Page 65 of Alien Viking's Plunder

“Huh. What did she predict?”

Bragr looked at her thoughtfully. “She predicted many things. And she gave me a Prophecy for the first time. She said my clan of Einungar would lose the earldom.”

“You’d lose it? What does that mean?”

“It must mean that someone will conquer it. Or try to.”

Josie frowned. “You seem really calm for an earl who is about to lose his lands.”

Bragr shrugged his massive shoulders. “I’m guessing it means I will lose it for only a short while. But you’re right — when we get home, I’ll have to prepare to defend against an invasion and do my best to find a certain warrior the oracle mentioned, one who will help me regain the earldom. A Meistr, a master warrior. I think I’ll have time to find him.”

“An invasion? That has to be Gornt, right? And his skrymtir.”

“My father is of the Einungar clan as well. It doesn’t fit.”

“It might not happen at all.”

“The oracle is never wrong, they say.”

Josie shrugged. “Maybe this is the first time.”

Bragr grinned. “That’s what I said. I’m happy we think so alike.” He stacked the dishes and cleaned the knives and tools, hanging them back on the wall.

Josie impulsively grabbed his hand. “I don’t care if you are an earl or not. You’re a wonderful man, and that’s all I want.”

Bragr put his hand on top of hers. “That makes me happy, my love. Don’t worry. I’ll protect you, no matter what it takes.”

She turned over on her side and pushed her butt into him, still holding his arm so that he embraced her. “I know you will, love. But don’t protect me too much againstyou. I like the things you do to me.”

His hand wandered to her hip, and she felt his cock sliding up the inside of her thigh. “You know, I had a feeling you did.”

- - -

She woke up early in the morning with an urgent need. Bragr was still sleeping soundly as she disentangled herself from his limbs and tiptoed outside, covered by a blanket, Tornado in her hand just in case.

Her need taken care of, she saw that the pulsar called Straum was about to rise. She wanted to experience the strange surge of energy that it created in her, so she walked up to the top of the ridge where they had seen the ocean the night before.

The lands in front of her were still in darkness, but there were many points of light. The people there were clearly up already.

She squinted. Those were some big, pulsating splotches of light. They were not like the pinpoints from last night. They looked more like fires. Perhaps that was how they did things on this planet.

She turned just in time to see Straum rise. Again there was a flash of light as the first sliver of the star’s disk rose over the horizon, and again it filled her with a kind of strength that she knew she would miss if it were gone. She could swear she saw sparks dance on the edge of the flint blade that topped Tornado.

She turned around again. Those fires were still blazing. And now it was brighter, she saw the tall pillars of black smoke rising from them. That could not be normal.

She hurried back to the hut. “Bragr!”

He woke up immediately, straightened, and reached for the sword right next to him. “What is it?”

“You better come and look at this. Get dressed first.” Josie quickly put her uniform on. “Your villages look like they’re on fire.”

Bragr pulled on his pants and his boots, then stormed out with Brisingr in one hand.

Josie followed to the vantage point.

Bragr was frozen in place, his jaw tight and his face pale. “Invasion! There are many farms on fire! I must go down there. They need me!” They ran back to the hut and tidied it up in a feverish haste, making sure they had everything they needed before they started walking fast down the hill.

Josie clutched Tornado, feeling much less good about this whole thing than just a few minutes ago. If that was an invasion, then it must have happened during the night. And invasions usually meant people dying. She’d really prefer not to see a burning farm or people who had lost their homes or maybe even innocent people who had died. The skrymtir were bad enough.

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