Rule of the Shieldmaiden

by Jaime Loughran

  “If you keep looking at me like that, we’ll keep them waiting even longer because I’ll pull you into this bed and have my way with you.”

  Thora’s cheeks grew hot and her stomach fluttered at the thought, but now was not the time. She cleared her throat. “You didn’t get enough last night?”

  He snorted. “As if there is such a thing as ‘enough’ when it comes to you.” He rolled over and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. He rubbed his eyes and then ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll have to resign myself to wait then, I guess.”

  She chuckled. “Get dressed.” She reached down, picked up his tunic, and tossed it at him.

  Instead of catching the garment, he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her into bed in a single fluid motion. He rolled her under him.

  Her breath caught in her throat at the suddenness of finding herself on her back and staring up into his lust lit eyes. As he pressed himself against her center, all thoughts of leaving that bed abandoned her. She threaded her fingers through his hair and brought his lips to hers. As their tongues danced against each other, Thora rolled her hips in invitation.

  Galinn trailed kisses down her neck as he pulled away only long enough to slide her breeches over her hips and down her legs. As his hands slid against her skin, a fire lit in her core and spread through her whole body. After he removed her breeches, he pushed her tunic over her head. His eyes worshiped her exposed flesh before his hands followed his gaze. A shiver of anticipation caused her body to tremble.

  “Come here.” She whispered as she pulled him down to her. His mouth closed over hers as he pressed himself against her center. A groan escaped from deep in her throat as he slid inside her and began moving his hips.

  He shifted and leaned on his elbows. Staring into his eyes, she saw the depth of his love for her. Her heart swelled as her orgasm built.

  He brought her to the peak and pushed her over the edge. As the stars splintered behind her eyes and the pulsating waves coursed through her body, she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, trusting he’d never let her go. “Oh, Galinn… I love you.”

  His mouth came crashing down onto hers and he swallowed her declaration as he increased his rhythm. He moaned against her lips as he pressed himself against her as if he couldn’t get close enough and spilled his seed into her.

  He kissed her slow and held her close. He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “I love you too, Thora.”

  As much as she would rather stay right here with him, the responsibilities of her position crowded into the foreground, demanding her attention.

  She kissed him one more time. “We have to go.”

  Reluctantly, he lifted himself off her and rolled to a seated position. “But we’ll have tonight.” He promised.

  She gathered her discarded clothing and dressed. Though she was now completely dressed, he still sat naked on the edge of the bed. Her fingers itched to trace the ridges and valleys of his muscular body. She flexed her fingers and grabbed his tunic instead, wishing they didn’t have people expecting them. She tossed the tunic at him. “You really need to get dressed or we’ll never get our plan of attack worked out because we’ll be too busy doing this.” She eyed the bed with its crumpled up pile of blankets and furs.

  He chuckled. “Staying here would be a good way to spend our time.” As he slipped the dark blue fabric over his head, she reached for his breeches, and handed those to him.

  Her smiled faded as she briefly considered not going through with the attack in favor of choosing to keep her focus on him and their growing town. Reality burned down any possibility of that happening. Travers and the king would always be a threat. If she had any hope of a peaceful existence, those two needed to be dealt with once and for all. “I’ll be waiting outside.” She turned to leave when his voice stopped her.

  “I know you’re worrying about attacking Donnchadh, but don’t. We’ll work it out.”

  She nodded with a smile she didn’t quite feel. Planning her first attack was an intimidating affair. The weight of the lives she risked pressed down on her shoulders. “Let’s go meet with the others and see what we can come up with.”

  “We have men promised from Harold, Hagen, and Njal. Between the three of them, plus the men we have, we should be able to mount on army of almost three hundred. Do you think that would be enough to launch a direct assault against Kincora?” Thora raised her eyebrows as she waited for Galinn’s response.

  He shook his head slowly. “It depends on the garrison inside. Bishop Travers usually has his own company of men, and if they’re there, our attack could be successfully defended against.”

