The Viking's Witch (14 page)

He nodded. If Nordskog had wanted to, he could have set his
berserkrs
on Odaria, the villagers, and even Karnik’s men. Nordskog’s
berserkrs
could slaughter everyone in the entire village in a matter of minutes if they were so inclined. But by Thor’s mercy, they were content—for the time being.

Odaria tapped his shoulder, and he turned.

“Rothgar, his leg is bad off. I’ve started draining the wound, but I’m not sure if it’ll heal proper.”

He looked down at Nordskog’s right leg and felt hot bile rise in the back of his throat. Nordskog’s calf was red and swollen twice its normal size. A slit had been made in the skin, and thick green pus welled to the surface.

Odaria sat next to Nordskog and pressed on the skin surrounding the wound. The air was immediately filled with a stench worse than ten dead goats.

“By Odin, Odaria, what are you doing?” he asked, trying to hold his breath.

“I need ta squeeze it clean, then dig out what’s rotten in there.” She pointed to a large splinter of wood on the blanket next to Nordskog. “He’s got bits of wood stuck in his leg. They’ve gone to rot and are poisoning him.”

“Do you know who this man is?” he asked, turning his head as she pressed on the leg again. The foul, rotted smell sickened his stomach. How could Odaria do this and not become ill?

“One of Karnik’s men, I presume.”

“
Neinn
. Nordskog is the most vicious
berserkr
in the Northland.”

“And he’s got the most sour leg I’ve ever seen.” She looked at him. “What’s a
berserkr
?”

“The source of most of the tales about us. They are ruthless warriors. Coldhearted, savage, and brutal to any living thing. They’d cleave off your head and drink your blood for fun. In battle, they go into a frenzy, a state of foaming madness, and ravish anything they find.”

He recalled the destruction left behind after the
berserkrs
had rampaged through villages. Even in his prime, he wouldn’t have stood a chance against them. They were ferocious and entirely remorseless for what they did.

“They show no mercy to anyone. No man or woman is safe from them if they have it in their heads to strike. And they are on
our
side. Think of what would happen if they were not.” He wanted Odaria to understand how dangerous it was to go near the
berserkrs
. “Lucky for you, I know Nordskog. I came to his aid once when he needed it most.”

Odaria’s mouth hung open a little as she stared up at him. “No wonder you burst in here ready to kill. That other one there …”

“Gunnar.”

“Aye, him. He’s one of them as well?”

“
Ja
. Everyone in this smaller camp is. Karnik’s men stay far away from here. Even they fear the
berserkrs
.” He paused. “Why do you ask about Gunnar?”

She bit her bottom lip and glanced away. “Well, if he’s as bad as all the others, then I probably shouldna hit him with me broom.”

He rolled his eyes. “Odaria, by the mercy of the gods, how do you survive?” He glanced at Gunnar out of the corner of his eye and noticed that he was watching Odaria intently. These warriors took what they wanted and killed anyone who challenged them. Yet, they had decided to let Odaria cure Nordskog. They clearly thought his wound was bad if they sought help from an outsider.

He watched as Odaria bent over Nordskog’s pus-filled leg again. “Do you know how to heal him?”

“Of course. I’ve mended broken bones, soothed burns, delivered babies … I’m good at healing. I don’t know how he’s been walking around with all this wood in his leg,” she commented as she pulled a four-inch spear of wood from the wound.

“They feel no pain. Especially in battle. I’ve heard tales of them still fighting while missing arms and legs. That splinter must have broken off from a wooden sword or dagger.”

He glanced at the
berserkrs
standing nearby. Experience had taught him never to let his guard down around one, and he felt uneasy being in a group of them. He stood over Odaria and tried not to breathe as she squeezed yellow liquid from Nordskog’s calf.

Nordskog spoke to him, then gestured at Odaria.

“He wishes to know if he’ll lose the leg. He’d sooner die than be legless.”

