“I have nothing,” Ivor spat. “I have traveled to the cities and seen others in majestic homes with many servants. They dine and drink and have all the women they want.”
“I’ve heard enough,” Ulrick growled. “Varig, take him to the pit. He can stay there until I decide what to do with him.”
As Ivor was taken away, Ailith turned to place the chalice back on the table, but caught Ulrick’s eye, then darted her gaze purposefully to Frode.
“Frode,” Ulrick declared, immediately understanding her unspoken message. “It’s your turn.”
“My turn? But you caught the culprit.”
“You could have been working together.”
“He would have said so.”
“Unlikely. If you’re his partner, his only chance of escaping the pit is if you’re free.”
“That’s a reasonable conclusion,” Audun said, nodding his head. “Frode, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.”
“The chalice holds the ale,” Ailith said. “If you tell the truth, it cannot hurt you.”
But as she offered it to Frode, he rushed out the door and sprinted away.
“One of the guards should have stayed,” Ailith muttered as Ulrick bolted after him. “I hope Ulrick catches him.”
“Easily,” Audun remarked, letting out a sigh. “I confess I’ve felt there was something disturbing about those two for a while. I should have spoken up, but I never imagined anything like this.”
“I’ve been saying that myself lately... I never imagined...” she said softly as she sat down. “Perhaps we should find a way to open our hearts and minds to see beyond the obvious.”
“That’s what you just did.”
She smiled up at him.
“Ulrick’s very lucky to have found you. There’s more to you than meets the eye.”
“There’s more to all of us than meets the eye.”
“Ha, well said.”
“Ulrick is returning,” she muttered, looking expectantly toward the door.
“Really? I don’t hear anything.”
But a moment later, Ulrick marched in slightly out of breath.
“Frode has joined his partner in the pit.”
“That chalice is going to come in very handy,” Audun remarked. “Ailith, you should lock it away.”
“I don’t need to. It comes with a curse. Anyone who tries to steal it will suffer horribly.”
“I’ll make sure that’s known,” Audun promised. “Ulrick, we must meet soon and decide which men will replace Ivor and Frode. I do wish Magnus would join us.”
“I’ll ask him again. Maybe he’ll agree this time.”
Walking Audun to the door and closing it behind him, Ulrick ambled back to Ailith, busy returning the containers and chalice to the sideboard.
“It comes with a curse?” he said with a chuckle as he walked up behind her.
“Audun will spread the word and people won’t try to steal it.”
“And Varig’s cousin is such a gossip he’ll tell everyone you’re from a line of warrior women fighting for justice and truth,” he said, bringing her into his arms, then lowering his voice, he added, “Ailith, thanks to you, the traitors have been caught and I can breathe again.”
“We both can,” she murmured, sinking against his hard body. “Uh, Ulrick...?”
“Yes, Ailith?”
“Can I talk to you about this house? I have ideas.”
“Your ideas will have to wait,” he muttered, breaking their hug.
Removing the sash from around her waist and lifting the gown over her head, he placed them over the back of the nearest chair, then swept her up and laid her on the table.
“What are you doing?”
“Would you rather have punishment instead of pleasure?”
“Sorry, Master,” she whispered. “You took me by surprise.”
“You won’t always be able to read my mind,” he warned, then moved his lips to her ear. “You need to trust me, Ailith, and do as you’re told.”
* * *
An excited shiver rippled through her, but the table was uncomfortable, and she couldn’t understand why he would want her there rather than the soft bed.
“Close your eyes,” he ordered, lifting the sash. “I’m blindfolding you.”
His unexpected announcement abruptly stopped her pondering. Securing the sash in place, she held her breath as his fingers roamed over her breasts and tickled her nipples, but he suddenly sharply pinched. Gasping, she threw up her hands. They were slapped away.
“Don’t do that again,” he warned, but his voice was soft, not scolding. “Spread your legs.”
Moving his hand over her stomach and down to her inner thighs, he caressed her soft, sensitive skin. She longed for his touch against her womanhood, but when it finally came, his fingertips brushed over her like a teasing feather.
“Ooh, Master, please, will you—”
“I’ll do what I want in my own time,” he said briskly, cutting her off, then lowered his lips on hers in a crushing kiss.
Never had she felt so helpless.
Never had she felt so alive.
His masculine scent was pronounced, and she found herself listening to the sound of his movements, hoping to anticipate what he might do next. As he kissed his way down her chest, his lips sparked her skin, and when his wet mouth hungrily sucked a nipple, she never wanted it to end.
“I wonder how wet you are,” he whispered, his lips suddenly at her ear as his hand smoothed her skin, slowly moving down her body.
Panting with need and craving his touch, she raised her hips, but he paused to play with her curly bush. Letting out an exasperated groan, she wriggled and spread her legs wider, then moaned gratefully as his fingers finally slid into her sex.
“So very wet. My servant girl likes to be teased.”
She wanted to scream, no, I need more...
She wanted to pull off the blindfold.
She wanted to press her fingers against her clit and rub it as hard as she possibly could. Instead she let out a loud moan and squirmed against his probing finger.
“You’re being very patient,” he murmured. “You’ve earned a little pleasure.”
