The Viking's Captive

by Quinn Loftis

  “What’s the matter, Magnus? Can’t even finish off a defenseless man?” I taunted.

  “I can finish you whenever I wish,” he said, attacking again.

  “Do it, then. Finish me,” I said, dodging out of his way. I stepped a few paces to my left, forcing him to spin slightly to keep me in view.

  “It’s just a matter of time, now, boy,” he said.

  “Have you figured out yet why you can’t sleep?” I asked.

  This gave him pause, and he looked at me, curious. “What are you talking about?”

  “The visions, the nightmares. I know you have them. Yet, you still have no clue?”

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he sputtered, attacking again, but this time more clumsily. I dodged easily, edging to my left, causing him to turn a little more.

  “Oh, but I do,” I said. “And I know why you are tormented. It’s not just a curse of the gods.”

  “Shut up!” he barked.

  “No, the cause of your madness is much closer to home.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him.

  “It was Hilda,” I said. “Your precious Oracle has been poisoning your mind. Slowly, over the course of years, she’s been twisting your thoughts, preparing your demise. You trusted her. All this time, you had no idea she was paving the way for her son to take over as jarl.”

  His eyes went wide as he realized the truth of my words. He ground his teeth together and his face growing redder with pure rage.

  “Too bad her plan dies with you,” he bellowed and charged, bringing the axe high over his head, thinking to cleave me in two with it.

  This time, instead of backing away and dodging, I lunged forward with all my might. Flying through the air, under his upraised arms, my shoulder connected with his solar plexus. He made an oomph sound as the wind rushed from his lungs and he flew backward, landing flat on his back. The axe fell from his hand, and I sprawled on top of him. Luckily, Magnus had fallen just where I’d wanted him to. As quickly as I could, I snatched up the large rock I had earlier seen lying on the ground. In one swift motion, I brought the rock down with all the strength I had left. It connected. Magnus’ head caved in with the force of the blow. He began to thrash and writhe, but I pinned him down with my bodyweight. I brought the rock down again, over and over. I bludgeoned him until finally, nothing was left but a red mass of pulp and bits of bone where Magnus’ skull had been. When he stopped twitching, I rolled off him, exhausted.

  “As a woman who has been captured, had her throat slit, escaped, watched two people she loved murdered right before her eyes, been recaptured, tied up in a cell and then thrown down some stairs, I reserve the right to be indecisive about my desire to actually keep on living.”

  ~ Diary of Allete Auvray

  Gripping Rush’s hand, I allowed him to pull me gently up to my feet. I swayed for a moment, but he held me steady.

  “What happened?” I asked in a trembling voice.

  “That’s a bit of a story,” Rush said. “Torben knew Magnus would try to use you to make him surrender. So, before you arrived, he sent me far down the beach. As soon as everyone was distracted by the two angry Northmen, I swam out here and waited to rescue you… more bobbed than swam, really. I hid under a piece a driftwood, my face barely above the water, and floated along until I got to the side of the boat. I’ve been waiting for the commotion Torben arranged—you heard the big boom, I’m sure. When that happened, which took bloody long enough as I was freezing my bal—” He paused, catching himself. “I mean, the water is bloody frigid. I climbed the side of the boat as quick as I could. I expected to find Magnus’ man peering down the beach, trying to figure out what was going on. I didn’t think he’d be choking the life outta ya. You must have really made him angry.”

  “I guess he didn’t appreciate being attacked from behind with an iron bar,” I said, pointing to my makeshift weapon, which was now lying harmlessly on the deck.

  “Wow, you’re either very brave or very stupid to attack an armed Northman with your hands tied like that.”

  “Just very desperate, I think.”

  “Well, I’m glad I got onboard when I did,” he said. “Here, let me cut those bonds.” After he pulled out a dagger, he sliced through the ropes securing my hands.

  “Thank you, Rush. I owe you my life.”

  “Just doing my duty, miss. Besides, I owe Torben my life several times over, so consider the debt already paid.”

