Their kiss deepened, Helgi opened his mouth slightly and Kara responded accordingly. Her fingers moved upwards, tangling in his dark hair and pulling him closer. She felt Helgi’s hands enclose her waist, pulling her closer as well. Before she knew it, they were tipped over and lying on the moss.
Kara let out a gasp before diving in and kissing him some more. Rolling Helgi onto his back, she was now on top and straddling him, feeling his desire grow beneath her.
She broke from their kiss and sat up, grinding into him. Smiling down at him, Kara revelled in the sensation of having him beneath her. His hands reached up, travelled along her body, over her ribs, over her breasts up to her shoulders. Helgi pulled her down once more for another embrace.
Now it was Kara’s turn to close her eyes. She could feel strong emotion welling up, threatening to overflow, and she didn’t want Helgi to see just how much his touch affected her.
Helgi’s hands were roaming still and his touch ignited a fire inside of her she didn’t know existed before now. She trembled under his touch, wanting all of him, hoping he would take her today and not make her wait any longer.
“I need you,” she murmured through their kiss, too afraid to look at him. Helgi stilled underneath her and she was forced to open her eyes.
“Surely it is too soon.”
“Not when we have been here before. We know this is real, that we are meant to be together.”
“Are you crying?” Helgi sat up quickly, his hand coming up to her face, wiping at her cheek where her tears had finally broken free and betrayed her.
Kara stared at him, her bottom lip trembling and she couldn’t say a word. It was completely unlike her. Helgi made her lose herself and she wasn’t sure she liked it. Yet, she was impervious to turning away from him. To image a life without him now that she had found him, made her breath hitch in her throat.
Helgi’s hand cradled her face and he leaned in slowly, like he was afraid she would suddenly take flight. Ever so gently, he kissed away her tears. This made her cry in earnest and Helgi’s strong arms enclosed her, pulling her down to him so that they lay together on the ground.
Finally, Kara rolled over, lying next to Helgi. She reached out and held his hand.
“I don’t know what that was,” she said to the sky, too afraid to look at Helgi. “Tell me something, anything, to help me get over this.”
Helgi sighed and Kara turned her head towards him. “I have a funny story for you.”
Kara smiled, relieved at the distraction so that she wouldn’t have to think too hard on why Helgi affected her so much.
“I have heard a story about Hromundr, from a visiting skald. Funny to tell. However, not quite so funny for me because I nearly had an opportunity to gain retribution for the death of my brother.”
It was Kara’s turn to sigh. She rolled over and put her head to Helgi’s chest. His heartbeat welcomed her. “Please, tell me your story.”
And so, Helgi began. Kara listened as he told her the misadventure of Hromundr dressing up as a woman in order to avoid detection by Helgi. But, more than his words, Kara listened to him. To the way he reacted to the event, to his hopes and dreams for the future, to the way his voice dropped a little when he said her name, as though it was hard to talk through his smile. His words told Kara everything she needed to know about the man she was laying with in the middle of the meadow on this warm day.
When Helgi finished his story, Kara raised her head. Her tears were gone. She was no longer wondering at how their relationship should unfold. All she knew was that she never wanted to be parted from this man ever again.
She was determined to move past their new beginning and to take charge of the rest of their lives together. Kara leaned in and kissed each of Helgi’s eyelids. Then she kissed the tip of his nose. Finally, she dove in and covered his lips with her own.
“I am ready,” she told him and Helgi didn’t have an objection this time.
Their embrace lingered as they remembered their past lives, all the times they had been here before, ready for each other, ready to consume each other. There was no hurry, they needed each other but there was no frenzied desire welling. Instead, a slow burn of passion was lingering under the surface, threatening to build, promising to erupt.
