Read Online Wild Viking Princess by Anna Markland - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anna Markland
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full of Reider. To never see him again, and not know what happened to him?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A hue and cry went up early the next morning. Longboats had been sighted entering the cove.
“Gorm’s henchmen!” Torgrim shouted breathlessly, running by Ragna on his way out of the lodge. She had lain awake for hours, clutching Reider’s headband, and finally risen before dawn.
Dieter had slept in Kjartan’s alcove, but was already up and dressed. He issued curt orders to his men and Ivar rallied his sailors. They left and Ragna followed.
“Stay here, with Thor,” Dieter ordered.
She stamped her foot. “I can fight. I have my dagger.”
Her Saxon brother-by-marriage held up his hand. “ Nein , Ragna. I insist. Blythe would never forgive me if anything happened to you at this juncture.”
She sat down heavily on a bench, pouting as she listened to the sound of boots running across pebbles. Soon she heard metal clanging on metal, strident shouting, cries of pain. She paced back and forth, anxious to know what transpired outside. Thor followed her movements, cocking his head.
The minutes stretched interminably and her frustration grew. When the clamour lessened, she tightened her grip on her dagger and crept to the door, inching it open. The conflict seemed to be over. Dieter and Ivar stood at the water’s edge looking out to sea, unharmed. Dieter still had his sword drawn. One of the enemy longboats had pulled away from the shore, apparently fleeing. Bodies lay on the bloodied pebbles of the beach.
Without warning, a burly Dane barreled through the door, knocking her to the floor. Blood poured from a gash across his forehead. She squealed as the dagger fell from her hand. Her heart in her throat, she scrambled away from the attacker, screaming loudly. A glimmer of hope surfaced when she heard Dieter shout her name, but died when the Dane stooped to pick up her weapon. Surely she would not be robbed of life by her mother’s dagger?
With a menacing growl, Thor leapt at the intruder, sinking his teeth into the giant’s leg. The Dane howled and fell to the floor. Then he kicked Thor hard with his other foot, sending the dog careening against the wall with a loud whimper.
It was too much. Ragna came to her feet, and rushed at the intruder, waving her arms. Her loud shrieks evidently took him by surprise. He staggered to his feet and ran out, shoving Dieter to the ground when he collided with him. He ran into the waves in pursuit of his fleeing comrades. Thor followed hard on his heels. Ragna ran after him, but Dieter restrained her.
“He has my mother’s dagger,” she wailed.
Dieter held fast, breathing heavily. “Your life is more important, sister.”
She fell to her knees, keening the loss. The cold pebbles jarred her bones. “He will likely drown, taking my dagger with him to the bottom of the sea.”
He pulled her back to her feet and held her tightly as she sobbed. “We prevailed against them. That’s the important thing. Your fellow shipwreck survivors fought well, as did the Danes on our side. Gorm’s men suffered considerable losses. I am only sorry some of them escaped to limp back to their leader. But we have one of their boats.”
Ragna scanned the shoreline, breathing a sigh of relief when Thor emerged from the sea, apparently uninjured. Her hero shook the water from his pelt and raced to her side.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Roar Knutsen was relieved to be back in Strand. It had taken his last reserve of strength to reach the fleeing longboat. His comrades had hauled him aboard with great difficulty. Had they been rowing away at full power he would never have made it. His head wound had bled like the devil, even after the long while he had spent in the water. He would bear the scar for the rest of his life, a reminder of the failed expedition. The puncture wounds in his leg were deep and painful.
Glad though he was to be home, he did not look forward to the dressing down they would surely
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A hue and cry went up early the next morning. Longboats had been sighted entering the cove.
“Gorm’s henchmen!” Torgrim shouted breathlessly, running by Ragna on his way out of the lodge. She had lain awake for hours, clutching Reider’s headband, and finally risen before dawn.
Dieter had slept in Kjartan’s alcove, but was already up and dressed. He issued curt orders to his men and Ivar rallied his sailors. They left and Ragna followed.
“Stay here, with Thor,” Dieter ordered.
She stamped her foot. “I can fight. I have my dagger.”
Her Saxon brother-by-marriage held up his hand. “ Nein , Ragna. I insist. Blythe would never forgive me if anything happened to you at this juncture.”
She sat down heavily on a bench, pouting as she listened to the sound of boots running across pebbles. Soon she heard metal clanging on metal, strident shouting, cries of pain. She paced back and forth, anxious to know what transpired outside. Thor followed her movements, cocking his head.
The minutes stretched interminably and her frustration grew. When the clamour lessened, she tightened her grip on her dagger and crept to the door, inching it open. The conflict seemed to be over. Dieter and Ivar stood at the water’s edge looking out to sea, unharmed. Dieter still had his sword drawn. One of the enemy longboats had pulled away from the shore, apparently fleeing. Bodies lay on the bloodied pebbles of the beach.
Without warning, a burly Dane barreled through the door, knocking her to the floor. Blood poured from a gash across his forehead. She squealed as the dagger fell from her hand. Her heart in her throat, she scrambled away from the attacker, screaming loudly. A glimmer of hope surfaced when she heard Dieter shout her name, but died when the Dane stooped to pick up her weapon. Surely she would not be robbed of life by her mother’s dagger?
With a menacing growl, Thor leapt at the intruder, sinking his teeth into the giant’s leg. The Dane howled and fell to the floor. Then he kicked Thor hard with his other foot, sending the dog careening against the wall with a loud whimper.
It was too much. Ragna came to her feet, and rushed at the intruder, waving her arms. Her loud shrieks evidently took him by surprise. He staggered to his feet and ran out, shoving Dieter to the ground when he collided with him. He ran into the waves in pursuit of his fleeing comrades. Thor followed hard on his heels. Ragna ran after him, but Dieter restrained her.
“He has my mother’s dagger,” she wailed.
Dieter held fast, breathing heavily. “Your life is more important, sister.”
She fell to her knees, keening the loss. The cold pebbles jarred her bones. “He will likely drown, taking my dagger with him to the bottom of the sea.”
He pulled her back to her feet and held her tightly as she sobbed. “We prevailed against them. That’s the important thing. Your fellow shipwreck survivors fought well, as did the Danes on our side. Gorm’s men suffered considerable losses. I am only sorry some of them escaped to limp back to their leader. But we have one of their boats.”
Ragna scanned the shoreline, breathing a sigh of relief when Thor emerged from the sea, apparently uninjured. Her hero shook the water from his pelt and raced to her side.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Roar Knutsen was relieved to be back in Strand. It had taken his last reserve of strength to reach the fleeing longboat. His comrades had hauled him aboard with great difficulty. Had they been rowing away at full power he would never have made it. His head wound had bled like the devil, even after the long while he had spent in the water. He would bear the scar for the rest of his life, a reminder of the failed expedition. The puncture wounds in his leg were deep and painful.
Glad though he was to be home, he did not look forward to the dressing down they would surely
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