Viking's Love (38 page)

“
Was the child yours?”

“
I cannot say if it was or not, Joran,
but I was only one of many she used to hurt you. I am sorry, but
there is more. We will speak of it another time.” Rowan tossed a
gaze at Ivar, and swung his eyes back to him. “I fear you will not
like to hear it.”

Joran saw Rowan’s look at his father, and he
stiffened. His desire to hear all was cut off by a loud curse from
Wulfstan. The blonde-haired girl succeeded in landing a kick to his
balls at last. Rowan rose in determination finally, unable to watch
the man torment the girl any longer.

“
She loves you, Joran,” Rowan said
softly and clapped him on the back. “You must go after her. I
believe if you said all the right things, she would return with
you.”

“
She is now married to Ulsted,” Joran
snapped angrily and seethed as he realized his son was going to be
the next Earl of Ulsted. “He is claiming my child as his own. I was
too late in realizing she wasn’t the way I believed her to
be.”

“
When has a little thing like a
marriage ever stopped a Viking?” Rowan asked with a chuckle of
delight. “Go take her while the nobles gather at Wessex to see
their next move now that we have York. I believe you will find her
at Lockwraithe.”

“
I left Grogan and the rest behind in
Oslo. I came with Ivar. I don’t have my own ship, and he isn’t
likely to loan me his.” Joran eyed Rowan with obvious
intent.

“
I will not involve myself in any more
of your personal affairs, Joran the Pigheaded. You are on your own
in this,” Rowan argued with a grin. “But you are free to borrow my
ship, only return to York to pick me up when you snatch the girl
back. I tire of this place.” His gaze never wavered from the girl
chained to the wall, who by all accounts, had fended off Wulfstan’s
advances as nicely as Allisande would have. Joran could see Rowan
was drawn to the female and suggested he take her before Wulfstan
did, earning a scowl from Rowan.

“
I want no feisty wench in my bed,
Joran.” Rowan appeared to contemplate it when they heard a litany
of curses come from the corner. “On second thought, I will see who
the wench would have. Wulfstan looks ready to beat her.”

Joran watched as Rowan approached the girl. A
pushing match ensued between Wulfstan and Rowan over the girl.
Rowan spoke to her for several minutes and gazed at Wulfstan with a
humorless smile, and spread his hands wide.

Wulfstan stomped away in a huff. Rowan smiled
at the silver-haired beauty, and reached out to touch her. His howl
of fury when her teeth sank into his palm made all those nearby
shout with laughter. Joran chuckled when he returned looking angry
and holding his injured hand with a grimace.

“
She has chosen me, it would appear,
but only because she says I am too pretty to be of any threat to
anyone.” Joran chuckled at his look of disgust. Rowan sat and
contemplated his newest acquisition with a frown. “She is the
former earl’s daughter-in-law. Her name is Ambryn. I have secured
rooms here and have to see to my slave. My men are aboard my ship
and it sits ready to sail.” He approached Lady Ambryn of York
looking fiercer to scare her into submission.

Joran smiled as the man fended off one of
Lady Ambryn’s kicks and rose and made haste to the docks. He spoke
with Rowan’s men. They were eager to be gone from York now that the
fighting was over.

He estimated it would be two days before he
arrived at Lockwraithe. He didn’t have a plan, and he didn’t care
to make one. His best was to walk up to the front gates of her
home. He realized it may mean his death, but he would see her
again.

Within a few hours, they had enough
provisions for the journey. Rowan showed up at the last minute to
join them, an angry look on his face. He refused to speak of what
changed his mind in going with him. Joran didn’t ask him about Lady
Ambryn, more than sensing his anger was at his captive.

They made ready to sail. Once they stood
alone at the bow of the long ship, Rowan began to speak of what had
happened years ago by his account. Joran didn’t interrupt him
during the long tale until he finished.

Joran flinched to learn of Ivar’s involvement
in sending Allisande away, and what Rowan was asked to do by Ivar.
Rowan looked out over the sea, giving Joran time to absorb his
words.

