The man jumped back, almost as if he were expecting just such an attack. With her hair free now, Kristen immediately rolled out from beneath the wagon, but on the other side of it, where Erika could no longer see her. The man still could, both of them tall enough to see easily over the bed, and both were now glaring at each other.
“I knew I would rue the day your father gave you that,” he said.
He spoke of the dagger, Erika realized, though she had not understood every word. Anglo-Saxon was his tongue, and although she had learned it by necessity when she first came to this land, she had not learned it in depth, preferring to teach Ragnar’s people Danish instead.
But the Norsewoman spoke it fluently and with the same unfamiliar accent the man used. “Give me a moment and I will fetch the swordyougave me, Saxon.”
His brows came together, his frown had grown so dark. “I am going to beat you till you cannot walk, Viking. I can do no other thing,” he shouted.
“Who is going to help you manage that?” Kristen shouted right back.
Erika was amazed at that provoking response on top of the other one. And it hit the mark. The Saxon bellowed and started to climb over the wagon to get to her. He was certainly big enough to do it.
But Kristen cried out, “Nay, you will shake Selig. I will come around.”
Come around and put herself within his reach again? Erika wouldn’t have dared, would be running in the opposite direction right quickly. And Kristen did appear on Erika’s left, not even noticing her except to step over her outstretched legs to get to the man. Reaching him, she actually punched him squarely in the chest. He didn’t budge, but didn’t raise ahand to strike her back either. His expression hadn’t changed, though, was still furious. So was hers.
“You could at least keep your voice down, you great lout,” Kristen hissed at him. “They are laughing their blasted heads off.”
Quite a few of the men were doing just that, Erika noted. It went a ways toward easing her own anxiety, with the two furious people right next to her.
“They will laugh even more when I put you across my knee,” was his gritted reply.
Kristen took a step back at that. Another and she would have tripped over Erika’s legs, but she only needed the one to separate her from the man. Possibility of a spanking had intimidated her, whereas a beating had not. Erika found that fascinating.
With considerably less heat, Kristen told him, “I can explain, Royce.”
Obviously, he was not interested. “You can explain after I beat you.”
“Oh, unfair!”
“You ride off with my men—!”
“And Selig’s,” she cut in to point out. “Combined, naught but a great army could cause us harm, and all the great armies are disbanded.”
That didn’t pacify him either. “You willfully disobeyed me, woman. Never would I have allowed you to come here, and well you know it.”
That had the Norsewoman’s back stiffening again. “Had you returned when yousaidyou would return, you would have been there tohear the messenger claiming Selig was being held prisoner. Think you I could have remained home knowing that? And ’tis well I did not wait for you. He is nigh dead from what was done to him. Another day at Gronwood could well have killed him.”
Erika winced at that prejudiced opinion. The man’s anger drained, however, and in fact, he pulled Kristen into his arms. It was comfort he was intent on giving, and comfort the Norsewoman gladly took. Watching them brought Erika’s dejection a mite lower.
“Where is he?” Royce asked after a few moments of mutual squeezing.
“In the wagon, and likely awake from all the noise you were making. ’Tis a good thing he cannot understand us, or he would be crawling out here to protect me, and doing himself more damage.”
Royce grunted. “He knows better than to try to protect you from me, wife. And youwillbe getting that beating for the fright you gave me, but I will wait until we are home to see to it.”
“You aresokind,” she retorted with a grimace and pushed away from him.
The movement brought Erika to his notice again, and this time his frown was just for her, though his remark was for his wife. “I believe you have more explaining to do.”
Kristen followed his look and her own frown was back, as well as the contempt in her voice that Erika was now quite familiar with. “Lady Erika of Gronwood—now Selig’s prisoner.”
“Nigh dead andhecaptured her?” Royce asked, one brow lifted doubtfully.
“So I did it for him. He would have if he were able, but thanks to her, he can barely feed himself just now, let alone exact his revenge.”
After a moment, the Saxon’s frown turned implacable. “You will send her back.”
