Page 41 of Alien Viking's Passion

Still the dferg stood there, not moving. He had a big ax in his hand, taller than him and with curiously shaped blade.

“I am Prince Craxon of Ragnhildros,” Craxon tried again. “I give you my word that I mean no harm to the men and women of these caves. Nor will I reveal them or their location to anyone else.”

There was no reaction. The distant hammering went on.

“They’re scared,” Aretha whispered. “Put your sword back!”

Craxon gave her a quick glance. “If he strikes, I can’t parry.”

“I will give you my sword if you need it,” she went on. “It’s right next to your left hand now.”

Acting against all his instincts, with a hand that felt stiff Craxon slowly and visibly replaced Krakhogg in its scabbard. “There. Now you see I am an innocent traveler. But travelers also need weapons.”

Time stood still for six strokes of the distant hammer. Or maybe it was a mattock, Craxon pondered as he made ready to grab Aretha’s skrymtir blade.

The dferg stepped aside.

“Thank you,” Craxon said, still not sure they were safe. Passing the dferg, he held Aretha at his other side. Then he pushed her in front of him, so that he was between her and the dfergir.

They quickly made their way along the cave.

“That was tense,” Aretha whispered when the dfergir were behind several turns of the cave. “I thought they were going to turns us back.”

“Or kill and eat us,” Craxon said. “I am glad you understood them.”

“It was just a guess,” she chirped. “But I thought it couldn’t make things worse to show them we were harmless as well as say it.”

“I don’t thing they understood a word I said. They say that actions speak louder than words.”

“We say that on Earth as well.”

Relieved that they had passed the danger, Craxon stopped and pulled Aretha close. “You’re clever one. It would not have crossed my mind to sheath Krakhogg when facing a possible enemy. Once the weapon has been drawn, it is the same as saying ’I surrender’.”

She got up on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips. “But still you followed my suggestion. Craxon, you’re stronger than I ever knew. I think you must be a good ruler.”

“I do my best. And I have good advisors. Like you.”

She giggled and squeezed his hand as they walked on.

The caves started climbing. The slope was gentle for a long time, but then it became steeper and steeper.

Aretha started panting behind him, and Craxon had an urge to slow down for her sake. But he was down to his last piece of wood for the torch, and if it went out before they reached the opening, they’d have to feel their way forwards. It would be painfully slow and far too dangerous to contemplate. They might not even be able to see the dfergir.

He walked on, keeping his head down, pondering Kofraks and curses and how he could possibly hide the fact that he had been alone with Aretha for days.

The torch burned all the way down to his fingertips, and he had to discard it. It got fully dark. Perhaps he could take out Krakhogg and see if it had sparks shooting along the blade, and perhaps those sparks were bright enough to see by—

“Craxon,” Aretha hissed after a while. “We’re out!”

He spun around. Everything was dark, except now there were stars above him. “Oh.”

“I wondered when you were going to stop,” she said when she caught up, breathing hard. “Now we’re just walking up a hill.”

Once he had caught his bearings, he saw where they were. The lake lay behind them, and they were on a rocky hillside with a wooded area below.

“Ah! Finally. We walked under the whole lake. And under the trolls.” He looked up at the stars, trying to figure out which way to go.

“The jarlagard should be that way,” Aretha said and pointed. “Straight west.”

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