She hoped his rough palms would fervently caress her breasts, but she suddenly found herself being lifted off the table and thrown over his shoulder. She squealed—then out of nowhere she began to laugh.
* * *
Ailith’s hysterical outburst was the last thing Ulrick expected, but he was elated. She hadn’t laughed since they’d met. Reaching the bed and grinning broadly, he sat down and deftly flipped her over his knee.
“Your bottom is far too pale,” he remarked. “It should always have a pink blush.”
“You’re going to punish me?” she squeaked, wriggling on his lap.
“Spanking doesn’t have to be punishment,” he declared, pushing his finger next to her clit as he began lightly slapping from cheek to cheek. “Make sure you tell me when you’re close to your orgasm.”
“Ooh, thank you, Master. I needed this so badly.”
But as he fed her arousal, energy rushed through his loins, and his cock demanded attention. Rubbing with greater gusto, he increased the force of his smacks.
“Almost, Master... oooh. Please don’t stop.”
Abruptly pulling his hand away, he shifted her onto the bed and positioned her on her back.
“Play with your pussy,” he murmured, stretching out next to her, “but you mustn’t climax.”
As she placed her fingers against herself, he clutched her hair and tugged her head to the side, then devoured her neck with ravenous kisses. Her cries grew louder, and as he dove his mouth to her nipples, her body suddenly grew taut.
“Don’t climax,” he warned, lifting his head.
“I’m so close,” she panted. “Please, Master. My whole body is tingling.”
Grabbing her hand and pulling it away, he hastily kneeled between her legs, pressed his cock against h
er glistening entrance, and pitched forward. As she let out a grateful wail, he lowered himself down and rested his weight on her body. Closing his eyes, he stayed buried and still, relishing the feel of her womanhood wrapped around him, and her naked, voluptuous body against his.
“Master,” she whimpered, “this is...”
“This is what, Ailith,” he murmured, reaching up and sliding off her blindfold.
“Heaven,” she breathed, her crystal blue eyes sparkling up at him.
He smiled. “Do you want to climax?”
“So much, but I don’t want this to end.”
“Neither do I,” he said with a sigh, slowly withdrawing then pushing back in, “but I’m just as ready to explode as you are.”
“Shall we have another wager? Whoever has their orgasm first loses?”
“But, Ailith,” he said huskily, grinning down at her as he thrust again, “this time you’ll be out of your depth. Are you sure?”
“Ooh, I’m sure.”
“What’s my prize when you lose?”
“A special gift,” she promised, “something you can’t possibly guess.”
“Then I must make sure...”
Suddenly pulling out and flipping her over, he grabbed her hips and jerked her into his pelvis. Plunging back into her channel, he returned his finger to her clit and began pumping with abandon. With his manhood quickly at the brink, he was ready to pause when she suddenly bucked back against him and let out a wail.
The spasms had seized her.
With quick, strong strokes, he fueled her orgasm. Only when it began to wane did he explode in a mighty climax...
* * *
As he collapsed next to her, panting and spent, she rolled on her side and rested her head against his chest. When she’d managed to catch her breath, she propped herself up on an elbow.
“Ulrick?”
“Hmmm,” he murmured, looking at her with his eyes half closed.
“Your special gift.”
“What about it?”
“I’m giving it to you now.”
“I’d love to see it, but I’m almost asleep.”
“You’re going to have a little girl. She’ll be blonde like me, and she’ll love flowers. She’ll wear them in her hair and—”
His eyes popped open.
“What did you just say...?”
Epilogue
Word quickly spread.
Ulrick’s woman was special.
The more the people gossiped, the more special she became.
It was no accident her name was Ailith. She was a blessed female warrior to be revered and respected, sent by the gods to see justice done. She might even be a goddess herself. She’d been cloaked in gold when the traitors had been caught. Ulrick must have pleased the gods to be favored with such a woman.
Like most clans, the settlement had a pagan priest. Ulrick invited him to the house to meet Ailith and discuss their upcoming nuptials. Peppered with questions when he returned to the community, he proclaimed Ailith glowed with beauty, her eyes sparkled like the sea in summer, and her heart was pure.
It was customary to have a celebration in the couple’s home after the wedding. Ailith was excited, but insisted it couldn’t happen until a partition separated the area where they slept from the rest of the house.
“It’s a private place,” she murmured, her arms draped around Ulrick’s neck as she pleaded. “It doesn’t have to be a solid wall right away. If you can put a rod along the ceiling, the women can weave us a long, wide cloth. Oh! I just had another thought! They can make a matching coverlet for the bed.”
From the moment she’d made her joyous announcement, Ulrick had found it impossible to deny her anything, but even the fastest weaver couldn’t manage such a big task in a few days.
“Ailith, I’m not against the idea, but that will take time, and I don’t want to wait.”
“Please, Ulrick? Just a few days more won’t—”
“A few days?” he interrupted. “It will take longer than a few days.”
“Are you sure?” she purred, standing on her toes and kissing his neck. “Can’t you at least ask?”
“I’ll ask, but don’t expect a miracle.”
