Page 38 of Shared By the Vikings

A rustling to her right caught her attention.

She paused and peered into the gloom.

A flash of silvery brown.

Fur?

Another noise, a twig scraping over leaves, behind her this time.

She turned, clutching the cattail. Damn, why hadn’t she brought a sword?

A rustle of leaves. To her left this time.

I’m surrounded.

She dropped the cattail and reached for her dagger. “Who is there? Show yourself.” Suddenly there was an ill flavor in the air.

No answer. And she knew why. Eyes were on her—wolf eyes.

A bolt of fear went through her with the same speed and power of Thor hammering down on her. She should have stayed at the camp, near the fire.

“Come out?” She held the dagger forward and spun in a circle. “Come out, I dare you,” she shouted, hoping noise would take the edge off their bravery.

The first one to show itself was large, but no larger than from her homeland. Less silvery, more brown, he stepped onto a rock and peered down at her, teeth bared.

“Get out of here!” she yelled and stepped closer, waving the dagger. “Now. Now.”

The creature stepped back as though surprised by her advance.

“Go, be off.” She flapped her free arm and stamped her foot. “Grrrr.”

A second wolf caught her attention, yellow eyes peering from the undergrowth. She summoned her courage, stooped and grabbed a rock, then charged forward, throwing the heavy stone weapon directly at it.

She hit it on the shoulder.

It whimpered and disappeared.

“And you!” she shouted up at the big wolf on the rock. “Go away.” Again she picked up a rock and hurled it forward.

The wolf dodged but didn’t disappear.

“Grrr.” She grabbed another stone, bigger this time. And hurled that one.

As it hit the wolf’s leg, a rush of power behind her made her heart leap. She held her breath, attack imminent.

But instead of another wolf a human figure, Gunnvar, charged toward her, then past her, sword aloft.

The wolf turned, tail high, jumped down from the boulder, galloped between two leaning tree trunks and disappeared.

Gunnvar spun in a circle, roaring at the trees, mouth and eyes wide, the tendons in his neck strained and the black streaks on his face making him look as wild as the animals he was chasing away.

Relief washed through her as she spun, checking each dark shadow. “They’ve gone.”

“What in Odin’s name are you doing?” He dropped his sword and gripped her shoulders. “I told you to stay at the camp and tend the fire.” He’d shaken her, three times, as he’d spoken.

“I was collecting food. For us.”

“If I’d wanted you to go foraging I would have told you to.” His cheeks had a rise of color and his lips were a thin line. A sparkle of sweat sat on his brow and he was breathing heavily as though he’d raced to get to her.

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