Winter Solstice Winter - Book I in the Viking Blood Saga

“Wake up!” Ailia heard someone whisper. A hand tenderly caressed her cheek. The voice almost sounded like Soren’s. I must be dreaming.

  “Ailia.” An arm shook her and she opened her eyes. Soren. This was the perfect dream.

  “Wake up!” he said, stroking her arm. His clothes were wet and his dark hair fell into his face.

  Ailia heard raindrops beating on the rooftop. “I’m so sorry for all that has happened.” Maybe he is dead and this is his spirit visiting me. A sinking feeling set in.

  “Come with me,” he said, gently tugging at her arms.

  “I love you,” she said. But then, when she heard the rattle of the chains, it no longer seemed she was in a dream.

  “You have to wake up!” He grabbed her hand and pulled.

  Just then, she realized that she was not dreaming, but that Soren was actually there with her and was trying to bring her with him unnoticed by the slumbering Vikings. She opened her eyes wide and gasped.

  “Shh…” He took her face in his hands, and pressed his mouth to hers. The kiss was innocent and unexpected, yet the feel of his lips on hers lit a fire deep within.

  She desperately wanted more, but she knew all too well that they had other things that needed to come first—moving to a safer place being the most important. “Wait,” she said. “Erlend Junior is here.” She shook Erlend and woke him up.

  “How did he get here?” Soren asked.

  “He found me in Trollsoe,” she whispered.

  Soren nodded.

  “Follow us,” she whispered, helping Erlend to his feet. She grabbed her overcoat, threw it on, and headed toward the door. The chains rattled in the dark and she immediately stopped moving, worried the sound would awaken the Vikings. Soren knelt down and examined them.

  “We will have to remove these later,” he whispered. “Just be as quiet as you can.”

  Soren opened the back door, and they snuck out one by one. A heavy, low-lying fog had rolled in and a mist of clouds drifted above the glowing springs. Rain mixed with snow came down lightly, tickling Ailia’s skin as it landed on her face. She tried to move quietly, but avoiding any sound from the chains was impossible.

  Soren headed toward the shore, signaling for them to follow him, and after they had passed the bath houses, Ailia saw Ivar and Silya waiting with three horses. Ivar nodded to Ailia, as did Silya, and Ailia nodded in return. They were not yet out of danger, but with three skilled warriors by her side, she breathed a little easier.

  Soren helped Erlend Jr. onto Silya’s horse, and then he lifted Ailia up to his horse before he mounted it himself. Feeling his arms grip around her waist as if he would never let go made her feel safe. Like thieves in the night they rode in silence toward the harbor. After they could no longer see the longhouse, Ailia finally dared to speak.

  “How did you find us?” she asked.

  “We followed the Vikings’ tracks to Trollsoe and once we arrived there, it was easy,” Soren said. “We heard you yelling for us from the dragonship. After we realized we could not get you off the ship, we asked around the port, if anyone knew where the dragonship was headed. Erik, it would seem, has a hard time keeping his mouth shut when it comes to bragging about his adventures and a few pieces of silver was all it took.”

  “How did you manage to escape? When they brought me back outside, you were gone. I saw a trail of blood and I thought they might have killed you,” Ailia said.

  “I owe my life to Silya,” he said. “The Vikings tied me to a tree, stabbed me in the stomach, and left me in the woods for hours. They then decided they wanted to decapitate me, but Silya came riding up just in time and took them out with her bow and arrow. All three at once.”

  “Are you badly hurt?” Ailia asked.

  “Nothing I cannot handle. Are you both all right? Any injuries I need to know about?” Soren asked.

  “No,” Ailia said. “Erlend isn’t injured either.”

  “That was a very brave thing you did, Erlend. Thank you for watching after my Ailia,” Soren said.

  Ailia’s cheeks warmed from the way he called her his.

  “It was the only thing I could do. And to me, there was no other option than to make sure she was safe,” Erlend said.

  Ailia gave him a soft smile. “Thank you.”

  “Our karve awaits at the bay, and once we reach it, we will leave immediately,” Soren said.

