Selby glanced at her from the corner of her eye, then slipped her hand through Ingrid’s arm. “Don’t do it again.”
I’m hearing that a lot. Ingrid leaned into her friend and knew everything would be fine between them. “Deal.”
“And don’t think that because I’m terrified right now I will let you get away without telling me how your night with Pretty Boy went,” she whispered, and pumped her eyebrows.
Selby’s whispers were never quiet, and Ingrid saw Jorg turn his head away from them, but not fast enough for her to miss the grin he tried to hide.
When they reached the campsite, they sat down, surrounding Hagen.
“How is he?” Jorg asked.
“There’s no change. He’s been the same since you left.”
Ingrid gazed at her brother and wiped her hand over his forehead. For a moment, she thought she felt her hands warming, but she was wrong.
Pulling her hand away, she let it rest in her lap. “So? Tell us about this raiding party.”
“I fell asleep for a bit after Jorg left to find you,” she shot a mock scolding glare at Ingrid. “So I don’t know how long it had been, but I woke up to add a log to the fire, and heard singing. Loud male voices, singing and laughing.” Ingrid reached out and held her hand. “I smothered the fire and listened to see if there was any change in the songs. There wasn’t, so I crawled to the top of the outcrop and peeked over. Off in the distance, there was a glow of fire, just beyond the ridge. Since I was downwind, I made sure Hagen was warm, and then I set out to see who belonged to the voices.”
“You should not have gone by yourself,” Jorg told her in a soft voice.
Sure, he yells at me, but with Selby, he sounds all worried.
Jorg met Ingrid’s gaze. “It’s different.”
Ingrid sat up straighter and sucked in her breath. A slight panic pounding inside her chest, she brought her brows together. He shrugged a little, and Ingrid let her mouth fall open for a second, then pulled her hand away from Selby to wrap both arms around her middle.
“Am I missing something?” Selby asked.
Ingrid didn’t realize Selby had stopped talking. “No, just go on. Please.” She needed the distraction so the panic of what Jorg had implied couldn’t take over.
Selby shook her head. “We’ll get to what’s going on here,” she motioned her finger back and forth from Ingrid to Jorg, causing Ingrid’s insides to twist tighter, “after my story. Well, I went by myself, obviously. I was careful, and when I got close, I crawled behind a bush and hid. On the other side was a large group of men, or so I thought.” She glanced quickly down to her lap before she continued. “It was hard to see all of their faces in the dark. Only a few were close enough to the fire for me to make out their features, but . . . they weren’t men. They had long, pointed ears, and pale complexions; when the fire lit up their faces, it was like they glowed.”
“Maybe it was just the shadows of the campfire?” Ingrid tried to sound hopeful.
“I think they were elves, from the stories I’ve heard, except those stories talk of a friendship with humans. These were dangerous, on a mission to find and take someone to their leader. I was too afraid to stay longer, so I snuck back here and made sure Hagen and I were both hidden in the shadows.”
“Did you see which way they went when they left?” Jorg looked at her, concern creasing his forehead.
“Yes, they headed the same way we’re going.”
“Do you think they’re headed toward our village?” Ingrid asked.
“Yes,” Jorg answered.
Selby and Ingrid exchanged looks, and shifted closer to each other while Jorg walked off to prepare the rabbit for breakfast.
After breakfast, they set off, but walking was slow. Jorg and Selby took turns pulling Hagen in the litter, but wouldn’t let Ingrid help.
“I need to at least try to help,” she insisted. Coming to a stop, she put her hands on her hips. Selby’s legs were moving slower and slower, and the red flush highlighting her face was beaded with sweat. “Stop pushing me aside.”
Selby lowered Hagen to the ground with care. Pulling up part of her apron, she wiped her face. “Fine, go ahead.”
“It’s my turn, just keep walking,” Jorg said, and tried to push past Ingrid.
“No! I’m sick of you doing that. I can’t heal him, so I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.” She grabbed ahold of Jorg’s arm, intending to get only his tunic, but her grip was so tight, her nails dug into his forearm.
