CHAPTER FIFTEEN #2
He didn't dare look at her again, knowing the confusion in her gaze would only make him again forget his true goals. He never expected her to force him to.
***
Thora tugged on the ropes binding her wrists, compelling Ari to stop and turn. She nearly laughed at the surprise and frustration lighting his eyes so they looked as green as the leaves of the trees surrounding them. But her anger easily subdued her mirth.
"How do you expect me to help like this?" She held her bound hands toward him.
"I can't trust you not to flee."
She rolled her eyes. "As much as I would like to be away from you, I will not leave them." She nodded her head toward the cave.
He seemed to ponder her words for a few more moments, then nodded. He stepped closer, his dagger glinting in the dappled sunlight. "Very well. For now, you will remain unbound. But I will not tolerate you running, Thora. You're mine."
Why did it feel as though Sol lit Thora from the inside with joy and excitement? She should hate this man for what he'd done, yet the sound of his deep voice husked with desire, claiming her, undermined her legitimate anger.
"I belong to no one." She lifted her chin, daring him to refute her.
Instead, he merely chuckled and sliced through her bonds.
Biting her cheek to contain a cry at the feel of sensation returning to her hands, she rubbed them together until the tingling had mostly stopped.
Turning her back to Ari, she began her search for kindling and rocks to secure the fire.
The task went quickly, perhaps too quickly.
Needing to keep herself busy, rather than give in to the pull of Ari's stare, which she felt on her as if his hands slid along her bare skin, she knelt before her pack.
She removed the dried fish and leftover hare from yesterday's meal, keeping the food wrapped in the cloth.
She must send Kati to hunt for his and Kata's dinner.
Another cloth holding the remainder of her dried berries soon sat beside the others.
There wasn't a lot of food here. Ari would have to hunt or fish again.
Finally, she turned. He leaned against the wall, near the mouth of the cave, illuminated by the late afternoon sunlight breaking through the leaves.
Her breath hitched before she steadied herself, his image seared forever into her memory.
"We'll need more food for our meal." Thankfully, she succeeded in injecting a commanding tone into her words.
The corners of his mouth twitched and she found her gaze locked there, recalling the heat of his kisses. She blinked, wishing he didn't have such a physical pull on her. Surely exhaustion made her susceptible to these errant thoughts.
"Yes, I thought to find more fish in the stream. You will accompany me."
"But I can't leave them alone!" She nodded toward where the wolves lay on their pallet of furs.
"They will be fine for a short time."
"But –"
"Would you rather I bound you again?"
She narrowed her eyes. Damn his soul! He'd given her an impossible choice and he knew it.
"Fine. But I've not much skill at catching fish."
A lie. Her father and uncle had taught her well how to catch fish with a hook, spear or net, but Ari didn't need to know that.
Let him do the work. She'd not make his life easy.
Maybe he'd even think her a burden and agree to let her go before they reached Tingwalla.
The thought evaporated as soon as it arose.
She'd worked too hard to prove to him she was capable of taking care of herself. Surely he'd see through the ruse.
"I will catch the fish. But I'll keep you where I can watch you."
She frowned. How long before he let his guard down again? Clearly, she had much work to do in order to get him to trust she wouldn't flee. Once he believed she had given up that hope, she'd take her chance.
She stood and followed him out of the cave. The stream was not far from the cave and soon she sat on the bank, watching in silence as Ari cast his line and pulled in several fishes. Once the pouch was filled, he motioned her to join him when he turned back toward the forest.
With the pouch of fish slung over one shoulder, he slipped his free arm about her waist, holding her near as they walked.
Did he do it apurpose, knowing the heat from his nearness wreaked havoc on her senses?
After the last days of shared passion, he knew very well how his touch affected her.
Even now, his hand resting casually on her hip, set her entire body to trembling, anticipating a more intimate touch.
He leaned close to her ear. "After náttmál, I am looking forward to the night."
She didn't answer, working too hard to suppress the quiver of delight sliding along her spine. Despite her lingering anger, her body responded, her sex slickening, her breasts tightening to hard points that ached to be touched. She clenched her fingers to stop their shaking.