  They rode in silence until they arrived at the port.

  “This karve is no match for Erik’s dragonship,” Erlend said, looking at it. “If he comes after us…” He didn’t finish his sentence.

  Not only was the boat four times as small as the dragonship, it looked as if it was coming apart at the seams. It’s not safe. I’ll drown! Ailia tried to reason with herself that she’d be protected as long as she was with Soren, but her insides turned to fluid. After Soren paid the portman for the rental of the horses, and after Ivar had removed Ailia’s and Erlend’s chains, they were on their way.

  Clouds were still rumbling in the heavens and lightning flashed in the distance, splitting the sky in two. Out in the bay, the fickle wind tossed the karve’s sail in different directions, moving it nowhere.

  “We need to row,” Soren said, picking up an ore and tossing it to Ivar. The others fetched each their ores and they rowed out to sea.

  Suddenly, Ailia noticed a small, moving specks of light off the shore. Are they…? Her stomach sank. “Torches.” She pointed to them.

  The others glanced back toward land.

  “Quickly, get the lights,” Soren said. Ivar killed the lantern at the back of the karve.

  Erik approached the portman and the portman pointed out to sea in their direction.

  “Oh, Mjoelnir!” Ivar gasped. “They are coming for us!”

  Erik and the twenty Vikings with him headed straight toward the dragonship, their torches lining up one behind each other.

  “Row!” Soren said, securing his grip around his ore.

  Everyone aboard the karve started rowing for their lives, knowing full well that the odds were sorely not in their favor.

  “Stop rowing!” Soren shouted, dropping his ore.

  “What?” Ailia said. “They’re going to kill us if we stop!”

  “I need to call upon someone for help if we are to make it out alive.” He tore off his overcoat and two tunics and stepped out of his boots before diving into the freezing ocean.

  Ailia ran over to the edge of the karve and looked for him in the deep. Seconds turned into minutes, but finally, he surfaced a ways away and swam toward them. They hoisted him back into the vessel and helped him dress.

  “Who…” Ailia started, but before she could ask who he had called upon, Erlend interrupted her.

  “Can I try something?” Erlend asked.

  “Of course,” Soren said. “Anything at this point.” His dark hair dripped of saltwater and his entire body trembled.

  “I’ve been trying to develop my endowment. I haven’t yet perfected it, but I might be able to speed the ship up with the help of the wind.” Erlend fidgeted where he stood.

  “Can you do it?” Soren asked.

  “Well, last time I tried it, my boat capsized,” Erlend said and grimaced.

  Ailia’s knees grew weak.

  “Oh.” Soren nodded and his eyes flared.

  “But that was over a month ago and my boat was just a small fishing boat!” Erlend confessed. “I’m much better at it now.”

  “Do it,” Soren said.

  Ailia’s chest started revolting as she thought about the water and her most recent near-drowning experience. If anything went wrong, even Soren probably couldn’t keep her safe. But there simply were no other options.

  Erlend nodded. He breathed out quickly twice and cracked his knuckles. Closing his eyes, he raised his arms into the air and stood like a statue.

  They waited. Nothing happened. The Vikings were getting closer—too close.

  “Erlend?” Soren said. “They are closing in on us.”
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  “Wait just a little while longer,” Erlend said, keeping his eyes closed, now squinting them shut. “Now, hold on tight!” he yelled.

  Suddenly, a gust of wind caught the sail and thrust the karve forward.

  Ailia nearly fell out into the water, but Soren grabbed her arm, pulling her back in. Holding on tightly to him, she kept repeating in her mind, Soren will keep me safe, Soren will keep me safe, Soren will keep me safe. With the sudden movement, her head spun.

  “Whoa!” Erlend said. “This is amazing! I’m simply amazing!”

  Ailia heard Soren laugh. She looked into his eyes in the darkness and they both smiled. The karve skimmed across the surface of the water and it felt as if Ailia’s stomach was turning inside out. Then, out of nowhere, the wind ceased and the karve stalled, its speed decreasing abruptly.

