Page 4 of A Viking's Captive

Rathnon held her hand and led her back to their camp, and they lay back down on the fur. He covered her with fur. Ilona expected him to turn his back to her as before, but he put his heavy arm around her waist. She gasped at his touch, not knowing what he intended to do.

In Gaelic, he said one word: “Sleep.”He kens Gaelic, but how much does he truly ken and understand?Her skin sizzled at his touch, inflaming her, not only in her abdomen but other places. Ilona’s heart raced for several minutes. Rathnon’s feathered breath blew across her cheek, and she listened to its cadence as he fell back to sleep. How could I sleep with this heavy weight over me? How did he fall back to sleep so easily?His hot skin and hard-muscled body kept him and Ilona warm.

Considerate of her, he covered her with a second fur as the night grew colder and the wind blew in from the sea.Was his intention to intimidate me and make me fearful earlier? He succeeded. Rathnon seemed unpredictable, making him an opponent nae to be underestimated.Ilona did nae cower easily. Still, she would nae give up.I will find a way. When the time is opportune, I will try to escape again.

Gradually, as she listened to his deep breathing, the weariness of the day overcame her and she fell asleep.

When Ilona awakened before dawn, she was mortified to see she had nestled closer to Rathnon in the night. Or he had pulled her to him, and she had awakened with her head on his chest with his arm wrapped around her. Ilona studied Rathnon in his sleep. He had long, lush eyelashes, and his mouth was turned up in a smile. Mayhap he enjoyed a pleasant dream. His lips were plump and sensual. Gazing at them, Ilona wondered what it would feel like for a man to kiss her.

As her mind wandered, Ilona thought of home. She would have started work already, as soon as she was dressed and broke her fast. There was much to do daily on the farm and in the fields. As Ilona ruminated on her work and her family she was forced to leave behind, tears silently streamed down her face and onto Rathnon’s chest.

He must have felt them; he rolled onto his side toward her and rested his head on his hand as he gently stroked her face, wiping away her tears. He murmured soothing words to Ilona, even though she did nae understand. Finally, when her tears stopped, he took her into his arms and hugged her and kissed her head. It was a paternal and comforting kiss.Maybe I misunderstood his intentions. But I cannae ignore the alternative—equally daunting to contemplate.

The sounds of people stirring and arising from sleep became louder when more men arose. The men folded their furs and carried them to their ship. Ilona observed that the men had changed the guard during the night, as different men now guarded the women. Rathnon stood, pulled Ilona up, and led her into the forest where they each relieved themselves at the ends of the tether. She contemplated how difficult it would become with successive shortening of the tether and blushed upon realization of what that could mean.

When they returned to camp, the Vikings took turns traveling to a burn and filling their waterskins and barrels. The barrels of fresh water were stowed on board the sailing vessels. Oatcakes were passed out with smoked meat. The women took one last trip to the forest to relieve themselves before boarding the ship. Rathnon cut their tether as if taunting her to escape but kept Ilona under his watchful eyes and remained nearby.

Ilona smiled at him as the dawn painted the sky in rose and golden colors, as if blushing from a lover’s kiss. Somehow, she needed to figure out a way to undermine his intentions and escape. Rathnon smiled back, even more devastating and breathtaking when his smile lit up his face and his eyes.Let him think what he wants. I will find a way to escape, but if I can disarm him with my smile, all the better. He has his brawn, but I have my feminine wiles.

The Vikings left the Shetland Islands behind them. Another long day and night onboard the sailing vessel stretched before them. On the horizon, a storm brewed, and the sky darkened. The wind whipped stronger across the waves, making their journey slower than the day before. They had to battle the headwinds against them. Ilona had been out at sea with her father when a storm suddenly came up. He had wanted her to experience it and reassure her they could still row to shore, even though it was harder and took longer. But then, shore had been visible. A few of the women’s brows creased in worry as they gazed across the sea, despite again being tied securely to the ship for their protection.

The clouds obscured the sky as night descended over the ships, making it unlikely Ilona would see any constellations. The three sailing vessels kept closer together than the day before.

Ilona wondered about the living conditions where they were going.Do they live along the coast in order to fish, or do they farm inland too? Will I be expected to farm? If I haven’t yet escaped by then, I will do any work they require since it will afford me the best opportunities to escape.

For dinner, the men handed out dried meat as before. Rathnon gave her his waterskin to drink from. He brought the translator with him, who asked, “What questions do ye have before we reach yer new home?”

Ilona asked boldly, “When are ye going to let us go?” The women looked surprised and anxious as their brows drew together in worry about how she would be treated after asking such a question. They feared being beaten for speaking their minds.