  Thora looked from Galinn to Bjorn and then back. “I want Travers dead for what he did to Bjorn and Rónán. He has to be there, even if it means taking on his men as well.”

  “Me too, but we may be better off not trying to get both Travers and Donnchadh in the same attack. If we wait until Travers and his men leave the fort, we stand a greater chance of getting to Donnchadh. Once he’s eliminated, David Travers won’t have anywhere to hide.” Galinn rubbed his chin.

  “That sounds like a solid start. As eager as I am to get my hands on that bishop,” Bjorn spat out the title. “I’m more concerned with minimizing our losses in the attack. If that means we wait until the bishop leaves, then that’s what we do. After we’ve won at Kincora, I’ll hunt Travers to the ends of the Earth if I have to.”

  Galinn nodded. “And I’ll join you in that hunt.”

  “Alright, so we plan our attack for when Travers takes his men from the fort.” Thora eyed Beri, who stood against the wall of the longhouse. “Are you okay with this?”

  Beri pushed himself from the wall and moved to sit at the table. “It’s a good plan. The fort is well protected, so if we have the option to attack at a time when there are fewer forces, we would be wise to choose that course of action.”

  Thora slapped the wooden table as frustration bubbled to her surface. “Right. Now, when do we attack? Is there a way to know when Travers will leave?”

  Galinn nodded. “He’ll be leaving for Dublin at the end of this month, to be there before the Martinmas celebration. He’ll hold a special Mass to mark the beginning of the forty days of fasting before Christmas.”

  Thora smiled. “Will he be gone for the whole forty days?”

  “Longer. He usually stays to celebrate Christmas in Dublin. I guess it’s easier to swindle people during the holy days, and there are more people in Dublin who are less likely to know who he is. They won’t know he only joined the Church because it provided an easy means to become wealthy. There, he can play up his role as bishop, enjoying the way the Christians bow to him.”

  Bjorn stood up and left the table. He paced a few times and then stopped. “We will plan our attack on Martinmas. Donnchadh will have his own celebration, yes?”

  Galinn nodded. “He’ll have a Mass in the town chapel.”

  “Good. If we wait until they’re at Mass, there won’t be as many people in the courtyard to raise an alarm. We can pick off the guards along the wall, and break through the gate. By concentrating our efforts on getting in quickly, we should still have the element of surprise.”

  Galinn opened his mouth as if to speak, and then closed it. Thora’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?”

  His blue eyes flashed with a gleam of excitement. “We may not even have to do that. It’s been so long since anyone has attacked a high king that the gates are rarely ever closed. Between Martinmas and Christmas, there’s usually an increased amount of traders passing through.”

  Thora’s mind raced back to the times she’d been in the fort. The few times she’s seen it, the gate wasn’t ever closed, even at night. She couldn’t recall a heavy guard presence at any time either. “You’re saying we could march right in with little to worry about.”

  A wide grin spread across his lips. “I am. We will have to adjust our travel plans, however. We will have to arrange a meeting poin
t with the other jarls and make sure none of our armies meet until we reach that location. It would be best to move in small groups, so anyone we meet along the road would simply think us traders or simple travelers.”

  Beri clapped Galinn on the back, making him lurch forward against the table with a grunt. “That’s an excellent plan!”

  Bjorn nodded.

  “What do we do once we get into the courtyard? We would be pressed into a confined open space while our opponents would have the advantage of cover from within the buildings.” Thora doubted the attack would be as easy as Galinn made it sound.

  “We move in in small groups to avoid drawing attention and take positions around the courtyard, but near the chapel where Donnchadh will be at Mass. When we’re all in, we burst through the doors and go right for Donnchadh, who will be in the first pew.”

  Thora shook her head. “This sounds too easy. Why would a king leave himself so vulnerable?”

