The Viking Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Stad.”
    The horse halted at the stranger’s command and at first Kannak was only taken aback, but then she became frightened. The Viking was surprisingly strong and in her haste to solve her problem she had not considered having to fight him.
    Stefan felt her tremble, put his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “I will not harm ye.”
    He spoke her language and it comforted her enough to let her relax against him. Just as Stefan did, Kannak turned to look through the trees at what was happening on the shore below.
    His father ’s ship was still beached in the sand, but in the other two ships the Vikings had their oars in the water and were swiftly rowing away. His father’s men, his cherished Vikings, the men he called friends were leaving his father’s body and their commander’s son behind. It was a sight he could never have imagined seeing and it took a while to accept the truth of it. Slowly, he moved his legs back and released his grip on the girl’s arms.
    Just as slowly, Kannak nudged the horse ’s flanks and turned them toward home. She was relieved. He promised not to harm her and so far his word was good. Perhaps not all Vikings were vicious, murdering dogs after all. All she had to do now was convince her mother of that. She waited until they were well away before she spoke. “What be yer name?”
    The hurt in Stefan ’s heart was so overwhelming all he wanted to do was bellow his rage and keep bellowing until his sorrow subsided. But he did not. He kept quiet, not trusting himself to speak for fear he would cry out – or worse, weep like a child.
    “Never mind yer name, then. How good are ye at lying?” Kannak covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. “What am I saying? Everyone knows a word from the mouth o ’ a Viking be bound to be a lie.” Then she got somber again. “Taking ye home will not be easy, not without a lie, that is. Let me think. We will say ye have come from my uncle in the North to help us work the land. Aye, I think she will believe it; we truly do have family in the north. We can offer ye a warm bed and whatever food we manage to have, which be very little at the moment.”
    She paused just to see if he cared to contribute to the conversation, but he did not. “There be the tithe, ye see. The priest has promised eternal damnation o ’ our very souls if we dinnae pay. Never have I heard o’ anyone refusing, although sorely I am tempted to be the first. On the other hand, if we dinnae have food soon, it will be we who must go to the priests and beg for a meal or two. The priests will not deny us, not if they deem us truly hungry.”
    Again she waited. Again he said nothing. At last they reached the bottom of the hill and turned down the path that led away from the village. “The muddle o ’ it be, we have no weapons to hunt with. It be spring, we have eaten our winter store and we need a man to help us. First, we must do something about yer hair.”
    “What be wrong with my hair?”
    Kannak smiled. “Ye look like a Viking. Scotsmen dinnae wear their hair that long.” She patted the side of the horse’s neck to halt him and swung her leg over so she could sit sideways. Kannak folded her hands in her lap and took a long look at Stefan’s face. “Ye are but a laddie. Oh well, ye will have to do. I say we make our bargain now. I have saved yer life. In return, ye will save ours.”
    It was not an unreasonable request, he thought. What she said was true, she did save his life and where else could he go? But he could not believe the Vikings would not come back for him. He imagined them sailing only to t he horizon and then coming back…perhaps tomorrow. “I will think on it.”
    “And that be the best I can hope for…ye will think on it?”
    “Aye.”
    “I see.” Kannak glared at him. “At least I will not have to marry ye.”
    “I dinnae want a wife.”
    “Well bletherskite, I dinnae want a husband either.” She tilted her head and suspiciously eyed him.