The translator said, “Ye are a bold lass. Ye will be a good match in marriage to a man strong enough to tame ye. There will be no releasing ye. Ye will make yer new home with us across the sea. Ye all will be married within a fortnight of our arrival. Each of ye will be assigned work to do. There will be new things for ye to learn and do. It is best for ye to learn our language as soon as possible. Ye will find there are a few others from Scotland who speak yer language. But they have all learned our language to become part of the community. Now what other questions do ye have?”

“How are our husbands chosen?”

“Several single men have placed their names on a list, as they are now seeking to be wed and raise a family. The men have indicated a few qualities they want in a wife, and an elder will make a match for each man. After we arrive, there will be a feast with dancing, and the men will see all of ye.”

One woman asked, “How will we get more clothes? We were taken with only the clothes on our backs.”

“Aye, we are aware. Ye will be taken into a hall and each be given another garment and a blanket. Older women will oversee the fitting of the garments before the feast. Ye will have what ye need.” He nodded to the ladies, who became silent. Nae more hushed whispers among them. “If ye have additional questions later, let me ken and I will answer them for ye. We hope ye are happy in yer new homes, even though our customs and laws are different from yers.”

Afterward, the ladies seemed subdued. The swells of the waves grew in size, and a few of the women became seasick and leaned over the side to heave. Many were frightened, thinking the ship would capsize in the dark, salty waves. Others feared the myths, legends, and stories of the monsters of the deep.

Ilona stared straight ahead, not frightened of the sea—only of men and her fate at their hands. That didn’t mean it was pleasant. Constant swells as the ship bobbed on the waves drenched them with cold splashes of salt water, leaving her sticky and shivering with cold. Ilona understood why the Vikings were known as lords of the sea. Finally the storm passed, and after hours with calmer seas, Rathnon stood up and sat beside her and wrapped a fur around her and himself.

Rathnon rubbed her cold arms and hands to warm her. He handed her a smaller waterskin to smell the contents before taking a sip. She recognized the scent of whiskey, like her father’s. She took a swallow, and it burned all the way down into her stomach, providing a measure of warmth inside her. Rathnon’s arms around her warmed her significantly. Stubbornly, Ilona moved away from him, but he pulled her back against him, seemingly closer than before. Ilona noted the menpassing out furs to the women and offering whiskey to them as well. But she seemed to have garnered personalized attention, and it made her anxious.

Rathnon’s heat radiated from his body into hers. His warmth combined with the whiskey, and her fatigue lulled Ilona into sleep after such a trying time, despite her best efforts to stay awake.

Rathnon picked up the young woman and cradled her on his lap in his arms. This feisty woman did not give into fear and did not show any she may harbor. She would be a good leader. Asleep, Ilona curled into him of her own volition, seeking his warmth and comfort. Feeling her in his arms made him more protective of her and brought him peace. Rathnon slept for a couple of hours until duty called him back to the oars again, and he placed her where she would be comfortable. A few men slept, while the rest rowed, making feeble progress, even with the strength of billowing sails, against the power of the waves pounding their creaking hull.

Ilona awakened early the next morning with the fur wrapped around her amid the women who leaned on each other and huddled together sleeping. Ilona remembered Rathnon’s arms around her. Surprised she’d slept that soundly, she had not awakened when he left her side. Her eyes sought him across the rows of men rowing. Ilona saw the muscles in his arms, shoulders, and broad back flex as he rowed with powerful strokes.

As the sun began its ascent in the sky, she discovered that the waves were smaller than the day before and the wind had died down. The dark skies still held pewter and indigo colors with thick clouds, and Ilona wondered how soon the rain would descend upon them. It would help wash off the sticky, saltysensation from the sea. Gradually, the seas grew even calmer, until almost no wind blew in the sails. The men would have to row harder since the wind would not help propel them forward.

Men stopped rowing, took a break, and stretched. Ilona couldn’t imagine how tired they must be and how sore their muscles were after rowing almost nonstop for over a day. Many warriors dropped lines and nets over the ship’s railing, keen on catching fish.

Ilona stood and looked all around. She could not see any land anywhere—only endless sea. Rathnon came over to her side and untied her tether, enabling her to walk around. He led her to the ship’s railing and flung in a fishing line. Laughter erupted among the men, and all on board seemed relieved the storm had abated, if even for a short time. Ilona spied the other sailing vessels in the near distance engaged in the same activities.

When the Gaelic translator passed by, he exchanged words with Rathnon. The interpreter then said to Ilona, “Rathnon would like to ken about ye and yer home. What is yer name? Do ye have any brothers or sisters?”