CHAPTER ONE
Thora crouched in the small enclosure she'd created between the boulders and trees on the side of the mountain. Beside her, Kata and Kati pressed close, their warm furry bodies assurance of her safety. She held her breath. The sounds of the men faded as they moved further away from her hiding place.
How had she failed to notice them before they were nearly upon her? The location of her shelter was far from the main road, tucked away and out of sight. Only Kati's growl alerted her to the intruders' presence. She'd tried to escape into the thick grove of trees, but their shouts revealed they'd seen her. But she was fast, always had been, and luckily eluded them, finding this crevice in the mountainside.
She let out a deep sigh. She'd had no choice but to take a path far from the regular roads. With so many traveling to Tingwalla for The Thing, the dangers were more than she'd first anticipated. At the time of her flight, her only concern had been to avoid her father and those who might search for her. For the first three days of her journey, she'd encountered no one. In the last three days, however, she'd heard travelers nearly every day. Today was the first time she'd been seen.
After waiting until silence reigned in the area around her, she crawled from the rocky enclosure and dared a look around. No one appeared in the surrounding forest. Taking a few moments to ensure she was alone, she stood, dusting off hersmokkr. Time to move on. She returned to her camp to gather her meager belongings.
In the interest of traveling light, she'd packed only two extra dresses, a couple of blankets, and an assortment of tools, such as a short spear for fishing. Her axe she kept tucked in her belt. The large sack also had room for the smoked lamb and dried fish she'd hidden away before her flight, as well as personal items to maintain her appearance, like her favorite combs. She'd dared a bath last night in the nearby river and the dress she'd washed at the same time was now dry enough to pack.
Tying the sack closed, she lifted it over her shoulder and turned to the wolves. Panic stiffened her spine to see them standing on alert, teeth bared and growling. She spun about, eyes widening to see the two who had pursued her earlier standing not ten feet away.
Both men, tall and dark, grinned maliciously at her. The one on the left dared a step, halting at the warning bark from Kati.
"Call off the wolves," the man said.
Thora shook her head. "Stay where you are and you won't be harmed."
Both man laughed and moved closer. Kati and Kata both barked now, more like menacing howls that sent shivers along Thora's spine. She'd never heard them sound that way. The wolves had always protected her, but then, she'd never been in any real danger at home. This situation was very different.
Her hand dropped to her axe, pulling it free from the pocket in hersmokkr. She was no shield maiden, but her father had taught her well how to protect herself and how to dispatch any opponents she might face. Despite the way her legs grew suddenly weak, alarm also bolstered her strength.
When the same man took two more steps, Kati lunged. Though he lifted his axe in an attempt to fend off the animal, Kati was much faster and with a terrifying growl, clamped his powerful jaws around the attacker's arm. He screamed and punched at Kati, but the wolf maintained his grip, easily driving the man to the ground.
The other took the moment to run toward Thora and she raised her axe, at the same moment Kata leaped toward him. This time, the wolf wasn't as lucky and the aggressor struck the animal, opening a gash on her side. Thora screamed her outrage as Kata fell to the ground with a pained whine. She had no time to determine how badly the she-wolf was wounded when she found herself raising her own weapon against the man rushing toward her. Behind him, she barely registered the agonized screams of his companion as Kati continued to maul him, snarling and snapping all the while.
She blocked another of her foe's strikes and swung her axe toward his belly. He leaped back, narrowly avoiding the blow. She darted away, lifting her weapon once more and wishing she had thought to bring a shield. The last step found her foot caught in a root. Her already precarious balance crumbled. She waved her arm in an attempt to remain upright, heart racing with panic. Her attacker realized the vulnerability and surged forward.
A moment before he reached her, Thora gave in to the momentum of her fall and he stumbled, his rush sending him tumbling over her. She quickly untangled her foot and jumped up, her crouching stance defensive, axe raised. He sneered and stalked toward her. She turned, knowing she could outrun him. Again, her speed gave her an advantage, but when she looked over her shoulder, he no longer pursued. In fact, he seemed to have vanished. She slowed a half-pace, her gaze darting through the clearing.
A strange silence hung in the air, not even Kati's victim whimpering, though the wolf continued to growl at the bloodied and motionless man beneath him. Her breath rasped out of her and she turned slowly, seeking every dark corner and crevice in the forest. A rustle to her left and she spun about, only to find Kati trotting toward her. Still, she knew her attacker hunted her. If only she could see him.
A rumble from the wolf drew her focus, again behind her. Rustling in the trees sent her spinning. Too late, the shadow in the corner of her eye lunged. A sharp blow to her lower arm drew a cry of pained anger, her fingers suddenly numb and useless, dropping the axe to the forest floor. When Kati moved to attack, the man swung at him. The wolf's instincts kicked in and he twisted out of the enemy's range.
Thora made a move toward her axe, but the man's fingers caught in her hair, halting her. He yanked her toward him, laughing at her shriek of pain. Holding her beside him, his tight grip wrenching her head back, he ran the blade of his axe along her neck. She stilled, the cold of the metal biting already, threatening to slice her skin.
"Call off the wolf." His low voice held menace and a sick lust. Thora looked at the wolf circling them. Did Kati have enough time to take down her captor before he cut her throat open? At the moment, she had no leverage. She held her hand out to the wolf.
"Kati.Létta!"
For a few frantic moments, Kati remained in an aggressive stance, teeth bared, hair along his spine standing straight up. But the animal made no attempt to attack. He pawed at the earth, prancing, clearly agitated.
Her captor yanked her head back. Breathing came easier when the axe slipped away from her throat. She recognized the lust in his face, knew what he intended. So predictable. He'd leave himself vulnerable enough in a moment, so she let him press his lips against hers, fighting the urge to retch.
A moment later, he jerked back, fingers tightening still more against her scalp. She bit her lip against the cry, grabbing the hand caught in her hair. She froze. An axe protruded from his chest. He gave an odd wheeze at the moment his grip released, falling away to land with a thud on the forest floor.
Thora spun about, only able to gape at the man who stood framed in the arch of trees. The warrior stood tall, sword raised. His gaze caught hers, holding her motionless and breathless.
With a shake of her head and a flick of her fingers, she summoned Kati to her side. Sparing only a glance for the man who attacked her, she turned toward Kata's still form. Thora desperately needed to see to her pet, determine the extent of the female wolf's wounds.
At the same time, taking her attention from the man standing mere feet away might prove dangerous. Yes, he'd saved her. Somehow the knowledge he posed a greater danger, one she didn't completely understand, pounded in her thoughts, in time with the rapid staccato of her heartbeat.
A whine from Kati reminded her of Kata's situation. She knelt beside the animal, placing a hand on the bloodied fur. Kata's eyes opened, meeting Thora's, revealing the pain of her wound. Thora glanced toward the man again, a moment of relief he hadn't moved any closer quickly chased by the need to tend to her pet. Still, she reached around the ground, another wave of relief when her fingers closed around the handle of her axe. She placed it close beside her, reachable in an instant, with little chance to get caught in her dress.
She searched through the fur to find the injury, tears burning her eyes at every whimper Kata issued. At least the animal wasn't dead. She gave a start of pain when Thora's fingers brushed the edge of the wound. Thora paused, taking a deep breath to steady herself and peered closely at the torn flesh.
While serious, the wound didn't appear terribly deep. All hope was not lost. Kata's injury would heal, with proper treatment. She looked over at the man again. This time he had moved nearer, but held his weapon lowered at his side. Did he mean to fool her into trusting him? Was his rescue only a means to inflict his own dark intentions?