“Fine, but pull back your claws, wildcat.” He smiled at her, and let out a growl like a wild animal. Ingrid rolled her eyes but let go.
Well, I got my way. And he looks heavy . . . great. She wasn’t about to give up the battle she’d won, though. “Stand back so I can get a grip.”
She turned to stand between the handles of the litter, and squatted down to the ground so that her backside nearly touched the dirt. Encircling the branches with her hands, she laughed to herself that the covers on her hands would at least make the work more comfortable. Then she pushed from her thighs, and stood with ease.
Yes! That wasn’t as hard as I thought. I can do this.
Shaking her hair from her face, she took a step. Her body bounced back when the litter didn’t budge. She refused to look at Jorg or Selby, although she could see both out of the corner of her eyes, and they were trying not to watch her, either.
“Don’t. Say. A. Word. I can do this,” Ingrid growled.
Jorg and Selby both spoke at the same time.
“Yes, you can.”
“Wouldn’t think of it.”
Ingrid pulled in a deep breath and held the branches tighter while she tightened her stomach muscles and leaned into her first step. The litter slid a small amount, and she pushed forward with more intent. Slow, steady steps made forward progress. She looked up and cocked an eyebrow at her friends before looking straight ahead with determination.
Jorg and Selby walked on each side of Hagen, staying behind Ingrid. She was glad for it, because she knew the strain was making her face contort in unflattering ways.
I’m doing it, but it’s costing us so much time. Do I give up? Or wait until they force me to stop?
The guilt for slowing down their progress ate at her insides. There was a party of some kind heading toward their village, and instead of going as fast as they could, they were crawling along for the sake of her pride.
She stopped walking and sighed. Lowering her legs, she set Hagen onto the ground and turned around to face Jorg and Selby. Jorg crossed his arms over his chest, and bit the inside of his cheek, but stared at the ground. The look in Selby’s eyes almost made her cry, because her best friend looked like she wanted to run to her and hug her. Ingrid had seen the same softness in her mother’s eyes when she tried to pretend she believed in Ingrid’s dreams.
I’ve fooled no one more than myself.
“I think it’s time for me to stop. We need to move faster,” she said.
She wasn’t sad or angry about it, she just finally understood that there were some things that—no matter how much she wanted them—she wasn’t physically capable of doing.
“It’s not right for me to be so selfish. You were right.”
“It wasn’t selfish. You need to help just like we do.” Selby smiled. “So hauling some heavy oaf around the countryside isn’t your skill, lucky you.”
Jorg snorted and walked over to her. “Step aside, and let me take my turn. I don’t think I’ve ever known that one,” he nodded over toward Selby, “to stay silent for so long. I’m sure she has at least a thousand words ready to spew out at you. Help her, before she explodes and we have to carry both of them.” He stepped between the litter poles, lifted Hagen, and walked off with a strong, brisk stride.
“Well, for a man, he’s pretty perceptive,” Selby said as she looped her arm through Ingrid’s.
Ingrid giggled, relieved to have such good friends by her side. Then, true to Jorg’s prediction,
Selby chattered away about so many topics that Ingrid had to snicker as they hurried to catch up to Jorg.
When they stopped for the night, it was painfully clear that Ingrid’s little stunt had cost them too much time. At the speed that Jorg and Selby could walk, they probably would have made it to the village by the following evening. Now, they would need at least one more night to get home.
Determined to make herself useful, Ingrid gathered broken branches and started the campfire. Jorg went to hunt for dinner, and Selby settled Hagen as much as possible, rolling him to his side and straightening his clothes to make him more comfortable.
“I know he’ll wake up, but it’s hard to see him like this.”
Ingrid swallowed the lump that jumped into her throat. “Yes, it is,” she said, her voice just above a whisper.
