Chapter 23 #2
He laughed and rubbed his knuckles over the thick reddish-blond stubble.
His look was cunning. a??If you come to me willingly, I could make Ingunn your slave.a?? He leaned down then and began to wrap a thick tress of her hair around his hand.
a??I would breed a babe off you with hair this color.
A man who would command men, a man strong and powerful, a man who would rule all of Norway, all of England, a man who would make King Alfreda??s sons look like puking infants.a??
a??I would kill any child of yours.a??
She had pushed him too far. His eyes glittered dark and wild.
She knew it, but still she wasna??t fast enough.
He grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet.
He did not strike her again, merely ripped the front of her gown to her waist. She was wearing a shift beneath it, and he ripped it as well, baring her breasts.
His belt lay on the ground, the sword in its scabbard still hooked over the leather.
She didna??t struggle yet, knowing instinctively that if she did, he would strike her again, and perhaps this time she would lose consciousness.
She had to be alert, she had to act when she found the chance.
She was stiff in his arms, but nothing more.
His breathing was ragged and deep, and within moments her clothing was in rags around her bare feet.
a??By Thor, you are more than I expected.a?? His hands were rough on her breasts as his mouth came over hers.
His hands pressed against her belly, and he was trying to wedge her legs apart. With a growl of frustration he pulled back and began to yank and pull at his tunic. When he was naked to the waist, he pulled her against him, moving his chest against her breasts, and he was groaning.
He released her for a moment to jerk off his trousers and rip off the cross-garters from his soft leather boots.
Zarabeth leapt for his sword. She had it in her hands, was trying to jerk it from its scabbard, when he was on her, his hands wrapped around her hair, and he was pulling her inexorably backward, and she was crying with the pain and with the bitter taste of failure.
He jerked the sword from her hand and threw it some feet away. He was naked now, over her, and suddenly he threw himself between her legs. He was smiling down at her and his eyes were filled with triumph.
He reared up to position himself. She lurched up, her fists pounding into his face.
Her nails scored his cheeks and she felt the flesh tear away, felt his blood well over her fingers.
He roared with anger and pain. His hands were around her throat and his fingers were squeezing hard and harder still and she felt pain in her chest, building and building, and she knew she would die now.
He was cursing her and there was madness in him and now the madness was him.
Suddenly his hands fell away from her throat and air surged into her lungs. She coughed frantically, sucking in air.
a??Hurry, Zarabeth!a??
It was Ingunn. She stood over an unconscious Orm, his sword in her hand. She had struck him hard from behind with the sword handle.
a??Is he dead?a?? Her voice ripped out, a curious croak, and the pain of it made her shake.
a??No, no. We must hurry.a??
Zarabeth pushed him off her and jumped to her feet. a??Ia??m naked,a?? she said, staring down at herself dumbly.
a??Here!a??
Zarabeth caught Orma??s tunic. She pulled it over her head. It came to her knees. It smelled of him.
a??Horses, Ingunn. We must get the horses, else we wona??t have a chance!a??
a??Nay, Kol is awake, as is Bein, and the horses are kept close, you know that. We will go on foot. We can hide. Hurry, else he will awaken and catch us!a??
Zarabeth wanted to kill him. She stood uncertain for a moment, then quickly gathered together the leather cross-garters hea??d ripped from his shoes and tied his hands behind his back. Then she tied his ankles.
a??Hurry!a??
She stood over him for a moment, staring down at him. a??He is mad, Ingunn.a??
a??I care not, come along! He will kill me as well as you if he catches us.a??
Ingunn grabbed the leather belt and shoved the sword back into its scabbard. Then she stared at it as if it were a snake to bite her. Zarabeth grabbed it and wrapped the belt around her waist and cinched it. It hung low on her hips, but it held there.
She had no shoes, but it didna??t matter. She ran, Ingunn at her side. They were deep in the forest before they halted, each holding her side.
a??A moment,a?? Zarabeth said. a??A moment, Ingunn.a??
Zarabeth leaned against a tree, the pain sharp in her side, air ripping painfully through her throat, and she felt light-headed. Her stomach cramped from hunger. She raised her head to see Ingunn on her knees, her head lowered.
a??Why did you save me?a??
Ingunn sucked in great gulps of air.
Zarabeth waited. She could hear her own breathing, sharp in her ears, and Ingunna??s as well, both harsh and ugly in the stillness of the forest.
a??Why, Ingunn?a??
a??I came to realize that he had changed.
I had refused to believe my father when he told me of the things Orm had done.
You see, I thought I knew him, and I loved him.a?? She shrugged.
a??Whenever I met him he made me believe in him, even though I began to guess that something had happened to him.
I dona??t know what it was. But he used to be so .
. . happy and gentle in his ways, at least toward women.
He changed, Zarabeth.a?? She rose then and looked back the way they had come.
a??He will come after us any moment now. To kill me. To kill you as well, after he has raped you. If you want to live, we must hurry now.a??
Zarabeth staggered forward. It was dark now, finally, and they were running across a narrow strip of swampland that gave into another thin forest of pines, then stopped at the edge of the viksfjord.
a??Faster,a?? Ingunn said from behind her. a??He will find us, by all the gods, I know it.a??
a??Nay, we will beat him.a?? She prayed as she ran, prayed to her Christian God, to each of the Viking gods in turn. The pain in her side was unbearable, but she merely ran hunched over, holding herself, her breathing hoarse, her throat burning.
They stumbled in the boggy ground, falling several times, helping each other up, only to run and stumble again.
When they heard the horses coming they both slammed to the ground, uncaring of the mud and wet.
