CHAPTER SEVENTEEN #2
Within a few moments, only Ari and Muli still battled, all three of Muli's companions lay either dead or grievously wounded.
Thora moved closer to the fighting men, shaking off the restraining hand that attempted to halt her.
In her sweaty palms, the dagger slipped and she tightened her grip before dropping it, her gaze riveted to the two men swinging their swords at each other, neither gaining the upper hand until Ari gave an unexpected roll, coming up to stand behind his foe.
When Muli turned, Ari landed his fist square in the other man's face.
"I will have my revenge and you will die!" Muli shouted. Blood seeped from his nose, and his free arm dangled at an odd angle. Still, he fought on, lifting his sword once more, though his movements had become more sluggish and sloppy.
Thora studied Ari. He appeared calm and even-winded as he moved about Muli, taunting the wounded man with insults. He didn't need her assistance, yet the urge to be near him while he saved her yet again nearly overpowered her.
"Now who are the Valkyries waiting for?" He mocked Muli with his earlier words and thrust toward his foe again. The injured man somehow managed to block the blow, but in his weakness, he stumbled and fell to his knees. Ari stood over him, sword raised. Why did he hesitate?
"Kill him!" Thora shouted. She noted the way Ari's shoulders stiffened for a moment, then he plunged the sword into Muli's chest. The man gave a gurgling scream at the moment Ari withdrew his sword, before falling to the dirt. Dead.
Thora ran to Ari, dropping her dagger and axe before throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight. His free arm came around her waist, holding her near. Tears streamed down her cheeks, more relief that he had defeated Muli than anything else.
Ari set her away, and his lips curled in a small smile. "You are unhurt?"
She nodded. "Your friends ensured I was safe before they took care of Muli's accomplices."
Ari looked toward the three men gathered a few feet away. He waved them over.
"Karsi, your arrival was indeed a blessing from the gods. We must give thanks!"
"I agree," said Karsi. "We were going to set up camp a bit further. We heard the battle. Wasn't until we got closer that I realized it was you."
"I owe you much. After The Thing, I will be able to repay you properly."
"I just want to return to my home," said Karsi. "As do they."
Ari nodded, his expression sober. "Soon, we will all have justice. Karsi, Leif, Alarr, this is Thora. The man I was fighting is an enemy of her father's."
"So he meant to use you as revenge?" Karsi directed his question to Thora.
"I believe so. It would seem I am quite useful as a tool for vengeance." She gave Ari a pointed stare. When he looked away and shifted uneasily, she gained a small measure of satisfaction at his discomfort. She ignored the curious stares of the other men.
"You are lucky to have someone like Ari to look after you."
Admitting she agreed was not a consideration.
She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing how his very presence reassured her.
She said nothing, aware of Ari's gaze upon her.
When he turned to join his friends in gathering the horses of their enemies, she looked down to see that her wolves had once again taken up their positions on either side of her.
This was when she was truly safest, she reminded herself, even if the thought rang slightly untrue.
Her gaze fell upon the horses of their attackers.
Would he let her have one, ride alone? A brief sting of disappointment accompanied her answer when the other men took the reins of those horses and led them a short distance away from where their own steeds were tethered.
The animals pranced and pawed at the ground, short whinnies of fear piercing the air.
Clearly the presence of her wolves frightened the beasts.
"Where did you get the wolves?" Leif asked, once he'd calmed the jittery horse under his control.
"They are Thora's pets. They won't harm the horses, though I expect the animals wouldn't believe it even if Sleipnir galloped down and assured them of their safety."
The men all laughed and even Thora chuckled at the image of Odin's eight-legged horse riding down from the heavens to speak with the horses.
"We can sell the steeds at The Thing. We'll fetch a fine amount in trade for them," said Ari.
"Take their weapons," Thora said.
All of the men paused in their conversation and stared at her.
"They died in battle, and should be allowed to defend themselves on their journey to Valhalla." The confusion in Ari's eyes seemed oddly comical in the heavy moment. Yet, Thora found no humor in the situation.