Helgi’s hands ran up Kara’s body and she sighed into his mouth as their tongues collided. Kara straddled him once more and Helgi’s hands gripped her waist. She broke from their kiss and lifted her apron over her head. As she did so, one of Helgi’s hands ran over the material of her dress, reaching her breast as she flung the item free from her body. She bit down on her lower lip as he found her nipple. Squeezing it gently, Kara felt a jolt of fire strike down through her body. She groaned and dived in for another kiss.
Kara was done with the slow burn. They may have only just met in this life, but they had lifetimes prior in which they had known each other. There was no time now for hesitation. She helped Helgi pull her dress over her head and straddled him naked. Gazing down at Helgi, she observed his handsome face. She had felt the ripples of his muscles under the material but she needed to see it for herself.
She leaned back while Helgi started to remove his clothes, his gaze on her the entire time. Kara could feel the burn between them. It ignited the very air with its intensity.
Finally, Helgi was free of his clothes and Kara had been right in her assumption about his body. His muscles were hard under her touch and she ran her hands over him in delight.
Helgi’s fingers edged up her thighs. One hand gripped her hip and the other found her special spot. She moaned deeply when his fingers touched her core. Kara threw her head back in ecstasy, closing her eyes as she got lost in the moment.
She felt her desire building, eager to be lost to the sensation. The edge of the precipice was approaching and she hungered for it. She panted now and Helgi worked her until the final release came. Kara shuddered and fell forward onto Helgi in order to catch her breath.
“Now, it is my turn,” she eventually whispered into Helgi’s ear.
She wriggled herself down his body. His manhood was hot to the touch and eagerly bounced towards her as she approached. Kara heard Helgi expel a groan as she enclosed the tip with her mouth. Bobbing her head up and down, she felt his excitement grow, making her own desire return.
“I need you now,” Helgi suddenly said and Kara sat up.
Straddling him, she lowered herself down onto his member and gasped as he entered her. Images of their past lives flashed through her mind. Tears started falling and this time she was not ashamed. Looking down, she saw that Helgi had wet eyes also.
They moved together, rocking against each other until they both felt it. The intensity of the crescendo surprised Kara and she roared out her release.
Helgi joined her and they collapsed in a heap of memories and happiness.
Chapter 6: HELGI
“Gather around,” the skald said.
As people surrounded the man, Helgi pulled Kara close and nuzzled her neck. She squealed and slapped at him before settling on his lap. Leaning back into him, she whispered, “I love you,” and Helgi’s heart swelled.
His fingers ran through her wild hair and he leaned in to inhale the unique scent of her. He had never come across such an aroma, like the Valkyries’ being could be identified this way. “I love you too, my wild woman.”
She laughed in reply.
“Who here has heard of Thrainn?” the skald said and Helgi buried his nose into Kara’s neck once more.
A few people in the crowd answered but Helgi wasn’t interested until Kara also joined in.
“Isn’t he a draugr?” Kara said, leaning forward.
“Yes. He was.”
“Was?” Kara asked and her brows furrowed. “Did he die?”
“He did, indeed,” the man said, pointing his finger at her with excitement.
“I thought it was near impossible to kill someone like that, someone living as the dead.”
“Normal
ly, it is. However, Thrainn had his special sword, Mistletoe, taken from him. The sword, carved all over with runes and the image of a snake, was considered a very powerful weapon. The man who attacked him, Hromundr, took it and used it against him. The strong magic contained within it was too much for even a draugr.”
“Hromundr?” Helgi said, startled. He sat up straight, nearly forcing Kara from his lap. He grabbed at her, pulling her to him once more. “Sorry,” he uttered.
“It is nothing,” Kara said before turning her attention back to the skald. Her face was pale, though, and Helgi felt bad for scaring her. “This Hromundr, tell us more about him. Helgi here is seeking retribution for the death of his brother at the hand of a man called Hromundr.”
“Well, that wasn’t the story I was going to tell,” the skald said, settling back and taking a long drink from his cup of mead. “However, it appears like I am thrust forward into a new one. I certainly have plenty to say about Hromundr.”
