolled onto his back and put up his hands, an expression of amazement on his face. “Aehlswith, get the rope - we’re in a hurry here” snapped Alodie.

             
“You couple of bitches!” he snarled “this will finish me!”

             
“Oh, my heart bleeds for you” snapped Alodie sarcastically.  Aehlswith began to bind his feet.  Then a look of astonishment came over his features.

             
“Aehlswith, is her name Aehlswith?” gasped the young lad “you mean - I - this is.....”

             
“The queen of
Wessex
in person” replied Alodie “so it is perhaps fortunate that you did not touch her, hold your hands together at the front - that’s right - tie them tight ‘Swith”

             
“Fenrir’s teeth!” gasped Cnut “wait until I tell the lads”

             
Alodie pushed the spear further into the flesh of his neck, a drop of blood appeared. “You’ll tell ‘the lads’ nothing if you know what is good for you.  You were overpowered by six big Saxons.  Anyway, imagine the embarrassment in admitting being overpowered by two defenceless women!”

             
“He’s ready” said Aehlswith.

             
“Not quite” said Alodie and pushing an old rag into the lad’s mouth she tied it securely with his own
hlad
which she had pulled from his forehead.  He gagged and spluttered.  “Horrible isn’t it?” she snapped “at least you won’t be tied up as long as we were - right Aehlswith - let’s go”

             
Turning their back on the helpless Viking the two girls ran out of the hut and across the field toward the woods.  The snow was beginning to fall more thickly now and the wind had begun to freshen.  Although it impeded them, making it difficult to run into, Alodie was glad of the heavy fall as it was covering their tracks.

             
At last, reaching the shelter of the woods, they slowed their pace.  Aehlswith was panting, drawing her breath in noisy whoops, Alodie called a halt for a couple of minutes, until the queen’s breathing became easier.

             
“I said leave it five minutes madam!” gasped Aehlswith at last.

             
Alodie began to laugh.  “Your Grace - I’m thunderstruck!”

             
“Well I’m not - you didn’t leave me long enough” giggled the queen.

             
“What
would
the king say?”

             
“
‘Aehlswith, I’m deeply disappointed in you, go make penance at the shrine of St. Cuthbert’
I should imagine, knowing my beloved husband.  I love him, I respect him but sometimes he can be a bit of a bore!”

             
Alodie and Aehlswith began to giggle,  then Alodie turned to her friend and punched her shoulder playfully.  “And whilst we’re on the subject, my lady, when did you learn to speak Norse?”

             
Aehlswith grinned and shook her head, dislodging a few errant snowflakes.  “At home in
Mercia
.  A few of my father’s advisers were Norwegian, we even traded peacefully with them until..........never mind” suddenly Aehlswith held up her hand “Jesu Alodie, listen”.  A horn was being blown repeatedly, and to Alodie’s ear it held a note of alarm.

             
Both girls fled deeper into the forest, Alodie leading them in the direction she thought they had taken the night before and it was with a feeling of relief she found the woodland path along which they had been carried by the four Vikings.

             
After what seemed like hours but was in reality no more than ten minutes, they burst out of the woods onto the shingle beach.  Sure enough the boat was there.  Running down the beach, the shingle crunching under their feet, the two women began to push the heavy craft into the river, panic beginning to settle in as the sound of dogs barking and men shouting and crashing through the undergrowth drew nearer.  “Put your shoulder into it ‘Swith” gasped Alodie.