Eleanor Ch 08

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As the sun rose over the tree covered bay, Ragnar descended into the bowels of the long boat to awaken Bruni. Seeing the hammock empty of his friend's slumbering form, Ragnar entered the private chamber quietly, checking on Kate first. His lush female was completely stretched out over the mattress, covered in one of Bruni's furs for warmth. Reaching down to her, Ragnar stroked her flushed cheek, smoothing her wavy hair away from her eyes as she woke to him.

"Kate, it is time to get dressed, we are in the bay." Ragnar spoke quietly as she stirred. "I need you to keep Eleanor on the boat, neither of you are to leave unless we come and get you, alright?"

"Of course Ragnar..." Kate spoke, still groggy from sleep, "...we will stay here until you return."

"Take this."

Kate looked at him as if he had been struck in the head.

"Ragnar, do you think we will be in that much danger? You are leaving some men with us are you not?" Kate was shocked, Ragnar had always expressed an extreme hatred that the world was in such disarray that women needed to arm themselves. As far as her lover was concerned, the male should protect his female, end of story.

"Please Kate, it is just in case. And yes, your brothers will remain on board along with six others to keep the boat out of the bay." Ragnar spoke, taking Kate's hand and lifting her up to stand before him. Pulling the clean tunic over her, his hand strayed to her swollen belly, feeling the wriggling of the infant inside.

"That would drive me mad." he smiled at her, feeling incredibly sorry that he as putting her through this, and incredibly excited that she was to bring their child into the world in a few short weeks.

Please let it be in weeks Freya, not before Bergen! Ragnar prayed.

Placing the short sword in her hand, Ragnar turned to go behind the curtain, stopping short as he caught sight of Bruni on his back cradling a sound asleep Eleanor to his chest.

With his free hand, Bruni motioned Ragnar to quiet, so as not to wake her. Bruni did not want her to face this morning feeling awkward that she had awoken in his arms. Careful to untangle himself from their entwined limbs, Bruni stepped away from the bed, wrapping her back up in the furs once more. Leaving the chamber and onto the deck, Bruni sighed at the sight in front of him. Through the light mist of the morning, they were feet from shore, the shallow bottoms on the dragon boats allowing him within short wading distance from bank. Reaching up to a passing pink blossom tree, Bruni cut a small handful away, bringing the delicate flowers to his nose and inhaling their sweet scent, still covered in their morning dew, they were fresh, their scent intoxicating. And they were for her. Turning on his heels, Bruni ignored the quizzical looks of his waking crew of their serious leader carrying flowers, as he descended once more into the chamber. Sliding the door open, Bruni hid the flowers behind his back lest she already be awake. This was something he was not ready to do if she was awake, he felt embarrassed enough that he wanted to leave her something pretty to wake up to, rather than leave her awkward. How mortified she would be if she knew he had not slept during the two hours she had been curled upon him, that he had breathed in the heather scent of her hair, and the sweet hollow of her throat had earned kisses from him as she arched gently to each pass of his lips. He and he alone would know, and as she married his brother, Bruni would cherish those memories.

Seeing her still sleeping form bundled amongst his furs and blankets, Bruni moved forward to the side of the cot; placing the sweet blossom in her gently curled hand. Kissing her forehead, he took a deep breath, and pulled on his helmet from the floor beside her.

Donning the nightmare, he became the vicious nature that struck terror into those who were not part of the pact for peace. The black leather shone; the skull an eerie white in contrast. Once more he was The Auden, he would bring back his brother, and he would return to his home. Finally.

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Bergen.

"Do you think she will have arrived yet mother?" Inga asked, the dribble of fat from the chicken leg she was chewing, escaping down her over generous chin.

"She should be arriving soon child. Vera died some weeks back, although your Aunt does not know that. The house is empty, Asgrim and Galti are waiting there for her. They will finish her off, and with no males around, it means I take over as Lady of Haur."

Sibbe smiled, her gap filled grin brown, her clothes covered in various food products. She could not wear any of her half sister's wardrobe of tunics, none would fit her leg let alone her body, and according to Inga's eavesdropping on Varin and Anika, her sister had hidden most of the treasured items somewhere, and told no one. Well, Sibbe thought, I will find them, this is my castle now. After she got word back from Asgrim and Galti that the deed was done, Sibbe would move in, and changes would be made. Starting with Anika and her guard Varin. Shame they were not in the far north, Sibbe thought as she took another gouge out of her chicken thigh, she could drop them in a pit.