  “I don’t understand,” Erlend said. He stood up again and refocused. Nothing happened. He breathed deeply, grunted and cursed the winds that did not bow to his command. The distance between them and the dragonship was great, but the Vikings were gaining on them quickly.

  “To the ores!” Soren yelled.

  Ailia took her place and started rowing with all her might, but it was of no use. What they needed was a miracle.

  Within minutes, the dragonship had overtaken them, and the next thing she knew, the first Viking had jumped into the karve. Soren pulled out his longsword, stabbed the intruder in the abdomen, and pushed him into the sea. Two other Vikings jumped in. Ivar pulled his dagger and slashed at one of them. Soren struggled a little this time, but finally sliced off the arm of the other and kicked the Viking into the ocean.

  Ailia stood behind Erlend, who had picked up a sword from the deck and moved in front of her.

  “I’ll protect you,” he said.

  Then, she felt a rope lasso her body and she screamed. When she looked up, she saw that it came from the dragonship, and she was drawn toward the edge of the karve. Even resisting all she could, she still couldn’t prevent being pulled out into the sea. Dangling from the rope with her torso above water and her legs below, she screamed again. She looked up and saw that Leif was at the other end of the rope, pulling her upwards.

  “You will never escape me!” he roared, his eyes gleaming with rage.

  “Soren!” she yelled. “Help!”

  Soren immediately rushed to her, but instead of reaching out a hand to help, he slashed the rope that confined her with his longsword so she plummeted into the ocean. Before she could even manage to become furious with Soren, freezing water enclosed her body.

  I cannot swim! I cannot swim!

  She kicked her feet and flailed her arms, but the pull of the water was too strong to fight against. She heard the pounding of the sea, the clanking as longswords met, and the pang of lightening as it flashed in the distance. She opened her eyes, but there was only blackness as far as her eyes could see. Flailing her arms, she found nothing to grab hold of, so she continued to sink. What had Soren done? Was he trying to kill her? Then, with the strike of the next lightning bolt, she saw a horrifying, yet familiar face in front of her: the Nukkern.

  As if the bolt from the sky had hit her, a jolt of fear shot through her. Petrified, she started hitting the Nukkern’s chest with her fists. He grabbed her arms and pulled her further under with him. Gripping her face with his cold, wrinkled hands, he placed his blue-ridged lips over hers.

  She struggled to free herself, but the more she fought, the harder he gripped her. But then, Ailia felt air fill her lungs from the Nukkern’s breath. She inhaled and pulled back in surprise.

  He smiled. It was a grotesque smile, but a smile nonetheless.

  She exhaled and he pressed his lips to hers again, exhaling air into her lungs. Is he… helping me? Did Soren beckon for him? She exhaled.

  Yet a third time, the Nukkern came toward her, exhaling air into her lungs. Then, he exploded upwards out of the water and dove back into the sea with four Vikings clutched in his grip.

  The Vikings kicked and squirmed, but the Nukkern was too strong for even the four of them. He dragged them down to the deep.

  Then, the Nukkern returned and granted Ailia air before bursting to the surface again, only to bring three more Vikings with him. He disappeared into the depths with the savages and returned empty-handed. Grabbing her arms, he pulled her upwards. She gasped frosty air into her lungs as she broke through the waves. Blinking the stinging saltwater from her eyes, she realized she was between the karve and the dragonship. The Nukkern swam her toward the dragonship, and just as they reached it, Soren and Silya hauled her out of the water and set her onto the deck.

  Ailia felt numb all over and she was helpless to stop the uncontrollable shaking. Her fingernails and toenails ached, and the tips of her ears felt as if they had knives digging into them. Looking around, she was surprised when she couldn’t see a single Viking anywhere. They must have killed them all off and pushed them into the ocean.

  “You’ve been under for a few minutes. Erlend will help you warm up.” Soren offered her his hand and led her over to where Erlend stood.

  “Don’t you care that I could have died!?” she said, thinking he seemed too calloused for what he had just put her through.

  “I would never have allowed that,” he replied calmly.