“Nay. I’ve picked out all the wood. The green stuff is gone.” She touched Nordskog’s hairy leg behind his scarred knee. “If there were red lines running along here, or if he’d waited longer for treatment, then aye. But I kin clean it up. I need hot water, a bucket of cold seawater, a few rags, and a clean cloth for a bandage.” She looked at him. “Could you send them to fetch those for me?”

He translated Odaria’s request to Nordskog. It was crucial that he follow their hierarchy. He could not ask Gunnar or the others to do anything. They took commands from Nordskog alone.

Nordskog gave orders to his men, and they went off in different directions. A few moments later, they returned with the supplies Odaria needed and set them on the ground.

Odaria dipped a rag in the boiling water and wrung it out over the wound. Nordskog acted as if nothing had happened. She pressed on his calf to drain it again, then followed with a similar treatment of seawater. Nordskog closed his eyes but did not utter a sound.

Rothgar watched Nordskog as Odaria tended to him. A normal man would be feeling excruciating pain, but Nordskog showed no sign of discomfort. “It appears you have made friends with the fiercest
berserkr
living today. That is something no other woman has ever done.”

Odaria wiped Nordskog’s leg and bandaged it with a piece of linen. “Why is that?”

He sighed and decided to tell Odaria the truth. “Because he’s killed them all.”

“That’s a terrible thing to say. He canna be that bad. I know they smell and need to wash, but—”

Odaria yelped as Nordskog grabbed her by the hair and yanked her down to his chest. Rothgar’s heart skipped a beat as he saw a dagger glisten in the sunlight. Before he had time to blink, Nordskog had sliced off a chunk of Odaria’s black hair and set her free.

In a flash, she scrambled to her feet and threw herself into his arms. She looked up at him, her green eyes wide. “Did you see that? He could have—”

“I saw.” He wrapped his arm around Odaria and glared at Nordskog. “Be nice to her. She spared your leg.”

He cursed himself for letting his guard down for a second. Nordskog could have held that dagger to Odaria’s throat and ordered his men to seize him. Then … He didn’t want to think about what could have happened next.

Nordskog sniffed the lock of Odaria’s hair, then placed it in a leather pouch around his neck.

Odaria clutched his arm. “Why did he do that, Rothgar?”

“He wanted a remembrance. It is a custom,” he lied.

He stared down at Nordskog. “If any harm comes to her …”

“You may take the witch away,” Nordskog said, flexing his bandaged leg. “She did well and will be spared.”

Rothgar clasped Odaria’s hand and dragged her away from the camp as fast as he could.

“Where are we going?”

“You wished to go to your cottage,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “Now is a good time for that.”

Odaria squeezed his hand and looked at him. “I dinna let them see how scared I was,” she whispered.

He kissed her forehead. “Good girl. That’s my clever little witch.”

“But I was right to be afraid, wasn’t I?” she asked, her voice quivering.

“
Ja
. Stay far away from them. The gods themselves could not save anyone from a
berserkr’s
wrath. It is a fate worse than death.”

Rothgar strolled hand in hand with Odaria across the grassy field. Although they had been walking for fifteen minutes, his nerves had only just started to settle. The thought of Odaria falling into the clutches of the
berserkrs
plagued him still. He cursed himself for leaving her unattended.

A lesser woman would have lost her senses and ended up dead, or worse, but Odaria had come through unharmed. She brushed a lock of black hair behind her ear, and he smiled. She was pretty, brave, and clever. What more could he hope for in a woman?

As they passed a small stream, he stopped and picked a piece of heather. Odaria blushed when he handed her the light purple flower. “For you, dearest.”

“Thank you. No one’s ever given me flowers before.”

“Never?”

She sniffed the heather. “None but you. I used to lie in bed at night wondering if a man would ever fancy me or kiss me or …” She giggled.

“Or do what else?” he teased, clasping her hand.

“Or if I’d be married. Sometimes I used to pretend that a handsome man would come along asking the way to the village and fall in love with me. Then he’d take me away from here.” She rolled her eyes. “’Tis foolishness, I know. My mother used to tell me that I was better off not wanting a man. They cause too much trouble.”

