HUNTER'S RIGHT by Jaid Black

Verily, a time of great suffering shall fall upon the whole of the world, for its women will dwindle in numbers. Disease shall soon spread, female babes will not be born, and bloodlines will die out. But, yea, the strong Vikings shall live on, for almighty Odin has seen fit to warn us. We are His chosen people.

!ake to the earth, the haven be"ueathed to us# the belly of the gods. Dwell below her dirt and leaves, now and forever, untouched by the Outsiders and their ways. $ea, let each warrior cling unto a wife, that his seed may bear fruit and our race prevail. %hould a time come when there are fewer females than warriors in our stronghold, then hunt on the Outside and take them.

By any means necessary, take them.

- VIKING LEGEND

CHAPTER ONE Arctic seacoast, Prese t day

It was turning out to be one hell of a long day. The flight schedule had begun at the crack of dawn. he!d flown fro" Dulles #ir$ort in %ashington& D.'.& to eattle in %ashington tate& then onward to (airbanks& #laska. In (airbanks& a "ilitary cho$$er had $icked her u$. The tea" was currently en route to their destination) nowhere. #l"ost literally. The

highly classified ar"y co"$le* that o$erated +ust north of the #rctic circle was to$ secret and could only be reached in one of two ways) by helico$ter& as they were currently a$$roaching it& or by dogsled. 'or$oral ,onda Ti$ton of the -. . #r"y blinked her eyelids ra$idly to kee$ fro" falling aslee$. .ow she could do/e off in a loud "ilitary cho$$er was beyond co"$rehension& but it had been an e*hausting day. 0y the ti"e the aircraft landed& her +ourney would be se1enteen hours fro" start to finish. taring out the s"all window on her left to the beautiful wintersca$e below& ,onda!s "ind alternated between fatigue and e*cite"ent. This was the first in1igorating assign"ent she!d had in ages. .er last se1eral years in the ar"y had been on the dull& $a$er-$ushing side of things. #ll co"$uters and $a$erwork2no action. That state of affairs& howe1er& had been ine1itable after she!d taken a bullet to the kneeca$ fro" a guerrilla!s gun in .aiti. .el$ing two fellow soldiers get to safety had "ade her so"ething of a hero& but it had also retired her fro" acti1e duty and landed her with a desk +ob. .er knee had long since healed& but returning to the field was still out. he!d ne1er $ass the ar"y!s stringent $hysical re3uire"ents for acti1e co"bat or for any assign"ent that re3uired "ore than "ini"al risk. Now& at age thirty-three& ,onda was "ore than ready to shake u$ her "undane nine-to-fi1e e*istence& if e1en +ust for a little while. %hen her boss had offered her the o$$ortunity to o1ersee a classified "ilitary $ro+ect in the #rctic circle& she!d +u"$ed at the chance. he had +oined the ar"y to see the world and to "ake a difference& not to sit behind a desk acce$ting and re+ecting e*$enditures for the "ilitary!s budget. 4%hat the . . . 54 ,onda!s brown eyes widened as she was suddenly +arred back and forth in her s"all seat. 4%hat!s going on54 she shouted o1er the loud bu// of the helico$ter!s engine2and o1er the sound of rotary blades grinding against each other. .er heart stilled. o"ething was 1ery wrong. ,onda had been a $assenger on

"ore cho$$er rides than she could count& and she!d ne1er e*$erienced anything like this. The +u"$ing& +arring& and $lu""eting went way beyond turbulence.

.er heart began to race. %ith both hands& she clutched the safety harness that ca"e o1er her head and across her chest until her knuckles turned white. 4%hat is going on64 she yelled again& "uch louder and "ore de"anding this ti"e. 4Lieutenant54 uddenly there was the horrific grinding sound of shredding "etal& and all hell broke loose. 4.old on& we!re going down64 47h& 8esus2send aid6 'o""and2this is 9hanto" III2send aid64 47h "y God64 ,onda clutched the harness i"$ossibly tighter. 0lood $ounded in her ears. 9ers$iration drenched her forehead and dri$$ed down the side of her face. .er teeth rattled together fro" the helico$ter!s frenetic bu"$ing. The cho$$er was out of control. The s"all four-seater was being +arred and bu"$ed in so "any directions& she could no longer tell u$ fro" down or left fro" right. #ll she knew was that the snowca$$ed "ountains of ice that had see"ed so distant were now suddenly& horrifically& s$iraling into bone-chilling 1iew. Ohmy&odohmy&odohmy&od . . . The cho$$er "ade i"$act& crashing into the side of a "ountain coated with unforgi1ing ice. We re going to die' Oh my &od(nooooo' It was ,onda!s last coherent thought. Then& "ercifully& blackness engulfed her until she knew no "ore.

he had no idea how long she!d been unconscious. %hen ,onda $ulled herself u$ fro" under the wreckage that had once been a $art of 9hanto" III& groaning like the wounded ani"al she felt to be& she sur"ised that "ore than a day had $assed. 'all It intuition& call it an educated guess& or call it the $ainful knot that had for"ed on the side of her head& but she was certain she!d been knocked out cold for a day or two. Delicately $robing her head for further in+uries& she 3uickly ascertained that she had sustained only the single wound at her left te"$le. ,onda winced as her fingers

gra/ed o1er the tender lu"$.

he knew enough about basic sur1i1al to reali/e that& while

$ainful& the knot was not deadly. Dried blood was in the golden curls at her hairline& but she felt no shards of "etal in the wound. Though the in+ury to her head $robably wouldn!t kill her& the bitter cold snow surrounding her for as far as the eye could see "ight. su$$lies. Where am )* ,onda!s ga/e an*iously darted around& searching for other sur1i1ors. .er forehead wrinkled as she noted that the re"aining wreckage was "uch "ore s$arse than it should ha1e been. # $iece of "etal here& a $art of a blade there. . . he stilled. #nd then& knowing and si"ultaneously dreading the answer& she weakly dragged her feet toward the edge of the snowy shelf she!d awoken on. he "o1ed slowly& cautiously& testing each inch of snow& not sure what was solid "ountain and what was white fluff that would disintegrate under her feet2and send her $lu""eting below. (inally glancing o1er the ice-coated cliff& she drew in a dee$ breath as she 1isually confir"ed what she!d ho$ed her "ind had been wrong about. "en she barely knew hit her like a $unch to the belly. The others were all gone. he was the only sur1i1or. ,onda could barely see what was left of 9hanto" III& but her ar"y-trained eyes honed in on the fact that nobody2nobody2could ha1e sur1i1ed that crash. The cho$$er had fallen too fast and too "any thousands of feet below for any of the crew to ha1e esca$ed certain death. 0loodstained snow and shredded "etal were scattered e1erywhere. ,onda shi1ered& her teeth chattering& as reality set in. The coldness of the snowy "ountainside she was stranded on see$ed though the $rotection of her ar"y-issued snowsuit and into her bones. he was alone2all alone. #ny flares she "ight ha1e launched to signal her $osition had $robably gone down with the larger $ortion. of 9hanto" III and its ill-fated crew. orrow for he needed hel$& food& and "edical

How did ) survive*

.er seat "ust ha1e ri$$ed away fro" the "ain cabin of the aircraft. .ow& she!d ne1er know. Now what was of ut"ost i"$ortance was the need to sur1i1e. he!d "ade it this far. he owed it to herself& as well as to the fa"ily "e"bers of the crew& to get to safety and to tell the ar"y where the "en!s re"ains were located. 0acking away fro" the di//ying 1iew below& ,onda 3uickly went to ru""age through the s"all bits of 9hanto" III left on the $lateau of ice. :o1ing so briskly "ade the $ain at the side of her head sting fiercely; she hissed& but otherwise ignored the throbbing at her te"$le as she $oked around the helico$ter!s re"ains. Nothing. Not a flare& not a radio& not e1en a solitary bandage or a cru"b of bread. Nothing. he sighed& her eyes briefly closing before flicking back o$en. 4%hat do I do now54 ,onda whis$ered. 4Think& girl. Think.4 There was but one course of action) find a way off this "ountain& and find it now. Easier said than done. ,onda sat on a si/able boulder nearby& leaned back against the snowy "ountain& and tried to figure out +ust how in the world she would get out of this night"are. he wasn!t u$erwo"an2she couldn!t fly off the da"n thing like so"e co"ic-book hero. #nd without the $ro$er e3ui$"ent& she couldn!t cli"b down off of it& either. %hich left her. . . itting right where she was. # $art of ,onda "orbidly wondered if she!d ha1e been better off going down with 9hanto" III. #t least the other crew "e"bers had died on i"$act. star1ation& hy$other"ia& and a $ainfully slow death. he was facing

