Viking Love Beyond Time (Time Travel Romance) (72 page)

             
Herger reached for her again but like a cat playing with a mouse Olaf whisked her further back.  “Your lady speaks true Herger.  If I am not on hand when my ship reaches Segensfjord, your brats will be killed”

             
Herger doubled his huge fist and leaning out of the window drew his mouth into a snarl.  “Hear me well, sorcerer, I will hunt you down and if anything - 
ANYTHING
happens to either my wife or my children this world will not be big enough to hide you - magic belt or no!”

             
Alodie felt Olaf flinch, then with a hiss he turned away from the window and they headed slowly away from the hall.

             
She bit her lip.  She was not sure how much power was left in the belt but it could not be a great deal.  The only thing she could do now was keep still, and hope she could get in a chance to blast him when they landed - then what?  If Olaf did not make it back to Segensfjord Tom and Nerissa, not to mention her father, would be killed.

             
They sped quietly across the city, the belt’s hissing beginning to stutter as they approached the wall.  Olaf cursed.  A guard patrolling the wall glanced up and gave out a yell of fear but they swept over his head and landed, not too gently,  behind some bushes about a hundred yards outside the city.  Still keeping a grip on her Olaf pushed her forward.

             
“We have about two hundred yards to cover Alodie, our transport is over there” he nodded towards the river.  Glancing up she saw the silhouettes of two grazing horses.

             
The guard was shouting louder and the sound of swords being drawn and men running began to emanate from behind them.

             
Olaf gripped her wrist and started to run, however as they came out into the open the clamour became louder.  Letting go of her wrist he turned, several armed men had run down from the steps and were almost upon them then, to Alodie’s horror, he went down on one knee and lifting the green button on Herger’s bracelet pressed - as the men disintegrated in the green light of a medium psi gun blast Olaf began to laugh hysterically, then grinning the Viking got to his feet and surveyed the damage - there on the ground in front of him was a large crater but of the bodies there was no sign, they had been vaporised.

             
“What a weapon Alodie!” crowed Olaf “and you trusted Herger with this little toy?  Wasteful, he would be far too noble to use it”

             
Alodie’s head snapped up.  “He knew nothing of it you evil bastard, I gave the bracelet to him for its healing powers, nothing else”

             
“That reminds me my love” he said and reaching out and gripping her wrist he wrenched off her bracelet.

             
“What are you doing?” she whispered.  He turned to her and grinned, then flipping the green stone from the top of the psi gun he lay the bracelet on a nearby stone and removing a small stiletto like dagger from his boot stabbed it again and again into the mechanism.

             
“Well and truly disabled I think
elskin min
, whilst keeping its health giving properties - here” he crossed over to her and taking her wrist he slipped it back on. “I never want you to be anything less than radiantly healthy.  My sons must be glowing with health, in order to keep Herger’s in line.  Now get on that horse”

             
Numbly Alodie did as she was bid.  The man was just too clever for her, an evil genius, her only hope was to play along until the ship on which the children were travelling arrived at Segensfjord, then try to get the bracelet from him whilst he slept.

             
Clicking to his horse, Olaf dug his heels into its flanks and with a snort the restless creature bounded down the river bank and with a heavy heart Alodie followed him.

*****************************

             
The sun came up over the moors in a burst of golden glory, the buttercup and meadowsweet, campion and milkmaid nodded whilst woodlarks, tree pipits and stone chats trilled their distinctive songs, the purple heather and yellow gorse giving a sheen to the whole beautiful panorama.  Damselflies, dragonflies and hawkers buzzed round the meadow thistle, hop trefoil and meadow vetchling and the crowberry and cranberry plants seemed weighed down by their heavy fruit.  It was a cloudless, beautiful September morning, but Alodie saw none of it, she was desolate.

             
Olaf had attempted to chat to her, being most polite, but Alodie had ignored him.
             
He had her horse by its rein and he pulled her along but it was unnecessary, Alodie would have followed the Devil into hell for her children and he knew it, like all women they were her most vulnerable point.

             
She had informed him of the whereabouts of the shuttle and they had kept well away from Hergersby, coming upon the hill from the Western edge.  Alodie glanced round.  Was that the place - the rock outcrop in front of which she had parked the shuttle?  (Could it be only four months ago?).  She was not sure.  Pulling her horse to a stop she jumped off.  “What are you doing my dear?” asked Olaf, silkily.

             
“We’re here, the shuttle”

             
He wrinkled his brows.  “Where?”

