Page 105 of The Caged Viking

Kirstin got tears in her eyes then, too. “I called him a pig.”

“Who?”

“Hauk.”

“Ah. Do not fret. All men are pigs at one time or another. Promise him some good bedplay and all will be well.”

If only it were that easy. Kirstin put a hand to her head and lay back down, pulling the top fur up to her chin. She pressed the fingertips of both hands to her forehead.

“Are you all right?” Signe asked.

“I have a headache. Feels like I have an axe in my head.” And I’m probably on my way to the flu.

“I could look for some megrim powders for you.”

“Actually, if you could get my cloak for me. It’s out in the back courtyard. I have some Tylenol pills there.”

“Pills?”

“Herbs.”

Once Signe returned, dragging the heavy cloak, and raised her eyebrows at the vines which Thorkel had told Signe belonged to her “lady,” Kirstin told her, “I’ll explain later.” Meanwhile, she asked Signe to open the cloak and lay it over the bed. Kirstin made quick work of getting out the baggie of pills and took two Tylenol, without water. Luckily, they were coated and went down easily.

Signe spread the cloak over the bottom of the bed and hung the gown from a wall peg, smoothing them both out so that they would dry as wrinkle-free as possible. “They’re beautiful, m’lady,” Signe said.

“Thank you. Oh, I almost forgot. I have a gift for you.” Kirstin sat up and pulled the cloak closer, then unpinned one of the Ziplock bags that held toiletries…a brush, comb, compact, and what she was looking for…a small bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume. “Sorry I didn’t wrap this.”

Signe took the small glass bottle in her hand and stared, perplexed, not even sure how to open it. “Here. Come closer,” Kirstin told her. Then she showed her how to open the bottle carefully so as not to spill any of the precious liquid. “You only need a little. Wherever you like. But I prefer the wrists or neck.” She showed Signe how to do it with the glass stopper, and really only the tiniest dab was enough to fill the room with the floral scent.

“Ooh,” Signe said with a sigh. “It smells like flowers.” She looked at Kirstin then. “Thank you, thank you. I’ll only use it on special occasions.”

“Just be careful. Only a tiny bit goes a long way.”

Signe nodded and asked, “Those silver loops…are they brooches?”

At first, Kirstin didn’t understand. Then she laughed. “No, those are safety pins…fasteners. They’re not worth much, where I come from. Unlike brooches, which can be valuable. Here, I’ll show you how they work.”

Signe was fascinated, and Kirstin gave her two, which could have been gold, by the expression on Signe’s face. Perfume and safety pins…wow!

“Could you’d leave me for a little while, Signe?” Kirstin said then. “I need to rest until I get the chill off of me, and the pills take effect.” Kirstin was already regretting her failure to pack cold medicine.

“Certainly. And thank you again, m’lady,” Signe said, sniffing at her wrist as she stood at the open door. “What should I tell Master Hauk, if he asks?”

If he asks. Kirstin hesitated, then said, “Tell him I’m sorry.”

Kirstin was lying corpse-straight under the furs, still chilled and still suffering a splitting headache when there was a knock on the door and Bjorn entered. “Am I bothering you?” he asked.

“No, come in.” She sat, pulling the fur up over her chest.

She could swear the boy had grown a few inches since she’d been gone, but then at his age, thirteen, boys tended to shoot up practically overnight. Her brothers sure had. And he was looking good, too, with his blond hair hanging in a long braid down his back. There was a peach fuzz on his cheeks that would soon turn into whiskers.

“You came back,” he said bluntly.

“Yes.”

“I was angry at you for a long time,” he confided, shifting from foot to foot. “You shouldn’t have just left.”

“I know, but I had no control over it. It just happened. By accident, sort of.”