8aw tight& ,onda forced herself back u$ to her feet. 4I!" not dying like this64 she yelled& her 1oice echoing throughout the "ountains. he took a dee$& icy breath and e*$elled it& reali/ing how stu$id it was to holler out her frustration and fear when nobody would hear it. he needed to conser1e her energy for whate1er lay ahead. 4I!" not dying like this&4 she re$eated "ore 3uietly. In acti1e duty2okay. %hile in ene"y territory2okay. 0ut not standing on a cold& lonely "ountainto$. Turning to face the boulder& she sank one booted foot in a cre1ice near its base& leaned a $al" against the solid "ountain wall to her left& and tried to think. There had to be a way off this "ountain. 0oth of ,onda!s $arents had died as "ilitary heroes) her "other in ,ussia during the 'old %ar& her father se1eral years ago in #fghanistan. #s a child& the loss of her "o" had been a kid!s worst night"are reali/ed. #s an adult& the death of her dad had been "ore tragic still& for she!d li1ed with hi" and lo1ed hi" for so "uch longer. ,onda!s only consolation at their funerals was knowing they had died as honored #"erican heroes. Nothing less than what either of the" would ha1e wanted. he didn!t want to be a hero if it "eant dying. 7dd as it "ight sound co"ing fro" a career "ilitary wo"an& she wasn!t a $ro-war $erson. country& that #"ericans "ight know $eace and safety. +ob intact. The $ayoff was this assign"ent) a to$-secret e*$eri"ent that "ight +ust; after thousands of years of war& bring $eace to the entire $lanet. .er role here& as a $a$er$ushing geek with an eye for budgets and enough finesse to talk the 9entagon into s$ending whate1er funds were necessary& wasn!t $articularly e*citing. 0ut the $ro+ect itself was the "ost e*citing work she!d had in years. #nd now& because of it& she was facing a slow& $ainful death. 4%hat do I do54 ,onda re"o1ed her hand fro" the "ountain wall& absently watching snow fall fro" where her glo1e had once rested. 4:aybe I24 .er dark brown eyes narrowed& a frown "arring her features. What the. . . he belie1ed that the function of the ar"ed forces should be defensi1e only2to $rotect and defend the he didn!t agree with 3uite a few stances the "ilitary had taken o1er the years& but she wisely ke$t her "outh shut and her

.er hand flew back to the "ountain wall& and she 3uickly brushed "ore snow away. ,onda sucked in her breath when she reali/ed that behind the snow sat a stone door. + door* 7f course6 9hanto" III "ust ha1e crashed directly ato$ the secret "ilitary co"$ound6 0ut then& why hadn!t ar"y soldiers co"e to her rescue5 :aybe the co"$ound sat toward the "ountain!s root and nobody had heard the crash5 It didn!t "atter. ,onda!s heart was $ounding with too "uch adrenaline to care. %here there was a door& there was bound to be a ci1ili/ation2and food and war"th and "edical su$$lies. .o$e surged inside her. he would li1e6 #gainst all odds& she would sur1i1e. The door resisted her efforts to o$en it. will& there was also a way. ,onda e*citedly set to work& "ethodically $rying the stone door o$en fro" behind the boulder. .er "uscles burned and her teeth gritted fro" the labor& but she didn!t relent. # s"ile of 1ictory and relief cur1ed her li$s when the stone door finally yielded. Not "uch& but she was $retty sure she!d +acked it o$en far enough to get in. Throwing the "akeshift crowbar to the ground& ,onda s3uee/ed through the tight $ortal. he "arched back to the re"ains of the

cho$$er and found a $iece of "etal that would work as a crowbar. %here there was a

CHAPTER T!O

It was dark inside the "ountain. It took ,onda!s eyes se1eral "o"ents to ad+ust to the at"os$here. E1en then& there was only so "uch ad+usting retinas could do in $itchblackness. 4.ello54 she called out. .er 1oice echoed off the walls. 4Is anybody in here54 ilence.

4.ello5 I!" 'or$oral ,onda Ti$ton of the -nited tates ar"y. 'an anybody hear "e54 #gain& silence. 7b1iously she was too high u$ for anyone to hear her. "ountain than outside it. he!d ha1e to inch her way

down the "ountain. 7ne thing was for certain2it was definitely war"er inside the he knew in her gut that signaled ci1ili/ation. It had to.

%hoe1er had recei1ed their distress signal $robably assu"ed that all the $assengers of 9hanto" III had died on i"$act. .ow sur$rised they!d be to see her walking down the $assageway that had neatly been car1ed inside the "ountain. Now& if only she could actually find her way down it . . . ,onda $ut her hands u$ in front of her and slowly walked forward. %hen she felt a wall& she took off her right glo1e& stuffed it into a $ocket& and used that hand to feel her way down. he ke$t her left hand in front of her so as not to bu"$ into any barriers. he

(or the ne*t hour& ,onda wound farther and farther down the "ountain.

stayed steady& kee$ing at a snail!s $ace& so as not to cause further in+ury to herself. #fter what felt like half of fore1er& she finally saw light u$ ahead. It was di"& but it was definitely light. $es' 4Kee$ it steady& ,onda&4 she "ur"ured to herself. 4No tri$$ing.4 The urge to bolt toward the light was strong. of the "ountain interior for o1er an hour. another few "inutes. he resisted it& e1en though this

slow shuffling was dri1ing her "ad. 0ut she!d carefully inched her way down the s$iral he could resist the te"$tation to run for

(inally2finally62she got close enough to the di" light to walk a bit faster& and without needing to use her hands as guides. "ountain cha"ber that was e"itting the light. .er eyes widened. What in the world. . . * he still couldn!t "o1e too hastily& though& for the footing had beco"e trickier. #nother half hour& and ,onda was at last inside the

In the "ountain!s belly was a hollowed-out ca1ity that contained twenty huge $its of so"e boiling substance. %a*5 7il5 he didn!t know. It wasn!t the right color to be la1a& so people had $ut the substance inside the "an-"ade $its& which looked too crude to be ar"y-"ade. They were well crafted& but lacked the technical a$$earance of "ilitary "anufacturing. 4Ko" och titta $< det h=r64 The boo"ing "ale 1oice startled ,onda. That he wasn!t s$eaking English sent warning bu"$s down her s$ine. :ilitary-bred instincts taking o1er& she +u"$ed behind the closest boulder to hide and found a crack to watch through. Oh my &od. # si*-and-a-half-foot-tall "an in his fifties "ade his way into the ca1ern with a cloaked wo"an who a$$eared to be in her eighties or nineties. The old wo"an dressed and looked like your a1erage crone out of a "o1ie2nothing too shocking there. 0ut the "an5 .e was dressed like . . . # Viking. >es& that!s what he rese"bled2so"e ancient Nordic warrior6 Long& white-blond hair $laited at the te"$les& two bangles with dragon heads clas$ed unforgi1ingly around both bulging bice$s& no shirt& brown leather braes for $ants& huge "usculature. .e was terrifying looking. ,onda watched the con1ersation between the giant "an and the old wo"an with intense curiosity. %ho were these $eo$le5 %hat were they doing here5 The only nonEnglish s$eaking $eo$les she knew of in this re"ote area were the Inuit Eski"os& and "ost of the" s$oke English too. The old wo"an nodded. 4Det ser bra ut f?r "in del.4 4 < det =r klart d<54 48a.4 ,a. The old wo"an had $honetically said yah. That was a Nordic word6 wedish5 Norwegian5 This was getting stranger by the second.

4Ko". Vi g<r tillbaka.4 The "an led the old& cloaked wo"an fro" the cha"ber. !!8ag ska h="ta n<gra krigare s< 1i kan ta tillbaka det.4 49erfekt.4 #s they disa$$eared& ,onda had but a s$lit second to decide to follow the" or not. Though so"ething 3uite bi/arre was going on here& these $eo$le "ight also be her only way out of the "ountain. he decided to follow& but to kee$ a safe distance between her and the". he

didn!t want to alert the" to her $resence until she knew "ore about who they were& what they were doing& and why they were here. :aybe they were +ust two har"less $eo$le who li1ed in the rough terrain of the #rctic and used this "ountain for boiling wa*es and oils2or so"ething. Though that didn!t e*$lain the "ale!s weird "anner of dress. %here1er ,onda was following the" to& it was beco"ing war"er by the second. #nd louder; she could hear the clang of "etal striking "etal. #s she continued to trail the duo& ducking behind this rock and that& the sound of 1oices caught her ear& all s$eaking that foreign tongue. ,onda rounded a bend& then ducked behind a large boulder ne*t to a stone wall as she watched the old wo"an and her escort "ake their way to a crude iron-wrought ele1ator. #s the caged ele1ator went down& large bars of "etal acting as counterweights rose u$.