  On shaky legs, I made my way over to the gunwale and took in the scene unfolding on the beach. Torben and Magnus were facing each other, Torben’s sword held at Magnus’ throat. Magnus’ warriors surrounded them. Additional warriors milled further up the beach; some had arrows nocked, trained upon Magnus’ men. Torben and Magnus were clearly discussing something, but though the sounds carried across the water, I couldn’t make out their words.

  Hearing grunting and groaning behind me, I turned in time to watch Rush hoist Ragnar’s body and pitch it over the side of the boat. The corpse splashed into the water and floated, bobbing along on the waves.

  “Didn’t need that bastard taking up valuable deck space,” Rush said, joining me at the rail. I turned back to the beach to see Torben pointing toward us. Magnus faced us, then spun back to Torben angrily. I gasped when Magnus charged Torben, swinging his axe. My heart was in my throat as the men began to fight, exchanging blows. Every time I thought one man was about to get the upper hand, the other would battle back. I held my breath each time Torben put up his sword to block Magnus’ axe, gripping the rail of the ship so hard my knuckles turned white.

  I felt helpless as I observed my future husband battling for his life. This day was bound to come, but I hadn’t really thought about what Torben’s challenge of Magnus would really mean. Intellectually, I realized they would have to fight to the death. But imagining that fight and seeing the battle play out before my eyes were two vastly different things.

  Suddenly, Torben fell backward. I stifled a screamed as Magnus leapt, swinging his axe at Torben’s prone body. Had I not been so scared, I would have cheered when Torben rolled away to safety. It was but a moment’s reprieve, though, as Torben managed to rise and charge the other man. Magnus dropped his axe and grabbed Torben, squeezing him tightly. My body was shaking all over with emotion, and I couldn’t contain the fear in my stomach. Once Torben headbutted Magnus and broke free, I let out the breath I had been holding.

  Torben and Magnus continued fighting. I was leaning over the rail, hanging on every strike, parry, and dodge the two men made. Time seemed to stand still as they battled. I felt as if I were standing on a cliff in a heavy wind. Every swing of Magnus’ axe felt like it would send me sprawling over the edge. Every thrust of Torben’s sword seemed to pull me back to safety.

  Then disaster struck when their blades met with a resounding crash. Torben’s shattered, and he was left with nothing but the hilt. Without thinking, without realizing what I was doing, I leapt over the gunwale and fell into the freezing water, determined to get to Torben. What I was going to do when I got there, I had no idea. With every kick and stroke, I prayed to the heavens he would somehow still be alive when I reached the shore. If he wasn’t, I begged to be allowed to join him wherever he was on the other side. If Torben was dead, I refused to go on without him. I would grab the first sword or dagger I could find and run myself through.

  My lungs were screaming at me not only from the exertion, but also from the cold that was quickly attempting to shut down my body. I could barely breathe as I struggled to shore, the waves crashing over my body. My arms and legs felt like jelly, but I kept moving forward. I had to get to Torben. I needed to be there for him.

  The current was too strong, and the waves were too high. I was a decent swimmer, but the water wasn’t usually this cold. Plus, I wasn’t usually dressed in so much clothing. And the previous times I’d gone swimming, I hadn’t just been beaten and thrown down a flight of st
airs. My body had taken too much abuse recently. I’d nearly been strangled and knocked unconscious. My mind was fighting to keep swimming, but I had no strength left. Opening my mouth to draw in air, I got a mouthful of water instead. I spat and sputtered, fighting and kicking to keep my head above the water, but I couldn’t. To be honest, I was getting tired of staring death in the face, nearly wrapped in its peace only to be jerked back into my current hellish life. The difference this time was I truly didn’t want to die because my Viking might be alive. He had been moments ago, but then he’d fallen. I couldn’t die until I knew for sure whether he lived, but my worn-out body didn’t seem to take this desire into consideration as I slipped below the waves.

  I’m sorry, Torben. I’m sorry. I tried so hard to get to you.

