Moving in close, he fixed a stern glare on her at the command in her tone, but said nothing. Did she forget her place? He'd remind her soon enough. A surge of lust speared into his cock but he tamped it down. Grabbing the trailing end of the rope binding her wrists, he pulled her close.
"Can I trust you to wait here while I study the cave?"
Her gaze held his, a steely determination clear in their depths. "As I trusted you when you lied to me?"
"Then you shall come with me."
Reaching into the pouch on his belt, he pulled out the fire stone and turned, stopping short. Thora held out a sturdy stick. He hesitated before accepting the small branch, part of him wondering if she'd intended to strike him with it instead of offering it for use. Her bland expression served to deepen his concern. She hid her fiery nature well when it suited her. However, it didn't suit him. He wanted to tap the full depths of her spirit. Tonight, he vowed, she would bare her entire soul.
He made quick work of setting the branch alight and headed toward the cave. A sharp pull on the rope binding Thora's wrists forced her to fall into step behind him. Her exasperated muttering contained language sure to scorch his mother's ears. Ari was glad she saw only his back and not his grin.
The torch confirmed the cave was shallow. Any fire would have to be lit outside the mouth, increasing the chances of being seen at night. Ari determined they would stay here only this night. Hopefully, the she-wolf had healed enough to be better able to travel on her own for a time, giving the journey a quicker pace.
And justice sooner claimed.
Silently, he led Thora back to Gyllir. "Bring the packs into the cave, set up a pallet for us and your wolves. Then return to me."
"So now you will treat me as slave."
He found himself longing to kiss the tight line of her lips into surrender. "No, not slave. But I can't do everything."
She continued to glare at him but accepted the packs without complaint. He kept a casual watch over her while she spread the furs out inside the cave. Her bound hands made the task more difficult. Watching her struggle roused the urge to help her, but he forced it aside. Glancing up, he found the sun still high enough in the sky that they didn't need to light a fire just yet. Unhooking thepulka, he tethered Gyllir to a tree near the cave entrance. If his judgment and direction were accurate, as they usually were, the same stream should be just beyond the edge of trees. They would follow it out of the low ridge of mountains to some of the more traveled roads. Then Ari would decide which path to take to The Thing.
In the days ahead, he expected his supporters would also arrive or be close to Tingwalla. They were to meet on the night that Máni appeared whole in the sky. With Odin's blessing, on the following day, Ari's opportunity to speak would come, bolstered by the testimony of the others. He would reveal all then, starting with the poison slipped into the jarl's food during a feast. It hadn't killed Drengr, but it had sickened him and left him weak for quite some time.
Hersir had used that time to garner support for becoming the jarl's heir. Feigning concern over Drengr's condition, he'd convinced the sick man to share some of his political plans as well as those for upcoming raids. Hersir had quickly used that information to carry out some of the raids and further cement his position as the next in line to rule their clan.
Months later, one of the clansmen had snuck into the longhouse and attempted to murder the jarl while he slept. Instead, the attacker had been caught and with his last breath, had named Ari the one who'd ordered the assassination.
Thankfully, Jarl Drengr was not convinced of the accusation, which left Ari merely banished and not dead. While the sentence had devastated him, he'd been grateful for the chance to eventually clear his name, instead of to die in shame, barred from Valhalla.
His time was at hand. The witnesses who were paid by Hersir had also been badly betrayed by him, forcing them and their families from their homes. Every one of the men Ari had searched for and spoken with had said the same thing. They wanted the opportunity to take Hersir down, to make him pay for stripping them of their honor, their homes. Alone, fearing the murder of their families and that they too would face execution rather than the glory of dying in battle, they had remained silent. Now, with a solid plan and the support of each other, their determination had returned. Ari had made many blood and mead sacrifices to Tyr for each successful meeting, knowing the god of war would ensure victory in the upcoming battle. For Ari had no doubt, he would be forced to fight his brother at some point. He intended to be victorious.
Satisfied Gyllir was secure, Ari turned back to the cave. Thora stood with an impatient expression lining her beautiful face. How could the mere sight of her make him forget all he'd been thinking on? She posed a very real danger, one he intended to subdue, for fear it made him weak. Now was not the time to be seen as pathetic and incapable of controlling one small woman. He stalked over to her.
"Call your wolf. She should be able to walk to the cave."
Her eyes widened at his harsh tone, but she obeyed, summoning her pets. Though still weak, the she-wolf followed the male to the cave, her gait a little more sure than it had been even a day ago. After allowing Thora to settle the animals, Ari grabbed the tail of her bonds and pulled her behind him.
"Help me gather kindling."
He didn't dare look at her again, knowing the confusion in her gaze would only make him again forget his true goals. He never expected her to force him to.
***
Thora tugged on the ropes binding her wrists, compelling Ari to stop and turn. She nearly laughed at the surprise and frustration lighting his eyes so they looked as green as the leaves of the trees surrounding them. But her anger easily subdued her mirth.
"How do you expect me to help like this?" She held her bound hands toward him.
"I can't trust you not to flee."
She rolled her eyes. "As much as I would like to be away from you, I will not leave them." She nodded her head toward the cave.
He seemed to ponder her words for a few more moments, then nodded. He stepped closer, his dagger glinting in the dappled sunlight. "Very well. For now, you will remain unbound. But I will not tolerate you running, Thora. You're mine."
Why did it feel as though Sol lit Thora from the inside with joy and excitement? She should hate this man for what he'd done, yet the sound of his deep voice husked with desire, claiming her, undermined her legitimate anger.
"I belong to no one." She lifted her chin, daring him to refute her. Instead, he merely chuckled and sliced through her bonds. Biting her cheek to contain a cry at the feel of sensation returning to her hands, she rubbed them together until the tingling had mostly stopped. Turning her back to Ari, she began her search for kindling and rocks to secure the fire.
