By love enslaved

by Conn, Phoebe

  Berit looked out, but she didn't smile when she saw Erik about to mount his horse. "Thank you for returning Sleipner. I never ride him, but I'm sure our mares would soon miss him."

  Despite the teasing nature of her comment, there was a wariness in her glance that he had not seen before, and Erik, knowing he was to blame, felt a sharp stab of guilt. Rather than swing himself up into the saddle, he took a step tpward the house. He had come to apologize, and now that he had the chance, he blurted it out.

  "You have always been as dear as a sister to me, Berit. I'm sorry if what I said to you yesterday seemed needlessly cruel. I didn't meant it to be."

  Sufficiently intrigued to risk speaking with him again, Berit stepped out the door and pulled it closed behind her. "Brendan means nothing to me. How could you have even imagined that he did?"

  His accusation had been motivated by a searing flash of jealousy, not reason, but Erik couldn't admit that. "He's a handsome man," he pointed out instead.

  "We had so much trouble with him I really didn't notice." Berit moved another step closer to her violet-eyed visitor. Wayward strands of his shiny, dark brown hair dipped down low over his right brow, and she longed to reach up and push them back into place but restrained that

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  impulse as doubtlessly unwanted. He had forced her to realize they were no longer children who could touch without causing comment, and that was a loss that saddened her.

  '*You may have been like a brother to me once," she began softly, "but not anymore."

  Berit was regarding him with a level gaze, her manner sincere rather than flirtatious, and Erik realized he was dangerously close to getting himself in trouble again. He noted the wisps of honey-blond hair that framed her face and provided a delicate accent to the sparkling blue of her eyes. Her nose had a slight upward tilt that fit the vivaciousness of her personality perfectly. Her lower lip had an inviting fullness that promised her kisses would be delicious, but forbidding himself to dwell on such a tantalizing sight, he lowered his glance only to find that the pert upward thrust of her breasts showed clearly through her lightweight wool tunic. There seemed to be no place he could focus his gaze without becoming far too aware of the abundance of her charms, and he feared he was becoming so distracted that their conversation would go no better than it had the previous day.

  "Berit," he begged hoarsely. "Don't do this to me."

  "Do what?" the pretty blonde inquired innocently. "Ask you to think of me as a woman instead of a sister?"

  "Yes." Erik took a step backward, but when Berit took another step forward he bumped into Shadow and had to stand his ground. "Brother and sister is all we can ever be." Yet the thoughts that filled his mind as he looked at her were anything but chaste. He wanted to reach out and gather her into his arms, to cover the silken smoothness of her pale golden skin with more kisses than she could count. Not to do so took all the self-control he possessed.

  While Berit assumed Erik had meant his words to sound convincing, he had failed to sway her. A deUghted smile lit her face with happiness and she shook her head emphatically. "You are no brother to me, and I don't believe that's what you truly want either. I seldom ride, but if you'll tell where it is you'll be taking your falcons tomorrow, I'll meet you there."

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  Unable to think clearly with her standing so close and the subtle fragrance of her perfume clouding his mind, Erik tore his eyes away from hers. Her request was a bold one, but he couldn't deny it was enormously appealing. He couldn't bring himself to scold her again for putting her desires into words simply because he dared not do the same. She was only sixteen, but he was twenty-two, and concentrating on that fact, he forced himself to act like a man who was totally in control of his emotions even though that was a long way from the truth.

  *'The falcons will be molting soon and won't be training, so what you suggest is doubly impossible."

  When Berit frowned slightly, Erik knew she was about to argue and he refused to provide her that chance. Giving in to the love he had always felt for her, if only for a second, he bent down to place a feather-soft kiss on her lips, then he abruptly turned away. In an instant he was seated astride his sleek black horse, and from that lofty perch he could speak with far more confidence than he felt. '^I've asked you not to tease me before, Berit. Please don't do it again. We can't meet tomorrow or any other morning. The risk is simply too great."

  Berit reached out to grab Shadow's bridle before Erik could turn away. *'What risk? I'd never tell."

