Author's note: This fantasy story contains very little sex, and the sex it does have is more romance than erotica.
However, there is some (light) sexual activity - of the reluctant variety - in this chapter!
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There was no telling how long she was out. However much time it was, it wasn't so long that Rune didn't still have a splitting headache when she finally awoke.
At first, the pain was all she really noticed. But soon, as she became more fully conscious, she began to remember what had happened! She'd been taken captive by two men from the village, stuffed in a sack, and hit over the head!
Now, Rune was presumably back in their village. They were going to offer her as a sacrifice to the demon! By the Gods, how had she let them fool her?
The young woman could make out voices talking. One male and one female, the man stern, the woman almost pleading.
"We cannot do this thing to this poor girl. It isn't right, and you know it," she said.
The man replied. "And what is 'right?' Shall we give the demon our own daughter? Or maybe your sister? Or you? Is THAT 'right?' Better her than one of us!"
"But she's so young!" The woman sounded close to tears. "There has to be another way!"
The man laughed but didn't sound happy about it. "You tell me another way!" He sounded like the older man she'd met on the road.
"The girl is a shieldmaiden. Anyone can see it. Look at all the weapons we found on her. Give her a chance to fight the demon, at least."
Rune could almost feel the man shaking his head. "If we do that, the demon won't honor the agreement."
But despite the man's doubt, the listening Valkyrie saw the wisdom of his wife's idea. She opened her eyes and spoke for the first time.
"I AM a shieldmaiden. I have fought demons before, and I've come to your land to fight yours. You should let me."
Having her eyes open hurt after being in darkness for a long time: the day looked brilliantly lit at first, but she soon saw it differently. While it was still daytime, the shadows were lengthening. Sunset would not be far away, and demons loved to work in the dark more than any other time. Rune didn't have a lot of time!
She saw she was back in the village, as she suspected. Trying to move her arms, Rune found she could not. She was bound to a stone pillar, her arms fitted with metal cuffs that were sunk into the stone. Tugging at them showed her quickly the futility of her situation.
Valkyries were strong, but not that strong.
And she was dressed all in white, in some sheer nightgown or dress. She could see right through it! The girl blushed to think of all the people who'd seen her naked or nearly naked body while she was unable to resist them.
Speaking of which, the younger man was nearby. Now Rune could see the guy was not only young. He was barely a man, probably the son of this couple, who continued talking back and forth while she looked around.
The young guy was still looking at her, his hunger more apparent now that she was barely dressed and helpless. Meanwhile, the couple continued debating her fate.
"You see? Give the girl a chance! Don't leave her like this," the woman continued.
The man was looking at her doubtfully. "How could you defeat this demon when it swept aside our strongest warriors so easily? After the evil creature does the same to you, it will punish us!"
Rune could see the man was not being swayed. "You could tell the demon I managed to break free," the captive Valkyrie suggested, trying to stay calm. "I could play along if it would help."
The woman had given it her best shot. She had nothing to add, and now only looked at her husband hopefully.
But he was still shaking his head as Rune saw the sun starting to slip down behind the hills. It was like one of those vampire movies! Night was coming!
In desperation, the Valkyrie offered something else. "I'll even fight the demon in this silly dress. Please. I promise I can slay your demon, but I have to be free to fight it."
The man looked at Rune, and at his wife. And back to Rune. She knew his answer before he spoke.
"No. Now come with me, woman." And he dragged his wife off to their hut, her still protesting. "Bjorn, you come, too," he added, speaking to the younger male.
"In a minute, father," the young man replied. He was still looking at Rune.
"Don't wait too long. It's getting dark," the older man said before closing the door to his hut. In the background, his wife could still be heard, now almost wailing at him. "Shut up, woman," he said to her.
Now seemingly alone with the girl, Bjorn was sitting not far away, looking unhappy but also still with desire. Rune was struck again at his youth. She frowned. How could she convince him to set her free?
Well, duh. Rune might not have any experience with guys, but even she could figure that one out.
"Bjorn," she whispered. "That's a nice name. I'm Rune." And she smiled at him, hoping she looked pretty, rather than desperate.
"Please let me go. I can fight the demon. I'll do anything for you. What would you like?"
The young man dragged his gaze away from her nearly naked breasts to look her in the eyes.
"Anything? Like what?" Rune was amazed to see the boy, Bjorn, looking shy. She'd just assumed boys knew all about "things" and what they wanted. The warriors of Valhalla all acted as if they did. Now, here was this young man seeming much less sure of himself. The Valkyrie found it sweet in a way.
"Have you ever kissed a girl," she asked, blushing.
And HE blushed, looking away. "No," he confessed, looking even unhappier than before when his parents were arguing over her fate. It seemed that telling her he'd never kissed a girl before was worse than thinking she was about to get sacrificed to a demon. Huh.
