Dear Lord, please let him be safe. He had done nothing to deserve being involved in this nightmare.
“Here.”
Her sister placed a heap of snow on a sack of cloth next to her head. There was no other option but to bury her face in it and try to catch as much of it as she could before it melted. Once Eahlswith had lapped at a few mouthfuls of snow that did little more than wet her lips, Ealawynne put the gag back in place.
“It wouldn’t do for you to call to any passerby, would it? Not that I expect many in this weather and at this hour but you never know.” She settled herself in the cart, making a nest amidst the various bundles and furs. At least they had everything they needed to make themselves comfortable. As consolations went, it was a small one. “Now, we are going to get some sleep so we can set off tomorrow at first light. Hopefully it will have stopped snowing by then.”
Sleep. Eahlswith closed her eyes. Did they really think she would be able to sleep with her body trussed up and her mind in turmoil?
But to her surprise, she soon found herself drifting off into oblivion. Then suddenly she was jolted awake when a hand landed on her breast. A hand belonging to Godstan, who had elected to lie between the two women when he’d joined them for the night.
“Awake, little captive?” he whispered, bringing his mouth to her ear.
She shook her head, more a way to indicate that she didn’t want him to touch her than to answer his question. But yes, she was now most definitely awake—and dreading what was about to happen.
The hand over her breast gave a squeeze. “Mm. I love tits.”
Yes, unfortunately she already knew that. And if he thought her sister’s were perfect then he would like hers also, as they were identical.
Please, please, she silently pleaded.Ealawynne, wake up. Save me from this nightmare.
“I could loosen your bonds, you know,” Godstan carried on, “if you allowed me certain…liberties, shall we say. I could even remove the gag from your mouth.” He allowed a finger to stroke her cheek, the gesture almost tender and all the more terrifying for it. “I bet it is hurting you. I could help, slip something far more pleasant between your lips, something warmer than snow.”
Eahlswith fought the nausea roiling in her gut. With her mouth gagged the last thing she wanted was to be sick. Dear God, she’d thought her situation dire earlier today but it had just taken a dramatic turn for the worst.
She started to squirm, hoping to wake her sister up. Surely Ealawynne would object to her lover touching another woman? But even if she did not and agreed he was owed some reward for helping her, then Eahlswith would be no worse off. She had to try. She arched her back and let out a scream that came out as a moan.
“Eager, are we?” the man chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m?—”
“Godstan, what are you doing?”
Thank the Lord. Ealawynne had finally woken up. Eahlswith stopped moving. With bated breath, she waited to see what her sister would do. Anything was possible coming from a woman intent on killing her.
“I’m warming myself up with our captive’s lovely body,” the man answered, not in the least worried that Ealawynne might find this explanation unsatisfactory. “It is not often a man finds a lover with a twin sister that looks so much like her. I think Ishould be allowed to see whether fucking her will feel the same as fucking you.”
Oh Lord.
“That’s not why I brought you here.”
“No. But now we are here, and my balls ache something fierce. This is every man’s fantasy.” He sat up and gave a grin. “I’ll tell you what. You don’t have to be left out. You two could pleasure me, and I can return the favor. I swear I won’t leave either of you wanting. What say you?”
If Eahlswith’s gag had been removed in that moment she would have spat in his face. Fortunately, for once, her sister seemed to agree with her.
“I say that you’re mad,” she said, sitting up in turn to look at him. “If you want to rut, it will be with me, no one else.”
Godstan let out a frustrated growl then reached out to his braies. “Open your mouth then,” he ordered, his voice gruff. “And you had better make sure you put your heart into it so that when we’re done I don’t feel like I’m missing out.”
Wishing she could block her ears, Eahlswith screwed her eyes shut.
Sven tightenedthe girth on Gulltoppr with renewed determination. Last evening instead of bemoaning a situation he could not change, he had made sure to get some rest while the snow was swirling around the forest, doing its best to pierce the cover of the trees. No point in wasting energy lamenting his situation, he simply had to find the cart today and free Eahlswith from her abductors. The alternative was too dire to contemplate.
It was not all bad, though. The snowstorm of the night meant that the two captors had probably stopped as well and on thefresh layer of white the cart tracks were sure to show. Now that it was daylight, if he exited the forest and found a high point from which to scan his surroundings, he might well see something.
Choosing to stay on the most direct path from the town, he carried on until he had left the last tree behind. Then he cantered to a nearby hill, where he would get a good view of the area. Nothing. He was starting to think that he had exited the forest in completely the wrong place when he saw what he wanted to see.
A cart, over there, next to a river.
Two people were in the driver’s seat, one tall and one with dark hair. It had to be the right one. They were obviously riding along the river bank in search of a bridge, which meant that they would not get farther from him until they had found one. He could catch them up in no time. Barely repressing a growl of triumph, Sven launched Gulltoppr into a gallop.
