Page 13 of Shameless

Fingers numb, Haldor fumbled with the fur hood and drew it tighter around his face. He hadn’t been able to feel his feet for what seemed like hours.

Then he yanked the hood away again, straining to pick up the faint noise he’d heard. Was that a bark? The howling wind made it impossible to tell.

Loki appeared out of the swirling snow, nearly knocking him down. The hound grabbed the edge of his cloak and dragged him through the woods. They hadn’t gone far when the animal ran ahead, bounding over the tallest drifts with an ease that made Haldor jealous. He looked back to make sure his master was following then took off, barking all the while.

Haldor soon lost sight of the hound, but he kept on going, following the frantic sound. He nearly fell headfirst over another huge log, only to find Loki curled around a figure lying motionless against the lee side of the trunk in a small space sheltered from the worst of the wind.

“Selena!”

She was barely conscious, drifting in and out. “Haldor,” she said dreamily. “I got lost. In the storm. Loki found me. He’s been keeping me warm.” She reached out and patted his head. “Good dog.”

He dropped to his knees. Building a nest out of the pile of furs, he gathered Selena into his arms and burrowed in, prepared to wait out the worst of the storm. Loki snuggled next to them, his body radiating heat and blocking the wind.

Selena was clinging to the corner of an old fur she’d wrapped around herself. He started tucking it carefully around her face, but a flash of blue made him stop and look at the other side.

No wonder Loki had found Selena so easily in the middle of the wilderness. She’d swaddled herself in his blanket, the one he’d had since Queen Astra made it for him when he was just a child. Drenched in his scent. He’d given it to Selena to cuddle with, something to comfort her when she was all alone at night on this strange dark planet. And now it had saved her life. A token of love that kept on giving.

He whispered a thank you to the heavens and tucked it around her again. Gathering her into his arms, he drifted off into a fitful sleep, his body shielding her from the storm.

Haldor awoke with a start, sensing something was different before he’d even poked his head out of the cocoon of furs.

Silence. The world was a pristine blanket of white, made brighter by the reflection of the moon high in the sky. The air was cold and still, with a crisp tang that erased any sleepiness as he breathed it in.

Loki stirred, shook a dusting of snow off his coat. The movement woke Selena.

“Haldor! It’s really you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing. “I thought I’d die out here without ever seeing you again. Then I dreamed that Loki came and brought you to me.” Her hand stroked his cheek. “But it wasn’t a dream. You’re really here.”

His arms tightened around her. “It’s only by the goodness of the gods that you’re alive. That – and love.”

He turned to Loki. “Take us home, boy.”

Loki jumped up, barked once, and bounded away. Sweeping Selena into his arms, he took off through the woods, following the tracks of the hound.

* * *

Hours later, they’d both had hot tea, hot baths, and a long rest. They were huddled beneath the covers in the enormous bed facing the blazing fire.

“I’m so sorry, Haldor,” she repeated for the twentieth time. “I had no idea I’d be putting everyone in danger. I hope Kylar and the rest of the men made it home safely.”

Haldor slipped out of bed naked and faced the fire, his back to her. “I sent a messenger from the stables out on horseback to find Kylar as I was leaving. I told him to gather the others and go home, that Loki and I would find you. Kylar knows my hound. He’d know Loki stood a better chance than any of them at tracking you down.”

He went on, still careful not to look at her. “I’ve scarcely slept in the hours since we got home. It’s time we both faced the truth, Selena. This isn’t working out – for either of us. I know you haven’t been happy here. It’s cold and dark all the time, and you have nothing to do. I can’t always be around, and I know you’re lonely, so far from the palace and all the womenfolk.

He sighed heavily. “I worry about you constantly, and sometimes that makes me short-tempered. You haven’t adapted to our climate. You don’t understand our ways, and I know you hate my rules. I told you not to leave the palace until I came to get you. But you refused to obey me. You put the lives of so many warriors at risk – and it almost killed you.”

He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “I’m well now, and I have no more need of your nursing. I think it’s time for you to return to Earth, Selena. As soon as you pack your things, I’ll deliver you to the palace to say your goodbyes then escort you to the portal.”

Chapter Nine

Selena’s heart sank. He was through with her. She’d exhausted his patience, endangered his friends, refused to submit to his control once too often.

“Please don’t send me away. I know I’ve done things wrong. But I can change. You’ll see. I’m doing it already. I’ve been working with Ingrid while you were gone and, thanks to her, I feel useful again. She’s teaching me about Gadolinian medicine. Ingrid is getting old and, no matter how much all of us hate to face it, one day your people will need a healer to take her place.”

Selena went on, choking back tears. “I care about the people here. And, thanks to Ingrid, I’m learning how to care for them. Heal their souls as well as their bodies.

“But more than all of that is how I feel about you. I love you, Haldor, even though I may not have shown it lately. Ingrid made me see that I’ve been thinking only of my own wants, my needs. I haven’t been asking myself ‘What can I give to Haldor?’”

She looked up at him, swiped a tear from her eyes. “I left the palace to surprise you. I planned to come here, light a fire, and cook your favorite meal to welcome you home. But I disobeyed your rules. I was foolish and thoughtless. I put other people in danger. And that outweighed what I was trying to give.”

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