by Kate Pearce
“I mean it.” What cut into him even more was when she took the arm around his waist and drew his hand to her mouth. And when she pressed her lips against his hand, his heart lurched in his chest.
“I didn’t know you still had feelings for me,” she began. “I thought you’d move on—that you’d find someone better than me with a dowry.” She continued to hold his hand close to her face so that he cupped her cheek.
“Have I ever expected anything from your family?” he grumbled.
“No, but I’d hoped over the years that you’d be married now and have children.”
He snorted. “With who? There’s no woman in the Outlands as beautiful as you.”
She let go of his hand for a moment, but he continued to use his thumb to stroke the smooth skin of her cheek. “There’s plenty! What about that nice girl from Meoalfell?”
He chuckled. Now that wench had gone downhill fast. “Not long after you left she lay with a trader and ended up with his babe.”
“The chieftain’s daughter from the far south. That one from Kvigandisfjoror!”
“Half of the men in the Outlands have seen under her skirts…”
She sighed. “I don’t understand what makes me so memorable. Compared to some of the women I saw in Forsvollr, I’m pretty plain.”
Just hearing her compare herself to other women made him smile. “Everything about you is beautiful.” His mouth drifted to her ear where his breath warmed her skin. “From your silky hair to your neck.” She trembled, her eyes searching the skyline. The separation between them and the others grew as the mountains grew larger, the smoke from them bellowing out far into the sky.
“Every winter when you danced during the festival, I watched the way your body moved,” he whispered to her. “Curiosity made me wonder if your legs were as slim as I imagined. That your breasts were as soft as they appeared.”
The temptation to keep touching her was there, but he wouldn’t dare. The Women of the Frost were celibate. Everyone knew that. And yet when he nibbled her ear to show her how delicious he found it, it was as if he answered a dare in kind: I want you.
His lips traced circles over her earlobe, and he kept telling himself he’d withdraw from her soon. His right hand left her face to caress her hip. From there his palm snaked under the cloak to rub against the thick material of her dress. The moment he heard her sharp inhale, he froze.
What in the name of Freya are you doing? he thought.
Any moment now he expected her to push him away. She’d tell him they didn’t need to be friends, comrades or the like. They had a mission to complete. But when she drew his hand to her breast and squeezed his palm so that he squeezed her soft skin in kind his resolve was nearly shattered. She wouldn’t let go of him, allowing him to brush his fingertips against her nipple until the tip grew hard.
“Dri, you shouldn’t do this.” Her whimpers made it hard for him to think straight. “On the long nights, after I kept raiders from pilfering my lands, I sat alone and thought about having you in my lap like you are now. You were growing wet from my hands stroking your thighs. From my tongue licking you here.” He nibbled at her neck, his right hand rubbing faster along her nipple.
Just hearing her cry for more made it harder for him to hold back.
***
Her breath caught with each stroke, with each tug through her dress. Admitting to Steinn that she wanted to be intimate with him was far harder when they were alone like this. When all she wanted to do was lose herself in their time together.
“Steinn...” Her voice was breathy. Almost close to begging. She did want him. She did want him to touch her. Forgetting was impossible when it came to him.
Steinn drew his hand down to the place where she straddled the saddle. She reached for his arm, prepared to stop him—but didn’t.
Not here. Not now. It echoed through her head over and over again.
He was now under her skirts, past her shift, and now his hand brushed against her lower stomach to reach into her tights. He was almost there. To the place where wetness bathed her inner thighs. And yet she didn’t stop him when he reached underneath her skirt and his warm hand cupped her core. When he found the nub, a shudder pulsed through her. All it took was a single downward stroke for her to cry out for more.
“I’ve been waiting so long to taste you,” his voice reflected her own desire.
Any moment now he’d stop—she expected him to stop because of her vow—but he kept going, his quickened breath hot against her neck. A single finger slipped inside her while his thumb continued to stroke. Faster and faster.
“Please…” she gasped. “We need to stop.”
And that was when he stilled. Even though she had encouraged him, he still stopped, leaving her trembling and her face heated.
All the while the evidence of his arousal pressed against her backside and continued to tempt her.
“I shouldn’t have let you do that,” she breathed.
“I was just as guilty.” He withdrew his hand and tried to add a bit of distance between them—although there was no place for him to go.
As they rode toward the mountain, a thought came to mind that if he’d kept going she would’ve let him give her any pleasure he saw fit. Even if she lost her virginity in the process.
Such a decision would affect her place among the Women of the Frost though. She’d finally be free to leave them, but the consequences wouldn’t be worth it. She steeled herself and tried to push her indecision away. She wanted to scoot a bit forward, but there was nowhere to go. Long ago she’d made a choice. Steinn was still hurting, like she was.
Their intimate moment was a warning she couldn’t forget. They still wanted each other, which made it all the more important that she should never touch him again.
***
The volcanic mountain range to the north separating the Red Steppe Desert from northern plains was practically in sight. The overpowering scent of sulfuric acid grew stronger since the smoke drifted to the south. To Steinn this was like home. The vents around the nearby volcanoes spewed out poison on a daily basis. Those who worked the mines for crystal got exposed to it even more.