“Well?” Helgi leaned forward with his demand. Kara reached out, her hand settling on his arm and it cooled his anger.
“I have heard that while Hromundr has managed to procure a magical weapon, he has now lost favour with King Olaf. It seems that Olaf has heard some terrible things about Hromundr and is now refusing to let him in his army.”
Helgi laughed and reached out to grab a cup from a passing slave. “I call a toast, then,” he shouted, raising his mead high into the air. “To whoever has said these things against Hromundr and gotten him out of favour with the king. I would like to meet them and congratulate them!”
There were enough drunk people in the room that were happy enough to cheer at anything, regardless of whether they agreed on it or not. So, the room erupted and everyone threw back their drinks in celebration.
The room was quiet as Helgi and Kara settled in for the night. Helgi leaned over and watched the outline of Kara formed as a result of the last embers of the fire.
“Do you think it is true about Hromundr?” he finally asked. Kara turned towards him. “That he has fallen out of Olaf’s favour.”
“I can tell you now that it is true,” she replied. “I heard such rumours on the battleground the other day. Someone has told the king false words about Hromundr, one of the warriors were saying as I came down upon the field.”
“Who was it?” Helgi asked. “And what did this person say about Hromundr to make Olaf believe him? I thought Olaf and Hromundr were inseparable. I would think even more so now that Hromundr has gotten a hold of Mistletoe.”
“I cannot say,” Kara whispered as she frowned. She seemed distracted and Helgi reached out to smooth her forehead. She smiled weakly in return. “As soon as the men saw me, they knew who I was and took to battle, hoping I would choose them. Now, they are likely in Valhalla but, even then, I couldn’t question them, they would be too far lost in the bloodlust of Ragnarok by now.”
Helgi sighed, trying to cover it by moving his body but sure that Kara noticed his exasperation. “Perhaps, we should pay Olaf a visit?”
“We could,” Kara replied. “However, would it not be better to try and track Hromundr down? Visiting Olaf would not help in this regard, would it?”
“No, I imagine not,” Helgi said, his voice trailing off. “Let’s take a trip, then. It seems like it is time to finally track down Hromundr and make him pay for the loss of my brother.”
Kara simply nodded at Helgi before leaning in for a kiss.
Chapter 7: FREYA
The battle amassed below. Freya craned her neck as she tried to view the massive extent of it. This would be a fight that would be talked about for a long time afterward. Skalds would make stories and sagas about it, Freya knew. Although, whether they would stand the test of time would remain to be seen.
The battle would also be a turning point for Kara and Helgi. While she couldn’t explain how she knew, other than it would involve Hromundr, she could feel the extent of this battle and the far-reaching implications of it deep down in her bones.
She glanced at Odin, knowing he was involved but not sure if she believed he was doing the right thing or not. Freya knew that he disliked the way Helgi’s life with the Valkyries were utterly entwined now. This battle felt like a culmination of some sort, a moment in time created to serve a singular purpose that had nothing to do with the reasons behind the battle.
“It is time,” Odin said quietly as he turned to her. His single eye crinkled at the corner as he smiled at her. Freya returned the favour but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make the emotion reach her eyes.
“It is time!” she shouted in reply, alerting the Valkyries that their job was about to begin.
Turning away from Odin, Freya watched as the Valkyries descended, their horses pounding through the sky, causing the clouds to part and swirl in quick formation around them. Kara headed the group, her glee evident as she headed for Midgard. Freya closed her eyes briefly.
“I think I will descend with them also,” she said to Odin, not waiting for a reply. She slapped the reins down heavily on the beasts leading her chariot and the cats howled at her before bouncing forward.
It wasn’t often that the goddess felt the urge to mingle with humans, to experience their world. But, now was one of those times and she hurried to join the group of Valkyries.
A roar of anger and excitement rushed up to greet her as she touched down on Midgard. Whipping her head from side to side, she gritted her teeth against the noise. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to see, of what she needed to witness so she hugged her arms tight around herself as a shield against the noise.
