Chapter 24 #2
a??He shows wisdom. As for your suffering, you brought any suffering you have endured upon yourself. You twist things, Ingunn, and you refuse to see your own hand in your woes. Your tongue is tangled about itself.a??
a??Ragnar cares naught for me. He wants only to be allied with our family. He is vain and ambitious.a??
a??I dona??t understand how he could care for you, but I shana??t doubt his word. I believe he shows a lack of good judgment, but it is his patience to be tested if he takes you, not mine, thank Odin. As for our family, why, I cannot imagine a man who would not wish to be allied with us.a??
a??I wona??t have him! Father wona??t make me take him. He cannot, it is not our way.a??
a??You will do as you are bidden this time, for you have grievously wounded our family. I will encourage our father to hand you over to Ragnar. I gave you no schooling at all, more fool I, but Ragnar will bring you to submission. He will teach you to temper your damnable tongue.a??
Suddenly Ragnar was laughing, and both brother and sister looked at him with expressions so close it made him laugh all the harder. He went on laughing, more loudly, more deeply. Zarabeth stirred, came fully awake.
a??What is it, Magnus?a??
He frowned at the hoarseness of her voice, but she didna??t need any more anger, even though it was directed toward another. He leaned down and kissed her ear. a??It is Ragnar. He fancies that he will beat Ingunn until she falls faint with love for him.a??
a??I cannot truly imagine that happening, Magnus.a??
a??I wona??t have him!a?? Ingunn shrieked.
Ragnar stopped laughing. He released his horsea??s reins, grabbed Ingunn about the waist, and turned her to face him. a??Listen to me, you silly woman. Whom will you have if not me?a??
Ingunn slapped him hard. He wasna??t expecting the blow and thus wasna??t prepared.
Both of them nearly fell from his horsea??s back.
He thrashed until he regained his balance.
He said nothing, merely stared at her. Ingunn tried to pull away.
Then Ragnar smiled. He lifted her from the saddle and with one quick motion brought her over his thighs.
He smacked her buttocks until she was squirming and screaming at him.
He was laughing again, and his stallion was dancing wildly to the side.
Ragnar paid no heed. With each smack he gave a dictum.
a??Ingunn, you will not gainsay me. You will obey me.
You will sweeten your tongue. You will not flail me with it, but rather kiss me whenever I wish it.
You will show me only winsome smiles. No more barbs will fly from your mouth.a??
Magnus urged Thorgell forward. Zarabeth buried her face in his tunic.
It astounded her how life could rebound in such wide sweeps, from terror to laughter to indignation to insults.
Ingunn was still yelling and Ragnar was still smacking her and laughing and telling her what she would do.
Magnus was warm against her and she knew that she would come back into life and share in its pain and its laughter.
She knew she could not much longer seek only to slip away from life and watch it from afar, remaining untouched and isolated.
They rode in silence for some time, distancing themselves from the others. Occasionally they heard Ingunna??s sharp voice and more of Ragnara??s laughter, as well as loudly shouted comments from the men.
Magnus drew to a halt beside a small clear lake, loosening Thorgella??s reins so his stallion could drink. a??Are you thirsty, Zarabeth?a??
She was. They dismounted and she came down to her knees at the watera??s edge, cupped her hands, and scooped up the cold water. It tasted wonderful in her raw throat.
a??Better?a??
a??Aye,a?? she said, and rose, the sword clanging against her thigh.
Magnus stood looking over the viksfjord. a??Egill is alive. I find it strange that I, a man of little imagination, dreamed he was alive, dreamed that he was also sold into slavery. Orm has much to answer for.a??
a??I am going with you.a??
He turned abruptly on his heel to face her. She was standing there clothed only in his tunic, that ridiculous mana??s belt hanging at her hips, the sword in its scabbard coming nearly to her foot. He smiled. a??No.a??
She paid him no heed. The only sign she gave that she had heard him was that her chin went up. He went to her and took her hand in his, drawing her against his side. a??I will keep you safe this time. You will remain with my parents until I return.a??
a??Remain like a prisoner or a child with your parents? I have been a coward, Magnus, but no more. I must return with you to York. That is where we go, is it not?a??
He shrugged.
a??I know where Orm bought his land.a??
a??Where?a??
a??I will not tell you until you promise you will take me with you.a??
a??You will not force me into this, Zarabeth. I will simply ask Ingunn.a??
Zarabeth lied swiftly and cleanly. a??She doesna??t know. Orm told only me.a??
a??I will ask her anyway. Come, we have a long way to ride yet before we can stop for the night.a??
Zarabeth gave a wistful look at the clear blue water. a??Another bathing would be nice.a??
a??Perhaps this evening,a?? he said. He leaned down and kissed her. a??If you are nice to me, perhaps I will bathe you myself this time.a??
He kissed her again, then tugged her to Thorgell, who was chewing on the thick water grass.
Their return to Malek in the early afternoon was a joyous occasion.
Magnus allowed Ingunn to remain the night.
She would be taken, by Ragnar, on the morrow back to her parentsa?? farmstead.
She was silent and sullen and Zarabeth wondered if the woman would ever change, if she would ever forget her own grievances long enough to be pleasant, long enough to let others enjoy themselves.
Zarabeth fell back quickly into a familiar pattern.