'learly this was no ar"y co"$le*. Taking a dee$ breath and 3uietly e*haling& ,onda worked u$ her ner1e to $eer o1er the stone wall and see what lay below it. %hen she did& her +aw dro$$ed o$en in disbelief. 4This can!t be real&4 she whis$ered. 4# $ri"iti1e city54 In science fiction "o1ies& whene1er earthlings found a $lanet with other hu"anoid life-for"s& the disco1ered ci1ili/ation was $ri"iti1e in so"e ways and ad1anced in other ways2e*actly like the city below. The foundation of the settle"ent was stone& "ud& and huts& yet the $eo$le were ad1anced enough to fashion caged ele1ators and what looked like wea$ons.

,onda wondered if she was the first $erson fro" the outside world to e1er lay eyes on this ci1ili/ation. #fter all& the colony was in the "iddle of nowhere& e*isting below so"e of the "ost rugged and frigid terrain on earth. Like an awe-filled kid who!d +ust found anta!s hiding $lace at the north $ole& ,onda studied e1erything she could see. This "ain atriu" had se1eral le1els& and they went down so "any thousands of feet that she could only "ake out what lay on the u$$er fi1e. The fifth and fourth le1els looked like $ri"iti1e sho$$ing "alls with huts and booths that rese"bled stalls "ore than actual stores. It brought to "ind a .awaiian flea "arket or 'o1ent Garden in London2e*ce$t that the $eo$le dressed like they!d +ust walked out of a history book& and the sho$$ers a$$eared to barter for what they wanted rather than buy it outright. #$$arently "oney wasn!t used here. Does the army know about this place* Does anyone*

The third le1el u$ was also a $lace to sho$2but& sweet Lord& what was being sold was too incredible to belie1e6 If she hadn!t seen it with her own eyes2 47h "y God&4 ,onda breathed out. 4This isn!t ha$$ening.4 The huge& Viking-dressed "ales on the third le1el u$ were bartering for . . . %o"en. -aked wo"en6 #nd& what was worse& by the "anner in which the wo"en of 1arious colors were being ca+oled toward the stage in shackled feet& ,onda knew they were unwilling auction chattel. ,onda!s hand flew u$ to co1er her "outh. This +ust couldn!t be real. he wasn!t able to "ake out what was being said by anybody on the third le1el. It was too far away to hear anything& and the sounds co"$eted against the loud clanging of "etal striking "etal on the second le1el. # nude& redheaded wo"an with fair skin was dragged& kicking and screa"ing& to the center of the $latfor" by two huge "en. .er large breasts bobbed u$ and down as she tried to break free fro" their hold& to no a1ail. It was like watching a s3uir"ing fish try to elude two hungry bears. The guards held her still while twenty $otential buyers

boldly ins$ected her. They forced her "outh o$en to scrutini/e her teeth& ran their hands o1er her large breasts with e*tended $ink ni$$les& and2 ,onda couldn!t bear to watch any"ore. cared and shaking& she knew if she was ca$tured by these $eo$le& she "ight find herself u$ on one of those 1ery $latfor"s. 4Kee$ it together& girlfriend&4 she "ur"ured. 4>ou!1e "ade it this far.4 he!d sur1i1ed at least ten a"bushes in her life& the death of two $arents& and a helico$ter crash. he could sur1i1e this too. !he "uiet before the storm. The thought entered her "ind fro" see"ingly nowhere& and it took her a second to figure out why. The clanging sound of "etal striking "etal had abru$tly sto$$ed. he blinked. .er ga/e flew down to the now 3uiet second floor fro" her hiding $lace. he he +ust had to think of what to do.

stilled& e1en as her heart began to $ound against her chest. 4.oly shit&4 ,onda "uttered. They knew she was here. #$$ro*i"ately fifty Viking "en had ceased their blacks"ith work and were staring u$ at her& all of the" clearly alerted to her $resence so"ehow. !his is -O! happening' wallowing against the lu"$ of fear in her throat that felt the si/e of an a$$le& ,onda!s wide brown eyes clashed with acutely intense blue ones. .er heart began $ounding i"$ossibly harder& beads of $ers$iration dotting her forehead. The giant who!d snared her ga/e "ade her "outh go cotton dry. .is body was as for"idable as his eyes. It was hard to +udge fro" this height +ust how huge he was& but he had to be as tall or taller than the first "an she!d seen2at least si* and a half feet. #nd $owerfully& hea1ily "uscled. .is hair was dark brown and fell to the "iddle of his back. # braid at either te"$le had been $ulled to the back of his head and knotted there to kee$ his hair out of his eyes. .e wore only black leather braes& black boots& and a huge gold bangle clas$ed

around each obscenely bulging bice$s. No shirt to co1er that "assi1e chest or those 1ein ro$ed ar"s& which "ade hi" look e1en "ore frightening. .e was watching her& assessing her& si/ing her u$ as if calculating e1ery $ossible "o1e she "ight "ake toward esca$e. he had fought against the deadliest of ene"ies during her field years& but this was the first "an she!d e1er gone u$ against whose "ere stare "ade e1ery hair at the na$e of her neck stand on end. .is ice blue eyes were as $enetrating and "erciless looking as the rugged& bitter cold terrain outside. #nd those eyes were watching her. %hen she!d decided her life needed so"e e*cite"ent& this was not what she!d had in "ind6 4Let go of "e6 >ou godda"n bastard2let go64 0ecause the sound of clanging "etal had ceased while all eyes were on her& ,onda heard the redheaded wo"an!s English-s$oken cry fro" far below. ,onda!s ga/e flew to the naked& shackled fe"ale whose breasts were being rubbed and kneaded by two large hands. .er heartbeat racing& ,onda then returned her ga/e to the giant who stood +ust one le1el below her. The big "an!s cold blue ga/e glanced $ointedly downward& then slowly back u$ to look ,onda in the eyes. # half s"ile twisted his li$s. Oh, no(oh, &od' ,onda!s entire body began to shake. .e was telling her without words what he intended to ha$$en to her. Hell, no' 0reaking out of her fro/en shock& ,onda whi$$ed around and bolted back toward the ca1ern that contained the boiling li3uid. 4Ta henne6! he heard the battle cry& clearly an order to ca$ture her. Then loud footfalls $ounding& and the iron-caged ele1ator ascending toward the u$$er"ost le1el. What do ) do now* Where do ) go' There was nothing outside to run to but a ten-thousand foot dro$ off an icy cliff.

4.el$ "e& God&4 ,onda $anted& running so fast it "ade her di//y. 49lease.4 #s she reached the ca1ern filled with the $its of boiling fluid& her wild ga/e darted about the rocky cha"ber for a hiding $lace. re"ained as still as a statue. #ll she could do now was wait. #nd ho$e they didn!t find her. he es$ied a s"all& cra"$ed s$ace between two boulders and 3uickly s3uee/ed her body in. (orcibly steadying her breathing& she

CHAPTER THREE

%tay calm. Do not move. Do not breathe if you can help it. %tay calm . . . ,onda re$eated the "ental "antra o1er and o1er& half wondering if she was drea"ing all this fro" a hos$ital bed. The sound of boo"ing "ale 1oices +arred her back to reality. The Viking "en had entered the cha"ber. .lease don t let them find me. &od(please' They talked a"ongst the"sel1es& but she had no idea what they were saying. #s the cha"ber beca"e brighter& she guessed the "en had lit so"e torches and were $re$aring to cli"b the! s$iral of the "ountain to the to$. unwedged herself fro" between the rocks. 9re$ared for a sur$rise attack& she took her ti"e& careful not to get taken unaware. 0ut no one was in the cha"ber. .er best chance of esca$e was to go down rather than u$2the last thing the ene"y would e*$ect her to do. The one thing she least wanted to do. 'arefully ti$toeing toward the ca1ern entrance that would lead to the ele1ator& ,onda ke$t her eyes and ears on full alert. ,eady to $roceed with o$eration Get :e the he waited with infinite $atience until the 1oices beca"e "ere echoes in the distance& then slowly& 3uietly&

(uck 7utta .ere& she took off running& rounded a corner2and sla""ed s"ack-dab into the "iddle of a "assi1e& "uscular chest. he fell to the ground& landing on her backside.