  Galinn spread his arms. “He’s never been attacked. He claimed the throne after his father died and the Norse were subdued at Clontarf. In the beginning, he randomly attacked the nearby Norse villages. Over time, he created alliances with some and attacked others. None took up arms against him in the ten years he’s been doing this. He feels he has little to worry about.”

  “He’s not even worried about the families of other regions wanting his throne?” She’d lived a sheltered life in their village, but what she did know of the Irish was they were rarely content with their own spaces. Regional ruling families often attacked or raided the lands of other regional rulers in a constant struggle for power. The high king wasn’t exempt from attacks, as the battle of Clontarf proved.

  Galinn shook his head and laughed. “He’s an arrogant man, Thora. Between his false sense of security and Travers’ support, he doesn’t think anyone could overthrow him, even if they wanted to.”

  Bjorn held up his hand and clenched his fist. “His arrogance will be what crushes him.”

  Thora wanted Galinn to be right, but the heavy knot in the pit of her stomach made her skeptical. The lives of her warriors depended on this plan going smoothly. She didn’t want to lose anyone unless it was unavoidable.

  This was the first battle where she would also be responsible for the warriors of three other jarls. Attacking Kincora was an aggressive move, and there were plenty of ways their plan could fall apart. They could be seen as they made their way to the fort by a suspicious passerby who sends word to Donnchadh. They could be discovered at their meeting point. The biggest risk they took was in moving into the fort. Thora looked at Beri and then Bjorn. Neither could pass for traders. Their imposing size alone would raise eyebrows. Traders don’t carry weapons and shields. Even if they figured out a way to smuggle their weapons into the fort, there was still a great risk of discovery when they retrieved the weapons before taking their position.

  “I will send word to Hagen, Harold, and Njal to come for a feast to celebrate our new alliance when the harvest is almost finished. Then, we will discuss our plans with them, and see what they have to say.” Thora hoped the planning went smoothly with the jarls.

  CHAPTER 26

  Thora looked out from her seat on the dais at the gathering of people before her in the great hall. Though her hall was smaller than those of the other jarls, Thora was pleased with the intimacy the room offered while still allowing for so many to gather comfortably. Each jarl traveled with a group of no less than ten men, and those men now mingled with the men from her village. Some stood in small groups around the room, while others moved from table to table to socialize. Everyone seemed to be getting along and enjoying themselves. All three of the visiting jarls sat along the dais with her, engrossed in a discussion about hunting that Thora tuned out of long ago. Each man had their preferred method of hunting, and each insisted their way was the most effective. As for Thora, she didn’t care how someone chose to hunt so long as they managed to bring in enough food to keep the food stores well stocked.

  The smell of roasted meats and baking breads wafted into the hall from the kitchen and filled the air, making Thora’s stomach rumble in anticipation. Skathi oversaw the other women in the kitchen, guaranteeing all of the foods would be delicious.

  She glanced at the empty seat beside her. What was keeping Galinn? It wasn’t like him to be late. She scanned the table where Bjorn sat with Beri and found Galinn sitting with some of the men from Njal’s group. A smile tugged at her lips when she saw Erik engaged in a lively conversation with Galinn that involved him gesturing to the healing cut that she gave him above his eye. When Erik looked up and caught her looking at him, he smiled and lifted his chin. Thora returned the gesture, thankful he wasn’t one to hold a grudge over being bested by a woman.

  The women from the kitchen began carrying out plates of food, signaling the men to take their seats. Galinn vacated his spot at Bjorn’s table and joined Thora on the dais. He gave her head a quick kiss as he sat down.

  “Sorry I’m late. Erik begged me to join him when he saw me come in.” Galinn reached for his tankard of mead and took a swig.

  “I didn’t realize you knew him.” Thora smiled.

  “Oh, I didn’t. I guess Bjorn told him who I am, and my involvement with you. He was curious to know if you’d ever beaten me the way you beat him.”

  Thora chuckled.

  “I had to tell him there was a time when you wanted to kill me, and he was relieved that yours was only a sparring match.”

