Duty Calls #3
“I learned about it from Liv right before Rathnon left. I did nae tell him since I did nae wish to burden him with worrying more about his bairn and me. Ever since he fought the bear, he’s blamed himself for my injuries, even though he was nae at fault and rescued me.
He saved my life, and he doesn’t know he saved his own bairn’s. ”
“It will bring him great joy when he learns about it. He will worry nae matter what about those he loves. He’s fiercely protective by nature, especially about those he cares for deeply.”
“I hope he will nae be angry with me since I withheld the information from him, and everyone will ken before his return home.”
“I do nae ken he will be angry with ye but perhaps puzzled why ye did nae share it with him.” Changing the course of their conversation, she said, “I love the color of this yarn ye dyed.”
“Thank ye. Rathnon and I collected leaves one day when I cut the bark to make the baskets before we wed. I am thankful for the memories we shared these past few months before he had to leave at the king’s command. I worry about him though.”
Ilona spent several days dyeing colors of yarns and spinning threads of identical colors together to strengthen and thicken yarns. Later she walked to her garden and tended it, amazed by how the plants thrived.
Gradually, the days grew shorter and the weather cooler.
The forests changed the color of their garments, substituting the summer green for autumn hues of gold, red, and brown.
The rains began in earnest, so Ilona remained inside and wove ivory and green wool fabrics.
Then she dyed yarn a deep red to create a warm wool blanket for their bed in the house Rathnon had built for her.
Ilona spoke to Ivar about the bed for their house and bartered new wool tunics for him in exchange for his skills and craftsmanship.
She commissioned Ivar, not only a carpenter but a skilled woodcarver, to build two doors and their bed.
He agreed to carve spruce trees, a wolf, and loch designs in the wood.
Together they created the composition for the design.
Ivar had helped Rathnon to determine the width of the openings for the doors to the two bedrooms, so he already had the measurements, plus he had built the door to their home. He could easily build and hang the doors. Ivar cautioned Ilona that the carving would take many months.
“It is not a process to be rushed.” He looked forward to spending his time carving designs in wood by the fire during the winter evenings, which he immensely enjoyed.
Ilona remained busy weaving and sewing, and created a heavy, shaggy ivory wool tunic for Rathnon.
She sewed several baby garments. The weather outside matched her mood.
The skies seemed to weep in tandem with her.
She remained cheerful during the day, but at night in their sleeping space she had once shared with Rathnon, the tears of longing came unbidden.
Months after Rathnon left, Ilona began to show.
People congratulated her. The ladies in the village became solicitous toward her, happy they would have a wee bairn in the spring to dote upon.
Ilona worked often with Liv in the healers hut, caring for ill and injured people and expanding her knowledge of healing care.
Ilona dreamed of Rathnon at night, of sailing the seas and holding on tight to him in a storm-tossed sea.
Sodden gray skies greeted her the next morning.
The skies grew darker and somber before the storm out at sea crashed upon the shores and battered them.
Ilona wondered if the storm she had dreamt about had actually happened to Rathnon. Was he caught in a savage storm?
She wished she kent where he stayed and what occupied his time. Does his work on behalf of the king involve trading as expected, or raiding and stealing more women from their homes?
Now, many months later, Ilona looked back on her arrival here after being stolen.
Her parents would be happy to ken they would become grandparents.
She could imagine the joy on her father’s face as he held his grandson for the first time.
At least if she and Rathnon had conceived a son, she could make her father happy.
When Rathnon returned, she would ask him to get a letter to her parents.
In the meantime, she would ask Sigrid if she could accomplish it before he returned.
Rathnon dreamed of holding Ilona again in his arms. When not engaged in work, thoughts of Ilona filled his mind and heart.
I hope she’s well and safe. At least I have Sigrid and Liv to look after her in my absence.
He wondered how long the commerce and trade agreements would take.
He did not consider himself skilled at negotiation since he was a warrior.
Rathnon’s skills were vital when negotiations failed or were never offered.
The last thing he wanted was to get stuck when the ice had frozen the rivers. Then they would be forced to winter over there, and he did not wish to leave Ilona without his love and care.
Rathnon dreamed of when he first saw Ilona, and she captivated him.
As he gazed intently into her eyes, like deep, unfathomable tide pools with unseen currents, he kent he could drown in her.
Something in her called out to his soul.
As if they were fated to be together. As if someone else had orchestrated this grand scheme for them to meet and for him to fall in love with her.
Rathnon’s heart filled with a burning ache for Ilona, finding himself short on patience as he barked out orders to his men. Each night he dreamed of Ilona and when they would reunite. He yearned for his wife and his home as he never had before.
Now, he had a better understanding of the married men’s wishes to conduct their business as soon as possible, whereas single men enjoyed the many attentions of beautiful and willing ladies seeking to entertain them.
He and his men traveled to Denmark, England, the Normandy coast, Portugal, and Spain. On the way back, they planned to stop in eastern Scotland, depending on the weather.
Respected everywhere he traveled because of his muscular and massive size, Rathnon towered over other men.
Not only handsome, he possessed a shrewd intellect and charm.
To his surprise, he was successful in obtaining trade agreements with sovereigns of other countries.
Although he thought that because of his imposing size, they preferred the trade agreements over his people raiding and taking what they wanted.
The weeks at sea and on land turned into months. Rathnon longed to head home. The holds of their ships were full of goods, and more were strapped down to the ship’s decks as they returned to the Kingdom of Norway directly from Portugal.
The seas were rough, and even seasoned warriors and sailors appeared green around their gills.
The weather grew worse toward the end of October.
It snowed, compelling the men to work and row harder to reach their home shores.
Rathnon wondered how long his meeting with the king would take before he could return to Ilona.
He hoped it wouldn’t take longer than two days before he could ride home to her.