Lord of the Mountains

by Sabrina Jarema

  Turning onto her side, she propped her head on her hand and studied him as he knelt. He was so powerful, he could break her without even thinking about it. But he was her husband, and he had said that if she were to give herself into his care, it would be for her pleasure. She had to trust him. No doubt he’d done this before and knew what he was about.

  He returned to her, holding a silk sash Eirik had brought back from the East for her. After urging her onto her back, he straddled her and took her hands in his. “Are you certain? I told you once that you hold all the power here. Everything I do, everything I want, is for you to enjoy.”

  Her head grew light. “I want your pleasure as well. And if this gives it to you, then yes, it’s what I want.”

  “This gives it to us.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Thank you for your trust.” Still, he paused. He looked uncertain.

  “What is it?”

  “You must know that I’ve had . . . relationships before.”

  “Since you weren’t a virgin, I assumed so.”

  He cleared his throat. “It has never meant this much to me, Silvi. I feel like an untried boy with you. We have the rest of our lives together. If I don’t do this right, it could come between us.”

  “How do you think I feel, Magnus? I know I’m not as strong and vibrant as other women. I don’t know if I’ll please you, or be enough for you. I don’t want to be compared to others in your past and found lacking.”

  He frowned. “What are you talking about, Silvi? Surely you must know how beautiful you are. How exquisite. There can be no one else like you. No one else for me. The others are shadows next to you. They fade away in the light of your splendor.”

  She closed her eyes as his words poured through her. Did he speak of love? The men of their lands often would not say the words, lest they fall under the woman’s spell. But hadn’t he shown her?

  Looking up at him, she longed to tell him she loved him. Would that give him even more power over her? The words climbed in her, but fear followed them. What if he didn’t want to know? What if this was all he wanted between them? He had married her for her dowry, after all. She had no doubt he cared for her and wanted to give her pleasure, but that was an ocean away from love.

  Uncertainty still shone in his eyes as he watched her. Not the same as hers, but she grew uneasy. Misunderstandings happened so easily between them. Not this night.

  “Magnus, I need for you guide me in this. You want control, so take it.”

  His jaw tightened. “Perhaps you need it as much as I do.” He twined the sash around her wrists and knotted it. “It’s not too tight, is it?”

  “No. It’s fine.” More than fine. The snugness reassured her, made her feel secure. Now she was in his care and she would find out what that meant. As Asa told her, she only needed to let go and be free.

  He tied the long end to the headboard so she lay exposed to him. Settling his full weight on her, he pressed her into the mattress. He rained kisses along her neck and between her breasts. Not touching them, he moved downward between them, nibbling and feathering his lips over her skin.

  She pulled on the sash, but it didn’t give. Her breasts ached for his touch, but she could do nothing about it. Raising her leg, she ran her heel along his leg, up toward the top of his thigh.

  “You’re setting a fire you may not be able to put out.”

  “Then let me burn.” She already was. Her heart pounded, her skin was damp and she needed him in her, a part of her.

  “Very well, then.” He rose up and flipped her over. Drawing her hips back to him, he pressed into her hard and fast. She cried out and met his thrusts. He held the back of her neck with one hand, keeping her as he wanted. She gave in to his dominance. All her being centered on him. His strength called to the deepest aspect of her. He was the consummate warrior. He took, and what he took, he kept. Her.

  He brought her to the brink, then withdrew, turned her over, and entered her again. With his hands hooked over her shoulders, he gripped her, holding her to him as she wrapped her legs around him.

  They moved together as one. He held her hair and tilted her head back, exposing her throat. He controlled her completely and she gave herself up to him, body and heart.

  She flew free.

  He shouted and poured into her. A wild ecstasy hit her so hard that pain speared through her along with it. They intertwined together, twisting everything she was so that she sobbed with the power of it.

  Magnus collapsed on top of her, then rolled off and lay at her side. Shocks of pleasure continued to uncoil within her and she shuddered. After a few moments, he shifted onto his side and looked down at her. “Are you all right?”

  “Very.” She smiled at him.