“I didn’t mean anything by that. You did amazing. But no one is stronger than Thor, and it was his lightning that caused this.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t make me feel any better. I thought if I wasn’t meant to be a shieldmaiden—which, let’s face it, I’m not—then maybe I was called to heal. When the fighting broke out right after we landed in Jorvik, I was so afraid. Then when I saw the first injured man, it all faded away, and I couldn’t stop myself from going to him. I helped so many that day, and some were so bad off they may have died if I hadn’t. Why was I able to heal them, but not my own brother?”
“I don’t know. We have to believe that there is a reason for this, though, and it will show itself. Besides, I’ve never been able to stare at his handsome face for so long before without getting caught. Gods take, gods give, I guess.” She pushed against Ingrid’s shoulder, and Ingrid shook her head and smiled.
“You’re hopeless.”
“It’s a good thing he can’t hear all of that. His ego is big enough as it is,” Jorg said behind them, making both girls jump. He sat down and whittled skewers to spit the three squirrels he’d caught.
Ingrid giggled, and Selby snorted. “He deserves it,” Selby said. “He’s brave, strong, and will be the leader of the village one day.”
“I’m hungry, and I want to keep my appetite,” Jorg said.
“Fine, but I speak the truth. You seem happy to follow him everywhere he goes. Maybe I’m not the only one with a crush on him?”
Ingrid let her mouth fall open and pulled her eyes wide. Even with the twinkle in Selby’s eyes proving she was teasing, it was a bold thing to say.
“You are lucky you are not a man right now,” he growled.
“Want to arm wrestle me to see who loves him more?”
“You know he is in love with your sister, right?”
“Yes. What’s your point?”
“You shouldn’t lust after someone that isn’t available to you. I hear Sten thinks you’re . . . ‘quite womanly,’ is, I believe, how he put it.”
“One of the Stinks? No thank you.” Selby made a fake gagging noise and scooted closer to the fire.
“I don’t know. He would never interrupt you when you talk too much because he wouldn’t even understand you, and you could get him to do anything you wanted, since he doesn’t bother too much with extra thought—it could be a match from Asgard, and you aren’t even looking into it.”
“Oh boy,” Ingrid said under her breath as she rolled her eyes.
“Listen, pretty boy, you tell him next time you see him to keep his grimy eyes off me. I can’t think of anything worse for my life.” Selby was about to burst out with a tirade when she noticed Jorg biting his lip to keep from smiling. “You think you’re so funny. Laugh it up. Maybe I’ll find a handsome prince someday, and shut all of you up.”
“Don’t bring me into this!” Ingrid exclaimed.
“I wasn’t laughing at you, I just like being called ‘pretty boy.’ Although, I prefer ‘handsome’, ‘strong’, ‘god-like’ . . . something along those lines, if you can remember that for next time.”
“Not going to happen. From me, at least.” Selby smiled at Ingrid, but turned away when a glare as sharp as daggers flew back at her.
Jorg chuckled and rotated their dinner.
Later, Selby had rolled over to sleep and was breathing slow and steady, but Ingrid couldn’t manage, and sat up to stare into the flames. Jorg was lying across from her on his side, and met her eyes through the orange glow.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“No. The others have made it home by now, don’t you think? From the boats.”
“I’m sure they have. It would have only been a couple more days on the water. Even if they stopped and looked for us for a couple days, they’d still be back by now.”
“That’s good.”
“We’ll make good time tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry for holding us back today.”
“You needed to do it. I’m glad you tried.”
“Why, so I could make a fool of myself?” She picked up a twig and poked the logs of the fire. Little sparkles of orange took flight like a flock of sparrows.
“No. Because you needed to know we support you.”
Ingrid looked up at him. His eyes were serious as he sat up, and he never stopped holding her gaze. “Thank you.”
“Always.”
Ingrid tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. “I think I should hurry ahead tomorrow. I can run and get there faster than we can as a group. Then maybe everyone will have a chance to be ready and not let those men Selby saw surprise them.”
“They are too far ahead of us. We should stay together, it’s safer.”
