By love enslaved

by Conn, Phoebe

  Unaware of the undercurrent of hostility that flowed between many of those surrounding him, J0m gathered his courage, but his voice was still no more than a hoarse whisper as he began to speak. 'The English have accepted us, and our position in the Danelaw is now secure. This summer we heard talk of Danes settling in Erin as well. It seems the people there are eager to welcome us because they know we'll help them rout the Norsemen."

  Brendan clenched his fists at his sides as he wondered if J0m's story could possibly be true. Everyone despised the Norsemen, for they had ravaged his homeland for nearly a hundred years, but that his countrymen would ask help from Danes to defeat their enemy of long standing struck him as too desperate and dangerous a ploy to be believed. He did not speak up, however, but continued to listen without drawing attention to himself.

  J0m continued, but with increasing difiRculty. *'I wanted to visit Erin, to see for myself what the prospects for trade were, but Haakon and Svien were against it." He paused then, his lips trembling slightly. '*I kept telling them, if we were among the first to establish trade, then untold riches would be ours. Haakon said we already possessed sufficient wealth, but I continued to argue. When I threatened to sail to Erin on my own, he said he had never seen me show so much ambition. Because he didn't want me to make such a voyage alone, he and Svien went with me. I had gotten the route from a man in the Danelaw. He told me it would lead

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  me to a safe harbor, but it led only to Trom. Fm to blame for what happened, and I dare not hope that any of you will ever forgive me."

  Fearing J0m would be overcome with guilt and weep uncontrollably as he had on the morning he had arrived, Brendan spoke up to distract him. *'Is Trom still camped at the mouth of the River Shannon?"

  At first J0m did not recognize the Celt, for his appearance and manner of dress had improved greatly since they had parted. Realizing the cause of his confusion, Brendan reminded him who he was, and the young man tried to smile. **Of course, Brendan. Had I known we would be going to Erin, I would have taken you with me."

  Startled by that comment, Dana turned to look at her former lover and found his full attention focused on her rather than on J0m. As one, they had realized such a decision would have prevented them from meeting, perhaps forever. The sorrow of that possibility jarred them both, but she was the first to look away.,

  Only Erik saw the silent exchange, and ignoring its significance, he quickly stepped forward to explain that Jarald would soon be arriving with his ship and crew. "I mean to help him deliver the ransom. You need only rest and regain your strength."

  Greatly alarmed by the mention of the ransom, J0m tried to sit up straight, but overcome with dizziness, he fell back into die heap of quilts that covered the bed. "It may ah*eady be too late," he mumbled despondently. *'We were to sail home, gather the ransom, and begin the return voyage that same day, or—" Seeing Freya's anxious glance, tfie pale young man fell silent.

  They had already learned from tiie crew members who had not been stricken with tfie fever that Trom had demanded a thousand pounds of silver. While tiiat was a huge sum, fteya had readily supplied it. "We have the ransom, J0m, and we'll leave as soon as Jarald returns," Erik assured him. "The good weather will hold and we'll make up whatever time has been lost."

  "I must go too," J0m insisted weakly. "Trom will deal only with me."

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  "Trom will be too eager to receive the ransom to care who delivers it," Erik predicted. "If you tried to sail with us, you would be far too likely to fall ill again, and you'd not be able to deliver anything if you didn't survive the journey."

  J0m winced, but not wanting to take such a grave risk, he readily gave in. "I'll tell you all I can about Trom before you go."

  As her son closed his eyes, Grena recognized he was too exhausted to say mwe, and she motioned for everyone to leave. Because they all shared the same need to complete their plans, they gathered around the hearth in the hall to discuss them. When Dana sat down between her mother and Erik, Brendan chose to stand across from her. He was badly disappointed he had not been able to strike a bargain with J0m for his freedom, as remaining a thrall put him at a great disadvantage. Thinking, if he did not acknowledge his status, it might go unnoticed, he was the first to speak.