,onda gas$ed and looked u$& the $ain in her wounded head so blinding it "ade her cry out. It was him2the giant. #nd& oh& boy& was he e1en bigger and deadlier looking u$ close. .is hea1ily "uscled body was tensed for battle. .is face was a "ask of fury& cold blue eyes narrowed into "erciless slits. ur1i1al instincts taking o1er& ,onda $ut her weight on her left knee in a lightning-fast "o1e"ent and karate kicked her ene"y in the groin with her right leg. .e bellowed in $ain and anger as he fell to his knees. .er heart $ounding so fast it felt as though it "ight beat out of her chest& ,onda darted $ast hi". .e howled as she ran by& sending goose bu"$s /inging down her s$ine. /un faster' 0aster' 0aster' 0aster' #drenaline rushed through her& and she dashed toward the ele1ator. The $ain in her head was horrific& but getting caught by these sadists would be far worse. +lmost there' #s ,onda reached out to o$en the cage doors& two rough& calloused hands grabbed her by the back of the shoulders. -o' he elbowed hi" in the gut. .e grunted and released her. he dro$$ed to the

floor to deli1er another kick to the groin& but he took her by sur$rise and went down to the floor with her. They wrestled for a "o"ent& ,onda fighting like a wildcat. 4Let go of "e64 she raged& clawing and hitting at hi". The giant got on to$ of her and $inned her hands to the ground o1er her head. .e used his "assi1e weight to subdue her& situating hi"self inti"ately between her thighs. he could feel the bulge of his erection $ressing against her des$ite the black leather braes and ar"y-green snowsuit that lay between the". 4%ho are you54 the giant hissed in hea1ily accented English& his 1oice dee$ and angry. Those icy blue eyes s$arked with fire and his nostrils flared& "aking his features

a$$ear i"$ossibly "ore "enacing. 4Tell "e64 he ground out& releasing her hands to sei/e two fistfuls of her golden hair by the roots. 9ain seared ,onda!s head wound and she cried out. Di//iness and nausea assailed her. The fear of death loo"ed hauntingly close. 49-$lease&4 she gas$ed. 49lease d-don!t hurt "e any"ore.4

Nikolas!s +aw tensed as he stared down into the beautiful but cunning face of his 3uarry. .e thought she "ight be feigning in+ury to sur$rise hi" with another attack& but then he saw the wound. .e i""ediately released her hair and $inned her hands abo1e her head once again. 4%ho are you54 he re$eated& slower this ti"e in case she couldn!t understand his English. 4.ow did you find this colony54 .is teeth all but gnashed together. 1Who sent you here*1 4:y n-na"e is ,-,onda Ti$ton&4 she gas$ed out. 4I!" a cor$oral with the -nited tates ar"y.4 Nikolas!s sto"ach clenched. The 7utsiders! warriors knew of this $lace5 Da"n Toki6 4%hy were you sent here54 he de"anded harshly. 4Tell "e64 he blinked. 4 ent here54 she whis$ered& her 1oice weak and $ained. 4Little girl&4 he "ur"ured& his te"$er barely restrained& 4!Tis s"art to gi1e "e the answers I seek.4 .is hands gri$$ed hers tighter. .e would get the old herbalist to "end her in+ury once she told hi" what he needed to know. 49lease&4 she said softly& her face scrunched u$ into a "ask of $ain& 4I don!t know what you are talking ab-bout. %e were en route to a secret "ilitary base +ust north of the #rctic circle. The helico$ter c-crashed into the "ountain. I!" the only sur1i1or.4 Nikolas stilled. .e recalled a tre"bling of the entire colony that none could e*$lain. >et that had been two "oon-risings ago.

.e e*a"ined her wound "ore closely. Indeed& the head in+ury was not fresh. !Twas at least a cou$le of "oon-risings old. .e studied her face. he was as striking u$ close as he!d thought her to be fro"

afar& beguilingly so. .er eyes were dark and beautiful& her hair a rich gold. .er nose was $erfect for her face& neither too large nor too s"all. .er cheekbones were high and delineated& her li$s full and richly colored. %as it $ossible this 4,onda4 s$oke the truth5 7r did her beauty "ake hi" want to belie1e she was but an innocent who!d unknowingly stu"bled u$on the stronghold of New weden5 It was in a "an!s nature to want to belie1e that a wench so fine of face was +ust as fine of character. .e would ha1e 7trygg hunt for the re"ains of an 7utsider!s flying bird. -ntil then& he would reser1e +udg"ent. 4I!ll carry you to a healer&4 Nikolas told her. 7ne dark brown eyebrow slowly rose. 4If you atte"$t to thwart "e again& I will show you no "ercy.4 0ut the warning was of no conse3uence& for she had $assed out cold.

CHAPTER "OUR T#o days later

Nikolas Ericsson re"o1ed his tunic and tossed it on a nearby hook after entering the grindstone. !Twas s"oldering hot within the highest-working echelon of New weden. The grindstone was di1ided into two sectors. 7n one side& raw "etals were ha""ered into tradable goods. 7n the other side& "ined ge"stones were cleaned for bartering. Nikolas owned the grindstone outright-)-not through inheritance& but due to hard work and deter"ination on his $art. !Twas "ayha$ why he took the ti"e to o1ersee his "en and hel$ the" where needed. .e carried no airs about hi" as "any o1erlords did.

4Niko64 Nikolas nodded at 7trygg& acknowledging hi". 7trygg was one of his "ost trusted "en and su$$orters. %hen the ine1itable clash for ulti"ate $ower between Nikolas and Toki ca"e& he knew he could count on 7trygg to stand beside hi" and fight.

Toki Ericsson was Nikolas!s cousin. Toki& the clan!s current +arl& was "ayha$ his sire!s heir in bloodline& but not in s$irit. It had been the dead +arl!s dying wish to Nikolas that his ne$hew de$ose Toki as ruler and clai" the kingshi$ for hi"self. Verily& he could e"$athi/e with his dearly de$arted uncle. Toki was cra/ed of the "ind and gi1en to bloodlust. .is treat"ent of ca$tured brides on the custo"ary "arriage auction block was "ore like chattel than re1ered soon-to-be wi1es. #dditionally& he had nigh unto gi1en u$ the clan!s underground $osition twice now. (or o1er a thousand years the 1arious clans of New Norway& New Daneland& and New weden had e*isted without interference fro" 7utsiders because naught was known of the clans! e*istence. !Twas how it was su$$osed to be. !Twas how the gods and goddesses had decreed it to be. In a cou$le "ore decades& those who li1ed abo1e the ground would not esca$e the wrath of the gods for destroying their territory and $er1erting the laws of the natural world. 7nly those below the ground would sur1i1e& flourish& and $ros$er. 4Good day&4 Nikolas ru"bled out to 7trygg. 4:ilord.4 7trygg res$ectfully inclined his white-blond head. 4I belie1e two "ore of the oil $its are ready. I will take 7ld :yria u$ to ins$ect the".4 7ils were $recious and bartered for high& as they could be used to "ake e1erything fro" soa$s to $erfu"es to foodstuffs. It would bring the resistance "ore wea$ons. 4>ou can!t take her u$ to the $its today.4 Nikolas resu"ed walking toward the blacks"iths to see if he could be of assistance. 4Take her daughter instead&4 he threw out o1er his shoulder. 4:yria is still attending to "y ca$ti1e!s in+uries.4 7trygg bowed to Nikolas!s back before lea1ing.

oon Nikolas was busy laboring alongside his "en& $ounding "etals into workable "aterial. .is "uscles tensed and bulged with e1ery strike of ha""er against "etal. e*ertion. !Twas +ust as it had been two e1es $ast when he had first s$otted her2his ca$ti1e. .e thought about ,onda as he toiled& ho$ing her fe1er had broken since he!d last seen her. he wouldn!t know it until she woke u$& but ,onda would ne1er be lea1ing this colony. he couldn!t. Too "uch was at stake for their $eo$le to lose should 7utsiders co"e to know of the -nderground settle"ents. Nikolas had gi1en u$ a lot in life that he "ight concentrate on fulfilling the $ro"ise he had "ade to his dying uncle. Verily& he should already ha1e taken a wife and& begun the furthering of his line. Instead& he had s$ent his life learning how to fight& how to be the deadliest warrior the colonies had e1er known. The $ast three years had been s$ent gaining su$$orters& de1elo$ing su$erior wea$onry to that of Toki and his warriors& and $lotting with his "ost trusted allies to o1erthrow the "ad +arl. Nikolas had now seen thirty-si* years. #t ti"es he got to feeling lonely& but such was the $rice a "an $aid for the greater good. Leastways& !twas the $rice a warrior $aid when he cared for his $eo$le. .e would not "arry until New weden was safely under his control. Nikolas ho$ed ,onda had no husband and children in the world abo1e the ground. .a1ing seen such a situation occur once before with a ca$ti1e na"ed :eg& he re"e"bered how o1erly long it had taken her to acce$t that she had a new husband and that she could ne1er lea1e2she!d s$ent "onths& "ayha$ e1en years& ho$ing her first husband would find her and take her back abo1e ground. uch was why bride hunters did all they could to ensure that the wo"en they stole were not already "ated. In this case& no bride hunters had been in1ol1ed. The wench had unwittingly stu"bled u$on New weden!s stronghold. #nd ,onda& "arried by 7utsider laws or not& would be sent to the "arriage auction block& +ust as all unwed wo"en were. weat glistened on his naked chest& his forehead was soaked with the da"$ness of

No law in New weden could sa1e her fro" the ine1itable& since no law in the -nderground recogni/ed the cere"onies of 7utsiders as legally binding. (or ,onda!s sake& he ho$ed she had ne1er been "ated. o "any 3uestions; so few answers. No answers would be forthco"ing until ,onda woke u$ fro" her head in+ury. wi$ing sweat fro" his forehead& Nikolas recalled the e1e when he had first ca$tured her) .e had thought her beautiful& deadly& and a liar. 0eautiful and deadly had been 1erified& but the latter had $ro1en false. 8ust as the wo"an he!d first thought to be a s$y had clai"ed& an 7utsider!s bird had crashed into the "ountain. # search of her clothes had re1ealed identification that further backed u$ her clai". Now all he could do was ho$e& for ,onda!s sake& that she settled into her new life without too "uch "ourning for the old one.

