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When Sigrid awoke, she rubbed her eyes and was instantly alarmed to find that Erik was not with her. She scrambled to her feet and rushed out of the small cave, dismay in her heart not that he had escaped but that he had lied to her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the boat was still on the beach, and then she looked around. There were footprints on the soft sand leading away from the cave. She followed them, curious as to where they might lead. She walked around a craggy rock and heard frustrated shouting. Erik was standing knee-deep in the water. He had taken his shirt off, revealing his muscular physique. Sigrid felt something instinctive twitch inside her. Her lips parted, and her breath deepened at the sight of him fighting with the water, the angles of his muscles on display. His body was tall and impressive, and it was the first time when she recognized the Viking in him.

“Why are you fighting with the water? It’s a fight you can’t win,” she called out.

Erik looked up in surprise. He straightened himself but widened his stance and held out his arms as though he was ready to pounce on something. His gaze never left the water.

“I came here to bathe before we got moving again, and then I noticed some fish swimming around. I thought I could get us some.” He stopped for a moment, grunted, and then plunged his hand into the water. There was a splash, and when he pulled his hand back, he held a wriggling fish. A look of triumph was on his face.

“Breakfast!” he exclaimed.

They walked back to their small cave and quickly built a fire to cook the fish. They shared out the meat. Sigrid was thankful that Erik had put his shirt back on so she could concentrate properly. It didn’t take them long to eat breakfast. Erik asked her if she was going to bathe before they left, and she thought perhaps it was a good idea to present the best version of herself to their potential ally. She walked around to where she had found Erik earlier and checked that he wasn’t watching as she undressed.

She stepped into the water and crouched down, scooping up handfuls of water and pouring it over her body. The temperature was refreshing, and the water had been warmed by the sun enough so that it didn’t make her gasp when it touched her skin. She turned her head to check if Erik was peering from the rocks, but he wasn’t standing there. She didn’t know if she was disappointed or not. As she looked down at her lean body, toned and blemished with old wounds from duels, she wondered what it would be like to be Kari, to have men find her beautiful. Sigrid had shunned most of the ideas of what a woman should be, but there were times when she did wonder what it would be like to be desired.

She shook the thought from her mind and got dressed again before returning to Erik. She nodded at him and then pointed in the direction where they needed to go. He gestured for her to lead on, and they made their way to the Ovesson clan. Before they left, though, he pressed his lips together and looked at her sword.

“If Elof is as traditional as you say, then I think you might have to give that to me. It might raise questions if he sees a woman carrying a sword, even if it is a wooden one,” Erik said.

Sigrid hadn’t thought about that, and she was dismayed. However, she knew he was right. She reluctantly handed the sword over to him and felt naked without it.

The Ovesson clan’s village was much like the village she was used to. It was set among a field of trees, with a path leading to the coast where ships bobbed on the water. Industrious Vikings roamed around, building and making things or storing things for trade with other clans. Plumes of smoke rose from buildings, and there were pens of animals scattered around. In the distance, she could see warriors riding horses, likely going on a hunt to gather food for a feast. They received a few glances as they walked through the village, but nobody came to speak with them.

The leader of the clan, Elof, was watching two warriors duel. The clash of steel was a welcome one to Sigrid’s ears. As they approached, it pained her to have to tell Erik that he had to take the lead, but Elof did not look kindly on women. She was almost tempted to leap into the duel herself and prove to him that women were just as worthy warriors as men, but she had to bite her tongue and remember that she was here for a reason, and that reason took importance above all else.

“Elof, it is an honor to be welcomed to your village. The gods have clearly blessed you with much glory. I am impressed by all I have seen here, and I humbly seek your audience for a most important matter,” Erik said, bowing slightly. Sigrid remained close to him, ready to nudge him if she thought she needed to.

“And it is an honor to receive such kind words from strangers,” Elof said. “Tell me who you are and where you hail from. I do not get many visitors, and your accent is strange to me.”

“That is because I come from a land far away, but my wife, Sigrid, is a native to this land, and she is someone you may take an interest in, for she is the adopted daughter of your enemy, Ivar Bjork,” Erik said.

Sigrid cringed when Erik referred to her as his wife.

Elof stiffened as Ivar’s name was mentioned. He stroked his golden beard and cleared his throat. There were two guards with him, and they turned and placed their hands on their weapons.

“We come in peace,” Erik added when he saw the reaction of the guards. “And we have a proposition that might prove to be beneficial to you.”

Elof studied him for a moment, and then his gaze fell on Sigrid. She wasn’t used to not speaking for this long and wanted to try and persuade him more. “I want your help to fight against him,” she said.

Elof instantly turned his gaze away as though she hadn’t spoken at all.

“Come with me to my tent, and we shall talk about this matter further,” he said to Erik. “And if you like, your wife can wait elsewhere. I am sure that these matters of war do not hold any interest to her.”

Sigrid was incensed by this and was about ready to hurl a furious torrent of words at him and show him just how much issues of war mattered to her, but Erik reacted more quickly than she could. He placed his hand upon her arm and smiled at Elof, speaking in a beseeching tone.

“Actually, she would prefer to stay with me. As you can imagine, after spending so much time with Ivar, she is rather nervous and wants to know that I can protect her. I hope that you will allow her to stay by my side,” he said.

Sigrid was even more furious at this, but Elof smiled and nodded in understanding.

“Of course,” he said. “It’s the job of a husband to be a shield.”

He walked away and led them to the tent. Sigrid and Erik fell into step with each other. He looked and winked at her.

She scowled and spoke in a low voice, “If you ever say anything like that again, I’ll kill you.”

“I’m just trying to convince him that we’re married. You don’t want him to turn us away, do you?”

She had to admit that he was right and that his plan worked. He had a way of making people like him, and she wondered how he did it. It was as though he had access to some kind of enchantment magic that she was unaware of. She bit her tongue again and tried to look happy to be with her “husband.”