The Viking Maiden Box Set

by Kelly N. Jane

  “What happened to your hair?” Lazuli buzzed near Selby, tugging several small twigs and leaves from the back of her tangles and held them in front of her face. “These are not pretty. I will get you some flowers instead.”

  With that she flew away, and Ingrid couldn’t help but release a snicker at the berry-red color of Selby’s face. But it was when Plintze snorted that a chain reaction began, and within a few heartbeats, everyone was laughing.

  Lazuli returned laden with more blossoms and began to work on her next subject. “There!” the little sprite exclaimed, turning all eyes toward Selby once again. Fluttering in front of the girls, she looked from one to the other with a big grin. “You look much better.” She clasped her hands together at her chest and sighed with a smile. “I’m going now.” When she darted over to Plintze, kissed his temple, and disappeared into the trees, the movement was so fast it took everyone by surprise.

  Silence filled the circle as everyone gaped at the dwarf. “Ach, I’m going to sleep,” Plintze growled and stormed off.

  “It is late, but I wonder if you wouldn’t mind hearing a thought that I have,” Bremen said as the four of them remained seated near the fire.

  “Of course,” Ingrid answered, curious and wary of what he might say.

  “The attack today will not be the last. Greer knows who Ingrid is, and he’ll have spread the word to the leader of the druht of her whereabouts.” Bremen glanced at Selby and then to the others. “I think we should let the majority of the men continue to protect the supplies and servants. But we should go on ahead at a faster pace and get to my home where it is more secure.”

  “I agree and look forward to a quicker pace.” Jorg leaned forward and casually stoked the fire.

  “Yes, well then, we’ll leave just before daybreak.” Bremen peeked at Selby, hesitated, then reached his hand out to her with a steady gaze. Selby stood and entwined her fingers into his, and the two left together.

  Ingrid wrapped the cloak around her shoulders a little tighter. “It will be a short night,” she said a little more sharply than she intended. Rather than amend her tone, she blamed her residual irritation on the exhaustion of the day.

  She laid down with her back to the fire and tried not to think about the hurt that flashed over Jorg’s face before he’d nodded to her.

  17

  Bremen had gathered a group of six other men to accompany them to the monastery he’d purchased when he’d arrived in Northumbria the year before. He’d explained how he’d left a contingent behind to restore it.

  “So, it’s a castle for the prince now?” Jorg teased.

  Bremen tightened his lips into a line, but otherwise ignored the comment. He also hurried along the servant boy who was helping to tie the leather greaves onto his shins.

  Ingrid turned her focus to the camp to hide her amusement and instantly sobered as one of Bremen’s soldiers stood a few feet away looking very nervous. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and darted his eyes up to Ingrid and then back to the dirt.

  “Excuse me, my lady, but,” the man hesitated and looked around again as if trying to decide if he should keep talking. “I was wondering if you could come and have a look at a friend. He’s struggling with a pain and doesn’t want to complain for fear he’ll be dismissed from service. If that happens, he’ll lose his land back home. He didn’t ask me to come to you, but I was wondering if you’d look at him just the same.”

  Ingrid stared at the man for a few seconds, letting his words sink in. Her heart fluttered that someone was asking for her help, and a smile spread on her face. “I’d love to.” She followed the man with Jorg joining by her side.

  The man paled, and his eyes grew round as he looked at Jorg. “I don’t mean to offend, I’m a friend to the fae. I swear,” he stuttered. Jorg fought to keep a twitch in his lip from curving up.

  Selby groaned at the comment as she and Bremen walked up to the small gathering.

  “You’re Colam, is that right? Who is it that needs care?” Bremen asked.

  “It’s Finian. He’s got a terrible pain. Had it since before the attack, but it’s been worse since then. He didn’t want me to ask, but now, he can’t walk or eat,” the man gushed, keeping his eyes focused on the ground and visibly trembling. Colam darted a glance to Ingrid and then Bremen before swallowing several times.

  “It’s good that you came to his aid before we left. Let’s all go see Finian, shall we?” Bremen turned to the side and motioned for Colam to lead the way as he fell into stride with Jorg behind the girls.