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Dane Coast, near Hjorring.

Asgrim looked down at the terrified woman as he held the axe high ready to bring it down upon her neck, standing still, his arms straining with the effort of keeping the axe high and not dropping it, his voice broke as he spoke to his companion.

"Galti you treacherous bastard, you..." Asgrim stopped as the feel of cool metal ran through his body from his back, appearing at his belly. The tension in his arms failing, the heavy axe began to fall, the scream of the female muffled by her gag, and silenced by the clatter of the metal against the stone as Asgrim's companion shouldered the arms holding the axe, deflecting it from her prone body.

As Asgrim fell to the floor, his head landed in line with her eyes from her position on the ground. His blue irises shining wide with the death he knew was coming, with fear of the wrath of Odin he was to endure for his deeds. As the blood flowed from his mouth onto the stone floor of the path, she closed her eyes in fear of his companion.

"Matilda."

His voice was as rough as his appearance, brutal to the core, but he would never allow anyone to harm her. No one. He had not seen her in nearly two years, his dealings with the Danes taking longer than he had expected, the fight against the Germans and Gaul was a long and bitter one. Anything to keep the bastards from Norway's shores, was the mantra he recited. Away from her. Holding his hand out to the quivering woman, he whispered to her.

"Wife." He paused, as her intense blue eyes drifted to meet his black ones. "Take my hand."

Tears pooled in those beautiful eyes, as he pulled her up to his arms, taking the material from her mouth. Lifting the speechless beauty into his arms, Eirik settled down on the rocks to the side of old Vera's home, tucking the loosened wisps of her long hair behind her ears.

"Eirik" Matilda muttered softly into his neck, "I have missed you."

Wrapping his arms around her, Eirik told his precious wife of the contract on her life, and the wench behind it. Her shocked gasp was a boom in the wooded bay as she realised she had left her little Anika with a murderous wretch.

"We have to go back Eirik, we have to leave right now; I have left Anika with Sibbe! Oh by Odin if she has harmed her, I will kill her myself." The tears flowed down her pale face as Eirik stifled his own anger.

"We will leave this afternoon; it will take three days to get there, as long as the bad weather stays to the south. Varin will keep her safe, that boy always has." Eirik tired to calm his shocked wife.

Eirik thought back on the boy, who must be nearing sixteen by now. His father had been head guard at the Haur keep in Bergen until they had all been called to the boundaries to stop the invasion of the Gaul, and then the Germans. Poor Varin's Da had been killed in the first month; his four brothers now laid to rest in southern Denmark too. Matilda had made him head of her guard in Bergen the second the news had reached them. Built like any warrior of the Norse, the young Varin had always looked primed for battle, always ready to defend, whether it had been the bees that Anika was so terrified of, or the small scouting parties that invaded Bergen from time to time, that boy had defended the Keep, defended Anika and his wife Matilda.

"I have no doubt he would protect our girl to his death Matilda." Eirik breathed in trying to steady his nerves.

The thought of harm coming to the boy was unthinkable. He was already thought of as a son of the Haur. Setting Matilda on the path, Eirik gathered her scattered belongings, pulling a linen sheet over the unfortunate dead guard that Eirik had not been able to stop Asgrim from killing.

"Let us head to the boat now, we have enough food for the journey." Eirik watched with awe as his fragile looking wife steeled herself, and held a mask of sheer determination. This is the woman he loved, such a tender woman, yet willing to fight, willing to stand up to anyone trying to make a fool of her. Taking her hand, they jogged back to the boat, and between the two of them, pushed off back into the waters. Pulling the sails, Eirik made sure they were tight, as he steered them clear of the small islands jutting from the surface.

They would make it back. If he never slept, they would get back to their daughter, and prey that Ragnar got there before them.

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Wading through the cold water Ragnar kept his eyes on the tree covered bay, waiting for any sign that their arrival was being watched. Something was not right, he could feel it in the silent morning, yet there were no surprise attacks awaiting them in the woods, nor were there any boats in the sheltered bay.

"Bruni, do you think that we have landed too far north?" Ragnar asked confused at the emptiness of the Gaul woods that should be teaming with Nikolas' men.

"No, this is usually where my Brother docks." Bruni paused, heaving himself up onto the bank. Straightening, Bruni scanned the area. "There Ragnar, that is where he usually goes."