"I am very tired. I have no wish to lie with you tonight."
He chuckled, the sound like a caress against her ear and neck. She gulped.
"You will change your mind."
"You are very sure of yourself."
"I am sure of your desire. Try as you may, you cannot hide it. I can smell your passion, Thora. It is as intense as my own. I will prove it to you."
Why did she look forward to his keeping that promise?
When they reached the cave, Ari handed her the pouch of fish and turned his attention to lighting the fire.
Without his nearness, Thora found breathing came much easier and she set about scaling, cleaning and spitting the fish.
By the time she finished, the flames crackled noisily and she laid the skewered fish across the fire.
She took a seat opposite Ari, unwilling to be near him again.
Her wits needed to be sharp if she intended to hold him at bay.
Ha! Who did she try to fool? Herself? She knew damn well that once he touched her, kissed her, her desire would surely rise and she would be helpless to resist. The wicked pleasure he bestowed on her always left her forgetting anything but being in his arms. Somehow, she had to find a way to break the spell the gods had surely cast upon her, leaving her weak under his passionate assault.
What had she done to displease them so? Perhaps a small sacrifice might go a way toward easing their discontent.
How she might manage such a feat depended on Ari.
If she didn't find some way out from under his watchful eyes, the chance might never come.
Aware he watched her over the flames, she ignored him and turned the fish to cook evenly. Satisfied, she turned to the wolves. Kata slept, the steady rise and fall of her belly assuring Thora she continued to heal. She knelt beside Kati and stroked his head while he licked her chin.
"Go and hunt, boy. When Kata wakes, she will be hungry."
He gave her another lick then trotted out of the cave.
Thora resumed her seat beside the fire. The aroma of the cooking fish teased her nose.
A fierce hunger overtook her, unlike any she'd known before.
Had Ari heard the rumble of her belly? She dared a glanced at him, but he seemed to pay her no mind, carving a small branch with his dagger.
She longed for her own, and her axe. She doubted he'd let her have them back before reaching The Thing.
Once more, the goal of getting him to trust her, leave her unattended and unbound, took hold, stronger than ever. But how?
The questions that had danced on the tip of her tongue since this morning rose again, demanding answers. While she desperately held onto her anger, she had to know.
"Why didn't you tell me who you were?"
He looked up, clearly startled by her question. "I didn't think it important."
"You lie. Your entire journey is about seeking vengeance against your brother, is it not?
A curt nod was her only response. With a sigh of exasperation, she continued.
"So once you knew I was his intended bride, you should have told me."
"And risk you running away?"
She hesitated. "You know I wasn't going anywhere, not with Kata wounded."
He said nothing, but the blue-green gaze, now almost dark as the dusky sky, focused intently on her.
"If you'd been truthful with me, I might have been willing to help you."
His eyebrows shot up. In disbelief? "Would you?"
"I didn't want to marry him, you knew that. I could have been your ally. Instead, now I'm only–"
"Mine."
A lump filled her throat. Why was it that every time he said that, those delightful fluttery feelings in her belly grew stronger?
"I will not be treated as little more a possession. You are no better than my father, selling me off to the man who can give him a strong political alliance!"
"Hersir likely would have used the alliance to attack your clan, eventually."
That silenced her argument. "What?"
"I've been banished for almost three years, so I don't have firsthand knowledge, but I've heard things in my travels."
Her anger at her father had been replaced by worry for his safety. "I demand you tell me."
He smiled, the arch of his eyebrow warning he might make her pay for her attitude later on. At the moment she didn't care, even as wisps of heat seeped through her veins at the idea.
"You are not in any position to make demands. But I will share what I know."
When he hesitated, Thora balled her hands into fists to keep from approaching and shaking him. Her impatience, heavy and thick, threatened to suffocate her.
"Hersir was a master at casting blame on others. The clan had made an alliance with another nearby, in an effort to resist the increasing invasion of those led by Konall, the Jarl of Skapska."
Thora gasped. Many had heard the legends of Konall, who was rumored to have fought giants to claim his lands and title.