“
Why have you told me this?”Joran’s
eyes filled with rage and pain. “You have just changed the whole
course of my life.”

“
Because Ivar is not the heroic warrior
you have made him out to be. He is the master of manipulators. It
is time you knew the truth about him. He paid us all to entertain
your wife in your absence, Joran. He knew she believed his lies. He
even paid me to seduce your slave away from you because he saw you
cared for her. Go and regain your woman and child and live your
life. He only keeps you with him to fight because it is all he
knows. ” Rowan left him there on the bow of the ship to think about
his vicious, manipulative father who wreaked havoc upon his life
for years, unbeknownst to him. He wanted to lash out at Ivar now,
but he couldn’t. He failed Aelynn when he pushed her
away.

He hadn’t listened to her claims of his
father’s involvement, and took another’s words over hers. He had
done the same with Allisande. When he realized what his pride and
loyalty to his father had cost him, he was grateful for the
distance between them this night. Ivar was victorious this day, and
he would have his revenge upon Ulsted, but he had lost his son’s
loyalty forever.

Collin couldn’t avoid Meghera forever. She
found him in the hall and cornered him before he could escape her,
looking angry as she bore down on him, her iridescent blue eyes
filled with angry tears. When she stuck out her finger at him, he
hit the planks of the floor under the trestle table to get
away.

“
Get up off the floor. I have no
intention of harming you, Collin.” She peeked under the table to
gaze at him sorrowfully. “I promise I will not harm you. Now do
come out, you’re scaring the serfs.”

Collin got up and regarded her warily, his
handsome face flushed as he saw the looks he received from the
serfs and retainers alike, who eyed him as if he had become
unhinged. His child bride looked upset. He could see she was ready
to burst into tears.

He felt like an idiot for behaving in such a
childish way, but she still unnerved him. He gestured to the chair
beside him guardedly. “So, what are you, Meghera? Are you a witch?
What is that thing you do with your hand?” His eyes were round with
a mixture of fear and fascination. “I would know, now that you are
my wife. Your father knew of this when he petitioned the king to
find you a husband; any husband, if I do recall. This power you
have is the reason he pawned you off on any suitor, is it not?”

“
I do not know what I am,” Meghera said
softly and a tear slid out of her eye. “My father was scared of me.
The priest wanted to burn me, so Father thought it best I leave
Lancaster before word got out. I have never hurt anyone who did not
deserve it. It is most effective in defending oneself. I look at it
like an additional skill God has given me, for I have known no evil
in my life, you must believe that.”

“
How do you do it?”Collin was too
fascinated to avoid asking for a demonstration of her ability up
close. He reasoned if he was to live with a witch, he must at least
see what she was capable of.

“
I just point my finger, and tell it to
do as I ask.” She giggled and pointed to a taper candle that had
gone out. She looked about to see that none were watching. She
pointed her little finger, and whispered softly in a tongue he
didn’t recognize. He could barely catch her words and a small flame
shot out of her pinkie finger and the taper lit into a flame. He
sat back in shock.

“
What else can you do, Meghera, besides
throwing fire?” Collin’s excitement was evident. His wife would be
the best defense against anything man could wreak against his home,
and he was awed by her powers.

“
I can move water and make fire, so
far, with little trouble.” Meghera looked down at her hands. “I
can’t seem to grasp lightening. I tried once and burned down a
cottage in our village by mistake. The last time I tried to impact
a storm and increase the rains for our fields, there was a flood. I
have much to learn, I think.” Collin was speechless and remained
silent until she peeked up at him. “Are you going to burn me as a
witch, Collin?”

“
No, my dear, I think your powers are
untried. You need to practice more discretion. Whatever gift you
have, you must keep it a secret or those that are ignorant of such
sorcery would be afraid. Promise me you will not use your gift as
you did the other day with the village boy?” He grabbed her hand
tightly, his violet eyes meeting hers with a new understanding. His
wife wasn’t an evil witch, but a good one, if there was such a
thing.