             
Alodie lifted the blue stone and pressed the communicator button then replaced the stone.  The blue light shone steadily which told her she was within one hundred metres of the shuttle.  Walking toward the face of the outcrop she reached out her hands until she touched metal.  Olaf watched as she pressed to lower the steps then began to climb them.  On reaching the top she unfastened the hatch and turned.  “Are you coming or not?” she called down.

             
“How?  What?” he stuttered  “there is nothing there”.  Alodie leaned into the cockpit and flipped off the hypno switch and cloaking device, the shuttle instantly became visible.

             
Olaf grinned and bounded up the steps.  “Odin, this is matchless, you could creep up on an enemy unobserved, I can rule the world with this - does it have weapons?”

             
“No” she snapped, removing her cloak and sliding into the pilot’s seat in front of the console.  Open mouthed Olaf climbed in and gingerly sat down in the bucket seat next to her.

             
Alodie sighed deeply and gang loaded the switches.  With a slight hiss the shuttle lifted further from the ground and with a gasp Olaf clung to the arms of his seat.  She took the shuttle to the height of a mile then logged into the navigation controls.  A transparent screen with a holo image of the Earth’s landmasses materialised in front of them.  “Destination -
Segensfjord
,
Norway
” she said tersely.  The machine clicked and buzzed, then a computerised voice said ‘Data accepted - manual or automatic control?’

             
She needed something to think about.  “Manual” she snapped.

             
“Wait” hissed Olaf “this automatic - does it mean the ship will fly itself?”  Alodie nodded, “and how long will it take to get to Segensfjord?”.

             
She drummed her fingers on the control panel.  “At top speed - three minutes” she replied.

             
Olaf grinned.  “Then we are in no hurry are we?” He pointed to the holo image.  “This, this is a map of the world - yes?”

             
She nodded.  He pointed to the continent of
America
.  “This place, this is the as yet undiscovered continent, the northern half of which will end up ruling the world one day. 
America
I believe it is called”.  She nodded again.  “And here” he tapped a large landmass at the bottom right hand side of the map.  “where is this?”  Alodie informed him it was
Australia
.  He rubbed his chin.  “Jake informed me that the most beautiful place on the planet as far as he was concerned was an island called Jamaica in an as yet unknown sea he called the Caribbean”.  Alodie bit her lip as tears rushed into her eyes.  Jake and Nerissa had honeymooned in
Jamaica
, indeed she was conceived there, and she had spent many a happy hour as a child under the beautiful plexi dome playing in the pseudo sea and clambering over the rocks.  If the holo images in the dome were anything to go by
Jamaica
had been a fabulously beautiful spot - what would it be like now, uninhabited but for the birds and lush vegetation?

             
She nodded.  “That’s right, he loved - loves
Jamaica
”

             
“Well, let us go then, we have plenty of time have we not?  How long to
Jamaica
?”

             
She sighed.  “Thirty minutes”

             
Olaf threw back his head “Tell this splendid machine to take us there then Alodie” he whispered.  She swallowed audibly.

             
“Shuttle, I am logging a change of destination from
Segensfjord
,
Norway
to
Montego Bay
,
Jamaica
” she croaked.

             
Olaf leaned over and pulled the combs from her hair, and ran his fingers through the golden mass.  Then he kissed her gently on the lips.

             
“On automatic” he whispered.

             
Herger slammed the window shutters so forcefully that one half fell to the floor in two neatly severed pieces, then spinning on his heel he punched one fist savagely into the other.  Magnus put a hand the size of a ham shank on his shoulder.  “Peace, Raven” he said evenly “the sorcerer is too powerful, all you can do is make your best speed to Segensfjord and take them back, we’ll never catch that flying contraption”

             
Herger looked up and a smile began to play about his lips.  “You are right, Magnus, we won’t, but the children are going by ship are they not?  Which means Olaf’s men must have captured them this morning, early”

             
“Aye and Anstice and my little Alodie with them no doubt” snarled Bjarnie, gripping his sword hilt.

             
Herger’s head shot up, in his anguish he had forgotten about everyone else in Hergersby, they could have been put to the sword.  He rubbed his chin. “Bjarnie, Erik, Ingvar, lads - think - if Olaf’s men watched for us going they would have attacked Hergersby say two hours before cockcrow this morning.  With the men we left the battle would have taken at least thirty minutes”

             
“An hour” snapped Ingvar, a retired karl and now one of Herger’s more warlike tenant farmers “our men were not
nithings!”

             
Herger smiled and clapped the old warrior on the shoulder.  “An hour, then old one, they would probably have set off with the children as dawn was breaking.  The nearest place for Olaf’s boat to be moored is Brettlethorpe which is about twenty miles from the steading, it would take them, perhaps, three - four hours to get to the ship, and assuming she was ready to sail they would be underway by, I estimate, noon at the earliest.  Magnus glanced out at the night sky.

