The day’s journey through the dense forest was worth every step. I stood at the edge of the woods, observing the villagers as they moved about in the early morning fog. My gaze was drawn to her, her golden hair impossible to ignore.
I’d watched her exit from a hovel on the outskirts of the village as we moved in formation. After years of practice, our steps were stealthy, almost silent in the undergrowth. At one point, I thought she heard us. She stopped, and her head tilted to the side as if listening.
Thankfully, she must have relied on the guard to be on watch because she had continued on her way. Killing her would have been a terrible waste, not to mention the shame it would have been to mar the porcelain-white skin of her neck with a giant gash.
That’s how we had slain the villager’s lookout in charge of the forest. It wasn’t difficult. With a village of this size—small—the warriors were pushed to their limits, and this particular one had been assigned to the same watch, in the same spot, night after night for a week.
I shook my head. Every good leader knew to change up their guards. If one grew complacent, they grew lazy. That was this warrior’s downfall. Sneaking up behind him and slashing his throat had been the least of our worries.
We’d followed the beauty, at a distance, down a narrow, well-trodden path to the village. The white clay walls and sod roofs of the houses encircled the church, another error on the villagers’ part. The close proximity of the houses provided a sense of security, but it also increased their vulnerability to raids.
As the villagers gathered, the command to attack was given. I scanned the faces of the Saxons, spotting the only one I had eyes for in the crowd, running. I sprinted after her, but a man wielding a stick jumped in my path. He swung it wildly through the air, and I took a step back, dodging his attack.
I could see her making a run for the tree line, her silhouette growing smaller and smaller. I didn’t have time for this. I refocused on the man, and with one powerful swing of my axe, he fell into the mud at my feet.
Stepping over him, I searched for her again, but the raid was in full swing around us. This was the part I hated—kill or be killed.
A man charging toward me with an axe in his hand caught my attention from the corner of my eye. With a sudden twist, I ducked and plunged my knife through his gut. His eyes widened in shock as he slumped forward, and after pulling my blade from his abdomen, I watched him sink to the ground.
Another and another came at me and, swearing under my breath, I finished them off, my mind distracted by the woman and the fact that I had no idea where she was.
I was just about to push past the two villagers coming upon me next when I heard Sten call to me from behind. My shoulders dropped in disappointment, and I clubbed each of the men with the blunt side of my axe. The oozing wounds on their bodies would kill them soon enough.
“Fjorn! Where’s your head at?” Sten asked. I turned to see Ulf trailing behind him. The battle was drawing to a close, the victory clearly ours. There were still a few steadfast fighters—the diehards—but they were being picked off one by one by the others.
I glanced away from them, my eyes darting around the devastation for the one person my brain wouldn’t let me forget. Sten and Ulf had been my friends for years, and I trusted them with my life. But could I trust them with her?
“What are you looking for?” Ulf asked, scanning the area.
“A woman,” I replied, shifting my axe in my hand.
“Oh, a woman? For um…” Sten’s voice trailed off as he lowered his hand to cup himself suggestively outside his clothing.
I rolled my eyes as we began to walk through the village. It was even smaller than the scout had reported. We stopped by a small, overturned cart and were discussing the raid when a muffled cry sounded from beneath it. Ulf shot Sten and me a look before we turned it over.
There she was, trembling with fear. Before I could say anything, Sten and Ulf pulled her out, dragging her into the mud. I quickly covered her mouth to silence her screams and signaled her to be quiet with a finger over my lips. Looking down at her, I took in her blue eyes—wild like the sea, her soft pink lips, her golden hair. Blood trickled down her pale skin, and anger surged within me.
I removed my hand from her lips and reached for her bleeding wound. She flinched away from the pain.
“Let her go. I can handle it from here,” I said. Sten and Ulf released her, and she tried to run. I reached out and grabbed her arm. With a wild frenzy, she started kicking and hitting me relentlessly. I couldn’t help but laugh. She was as much a fighter as a shield maiden.
I knew I needed to get her inside to examine her head. I spotted a small hut nearby and pulled her along, but she kicked and screamed like a child throwing a tantrum. I didn’t care; I tugged her even harder. She kicked me in the leg, and I stopped mid-stride. I was tired of her games. All I wanted was to make sure she was okay.
I turned to face her and gripped her jaw in my hand. Her skin was soft, her face beautiful. I murmured a few things about her beauty under my breath before looking into her eyes.
“Stop,” I said. I wanted to tell her not to fight me, that I wouldn’t hurt her, but I knew she wouldn’t believe me. Anger welled up inside me as I looked at the wound on her face. I vowed that when I found the person who did this, I’d kill him. No one would hurt her again. Not while I still breathed.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried to turn away from me, but my grip was firm, holding her in place. My chest tightened as I gazed into her eyes, and I wanted nothing more than to hold her. Seeing her fear as she looked back at me made me want to go to war for her. I threw her over my shoulder and walked to the door of the small hut, kicking it in, and settled her onto the bed.
I scanned the small hut for supplies. I had enough food for myself, but bringing her would require me to take more. I set her down on the bed and pulled out a small sack.
I turned to look at her. Huddled in the corner, her anxiety was clear in the trembling of her body. I wanted to run to her, wipe her tears, comfort her. But I knew she would push me away or scream. Any comfort I offered would only scare her more.
I ransacked the small hut. The only useful items were a few pieces of dried meat and bread. In a small trunk, I found a dress and a cloak. I stuffed them into the bag and noticed a small gold ring. I picked it up and heard her whimper. I turned to look at her, my chest tightening. A woman as beautiful as her should never have to fear anything.
As I walked over to the bed, she flinched. That angered me. I wanted to pull her into my arms until she knew she was safe. I took a deep breath and gestured for her to come toward me, but she didn’t move. I needed to check her head and stop the bleeding. We would be leaving soon, and I needed to hurry.
I pointed again, this time pleading with my eyes. She scooted toward me, and the sight of her up close made my whole body tingle, a physical reaction to her presence. Her scent filled my lungs. The way her chest rose and fell with each breath enticed me. And gods, I could hardly resist the fullness of her pink lips.
Pulling myself back to reality, I took a clean cloth from my bag. I dabbed at her head, and tears welled up in her eyes, rolling down her smooth cheeks. “Please don’t hurt me,” she whimpered.
I understood why she feared me, why she looked at me with disgust. My body tensed. I looked at her. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I held back, only managing to mutter, “Stay still.”
I knew what I had to do, but that didn’t mean I liked it. I took a rope from my bag and began to bind her hands. I kept it loose enough not to hurt her but tight enough to prevent her from running. I could keep her safe if she would just let me.
Instinctively, I felt her eyes wandering over my body, and slowly, her shoulders relaxed. She still didn’t trust me, but it gave me a glimmer of hope. I tied the last knot and secured it to my belt. She resisted at first, her feet dragging as I started toward the door, but when I lowered my brow and gave her a pointed look, she dropped her gaze and followed.
We walked outside where we met up with the other Vikings, and the march back to camp began.
