by Selena Scott
King Hrauthung had two sons: one was called Agnar, and the other Geirröth. Agnar was ten winters old, and Geirröth eight. Once they both rowed in a boat with their fishing gear to catch little fish… and so on.
We made incredibly good time that day, were close enough to see the caves and the cliff that led to them. So, we rested for the night, everyone eager to rest their weary legs. Although Aaric and I stayed up far after the others, tending to a smoky fire.
In the firelight, Aaric caught the glint of fear in my eyes. “I shan’t leave you, no matter what it comes to, you know that, aye?”
“Aye,” I said. “Of course. But…”
“What of my brothers? I’ll protect them. And you too.”
A ghost of a smile swept across my face. “If only it were that simple…”
Aaric threw his arms around me and held me tight. “It will be—it must.”
And, as we lay down and I drifted off, encased in the armor of his muscle-ridged arms, I believed him.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR – AARIC
I awoke shaking. It was Ake shaking me and he didn’t look good. The young runner’s bulged eyes and quivering lips looked like the berserkers had just ripped off his earlobe.
“Berserkers—the youngest and fastest ones,” he said between harried breaths. “Close—much closer than expected. Must’ve separated from the main pack in the night. They’ll be here within minutes.”
“Minutes?” Dahlia said, looking at him blankly, probably thinking, as I was, that she had misheard him.
“Minutes,” Ake repeated, rushing away.
Dahlia and I staggered upright.
“I’ll get the women and children to the front and hurry everyone to the caves,” Dahlia said, already setting off. “And you…”
“I’ll get my brothers and the able-bodied men to defend our retreat,” I finished for her.
We nodded, embraced once more.
“And Aaric?” Dahlia croaked out when I was a few paces away.
“Aye?”
“Be careful.”
We stood there for another precious second.
“I love you,” I said simply.
And then I left, before she or her reply could slow me. I had to do this right. There was no other way.
The camp itself was chaos. By the looks of it, the runner had just dashed about to all and sundry, telling of how close the berserkers were, before fleeing himself. So much for valor.
At any rate, I had to navigate past wailing, tumultuous hordes to find my brothers, as well as the few men who were brave and strong enough to fight.
I found Grise and Chuld arguing.
“I will not die for Waterpaws!” Grise snarled, pulling away.
I grabbed him too. “You don’t have a choice anymore. The berserkers will be here in minutes. Anyone who tries to make a run for it will be the first to go—easy prey for them.”
Grise’s shoulders heaved. “I knew I should’ve left. We’re all fools.”
I refused to meet Chuld’s dismal gaze. “No,” I said. “No, we’re close, is what we are. The berserkers may be minutes away, but so are the caves. All we have to do is get the women and children there safely and…”
And then I didn’t know what. If anything would stop the berserkers from ripping up there after them. If we and the few others willing to fight would be able to take down a single berserker, let alone a horde of them.
All I knew was what we had to do next—fight.
Around us, I could see people flocking toward Dahlia and Ingrid, who were rounding everyone up to take off.
“Come on,” I said to my brothers. “Let’s see if there are any real Waterpaw men left.”
As it turned out, there were few. Only fifteen agreed to stand with us against the oncoming berserkers, some because Grise had held them by their throats and threatened to kill them on the spot if they wouldn’t.
Behind us, was hope—the Waterpaws making their way up the steep cliff that led to the caves—and ahead of us was despair—the jet-black, growling hordes that were the oncoming berserkers. They were moving impossibly fast, were soon close enough for us to hear their bone-rattling growls.
“Not our best odds,” Chuld commented.
“The worst, you mean,” Grise corrected.
“Ah,” I scoffed. “I’ve defeated a berserker before. Guess now’s your chance to do it yourselves.”
“Lovely,” Grise said.
I let the fur prick through my skin, gave the shards poking out of my nails and jaw free reign.
Here I was.
And then they were upon us.
A slash of bears, big, vicious, and everywhere. I ripped my claws every which way, and they found purchase in everything. Blood sprayed the air. The ground was clogged with bears, a few on our side, most berserkers. They were in their berserk mode too, jaws tearing out throats.
Snarling teeth, raking claws overtook everything. They ripped into me, and I them.
I narrowly stopped one berserker from slashing down Chuld’s middle, another from biting off Grise’s leg at the kneecap.
Some Waterpaw men had changed their minds and were trying to flee—and were slaughtered instead.
Her name was a shield to me, a beacon—Dahlia, Dahlia. I had to stay alive long enough to protect Dahlia. To see her and her gorgeous curves again.
All was bloody gurgles and growls. A paw beat into the side of my head, and I went down like a stone.
Dahlia. I had to… The berserker lifted me up to finish me off—but fell over himself, an axe buried into the side of his head.
“Since when did you have an axe?” Chuld asked Grise, clearly impressed.
Grise only shrugged, cool as ice, and pulled the axe out of the berserker’s skull. “Been saving it for a special occasion.”