  Erlend sat down behind her, and Soren helped Ailia sit between their grandson’s legs. When Erlend wrapped his arms around her, heat spread through her body at once.

  “Remember, you are a Sentinor,” Soren said. “You could have been under the icy water for days and still have survived as long as you had air.”

  “You could have warned me that the Nukkern was down there,” she said, her teeth still clattering.

  “There was no time.” He spoke with some emphasis.

  She huffed, but knew the conversation would go nowhere. Considering from Soren’s point of view, she was nearly immortal, but how had he trusted the Nukkern so completely? Only a short while ago, the water demon had wanted to kill her.

  “I thought I was going to die!” she yelled.

  “But you did not.” Soren stared at her for a moment, but then walked off as he wiped blood from his longsword.

  Was he ignoring her? That made her even angrier and she wanted to go after him. However, the heat emerging from Erlend felt too good, and being so cold, she could not tear herself away. She would have to talk to Soren later.

  “This is all I have,” Silya said, handing Ailia a Sami outfit.

  “Thank you,” Ailia said and took the clothes.

  Just then, Ivar collapsed onto the karve’s deck.

  “Ivar!” Soren called. He rushed over and knelt down beside him.

  Ailia crawled to the fallen man’s side.

  “I think those Vikings got me good, Soren,” Ivar said, uncovering his hand from his chest, revealing a deep gash.

  Soren examined the wound for a moment, and then without a word, he glanced at Ailia. Emotion filled his eyes and he shook his head ever so subtly.

  “It is an honor to die this way, defending the Great Sentinor. The gods will—” Ivar took a deep breath and looked at Ailia. “—surely welcome me in to Valhalla.”

  “Can’t you do something to spare his life, Soren?” Ailia took Ivar’s hand in hers.

  “I am sorry, my friend.” Soren cradled Ivar’s head in his lap, and placed a hand over Ivar’s wound.

  Is he relieving Ivar’s pain? Ailia wondered.

  “I fought a good fight,” Ivar said. “You must succeed, Ailia. You must. For me, for your mother, your father, for all us fallen for freedom’s sake, for your sake.” He closed his eyes and a wrinkle of pain knotted between his eyebrows.

  Ailia nodded fervently, her eyes brimming with tears. She wanted to say I will, but the words became stuck in her throat. I will. I will.

  Ivar coughed, and blood sputtered from his mouth onto his beard. He took two more labored breaths, and as if seeing something in the distance, his eyes widened. “Amma,” he said wi
th his last breath as he stared into the distance. For a moment, everything was still, and Ailia thought even the wind had ceased to blow to show its reverence for the fallen warrior.

  “Ivar,” Ailia cried. She lowered her head to his forehead, and kissed his warm, sweaty brow.

  “I cannot do all things, Ailia. I am not an omnipotent healer.” Soren brushed his fingers over Ivar’s eyes, closing them.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” she said, her hand reaching for his.

  He offered her a nod. “Amma was his late wife. He is with her now.”

  They placed Ivar into the karve, and sent his body out to sea. When the small longship had drifted a ways, Silya shot nine flaming arrows, setting it on fire, and as it burned off the coast of Frostland, she sang a melancholy Sami melody.

  “How were you able to convince the Nukkern to help?” Ailia asked as she watched the flames rise to the heavens. She was still upset at what had happened, but now that her fear had calmed, she could speak of what had transpired without losing her temper.

  “He owed me one last favor,” Soren said.

  Ailia shifted uncomfortably where she stood.

  “I would never have done anything to put you in harms way,” he said, taking a step closer. His tired eyes carefully searched hers. “I forget you do not trust me completely yet.”

  “Did I…before?” It felt strange speaking of a past which included him and her, but without having any sort of recollection of it.

  The right side of his lips rose and he stroked her hair. “Not at first.” He took another step closer and reached his arms around to her back, burying her in his embrace.

  I am home.

  Standing in each other’s arms, they watched as the bottomless sea swallowed up the great warrior. And after the last of the smoke had risen to the heavens, the living began their journey home in their new dragonship.

  36

  A New Beginning