Page 12 of Her Viking Saviour
“You seem distant, Torben. There is a faraway look in your eye,” she observed as she searched his face.
“It was a long journey, Gunhilda. I am glad to be home.”
“Yes, and you have brought guests?” she asked without looking at him, instead plaiting a loose tuft of hair.
“Yes, but settlers, not guests. They were about to be sold and I could not let that happen.”
“Is that not what happens along the trade route? Don’t they sell people?” she asked, meeting his eyes.
“They do, and I steer clear of those markets, but this one caught my eye. And it was Guthred who sold them.”
“Ah, so Guthred made the choice for you,” Gunhilda said, a little relieved.
“Yes and no. My mind was made up before he appeared,” he said honestly. Her eyes narrowed.
“Well, we–the people of Klavik–will all welcome them,” she said with forced cheerfulness.
“Yes, I am going to be very busy, ensuring they settle in. I need to spend more time with Ragnav and Freydis and start preparing for winter. It will give me no time for other pursuits.”
He did not want to hurt her, but he would not shy away from the blunt truth.
“You mean warming my bed?” she asked him boldly.
“Yes. We both said this would not lead towards a marriage,” he said in a gentle tone. He felt he now needed to justify what he thought had been a mutual understanding. The niggling feeling she wanted more poked at him and he cursed himself for not having realised it sooner.
She nodded and bit her lower lip. For a moment, he thought she would cry and despair clutched at his chest. He could never deal with a crying woman.
“You are right. We knew this would come to an end. And you are chieftain of our people. Of course your time will be consumed with family, preparations, and the settlers.” There was a slight edge to her tone, but he saw no tears build up in her eyes and he felt relieved.Coward.
“I am glad you understand, Gunhilda. You are vital to our settlement, all the people of Klavik are grateful for you. Will you come feast with us? We will say thanks with celebrations and pay homage to the gods for another safe journey.”
Chapter Thirteen
Wynflaed awoke, but her eyelids felt so heavy it took a few moments before she could open them. She felt slightly rested, but a little crabbish. Her body felt stiff and she stretched out her limbs in an effort to ease the soreness. She must have slept like the dead and not moved at all during the night to feel such stiffness.I need another hot bath. She sat up and looked over to see that the bowl on the washstand was full of water.
She went over and splashed it on her face. The cold water worked its magic, and she felt more alert as she picked up her comb to neaten her hair. The fresh, floral scent of the soap she had used lingered on her hair and skin. Her hair felt so soft. She lifted a curl to her face and saw the shine that bounced off the dark locks. Her hair, while short, was still long enough to easily reach her line of vision. She gave her head a shake, letting the curls fall where they may, and was ready to go out and explore. Back home her hair would normally be held up under a wimple. She did not miss wearing a headdress and found a freeness without it.
She carefully pushed open the door and peeked out to see Freydis leaving her room as well. Wynflaed made a little noise. Itwas meant to be a throat clearing but came out as a squeak, and Freydis turned around with a faint smile.
“Wynflaed. For a moment, I thought there was a mouse behind me. Come, walk with me to the great longhouse for the feast.” She extended her arm and Wynflaed linked hers with Freydis’s with a polite nod.
She was much friendlier than Wynflaed had hoped for, as she thought back to their earlier introduction. Freydis seemed prepared to give her a chance. She knew she would have to earn her trust and make Freydis see beyond the scar because, in truth, Wynflaed had already seen past it. What she saw was a beautiful, insecure, and sad girl.
“Thank you, Freydis. I do not want to be a bother.” She gave her arm a pat.
“From what Torben says, he wants you to be my companion, so it will not be a bother.”
Wynflaed listened for any frustration or annoyance in her tone. It held none and so she relaxed.
“Companionship can be most enjoyable in my experience. I was a handmaiden back in Northumbria and I spent pleasant days with my lady,” Wynflaed offered.
“Then why did you choose to come here and not go back to your home?”
It was a fair question and, while there was a logical answer, she knew some of it had to do with Torben. But she had no intention of sharing any of that with his sister.
“The journey home was dangerous and I would have risked falling prey to bad men again after being rescued by Torben.”
Freydis nodded with genuine empathy.
