The Viking's Touch

‘Will you speak to your men, then, my lord?’ ‘I’ll speak to them, but I cannot promise that they’ll agree.’ ‘But you are their chief, are you not?’ ‘Aye, but decisions like this are reached by consensus.’ Privately she owned to surprise. Most commanders did not consult in that way. It gave another insight into his mind and confirmed the thought that he was unlike anyone she had ever met. Her experience in these matters was not great, but she knew that men remained loyal to leaders they respected, and such respect had to be earned. He had not won his reputation for nothing. Once again she had the sense of hidden danger, but it remained undefined.

‘I will speak to them later,’ he continued. ‘When I know their mind I will tell you.’

He left her then and for some time she remained where she was, deep in thought. Were her instincts correct? Could she trust him? Or was she making an error that would cost her dear in every sense of the word?

Wulfgar waited until after the evening meal before broaching the subject with his crew. They had built a fire of driftwood to keep off the evening chill, sitting around it and swapping tales over a cup of ale. They listened attentively while he outlined Anwyn’s proposal, though many faces registered surprise. Others registered more knowing looks.

‘Well, I can see your reasoning, my lord,’ said a wag from the crowd. ‘The lady is fair.’

‘Fair game?’ asked another.

That drew guffaws of laughter. Wulfgar smiled wryly. ‘The lady is fair,’ he agreed, ‘and game enough as we have seen, though no game for you, Dag.’

More laughter followed this.

Dag looked mournful. ‘The story of my life.’

‘Got designs on her yourself, my lord?’ asked Thrand.

‘It would do me no good if I had,’ said Wulfgar. ‘The lady is proof against my charms.’

Several ribald comments followed this, chiefly concerning the nature of his charms, but he bore it good-humouredly. When they saw he was proof against their baiting they left off.

‘What about Rollo?’ asked Beorn.

‘We can still join him when the repairs are complete, if you so decide,’ replied Wulfgar, ‘or we can meet him later.’

‘He may not take kindly to the delay, my lord.’

‘Rollo’s emotions don’t enter into it. Our alliance with him was discussed because it would be to our mutual advantage. The day it isn’t, the agreement ceases to exist. In the meantime, if we choose to earn ourselves some extra gold, it’s none of his affair.’

Murmurs of agreement greeted this.

‘How much gold exactly?’ asked Beorn.

‘Ten pieces for each man, plus food and board, of course.’

They digested this in thoughtful silence. Then Hermund spoke up.

‘Why not? One more job makes no odds. Rollo will still be there afterwards, won’t he?’

‘That’s right,’ said Thrand. ‘Besides, this shouldn’t be too hard.’

Hermund met his eye. ‘Don’t underestimate the enemy. Ingvar’s force is not small, as we’ve seen.’

‘Maybe not, but we’re more than a match for them. Besides, I’m looking forward to meeting Grymar Big Mouth again. Then we can talk about trespassing.’

His companions muttered agreement. Wulfgar surveyed them keenly.

‘All right, let’s come to an accord. All those in favour of remaining here a while, raise your hands …’

It was a unanimous vote in favour of remaining. He wasn’t surprised. As a business decision it made sense. Such a sum was more than most men would see in a lifetime. All the same, he felt a certain ambivalence about it, which had nothing to do with the nature of the task or with the reward they would receive. It was concerned with his own motives for agreeing to put the scheme to his men in the first place. This was a private matter and therefore none of his affair. So why had he allowed himself to be drawn in?

Recalling the recent jibes from his men, he began to wonder. Surely it wasn’t just on account of a beautiful woman, though Anwyn was certainly that. In truth, she was a lot more than that; she was the kind of woman who was capable of making a man forget everything else. When he’d been with her earlier he had schooled his face for fear she should glimpse the thoughts behind. He knew that she was lonely. It was an emotion he recognised, and indeed she had admitted as much. Might she not be willing to take comfort where it was offered, as he had on other occasions, and without any fear of suffering a husband’s tyranny? If he’d seen any sign of mutual interest … However, she had given no such sign. Neither would she. Theirs was purely a business arrangement. He smiled wryly. She was probably right; anything else would lead only to the kind of complications that neither of them needed.

The following day he and a dozen men returned to Drakensburgh. Telling them to wait outside, Wulfgar went to the hall and sent a servant to find Anwyn. As the woman hurried off, he looked about him. Though the hall was unchanged in essentials the fire had been lit again and, from the sweeter smell, he thought that new straw had been spread upon the floor. It was a considerable improvement. He let his gaze roam past the fire to the dais and the carved chair that surmounted it. Recalling Asulf’s words, Wulfgar smiled to himself. It might not be a throne, but it was a statement of power. What manner of man had its former owner been? Anwyn had said little about her late husband, and those details he had gleaned from their conversations gave him to think that the relationship had not been happy. Perhaps that accounted for her reticence.

The sound of light footsteps carried on the quiet air, and he turned to see the subject of his thoughts. At once everything else went out of his head. Watching her now, he took in the details. The colour of her gown reminded him of forest leaves in summer, a shade that became her exceeding well. Unbidden his imagination removed it to dwell on the shapely form beneath. The result was a surge of warmth in the region of his loins. He drew a deep breath and forced his thoughts into less dangerous channels.

When the courtesies had been observed he came straight to the point. Anwyn listened in a silence that was concerned with surprise and relief and trepidation. Surprise and relief that his men had agreed to stay, but trepidation on account of what she was doing. Something of this showed in her face.

‘It’s not too late to change your mind,’ he said.

‘I do not intend to change my mind.’

‘Be very sure, Anwyn, because once this begins there will be no going back.’

‘I know.’

‘Then we have an agreement.’

Her heart thumped, but she met his eye unflinchingly. ‘Yes.’

‘Very well.’

‘What happens now?’

‘What happens now is that my men and I move into Drakensburgh.’ He smiled faintly. ‘However, first I shall heed your advice and speak to Ina.’

‘I’ll have someone fetch him.’ She would have turned aside, but his hand closed round her arm, preventing it.

‘Presently. First there is something we must discuss.’

Anwyn remained quite still, trying to ignore his physical proximity and the warmth of his hand through her sleeve. ‘My lord?’

‘It may be that we shall not agree on every point in the days to come.’ He continued, ‘but I will keep my undertaking to tell you what is on my mind. In return I want yours that any disagreements will be discussed in private.’

‘A united front?’

‘Just so.’

She nodded. ‘As you will.’

‘Good.’

She would have disengaged herself then, but he retained his hold. ‘One more thing: I shall expect my men to be well lodged and fed, but while we are here I shall answer for their conduct.’

‘The women of Drakensburgh are safe, then.’