  Lowering his head, he kissed her, then reached up and tugged at the knot. “Let me free you.”

  “You already have.”

  “Oh gods, Silvi.” He gathered her to him. “The first time I saw you, I never thought . . . I never knew anything could be like this.”

  “Nor did I. Believe me.” She could never have known about this if she’d gone to Uppsala. Priestesses weren’t always celibate, but even if she had chosen that path, Magnus would not have been with her. And that made all the difference.

  He pulled the furs up over them and settled her against his chest. “With all we’ll have to face in the coming days, Silvi, know that I’ll be with you, protecting you, caring for you, and standing at your side. In all ways, at all times.”

  She rested in his comforting embrace. She would always listen to the words the gods wove in the trees and the waves, but this was what she wanted. Not the chants of prayers to unhearing wooden statues. Not the blood of sacrifices. Not the solitude of her visions and the reverence of people who didn’t know her and who stood in distant awe of her.

  This. Warmth, passion, using her gifts to help the people she knew and loved. And Magnus. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of his heart. She could no longer deny that she wanted to stay here with him, loving him, and perhaps one day, bearing his children.

  And perhaps, one day, if the gods smiled on her, he would love her as well.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Leif took a sip of ale. “Who do you think is coming here in the longship?”

  “I don’t know.” Magnus drummed his fingers on the table. One of his men had given him a message that they’d spotted a ship sailing into their branch of the fjord and he’d sent men to meet it. Leif and he waited in his private room for those aboard to arrive at the village. “It has a dragon’s head on the bow, so it must belong to someone of high rank. At least a jarl.”

  “Right. No king would come here.”

  “I hope not. We’d spend too much gold on food and wine.”

  Leif chuckled as one of the men opened the door.

  He stood aside. “Hoskuld, envoy to the Law-Sayer.”

  Magnus and Leif rose as the man swept into the room. He was large, obviously a former warrior, and still had a commanding presence.

  “Jarl Magnus. I greet you in the name of the Law-Sayer, Yrian.”

  Yrian was a powerful man who presided over legal matters for the entire region. Magnus nodded toward a seat at the front of his table. “Will you have wine, Envoy? You must have sailed far.”

  He sat down. “It is a long way up the fjord, Jarl Magnus. But you may want to hold the wine. I do not bring glad news.”

  Magnus sank into his chair and met Leif’s gaze. “What brings you here?”

  “The Thing will take place in less than two weeks. I trust you will be there?”

  “Of course.”

  “First, a complaint has been brought against you, to be heard by the assembly. It concerns the killing of an heir to property, a grievous offense. He does not claim murder since it was in the open, but it is still grave.”

  “Toke Gudrodson.”

  “Yes. He claims that you willfully drowned his son while the boy was unarmed. He was Toke’s only heir, and so it is a potent
ial financial disaster for you and your relations.”

  So this was Toke’s revenge. It would be easy enough to dispute; Magnus had many witnesses. “I won’t argue my case to you, Envoy. It took place in battle. However, I’ll come and give my evidence and let all free men hear me.”

  “That is well. But there’s another matter he brings forth.” He looked uneasy. “He accuses your wife of practicing the dark arts. If she is found guilty, she can be executed by drowning in the bog.”

  The blood drained from Magnus’s head.

  Leif stood, his fists clenched. “That bastard attacks us, poisons our sheep, tries to burn Rorik’s ships, and he dares to spew such lies?”

  The envoy’s eyes widened. “Rorik? Of Trøndelag? Gudrodson must be insane.”

  Magnus’s vision turned red. To attack him was one thing. But Silvi? Beautiful, sweet, innocent Silvi? She would have to stand before all of the free men, unable to speak, for women could not testify at the Thing. This alone would hurt her beyond measure.

  He rose and slammed his fists on the table as heat roared through him. “And I accuse Gudrodson of attacking my ships without provocation. I also accuse him of waging war on this village and its people. Again, without cause. He killed our livestock, terrorized all the villages and ships in this part of the fjord, and gives shelter to outcasts. I want him to stand trial for these grievances.”