CHAPTER "I$E

,onda regained se"iconsciousness with a s"all& whi"$ering groan.

he floated in and he

out of awareness& uncertain if the sound had co"e fro" her or fro" so"eone else. The $ain at the side of her head had waned into a dull& barely noticeable twinge. struggled to o$en her eyelids& but they felt like lead weights. 4The $atient finally awakens&4 an old 1oice crooned in a thick accent. The 1oice was fa"iliar. 0ut why5 4I thought I!d "ayha$ lost you yestere1e.4 .er chuckle sounded "ore like a cackle. 4>our feistiness has been the talk of the entire 1illage. >ou should ha1e known better than to stand against Lord Ericsson. Goodness& child& the warrior "ust outweigh you by a hundred $ounds64 :e"ories ca"e flooding back. .elico$ter crash. Dead crew. -nderground ci1ili/ation none knew e*isted. %hite sla1ery. . .

%ith "uch effort; ,onda forced her drug-hea1y eyelids o$en. It took her a $rotracted "o"ent and se1eral blinks to bring the old crone she!d seen in the ca1ern into 1iew. 4.e $robably weighs a hundred $ounds "ore than "ost "en.4 he $aused& her

throat feeling dry and scratchy. 4I!" not e*actly a sli"& delicate flower.4 Indeed& ,onda was "ore on the rounded side than the bean$ole side. In e*cellent sha$e& but she!d always been what her "other referred to as 41olu$tuous.4 # $retty word for chubby. had "ade her. The old wo"an issued another cackle. @ATis an ad1antage down here in New weden to be fleshy. %arriors like a soft wife to ride after a long working day.4 ,onda!s cheeks $inkened. he wasn!t a $rude& or e1en shy& but she!d ne1er heard till& being 4thin and in4 had ne1er "uch "attered to ,onda. he had been born with a"$le hi$s& a $lu"$ tush and thighs& and large breasts. That!s +ust the way God

a wo"an of such ad1anced years s$eak so candidly about se*. #nd she had no intention of being in this colony long enough to $ro1ide one of those giants with free amor2. 4New weden5 This $lace is called New weden54 4#ye. !Tis the stronghold of New weden& leastways. The na"e of our 1illage is Lokitown.4 he held u$ a wet cloth to ,onda!s head.4 !Twas Loki& the fire god hi"self& who led our $eo$le to this underground encla1e o1er a thousand years ago. #nd so& for Loki was the ca$ital seat na"ed.4 /iiiiight, ,onda thought. !he fire god. !hese people are insane' 4.""& I see.4 The old wo"an frowned. .er face could ri1al a basset hound!s with its folds and creases. 4I think you "ake +est of our $eo$le.4 4No. No64 (or so"e reason ,onda felt bad that she!d hurt the old wo"an!s feelings. he was an unwilling ca$ti1e& but the lady had $robably been res$onsible for he owed her res$ect if nothing else. 4%ell&4 she sighed& 4"aybe I was. sa1ing her life.

I!" sorry. E1eryone!s entitled to their religious beliefs.4 The old wo"an see"ed a$$eased. 4 oon they will beco"e your beliefs too.4 ,onda highly doubted that& but said

nothing.

he watched the healer tend to her head wound& gently rubbing a wa*y

substance into a $articularly tender s$ot at her te"$le. It slowly dawned on ,onda that her clothing had been re"o1ed. he was naked under these war"& woolly blankets. %ho had re"o1ed her clothing5 The old healer was far too weak to do so herself. he stilled& a terrible reali/ation +arring her. The old wo"an wouldn!t ha1e told her where she was and hinted that there were "ore such underground colonies if she didn!t belie1e that ,onda would ne1er esca$e this $lace. # sinking feeling stole o1er her. 4%hat will you do with "e54 ,onda "ur"ured. The old wo"an sighed. 4I "ean you no har"& child.4 4#nd the others54 4It de$ends on what others you "ean.4 ,onda!s eyebrows for"ed a golden arch o1er her dark ga/e. 4I don!t understand.4 4 oon you will.4 he sto$$ed at her task and looked ,onda in the eyes. 4I wish !twas words of encourage"ent I could gi1e to you& but so long as Toki rules here& !tis a life of uncertainty for us all.4 4I thought Toki was your god. %hy would your own god har" you54 The old wo"an clucked her tongue. 43oki, child. Loki& with an 3. I s$eak of New weden!s current +arl2ruler. .is na"e is Toki& with a !.4 4I see.4 ort of. .er head .was s$inning and she felt "ore confused than enlightened. 4 o what will beco"e of "e54 she softly in3uired again. The old wo"an!s sigh was longer this ti"e. 4>ou will go& as all unwed fe"ales of breedable years do& to the "arriage auction block. !Twas once a $lace of honor and ho$e& a sy"bol of our $eo$le!s continuity of life. 0ut under Toki!s regi"e5 0ah64 ,onda closed her eyes. 7h& God. If she didn!t find a "ethod of esca$e& she would end u$ naked on a stage in shackles& gro$ed by "en she didn!t want touching her& and sold off to the highest bidder.

.er eyes flicking o$en& she watched the old healer wash the wa*y substance fro" her hands under a s$igot and then clean u$ the herbs she!d $ut into the $otion. 4%ill you hel$ "e esca$e54 ,onda asked. # stu$id 3uestion& "aybe& but her only ho$e. The old wo"an slowly shook her head. 4That I cannot do.B 40ut24 he held u$ a $al". 4!Tis not a $ossibility. 4ver. %ere you freed& you would tell other 7utsiders of our e*istence.4 he shook her head when ,onda o$ened her "outh to $rotest. 4Not e1en a "aster as +ust as Lord Ericsson would allow you to go.4 The giant5 If he was considered +ust& she!d hate to see what this Toki character was like. The giant!s s"ile while watching her fro" below had been cruel& "ocking& as though he wanted her to be hu"iliated and sold to another. .e!d thought her a s$y. 4.e stayed with you& you know.4 ,onda blinked. 4I!" sorry54 4Nikolas2Lord Ericsson&4 the old wo"an e*$lained. 4.e stayed with you and nursed you to health for "ost of these $ast two "oon-risings.4 he nodded. 4!Tis only for so long that an old wo"an like "e can stay awake and on her feet.4 The giant5 o"ehow ,onda couldn!t see hi" $laying nurse"aid to anyone& let

alone her. 47h&4 she said du"bly& unsure of what to say. 7h& no2had he re"o1ed her clothing5 0arely tangible threads of "e"ory returned in brief flickers& i"$ressions. # "an2cradling her& cooling her fe1ered head& reassuring her with his large $resence. Cuiet singing in a foreign tongue2a dee$& soothing 1oice that co"forted her with what was $robably a child!s lullaby. .olding her hand. Telling her to stay strong. . . Him* 4,est& child&4 the healer said as she headed toward the stone cha"ber!s wooden door and knocked twice. 4>ou!ll need it.4

4Nay.4 Nikolas wa1ed a dis"issi1e hand at 7ld :yria. 4The finest healer in all of New weden you "ay be& but a "atch"aker you are not.4 .e frowned. 4I still re"e"ber the last wench you thought would "ake "e a fine wife. :ayha$ she would ha1e& but she s"elled of swine and $ossessed no teeth.4 The old healer harru"$hed. 4>ou e*aggerate. he had teeth.4

