Page 66 of The Caged Viking

On the other hand, Kirstin felt more satisfaction than she could recall, even from her teaching, which she happened to love. There was something to be said for seeing the actual immediate results of hard work. Hauk’s home didn’t sparkle by any means, and it would never be a precious diamond, but it was on its way…a rough cut semi-precious stone, so to speak. Like the amber that Vikings so prized, muddy colors hiding something in its center.

Signe had told her that there were bathing huts for the men and women, with firepits to keep the water warm. They were located beyond the back courtyard, between the main longhouse and the “village,” comprised of a half dozen or so smaller longhouses for families. Since the evening meal would be served soon, that was Kirstin’s goal: to bathe and put on clean clothing.

She had to wonder if Zoya would be joining them for dinner, and where she would be seated, in relation to Kirstin. She also had to wonder what happened with Hauk and Zoya when he’d closed his bedchamber door behind them earlier today. She hadn’t seen either of them since then.

She shouldn’t care about such petty things as who sat next to whom, but she did. Jealousy struck even if their marriage wasn’t real, or whatever you called a couple a thousand years apart. Jeesh! Instead of fixating on her jealousy, Kirstin focused on the discomfort Hauk would be facing over the seating arrangements; with that in mind, she smiled inwardly as she made her way to the small bedchamber on the other side of Bjorn’s where their trunks had been taken. When she got there, she was pleased to see that it was clean and smelled of fresh-aired linens and, thank God, brushed bed furs. She took a clean gown out of the trunk, one of the gowns Hauk had gotten for her from the plunder pile, and laid it on the bed. She still wore the same patched underwear, which she would wash when she bathed, and she determined to find some fabric and make herself extra sets, though she was no seamstress.

She sat down on the side of the bed and removed her slippers and the long hose which she’d tied above her knees. She yawned and decided to lie down, just for a moment. Then she decided to cover herself, just for a moment, with the fur, which was so cozy, just like the Sherpa fleece coverlet her sister Madrene had given her last Christmas. That was the last she recalled until she heard someone calling her name.

“Kirstin, wake up.”

She burrowed deeper under the warm blanket and sniffed. Hmm. Wasn’t Sherpa fleece supposed to be fake lamb’s wool? She’d never known hers to have the scent of animal. Oh, well! She shrugged and rolled over on her side.

“Dinner is ready,” a male voice said.

“Go away, Daddy,” she said on a moan. “I’m not hungry.”

A booted foot shoved her in the behind and laughed. “C’mon, sweetling. Either you get up, or I join you.”

What? Kirstin’s eyes shot open. First of all, although her father occasionally called her sweetling, he would never threaten to slip into bed with her. Rolling over to her back, she stared up at Hauk who was standing at the edge of the mattress, smiling down at her.

“Don’t you dare,” she said.

He dared, and lifted the bed fur, sliding under beside her, boots and all.

“Those boots better not be dirtying these clean sheets, or you are in big trouble, mister.”

“Sorry!” he said, and chuckled, not at all repentant.

She turned away from him and repeated, “Go away.”

“Mmm,” he murmured, spooning his big body behind her, nuzzling her hair aside so he could kiss her neck, “Mayhap I am not hungry right now either. Not for food, leastways.”

She stiffened and tried to pry away the arms wrapped around her middle, to no avail. “You’ve got to be kidding. You were locked away in a bedroom with a woman with whom you have a history, probably boinking each other’s brains out, and you expect me to be all horny and hot for you.”

“Huh?” he said. “If boink mean what I think it does, you are wrong. I did naught with Zoya except peel her arms off me and tell her she would be leaving for Hedeby with Egil when he goes for supplies.”

Kirstin was relieved. She hadn’t really believed Hauk would hook up with Zoya, after the efforts he’d made to bring Kirstin here, but she knew that some, no, many Viking men practiced the more danico. So, there had been a niggling little doubt.

“Did I mention I am staying here and sending Egil in my stead? There is too much needs done here for me to leave so soon. In any case, Zoya will be gone shortly.”

Kirstin felt another rush of relief. Yes, over Zoya being gone. But more because she’d been afraid to be alone, back here in this time period. Hauk was her anchor. A scary prospect, that! But she could see that Hauk was trying to make her feel better; so, she smiled, tentatively.

In response, he leaned over to lick her ear and tug on the lobe with his teeth, causing shots of intense pleasure to shoot through her body and her to shiver with a reluctant delight. He chuckled again, this time at the obvious reaction he’d gotten. “Any chance you want to bonk with me?”

“It’s boink, not bonk, you idiot,” she said and moved his hand which had somehow found its way to her one breast where it had been rubbing in a circular fashion.

Oddly, now that she knew Zoya wouldn’t be an issue for her at Haukshire, Kirstin was concerned for the woman…a bit. She turned over to look at him. “What will Zoya do in Hedeby? You brought her here from her country, the Russian lands, didn’t you? You can’t just drop her in the market town. Even if you gave her some money, a woman alone in these times…no, that wouldn’t be right.”

“You are defending Zoya? Do you hate me so much you would want her to stay?”

She didn’t hate him at all. Unfortunately. “That’s not the issue. I’m a woman. I don’t want to see any woman mistreated.”

“Hah! Zoya is the one who has apparently been mistreating…anyone within her reach here at Haukshire. She will not suffer…under me, leastways. Truth to tell, she has a brother who lives in Hedeby. He operates one of the trading booths, selling samovars and exotic teas. She could go to her brother. Or I could make arrangements for her to return to her homeland. Or I could possibly find her a mate. She has a choice.”

She giggled.

“What is so funny?”