  *'I can guide Jarald's ship to a secluded harbor above the Shannon. Trom will expect us to come from the south, not the north, so the advantage will be ours. Jarald and his men can wait in hiding until I have the men I'll gather in place. We can surround Trom before he realizes he's in danger."

  "You really don't believe paying the ransom in a straightforward manner is even a possibility?" Freya inquired.

  While he thought he had made himself clear on that subject during their last conversation, Brendan did not react in a hostile fashion. "No, Trom has absolutely no sense of honor. He has often demanded tribute from towns in exchange for peace. Then when he has every last item of value the townspeople possess, he attacks them anyway, sets fire to every dwelling, and slaughters the men. TTie women are usually dead in a day or two, and the children sold as slaves."

  Hoping that the gruesome story had sickened everyone, as it did him, Brendan continued in a softer tone. "We ought to have the silver to ransom your husband and scm witti us, thou^, because it's impossible to say how elabo-

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  rate a trick we might be forced to play, but you'll not lose a single coin."

  **The silver means nothing to us, Brendan. It's only our loved ones' lives that are precious," Freya said.

  "Of course," Brendan acknowledged with a slight bow.

  As he was speaking, Grena had entered the room. "How can we be certain you don't plan to steal the ransom for yourself?"

  "You'll have to trust me," Brendan replied, his expression becoming one of open contempt,

  Grena laughed as though that were a preposterous request, and knowing the proud Celt had been insulted, Dana immediately took his side. "Brendan is trusting us, Aunt Grena. He may know what sort of man Trom is, but he doesn't know my father and brother. What if they are worse?"

  The question hurt far more than Grena's, for it forced Brendan to realize that by freeing Haakon and Svien, he might be putting his own people in jeopardy. What if they had no more character than Trom? WTiat if, once freed, they turned on him and killed his friends? Trom would betray an ally he no longer needed without a second thought. Would Haakon and Svien do the same?

  There had been more than thirty men with J0m. Surely Jarald would arrive with that many. If there were sixty with Haakon and Svien, he would be turning loose nearly a hundred Danes within striking distance of his home. Was gaining his freedom worth such a risk? How he could have thought only of himself, and not his family and friends, Brendan did not understand, but he felt not only ashamed but exceedingly stupid for having been so trusting of his master's people.

  "I have work to do," he announced as he turned toward the door, no longer interested in discussing the rescue eflfort and not caring if his hasty departure was rude.

  When Erik turned toward her, obviously alarmed, Dana quickly rose to her feet. "Aunt Grena, whether or not you trust Brendan doesn't matter. He'll play a vital part in my father and brother's rescue. Please excuse me. There are

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  several chores I neglected to mention to him." Lifting her flowing garments above her feet, she fled the hall in a most unladylike haste.

  Although Brendan heard Dana calling his name, he kept right on walking. He went on past the tents, waving to Moira, whom he had noticed on several occasions with a slender red-haired man who seemed to be thriving with her care. The shy maid blushed, but she was pleased he had noticed her, while her companion frowned, clearly disgruntled that he had lost her full attention.

  Knowing Brendan had to hear her, Dana ceased calling to him. She slowed her pace to her normal one and followed him down to the docks. When he finally turned to face her, she didn
't rebuke him for ignoring her. He was wearing the same hostile scowl that had marred his features upon leaving the house, and she was glad there was no one nearby to overhear what could easily become a heated argument if she failed to calm him.

  "I know you don't want to hear my thoughts on trust again, so I won't repeat them, but I was trying to convince my aunt to be still, not attempting to frighten you. My father will be grateful for whatever help you give us. You'll never be sorry that you set him and my brother free. Only good can come of it."

  Still fighting to control his temper, Brendan looked over Dana's shoulder, thinking her farm as impressive a place as he had when he had first arrived. The servants were as industrious as he had supposed, and he had yet to hear a word of complaint about Haakon from any of them. He should have realized long before this that the man had to be of good character, but unfortunately he hadn't. Erik had called Dana her father's daughter, and now focusing his glance on her troubled frown, he realized that he had come to trust her too late.