“Why not? Miracles happen all the time. We found each other. That’s a miracle. Ekrem recovered the gold for his people. Another miracle, so please will you speak to them right away?”
“I have to see Magnus first. We have to discuss Ivor and Frode.”
“Have you decided on their fate?”
“That’s why we’re meeting, but I’ll speak to Frida on the way back. She’s our best weaver.”
“Thank you,” Ailith whispered, lightly touching her lips to his.
In spite of their fervid lovemaking just a short time before, he grasped her around the waist and devoured her mouth.
“I have to go,” he declared, abruptly releasing her.
“Is something wrong?”
“Everything that’s wrong is everything that’s right,” he muttered, and unable to stop himself, he clutched her silken hair and kissed her again.
“I can’t wait to call you husband,” she whispered. “I need to know you’re mine forever.”
“Never doubt it. I won’t be long.”
Striding through the house to the door, he broke into a smile.
Under her subtle supervision, he and Varig had moved the long table and bench seats off to the side. A fur pelt had been laid in front of the fireplace, with two chairs at an angle facing each other, and a tree trunk waiting to be chopped for firewood was placed between them.
She was turning his house into a home.
But now he had to focus on Ivor and Frode.
* * *
Ulrick had no family in the community. His brothers had been killed in a fierce battle, and the ocean had claimed his parents during a sudden, violent storm. After their death, his relatives had moved away seeking a kinder climate and a different way of life. But he had no complaint with either. Though still a young man he’d lived alone in the family home. It was Magnus and his wife Liv who had guided him into manhood. Reaching their house and tapping on the door, Liv greeted him with a hug and ushered him inside.
“I’ve been expecting you,” Magnus declared, walking up to greet him. “Sit with me at the table.”
“Ivor and Frode,” Ulrick began as he settled into a chair.
“A decision must be made,” Magnus said solemnly. “Much time has passed since this settlement has been faced with treachery. Certainly long before you became ruler.”
“Ivor and Frode didn’t just betray me, they betrayed all of us,” Ulrick declared. “I want to do right by the clan. Death by the sword, or should I cast them out to the wilderness?”
“Winter is coming. If you banish them, they’ll fall victim to the freezing cold, or starvation, or hungry animals. None are a pleasant way to die.”
“Then perhaps the wilderness is my choice. I keep seeing Ailith at the mercy of that bastard in the cavern,” Ulrick said grimly.
“I have a suggestion,” Magnus said, sitting back. “You were right when you said Ivor and Frode betrayed the entire clan. Tell Varig to gather everyone in the square and give them a say. Death by the sword, or cast them out? Let the loudest roar win.”
“You see how wise you are?” Ulrick exclaimed. “I must ask again. Please join Audun and be my second advisor? I need you now more than ever.”
The older man nodded his head.
“I believe the time has come. I’m honored, and I will.”
“You will? I’m so pleased and relieved,” Ulrick said gratefully.
“But Ulrick, I sense there’s something else on your mind.”
Ulrick paused, then leaning across the table, he whispered, “Ailith is carrying my child, and she believes the baby is a little girl. When she told me I think my heart stopped beating from joy, but, Magnus, something odd is happening.”
“Ah, yes, I understand,” Magnus murmured, nodding his head.
“You’ve never known such happiness, and you’re loath to do anything that might upset her.”
“That’s it exactly,” Ulrick said with a sigh. “I find myself unsure.”
“It’s easy to fall under a woman’s spell, but if you change, the energy between you will change, and the happiness will start to fade. Stay the man she met. Strong and strict, but compassionate. Your authority is wavering out of fear.”
“It is, Magnus. I’m finding it hard to scold her or say no. Last night I’m sure she purposely annoyed me, but I did nothing.”
“Correct her the moment you return.”
“How did this happen... and so fast?”
“Even women without Ailith’s special gift can weave their magic over a man. Ulrick, in the coming months her moods will change like the weather. One day the sea will be calm, the next the wind will blow and the rain will pour. Steer your ship. Stay focused as you ride the waves. There can be only one steersman, and that’s you. One more thing. She needs an older female friend. Bring her for supper tonight. Liv will embrace her as part of our family. She’ll help Ailith through the difficult times.”
“I owe you so much,” Ulrick murmured, his heart swelling with love and gratitude.
Magnus smiled. “Ulrick, one day you’ll be at a table in your home, and a mighty warrior will sit across from you. He’ll expose his heart and seek your guidance. Then you will understand who carries the debt, and why.”
* * *
Leaving Magnus’s home, Ulrick searched out Varig and ordered him to gather the clan in the square right away.
“Tell them to be there if they want a say in the fate of our traitors, and hurry. I want to deal with this immediately.”
As Varig sprinted off, Ulrick made his way to the crafts house. The large structure was dedicated to weaving garments, making tools, carving wood, and anything else related to crafts. Frida was the best and fastest weaver in the clan.
“Ulrick,” she exclaimed, rising to her feet as he approached. “Congratulations. I hear your bride is blessed by the gods.”
“We are all blessed by the gods, Frida,” he said with a smile.
“Some more than others,” she said with a wink. “But you must be here for a reason. What do you need?”
Rough Warrior Page 20