4 he had one tooth. #nd a half-rotted one at that.4 4# $erson needs but one tooth& "ilord. !Tis all I ha1e left and it ser1es "e fine.4 Nikolas rolled his eyes. 4>ou are ninety and three. he was twenty and two64

.e returned his attention to the task at hand) watching the oils be bottled and $re$ared for the bartering stalls. This shi$"ent he would barter in New Norway& where they were fore1er low on oils. !Twould fetch hi" "uch $rofit in the for" of "ore wea$ons. 4I a" busy&4 he gru"bled. 4'arry yourself to your cha"ber.4 :yria frowned. 4Thy head is thick. Niko& the girl is scared. #nd can you bla"e her5 he saw her fate before bring ca$tured by you.4 4#nd5 %hat "akes her different fro" the other wenches $ut through the sa"e hu"iliating ordeal54 4$ou ca$tured her&4 she hissed. 4Not Toki!s hench"en. #nd because you ca$tured her& "ilord& you can sa1e her fro" being sold off to one of the +arl!s sadistic soldiers.4 Hunter s /ight. The law was so old and sacred that not e1en one so daft as Toki would think to gainsay it. It decreed that whene1er an unwed warrior ca$tured a bride& he had the right to kee$ her for his own rather than barter her to another. Nikolas sighed. 7din knew he was ha1ing difficulty kee$ing his thoughts away fro" the 7utsider wench. he was fiery& that one. The ty$e of wo"an who co""anded res$ect. That she!d "anaged to thwart hi" once had ca$tured his attention in a way no wench e1er had before. (inding out she was indeed the innocent she!d clai"ed to be "ade her only that "uch "ore desirable. body. . . Nikolas $inched the bridge of his nose and slowly e*haled. 4.er story $ro1ed true. That "uch will I credit her.4 .e turned to face the old wo"an. 40ut& :yria&4 he tri$$ing her of clothing and bathing her naked

"ur"ured so as not to be o1erheard& 4you know the ti"e to sei/e New weden draws near. The last thing I need is a wife to distract "e fro"24 4%ho is to say she will distract you54 .e snorted at that. 4Like as not& she will atte"$t to flee fro" "e and the -nderground at e1ery turn64 .e narrowed his eyes at the tiny wo"an who thought to change his "ind. 4I don!t need a troubleso"e wife to kee$ in hand while I fight to o1erthrow the corru$t Toki.4 .is +aw tightened. 4#ll of our destinies are at stake here2 the wench!s included.4 The old healer!s eyes were weary with age& but shar$ with wisdo". he was silent for a long "o"ent& si"$ly staring u$ at hi" fro" beneath her cowl. 4>ou ha1e the right&4 she whis$ered& 4to know a little ha$$iness of your own in this lifeti"e& Niko. Do not "ake e1ery "o"ent one where you take on the worries of the world. %hen you "eet the gods in Valhalla& go to the" ha1ing led a full life.4 shoulders without looking back. 4!Tis all I ask.4 Nikolas stared after 7ld :yria long after she!d trailed out of his sight. ,onda was to go u$ on the auction block on the "orrow; :ayha$ . . . # wife5 !hat wife5 Nay. .e couldn!t belie1e he!d taken the old healer!s words under consideration for e1en the s$ace of a breath. E1en if he did wish to take ad1antage of .unter!s ,ight& a wench so beautiful of face and for" "ight not want hi" for a husband. 0eauty was attracted to beauty2a lesson he!d learned the hard way long ago. .e had been besotted with Toki!s ste$sister& as a boy. %hen he beca"e a "an and 0erta had gone to the "arriage auction block& he!d sought to barter for her hand in "atri"ony. 0y then Nikolas!s wealth was 1ast and had earned hi" a title& so he thought he!d "ake her a $ro$er husband. 0ut each ti"e Nikolas had raised his hand to u$ the ante on the $re1ious bid& 0erta had $aled. +gain and again and again. 4Do not $er"it that hideous beast to bid on "e64 .e!d o1erheard her beseech his uncle& her ste$father. 4(or the lo1e of (rigg& do not allow "e to be sentenced to a lifeti"e of being $awed at by that big& ugly hulk64 he frowned& then clucked her tongue before wobbling away. 4Think about it&4 she threw out o1er her stoo$ed

.is heart had sunk. Nikolas had 3uietly withdrawn fro" the auction& and !twas the last ti"e he!d sought a bride. #n o1erlord he "ight be& but Nikolas!s hands were still calloused and rough& $roof of his u$bringing as a laborer. .is body was "assi1e2huge and hea1ily "uscled 2not the lanky& regal $osturing of a "an born to wealth and status. .is chest was riddled with battle scars& his face rugged rather than $retty. :ost wenches nigh unto swooned +ust looking u$on hi". Nikolas blinked& his "ind returning to the $resent. Nay& he would not clai" ,onda. The wench had no choice but to re"ain a"ongst their $eo$le. husband she could at least bear to look u$on. he deser1ed a

CHAPTER SI%

,onda had ne1er been angrier or "ore frightened in her entire life. (or the $ast three hours& she had been tied to a bed while 1arious wo"en $lucked and twee/ed e1ery last $ubic hair fro" her "ons. #fter that& they had rubbed "int-scented oil all o1er her naked body2her breasts& her ni$$les& e1en her genitals. he reali/ed why they were doing this& of course. They were $re$aring her for that "arriage auction block. The thought of being forced u$ onto a $latfor" as naked as the day she was born didn!t sit well with her at all. he wasn!t e*actly e"barrassed about her $lu"$ cur1es& he faced being sold& forced into "arriage but she wasn!t e*actly $roud of the"& either.

with so"e unknown "an& and no doubt being ra$ed by hi" soon thereafter2yet all she could worry about was being naked and in shackles on a $latfor". he was beginning to wish she!d gone down in that cho$$er with the rest of the crew. The door flew o$en and a "an entered the cha"ber. .is heated green ga/e sought out ,onda!s naked body and lingered there. 4!Tis ti"e&4 the "an infor"ed the" in

English as he dragged his ga/e away fro" ,onda and toward one of the wo"en oiling her down. 4 hackle her& then corral her with the others.4

The wo"en going u$ for sale today totaled fi1e. 7ne was an Inuit Eski"o who had been ca$tured fro" her ho"e& two were nati1es of New weden& one was an #frican #"erican& and then there was ,onda) the 7hio-born wo"an who!d gone fro" ar"y cor$oral to se* sla1e in the blink of an eye. The naked fe"ales were corralled together in a large stone $it with di" light. The two who were nati1es to this odd world see"ed giddy with e*cite"ent& but the re"aining three looked ho$eless and "iserable. It wasn!t like ,onda to gi1e u$ so easily. #nd dee$ down inside& she knew she hadn!t. 0ut without a fa"iliarity of the colony!s layout& she had no chance of esca$ing. (or now there was only gri" resignation. Later she would "ake her $lans& bide her ti"e& and esca$e. 4%hat!s your na"e54 the #frican-#"erican ca$ti1e whis$ered. frightened as ,onda felt. 4,onda Ti$ton&4 she re$lied softly. The wo"en had been gi1en strict orders not to s$eak to each other. 4%hat about you54 !!8onna .ar$er.4 4It!s nice to "eet you.4 4>ou too.4 ,onda studied the Eski"o fe"ale for a "o"ent& and then 8onna. he could see why both of the" had been hunted down2their beauty was e*3uisite. 4.ow were you caught54 ,onda "ur"ured. 8onna sighed. 47n a cruise shi$. They took "e while the boat was te"$orarily docked. >ou54 ,onda told her about the crash. 4I want to esca$e&4 8onna said suddenly. 4%ill you go with24 he looked as

The o1erhead door flew o$en& bringing their con1ersation to an abru$t halt. Damn it' 8ust when she!d found an ally6 4 tand u$ and cli"b the ste$s&4 the auctioneer co""anded in broken English. 4>our future "asters ha1e gathered and await you.4 ,onda couldn!t belie1e this was ha$$ening; it still felt like a surreal drea". 4Let!s go64 the auctioneer ordered. 4Get off your arses and cli"b the ste$s.4

The two nati1es of New weden were $ut u$ fur bid first $robably to show the unwilling ca$ti1es how they were e*$ected to beha1e when it was their turn. Like docile& s"iling sub"issi1es. Do/ens of "en had crowded into the arena to barter for a bride. The nati1es dis$layed no negati1e reactions whatsoe1er to being bodily ins$ected by any "an that chose to touch the". They ke$t their heads bowed de"urely& soft s"iles on their faces& as large Viking "ales ran their hands o1er their breasts& o1er their sha1ed& oiled 1aginas2one "an was e1en so bold as to s$read the second girl!s labial li$s o$en and flick his tongue at her clit while another "an s3uee/ed her ni$$les. The wo"an s3uir"ed a little and sighed breathily. If the auctioneer thought ,onda would beha1e like this& he had another think co"ing. 4Do I throw u$ now or later54 8onna "uttered under her breath. ,onda snorted. 4%ait and do it on whoe1er buys you. I!d say he deser1es it.4 The wo"en shared a s"ile& then turned their attention back to the auction taking $lace. ,onda could feel se1eral eyes wandering o1er to where she& 8onna& and the other ca$ti1e stood& and e"barrass"ent stole o1er her. he was naked& oiled u$ like a bi"bo at a slea/y se* bar& and shackled at the feet. .u"iliation didn!t co"e "uch worse than this. he!d been a 97% for three weeks in .aiti and e1en those guards hadn!t treated her like this.