  *'I was determined to hate you all," he admitted with unusual candor. "From the day Trom took me prisoner, hatred was all that kept me alive. I vowed to survive no matter what agony he put me through. To survive, return home, and one day give him the brutal execution he deserves. It's Trom I want, Dana. Don't think I oflFered to help

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  out of concern for you or your family. Your mother was right. My goal is a purely selfish one."

  *'What are you saying? That you will steal the ransom if you can?"

  '*No, I'm no thief," Brendan assured her. "But I don't want to ask the help of Danes to rid my homeland of the Norsemen and then find we are worse off than before."

  Dana searched her mind, seeking a means to allay his fears, and an idea swiftly presented itself. "You must put that worry aside for the time being, Brendan. Now the challenge is to free my father and brother. Once that is accomplished, you can deal with Trom in any way you choose." Taking a step closer, she raised her hand to sweep away a curl the breeze had blown across her cheek and then laid her palm upon his chest.

  "I can't spesdc for what other Danes may do, but I can give you my word that, once freed, my father and brother will not return to Erin unless you invite them to do so. Despite our many differences, I know that your heart is good. You once promised that you would not harm those I love, and I'll gladly make the same promise to you. Erik and I need you to set our father and brother free. You need us to return to Erin and defeat Trom. Let's join forces and make it one quest, not two."

  The touch of Dana's hand warmed Brendan clear through, but he successfully fought the impulse to draw her into his arms and foolishly pledge not only his love but his life as well. "How does Jarald fit into your plans?" he asked instead.

  The coldness of his tone gave her the impression he must find her touch objectionable, and Dana dropped her hand" to her side. She turned away for a moment and looked out over the water. "He'll be coming soon, perhaps tomorrow," she murmured more to herself than to her companion. "I'm going to tell you something. I don't want you to confront Jarald with it, just remember it."

  Intrigued, Brendan reached out to touch her shoulder and turn her back toward him. "What is it?"

  Dana quickly related what she and Berit had learned from Ulla. She had not told anyone what conclusion she had

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  drawn, but it troubled her deeply. '*Grena and Jarald may bave been lovers for a long while. If so—"

  A clever man, Brendan instantly understood what Dana was hinting at. *'Then he could have been the one who set the fire and nearly killed me! No wonder Erik found no tracks leading back to Grena's house. He and his men would have covered Jarald's trail when they brought me here."

  Dana nodded. '*That seems likely. We need him, though, Brendan. We need his ship and crew to reach Erin and free my father and Svien. Once that's accomplished, we can force him to tell us the truth about the night of the fire."

  '*We?" Brendan asked with the first smile she had seen from him in several days.

  "rU not forgive him for trying to kill you. Did you think I would?"

  "That's he's slept with Grena doesn't insult you?"

  *'That scarcely compares to what he did to you," Dana scoffed. "I care not at all in whose bed he sleeps, but I'll not allow anyone to mistreat you."

  She looked so adamant that Brendan could not suppress a laugh. *'Why won't you admit that you love me, when it's so obvious that you do?"

  That he would tease her again about so vital a matter hurt Dana badly. "I'm not the one who wanted to end what we've shared," she reminded him with an accusing stare.

  She had put the blame squarely on him, where he knew it belonged, but before Brendan could find some eloquent way to beg her forgiveness for what had surely been the worst mistake of his life, he saw Erik hurrying toward them. "Does Erik know what you suspect?"

  "No, I've told only you."

  "It will be our secret then," Brendan replied.

  '.'One of many," Dana whispered as Erik reached her side.

  Seeing Brendan's smile, Erik assumed Dana had succeeded in winning his cooperation. With an embarrassed stammer, the daric-haired young man asked for a swinmiing lesson.