The thickness in the air was a welcome distraction with the woman in front of him. The group’s formation could’ve been tighter, but he appreciated the distance they offered so he could be alone with Drifa. Things needed to be said. What he hadn’t expected to feel was a loss of control. Wasn’t he supposed to control himself in all situations? Instead his body burned even more after he tasted the honeyed sweetness of her skin. He wanted her hard nipples in his mouth, to dip his fingers into her nectar and sample her across his tongue. His cock was so hard he was scared he’d spear her with it if she got any closer.
He knew damn well she had taken a vow of celibacy. A kiss to the neck, a hand on her hips, it shouldn’t have been anything more than that. But with each touch, he grew hungrier, more fervent in the need to draw her skirt up. Higher than what a lady deserved for decency.
Steinn frowned. For her first time, a woman of her bearing deserved a marriage bed. A wedding ceremony with a fine gown and a feast meant for the Gods. His village couldn’t provide all those things, but he wanted them for her nonetheless.
A wave of possessiveness folded over him. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was glad she had taken a vow of celibacy. At least that meant that no other man had touched her. She was still the woman who had left for the north. Only his hands had been the one to touch her body. He wanted to be the one to watch her climax the first time. To see her face as he entered her body. That was supposed to be him.
In front of him, she coughed from the gathering fumes. All that time in the north must’ve changed her some. As much as he wanted to keep to himself, he decided to reach into his bag and offer her a scrap of cloth to wrap around her face.
She hesitated to take it, but took the offered cloth and wrapped it around her face. The clouds around the volcanoes’ tops deepened. They were so f
ar in the sky.
They had to either go around the mountains or go through. Thick clouds of smoke rose into the sky, floated and drifted southward. A cloud of poison that could only be endured for so long. As much as he wanted to quickly get through the mountains, he couldn’t sacrifice her health. Even if he did want to keep his distance from her.
With a command that Knurre followed for once, the dragon picked up speed to catch up with Brimir. His dragon, the strongest of the reds, flew at a comfortable speed. Brimir showed no signs of discomfort from the acidic air.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this atmosphere,” Steinn said.
Brimir made a rude noise similar to a snort. “Well, aren’t you a sensitive desert flower?”
“I’m breathing just fine, old man.” He tilted his head toward Drifa. “She isn’t used to breathing Muspellheim air.”
“I’m fine,” she snapped.
“Then take off the cloth!”
She grew quiet quickly after that. She did have her pride though and gave Brimir a look.
That “I’m-fine” look that bothered him even more. She hadn’t changed at all from the woman who knew how to cut into his side.
“I propose you take this path north,” Steinn proposed. “I’ll take a wider berth to avoid the smoke. I will be a few hours behind you, but not by much.”
Brimir appeared to consider this. At least that was how Steinn interpreted his expression.
“Your dragon is crucial.” He eyed Stein. Almost like a father assessed a son. “We shouldn’t separate. Especially if trouble found you and kept you from arriving on time.”
“Oh stop it, old man. I may even beat you to Blakkr-Horgr.”
“If I have your word that you will meet us at Blakkr-Horgr at dawn then you may take whatever path you deem fit to help Drifa Ragnardottir reach our destination.”
With that Brimir nodded, and then they were on their way. A simple command to Knurre sent them veering to the west away from the smoke.
The air cleared considerably—not by much—but enough so that she could breathe far better than before.
“How kind of you to consider my well-being,” she said dryly. “How long until you forget about my vow and touch me again?”
“I won’t be the one to break your vow,” he said stiffly.
She laughed. “I wasn’t the one who...” She tried to say something and nothing but a stutter came out.
“The one who did what?” he asked with a grin. The one who took his hand and boldly placed it on her breast for him to caress?
Her cheeks reddened and she tried not to smile but failed. “You touched me and...”
“And what?” This conversation was getting interesting.
“You frustrated me,” she finished.
“From what I remember your angry expression doesn’t look like that.” Seeing her all flustered made his smile grow wider. “I distinctly recall your head was pulled back—” he offered a demonstration. “You had your mouth open like this and your back arched like—” She used the bow strapped to her leg to jab him hard in the side. He dodged the bow, but not without knocking himself partially off Knurre. Even with him hanging off she didn’t stop swatting at him. The ground wasn’t even close. The ridges and passes below them were small streaks.
The dragon roared, unnerved that his riders had reached the point of fighting like insolent children. She got in a few good hits, punching him twice in the head.
“Stop it, Dri!” He grabbed her arms and secured them to her body.
“You should’ve stopped!”
“I did as you asked, but I’m also a man. A man who wants to be with you.”
She frowned in true frustration and he had trouble not focusing on the rapid rise and fall of her breasts. She was gorgeous when her bottom lip jutted out and the sharp line of eyebrows formed an accusatory expression.
He chuckled, his shaft growing stiff again. Not only had she encouraged him, but she’d enjoyed his touch.