"What happened?"
"Hersir betrayed the other clan to Konall. The jarl and his men swept into the village like a flood and left nothing and no one in their wake."
Only the crackling of the fire broke the sudden silence.
Thora's thoughts grew into a tangled, chaotic mess.
When he looked up from the flames, his eyes dark as the pines in the forest, the breath whooshed from her lungs.
He spoke the truth, of that she had no doubt.
The sting of his betrayal still remained sore, however, and she vowed to make him pay for that.
"Konall will be at The Thing." It wasn't a question, but Ari nodded in confirmation anyway.
"How many witnesses will you bring?"
"Enough. Those who were betrayed after they helped Hersir betray others. They were lucky to have escaped with their lives and families."
The thought of her father giving her to a man capable of such evil turned Thora's stomach. Surely Kori didn't know of these deeds. But would not knowing make him foolish? Unless something else had happened that she didn't know about.
"Ari, are you sure that is what happened?"
"One of Hersir's closest "friends" told me himself how they had set a trap for the other clan, lulling their leader into thinking they had made a trustworthy alliance that would see them all safe and comfortable. After, when this man, and others close to Hersir began to voice their doubts..."
Ari shrugged. "He threatened them, their wives and children. And like me, they were forced to flee or cast out, though not quite in so grand a manner."
Suddenly, she had to know. Had to learn just what made him the man who sat across from her now. Her pleas to the gods seemed to appear to be finally answered. Still, she must ask to be sure.
"What did they do to you?"
"Nothing, except make claims against me.
But not long after they named me murderer, they fled in secrecy, under cover of night.
Whether Hersir knew and let them go, thinking they were no threat, or he truly didn't know, I can't say.
But I was named an outlaw before the jarl and the elders, declared a criminal in the eyes of all those in my clan. "
A full understanding of his determination to get to The Thing settled over her. She had to admire it, even though it led to his callous betrayal. Still, the anger seemed less fierce, the pain a little duller. No! Those thoughts led to forgiveness and she wasn't ready to forgive him. Might never be.
Foolish girl. Of course you'll forgive him. She ignored the taunting voice. She wanted to make her own choices for her life and staying with Ari assured she never would have that chance.
"And when you have cleared your name what will you do?"
"I haven't decided. I'd like to go home, to visit with my mother for a time, but I don't think I will return entirely to my clan."
"Why not?" She shouldn't keep asking questions. The answers she received only softened her resolve to remain detached until she had the chance to flee. Yet, a small part of her wanted to go to Tingwalla with him, just to see what happened when he finally gained his justice.
"I no longer belong there. I've learned many things during my travels, and I am not the same person I was when I was cast out."
She understood that. Her journey so far was much shorter than his and she had changed in so many ways, even before Ari had come into her life. Of course, he had changed her far more than she'd ever imagined possible. For better or not, she still wasn't sure.
"So where will you go? Surely you want to settle down after the last years of traveling."
"I'd thought to go south for a time. Towards Odense."
She stared at him, unsure of how to respond.
When she'd first left her village, she'd had the same intention.
A person could easily get lost in a city the size of Odense, and that had been her aim.
That Ari possessed similar thoughts roused thousands of questions, though none formed completely, more a maelstrom of chaotic half-thoughts.
"It's a big city." Those were the only words she managed to force out.
Ari nodded, his gaze still focused unwaveringly on her. "It is. Should be an easy matter to find work."
"Before you were cast out, what did you do?" Despite her intention not to ask more questions, the words came out before she'd even realized they'd formed.
"I was a blacksmith."
That explained his fine sword and the craftsmanship of his other tools.
Had he made them himself? She forced the additional questions aside and turned her attention to the cooking fish.
It was done and she picked up two skewers and handed them to Ari.
He took them with a nod of thanks, but said nothing.
They ate in silence, Thora's thoughts still a whirlwind.
She sensed him watching her, but she deliberately avoided looking at him.
It would only make it harder to stay angry with him.
Bad enough she was certain what the coming night would bring, she didn't need him playing with her wits. Her body he could have.
But not her heart.