Through the firelight in the grand hall, he saw a small boy, the age of six. The sounds of the thralls who’d traveled with him from the ship followed him in. Leif carried his chest to one side of the room and set it down on one of the wide benches built along the wall. He rested his hand on the trunk while he worked to unlock it. “It is good to see you again, young Marcas.”
The dark-haired boy looked up at him with his chin still pressed to his chest. He was a serious child, not often running about and playing as children should, for there were no other youths on the farm. Instead of saying a word, Marcas adjusted in his seat, curiously watching Leif open his chest. It did not take long before he found what he was looking for.
Leif set the toy horse on the bench and rolled it toward Marcas. Its wheels creaked over the wood. The boy’s eyes widened, and he glanced up at Leif. “Is it for me?” his soft voice asked.
“Only if you vow to take good care of it and play with it every day,” Leif answered. “Maybe one day you might have a steed of your own.”
Marcas frowned while he stared at the carved toy, then he stood up, his arm held out to Leif, who leaned over. The child spoke in all seriousness. “I promise.”
Leif put it in the child’s awaiting hand and realized Eilish was watching from nearby. Holding her hudfat and an empty casket, she offered a smile to the boy. It was barely visible from under her shaggy hair, but the child clearly saw it and asked in Gaelic, “Who is the lady?”
The smile disappeared from her face, and she turned to set down her gear. Leif quickly tried to recover from the child’s question and answered, “You sound like your father. This is Aiden, one of our newest thralls. He is a healer.”
With narrowed eyes Marcas stared at Eilish, then walked up to her. “Are you from my mother’s homeland?”
She appeared to be trying to put on show of masculinity, pulling her shoulders back and lifting her chin. Her voice came out deeper than usual. “It depends. Where is that?”
Marcas looked at all of the new faces in the longhouse and asked Leif, “Did you buy them in Duiblinn?”
“All but Birger there.” Leif nodded to the man he spared from the trading vessel.
The child seemed to tire of the conversation and went back to the toy horse he’d placed on the bench. He lifted it up and smiled for the first time. “Thank you, cousin, for bringing this back for me.”
“It is your mother you should thank,” Leif said. “It was her skills at carving that earned it for you.”
Marcas pushed the wheeled toy across the dirt floor while he made snorting noises. A familiar deep voice echoed through the room. “What is that you have, boy?”
Rúni stood in the doorway of the storeroom, buckling his belt around his waist. His face was flushed, and he seemed annoyed at the sight of the child, but he still walked toward him and ruffled Marcas’s hair. Then Rúni glanced down at the little horse and grumbled.
“It is just a small token for my cousin,” Leif answered under his breath.
His uncle came into the hall and sneered. “He is but a servant. He has no use for a toy.”
A woman with dark, shoulder-length hair entered the large room behind Rúni. Her clothing was simple and undyed, which left it smudged from dirt. Her smock was lifted at her skirt, and she offered Leif a smile that looked very much like her son’s. “I hope you are happy and healthy after your travels.”
“I am well,” Leif said. “Marcas seems to have grown while we were gone.”
Màiri nodded and went to the hearth at the center of the room. She dipped a serving spoon into a cask and poured some liquid into a cup. It was handed to Rúni. He took it and went to sit on the deep-set bench at the opposite side of the hall from Leif. Another cup of ale was given to Leif, and even the thralls got a taste of it.
While Rúni was busy lying back amongst some furs, preparing for a nap, Màiri went to Leif’s side and whispered, “I thank you for bringing back the toy for Marcas. The comb was enough for the trade?”
“Oh, já.” Leif assured her. He was not prone to telling untruths, but in this case, he thought it a kindness. “The merchant commented on the fine detail and unique pattern.”
Her lips curled into a proud grin, one that she tried to hide from the grumbly man settling on the bench. Màiri returned to her household work, pausing here and there to cast pleased glances at her son, who was playing with his new toy on the packed earthen floor.
Leif took another drink from his cup and noticed Eilish sitting at the end of the bench, watching everything that was happening in the hall. The expression on her face was unclear to him. He could not determine her emotion. She seemed quite interested in Màiri as the woman moved around the room. Rúni grumbled from his resting place as his bed slave moved close enough for him to grab her backside. Eilish’s eyes widened before her focus drifted to the child neighing on the ground.
She knew this was the reason her father had disguised her as a man. If he hadn’t, she might have become like this woman—a slave to any man’s whims. The thought turned her stomach.
Eilish had been raised to accept that she would, someday, become a wife to someone. There were certain duties held by the woman of the house. This she understood. The thought of love was hardly romanticized, but because of her father’s mentorship in the healing arts, she also knew her value. She was not unskilled or worthless.
Before she’d been taken from her home in the raid, she’d been able to delay talk of marriage. She’d always assumed it would happen, but she had no interest in settling for any of the men she’d known since she was a child. Now she didn’t know if she would ever live to see her father again.
Ownership of the pious was forbidden by the church, but most Finn-Gall did not live by their rules. It did not appear that the woman slave, mother to the boy playing on the floor, was married to Rúni. It was clear, however, that she was his.
