“Nae when I love you so bloody much, wife,” I whispered, praying she heard me. Heeded me, because I did not want to lose all we would share.
All the love.
The wee bairns that might someday be ours.
I knew I had no right to think such blatant thoughts, given what they might mean for my father, but I couldn’t helpthem. Could not help but press my forehead to our adjoined hands and continue praying she stayed with me.
“We are ready, my friend,” Stewart said a short while later, startling me when he rested his hand on my shoulder. “These Norsemen are efficient indeed.”
It turned out he was right when they carried in an interesting-looking sleigh suited to her size. Curled on the front, with handles on the side, they set it down and gestured for me to put her on it, so I did, gently scooping her up and laying her on top.
Moving swiftly, they wrapped several furs around her, including her hooded bear fur, tucking the material so she could breathe while remaining protected from the elements. Then, moving right along, they gently wrapped straps across her so she would not slide off. With a man on either side, they lifted the sleigh and headed out into what had become a very snowy night.
They had attached a harness of sorts to Astrid’s white horse, Wyvern, then hooked it to the sleigh, allowing her to pull Astrid. The largest of the Norsemen gestured at Wyvern and spoke to the translator.
“He wishes to be the first one to ride Astrid’s horse,” the translator told me. “He claims she is the best horse for this task, and you will learn how to pull such precious cargo by watching him.”
While that was asking a lot, when I looked into the Norseman's eyes, I saw only a desire to help, and felt only trust when the talisman warmed.
“Aye,” I replied, nodding at him. “’Twill be as you wish.” I could not help the warning in my voice. “Travel safely with her.”
Even though the translator relayed the message and the man nodded, I sensed he understood the gist of my words anyway. So, after I saw Astrid’s belongings, including her shieldand blade strapped to my horse, we set out for Mackay Castle with Oksana running alongside Astrid’s sleigh on a journey I could only pray my lass lived through.
Chapter Nineteen
-ASTRID-
Happy to see my sisters once more, I sailed alongside them in the sleighs of our youth, racing one another down steep, snowy hills, laughing as I dared them to keep up with me.
“And you us,” Freya challenged me. Was she still on her sleigh, or had she whispered in my ear? I could not tell.
“Follow us all the way home, little sister,” Tove whispered in my other ear, her voice challenging as well.
“Follow the wolf,” Freya called out, no longer in my ear but far away, her voice an echo on the cold wind.
“Follow the bear,” Tove demanded, her voice ferocious with the beast watching over us.
Blinking, desperate, I tried to see them, but I only saw the blurry gray wolf racing alongside my sleigh in the driving snow. A blink later, it was a massive white bear urging me on. Demanding that I move faster.
Fight harder.
Never give up.
“You are strong,” Freya cried out on the whistling wind.
“You are a Helvig,” Tove roared. “So go to him.Findhim.”
Who?I could not recall.
“Return to him,” Freya whispered in my ear, right there when moments before she had been so far away. “Return to the land of the Scots.”
“Do you hear me, Astrid?” Tove said, right there now, too. “Do you see him?”
When I struggled to reply, both sisters roared at me at once. “See your husbandnow!”
Jolting to awareness, I cracked open my eyes to the blurry visage of men sitting around a small fire in the snow. For amoment, I thought I spied my sisters peering back at me through the flames, but a blink later, they were gone, and someone trickled cool water into my mouth.
“’Tis all right, my love,” a deep, husky voice with a Scottish burr murmured. “I am here.”
