16. Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen
As Brun donned her leggings and thigh length tunic, and swung her bow across her back, Mirren entered the room.
“Everyone’s talking about today’s wager,” she said as she flopped belly first onto the bed.
“What are they saying?” Brun asked as she fingered the laces at her throat.
“They were all in such a somber mood yesterday, I think they welcome the frivolity of it. They’re all convinced he’ll beat you, just as he did during the ax challenge, but I have five silver pieces on you.”
“My mate is not without prowess,” Brun informed Mirren as she finished lacing her tunic.
Mirren’s cackle flew through the room. “So I’ve heard!”
Brun rolled her eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
Mirren cradled her chin in her hands, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “That doesn’t mean it isn’t true. The entire hall saw the way you couldn’t keep your eyes from one another during the feast, and I’ve never seen you willingly hold another’s hand.”
Brun shrugged. “I find I am not as opposed to our union as I once was.”
“I never thought to admit it, but women enjoy more freedom here than we did under your father’s hand.”
“I’ve noticed that as well. When a woman excels in battle, she’s simply treated as a warrior, not an aberrant example of her sex.”
"There are many men here who appreciate such a woman," Mirren assured her.
"Have you switched allegiance?"
Mirren laughed again, and covered her eyes with the back of her hand. "Your husband's giant man at arms seems determined to convince me."
"He knows you aren't so inclined?"
Her friend blushed. "Like I said, he's determined to convince me. He proposed a threesome with a lass of my choosing."
Brun's eyes widened. "He's certainly determined. Perhaps you should indulge him before the battle."
Mirren's eyes narrowed. "The battle?"
"Aye. My mate is convinced it's inevitable. His spymaster informed him that the Kraken ruler was infuriated by my escape and is set on obliterating the each uisge kingdom forever."
Her friend shot to her feet, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "A true battle?"
Brun grimaced. "A battle against fearsome creatures with a venomous sting. A battle against beastly mercenaries with teeth longer than your arm."
"I welcome the challenge," Mirren assured her.
"A challenge that may end in the cold ground. I advise you to take the giant up on his offer, so if you are killed you'll leave this earth with one less regret."
Mirren bounced over with shining eyes and kissed Brun on the cheek. "I don't know if I'll heed your advice, but I'll be celebrating tonight!"
The marital bed had not been without its comforts that morning, and Brun had been slow to rise.
It had taken several cups of hot tea to regain her bearings, and her eyelids still felt as if they'd been weighed down by coins.
She squinted at the target before lowering to one knee, pulling her bowstring taut, and sending a brief prayer to Freya.
She took a deep breath and let the arrow fly.
When it thunked against the wooden shield, hitting the mark slightly off center, she leapt to her feet with a whoop of victory. “Care to make another wager, husband?”
He lowered to one knee, just as she had, and gave her a cocky smirk. He loosed his arrow, his gaze on her the entire time instead of the target. It soared through the air, and hit the center of the target, quivering just below hers. “I’ll take your wager, wife.”
“You didn’t even sight the target before you took aim,” she grumbled.
He shrugged and rose to his feet. “I’ve been in too many battles that didn’t allow me the luxury of taking aim. I’ve learned to rely on my instincts to judge distance and angle because often that split second of hesitation can mean the difference between life and death.”
“Can we make it the best of three?” She asked with crossed arms.
“That depends on the stakes, Valkyrie. What boon are you willing to give me if win?” He stepped toward her.
Brun lifted her chin and held her ground. “The stakes are the same as those of our first wager.”
“Ah. If you win, you sail away, with the possibility of my seed in your womb this time, and if I win I receive a kiss freely given.”
She blushed, but nodded vigorously. She didn’t know if she had the fortitude to sail away and abandon him or this kingdom, but she liked having the knowledge she was free to do so if she needed to. “Aye. The stakes remain the same as those of our ax throwing wager.”
“I am not inclined to give you your freedom, wife. But I am wise enough to know that setting you free might very well be the only way to gain your loyalty. Because if you chose to remain, it would mean you wanted to remain by my side.”
She ignored the note of speculation in his voice, and the way he fairly smoldered as he said it, and held out her hand. “Do we have an agreement?”
He surveyed her hand for a moment before enveloping it in his own. “We do. And it is your turn to demonstrate your prowess.”
Brun gave him a curt nod and brushed past. This time, she took a deep breath before she let her arrow fly. It landed directly beside his first attempt and she shot him a victorious glance. When she stepped away, he slid his hand from her elbow to her wrist. “An impressive attempt, wife.”
She wasn’t deceived by his compliment or his nonchalance and narrowed her gaze. “Yes.”
This time, his arrow missed the mark, thudding into the shield just above her first one. Brun inwardly cheered, confident she’d disconcerted him. She threw him a cocky grin over her shoulder as she knelt to take aim. When the arrow arced downward she held her breath.
When it landed in the middle of the bullseye she punched her fist above her head. “I dare you to do better, husband,” she challenged.
His answering grin was feral. “I do not intend to lose.”
Despite his proclamation, his third arrow embedded itself in the third ring above the center of the target.
She smiled triumphantly. “It would seem I’ve won our wager.”
“This contest was not public, will you consider reneging on your prize?”
She tapped her finger in the middle of his chest. “Mayhap I’ll grant you a reprieve.”
He smiled slyly and made as if he was staggering backward, tugging her hand and lacing their empty fingers together. She lost her footing and stumbled, plastering her body to his from sternum to ankle.
“Are you in earnest, wife? Will you leave me to fend for myself against the Kraken King?” His tone was deceptively light, his eyes glinting.
She stood on her toes and kissed the intriguing divot in the middle of his chin.
It was hidden by his beard, but she could see a hint of it.
Perhaps she could convince him to shave and reveal it.
“I will abide by my vow, even if my father has proven false. I will stay by your side until the kraken are defeated.”
He sighed in relief and gathered her close. "That is good, because I received a missive this morning courtesy of one of my ravens."
Brun tipped her head back so she could see his expression. "What did this missive say?"
"It was a call to battle. The one I've had over two hundred years to prepare my army for. The one that will decide the fate of the each uisge kingdom. Whether it will stand strong or sink beneath the waves, forgotten like so many others before it."
"You've accepted the challenge to engage?"
He nodded. "Only on land. Nidhogg has your father's fleet at his beck and call. Can those who follow you wield their weapons when they are land bound?"
"Aye. That is how we honed our skills. Those of us who dream of Valhalla hone our skills on land and then seek mastery of the sea."
"Will your shield maidens follow you into battle?"
"They will rejoice in the opportunity to show the Kraken king and his minions the edge of their swords."
"The call to battle is in three days time."
Brun nodded and stroked his bicep. "That is enough time for us to prepare. We must arm those who will fight to within an inch of their lives, and choose a battlefield that will give us every advantage."
"We shall assess our troops on the morrow, but tonight I will demonstrate how grateful I am you've chosen to remain here with me."