  Finian was toward the back of the long line of men, near a wagon ready to begin the daily trek. They found him on the ground leaning against a wheel with his eyes closed.

  “I’ve brought the healer to see you, Finian,” Colam said kneeling next to his friend whose eyes snapped open.

  “You shouldn’a done it,” Finian said. He tried to push himself up and grabbed his side, yelping in pain.

  Ingrid immediately fell to her knees in front of the man. “I’m glad he came to get me. May I touch you? I think I can help.”

  “No, please stand and don’a waste your time wi’ me.”

  Ignoring his response, Ingrid laid her hand on his shin and closed her eyes. Whether everyone stopped talking or she was blocking them from her hearing, she didn’t care. She only allowed the warm golden glow inside of her to enter her mind. It soaked through her and then filtered outward into the man to search for what caused his pain.

  Within seconds, she found the source: one of his organs was leaking and poisoning his body. Drawing in a deep breath, Ingrid exhaled until a glowing ball formed near the injury inside the lower right side of his abdomen. She then directed all the poison into it.

  She concentrated on the worm-shaped tube but couldn’t find what had damaged it or a way to restore it. Without hesitation she drained the rest of the fluid and forced it into the golden ball, causing the organ to shrivel in on itself. Directing the orb to travel up into Finian’s stomach, she then let natural reflexes take over to expel the poison from his body.

  Opening her eyes, Ingrid told Finian to roll to his side. She stood quickly, ordering everyone to back away just in time as the poor man wretched and vomited profusely. When he had finished, he sat up again and leaned back against the wheel. Ingrid turned to Colam. “Can you find him some water or ale, please?”

  Wide-eyed, he nodded and hurried away.

  “How do you feel? Is the pain gone?” she asked Finian.

  “I think ‘tis, but I’ll be sure after the ale comes,” he said, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve.

  “I don’t think you’ll have any more trouble, but I’d like you to rest, perhaps ride in the wagon for a while when you leave.”

  “You didn’a do anything that will change me, or nothin’?” Finian’s pale forehead pinched, but in his weakened state, it was hard to tell what concerned him.

  “Change you?” Ingrid’s brows furrowed, confused.

  “The magic, it doesn’a change a man to,” he paused, and his eyes flicked up to Jorg and back to Ingrid, then he lowered his voice to a whisper, “to somethin’ else, does it?”

  Ingrid bit the inside of her cheek to keep her face neutral when Jorg snorted behind her. “No, I only made your injury better, I hope.”

  “Thank ye, I’m much improved already.”

  “Don’t just say that. I need to know the truth,” she said.

  “No, m’lady, I wouldn’a lie. I am better.”

  At that moment, Colam arrived with a flask of ale and handed it to his friend. Finian sucked down several large swallows before he wiped his beard with the back of his hand. The lines in his brow relaxed, and his eyes were bright.

  “Please rest. Promise me, Finian.” Ingrid gave him a hard stare, and the man nodded vigorously. “You should feel restored soon, but that’s all I can do.” She brushed her hands against her trousers as she stood.

  “Finian, you heard the woman. You’ll ride in a
wagon until you are well, and it will not go well if I hear reports that you didn’t follow that order.” Bremen spun to face Colam. “Be sure he does.” Both men nodded their heads eagerly.

  “Thank you, m’lady,” Finian said before taking another long swallow of the ale.

  Bremen tipped a thank you to Ingrid and strode toward the front. Jorg put his hand on the small of Ingrid’s back and prodded her to follow him.

  “I’ll just follow back here, by myself, as usual,” Selby complained. Ingrid and Jorg snickered at her familiar commentary, but Bremen halted and turned around making all of them stop and stare at him.

  He skirted around Ingrid and Jorg to stand in front of Selby who stared in silence with her eyes wide. Bremen turned to stand by her side and offered an arm.