  “Very well, Jarl Magnus. I will let the Law-Sayer know.”

  “What exactly did he say my wife has done?”

  “He would make no statements, but assured us he has proof.”

  “And my wife is to be slandered on the word of a known marauder.”

  “If it is true, then it is no slander. If it is false, then all will know it is so, and you’ll receive compensation.” He stood. “With the meeting being so close, there’s much to be done, and I must visit other villages along the fjord. Gather your witnesses, Jarl Magnus. Bring your wife. And may the gods stand at your side.”

  After the envoy left, Magnus hurled his cup against the wall, shattering it. “The whoreson! It isn’t enough that he accuses me of killing his son, but he has the bollocks to drag Silvi into this.”

  Leif eyed the pieces of the cup. “He did say he would destroy all you cared about. He probably knows he can’t truly touch you. There are too many witnesses to what happened. But Silvi? That’s another matter.”

  “He was too cowardly to say what evidence he has to support his accusations. So it will be difficult to defend against them when we don’t know what they are ahead of time.”

  “We can most likely start with the sheep. I would say that’s why he had them poisoned. To say that her dark magic did it.”

  “It was obvious someone gave them yew.”

  “Yes.” Leif thought for a moment. “But does he know that the yew was unmistakable? Something isn’t right here.”

  “Of course something’s not right. Silvi’s accused of the dark magic. That’s what’s not right.”

  “I mean beyond that. The sheep were poisoned, and the evidence was too plain. We’re attacked, yet the tactics involved were so inept, it was as though they wanted to lose. Some dead sheep hardly constitutes evidence for evil powers.”

  Magnus rubbed his forehead. “I wish I could think straight. Gods, how am I going to tell her? And Lifa. I don’t even want to think of what she’ll do.”

  “Yes. This affects her, as well. And Eirik. Runes will be flying. And not the good ones either.”

  “We have to make plans. I want Lifa here when I tell Silvi.”

  Leif nodded. “And Nuallen. If we’re making plans, he’d better be part of them. We have to find this evidence Toke says he has. And unless I miss my guess, Nuallen may be just the one we need to do it.”

  * * *

  “I don’t understand how this could be. I don’t even know what the dark arts are.” Silvi stared at him with her large, silver eyes. Tears misted them. He wanted to go to her, hold her, tell her nothing would happen to her. But with her mother, Nuallen, and Leif in the room, it wasn’t the right time. After they’d formed a plan, and he and Silvi were alone, he could comfort her.

  “Sorcerers can use their talents to harm others.” Lifa’s voice was low, her face hard. “They can cause stillbirths in animals as well as people. They can poison from afar, cause the ground to shake and rivers to flood. They do not heal and achieve the good we do. They are destructive and dishonorable. To link the darkness with me is a grave insult and I intend to answer this myself.”

  “Women cannot speak at the Thing.” Leif took a drink of his beer. They all held cups, for they needed the fortification.

  “I will speak if I see fit. They may not listen, but I will speak the truth. I know the Law-Sayer, Yrian, from long ago. He is fair and respects my rank. He’ll at least allow me my say, though it is not traditional.”

  “Be that as it may, we need a reserve plan.” Magnus regarded Nuallen. “Thyri has not gone out again at night?”

  “Not since the night Droplaug gave birth, but Birgitta told me she brought out her shawl and laid it on her bed today. Apparently she does this beforehand so she doesn’t risk waking anyone. I’m not waiting for Birgitta’s summons, though. I’ll stay outside, watching all night if I must. And I’ll wait the next night if necessary, until I can follow her.”

  “At this point, only find where she goes and see who she speaks to. We don’t want to strike before we get more information and know the best way to handle this.”

  “Agreed.”

  “Come to me as soon as you return. Birgitta will let me know that you’ve left, so I’ll wait up for you.”

  “It may not be until morning. She said Thyri usually doesn’t come back until nearly dawn.”

  “Nevertheless, I doubt any of us will be sleeping much until this matter is resolved. Are you certain you don’t want anyone else with you?”