             
“T’is now crowding midnight Herger, they have a big start on us, and my ship anchored in the Ouse, although at your disposal, is not fast enough to make up a start like that, why, it would take ten, eleven hours just to get down the Humber and out to sea”.

             
Herger grinned.  “Thank you for the offer Magnus, however, I am the possessor of the fastest ship in the world -
The Freyja”

             
“Which just so happens to be moored in Brettlethorpe Herger, Olaf’s men will have either stolen her or fired her” interjected Bjarnie, dismally.  Herger clapped his friend on the shoulder.

             
“There you’re wrong, Bjarnie my lad.  You remember, of course, my cousin Snorri the boat builder?”

             
Bjarnie nodded.  “Yes, he left Seinshaven about ten years ago, after his wife died.  Sailed to
Northumbria
”

             
“The place he settled in is called Whitthorpe, it is about seventy miles north of here - well, last month............”

             
“Odin’s balls! I forgot” yelped Bjarnie “You decided to have
The Freyja
overhauled!” he jumped from his perch on the bed.

             
“Exactly my boy” replied Herger, “and Whitthorpe is eighty miles nearer
Norway
than Brettlethorpe”

             
“.....but we have to get there”

             
“
Five h
ours, with five changes of horse, going flat out, across country, maybe less,  then an hour to get ready for sea!”

             
“Giving them almost a day’s head start” continued Bjarnie.

             
Herger threw open the bedroom door.  “Do you know of any ship that is a match for
The Freyja
?  A careened
Freyja?
and lads...” his eyes sparkled, “do you think Olaf will have, among his men, sailors like us?  Why, I know short cuts across the
North Sea
even the gods of the oceans have no idea about, and with us being eighty miles further north than Brettlethorpe to begin with.......”

             
Ingvar began to grin slowly.  “I’ll see for some food Herger” he said and headed down the corridor.

             
“Something we can eat as we ride” shouted Herger after him.  He turned to the assembled men.  “We’ll take the direct route to Odin’s Twins, then when we see them approach......” he closed his hand into a fist then drew his forefinger across his throat.  There was silence for a moment, the Vikings glancing, almost gleefully, from one to the other, then Herger slapped the shoulder of the man nearest to him  “Well, lads, what are you waiting for?  Go see for the horses!”

             
With a yell of exultation the men ran from the room, weapons drawn, almost as though they expected to meet Olaf the Black in the corridor.  Herger turned to Magnus.  “Are you with us giant?  Do you want an adventure?”

             
The huge man grinned, showing discoloured teeth.  “You’ll need some stock of men, Raven, if you are going to take Segensfjord”

             
“and I have them”

             
“Scattered all over your properties - listen man, I am staying here to woo and marry Gudrun”

             
This was greeted by a shout of laughter from Herger.  “Talk sense man, you’ll kill the little woman - why your pizzle’s probably the size of one of her legs!”

             
Magnus grinned again.  “Well, I haven’t yet!  What better match?  She’s a dwarf and I’m a giant - we’re both freaks, no one else will have either of us and besides, she’ll be rich now....but we digress. I will send half of my men to Seinshaven.  I personally will take the other half and  go to Hergersby and put things to rights for you there.  When you recover your bairns from Olaf’s ship, put in at home, leave them with your mother and then wait for my men and yours and you’ll have twice the force to invade Segensfjord”

             
Herger clapped the giant on the shoulder.  “You are a true friend, Magnus, I’ll call my next son after you”

             
Magnus laughed out loud.  “and I’ll call our first after you - by the law of  averages he should be normal size!! Now get out of here!”

             
******************************

   
             
Alodie set the ship down on a cliff top and shut down the engine.  Olaf snapped his fingers.  “Open the door mistress, this place looks like a dream”

             
She obediently pushed the button and the hatch slid open.

             
For a second they were both blinded as the hot white sun blazed down on them, then with a grin Olaf pulled himself out of the cabin and jumped down the steps.  With a heavy heart Alodie followed him, lacing her gown and closing the hatch behind her.  She felt physically sick, just after take off Olaf had pulled the top half of her gown from her body and spent the entire journey time kissing, licking, sucking and pawing every inch of her breasts and she knew there was worse, far worse, to come.

             
Striding to the edge of the cliff Olaf waved his arms expansively in the air.  “Look at this view milady.  Have you ever seen anything so magnificent?”

