Viking's Love (24 page)

“
I need to find a mold that grows to
treat a sickness that spreads among your serfs before we are all
afflicted, Joran,” Allisande began hesitantly and described the
type of tree where the mold was prevalent. “It has been found to be
effective in curing the illness. My mother and I used it often when
this type of sickness spread at Lockwraithe.”

“
I will take you to the forest after I
am finished here.” Joran wondered whether he should trust the girl
with the care of his people. The thought of her poisoning them came
to mind, but he dismissed it. Allisande was many things, but not a
murderess. He grinned when he thought of his own safety,
however.

Allisande nodded and went to Elwynn to gather
baskets needed for the mold. She was ready to leave when she
returned. He rose and led her out of the hall. The bright sunshine
felt good upon her face, despite the chill of the morning.

Joran frowned when he saw her shivering. He
bade her wait for him when he returned to the hall. She stood
outside the door and stared longingly at the dock where his ship
was. Freedom was a mere month away, she reasoned. She could do
nothing but bide her time.

Joran returned with a cloak the likes of
which she had never seen. It was made of rich ermine fur. She
protested as he wrapped it about her shoulders, but he gruffly bade
her to wear it for it was growing colder with the onset of winter.
A light blanket of snow came down in the night. Several feet would
hamper them soon enough.

Allisande followed him to the stable and
struggled to keep up with his long-legged stride. She looked
doubtful when he brought out a mare for her to ride. She had never
learned to ride, too busy learning to wield a sword. He set her
upon the mare and gave her instructions patiently.

Allisande found it rather easy to spur the
timid mare into a slow canter, and grew confident as she followed
Joran on his stallion across the fields to the forest beyond. She
found the tree where the mold was known to grow, and allowed him to
help her down.

She asked for a knife. Joran looked at her
skeptically, a golden brow arched in suspicion until she gestured
to the fine mold growing upon the base of the tree imbedded into
the bark.

“
I need it to cut the mold from the
tree,” Allisande explained and gave an exasperated sigh. “I will
not seek to use it on you, Joran. You have my word.”

“
I would have your word on another
matter, Allisande, while we are alone,” he said quietly and she
could see from the look in his eyes, he was serious. “My father
will be here on the morrow. I would have your word you won’t seek
to harm him, or you give me no choice but to lock you up in your
cell until he leaves after the gathering. If you don’t feel you can
control your temper, Allisande, tell me now. It is not my desire to
have you locked up, but if you go after Ivar, I cannot intercede on
your behalf. You would be put to death, so think on it well,
Allisande.”

Allisande felt a stab of hatred when she
learned Ivar would arrive. She knew if she gave the wrong answer,
she risked being stranded at Joran’s home until spring. “I will do
nothing to jeopardize my life.” He looked relieved and withdrew a
blade from a scabbard at his waist, and watched as she chiseled the
mold from the base of the tree.

It was a slow process. He withdrew another
knife to help her as she explained the process of making a tea that
the afflicted person drank daily for three to five days. It was
highly effective in treating the illness, she explained to him, as
she worked to extract the mold.

Joran was thinking he could trust her when
she spoke of the many that died at her home before the remedy was
found. He knew Janna fell ill the night before, and was eager to
treat his people as soon as possible before he had an epidemic.

They worked for an hour until they had enough
to make the tea. She gathered up her basket. He was watching her
under his lashes with appreciation for her beauty. Her creamy
visage glowed with health and vitality in the bright sunshine. Her
lustrous blue-black curls fell in lush spirals about her shoulders
and framed her face charmingly.

Joran’s heart beat rapidly at her nearness in
the woods. He realized he wanted her again. It was difficult to be
around her and not crave to touch her. He pushed her back against
the tree with a lazy smile that made her heart flip-flop in her
chest.

Allisande saw his look of lust. Her protests
died upon her lips as he kissed her hungrily and pinned her back
against the tree. She worried they would be seen.

