Page 71 of Shared By the Vikings

She grinned. “No, we won’t be hungry while I have nets and bow and arrow.”

He stepped up close and set a kiss on her forehead.

She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent—fresh sweat, sunshine, the brine in the sea air.

“Be careful and be quick.”

“I will.” She smiled.

“Or we’ll come looking for you,” Tali added. He glanced in the direction of the river and then inland. “Why no bells today?”

“Maybe they will start later,” Erik said.

“You meaning to leave me to do all the work,” Gunnvar shouted from the depths of the shed. “Lazyhrafnasueltir.”

Erik chuckled and clasped Tali on the shoulder. “Let’s help him before he angers the gods with his cursing.”

* * *

The river was narrowerthan the previous one they’d used for fresh water and bathing, but it was deeper, which was better for the nets Ingrid set. She took the opportunity to sate her thirst, then removed her boots and cooled her hot feet.

Once back at the beach, she found a semblance of shade beside long, swishing grass that stacked to the top of a dune. With the sail spread before her, she set to the finger-numbing task of repairing it with her dagger and leather thread. The knots she did were small and tight and with each one she sent a humble wish to Thor that he would leave them intact should the wind whip up while they were journeying home.

The rhythmic banging of hammers on wood was interrupted halfway through the day by the clang of bells.

“Is that the monastery?” Tali asked, stopping what he was doing and letting his hammer hang by his leg. His torso was shiny with sweat and his face flushed.

“Ja,” Erik said. “It’s what we heard yesterday.”

“I’d say that was no more than arôstaway,” Gunnvar said, tipping his head and appearing to listen intently.

“That’s what Ingrid thought.” Erik resumed rubbing tallow into the wooden seams at the stern of the boat.

“So we get this task finished today,” Gunnvar said, wiping the back of his forearm over his brow. “And morrow we raid and head for home.”

“It is possible.” Erik frowned and scanned the beach north and south.

“What?” Gunnvar asked.

“It pains me to leave when there could be men here. Viking men in search of us and a passage home.”

“Me too,” Ingrid said. “What if Raud is looking for me?”

The three men looked at each other.

“What?” she asked.

“I’m sorry,” Erik said with a shrug. “But we have no proof that he is alive.”

“But I—”

“Even if you feel it. He went overboard in the storm.”

“The way we did.” She frowned. Much as she wanted to journey back across the ocean she hadn’t expected it to be so soon. “And we live to tell the tale. Haps he has too.”

“He has another full day to find us,” Gunnvar said. “If he is looking.”

“He will be looking for me.” She knew that truth with all of her heart. “He will be.”

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