“
I promise, but it does not always work
that way, Collin! I cannot always control it! I saw a beggar woman
being beaten in our village. I threw the man who was beating her
into a tree one hundred feet away. He broke his back. That is what
started it all. I meant well, but it is not always something I can
control when I am angered or scared.”

Collin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and
gazed at Meghera. She blushed and looked down. Her childlike
honesty was refreshing and given her newest talents. He felt it
prudent he warned her of what could happen to her if any learned
what she was capable of.

“
I believe you are some sort of
sorceress, but I do not know of how to help you control this
thing,” he admitted and sighed sadly. “I do not know of such magic,
but what would happen to you if others discover this gift you have.
I have no wish to see you harmed. You must learn to think before
you act, Meghera.”

“
Yes, Collin, I will try,” she said
shyly and smiled as she met his gaze, her blue eyes filled with
merriment. “Are you going to keep hiding from me now?”

“
We can make a game of it, lass,”
Collin said with a chuckle and drank his mead and smiled at her
warmly. He was enjoying her company and wished the girl would hurry
and grow up. He tired of seeking his desires elsewhere. He gazed at
her and tried to envision what she would look like when older. The
image of the beautiful blonde beauty clouded his thoughts of her as
this gangly child before him. He shook his head for the folly of
his errant thoughts. A trip to the village to see Winifred was in
order.

He didn’t like the way he was suddenly
looking at his child bride. She seemed to have not noticed his
growing interest as innocent as she was, and he was relieved. It
would be years before she was ready to be his wife. He must content
himself with that for now.

****

Allisande stared into the flames of the
hearth. She grimaced when she eyed the ring on her finger that
Ulsted demanded she wear. It was a large, hideous-looking emerald
and it dwarfed her hand.

She slid it off and plopped it upon the table
at her side. If Ulsted thought he owned her, he would find she
didn’t have a qualm about running him through. He had no right to
take her child as his heir in an attempt to ward off Ivar. He was a
coward of the worst sort. He would hold her child in front of
Ivar’s sword if it came to that.

She closed her eyes and begged her God to
bring Joran to her now. He alone could protect her from Ulsted. She
was feeling every bit the fool for not telling him the truth now
and knew he would lecture her for it.

In her opinion, he should have had more faith
in her than he had. She proved herself when she cured his
household. She also refrained from telling him the damning truth
about Ivar and what he had done to keep Joran under his thumb.

If anyone owed her a favor in this world, it
was Ivar the Boneless, for she covered his loathsome deviousness to
her own disadvantage. The truth was she kept silent out of love for
Joran. She knew the pain of seeing one’s sire as they really were.
Knowing her father was a traitor to his own people was little
comfort to her now. She knew how Collin suffered for it as
well.

Allisande yawned and rose and got into bed.
She tired easily and the child took most of her energy as it grew
within her. She closed her eyes and slept without dreams that
night, and blessedly no nightmares.

****

Joran grimaced as he and Rowan scaled the new
battlements of Lockwraithe. He was breathing raggedly as they
pulled themselves up with their ropes behind them. He chuckled as
soon as he had his breath back. They looked down at the nearly
twenty-five foot wall they maneuvered with the arrogance of only
Vikings.

“
We will separate and meet back here.
If you find her first, make sure you gag the woman, will you? I
have no desire to be speared by one of Lockwraithe’s minions this
night,” Rowan whispered and they descended into the keep. They
walked silently from the tower and made their way below. They
avoided the guards easily as they were dozing. Joran grinned as he
stepped over a sleeping guard and stepped into a long
hallway.

His eyes were adjusted to the dark. He walked
stealthily down the hall as he checked rooms quietly, careful to
not make the slightest noise to awaken the sleeping household. He
saw a small woman sleeping in one room and thought it Allisande
until he saw her long blonde curls in the moonlight, and tiptoed
out of the room.