He swung it around and took out another berserker, only succeeding in upsetting another. I took the brief respite to chance a glance back at the Waterpaws—they were making gradual but definite progress to the caves. The berserkers, meanwhile, seemed to be more excited at the prospect of fresh immediate meat than of chasing down the group. Probably figured their victory would be so easy and certain that they could afford to take their time.
Already, I could hear the howls and ripping sounds of them devouring their prey—one of the Waterpaw men—alive. Prickling went through me.
Today, we would make the berserkers answer for their crimes. Make them think twice about feeding on their own. Today, I wouldn’t rest until the last berserker fell lifeless to the ground.
I galloped over to where Grise and Chuld were still fighting. The berserkers had encircled them, were trying to take them out with the sheer force of their numbers. Bastards.
Taking off at a run, I ripped into their ranks, leaping onto the back of a stocky one and letting my teeth tear into his neck sinews. Ah yes, the taste of pain and brutality well earned.
I was so intent on finishing him off that I didn’t notice the paw until it slammed into the back of my head.
Fool, I cursed myself. This was the second time I’d let this happen. And this time was more serious—I was seeing stars.
And sights—real or imagined? I didn’t know. I saw a very much intact horde of berserkers surrounding us, the only three living still fighting against them.
I saw us about to lose.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE – DAHLIA
The valley was roaring with battle sounds below us. I refused to look, couldn’t. We had to focus on getting the women and children to safety first, then we could go back to help the others… if there’d still be others left to help.
No.
I couldn’t afford to think that way. I had to put one foot in front of the other, steady my stance on the thin passageway of dirt, keep my eyes on the destination, hold onto Ingrid and Tora’s hands. It was a steep passage and falling would mean… death. We moved as quickly as we could, but not too fast.
One foot in front of the other in front of the other in front…
Onto rock. I stopped, looked up. Thank Thor.
We had reached the caves—finally. Here, the air was muggy yet cool, while the daylight slanted in to illuminate the cave walls. Walls that were pure stone and… had pictures carved into them.
“Dahlia, look,” Ingrid breathed, stopping to admire them.
I grabbed her. “There’s no time.”
She didn’t budge, said more insistently, “Look.”
I threw a glance their way, then stared.
The etchings were in strange, rich pigments I’d never seen before, forming oddly concentric geometric shapes, that, at closer glance, appeared to be skulls—bear and human alike.
A shiver went through me. But what was oddest of all was that I’d seen them before.
At one of Father’s ceremonies, he’d had some men etch them into the earth around the fire. What had he said then?
“To touch the end and welcome it, that is true power.”
Well, now we were here in the caves, looking at etchings that presumably foretold of the end. The only question was: would we dare touch the end?
Hardly knowing what I was doing, I reached out, my fingers connecting with the cool stone.
A great rumbling sounded.
This was it, then.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX – AARIC
Seconds before my imminent death, a great rumbling sounded. Reality crashed around me. When I thought to open my eyes, the berserker standing over me was bashed away by a giant rock. Then, everything fell away to darkness….
I awoke in a cave, with my brothers and Dahlia.
“Ah, so he finally decides to wake up,” Grise sneered.
“It’s only been a few hours,” Chuld said.
Dahlia was stroking my hair. Everyone around us looked calm, okay… alive.
And all I could think to say was, “What… happened?”
“Dahlia did it,” Ingrid declared, grinning at her.
“I did not,” Dahlia said. “We just got lucky, is all.”
Ingrid rolled her eyes. “Dahlia touched some ruins and a bunch of rocks tumbled down, killing most of the berserkers.”
“And not us?” I asked.
“That’s why I said we got lucky,” Dahlia said. “You and a few Waterpaw men were spared.”
“Most of the berserkers were killed, but not all,” Chuld continued. “The ones left, though, ran away. Saw it as a bad omen.”
“Huh,” I said. “Who knew even berserkers noted bad omens?”
Dahlia was all smiles. “A bunch of rocks tumbling off a cliff to wipe out most of your friends is a pretty bad omen.”
I looked to my brothers. “So, you carried me up here?”
“Aye.” Grise didn’t look too happy about it. “You really should consider laying off the dried fruit.”
“What now?” I asked. We had gotten lucky, but that didn’t mean we were going to stay that way.
“Apparently, the berserkers were seen rushing back to the North ,” Dahlia was still smiling all big. Bless Thor, she looked beautiful when she smiled. “They’re going to cut their losses. We’re free. Safe.”
“So the Waterpaws can return to their North Umbria stronghold,” I said, still unsure how I felt about the idea.
My brothers had joined their clan for revenge and came away with… something not at all resembling revenge. And yet, something that felt better, somehow.
“Aye, they can,” Dahlia said, and there was something in her eyes that made me voice what was crackling in me.
“And if a certain Waterpaw princess wanted to break away, though, forge her own path, go wherever she pleased?” I asked.
Her hand found mine. “Then she could do whatever she damn well pleased. The king himself has said so.” She paused, laughed. “And even if he hadn’t, she still could. She and her friends saved the Waterpaws, after all. Freedom is the least they deserve.”