             
Alodie glanced round and had to admit she had not.  The sparkling ocean curling below her was impossibly blue, the wave tops creaming gently onto the rocks.  To their right the cliff swept gently down to a pure white beach fringed with palm trees, and, almost on the edge of sight, Alodie spotted a coral reef, whilst the sun beat down out of a clear sky even more impossibly blue than the sea.

             
Olaf took her hand and kissed it, causing her to shrink away.  He glanced up at her, cruelty glittering in his evil eyes.  Alodie could tell by his expression that her reaction to his salute had been the one he was hoping for.  “Let’s go down to the beach Alodie, it looks cooler there” he said quietly.

             
Unprotesting, she followed him down the green slope of the hill, which led, after about half a mile, into the thick jungle.  Birds Alodie had never imagined could have existed screamed at one another in their brilliant plumage from the low hanging branches of the trees, which were thick with a strange type of moss.  A small pig ran squealing from the undergrowth almost under their feet and with a small scream Alodie jumped back, straight into the arms of Olaf.  He chuckled and stroked her hair.  “Patience, my beauty” he laughed “I had no idea you were so eager for me!”

             
She turned, her eyes spitting blue flames.  “You flatter yourself Olaf.  I am here for my father and my children, and no other reason.  If it were not for them I would have killed you hours ago”

             
Olaf smiled enigmatically.  “It grows very hot my love” he said, unlacing his black velvet jacket and removing it, together with his shirt.  His body was lean and well muscled but next to Herger he looked like a lad, for all his height.

             
Alodie felt the sweat springing up under her arms, the dress of silver and gold lace she had put on last night was visibly wilting in the heat, if she had been with Herger she would have stripped to her shift.

             
After about half a mile they came across a crystal clear stream tumbling over mossy rocks and, with an exclamation of delight, Olaf waded in then turned to her.  “To one of my northern blood this heat is overpowering, come in milady do, and take off that ridiculous garment”.

             
Alodie shook her head.  “Thank you, I will leave my clothes on, when you have decided you have had enough of this place we will go”

             
He laughed out loud and ducked his head under the water.  “T’is your loss madam, that gown is coming off shortly whether you want it to or no. Come, let us follow the stream down to that beach, it looked a pretty spot”

             
With that he turned and headed down the stream and Alodie, having no choice, picked up her skirts and followed him.

             
The stream disgorged onto the most beautiful beach she had ever seen.  The cliff where they had left the shuttle marked the southerly point of a large bay, a similar cliff to the north the other extent.  In between was mile upon mile of pure white sand, whilst the trees around them were filled with exotic fruits, coconuts and the scurrying of unseen animals.

             
Despite her misgivings Alodie was entranced.  The sea curled lazily onto the sand and a warm breeze gently lifted her hair.   Olaf turned to her and grinned.  “This place.....this place is paradise.  I never knew such a heaven could possibly exist!  I wonder if there are any inhabitants?”

             
Alodie glanced up, the computer had shown human life signs in the vicinity, but not many, maybe five hundred on the whole island.  “Why?” she asked suspiciously.

             
Olaf barked with laughter.  “Why, I will either enslave them or kill them of course”

             
Alodie felt the icy hand of fear gripping her spine.  What sort of a monster must he be?  She shook her head.  “According to the on-board computer none for over a thousand miles”

             
Olaf rubbed his chin then reached up and grabbing a luscious looking red fruit bit deep into it, the juice running down his chin and onto his hands, he laughed out loud.  “I have a good mind to ship my people out here.  How many does the shuttle take at one time?”

             
“Six”
             

             
“There are over a thousand people at Segensfjord, nine hundred and fifty of which are slaves, we could turn this place into a...”

             
“Living hell?” interjected Alodie.

             
Olaf spun round and grabbed her wrist, at the same time drawing his short dagger from his belt, within a second the point of it was pricking Alodie’s chin.  “I have been very patient with you my dear because I realise you are a woman unparalleled on this planet and I wish to breed sons with you, therefore I have stopped myself from, shall I say, damaging you”

             
Alodie gulped, the knife pushed further into her flesh and a tiny drop of blood began to trickle down the blade.  “However” he continued, silkily “I am a man of - how shall I put it - unusual tastes.  I need to give pain to the object of my sexual attentions in order to enjoy myself properly and the loss of a finger or two, or even an eye, would not come in the way of your ability as a brood mare.  So if I were you, I would shut up and do exactly as you are told.  Your case would also be helped by the lack of witty comments like the one just uttered by those beautiful lips, do we understand each other?”  Alodie nodded. “Good” he continued “then we shall deal very well together”

             
He removed the knife from her throat and examined it.  Olaf grinned and lifting it to his lips let the blood run into his mouth.  Alodie grimaced, Herger was right, the man was evil, pure unadulterated evil.