Zarabetha??s hands were filled with swamp mud.
Her face was pressed into the wet earth.
She thought of the last time shea??d lain on the ground, waiting helplessly for Orm to come capture her.
And he had come, and he would come again.
The sword was heavy, dragging down at her side. She wasna??t helpless this time.
The horses were coming closer. There was no long grass in this boggy swamp to hide them, only short marshy reeds, and Zarabeth knew that at any moment Orm would see them.
a??I wona??t wait this time, damn him!a?? She jumped to her feet, pulling the sword free from its scabbard as she tried to keep her balance in the muddy earth.
a??Zarabeth! You fool, lie down, quickly!a??
a??Nay! He wona??t take me back again. Not this time! This time I will fight him.a??
Magnus was keeping Thorgell to a steady pace.
He didna??t want to kill his prized animal.
The moon was bright overhead, the meadow was narrow and long.
They were close, he could feel it. Suddenly he saw an apparition rise from the floor of the meadow.
He felt a tremor of sheer terror choke in his throat.
The vision, or whatever it was, was waving a sword like a demented thing. It was a womana??demon or flesh?
The stallion didna??t falter even though his fist tightened on the reins. He heard Eines cursing, heard Ragnara??s breath draw in sharply, heard the other men muttering.
a??What is it?a??
Then he recognized his wife, her flying hair, streaking down her back, thick and tangled. She was wearing a mana??s tunic and a wide loose belt that hung low on her hips.
She was challenging him, sword raised above her head, legs apart, her body ready.
Zarabeth brought the sword down in front of her and held it there with both hands.
She waited, her heart pounding, beyond fear.
It wasna??t Orm. It was Magnus. A sob caught in her throat.
She dropped the sword and began running toward him, the filthy swamp mud sucking at her feet, all the pain in her body forgotten.
a??By all the gods!a?? Ragnar yelled, and kicked his horsea??s sides. a??Ia??ll kill it!a??
a??Nay, Ragnar! a??Tis my wife!a?? Magnus kicked Thorgell into a gallop. He rode to her, leaned down, and scooped her up with one arm. He was laughing, deep and freely, and he was holding her tightly against him and her arms were around his neck.
He pulled Thorgell to a halt. He looked at his wife, filthy, smiling, her eyes bright with relief. a??You would have held me off with your sword? Right there in the middle of a swamp?a??
a??Aye. I was very angry, you see.a??
a??I see,a?? he said, and leaned down to kiss her. a??You are also very filthy.a??
a??Magnus,a?? she said into his mouth, and tightened her hold around his neck. He grunted and pulled her across his lap. Thorgell pranced to the side, not liking her weight or the swamp smell of her.
a??Ingunn is out there hiding.a??
Magnus called his sistera??s name. She rose and stood silently under the moonlight.
a??Ragnar, take her up with you.a??
a??We must hurry,a?? Zarabeth said, panic flaring suddenly. a??Orm must be conscious by now. He will be coming after us.a??
a??Good.a??
She heard the pleasure in his voice, the anticipation. There was nothing for it. He was a man and a warrior and he wanted his enemy.
She said as calmly as an old campaigner, a??There are six of you. There are only three of them. They have one woman who is a slave.a??
Magnus wanted to find Orm immediately. He wanted to kill him slowly and he wanted to do it himself.
She smiled at him, her fingertips touching his mouth. a??Thank you for coming after me. I would like you to catch him, Magnus. He is like a dangerous animal. He must be stopped.a??
a??I am worried for you.a??
a??I have his sword. I am a dangerous woman. Let us go.a??
He kissed her again, squeezed her against him until she squeaked, and click-clicked Thorgell forward. He shouted for his men to follow.
They rode back from across the meadow, slowing down to get through the dense pine forest.
a??So close,a?? Magnus said against Zarabetha??s temple. a??I feared he would be gone with you. He has a vessel near, does he not?a??
a??Aye. I dona??t know why he waited. He veered inland, then came back north to the viksfjord. Perhaps he wanted you to come. Perhaps he wanted to face you and fight you.a??
a??Did he hurt you?a??
a??He did not rape me. He would have, but Ingunn struck him down. I tied him with his cross-garters and then we ran.a??
He hugged her. a??You did well, as did my sister.a??
When they neared the camp, they rode single file. Then Magnus called for a halt. They dismounted and he bade Zarabeth wait there with the horses. She watched him silently make his way to the edge of the trees.
She felt sick to her stomach. Ingunn came to stand beside her.
There was a shout. a??Hea??s gone! The bastard is gone! The miserable coward.a??
The women looked at each other, then ran forward.
Eines was on his knees examining the fire and the ground around it. a??I dona??t think he tried to catch the mistress at all, Magnus. I think he came back herea??see, his prints show that he isna??t steady on his feeta??I think he simply decided it was too dangerous and they all left.a??
All but one. They found the woman slave naked and dead beside a tree, strangled.
It was then that Ragnar found a series of rough finger drawings made in the sand on the far side of the fire. There was a small boy with a rope around his neck and he was being led by a man. The man was smiling and holding pieces of gold in his free hand.
a??Egill,a?? Magnus said. a??It is my son. Somehow he managed to capture Egill.a??
a??Your dream,a?? Zarabeth said, her hand on his forearm.
a??Aye, hea??s a slave, but hea??s alive. By Thor, where did Orm take him?a??
Ingunn came forward and went to her knees to study the drawings. a??He said nothing to me about capturing Egill, nothing at all.a?? There was shock in her voice.
a??But we know where Egill is,a?? Zarabeth said with a smile. a??Hea??s in the Danelaw.a??