She looked so beautiful then, all enlivened with our recent success and the future spread out far and wide and bountiful ahead of us, I couldn’t help it. I kissed her.
She pulled away, smiling the smile of someone who’s got a secret. “Almost forgot—I love you too.”
And as the others groaned appreciatively, I picked up my woman and took her just outside the caves, where we could get some privacy. In the trees, I ached to let my body express the joy twining through my mind—but first...
“I’ve something to ask you,” I said.
Odd, how the nervousness had come all at once like this.
“Aye?”
“Will you be my kona?”
Now that I thought about it, I’d never even considered the precious word for wife, except in relation to Dahlia.
That smile was all the answer I needed, but then she declared, “Aye, of course!”
And then our lips met once again.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN - DAHLIA
1 YEAR LATER
“Tell us the story! Tell us the story!” the little girl with red, frizzy hair chanted.
I smiled warily. From experience, I knew that ‘telling the story’ meant sitting down for several hours at a time to explain the whole tale of how we’d escaped the berserkers.
And since we’d just arrived in this clan’s camp, I’d rather spend my first few days here exploring everything we could. That was what I loved most about the traveling we’d been doing for the past year, other than getting to be with Aaric and Ingrid, of course: the thrill that came with finding a new place’s streams, rivers, and lakes, its forests, fortresses, and flowers.
Aye, it was like a dream, it was.
“Dahlia can tell you tomorrow,” the little girl’s mother told her, taking her hand. “I’ve some sewing you promised to help me with first.”
Just then, Ingrid approached me with an infectious grin. “Have you heard about Grise?”
“No,” I said.
I had thought it odd how he’d been gone the past few months without a word of explanation to anyone. Odd—and ominous, if I was being perfectly honest.
“Well, it’s because he’s been betrothed.”
“No—to who?”
“To Tora! And she’s had a poison ivy dress commissioned for the occasion!”
“Poison ivy... what?”
Ingrid giggled. “Aye, it’s supposedly a symbol of the lengths of her love for him—how she’s even willing to endure the worst of pain for her love.”
I could only giggle along. “I guess it’s good that Grise has found someone; maybe now he won’t be grumpy all the time.”
Ingrid was still smiling all funny, though, and I could tell that wasn’t the only news she had for me.
“What is it?” I asked her.
Ingrid bit her lip, lowered her eyes, then burst out, “I wanted you to be the second to know—I’m with babe!”
I practically fell over. It seemed only yesterday that Chuld and Ingrid had been betrothed. “No!”
“Aye!” She was beaming. “I went to the healer, and she said it is so. Chuld is delighted too.”
“But that means…”
“We’ll be mothers together!” she said with an impish smile as she flung her arms around me. “And that you have to tell Aaric.”
I sighed. “It’s been only a day since I found out myself. Can’t I keep something to myself for a bit?”
“Of course you can,” Ingrid agreed. “Only I don’t understand whatever for.”
“I’m just nervous, I suppose,” I admitted. “A baby will so change things.”
Ingrid elbowed me. “Speak of the devil.”
Sure enough, approaching us was Aaric in all his blond, muscular glory, as if speaking of him had somehow conjured him up.
His smile was still dashing and unexpected enough to make my knees weak as he spoke, “I’m a devil, is that it?”
“Aye,” Ingrid and I chorused, then laughed.
“In that case,” Aaric swept me into his arms, “this devil has something he wants to do with his lady.”
/> Chuckling, Ingrid was already headed back toward the tent she was staying in with Chuld.
I quirked a brow as Aaric conveyed me further from the camp. “He does, does he?”
He bobbed his head. “Aye. I’ve a discovery to show you.”
As soon as the waters came in sight, my heart leapt. “Springs?”
“We’ve had some good bit of history with these,” Aaric said.
“So you’re wanting to repeat history, is that it?” I asked, hunger already aching between my legs.
By now, we’d reached the warm waters and he pressed his lips to mine. “Aye. That I do.”
Our bodies did the rest of the talking. His lips unclothed me, undid my buttons, yanked down my pinafore. It felt heavenly.
My love smelled like pine and bottled-up lust. The past few days we’d been too busy to enjoy each other how we normally did.
When Aaric let my breasts out from my clothes, he took them in greedily. “You’ve been holding out on me, you have.”
I just laughed. “How?”
He grasped one, then the other. “By keeping these beauties hidden.”
“You’d rather I let them out all the time?” I asked.
Aaric’s brows darkened. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
He gave me no time to respond, his fingers clambering down into my thatch.
“Ah,” he breathed. “That’s what I like best.”
Oh Freya, how the man could make me squirm!
Aaric wasted no time in demanding what he wanted, either.
Giving my rump a whack, he commanded, “Come on, now. Let’s get you up and on your man.”
On top of Aaric, with his cock deep in me, was pure perfection. As his hardness plumbed my depths, my pussy sung. It felt like paradise, in a word.
I wailed as I rocked back and forth on his girth.
His lips clamped onto one of my nipples and held. When he let go, suddenly, he took my face in his hands and looked at me hard. “I love you, Dahlia Fireclaw.”