“So if I kiss your neck again, will you place my hand elsewhere?” he asked, his voice low and silky.
She stilled, her face turning red, before she breathed out, “You won’t be kissing anyone. I’ll fight until you fall off this goddess-forsaken animal.”
He laughed. “Is that what you’d do to the man who was supposed to marry you?”
“I was a child when our parents matched us together, Steinn. Barely old enough to make adult decisions.”
“Ahh, so a child was the one who told me she chose the Women of the Frost over me?” Good try, but he wasn’t going to believe such foolishness. “The woman who said goodbye to me was no child.”
Her anger floated off her back and hit him. After that she didn’t say a word to him for the entire ride through toward Blakkr-Horgr.
6
Blakkr-Horgr, one of the final larger towns that hadn’t succumbed to the invaders, loomed north in the distance. Lights from the torches lit along the perimeter marked where they needed to go. Knurre had flown faster than Steinn had expected. In front of him, Drifa’s head drooped. Nightfall approached and they had yet to rest today other than their brief respite in Skarfanes.
Knurre showed no signs of fatigue. Although the creature required redirection at every turn. When he wasn’t looking, Knurre would turn his head toward Drifa’s feet to nip at her. With one good bite he could grab her leg and toss her off into the void.
He kicked the dragon’s head the next time it got too close. “I told you to behave.”
His words fell on deaf ears though. His connection with Knurre was too thin. An old woman’s thread that could be so easily broken.
If you took her as your woman, Knurre would accept her, he thought to himself.
She’s not my woman nor will she ever be. The moment they reached Blakkr-Horgr, the true fighting would begin. She’d be pushed into danger with an enemy he had never faced before.
His gaze flicked to the west. Could he fly back home and drop her off with her clan? Brimir would naturally learn what happened when she didn’t show up, but at least she’d be safe.
He was about to command Knurre to do such when she woke.
“Is that Blakkr-Horgr?” she asked.
“Aye.” He wanted to say more but chose not to.
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Not long.” The night sky opened up leaving a blanket of stars. A chill added ice to the air so she drew her cloak closer. Her back pressed against the warmth of his chest and he kept his eye on the approaching city. The buildings lay in a deep pass between the mountains that separated the northern plains from the Red Steppes Desert. A grand statue, large enough to be seen in the air, of a red dragon sat next to the great hall, a tribute to Freya and her dragon children.
“Have you seen anything along the ground?” she asked.
He shook his head. “The invaders had to take a straight shot north to reach the city instead of coming from the southwest. We’ll be there soon enough to face them when they arrive.”
“It’s about time,” was all she said.
Her back was straight this time as if she wanted him to believe she had no fear, but the shiver in her body told him otherwise.
***
As they finally approached from the south, Drifa caught sight of what could only be fabricated from nightmares.
A hulking mass of metal, burnt orange in color and rectangular in shape, lurched toward the city and hundreds of men spilled from openings in the bottom. Countless numbers. Most likely more warriors than citizens from Blakkr-Horgr. They marched along the direct path toward the city in countless rows, their light gray uniforms standing out against the dark red sand.
They flew high over the marching army toward the city center.
“There are too many,” she whispered, taking it all in. “They are like a river that flows with no beginning or end.”
“There is an end,” Steinn said. “I see it.”
“And how many men per row? Do you plan to ta
ke all of them on?”
A quick count revealed ten men in one row. She sighed. The odds for their group weren’t looking good.
“How good is your dragon?” she asked.
“It’s the best. When it’s paired with two riders.”
Relief filled her. Weren’t two people on Knurre’s back right now?
“A mated pair, Dri,” he added.
And they were far from mated and they never would be.
They landed without trouble in the dragon keep, not far from the red dragon stone statue. Now that she was up close to the stone structure, she was amazed to see that the statue’s eyes were made of a beautiful red stone. A long shadow from neck extended across the dragon keep.
The others waited, awake and ready to take on what came for them.
“Looks like we arrived in time,” he said to the older man.
Brimir grunted. “Took you long enough. Those offworlders will reach the first homes any minute now.”
He didn’t look her way or say anything to her once he got off Knurre to speak to Brimir. She got off the dragon to follow a handmaiden who offered her food and drink before the battle would begin.
Instead of just one handmaiden, four actually took care of her. They took her bow and arrows and pushed them aside to properly feed her. Separating for a brief period of time from Steinn was good. Even if he penetrated her every thought.
Not long after filling her empty stomach, she joined the other warriors in a field on the northern side of Blakkr-Horgr. What she didn’t expect to see was only six dragons instead of more. A single red dragon and a young man barely old enough to tip ale back into his mouth was the lone warrior that the city provided. There had been so many small cages in the dragon keep. She’d expected larger ones to come nonetheless.
“Where are the other warriors and their dragons?” Steinn barked at the young man.
“A-a blight a year ago took them out,” the young man stammered. “Most of the dragons are hatchlings. Barely out of the nest.”
“This boy is barely off his mother’s tit,” Jor said with a sneer.