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  Dana left them, and the opportunity to ask her to meet him that night was lost. While that dampened Brendan's spirits considerably, he gave his ftill attention to teaching Erik how to swim, and because the young man was so eager a pupil, he did not find the task disagreeable, but he did not waste the chance to again insist he be given his freedom before the voyage to Erin.

  Wisely, Freya had not asked Grena and Berit to share a sleeping chamber, so Berit still had a room of her own. Just as she had on previous nights, she waited anxiously for Erik to join her, and he did not disappoint her. He slipped through her door as soon as the house was quiet, drew her into a fervent embrace, and covered her face with adoring kisses. When he felt the dampness of her tears, he held her all the more tightly.

  *'It will take less than a week to reach Erin," he whispered. *'No more than a day or two to free Haakon and Svien, and then another week to return home. We've known each other all our lives. Don't you think our love will survive if we're apart three weeks?"

  The reassuring words did not help Berit overcome her fears. "I'm not afraid for our love, only for you!" she replied.

  Brendan had taught him how to float, but Erik knew it would take many more lessons before he could actually swim. He also had Brendan to thank for whatever skills he had gained with a sword, but they would need to practice each night when they put in to shore. He was not yet a warrior of any merit, but he had taken the first steps and was confident his courage would not fail him when it caftie time to apply what he had learned.

  "I'm no coward, Berit. I'll not ask Brendan and Jarald to save my father and brother. I want to do that myself. If you're going to continue to weep and beg me not to go, then I'll leave you now. If you have no faith in me tonight, perhaps you'll have some by the time I return."

  Not about to let him leave, Berit refused to release her hold on him. "I have enormous faith in you, but that doesn't mean I won't be afraid."

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  Seeing they were getting nowhere, Erik led her to the bed. *This is what I want you to think about while Fm gone, Berit, only this," he murmured as he loosened the tie at her throat and slipped her nightgown off her shoulders. "With your love, I can do anything. You mustn't doubt that, for I never will."

  Responding to what she knew was only the first of many delicious kisses they would exchange, Berit did not speak again of her fears, but that did not mean that they were forgotten, only suppressed for the night, if not forever.

  Jarald arrived at dawn and not with a knarr, the deep-sea vessel he had captained for trading, but with a dreki, one of the sleek warships with which the Danes had not only crossed the seas, but also challenged Europe's rivers and conquered her people. Called th
e Seahawk, its ornately carved prow and stem gave the ship a majestic elegance that belied her deadly purpose. ^

  At the first glimpse of the Seahawk's diamond-patterned sail in the distance, Brendan's mind flooded with memories of death so intense he was certain he could actually smell the sickly-sweet scent of blood. He did not think he could stand to go near the ship, let alone sail it home. When Dana slipped her hand in his, he was so lost in his own thoughts he was badly startled.

  *'Jarald must not suspect that we know of his alliance with Grena," the stunning redhead warned in a hushed tone. ''Do no more than watch and wait. The time for revenge will soon come."

  Dana smiled when he glanced down at her, but the light in her eyes danced with a chilling gleam. That morning he had made another fruitless attempt to convince Erik to leave the beautiful young woman at home. Now he was forced to accept the fact that Dana had a natural talent for intrigue and would undoubtedly be the asset her brother had repeatedly insisted that she would be.

  Overcoming, his own stubborn resistance to taking Dana along, Brendan realized that, once in Erin, he might somehow find the means to convince her to stay, and suddenly her presence became extremely desirable. He gave her hand a tender squeeze, then released it before the others standing

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  on the dock noticed how close they were standing or, indeed, suspected how close they truly were.

  Dana welcomed Jarald with a friendly smile, then had to suflFer through one of his boisterous hugs before she could speak. ''We'll soon have your boat loaded with our things, but we need to speak with J0m one last time before we saiL"

  Brendan and Erik followed close behind as Dana and Jarald started for the house, but not before they had gotten a good look at Jarald's crew. To a man they were as well-built as their captain, and their expressions showed them to be a determined lot. "Were Haakon's crew anything like these men?" Brendan inquired softly.