Read Online Wild Viking Princess by Anna Markland - Free Book Online
Authors: Anna Markland
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Kjartan said with a shrug. “I have something to show you.”
He placed a cloth-covered bundle on the table and carefully unfolded the wrapping to reveal a small dagger. Reider’s mouth fell open. How had Ragna’s dagger come to be here? He frowned and glanced up sharply at Kjartan. “How—?”
His friend picked up the dagger and handed it to him. “Almost identical, wouldn’t you say?”
Reider accepted the weapon and ran his fingers over the intricately carved Viking on the handle. Emotions warred within him. The same artisan had carved this dagger and Ragna’s. “Where did you get this?”
Kjartan pointed to one of his cousins. “It belongs to Dagfrid, my beautiful cousin. It is a family heirloom passed down from generations ago, but only to the women. It was made for a woman’s hand. When I saw Ragna’s, I knew I’d seen something similar before.”
Reider’s thoughts were in a whirl. “But this means—”
His comrade finished the thought for him. “Ragna and I are somehow of the same blood. Probably second or third cousins many times removed. We may have shared a grandfather four generations ago.”
Anger crept into Reider’s soul. “She lied then. She must have known.”
Kjartan took the weapon from him and wrapped it in its covering. “Lied? How could she know? Do you think she arranged the storm so her boat would be blown off course and she could leap into your life and mine? Be reasonable, Reider. Take care that grief and hatred do not make you doubt everyone. Ragna has never given us cause to believe her a liar. She is an honourable woman. Fate has brought her back to the land of her ancestors. She is one of us.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ivar coaxed his boat slowly into the mouth of Husembro cove before dawn, admonishing everyone on board to remain silent. They had anchored off shore overnight. Dieter’s heart throbbed in his ears. He had lain awake, listening to the creaking of the ship’s timbers as it floated in the mercifully calm sea. Unlikely as it was that he would find Ragna here, hope surged within him. He had to cling to it.
The weak rays of the rising sun barely penetrated the fog on the water. He peered into it. Was there a crude shelter tucked into the forest beyond the beach? He tapped Ivar’s shoulder and pointed.
“Looks like a lodge,” Ivar whispered. “Not been there long I’d say. Might be we are on the right track, but I don’t see any boats. That concerns me. We’ll wait until there is more light before we make a move.”
As the knarr rocked in the waves, Dieter’s belly turned over. He did not want to be seasick now of all times. He took a deep breath and concentrated on the barely visible shoreline, looking for movement.
“There!” Ivar pointed. “Men on the beach.”
Dieter made out two or three dark figures. One of them lit a fire. A woman emerged from the building, accompanied by a black dog. She was bundled in furs, but there was no mistaking the banner of blonde hair. The fog lifted as though her arrival had heralded the sun, and excitement bubbled up in his throat. He gripped Ivar’s arm. “It’s her.”
Ivar narrowed his eyes. “We must be careful. We cannot assume she is with friends, but there seems to be only a handful of men. However, we do not know how many are inside the lodge. We’ll approach slowly and I’ll hail them. I still see no boats.”
Timbers creaked as the knarr strained closer to the shore. The noise caught the attention of those on the beach. The men drew daggers. One of them motioned the woman to return to the lodge. She seemed ready to obey, but then turned to look out to sea, shielding her eyes.
Dieter chuckled. “Definitely Ragna.” He waved and shouted her name.
~~~
Emerging from the lodge, Ragna inhaled the damp air, dreading another day with no word from Reider and his men. She had lost track of how many days they had been gone. Where were they now? Had they persuaded their old allies to help
He placed a cloth-covered bundle on the table and carefully unfolded the wrapping to reveal a small dagger. Reider’s mouth fell open. How had Ragna’s dagger come to be here? He frowned and glanced up sharply at Kjartan. “How—?”
His friend picked up the dagger and handed it to him. “Almost identical, wouldn’t you say?”
Reider accepted the weapon and ran his fingers over the intricately carved Viking on the handle. Emotions warred within him. The same artisan had carved this dagger and Ragna’s. “Where did you get this?”
Kjartan pointed to one of his cousins. “It belongs to Dagfrid, my beautiful cousin. It is a family heirloom passed down from generations ago, but only to the women. It was made for a woman’s hand. When I saw Ragna’s, I knew I’d seen something similar before.”
Reider’s thoughts were in a whirl. “But this means—”
His comrade finished the thought for him. “Ragna and I are somehow of the same blood. Probably second or third cousins many times removed. We may have shared a grandfather four generations ago.”
Anger crept into Reider’s soul. “She lied then. She must have known.”
Kjartan took the weapon from him and wrapped it in its covering. “Lied? How could she know? Do you think she arranged the storm so her boat would be blown off course and she could leap into your life and mine? Be reasonable, Reider. Take care that grief and hatred do not make you doubt everyone. Ragna has never given us cause to believe her a liar. She is an honourable woman. Fate has brought her back to the land of her ancestors. She is one of us.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ivar coaxed his boat slowly into the mouth of Husembro cove before dawn, admonishing everyone on board to remain silent. They had anchored off shore overnight. Dieter’s heart throbbed in his ears. He had lain awake, listening to the creaking of the ship’s timbers as it floated in the mercifully calm sea. Unlikely as it was that he would find Ragna here, hope surged within him. He had to cling to it.
The weak rays of the rising sun barely penetrated the fog on the water. He peered into it. Was there a crude shelter tucked into the forest beyond the beach? He tapped Ivar’s shoulder and pointed.
“Looks like a lodge,” Ivar whispered. “Not been there long I’d say. Might be we are on the right track, but I don’t see any boats. That concerns me. We’ll wait until there is more light before we make a move.”
As the knarr rocked in the waves, Dieter’s belly turned over. He did not want to be seasick now of all times. He took a deep breath and concentrated on the barely visible shoreline, looking for movement.
“There!” Ivar pointed. “Men on the beach.”
Dieter made out two or three dark figures. One of them lit a fire. A woman emerged from the building, accompanied by a black dog. She was bundled in furs, but there was no mistaking the banner of blonde hair. The fog lifted as though her arrival had heralded the sun, and excitement bubbled up in his throat. He gripped Ivar’s arm. “It’s her.”
Ivar narrowed his eyes. “We must be careful. We cannot assume she is with friends, but there seems to be only a handful of men. However, we do not know how many are inside the lodge. We’ll approach slowly and I’ll hail them. I still see no boats.”
Timbers creaked as the knarr strained closer to the shore. The noise caught the attention of those on the beach. The men drew daggers. One of them motioned the woman to return to the lodge. She seemed ready to obey, but then turned to look out to sea, shielding her eyes.
Dieter chuckled. “Definitely Ragna.” He waved and shouted her name.
~~~
Emerging from the lodge, Ragna inhaled the damp air, dreading another day with no word from Reider and his men. She had lost track of how many days they had been gone. Where were they now? Had they persuaded their old allies to help
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