"Muli is a coward and only dares to attack anyone he sees as weaker than him.
He doesn't deserve the glory of celebrating with the gods.
If your friends had joined us a day or so earlier, he never would have come after us.
He thought to ambush us. Clearly, the gods set things in motion for his defeat. They don't want him there."
She held Ari's stare and noted the recognition in his eyes. Was there a hint of pride there as well? She must have imagined it. He turned back to his friends.
"She's right. He's attacked before, when he thought Thora alone and vulnerable. Just for raiding with him, the others don't deserve the honor."
She held back her words of encouragement, but caught the pleased glimmer in his eyes, making them the blue of the morning sky. He turned away, joining his companions in gathering the fallen men's weapons. Soon the swords, axes and daggers had been placed in a neat pile.
"Put them in my sack."
Ari directed his demand to Thora. For a moment, she thought to resist, then realized she must show his friends she could be trusted.
Whatever doubts she still held onto, she mustn't let on.
She nodded, taking the offered sack he held out and knelt beside the pile.
While she carefully placed each weapon into the pack, she dared a glance at the other men as they spoke with Ari, his back now facing her.
Karsi, his face grizzled and tough like old leather and who seemed the leader, was not the tallest, in fact, he was shortest, but the breadth of his shoulders still gave him a fearsome stature.
Leif was the tallest, and the thinnest, but again, Thora sensed a powerful strength under his deceptive appearance.
Both men seemed open and genuinely pleased to see Ari.
Alarr gave her pause. Dark and quiet, his height coming somewhere in between his fellow clansmen's, he said little, remaining still and studious.
His dark stare met hers and she somehow suppressed an uneasy shiver at the strange light she found in his eyes.
Why? He didn't know her, yet, judging from his scowl, he appeared to dislike her.
Intensely. He looked away, turning his attention back to the others.
Thora released a breath she hadn't even realized she held.
She placed the last axe inside the sack and tied the pack closed around the sword handles.
Aware of the conversation halting when she approached, she met Ari's gaze.
Silently, she attempted to let Ari know she wanted to speak with him alone, without being detected.
Unfortunately, he appeared as oblivious as his friends.
She stepped closer, taking up a position behind him, but still with a view of the others.
The men continued to discuss their recent journeys, and Karsi and Alarr both spoke of their families, left behind for fear of some deadly retribution.
That should assuage some of Thora's concerns, but she couldn't completely cast off the feeling that Alarr did not fully stand with Ari. That he might in fact be working against him. She needed to convince Ari to speak with her alone, so she could share her suspicions.
Wait. Wasn't she only biding her time for the opportunity to be free of Ari's dangerous possession of her?
Shouldn't she let him learn on his own if the man he called friend was truly his enemy?
It might give her just the chance she needed.
The silent swearing echoed in her head, making her worry the men could actually hear.
Faced with the events of the last couple of hours, she had to be honest.
Ari was her greatest chance of surviving this journey. Besides, the thought of anyone wounding or ... She refused to consider anything of the sort. Yes, the gods could be cruel, but surely he had suffered enough over the last years.
This concern for him was truly a curse. Yes, he'd saved her, but he could very well also mean her doom.
Once they reached Tingwalla, it was only a matter of time before someone in her clan, or worse, her father, found her.
Various scenarios raced through her thoughts, leaving it hard to catch her breath.
All of them ended with the loss of someone dear. She didn't know which was worse.
Aware of Ari turning his attention to her, Thora met his gaze.
Her heart swelled to read what appeared to be genuine affection in his eyes.
For a moment, she allowed the desire to stay with him always rise up, before forcing it back down.
There was little to no chance of that being permitted, once Ari had stood before the council, before all those assembled at Tingwalla.
Her father might ultimately be glad Ari had prevented the arranged marriage, but she doubted he would forgive what he would surely know had passed between his daughter and her savior.
He might hear your wishes, make a decision based on that.
No! Thora refused to listen to the taunting voice that always seemed to undermine her resolve. The hope was too great to be considered, though perhaps if she made an offering to Freyja, she might stand a better chance.