A bountiful meal was prepared, fresh beer brought out, cold and biting from the nets lowered in the viksfjord.
The women served platters of broiled deer and wild boar steaks.
There were boiled peas and baked cabbage with onions and potatoes braised in the burning embers.
Zarabeth ate with the women, speaking together of domestic matters while Magnus and the men drank beer and discussed their voyage to the Danelaw.
They were leaving in three days. There was fitting-up of the Sea Wind to be done, supplies to be gathered and stowed, and the steering oar had yet to be finished.
Zarabeth said nothing more to Magnus. She would go with him to the Danelaw.
She simply wasna??t yet certain how she would manage it.
Zarabeth fell asleep curled up on the mistressa??s chair, a tunic with needle and thread in her lap.
Magnus stood over her, glancing at the material she was sewing.
It looked to be a tunic for him, and he was inordinately pleased.
The material was soft pale blue linen. Her stitches were small and perfect.
He loved her so much at that moment, he wanted to shout with it.
He carefully removed the sewing materials from her lap, then lifted her in his arms and carried her to their bedchamber.
He didna??t light the lamp. It was dark as a pit, since the single narrow window was covered tightly.
He undressed her and himself.
He wanted to see her but decided lighting the lamp would wake her.
He sighed and covered both of them. She was exhausted and he himself was feeling weary.
He fell asleep, his member heavy, his thoughts of his wife, seeing her in her mana??s tunic, Orma??s sword belt strapped around her hips.
a??It is now my sword,a?? shea??d informed him when hea??d asked her if she wanted him to take it.
a??I won it fairly and I shall keep it.a??
He slept deeply until the voice came, soft and insistent in his ear.
a??Do you remember the things you said to me in York, Magnus?
You were arrogant and brash and daring and I found you vastly pleasing.
You made me laugh and you shocked me and I wanted you so very much.
You told me how you treated Cyra and I believed you mad.
You said, so very seriously, that you wouldna??t hurt me, even if I wished you to.
You were so solemn, as if conferring a great favor on me.
I thought you unbelievable and bold and wonderful. I still do.a??
a??I also promised to please you, Zarabeth, but until now, I havena??t much succeeded.a??
a??Aye, you did promise, but I do not think it all your fault. You wanted me to come back to life and you could think of no other way to force me to.a?? She wasna??t in the least surprised that he was awake. a??I have done much thinking, Magnus. It is time for me to leavea??a??
He sucked in his breath, fully awake now, instantly enraged with her. He lurched up, taking her with him. a??I will never let you leavea??a??
a??a??or it is time for me to be your wife.a??
a??Ah,a?? he said, and she was surprised when a deep shudder went through him.
He pulled her tight and they were naked and pressed against each other.
He kissed her nose, her jaw, her eyes, smoothing her eyebrows with his fingertips, pushing her hair from her face, and saying, a??I wona??t ever force you again.
I could no longer bear it were you to lie beneath me crying, your hands fisted at your sides while I came inside you.
I will no longer abide that, Zarabeth.a??
a??Then I think you should lie on your back and I will come over you.a??
Shea??d surprised him yet again. a??Soon. I want to feel all of you against me now.a?? He moved over her, on his elbows, his back slightly arched, his sex rubbing against her, but not yet entering.
He leaned down to kiss her as he moved over her breasts.
This time it was different. She opened to him, rubbing her hands up and down his back, down over his buttocks, and she shivered at the feel of him, the smoothness and warmth of his flesh, the depth and contour of the muscles in his back.
She moved her legs, loving the heaviness of his thighs over hers, the crinkling of his hair against her.
He felt her opening, the end of her resistance to him.
He lay still on her then, kissing her deeply, his hands fisting in her hair, his sex pushing against her.
a??Open your legs, Zarabeth,a?? he said into her mouth.
When she eased them apart, he came up on his knees between them and looked down at her.
He cursed, for he wanted to see all of her clearly.
He leaned forward and splayed his fingers, his hands covering her breasts, kneading them now, then coming downward to encircle her waist, lower still to rest on her belly, then banding around her to take her buttocks.
He lifted her to his mouth. As much as he wanted her, he refused to take any chances that she wouldna??t gain her womana??s pleasure.
He brought her to his mouth, and when his warm lips touched her, she cried out.
He smiled as he caressed her with his mouth, and when she was thrashing beneath him, panting, he stopped a moment and whispered to her, a??I want you to scream for me now, Zarabeth.
I want to feel your shuddering, feel your legs stiffen, feel you opening and yielding to me.a?? He lowered her then and eased his middle finger into her.
a??I want to feel you convulse around my finger.a?? He began caressing her again, and his finger was moving deeply inside her, and she screamed, arching upward, her eyes wild and savage.
Her hands gripped his shoulders, her fingers digging into his flesh, and she screamed again, and at the moment of her scream, other screams and cries came to him . . . but no, they were within him, those screams, deep inside him, and he wanted her desperately.
Zarabeth quieted but the screams continued, more loudly now, and Magnus heard his name yelled out. He trembled to come into her now, but another yell pierced through him. He shook his head, trying to get a hold on himself, trying to understand.
a??Magnus!a?? It was Tostiga??s voice, and he yelled again, this time flinging open the bedchamber door.
a??By Thor, Magnus! Wea??re being attacked!a??