  Just as my consciousness started to go black, I was roughly yanked above the surface. “I just saved you, lass. Can’t have you drowning on me now.”

  Rush. He must have jumped in after me. With some effort, he dragged me toward shore. I clung to him like the lifeline he was, crying and blubbering about Torben being dead.

  “Don’t give up hope, Allete. Torben isn’t beaten yet. Keep the faith. Hold on to my neck so I can swim properly, if you would. I’d like to die on the battlefield, not at the bottom of the ocean.”

  He swam along, easily transporting me across the waves. Finally, I felt solid ground beneath my feet, but exhaustion wouldn’t allow me to rise. Rush put my arm around his neck with his arm around my waist, pulling me to my feet and then supporting me as we struggled up the beach together. I couldn’t see for the tears in my eyes, but I searched the faces of the warriors closest to me, searching for Torben—terrified I would see his lifeless body on the ground. He was nowhere to be found, though neither was Magnus. Where were they? What had happened?

  At that moment, the warriors parted and my worst fears were realized. Torben was sprawled on the beach, his face toward the sky. It was like I’d lost my sister all over again, but worse somehow. My legs felt as though they’d been filled with stone. No matter how I urged myself forward, they wouldn’t obey. If I got closer to him and saw he truly wasn’t breathing, then it would be real.

  Instead, I just stood there, muttering a mantra of ‘no’ over and over again until it gradually changed into one shining beacon hope—change. Gasping at my own stupidity, I thought, You can change it, you moron,” as my feet began to move of their own accord.

  When I reached him, I dropped to my knees, my hands landing on his chest. I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself as I internally searched him for damage.

  “As much as I love your hands on me, Princess, I’d really rather have your lips on mine at the moment.”

  Torben’s deep voice caused my eyes to snap open. My brow furrowed as I took in his battle-weary face. “You’re alive,” I said as if informing him of a fact about which he was unaware.

  “And you’re soaking wet.”

  “You’re alive?” It sounded more like a question this time.

  “And you’re still soaking wet. Love, are we just going to lie here and point out the obvious?” he asked, a glint of humor dancing in his eyes—eyes that, moments ago, I thought I’d never see again.

  “Are you seriously being funny right now, Viking?” I growled.

  “Oh shite,” someone muttered, the low sound nonetheless catching my attention. “She’s not using his name. That’s always a bad sign.”

  Ignoring the onlookers, I focused on Torben. “I thought you were dead, you bloody brute,” I snarled, accompanying it with a punch to his chest. This set off a flurry of strikes that I punctuated with words that poured furiously from me. “I thought I was going to have to be in this gods-awful world without you. I didn’t think I’d ever see your eyes or hear your voice again. I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d lost you.” Those last five words came out in a soft whisper as I quit hitting him, latching onto his shirt instead. Tears ran down my cheeks, blurring my vision, as I gazed at him. “I thought I was going to be alone for the rest of my life.”

  “You wouldn’t be alone,” Torben said, pressing a palm to my cheek. His huge hand covered the entire side of my face. It felt amazing, better even than that first gulp of air when I’d been without it too long. “You would have Hilda and Dayna. And the clan.”

  “Not to interrupt this touching moment, but since we’re on the topic, where in the bloody hell is Dayna?” Brant’s gruff voice penetrated the personal bubble Torben and I had been enveloped in. “And Hilda for that matter?”

  Lifting my head to eye the mountain of a man, I couldn’t make the words come, my body shaking from the adrenaline overload. Torben sat up and wrapped his arms around me, running his hand soothingly over my arm. “We can talk about all that has happened after Allete is warm and dry.”

  “Torben…” Brant practically bit out his jarl’s name.

  “It can wait a few minutes, Brant. She’s soaking wet and frozen to the bone for gods’ sake.” Torben helped me to my feet, and I hastily checked him over. Exhaustion covered him like a mantle, but I didn’t see any life-threatening wounds.

  Apparently having noticed my searching eyes, he smiled down at me. “I’m fine, Princess. Better than fine now that I have you back.”