“You don’t think I can do it.” She said it as a statement, but lifted her voice enough for a question.
“I know you can. It’s better if we stay together, though.”
“You and Selby can carry Hagen; I can’t. I can run, though. I’m fast, and I’ll make it.”
Jorg stared into the flames, and his foot tapped in the dirt. “I believe you. I just don’t want you to go.”
Really? He probably means something else.
“You’re important to me, Ingrid. I thought you knew.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn’t the first time it had seemed like he heard her thoughts, and she didn’t like it. “I do.”
He got up and walked around the fire to sit down next to her. “I don’t think you do. When I couldn’t find you the other night, my gut twisted into knots. If something were to happen to you, I couldn’t live with it.” He stared directly into her eyes, and she swallowed hard.
His piney scent washed over her, and she felt dizzy. Without thinking, she reached up and brushed the hair away from his face, tucking one side behind his ear.
Jorg’s brows came together, and his shoulders stiffened, but then he relaxed and waited for her reaction.
“Oh,” she gasped and looked back into his eyes.
Jorg put his hand over hers and closed his eyes. “That’s not something I let anyone see.” His voice was a whisper, and the pain in it broke Ingrid’s heart.
“I think they’re beautiful. You are still the same to me, nothing would change that,” she assured him.
He snapped his eyes to hers. “Do you mean that? Even after what Selby saw and heard?” He hadn’t let go of her hand, and he squeezed it as he held his breath, waiting for her to answer.
“I mean it. You aren’t like that.” She smiled when he let out his breath and his shoulders came down at least two inches. “I need to tell you something, though.” She pulled her hand out of his, and traced the outline of his ear up to the small, pointed tip, feeling him shudder.
“What?” The worry spread across his features again.
“Twice I’ve been told that elves are part of my future. We might be in for some trouble.”
Jorg’s face split into a wide grin. “I’ll take my chances.”
“Good. Me, too.”
He took hold of Ingrid’s hand again, and reached his other behind her head.
He’s going to kiss me. My first real kiss. Oh good
ness.
Jorg grinned enough for his dimple to show, and brought her closer to him, but instead of what she hoped, he leaned his forehead down and rested it against hers. Sighing, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his touch.
“Please don’t say anything about me to anyone. Hagen doesn’t even know, and I’d like it to stay that way.”
Ingrid was so caught up in the feel of his hands and the smell of his unique scent, she didn’t comprehend what he said at first. “Huh? Oh. Okay.”
“We need to get some sleep now. Some other time, when we can talk by ourselves, you can ask me all the questions I’m sure you have. Not that I’ll be able to answer them—I’ve got a list of my own that no one has answered. But I’ll try.” He sat up and let go of Ingrid. She felt cold and alone the instant his touch was gone. “Lie down and I’ll cover you up. It’s getting cold.”
You could curl up to me again. Let’s see if you hear that.
Biting his lip and keeping a neutral expression, he pulled her cloak over her shoulders as she lay down.
Mm-hmm. That’s what I thought. I’m going to figure out how you’re doing that.
Turning to the fire, Jorg stoked it and added another log. Without looking in her direction again, he walked back to his own spot, wrapped himself in his own cloak, and closed his eyes. “Goodnight, my sweet girl.”
“Goodnight.” Ingrid noticed the possessive statement, and fell asleep with a smile on her face.
16
They were up and walking by the time dawn stretched from its slumber, painting lavender streaks against the soft, gray sky. Ingrid stopped walking, twitching her hands next to her sides while she fiddled with her skirt.
Jorg was leading the group; he checked over his shoulder for the others and stopped when he saw Ingrid standing far behind. Selby trudged behind Jorg with her head down, pulling Hagen, and didn’t notice Jorg halt.
“Hey, watch out,” he said with a low chuckle, as he darted aside before she ran into him.
“Sorry, I . . . why are we stopping?”
“I don’t know.” He nodded his head toward Ingrid, as she still stood staring at the ground behind them.
The Viking Maiden Box Set Page 17