Page 65 of Shared By the Vikings

Chapter Fourteen

Ingrid sipped meadfrom a tankard, the familiar bitter taste reminding her of home.

“You did well to find this,” Erik said, draining yet another draft.

“It is the god’s will that mead casks float,” Gunnvar said with a laugh.

“And their kindness meant it floated onto our beach,” Tali added, also drinking deeply. “We will have to offer sacrifices of thanks.”

“Ja,” Erik said. “When we return to the homeland.”

They’d had their fill of the birds and Ingrid’s foraged plants and now only a few bones and roots remained.

Ingrid smiled, her belly full and her thoughts relaxed, her cares soothed thanks to the mead. Her men were in good spirits, laughing and teasing one another.

Gunnvar had hung several of the cormorant’s feathers from the braid hanging down the back of his head and neck and they sat black against his golden skin. “Morrow we all go to this shed,” he said. “And begin repairing the boat.”

Tali nodded. “And take the boat wood we have here.”

“And mead.” Gunnvar helped himself to more, then without asking Ingrid, he filled her tankard too. As he handed it back, he stooped and set a kiss on the top of her head.

She smiled. It felt so right to be with these men.Ja, she was stranded in a foreign land, she had lost Raud, and her father was furious with her, but she was content, happy even.

Gunnvar sat back down opposite her, the shadows of the flames licking over his handsome, angular profile.

“When the cask is empty we can fill it with drinking water for our journey home,” Erik said, also helping himself to more. “Good reason to sup.”

Tali laughed. “Fill mine.”

“Ingrid climbed a tree,” Erik said as he put mead in Tali’s wooden cup, “spotted a place with bells and an iron cross. I believe it to be...” He paused and spun a circle in the air with his hand as if recalling a word. “A monastery, I’ve heard of such places, they are unguarded yet full of treasure.”

“Unguarded treasure?” Tali said with a disbelieving huff.

“Ja.” Erik sat forward, elbows on his knees. A wicked grin spread on his face. “We will go back with more than just drinking water and our lives. We will go back with treasure. We will be rich.”

“Sup to that.” Gunnvar held up his drink; a few drips sloshed over the side and landed on the sand.

“To treasure.” Tali laughed.

“Unguarded treasure, it will be like taking milk from a baby.” Ingrid also laughed. How foolish the people of this land must be.

The banter continued, Erik even going as far as to praise Ingrid’s good shot with her bow and arrow.

“It’s lighter than a sword,” she said. “Or at least the swords we have here. I have a smaller one at my home.”

“At your home.” Gunnvar tipped his head and studied her, his smile slipping. “Will you go back to your village?”

“I’ll have to.” The words galloped from her mouth and she knew it was the truth of her heart.

“Why?” He held up his hand then tapped it on his bare chest. “You only do what your heart desires, little wolf. Do not go back if you do not wish to.”

“The king will be both worried and angry with me. I love him dearly and he’s always been a good father. I have no choice.”

“It wasn’t so good to wish you to marry a bear.” Erik frowned.

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