  He pressed his lips to mine. I’d bet he meant it to be a quick kiss, but I wanted more. I’d been through hell and I wanted heaven, even if only for a moment. Rising onto my tiptoes, I wrapped my arms around his neck. Torben pressed one strong hand to my back while the other slipped under the wet hair at the nape of my neck. The warmth of his fingers pressing into my head only made me want to pull myself closer to him.

  My hands moved to cradle his face, my fingers running over his brow, down his cheek, and across his jaw. Groaning against my lips, he pulled me even tighter against his body. We were touching from thigh to thigh all the way to where our mouths danced in sync—everything moving together as if we’d done it a thousand times.

  Torben pulled back just enough to speak. He was breathing as hard as I was, and I could feel his pounding heart against my breast. His eyes roamed over my face, a crooked smile forming. “You’re even more beautiful in reality than in our dreams,” he whispered.

  His words melted my insides, but the joy was brief. “Dreams,” I murmured as the air rushed out of me. “Do you feel the bond between us?”

  He shook his head, his jaw tightening. “No. I’ve been trying to reach out to you, but it’s like it just vanished. I didn’t know if you were dead or alive.”

  “I felt the same way.”

  The sound of a throat clearing drew Torben’s attention away from me, and he nodded at someone. But instead of continuing our conversation, he began leading me up the beach.

  “I want you to get on some dry clothes,” he said, briskly rubbing his hand up and down my arm in an effort to warm me. “Then you can tell me where my mother and your sister are.”

  Clamping my lips shut, I forced a blank expression to my face. I’d have to talk about it—of course I would. Brant had to be told, and Torben and the clan deserved to know the sacrifice their Oracle had made for them.

  Half an hour later, I sat in Hilda’s small hut. It was one of the few homes that hadn’t been burned by Cathal and his demons. It was the only term that adequately described his army because only purely evil people would do what he’d done to Clan Hakon.

  The relief in Torben’s voice was evident as he explained how the torch landing in the basin of water had spared his mother’s hut the same fate as the rest. The relief wouldn’t last long. Torben, Thomas, and Brant had carried in large tree stumps to serve as makeshift chairs, one of which I sat upon now. It was just the four of us, as I had requested no one else be permitted to join us. Though Clan Hakon would need to know about Hilda, Torben had the right to know first and to be able to mourn in private.

  Tears had once again started streaming down my face. Leaning forward, Torben wiped them away. “Tell us what’s got you so upset, love.”

&nbs
p; My body started to tremble, and I wrapped my arms around my waist as if that could somehow hold me together. I’d managed to keep from falling completely apart on the ship, but now I just couldn’t hold it together any longer.

  Torben pulled me into his lap, his arms joining mine as he wrapped them tightly around me. After several minutes, I took a deep breath and told myself to pull it together. I needed to be strong for these men, because they were about to have their hearts broken.

  “I wasn’t sure how many days had passed since we’d been asleep in the clearing.” I glanced up at Torben. “That was the last time we saw each other in our dreams.” He nodded. “When I was pulled from the dream, I woke up to Hilda standing over me with a knife.” I continued relaying the events that had unfolded, managing to keep my voice steady even as I spoke of what Hilda had told me when she’d cut both our hands and joined our blood. As I recounted how I had begged her not to, the tears returned.

  “I swear, Torben, I tried to stop her,” I said around a sob. I kept my gaze lowered, not able meet his eyes for fear of seeing condemnation there, accusation that I should have tried harder and done more.

  I felt a finger under my chin as he lifted my head up. His eyes were as gentle as they always were with me. “You think I blame you?” He shook his head. “Princess, Hilda was a force that couldn’t be contained. You didn’t tell her what to do, and if she had her mind made up about something, you sure as hell couldn’t change it. I won’t lie—it hurts that she’s gone. But I know she did not make that decision on a whim. She knew something we do not. I trust her even as I lament her death.” He caressed my cheek, his touch a comfort I desperately needed. “We can deal more with that later. Continue with the events.”