“
My men wouldn’t dare interrupt us,
Allisande.” Joran jerked her up higher against the tree. “I would
have you now, lady. You make me crazed to have you.” He pulled up
her skirts with a devilish gleam in his eyes that took her breath
away. He freed his hardened arousal and balanced her legs alongside
his hips. He thrust deeply inside her, pushing her back into the
tree.

Allisande winced slightly from the rough bark
upon her backside, but soon she was clutching him to her tightly.
He drove hungrily inside her. He was looking deeply into her eyes,
enjoying the way they darkened in passion.

He was holding her legs aloft as he stroked
within her tightness. His blue eyes never left her face. Her cries
of pleasure blended with his low growls of satisfaction as they
mated frantically up against the tree.

Allisande wrapped her legs around his waist
tightly at the last. She dug her nails into his back as they both
shook with the force of their climax. Joran closed his eyes and
breathed heavily against her neck as he tried to get himself under
control.

Allisande bit her lip as he slid out of her
after a time, and allowed her to slide to the ground.

His seed ran down her thigh. She felt soiled
and angry at her wanton behavior with this man who was her enemy.
Joran readjusted his clothing and looked smug as he helped her
retrieve the basket at their feet.

“
This changes nothing, do you hear?”
Allisande met his pleased look with a scowl. “Just because I enjoy
it doesn’t mean I hate you any less!”

“
It wasn’t hate I just felt, Wench, but
your nails in my back!” Joran chuckled as he untied their horses
from a nearby bush. “I think your hate a wondrous thing to explore!
I look forward to you hating me often, and most vigorously.” He
laughed at her look of outrage at his crude words. “I would like to
be hated again, sweet slave, very soon.”

Allisande picked up her basket with a
tight-lipped expression despite the softness in her eyes. They slid
over his undeniably attractive features, and waited for him to help
her mount the mare. His hands lingered at her tiny waist as he
lifted her up. They itched to snatch her to him and hug away the
fierce glare she leveled at him from her seat upon the mare.

“
I have no say in what you do with me,
Master. Do not assume it is my desire to be a vessel of your lust.
I attempted to fight you and couldn’t,” Allisande said coolly and
he laughed up at her and his eyes crinkled at the corners
attractively.

“
Should you continue to fight me off in
such heated protest, I wonder if we would make it out of the woods
at all this day.” He smiled widely at her sharp intake of breath.
“Now enough of your barbed tongue, or I will take you to my bed for
the rest of the day and let you argue with me there.”

Joran’s threat to keep her abed the remainder
of the day had the desired effect. Allisande grew silent. He
enjoyed the quiet as they rode side by side. She wasn’t one to
chatter like most women anyway. He enjoyed the ride back to his
home.

Allisande managed to stay atop the mare and
hold the basket at the same time. He admired her graceful carriage
out of the corner of his eye. He was growing to admire Allisande
far more than he wished to of late.

She was a fever in his blood. He found he
couldn’t get enough of her. He found excuses to linger in his
chambers with her while he ignored his duties, a surprise even to
him. He was dismayed by the way his heart beat erratically whenever
she was near him. He was behaving like a love-sick boy. He knew if
she was aware of his soft feelings for her, she would use it to her
advantage as all women did.

Joran ignored his own common sense when he
took her to his bed, knowing he would have to give her up come
spring and he received the ransom from her brother. He had no
regrets now.

She was far too desirable to resist. He found
he hadn’t the strength. Suddenly the thought of her leaving him
made a dull ache throb in his chest. He convinced himself it was
merely lust he felt for her, but he knew Allisande was different
somehow.

Allisande wasn’t vain and arrogant like
Aelynn had been, so sure of her beauty and its power over men. She
didn’t whine and beg for favors either, as Merta and others had
from his past. She spoke her mind and had an alarming grasp of
things most women pretended to be ignorant of. Her wit was
astounding when she wasn’t seeking to anger him with it.