  Selby looked at his elbow sticking out toward her and then back up to his face with a shocked expression. Slowly she slipped her hand over his forearm while keeping her eyes focused on his. A smile brightened his face, and one slid across hers in return. The couple walked past Jorg and Ingrid without giving them a glance.

  “Well—” Jorg looked at Ingrid with a glint in his eye and put out his elbow “—m’lady?”

  Ingrid grinned. “I might get used to that.” She slid her hand through his offered elbow and looked up expectantly when he didn’t walk.

  “I’m sorry about before. It tears me up inside to see you in pain. I believe in you—and I trust you to make the right decisions. Wherever you go, I’ll go.” He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly before he continued. “Ingrid, you can think me a weak fool, because I love you, but I don’t want to control you.”

  Ingrid felt herself wilt. “What if I don’t find Eir in time?” I’m afraid. What if I find her and it’s not enough? What if I’m not enough?

  Drawing her closer, he held her chin. “You are more than enough.” He kissed her, forcefully enough that Ingrid’s knees wobbled, and she braced herself against his chest.

  “What was wrong with that man?” Jorg asked after they’d each had a few moments to settle their nerves and continued walking toward the front.

  “I’m not sure how to explain it. One of his organs leaked poison into his body so I gathered it up and made him expel it. I couldn’t fix it though, I just made it stop working.”

  “Stop working? How is that possible?” he asked with obvious confusion in his expression.

  “I don’t know.” She threw her arm into the air. “I don’t understand how any of this works. It was the only way I could get it to stop hurting him.”

  Jorg pulled her tighter to his side and rubbed the hand resting on his forearm. “I don’t like you healing the men when it’s not from a fight. What if something goes wrong, and they blame you for it? You should wait until you’ve had more training.”

  Ingrid turned her head and raised her eyebrows at him. “You aren’t telling me what to do, are you?” She pulled at her hand, but he held her tighter. A thin line formed where his lips usually were.

  “I’m not telling. I’m suggesting—” he arched a brow “—that you wait.”

  Ingrid felt herself relax a little at his well-chosen words, but it still bothered her to think he would try to control her. I’m getting stronger. That time didn’t tire me.

  “I noticed that. And, I’m not trying to control you, Ingrid. It’s called concern; that’s all.”

  Ingrid huffed and shook her head. “My parents used that same logic when they kept everything from me and tried to keep me in the dark about who I am. ‘For my own good,’ they said. I’ve had enough of people showing that kind of concern for me.”

  Jorg scrubbed a hand over his face. “Then at least let me come with you if anyone else needs your help. I won’t do anything except what I did this time—watch and wait to see if you need me.”

  “I can live with that.” She looked sideways at him and let a little curve tweak her lips.

  A rustle in the bushes made them both turn toward the sound. Jorg pushed himself in front of Ingrid, earning him an annoyed growl as she elbowed her way back to his side. Before they could debate with each other further, Plintze and Lazuli stepped from the shadows.

  “Where have you two been?” Jorg asked, a hint of levity in his voice.

  “Playing,” Lazuli stated matter-of-factly.

  “I thought we were leaving? Are we or not?” Plintze asked, leaving no more room to question his whereabouts or doings.

  “We are, right now, so I’m glad you’re back,” Ingrid said with a smile and tugged on Jorg’s arm to hurry them all along.

  After two long days and a quick night, they arrived at the monastery-turned-castle. Early in the afternoon, while still higher on the hillside, they could see down to what was essentially a small city. A large stone building with several smaller wooden ones to the side of it sat enclosed by a tall palisade and a deep ditch, creating an expanse of high ground.

  A road led up to the trench on one side with a gate lowered as a bridge to allow entrance into the courtyard beyond the fence. There was an open area in the center of the buildings that appeared to have greenery. Selby, Ingrid, and Jorg stopped to take in the sight, with Bremen waiting with them as they looked.

  “What is in the middle? It looks like grass, but why is it in the center of a structure?” Ingrid asked.

  “That is the cloister, a place for monks to reflect on God. This used to be a monastery. Much of it was in need of repair from raiders but should be nearly complete by now.”

