Page 91 of The Outlaw Viking

“I love you. You damn, sweet, infuriating, loveable Viking, I love you. I love you. I love you….”

Selik heard the words echoing oddly in his head as his body grew suddenly heavy and lethargic. He could not keep his eyelids open. Apparently, he was more tired than he had realized. But the words felt wonderful as they washed over him like a caress.

Before he fell asleep, he thought he heard Rain say something else. “Please, forgive me, Selik. I’m doing this for your own good.”

Chapter Fourteen

Rain grabbed Ubbi by the hand first thing in the morning and pulled him into Gyda’s private solar. She hoped to enlist his aid in getting Selik’s dead weight from Gyda’s house to Selik’s barn outside the city.

“Ubbi, I have a confession to make. I really am a guardian angel sent from God.” Rain crossed her fingers behind her back at her blatant deception, then crossed her legs too, just in case.

Ubbi’s cloudy eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Well, I jist knew it, mistress. I told the master, over and over, I did, but he would ne’er believe me. Sez ye come from sum lackwit country with lackwit people and lackwit ways, but I knew. I have a sense ’bout such things, I do.”

“Well, Ubbi…by the way, are you a Christian?”

He appeared hesitant. “I was baptized, jist as the master was, but I still worship the Norse gods, too.” He ducked his head sheepishly with the admission.

“That’s okay,” she said, patting him on the shoulder. “God understands.”

“He does?” Ubbi asked hopefully.

“Yes—and, Ubbi, God gave me a message for you.” Am I going to burn in hell for this one, God?

Nah.

Rain rolled her eyes and looked at Ubbi, whose jaw had dropped practically to his chest.

“God sent me a message?” he asked, gulping with awe.

“Yes, he said you should help me establish an orphanage for all the poor, homeless children in Jorvik.”

“Really? Where?”

“At Selik’s old homestead.”

Ubbi gasped and braced himself against the arm of a nearby chair, as if suspecting he was about to be asked to do something he would not like. “The master will ne’er allow anyone on that land. Besides, the house burned down.”

“We’re going to use the barn. I had a new roof put on yesterday, and Gyda and Ella are going to send some furniture and supplies there today.”

“And my lord Selik agreed to all this?” he asked, blinking incredulously.

“Well, not exactly.”

Ubbi craned his neck upwards to get a better look at her face, then groaned and put a widespread palm to his heart. “Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, oh, Lord. The master does not know, does he?”

Rain shook her head. “Will you help me?”

“The master will kill me, fer certain,” he cried, pulling desperately at his unruly hair with both hands. “Are ye sure God asked that I help you? Mayhap ’twas some other Ubbi.”

Rain smiled. “No, he specifically mentioned you. Unless you refuse, of course.”

“How can I refuse one of God’s own angels? ’Tis an unfair position ye put me in, mistress.”

If you only knew! “There is one other thing, Ubbi, but you have to promise me that even if you decide not to help me, you won’t try to destroy my plans.”

“Des…destroy yer plans,” Ubbi sputtered. “How can ye even think I would do such?”

“Well, Ubbi, I have a large—a very large—item I need to have moved out to the farm. Will you help me get it onto a wagon and then up to the loft of the barn?”