  "The risk is that we would fall in love, but be forbidden to marry. I could never bear that pain, and I won't inflict it on you. Now good day."

  Erik wrenched his mount free of her grasp and urged him into a brisk canter that swiftly carried him across the yard and out onto the path that led home. He didn't look back, but Berit remained where she stood until he was no longer in sight.

  The disheartened blonde let out a mournful sigh as she turned around, but when she found her mother standing in the doorway observing her with a darkly menacing scowl, she did her best to display her most dazzling smile. She was certain Grena couldn't have seen Erik kiss her, so she didn't understand why she looked so troubled.

  "Just what did you and Erik have to discuss^ for so

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  long?" Grena asked without responding to her daughter's friendly smile.

  "We were talking about horses." Why that subject had come to her mind she didn't know, but it had sounded plausible enough to her, so she elaborated on it. "He thought we might want to breed Sleipner to some of their mares, but I told him that's something for J0m and Haakon to decide."

  "Why would Erik be talking to you about such things?" Grena asked suspiciously.

  "Well, I suppose the thought occurred to him when they had Sleipner at their farm last night. Sky Dancer is a better stallion than Sleipner, though, isn't he?" Berit was sorry now she had not said they were talking about falcons, since she knew her mother had little interest in the elegant birds of prey.

  "Yes, he is a splendid animal, while Sleipner seldom lives up to J0m's boasts. Is that all Erik said to you?"

  "He wished me a good day. Did you want to speak with him? I wish you had said so. I would have told hiin to wait a moment."

  "No, I've nothing to say to Erik." Grena's frown had failed to lift, however. "See that you don't either, as it will only encourage him and we don't want that."

  Berit wanted to argue that she would never want any man's attentions more, but knowing that declaration would only serve to make her mother even more suspicious than she appeared to be already, she shrugged as though Erik meant nothing at all to her. "I seldom see him anymore, Mother, and he treats me as though I were still a child, so you needn't worry about him."

  Grena continued to regard her lovely daughter with a thoughtful stare. Erik was quite handsome, and with all the wealthy traders gone, Berit would have no young men calling on her until the fall. "I intend a fine marriage for you, Berit, and your reputation must be above reproach. You are not to speak with Erik again unless Freya sends him here with a message."

  "Yes, Mother," Berit replied, but she had no intention of honoring that promise. She had never enjoyed riding as

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  much as Dana did, but she decided instantly that was an interest she ought to cultivate since it would provide an excuse to visit Freya's farm often, and with luck she would see Erik every time she was there. Surely, in time he would want to meet with her alone. That possibility was so exciting she couldn't look her mother in the eye as she stepped by her. Fortunately, Grena was so preoccupied she dicta't notice Berit's delighted smile.

  When Dana called his name, Brendan was so startled he nearly drove the tines of the pitchfork he was using through the toe of his boot. He wheeled around and found her standing at the stable door. She was silhouetted by the morning sun so he could make out nothing but her shapely form. That she had come looking for
him pleased him enormously, until she spoke.

  *'Thora and I are going riding, and we need you to saddle our mounts. You know which horse is mine, and the sorrel pony in the next stall is hers."

  As the redhead turned to go, Brendan stifled his anger long enough to call out to her, "Wait!"

  Dana paused, still holding the front of her tunic as she prepared to take another step. "Is there something you don't understand?" Having come to the regrettable conclusion she would have to deal with Brendan on a daily basis, Dana had decided she would speak with him only when she had a specific task for him to perform. Otherwise she would pretend he did not exist.

  After leaning the pitchfork against the wall so he would not be tempted to spear her with it, Brendan walked to the end of the stable. While he worked, he had again been telling himself that Dana was a pagan beauty with the blackest of hearts, but once he could see her delicate features cleariy his resolve to despise her wavered dangerously. He could think of only one thing when he looked at her: how glorious it would be to feel her naked body pressed close to his.

  "Do you ride without an escort?" he asked incredulously.

