5 #2
He was standing next to her, bending down over her, saying nothing, but she heard his breathing. Suddenly, he grabbed the blanket and wrapped it tightly around her, trapping her arms. He lifted her and tossed her onto the floor beside the bed.
She landed on her side, stunned and winded.
He threw another blanket on top of her.
He said nothing more. She heard him ease down onto the bed, heard him draw in a deep breath, then he was silent.
Then he laughed, and it was a rich mocking laugh.
A knife, she thought, if only she had a knife.
a??You thought I would rape you,a?? he said, and laughed again.
a??Rape you? Even though youa??re clean and more sweet-smelling than otherwise, I doubt I could have forced myself to take you, you who are nothing more than an ill-tempered witch.
Ia??d rather be forced to plow an old crone than to plow your belly.
Youa??re so fond of your brother, you who would do anything for Einar, a swine who deserves the cruelest of deaths.
Do you lust after him, your own kin? Is that why youa??re still unwed?
Perhaps he has already bedded you. You arena??t young, after all.
Does he hold you above his other whores? a??
It was odd, she thought, as she rose silently to her feet.
So very odd that it would happen now, that he would taunt her beyond what she could bear.
She wrapped the blanket around her and walked to the entrance.
She pulled the hide aside. A small sliver of light shone in.
She wondered where Kerzog was and what he would do.
Would he kill her, his fangs buried in her throat?
It was then that Rorik heard her. He said loud and clear, a??Do not leave this chamber, damn you. Get back here or it will go badly for you.a??
She ignored him, something she knew had never happened to him in his life, and walked into the outer room, still filled with the dying warmth from the fire pit.
She breathed in the light smell of smoke, thinning out now, until the morrow when the fire pit was lit again, the room filling once more with smoke turning the air a pale blue.
There was snoring coming from all the benches along the walls.
She saw Kerzog sleeping by the fire pit.
He raised his head and looked at her. Then he lowered his head and went back to sleep.
He was indeed a ferocious animal, she thought as she kept walking.
Then she broke into a run, for he was behind her now.
She dashed to the doors, and heaved up the heavy wooden cross-beam. She couldna??t manage it.
She heard him behind her and she jerked up with all her strength. The cross beam flew upward and fell to the side with a heavy thud. She shoved open the door and dashed outside.
She stumbled on the blanket, falling to her knees. She was up in a flash, running, ignoring the pebbles and shards of wood that dug into her bare feet. She heard him behind her, but he wasna??t saying anything now. No, this chase was a silent one, one that would end with her death.
There were four guards at the huge gates of the palisade. They saw her coming, saw Lord Rorik behind her, naked.
They didna??t move. They said nothing. It was as if she were alone with him.
Rorik caught her hair and stopped. She cried out with the burning pain and fell back against his chest.
He wrapped the thick hair around his wrist again and again, until her head was pressed tight against his shoulder.
a??You wish to relieve yourself again?a??
He sounded calm, not at all angry, but she wasna??t fooled. He would kill her.
a??Nay,a?? she said, gritting her teeth against the pain as he again tightened her hair around his hand.
a??Nay, I wanted to escape you, to force you to catch me and kill me cleanly.
But that isna??t your way, is it? You would prefer to torture me, with your words and your threats and your deeds.a??
a??Kill you,a?? he said. a??Aye, thata??s a thought, isna??t it? Youa??ve caused me nothing but annoyance, forcing me yet again to hurt my shoulder running you down.a??
He said nothing else, merely jerked his hand lightly. She was close to him, pressed tightly against his side. She couldna??t move away because he held her hair wrapped tightly around his hand. The blanket slipped and she jerked it up.
He laughed, nodding to the men standing silent by the palisade.
There were men awake in the longhouse. One called out, a??My lord, what goes?a??
a??Seek your dreams again, Gurd. The woman wished to see the moonlight above Hawkfell Island. She believes this island to be beyond any land she has ever before seen. Aye, return to your sleep.a??
Once inside the sleeping chamber, he unwound her hair and shoved her down onto the bed. He lit a rush torch.
He opened his trunk and pulled out a length of chain from the bottom. She watched as he fastened one end of the chain to the post at the foot of his bed. He held up the other end and straightened. a??Come here.a??
A chain, she thought, staring at it dumbly. She shook her head. He would chain her like an animal? He wouldna??t kill her cleanly?
He strode to her, grabbed her right hand and wrapped the chain around it. The blanket fell to her waist.
He fastened the chain securely, then straightened again. He grabbed her left hand as she tried to pull up the blanket.
He said nothing, merely stared at her breasts. Slowly, knowing that she was watching, knowing well that she hated him looking at her, he reached out and cupped her right breast in his palm.
She froze for an instant with fear and humiliation. Then she jerked back. He grabbed the chain, laughing now, and pulled her forward. She hit at him with her free hand.
He pushed her down onto her back and came over her, straddling her.
He again lowered his hand, all the while looking at her face, watching her staring at his hand.
This time he ran his fingers lightly over her breasts, from one to the other, again and again.
His expression was unreadable. Then he frowned and jerked his hand away, staring at it as if he were unclean, as if shea??d befouled him.
He rose off her and jerked the chain, bringing her to her feet. He looked down at her, said nothing. He hooked his leg behind her knees and sent her sprawling onto the floor.
She watched him extinguish the rush torch. She heard him fall onto his bed. She heard him drawing deep steadying breaths.
She was awake when his deep breathing evened into sleep.