He enjoyed her company far more than he liked
to admit. There was never a dull moment with his lovely slave. She
did nothing he expected her to do. He was at a loss to predict her
actions and behaviors. He was notably quiet when they entered the
hall. Grogan looked worried as he approached.

“
Janna cannot rise this day, Joran.
Elwynn claims the girl has a cure for the illness.”

“
I do have a cure, and if you allow me,
I will give it to your wife,” Allisande said coolly as she regarded
the man who whipped her weeks before.

Grogan looked unsure. Joran saw his conflict.
“She has cured her own people with it.” Even though he could see
his friend’s distrust of Allisande’s motives, he knew Grogan would
allow her to treat his wife with her medicine.

Allisande had every reason to see them all
dead, and her volunteering to cure those fallen ill was
contradictory to the extreme, given the circumstances. Grogan
wasn’t sure he wanted to risk the life of his wife and unborn child
to trust the girl and glared down at her.

“
If my wife dies at your hands, I will
have you flayed alive, Girl.” He was satisfied when she flinched at
his words. “You may treat her with this cure you speak of, but make
no mistake of it; we will all be watching you.”

Allisande stepped past them to approach
Elwynn to get the remaining ingredients for the tea. They lit a
large cauldron filled with water to boiling and they added the
mold. A sharp odor pervaded the hall as it came to a boil and made
everyone’s eyes water. Allisande explained it was the compound in
the mold.

They used a cloth to cover the cauldron and
strain the tea once it was finished. She filled pitchers of it to
be delivered to each household. She handed the last to Grogan with
an expression of disgust when he grudgingly took it. He stomped out
of the hall to see to his wife.

Due to the illness within the household, the
midday meal was cancelled so the sick would not contaminate those
healthy. Allisande said the more people exposed, the more people
would fall ill. Joran bade his people remain in their homes until
the illness passed.

He was alone with her in the hall and looked
forward to spending time with her outside of his people’s sight.
She sat at the high table with him and fed the wolf from her
trencher. He enjoyed the quiet and felt himself stirring again with
desire to take her to his room while the hall was deserted.

They finished the meal in silence. When she
rose to clear away the trenchers, he stopped her. He bid her leave
the mess. She eyed him questioningly as she met his smoldering
gaze. Her breath caught in her throat when she met his heated gaze
as he rose and drew her with him to the stairs.

“
You are insatiable, Viking!” Allisande
scowled when he pinched her bottom as they climbed the stairs.
Inwardly, she was aware of the way her hands shook and her legs
trembled as they arrived to his door. “It is the middle of the
day!” She protested when he pushed her inside the door. “It is
indecent!”

Joran laughed silkily and toyed with her
braid before his eyes met hers in determination. He was ravenous to
have her upon her back in his bed, and given the absence of his
men, he had the excuse to dally with her this day. “I want you,
Allisande,” Joran breathed thickly and pulled her into his arms.
She trembled as he shut the door behind them. He undid her plaited
hair, sliding his hands through the silky mass. His hands went to
her gown and drew it over her head slowly, and stared down at her
nudity. She tried to cover herself. His large hand stayed hers.

“
You are so beautiful to look upon,
Allisande,” Joran whispered softly, and his desire filled eyes made
her catch her breath as he drew her into his arms. His mouth came
down upon hers hungrily. She did not struggle in his arms, but hung
limply as his mouth coaxed hers to part. He drew away from her
suddenly, and began undressing hastily. She looked away from him,
but he grasped her chin and looked down at her tenderly.

“
Do not look away. Look at me,
Allisande.” She gasped at the power and beauty of his nudity. Her
face grew warm as her eyes slid over him slowly. He was so big, she
felt tiny and frail by comparison. His hands reached out and cupped
her full breasts, his thumbs stroking the pink nipples until they
grew into tight buds of desire.

She couldn’t take her eyes from his as he
pulled her to his bed. She wanted to deny him and herself as he
lowered her to the furs, but once his big body slid against hers
the only thought she had was getting closer to him.