“First blood!” Hella cried.
Arvid tried to follow up with a cross, but Rune snapped his leading foot up in a kick that hammered the Viking’s midsection. When Arvid’s head dropped slightly from the blow, he followed up with a right cross that split the man’s lip.
The fight was on then. He lost count of the blows that hit his body and face or the strikes he threw. But he couldn’t let himself sink completely into the violence because if he allowed blood lust to take over, he would kill the Viking without meaning to.
The five minutes must have passed because the next thing he knew, icy cold water streamed all over the other male and him.
Arvid yelped and fell on his ass. Rune managed not to trip over him, but he did have to dance on his toes for a second before he finally regained his balance.
Astra stood next to them, a dripping water hose in her hand.
“Brat!” her father yelled.
Astra barely moved her hand, but she squeezed the spray attachment and a stream of water hit her father directly in the face.
When she stopped, he opened his mouth, probably to call her another name, but he thought better of it when he saw the look on her face.
He closed his mouth and held his hand out to Rune. “Help me up, boy.”
Rune leaned down, grasped the Viking’s huge forearm in his hand, and pulled him up fast enough to have the man swaying.
“Damn, son. You nearly ripped my arm out of socket,” he griped.
Rune shrugged. “Sorry. Don’t know my own strength sometimes.”
Arvid gave him a droll look but didn’t call him out on the lie. Instead, he turned to his wife. “Satisfied, love?”
The woman came over and touched a small cut on his cheek that had opened up at some point during their bout. “Yes. You fought bravely and well.”
The man grinned and wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her in for a tight hug.
Hella shrieked with outrage. “You ass! Now I’m all wet!”
“My job here is done,” the Viking said, releasing his wife. Water streamed off both of them and Hella shoved her husband’s shoulder.
He just laughed and grabbed for her again. She swept his legs from beneath him, knocking the giant Viking on his ass. Arvid only laughed as Hella stalked back into the house.
Astra put the hose away and turned off the water before she came over to him. “Are you okay?” she asked.
He nodded, using his hands to sluice water off his skin.
She stepped closer. “No major injuries?” she asked.
“No, I’m fine,” he said.
“Good.”
Her fist sank into his gut, a hit that rivaled her father’s. Rune fell to his knees, clutching his belly. He hadn’t been expecting that.
“Don’t ever do that again,” she said, looking down at him.
Rune coughed a couple of times before he answered, “I won’t.”
She reached out a hand and he stared at it for a long moment.
“You’re not going to punch me again, are you?” he asked.
“No,” she answered. “It was a one-time thing.”