The auction continued in what ,onda $resu"ed was wedish& or its ancient e3ui1alent& while the two nati1es were bartered off. 4%hy isn!t hardly anyone bidding on the"54 she whis$ered to 8onna. 8onna frowned. 4I!" gi1en to understand these assholes $refer ca$ti1e brides to nati1es.4 4%ild horses&4 ,onda sighed. 4.uh54 4I!1e 1isited countries where wild horses are "ore 1aluable than do"esticated ones. They!re unbroken. Like un"olded clay& rather than a lu"$ already turned into a $ot or a 1ase. #nd that!s e*actly what we are to these cra/ies2wild horses.4 4I!ll gi1e the" a wild horse all right&4 8onna "uttered. 40astards.4 #fter the two nati1es were finally sold and gi1en to their res$ecti1e husbands& the auctioneer began s$eaking in English. The 3uietly crying Eski"o girl was led u$ to the $latfor". The closer she got to the throng of $otential bidders& the "ore des$erate she grew. Kicking& screa"ing& clawing& and hitting& it took three of the auctioneer!s hench"en to forcibly subdue her. Nostrils flaring& ,onda looked away& unable to watch. No wo"an should ha1e to be treated in this fashion6 If she e1er esca$ed& she!d "ake sure the hu"an rights organi/ations knew about this cruel $lace2and she would take great $leasure in doing so. ,onda!s sto"ach knotted and lurched when it was 8onna!s turn. Though they!d only e*changed a few sentences& their con1ersation "ade it ten ti"es harder to watch than the last auction. 8onna was a true fighter to the end. There was no such thing as subduing her. -nfortunately& that only see"ed to entice buyers all the "ore. 7ne thing could be said for 8onna2nobody got any free feels out of her. Do/ens of "en bid on her& yet not a single one of the" had gotten to so "uch as touch her toe. he was a wild horse for sure. ,onda +ust ho$ed and $rayed to whate1er higher $ower was listening that the tall& "uscular& blond Viking who bought her a$$reciated that facet of 8onna!s character and

didn!t try to "old her into his 1ersion of what he wanted her to be. The "an had "ade no "o1e to gro$e and fondle her& and his eyes were kind. ,onda ho$ed that signified. an o1erall gentleness throughout. #nd then it was ,onda!s turn. .er heart $ounded against her chest& feeling like a hea1y brick. %hen the auctioneer $rodded her u$ on the $latfor"& she "ade no "o1e to kick& screa"& or do anything besides stand there with a wicked ) m gonna fuck you up look on her face. .e looked shocked. Good. The catcalls began. %histles and cheers eru$ted as ,onda was led to center stage.

CHAPTER SE$EN

.olding the hea1y ha""er high abo1e his head& Nikolas struck the "etal with e1ery bit of force he could "uster. !Twas the only way to block out the sounds of the auction taking $lace a le1el below. .is +ugular bulged and his teeth gritted fro" the labor. .e would not inter1ene. .e had to kee$ re"inding hi"self that ,onda Ti$ton would not care to look u$on a huge& ugly beast for all of her days. Their $eo$le had carried on without intrusion fro" 7utsiders for o1er a thousand years for the si"$le fact that none knew of their e*istence. ,onda was stuck in Lokitown until she took her last breath. The least that he could do was allow her to ha1e a shot at e1entual ha$$iness. Throwing the ha""er to the side& Nikolas wi$ed with a rag at the sweat trickling down the side of his face. .is +aw tightened as the sounds of the "arriage auction below reached his ears. .is "en should be u$ here working instead of bidding on brides6 0ut 7ld :yria had encouraged his warriors to attend the e1ent and to bid on the ca$ti1es& that all "ight end u$ in honest hands. Nikolas had $er"itted the" to do so& because he couldn!t stand the idea of ,onda ending u$ in the clutches of a cruel "aster. #ny bidder under Toki!s regi"e was $robably as sadistic as their leader was.

But can ) stand to see her married off to one of my own men* Nikolas sighed. Gru"bling to hi"self about what an idiot he was& he threw on his tunic and stalked off toward the caged lift. It couldn!t hurt to see how the auction was $roceeding.

Nikolas!s face was the first one ,onda saw in the 1ast crowd& of "en. .e was leaning against a rock wall& his ar"s crossed o1er his chest. .e wore a gold chain-"ail tunic today with black leather braes. The tunic was slee1eless& showcasing those "assi1e ar"s clas$ed by gold bangles at the bice$s. .is dark brown hair flowed +ust $ast his shoulders& a braid at either te"$le tied in his trade"ark fashion at the back of his head. He was the reason she was being auctioned off to begin with. %hy had he co"e here5 To re"ind her that he had won5 To throw her another one of his "ocking s"iles5 The longer she watched hi"& though& the "ore she reali/ed that wasn!t the case. Nikolas wasn!t "aking eye contact& and she couldn!t tell if he was e1en looking at her at all. .is blue eyes were hooded& his e*$ression unreadable. .e didn!t look inclined to $artici$ate. (or so"e insane reason& that irritated ,onda. Did he think she was good enough to barter off& but not good enough to kee$5 Gi1en all the obstacles between her and freedo"& it "ight be a du"b thing to get an attitude about2but there it was.

0y 7din& she was breathtaking in her beauty. Nikolas!s "anhood stirred within his braes at the sight of ,onda!s naked body. :ayha$ !twas wrong to lust after a wench being $araded around nude and in shackles& yet he had wanted her long before this "o"ent. E1en before the e1e he!d stri$$ed her of clothing and bathed her fe1ered& li"$ body. .e!d wanted her for his own since the "o"ent their eyes had first "et.

he had a glorious body& $lu"$ in all the right $laces. .er skin was light honey $erfection. .er hair looked like ringlets of gold that cascaded to +ust abo1e her rounded backside. 'ontrasted against dark& ca"e-hither eyes& the co"bination was irresistible. .er breasts were "outh-wateringly large with $uffy $ink ni$$les that stayed fore1er stiff. #nd her sha1ed $ussy. . . Nikolas took a dee$ breath and blew it out. .e!d wanted inside her tight flesh since that first glance. .e bet she!d cla"$ around hi" like an unyielding glo1e. .e blinked& sna$$ing hi"self out of his lustful fantasies. !Twas a certainty he would en1y whate1er "aster took her to wife. $ou have the right, :yria had whis$ered& to know a little happiness of your own in this lifetime, -iko. Do not make every moment one where you take on the worries of the world. When you meet the gods in Valhalla, go to them having led a full life. :yria!s words had $ounded in his heart and head since yestere1e. .e sighed& uncertain which was the right course to take. :ore than his awn ha$$iness was at stake here. ,onda!s was too.

4This& fine warriors& is ,onda64 the auctioneer cried out. ,oars of a$$ro1al& shouts& +ests& and cheers went u$ like wildfire. ,onda!s dark ga/e flicked to Nikolas. .e wasn!t laughing& cheering& or roaring. 8ust standing there. 4 he!s a fiery& s$irited girl& this !7ne. :ayha$ you recall the stories about her54 ,onda frowned at the crowd!s laughter. They found it a"using that she!d $ut u$ a fight $rior to ca$ture& did they5 .uh. he!d gi1e the" so"ething to laugh about& then.