  "Neither of us is in any danger of being thrown," Dana assured him.

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  The sunlight had again given her glossy red hair a halo's bright gleam, and dazzled by that splendor, Brendan had to take a moment to explain his concern. 'Tve seen you ride, so it's not your skill which I'm questioning, but the wisdom of riding alone. Are there never any travelers on the roads, strangers who might wish you harm?"

  Amused, Dana responded with a throaty laugh, certain his remark was based on something other than concern for her safety. *'You are the only dangerous stranger on Fyn, Brendan, and as long as you attend to your duties here, I will feel safe." His glance turned cold, but that didn't bother her in the least. She preferred his hatred to the scathing heat of his unbridled lust. As a scowl contorted his mouth into a fierce grimace, she noticed for the first time that a thin scar crossed his upper lip midway to the left comer. Probably the result of a punch to his mouth he must surely have deserved, she mused silently.

  *'I waited until you had finished eating to ask this of you," Dana pointed out in the same emotionless tone she had used when fu^t addressing him. ''Do not keep us waiting any longer than necessary." She turned her back on him and disappeared around the side of the stable, giving him no opportunity to reply.

  "The bitch!" Brendan again swore in his own tongue, repeating the insult that had started the fight with Erik the previous day. He would saddle her horse all right, but he was tempted to cut the cinch nearly through so it would break during her ride and spill the haughty flame-haired beauty in the dirt, where he thought she belonged.

  "I don't think I should ask Moira what that word means," Thora announced solemnly.

  His attention drawn to the shadows at the door, Brendan cursed himself for not having noticed Dana wasn't alone. "No, you shouldn't," he agreed. "Who's Moira?"

  Thora followed as Brendan walked back to the stall where Dana's dapple-gray mare stood. "She's one of our servants, and her parents were from Erin so she speaks your tongue.

  "I thought I was the only thrall here."

  "You are. Her parents earned their freedom before she was bom."

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  "She was bom here then?" Brendan thought Dana's mare a beauty, but expecting her to have the sanie disagreeable temperament as her owner, he was pleasantly surprised when she stood quietly as he swung her saddle up on her back. Adorned with ribbons as was the horse, it had been easy to recognize which saddle and bridle Dana used.

  "Yes. Does that matter?" Thora stepped out of Brendan's -way as he moved on down the aisle to her pony.

  "Yes, for she will have no memories of my home." Not wanting to think of his own memories growing faint before he was able to win his freedom and return home, Brendan abruptly changed the subject. "What's your pony's name?"

  "Rascal," the little girl responded with a giggle. "My father named him."

  "Did he?" The sheer playfulness of the name amazed him. Was it possible Haakon had a charming side? he wondered. "Why is everyone so afraid of your father? Does his sword never leave his hand?" Brendan's tone was teasing, but he thought it more likely he could inspire Thora to provide some useful information about Haakon than anyone else, and he wanted to be prepared to meet him.

  Thora cocked her head as she gazed up at the handsome slave. "What does it matter to you? You belong to J0m, not him."

  Brendan was astonished the little girl had been clever enough to cut him oflF as coldly as he had her mother. She had been too bright to fall for his ploy and he wouldn't insult her by attempting it again. "I was just curious since I'll be here all summer." He had Rascal saddled in a few minutes, and Thora took the reins from his hand, bounded up on the pony's back, and rode him out of the stable without speaking to him again.

  "Amazing child," he murmured softly. He would have to remember to watch for her before he spouted oflF again about her sister.

  By the time Brendan led Dana's mare from the stable, his temper had cooled. He found the perplexing beauty waiting in the yard, and clasped his hands to provide her with a convenient step to reach her stirrup. After a slight hesitation, she lay her hand on his shoulder and placed the toe of her boot in his palms. Even encased in leather it was plain

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  she had tiny feet, and her leggings were so snug they didn't hide the elegant shape of her calf. She was dressed in pale green that day, and her garments were lightly perfumed with the exotic scent he immediately recalled from their encounter in the storehouse. What sweet torture, he thought to himself, but the moment passed all too swiftly.

