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going to do. “I love you, Mother.”

Chapter Four
    I t was the storm that gave Kristen away, and it was not even a bad storm, at least not yet. But as soon as the ship had started riding the bucking waves, she started retching. A fine sailor she made. She had forgotten it had been this way the last time she sailed. The least disturbance to the sea, and she could not hold on to the contents of her stomach.
    Someone had heard her retching and had opened the hatch to the cargo well. After one look at her, the sailor had slammed the hatch back down. She did not even see who it was, nor did she care at the moment, for the pitching of the ship grew steadily worse.
    She had been so fortunate until now. She had managed to sneak out to her brothers’ rooms behind the stable and borrow a set of Thorall’s clothes to wear for the voyage, though she brought along some of her own gowns to wear when they reached the trading towns. Getting into the cargo well had been the easiest part, for only one man had been left to watch the ship, and though he sat near the cargo well, he had nodded off to sleep. Kristen, quick and nimble despite her height, had seized the opportunity. And the cargo well had kept her quite comfortable even if it was pitch-dark inside. It was piled high with soft furs to hide behind and make her a nice bed.
    So it had done for two days. She could have hoped for at least one more day before revealing herself, for the food she had brought would last that long. It was notto be. The storm had revealed her now. And although no one came yet to confront her, inevitably someone would.
    To Kristen, it seemed as if that third day had come and gone by the time the hatch was opened again and the light of day flooded down on her. She stiffened herself to prepare for battle to the extent that her weakened body would allow, which was not much. She still felt miserable, even though the storm was finally over.
    It was Selig who dropped down into the well. Kristen lay where she had last been tossed, practically at his feet. The light hurt her eyes, and she couldn’t manage to look up and face it. It was his voice, hard with anger, that told her who it was.
    “Do you know what you have done, Kristen?”
    “I know,” she answered weakly.
    “Nay, you do not!”
    She shielded her eyes in an attempt to see his expression, but still could not. “Selig, please, I cannot look up at the light yet.”
    He squatted down beside her, grabbing a fistful of the thick fur vest she wore over the tight leather tunic, which managed to flatten her breasts. Darkly his eyes scanned the tightly gartered leggings and the soft-skinned high boots trimmed in fur. Her waist was girded with a wide belt, the large buckle set with tiny emeralds.
    “Where did you get these?” he demanded of the clothes.
    “They are not yours,” she assured him. “I borrowed them from Thorall, since he is still closer to my height and—”
    “Shut up, Kristen!” he snapped at her. “Do you know what you look like?”
    “Like one of your crew?” she ventured, trying to tease him out of his anger.
    It didn’t work. His gray eyes were as dark as thestorm that had just passed. He looked as if he longed to hit her and it was taking all his strength not to.
    “ Why , Kristen? Never before have you done anything this foolish!”
    “There are several reasons.” She could see her brother clearly now that he was down on her level, but she avoided his eyes when she added, “One reason was the adventure.”
    “Worth Father’s fury?”
    “That was only one reason. There was also the fact that I want to wed, Selig, but there is no one at home that I want. I hoped to meet many new men at the great market towns.”
    “Father would have taken you,” he stated coldly.
    “I know. Mother already told me he might do that when you returned or, if not then, in the spring.”
    “But you decided not to wait. Just like that!” He snapped his fingers. “You defy—”
    “Wait,