Eilish did not see a husband in her future. Not now. She accepted that fact. All she truly wanted was to gain her freedom back. That was a start toward a better life. Or at least she hoped so.
Eilish was tired from their trip and from the worries that weighed on her every waking moment. She leaned against the reed-lined wall while she sat on the bench. It rustled against her back as she settled to observe the activities around her. More unfamiliar faces appeared in the large hall as the day wore on, and Leif settled beside her and handed her food, which she accepted in silence. He watched her eat with his brows furrowed.
“I know a place to take you tomorrow—so you can practice swimming,” he muttered under his breath.
She nodded in response, too exhausted to respond. Without warning, tears welled in her eyes. She wanted to curl into a ball and weep until she couldn’t anymore, but she had to stay strong. Eilish turned away to compose herself.
Warm fingers settled on her shoulder, and it took everything not to turn toward Leif and wrap her arms around him. He was her only comfort and had been since they’d met. From the start he’d looked after her. And after watching him with the boy, the other slaves and even his friend, Agnar, she knew he was a loyal and honorable man. He resembled the barbarians her father had warned her of, but his appearance and breeding were unfair judgment. His friendship had taken her by surprise.
She fell asleep without trying and woke in the morning with Leif beside her. Many of the other slaves were already up and moving around. Many of them spoke her language. She overheard them talking about going out to herd the sheep to collect their wool.
“We need every hand to help. The sun shines today—a good omen,” a man called to the rising unfree servants.
Leif had woken and went to the hearth to grab a flatbread from a hot soapstone platter. He took a bite and said, “All but Aiden. I need his help this week.”
As enjoyable as it was sleeping away from the boat in an enclosed home and having more selection when it came to food and drink, Eilish was on edge. The feeling took her by surprise. She didn’t want to think thi
s would be the last place she would ever see. Eilish had no interest in getting comfortable here. She wanted to leave so she could find her father.
She eagerly waited for Leif to guide her from the farmstead, and her patience was rewarded. They walked over the hillside, past a crop of flax growing tall in the sunlight. Purple flowers waved in the breeze. Eilish looked upon the landscape with renewed interest. It wasn’t the dreary place she’d first thought. The stormy weather had blown away, leaving the green bluffs in peace.
They continued to hike north across the highlands until reaching a rock-strewn beach. Gulls called out from the sand that sprawled the shoreline. Tall, black, porous rocks dappled the banks. Small birds scurried along the waterfront, plunging their beaks beneath the pebbly terrain, crying out when another came too near their undiscovered meal.
When they’d arrived yesterday, the ocean had been dark and ominous, but today the waters were bluer than any she’d ever seen. The sand was as pale as freshly woven linen, and the sun’s rays danced on the waves. She was eager to shed her layers to feel their warmth on her skin.
She did not wait for Leif to turn or shed his undertunic before she removed her brat, dropping it to the beach. After so many lessons with him, she trusted him implicitly. Eilish pulled off her baggy tunic and stood in the sand, wearing only her leggings and the cloth binding around her chest.
Leif unbuckled his belt, setting his sword and valuables upon the beach. He pulled off his upper layers and handed her his undertunic. She began to undo the wrappings around her breasts. He turned around slowly and said over his shoulder, “I have come up with a plan.”
She dropped the long cloth strip to the ground and asked, “Must I still drown?”
Eilish pulled the thin undertunic over her head and saw him nod. His voice was swept off in the ocean breeze. “It is the best way, but we must act soon before my father’s return, for my swimming is only surpassed by Ragna’s. There must be a witness to your death, and my father trusts no one more than Rúni.”
She felt her throat go dry. What he said made sense, but it didn’t make her any less anxious. He glanced over his shoulder before turning to face her. “You will not be alone. I will wait in the water to help you get away. He will not be the wiser, for he would need wisdom to begin with.”
Eilish nodded and answered, “I will do whatever I must to gain my freedom.”
“You will be free upon Aiden’s death,” he assured her. “We will make a camp for you here where you will not be found. After my father’s return, I will have Agnar come to you. He is a loyal friend who will do what I ask of him. He can take you to search for your father. I can give you all the silver you need to buy his freedom.”
“But what of you?” She looked into his green eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
He shrugged. “I cannot disappear like a thrall. Knowing that you and Agnar are free from the dangers of Ragna is enough.”
“Why would you send away your friend?” she asked. “He does not wish to leave your side.”
“I believe my father will never see Ægir’s halls and that he will never let me leave his side.” He squinted at the ocean horizon. “Why should I keep Agnar from the life he wants? After this season he will have raised the needed bride price to return for the woman he aches for.”
She thought his selflessness honorable, but her anger rose up, and Eilish lashed out at him. “What of you? How can I leave, knowing you remain under his control?”
He turned his eyes to the sea, and she hooked her finger against his jaw to force his gaze. “You have never met a woman like me. You will not make me do anything.”
A slight smile played at his lips as he answered, “I know this about you.”
Because she knew he wouldn’t, she lifted onto her toes and let her arms rest on his sun-drenched shoulders. His breath touched her face before Eilish leaned in to press her lips to his. She felt his resistance melt away. His hands slid up her back, resting on her bare skin beneath the thin undertunic, and his kisses grew hungrier.