Looking towards Kara, who stood still, her head bowed as she prepared to change from a woman and into her swan form, Freya’s attention was caught by a scuffle nearby. Men clashed together, their shields battering against metal and bone as the men tried to conquer each other. In the midst of the battle was Hromundr. Freya had heard Kara talk of him, telling her sisters of how Helgi despised the man and that he wished him dead for slaughtering his brother.
Next to Hromundr stood Olaf, one of the leaders of the battle. Hadn’t these two been opposed to each other?
Freya remembered back to the last conversation she had heard Olaf’s name mentioned. Kara had been telling Mist about how she had heard a story of Olaf and Hromundr parting ways. The story had something to do with a sword, she remembered. Kara had seemed eager to mention the weapon. She had wondered about it, more so than Freya thought the Valkyrie would in such an implement. Normally, Kara was more interested in the mechanics of war, the reasoning behind battles, not the weapons used.
But that wasn’t important, Freya thought with a shake of her head. The fact that Olaf and Hromundr were no longer friends was the important part of that conversation. And now, here they were, fighting alongside each other once more.
Freya turned her vision skyward. Searching the clouds, she wished to see Odin’s face there, to judge what this all meant based on what she saw in the god’s face. However, Freya only saw endless clouds swirling high above the conflict.
She turned back to the battle and saw Kara still standing in the midst of it as a Valkyrie and not as a swan, staring at Hromundr. Whatever was going on, it had distracted Kara from changing. Freya moved towards the Valkyrie but Kara moved off, her sights set on another conflict now, another group of men. Finally, Freya saw white wings and a great swan taking to the sky, the voice of Kara stilling men as they battled below her.
Chapter 8: KARA
Kara shook off the weariness from the battlefield, the bone-aching desolation of taking lives, always causing pain and death and destruction. And, for what? A battle that hadn’t yet come and one that they knew was unwinnable. It was on days like this that Kara resented her position.
Gondul put a hand down on Kara’s shoulder and she reached up to pat it. “How are you doing, sister?”
“As I always fare after war such as this,” Kara replied. “I am spent, and not in a good way.”
Gondul
chuckled at her words. “Come on, Kara, where is that spirit we all love so much. Where are your battle colours?”
“I left them on the ground,” she replied. “I am sick of Hildr’s game.”
“No, you’re not,” Rota said, joining the conversation. “You have simply found something else to occupy your time and now want to spend all your waking moments with your new plaything.”
Gondul laughed and swatted Rota gently on the arm.
“I wish I could find a love such as yours,” Gondul replied. “Perhaps, I will seek out a man in Midgard to love.”
Rota screwed up her nose. “Why would you want a mortal?”
“Maybe I am bored of my sisters. Maybe I like conflict.”
Rota laughed. “It is the conflict you want, then, not the man. I know you too well.”
Kara hid her glare and tried to smile at her sisters. It wasn’t their fault that they could not see the trouble that was coming. Yet, Kara could feel it in the core of her bones. There was trouble brewing and she couldn’t seem to work out from which direction it would hit. All she knew was that she needed to be with Helgi and not here with the other Valkyries. She nodded at her sisters and ignored their giggling as she headed away from the group.
The descent back to Midgard took only a matter of minutes since she kicked her steed into a flat-out gallop. Her horse seemed to sense her anger and hit out at a frantic pace, it's grey mane flying backward and stinging Kara as it whipped her. She didn’t care, though. Anything was better than the feel of death and battle dirt that seemed to coat her. She could smell the destruction, taste it even.
As soon as Kara touched down on the ground, she threw herself off her horse and ran for the nearby stream. Ripping off her clothes as she ran, Kara dove into the water as soon as she reached it, ignoring the icy temperature. She swam out confidently, her brisk strokes taking her far upstream and washed away the grime of war.
The Breaker of Curses (Valkyrie Secrets Book 3) Page 3