Ragnar followed his friend's line of sight to the small collection of houses just ahead of them in the clearing.

"There is the Inn there that Nikolas goes to when he is here. I'm guessing that is where we will have to go to find him."

Moving further along the raised bank, Bruni's men followed them along the inlet from the bay.

"Ragnar? Bruni?!" Iarund called. "Here is the boat."

Sitting high on the rocks, broken in the bow, lay Nikolas' boat. On the banks surrounding it lay his men's ten tents, yet all were empty. And all had left in a rush.

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Watching the men wading to shore from the Bruni's boat, Eleanor sat, dangling her legs over the side, inhaling the sweet scent of the blossom. Eleanor smiled at the token Bruni had left with her, such a strange thing for a man to do, least of all a towering male like him.

"Eleanor, if you smile any more, I will think you were up to things that you should not have been!" Kate poked her friend in the ribs, laughing at the creeping blush that stained her cheeks.

"We did not do anything..." Eleanor stammered. "...we just slept. It was cold."

"I know, I am only teasing you" Kate soothed her friend, not knowing whether to be overjoyed to see her friend interested in a man, or angered for the fact that there was a contract on her to marry another. And she still knew nothing of it. Bruni was inviting danger upon himself to be growing attached to her, and yet Kate wanted this for her friend. Nikolas was completely wrong for her, in all ways, yet Bruni was perfect. Strong, determined, and stubborn, just like Eleanor.

Yes, she thought, Perfect.

"Eleanor, how about we bathe quickly in the water before the men get back?" Kate asked, so grateful when her friend nodded, as she was desperate to bathe, needing to feel some relief from the heavy pressure her pregnant belly was putting on her body.

"Seamus, Lewis, we are just going to freshen up before Ragnar and the others get back, so don't come over this side of the boat.

"Oh no Kate, Ragnar told us that we were not to let either of you to leave this boat!!!" Lewis said, squaring off to his much shorter sister, and still managing to look wary of her stature.

"We are not really leaving the boat, we are just going to be by the side of the boat, and you will let us do this!!" With a sharp jab to the ribs, Kate had Eleanor in awe, as her large older brother stepped away from his baby sister rubbing the sore spot on his chest, his mouth opening in protest and closing just as quickly as he thought better of it. Eleanor almost laughed at the scene.

"Right, ok, well just be quick." Seamus said, not wanting a jab in his own ribs. Seamus was by far the peacekeeper in this family Eleanor noted, at 28 he was built well, a stunning display of masculine beauty from his incredibly straight hair, to his strong legs. Eleanor thought what a perfect husband he would be to his wife, ever amiable. Unlike Lewis and Kate; who had managed to inherit all of their father's temper, and none of their mother's peaceful countenance.

The side of the head Auden boat was protecting them from the view of the other twenty boats of their company, as they sank thankfully into the cool water. Making quick work of their hair, the chill was shocking as Eleanor resurfaced.

"This is heaven!" Kate sighed, sweeping her locks back from her forehead as she took the rags and sugared soap from the small basket hung over the side of their boat.

"It's freezing more like!!" Eleanor shivered, trying to decide between being thankful for the opportunity to bathe, and being miserable that she was back to being an icicle once more. Taking the lathered rag from Kate, Eleanor was quick at washing her skin, each movement of her arms causing goose bumps to form in the absence of protection from the biting water. Her friend was a different entity all to herself however, poor Kate had been with a high temperature these last few weeks of her pregnancy, and was now relishing the chill of the lapping waves rather than perishing from it.

Rinsing the last of the soap away from her body, Eleanor needed to get out of the water; she could barely feel her toes anymore, the cold having long ago made them invisible to her.

"Lewis, can you lift me out?" She asked, praying he had some linen to wrap her in. Eleanor was acutely aware of her shift sticking dangerously close to her body, as well as the cold air's actions on her breasts causing her nipples to stand out almost painfully. Taking hold of the hand offered to her, Eleanor was lifted effortlessly from the water and wrapped in dry linen by a blushing Lewis. A Lewis who had managed to get a very good look at her form as she had been lifted from the water, one who had also felt a lot of her through her soaked shift. Stifling her own embarrassment and mortification, Eleanor did not wait for Kate, instead darted down to the private chamber to dry and dress before her blush reddened any more.