Page 23 of Her Viking Saviour
Torben looked to Leif, who was still frozen. Ragnav whacked him on the back and Leif spat out the food in his mouth involuntarily and looked over at Ragnav with a glare.
“I am just surprised, that is all. It is not every day you see Torben holding hands and Wynflaed... Well, Wynflaed, you are very…loud?”
Torben could not hold back his laughter at Leif’s struggle to find words and very much enjoyed the scowl Wynflaed threw back at him.
“I am so pleased to see your happiness for us, Leif,” she told him hotly.
Leif flushed and looked between Torben, Sven, and Ragnav before he let out a loud, somewhat tortured sigh.
“Welcome to the family, Wynflaed,” he said dryly, with an embellished wave of his arm.
“Thank you, cousin. Speaking of family, where is Freydis?” he asked as he looked around the room. The men all shrugged in response.
“She seemed to be in one of her darker moods when I last saw her yesterday,” Ragnav informed him, unconcerned by Freydis’s changeability.
Wynflaed placed a steaming bowl of porridge in front of Torben, covered with bilberries and drizzled with honey. He grinned at her when she placed an equally large portion in front of herself.
“Considering what she and I spoke of yesterday, Torben, I think it is best I find and speak with her,” she told him with a pointed stare.
“What happened yesterday?” asked Ragnav.
"Yes, what happened?" Leif and Sven echoed in unison.
The three bulky Norsemen looked to Wynflaed and Torben grinned. She was slight compared to them, but they all seemed to shrink under her watchful gaze.
"I shall leave the story to you, Elskling," he said.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Wynflaed held the attention of the whole table as Sven, Leif and Ragnav waited for her to answer the question. She looked to Torben, who nodded for her to continue.
“Freydis asked me about the events that led me to be here, and in sharing this tale with her, I divulged the name Guthred. She then shared with me her tale.”
Leif and Ragnav groaned in unison.
“She must be steeped in a very black mood. You are right. We should find her. I will. You and Torben finish eating,” Sven offered. He stood and pointed to Ragnav and Leif.
“You two, with me.”
Wynflaed found herself alone with Torben again and she leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. A smattering of bristly hair tickled her mouth.
“What was that for?” he asked before he returned her kiss. She tasted fruit and honey on his lips, so she pulled closer and threw her arms around his neck.
“I am worried I will soon wake up from a dream, Torben. Being with you seems too good to be true.”
"Trust me, Wynflaed, this is real. My love for you is more real to me than anything else. More real than this food we eat, this air we breathe. You are my all.”
She released his neck so they could finish eating and pondered the word love and what it meant. It was not a feeling she could have explained herself, but the simple way he explained it made all the sense she needed.This wonderful man loves me, she thought as she savoured the last few warm mouthfuls of her repast. She needed to find Hilde and Cynewin, they would share her joy. And Freydis. She hoped she would, too. They were becoming close, closer then Freydis and Torben were right now, and perhaps she could be the salve they needed to mend their broken past.
"Should I be concerned, Elskling?You look so deep in thought," Torben asked with mock worry as he stroked her hair gently.
She ignored his question and gave him a deep roll of her eyes. "What does that word mean?"
"It is an endearment, like darling. Do you like it?" He tugged on a strand of hair.
"I like it very much. I need to think of something to call you, I shall take my time in coming up with the perfect name." She tapped him on the nose with her finger, her smile impish.
"I need to do my duties around the settlement, Elskling.What will you do today? Can you come with me?”