  Nuallen smiled and it wasn’t pleasant. “I can follow you so closely in the dark I could touch you, and yet you’d never know it. Others would only jeopardize my success. I’ll go alone.”

  “As you will. What we’ve said doesn’t leave this room, not even to speak of it to each other, except for Birgitta. We cannot be certain of anyone else.”

  After everyone agreed, Leif and Lifa went out into the common room, but Magnus shook his head at Nuallen, then took Silvi’s arm and held her back. “Wait for me in our chamber.” She nodded and left, not looking at him.

  “Do you think you can do this? I’m accustomed to meeting my foes on the seas and on the battleground.”

  Nuallen shot him an amused look. “I realize that. Your people are not known for their subtleness in war. But I was trained in these ways, so yes, I can do this.” He stood. “Just as Leif is skilled at assessing people, so am I. Silvi is falling over the edge of her world right now. You may try to reach for her to help her, but don’t be surprised if she strikes your hand away. She may blame you for this, for marrying her into this life. She was so set on being a priestess.”

  “Eirik and her mother agreed she shouldn’t go to Uppsala. She’d marry someone, and it turned out to be me.”

  He chuckled. “Yes—you, Eirik, and Lifa thwarted her dreams, and if it weren’t for that, she’d be safe at Uppsala. She’ll blame all of you. The three of you are in very deep trouble.”

  That was obvious when Magnus walked into their chamber. Silvi stood with her arms crossed, her head lowered, facing away from him. He embraced her from behind. Her body trembled and she was stiff in his arms.

  “We’ll prove him wrong, Silvi. Trust us.”

  “I trusted my mother all these years to send me to the temple to study. I trusted Eirik to love me enough to allow me my dreams. Instead, they betrayed me and forced me to come here.”

  “And to marry me, I know.”

  She shook again, breaking away from him. Sinking down on the bed, she curled into a ball, holding her legs tight to herself. “See what this world has brought to me, Magnus. This
is why I wanted no part of it.”

  “Or of me?”

  She rested her forehead on her knees. “You are the only good part of it. And the people here. What will they say about me now?”

  He sat beside her but didn’t touch her. “They’ll stand with you. All of them. You’ve done so much good for them, healed them, and given them advice and wisdom.”

  “And this is how the gods reward me. I had just given up my desire to go to the temple, and remain here. Now, the gods punish me for abandoning them and turning to physical pleasures and the ways of Midgard.”

  “You can’t know that, Silvi. They set you on this course, to come here for a reason. We need you here. They saw that.”

  She didn’t raise her head. “Who are you to speak to me of what the gods want?”

  “I may not hear them as you do, but I can see their hands in this. There has to be a reason for it. Trust in them and trust in me.”

  “I did that and see where it has taken me.”

  “This is only one step. What matters is where the journey ends.”

  “With my death. How can we prove what I didn’t do? How can we prove something that few others understand? The people who vote on issues are all farmers and jarls and free men. They are just as afraid and in awe of the unknown as anyone. They attack what they don’t understand.”

  “And once we find out what Toke’s evidence is, we’ll counter it with common sense of our own, spoken by the plain people who know you well. Our people. I intend to bring as many of them as I can to testify to what you have done for them.”

  “It may not be enough.”

  “Then we’ll get more evidence.” He put his hand on her shoulder.

  She shook it off. “I need to be alone. I was always that way, all my life, and I was happy. Leave me be.”

  “I’ll leave for now, Silvi.” He kissed the top of her bowed head. “For I have much to do. But there’s one thing you can be certain of. Though the gods desert you, and your dreams flow away from you, while I live, you will never again be alone.”

  * * *

  “Thyri met with a young man, about her age.” Nuallen stood with his arms crossed in front of Magnus’s table in the meeting room. He had darkened his skin with some substance, and had not washed it off yet. “It was a distance from here, to the northeast, in a heavily wooded area. She wasn’t pleased to see him, though. They argued, though they kept their voices so low, I couldn’t hear what they said. He gave her a small pouch, which she didn’t want to take. When she left, she passed very close to me and I could see that she was crying.”