  “I think he went easy on me.”

  Galinn laughed. “Well, that was his mistake, wasn’t it?”

  Njal leaned over. “It was his mistake, but he didn’t go easy on her. His mistake was that of underestimating a woman, and he learned a valuable lesson from it. However, I think he may be a bit infatuated with Thora now. He’s spoken of you often since you left.” Njal winked at her. “It’s not every day a man meets a woman capable of not only holding her own, but of besting him in a match.”

  Galinn covered Thora’s hand with his. “I almost feel sorry for him. She’s an incredible woman, and not just in matches.”

  Njal’s green eyes flickered with a smile. “Yes, he was disappointed to learn she was already in a relationship. Though he was curious if sharing were an option.”

  Thora shook her head with a smile. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “I’m sure Erik will have no choice but to recover from his heartbreak.” Njal laughed.

  Though she took the conversation as a lighthearted jest, a serious thought did come to her. “Perhaps if you opened training to women in your village, you might find other capable women. I only appear to be an anomaly because I was given an opportunity most women are not. Remember, shieldmaidens used to be quite common before some decided it was no longer acceptable for women to fight.”

  Njal’s eyebrows inched up as his smile grew. “I’ve been considering that very thing ever since you visited me in my village and beat one of my own men.”

  “If you’ll excuse me for saying this, I believe women hold an advantage, at least for now, because the men we go up against underestimate us. Because women warriors are a thing of the past, most men don’t realize how formidable we can be.” One corner of Thora’s lips turned upward. “Underestimate me at your own peril. I’m not afraid to use that to my advantage.”

  Harold and Hagen were now intently listening to the conversation.

  “How would you go about getting women interested in training?” Harold’s open expression told Thora he was truly interested in her answer. That surprised her, if she was honest. Harold was an older man who had been jarl for over twenty years. He was a man whose physique spoke to his dedication to training. While he had been warm and welcoming during her visit to Limerick, she didn’t see many women around the man, other than as servers during the meal he hosted for them. She didn’t get the impression he thought much about women beyond the typical things dominant males tends to view women as useful. His seemingly genuine interest made
her second guess her impression, and she was happy for it.

  She smiled at him and shrugged one shoulder. “It’s easy. You simply ask them. Let them know the practice fields are open to them as well as the men, and you’ll find some will join you out there. As it is with men, some will be better at fighting than others. I’ve been jarl for four months, and in that time, we’ve encouraged those who were interested to join us on the field. We have ten women who come out every day, and they’re learning quickly. Rúna is one of the best we have.”

  Harold’s gaze traveled across the hall to the table where Rúna sat with the other shieldmaidens and his face softened. “I am glad to see Rúna has found her place. She was so lost during her time in my town.” When he looked back at Thora, he smiled and slapped his thigh. “Ten shieldmaidens? That’s impressive. I have to admit, if I didn’t know about how you defeated Odinkar, or heard tales of how you dashed headlong into battle when your village was attacked, I wouldn’t believe women could make good warriors. I would say that Bjorn deserves most of the credit, but I know that isn’t true. I’ve trained enough men who failed miserably to know the teacher does only so much. It’s up to the individual to learn and use what is taught. You’ve obviously done quite well with Bjorn’s teachings.”

  Hagen nodded his bald head, drawing Thora’s eyes to the large dragon tattoo that started on one side and ended on the other. “Aye, I’ve seen men fail who had the best teachers.” He slapped the arm of his chair. “When I return to Wexford, I shall invite the women of my town to join the men on the field. I know a few women who are feisty enough to prove formidable.”

  “Do we need to change our training to accommodate the women?” Njal drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair.

  “I wouldn’t think so. Bjorn trained me, and the other shieldmaidens, the same as he would any other beginner.” Thora shook her head. “Don’t go easy on them because they’re women. That won’t do you any good if you plan to use them in battle. Train them as you would any new warrior.”