  Jorg flicked his eyebrows up with a little smirk, unapologetic for his countrymen. “Seems like a large place for you to acquire just to stay for a short time.”

  “We may need to return again, so it seemed a reasonable expense.”

  “Humph. Seems like a waste of land,” Plintze said, surprising everyone that he’d returned after another time away with Lazuli.

  “You are welcome to stay outside of its walls if it doesn’t meet your satisfaction.” Bremen smiled, but his tone left no doubt at his irritation.

  Plintze snorted and sauntered down the road as the others followed. Selby and Ingrid continued to take in the sight of such large buildings and stonework.

  A chill engulfed Ingrid, and she curled her arms around her middle. The mental tar slammed against her mind at her temples, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut tight.

  When she opened them, she wasn’t on the hillside any longer. She was in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by battle. This place, this instance—she’d experienced before.

  Once again, she was in the center of the vision she’d had earlier. The first time she’d seen Jarrick. Ingrid turned slowly, unconcerned with the swords, axes, and clubs that swung around her because she knew she wasn’t physically there.

  Then she saw him.

  Once again, Jarrick stood in the center of the fray, battling against the human foes. Her breath hitched as she saw Jorg fighting as well, near Jarrick. More and more men flooded into the courtyard through the open gate. There was no way to win against such numbers, even with Jarrick, Jorg, and their faster reflexes.

  While Ingrid watched, helpless, a shadow covered the sun. Shielding her eyes, she peered toward the sky to see glass-like scales so black they shimmered with greens and blues like the oily sheen of tar.

  No! This can’t happen!

  It was the same dragon that had attacked her months before. Her arm blazed with pain as if the injury was fresh. The beast swung its head from side to side, surveying the crowded courtyard before screeching as a stream of fire spewed into the fleeing warriors.

  With a jolt that made Ingrid reach out to steady herself, she was flung from her vision back to the present. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she had to brace against her knees to catch her breath.

  Selby’s wide-eyed stare flashed in front of her as she leaned over, keeping a steadying hand on Ingrid’s back.

  “What was that?” Shock and a touch of panic bled through Selby’s voice. “Are you in pai
n?”

  Slowly, Ingrid calmed, and she stretched to her full height. The others had come back and were standing behind Selby.

  “I’m sorry to have worried everyone. I . . . I’m better now.”

  There was no way she was going to explain what she saw to the whole group. How could she tell them that they would be attacked—destroyed—by a dragon no less, because of her?

  Betrayed by her stomach, Ingrid turned and wretched onto the ground. Selby’s hand rubbed her back until the heaves subsided and she could stand again. Only Jorg and Plintze remained nearby when she looked up. Bremen had taken his men further up the road and Lazuli was nowhere in sight.

  “Were you with Jarrick again?” Jorg’s words were as sharp as a dagger, but his eyes held nothing but concern.

  “No.” Ingrid glanced over her shoulder to the view of the courtyard below. It’s peaceful appearance ignorant of what was to come. “I’m bringing danger to everyone. Jarrick will never let me survive to bind that spell.”

  “What did you see?” Selby’s hand rested on Ingrid’s upper arm as if ready to offer support again.

  “Something I’ve seen before—a battle that ends in dragon fire.” Ingrid tipped her head toward the courtyard, then met with Plintze’s gaze. “It’s the same one.”

  The dwarf emitted a low rumble. He knew exactly what she meant; he’d nursed Ingrid back to health when she’d been attacked before. “We can prepare. I’ll be happy to knock that flying lizard out of the skies.”

  “Yes, the vision is a gift. Now we can be ready and change the outcome. We can explain about it to Bremen as we walk and start to make a plan.” Jorg brushed a piece of Ingrid’s hair behind her ear. “We’ll keep everyone safe, Hjarta. You’ll see.”

  People rushed about at a frantic pace when the group made its way over the bridge and into the courtyard beyond the palisade wall. Rather than finding a peaceful scene of inhabitants going about their daily lives, the atmosphere was tense. Bremen was quickly entangled in a discussion with several men.