Then suddenly, he stepped back. “It would not be right.”
Eilish opened her eyes in a dizzy haze and pulled herself close again. She breathed against his lips. “Why is it not right? Because I am only a servant?”
He shook his head. “Your freedom is near. How could I send you away with no prospects of marriage? I do not wish you to be like Màiri—you should be no man’s bed slave.”
“Do not send me away—come with me.” She’d made up her mind. She would do everything in her power to convince him to remain with her. It was a promise, a vow she was willing to make with her body. “Any prospects of marriage were gone when I met you. Tell me that you do not want me, and I will leave you be.”
All of the reasons why they shouldn’t be together were lost to him. Leif’s body took over.
He could not tell her that he didn’t want her, for it would be a lie. Leif traced his fingers down her neck to her breast. The linen fabric covering her skin remained only momentarily. Eilish lifted the tunic over her head and began to walk toward the grassy dunes. His eyes hungrily touched her exposed flesh as he found himself racing after her.
Giggles broke from her lips when she saw him give chase. It seized his chest, creating pains he never thought possible. It didn’t take him long to catch up. Leif swept her up in his arms and tumbled to the ground. A noise he hadn’t heard since he was a child broke the air—his own laughter.
“Your smile is bright like the sunrise,” she whispered in his ear.
How could Odin be so unfair? She was more amazing than any dream he could have imagined. Her skin was even softer than he’d thought it would feel, though there were hidden territories left to navigate. He lifted her head so he could kiss her deeply. Chills swept his back as her fingers trailed over his muscles. He wanted her more than anything, even his own freedom.
Eilish tugged down the front of his trousers, and his excitement mounted. She was still wearing her brightly patterned leggings, so Leif lifted off her to help her out of them. He branded the sight of her naked body in his mind, never wanting to forget her. She was a secret treasure he would hide away in his memories. Something his father couldn’t take from him.
When he lowered himself back onto her, she was waiting for him with a gentle smile. His body was starved of physical attention, but it was the love and kindness in her eyes that was the salve to his soul. The moment they were one, he held his breath, not wanting it to end.
The sound of her breathing and the enthusiastic noises escaping her lips only roused his passion for her, but he didn’t want to hurt her. He wasn’t sure it was something women enjoyed, based on the comments Rúni had made. Although Leif wanted to get lost in her, he went slowly, watching for her reaction.
Her legs wrapped around his waist and her hands grasped his shoulders. Leif tried to breathe, but his body wasn’t working properly. He could only inhale small breaths of air, he was panting so hard. Her pelvis rocked in a constant rhythm that he quickly got lost in. It swept him away in a tidal wave of sensations and before he knew it, his passion reached its peak.
Leif sank onto his elbows, burying his face against her neck. She smelled like the sea and earth—a marriage of both. Her lips kissed his cheek, and he glanced over to stare into her blue sapphire eyes.
He couldn’t remember ever feeling like this. The happiness in his heart was more powerful than any mead and more valuable than gold. If only they could live in that moment forever. If only.
“Why did the Norns of Fate put you in my path?” he whispered. It would be hard letting her go.
A faint smile pulled at the corners of her lips. “It was you who was put in my path, my handsome aingel.”
He’d heard the word before, but he didn’t know what she’d called him. “What is an angel?”
A playful expression lit her eyes. “They are selfless messengers.”
Her explanation only confused him more. “But I have no message.”
&nb
sp; “That is what you think.” Eilish grinned and kissed his nose. “Shall we bathe in the sea?”
He lifted off her and helped her up. Leif watched her pluck her clothing from the ground and wander back toward the ocean. Sadness filled his heart, as he believed this would be the only taste of happiness he’d ever get.
Chapter 12
As positive as Eilish was trying to be, she worried she wouldn’t be skilled enough to keep herself from drowning and escaping unseen. That was why her time with Leif was so important, for these could be her last days on earth.
She pushed herself beyond her fears, working hard to swim. Thoughts of the merrow, Ran and Ægir were cast aside, for there was no room for trepidation. The moments spent in the sea with her handsome angel, as she called him, were the best in recent memory. Eilish knew she was getting better at treading water and holding her breath, both necessary skills, according to Leif.
Her trust in Leif was tested when he had her practice drowning, flailing in the tides, taking a deep breath and swimming as far as she could beneath the surface. All the while, he swam by her side. When she broke for air, she lifted her face to the heavens, trying not to emerge high above the waves.
“You are doing well,” he said with an uncertain expression.
“It does not seem you think so.” She frowned back.
Leif braced himself against the waves, flexing his abdomen and brushing the water from his eyes. “For Rúni to believe you drowned, I need to deliver you beyond sight of his skiff. I can take you a long distance, but not in the skin I was born with.”
Eilish couldn’t understand his meaning. “A seabird would not have strength enough to carry me away—”
He interrupted her. “I can change into more than the albatross, but I do not wish for you to fear me.”
She laughed, ignoring the unease that grew in her stomach. “I could not fear you.”
Tides (Time of Myths: Shapeshifter Sagas Book 3) Page 14