“You lived in the cottage with your mother?”

“Aye. We were not welcome in the village, but everyone who needed help and healing came to see us. Once a week, we’d trade milk, cheese, and cakes for fish and other meat with the women who ran the gathering hall.”

“You had no friends?”

“Nay.” Odaria led him through a small patch of shrubs, and they exited onto a lightly worn pathway. “But if a person needed healing, he or she pretended to be my dearest friend to make sure I’d heal them proper. Much like your friend Nordskog.”

“Trust me, Nordskog is nobody’s friend.” He chuckled. “But he is grateful to you for saving his leg.”

“Aye. They all were grateful, for a time,” she said, the bitterness obvious in her voice. “Once they were healed, they developed short memories and forgot all I had done for them.”

“Did you get lonely living apart from the villagers?”

“A bit. But my mother and I kept each other company, and I had my animal friends. I spent most of my days working on magic, thinking about life, and hoping I’d be happy one day.”
“Are you happy now?”

“Aye.” Odaria glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “I know I do not show it much, but you make me quite happy, Rothgar. You’ve captured my heart.”

He stopped walking and sat on a large rock along the pathway. “I’m glad to hear that. I’ve been entranced by the prettiest little witch in all the land.” He smiled and pulled Odaria onto his lap.

Even though he hadn’t slept much last night and he’d had a troubling morning, he felt good. The sun seemed to be shining brighter than he remembered, birds sang in the distance, and thick white clouds dotted the blue sky. “Tell me of your cottage.”

Odaria settled against his chest and draped her arms around his neck. “’Tis small but cozy. I like it.”

“Does it have a bed?”

She gave him a puzzled look. “Aye. Do you think I sleep standing up?”

“Is it a big bed?” he asked, wriggling an eyebrow.

Odaria flushed, and she sniffed the heather she carried. “Big enough for me. Why do you ask?”

He grinned and wrapped his arm around Odaria’s waist. He liked playing this teasing game with her. “I may wish to take a nap and might need to try it out. Would you mind?” he asked, stroking her cheek with his fingertips.

Odaria licked her lips. “Nay, I wouldna mind a bit. I’ll let you. But I’m a bit worried. I’ve never had a man in my …
bed
, and you are awfully big.” She cleared her throat. “What if you do not fit?”

“Do not worry. I will, and I will be as gentle as any man can when I make my way in,” he whispered, then kissed her.

His rod stiffened as Odaria’s tongue sought his. Her lust-filled kiss gave him the answer he sought. Now there was no doubt in his mind why Odaria had wanted him to come to the cottage with her. This little trip was her way of telling him that she was ready to become his lover.

He kissed her again and ran his hand across her bosom. To his delight, she moaned and leaned against him. His head swam with desire. Odaria was a passionate yet delicate flower. He’d have to be gentle and teach her what a woman needed to know about lovemaking. Although it had been years since he had been able to lie with a woman, Odaria’s kisses had hardened his penis to stone in an instant.

He broke the kiss and gazed into her green eyes. “It will be my honor to be the first man in your bed.”

“An honor for you, Rothgar, but shall it be a pleasure for me?”

“I promise to make you happier than you have ever thought possible.” He smiled. Would Odaria take to lovemaking from the start? He hoped so. He had a lot he wished to teach her.

“Good.” She grinned and shifted her weight on his lap. His cock throbbed, and he let out a low moan.

Odaria gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Did I hurt your … thing?”

“
Neinn.
It has been a while since I’ve been invited to a lady’s … cottage. A very stiff part of me is most eager to get inside.”

Odaria giggled. “Then let’s hurry along. The cottage is not far from here. ’Tis around the bend and past some bushes. I’ll race you,” she said as she bolted off his lap and ran ahead of him.

“Odaria, wait,” he called out as he rose to his feet slowly. He peered down at himself and chuckled. The front of his breeches jutted out like a tree branch, a most welcome sight after three years of lying limp and useless.