  Once comfortably seated astride her mare, Dana reached out to take the reins from Brendan. He did not simply hand them to her, however, but first brought her palm to his lips and brushed it lightly with a kiss. As shocked as her mother had been by such unexpected aflFection, her reflexes were far more swift, and she immediately jericed her hand free. *'You are undoubtedly the most contemptible man ever bom!" she hissed under her breath so Thora could not overhear.

  Brendan flashed a wicked grin. "I can only beg your forgiveness, but after the aromas of the stable your perftime was too enticing to resist."

  *'It is not my perfume which is the problem, but your arrogance!" Dana jabbed her heels into her mare's flanks and bolted out of the yard at a speed so swift Thora had no chance to keep up.

  Knowing she had missed something, the little girl turned back to look at Brendan, but he just waved and wished her a pleasant ride before returning to his chores with a smile he couldn't hide. He would settle for arrogance for the time being. At least it showed something about him had touched Dana, and he considered that a good start.

  CHAPTER VI

  When Erik arrived home, he found Brendan seated in the pasture where Sky Dancer and half a dozen brood mares^J

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  were grazing. Checking the stable to make certain the slave had cleaned it, he complimented him before issuing a reprimand.

  "The stable has seldom looked better, but you should be grooming our stock, not merely admiring it."

  Brendan rose to his feet with a lazy stretch. He had removed his kirtle to enjoy the warmth of the sun, but donned it again before walking over to the wall where Erik stood. "They need an opportunity to get used to my scent, and it's always wise to observe horses in order to understand their temperaments before working with them."

  Knowing that each animal did indeed have its own unique personality and quirks, Erik nevertheless appeared skeptical. "Just what have you learned this morning?"

  Brendan casually leaned back against the wall. "Sky Dancer is naturally protective of his mares, but he has a very good disposition in addition to speed. It's no wonder your father is so proud of him. These mares are all equally fine, as are the horses you use for riding. I've not had time to observe the yearlings or
two-year-olds, but if Sky Dancer sired them all, I've no doubt they are outstanding animals too."

  "Yes, they are," Erik agreed with justifiable pride. "Haakon sells any that don't measure up to his high standard. Two of the mares should foal soon. The gray is Freya's horse. Light of Dawn, so you'll need to keep a close eye on her. Her last foal was sickly and didn't live. I'd hate to see that happen again, but I'm more worried about the mare. Freya would be heartbroken if we lost her."

  Brendan pursed his lips thoughtfully, wondering if this wouldn't be a good time to propose a bargain. Being a daring individual, he decided it was. "You don't let bad news of any kind reach Freya's ears, do you?" he asked slyly.

  The change in the Celt's expression alarmed Erik, and he grew wary. "As I told you, she's very dear to me. It's quite natural that I'd want to spare her grief."

  "Of course," Brendan concurred. "So she knows nothing about what happened yesterday, does she?"

  "There was no reason to upset her with tales of your

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  disobedience, if that's what you mean," Erik replied sarcastically.

  "Nor of her own son's?"

  Unwilling to justify his actions to a slave, even a strong and clever one, Erik drew himself up to his fiill height before speaking. *'What Dana and I wish to confide or conceal is none of your business."

  '*I happen to think that it is," the Celt contradicted as he turned to face Erik squarely. "I understand that Freya isn't well enough to manage this farm, but why do you let Dana give the orders? You're not only several years older, but a man. Why isn't the greater authority yours?"

  When Erik's violet eyes narrowed to menacing slits, Brendan was grateful for the wall that separated them, but he didn't back down. *'Just hear me out. I think you and 1 can strike a bargain that would be advantageous to us both. To enhance your position, I'll do only what you tell me, and conveniently forget Dana's orders. TTiat will make you look forceful while she'll appear incompetent. I'll also go along with you to make Freya believe the life here is placid, even if that's not the case, but I'll expect certain favors in return."