4>ou "ay a$$roach the chattel according to rank. :y lords& you ha1e first ins$ection and bidding rights. 9roceed64 # hush fell a1er the crowd as the first high-ranking o1erlord "ade his way u$ to the $latfor". .e was tall& 3uite gaunt and thin. 8ewels were an his e1ery finger& gi1ing

hi" a gaudy& so"ewhat fe"inine a$$earance. .is hair was long and blond& his eyes green. Those eyes didn t look kind. # s"irk twisted his li$s. .e didn!t bother to say anything& +ust reached out his hand toward ,onda!s breasts. Down here in the rabbit hole& the rules said he had that right. ,onda had ne1er been "uch far following the rules. In a lightning-3uick "otion& she sei/ed the o1erlord by the wrist. 4Touch "e&4 she said cal"ly& 4and I break it.4 .is face turned cri"son as guffaws echoed throughout the arena. # tick started in his +aw and worked its way u$ to his cheek. .is eyes grew i"$ossibly "ore sinister. 4-nhand "e& wench&4 he said& 4or you will regret it.4 ,onda held his fragile wrist for a sus$ended "o"ent and s3uee/ed& her ga/e locked with his. %hen she felt her $oint had been sufficiently "ade& she released hi". I""ediately& the idiot reached for her breast again. True to her word& ,onda sei/ed his wrist with her right hand. .er ga/e ne1er lea1ing his sur$rised one& she held u$ her left $al" in a karate "o1e and struck. .is wrist sna$$ed like a chicken bone. .e cried out in $ain& falling to his knees. #nd all hell broke loose.

4 ubdue the bitch64 Two of the auctioneer!s guards res$onded to their o1erseer!s cry. %hen ,onda had broken the sadistic Nothru"!s wrist& ad"iration and $leasure had glinted in Nikolas!s eyes. Now he tensed as he watched the two hench"en a$$roach her. .er feet were shackled. %hat could the wee& defenseless wench do5 The guards were big and brawny& !twas an unfair "atch. Enraged& he started toward the $latfor". In a "o1e"ent so fast it see"ed inhu"an& ,onda fli$$ed o1er into a handstand& her $al"s on the $latfor"!s dirt floor& and scissored her legs. 7n a guttural 4.iya64 sound& she uncrossed the" with enough brute force to break both of her ankles.

The shackles sna$$ed instead. Total silence engulfed the arena. 1Holy son of Odin.1 Nikolas!s +aw went slack& his eyes unblinking. The first guard bellowed as he charged her. ,onda countered with a +u"$ in. the air that was high enough to "ake the crowd gas$. he whirled around "idair and kicked the guard!s face in si* $u""eling strikes that sent hi" flying onto his back. %hen he slowly regrou$ed and ca"e u$ to his knees& she kicked hi" again& this ti"e s3uare in the face& breaking his nose. ei/ing the crowd!s shock to her ad1antage& she +u"$ed down fro" the $latfor" and ran2but her 1ictory was short-li1ed. %here one or two "en could not subdue her& ten could. #nd it took about that "any to get the +ob done. #s Nikolas roughly $ushed through the crowd to get to her& ,onda!s eyes found his2wild& des$erate& and $leading. It all but broke his heart. There was nothing weak about this wo"an. #s the guards and a few of Toki!s "en took her down to the ground& Nikolas ruthlessly sho1ed others aside and finally reached ,onda. They had her facedown& her wrists and feet being tied behind her back. 7ne "an laughed and reached out to stroke her buttocks& and Nikolas eru$ted in rage. ,oaring& he flung Toki!s trusted o1erlords off ,onda. The other "en i""ediately backed away. #ll stunned eyes turned to hi". 4.unterAs ,ight64 Nikolas bellowed& his lethal stance defying any "an to a$$roach hi". The 1ein at his neck bulged. 4I clai" her for "y own6 Does any warrior here dare challenge "e54 ilence followed the echo of his boo"ing 1oice fro" the arena!s walls. Nikolas!s angry stare sought out Nothru" who had enough sense to look away. !Twas a good thing& for Nikolas!s fury was $owerful enough to kill any "an who tried hi". .is eyes narrowing into "enacing blue slits& Nikolas turned his attention to the "en near ,onda who sat gawking u$ at hi". 4L="na "in fru i frEd&4 he said 3uietly.

The "en scattered. %asting no ti"e& Nikolas knelt and began untying the knots that held ,onda $ainfully bound. 4%hat did you say to the"54 ,onda whis$ered& her scared brown eyes wide. 4I told the"&4 Nikolas said as he continued undoing the knots& 4to get away fro" "y wife.4

,onda Ti$ton was "arried. he!d s$oken no words of co""it"ent& gi1en no $ledge of lo1e and de1otion& yet by the laws of New weden she was now the legal wife of Lord Nikolas Ericsson. 8ust like that. he was so stunned that she didn!t say a word as he sli$$ed his tunic o1er her head to co1er her body. Then she followed 3uietly and without $rotest as Nikolas took her by the hand and led her fro" the arena.

CHAPTER EIGHT O e #eek later

,onda lay in her bed way $ast the ti"e when she would nor"ally get u$ and start the day. o "uch was on her "ind& so "any 3uestions& that she didn!t ha1e the energy to force herself u$ fro" the ani"al hides. he had been Nikolas!s wife for a week now. .is wife6 :ore shocking still was that she!d barely seen hi" since the night of the auction. .e!d "ade few atte"$ts to e1en talk to her& let alone touch her. The night of the auction still see"ed a da/e. he re"e"bered her ca$tor-turnedhe recalled

sa1ior sli$$ing his tunic o1er her head and leading her away fro" the arena.

not s$eaking as they!d entered the caged ele1ator and taken it down thirteen le1els to

where his sur$risingly la1ish ho"e was. :isleadingly s"all on the outside& it was $alatial on the inside. %ith all the silk $illows and hare"-style beds& it brought to "ind the ho"e of a "edie1al sultan. :ost of the roo"s e1en had se1eral skylights& allowing the sun to $enetrate during daylight hours. That certainly e*$lained Nikolas!s bron/ed body and how the $eo$le re"ained in good health des$ite li1ing below the ground. ,onda had e*$ected Nikolas to ra$e her& for :yria had warned her that warriors consu""ated their "arriages on the e1ening they beca"e wedded. That had not ha$$ened. In fact& he!d been sur$risingly gentle and understanding as he ga1e her a tour of what he called 4our dwelling.4 .e e*$lained that she was free to roa" its roo"s and "ake use of the"& but asked her not to lea1e the ho"e without his escort because it wouldn!t be safe to do so. Esca$e& he had told her& was i"$ossible. #r"ed guards lined e1ery $ossible way out of New weden& and now& since she!d stu"bled u$on their world by accident& they were also $ositioned at the u$$er le1el of the "ountain. #fter that 3uiet lecture& he!d escorted her into this bedcha"ber& told her it belonged to her& and bid her goodnight. That had been the "ost he!d s$oken to her at one ti"e in o1er a week. In fact& that had been the "ost she!d seen of hi" all week. .e!d s$ent "ost of his ti"e away fro" the dwelling& while ,onda stayed in her bedcha"ber& grie1ing the loss of freedo" she!d once taken for granted. ,onda sighed. Now she was growing bored and lonely. 7ther than the two ser1ants who ca+oled her into eating a few ti"es daily and who had finally got her to enter the dwelling!s bathing $ond yesterday so they could scrub her down& kee$ her "ons sha1ed& and !rub "int oil into her skin& she didn!t really ha1e any contact with anyone. That bath had been "ore e"barrassing than rela*ing. 0athing with two naked fe"ale ser1ants was so"ething she!d ne1er before done. 7ther than "aid one and "aid two& both of who" s$oke no English& there was nobody to talk to. he couldn!t take "uch "ore of this sitting in isolation& nor could she endure any "ore grie1ing for what would ne1er again be.

,onda was a realist. 'o""on sense dictated that these underground dwellers had ne1er been disco1ered in o1er a thousand years because they guarded their turf with an iron fist. %hich didn!t bode well for esca$e. Not now and not e1er. That left two choices) try to esca$e at e1ery turn and grow "ore de$ressed& if not dead& fro" lack of success& or try to car1e out so"e sort of "eaningful life for herself down here. It had taken her a solid week to arri1e at this conclusion& but she!d finally gotten to where she needed to be& "entally s$eaking. In that way& she was glad Nikolas had& left her alone these $ast se1en days. It had gi1en her ti"e to cry o1er the freedo" she!d lost& co"e to ter"s with the situation for what it was& and "ake a $rofound choice. ,onda had decided that she wanted to find so"e kind of ha$$iness& e1en if that ca"e at the $rice of li1ing out the rest of her life in Lokitown. 0ut what about Nikolas5 %hat had he gi1en u$ to sa1e her5 (or the first ti"e& ,onda found her thoughts turning to his $redica"ent rather than her own. Did he ha1e a lo1e he!d wanted to "arry& but had wedded ,onda out of so"e sense of duty to $rotect her5 .ad he gi1en u$ so"eone s$ecial5 %hy had he clai"ed her for his own5 he could easily see any nu"ber of wo"en falling for Nikolas. .e was not only $olitically $owerful in this underground world& but he was also handso"e as sin. %ith the body of a well-honed warrior and the ruggedly "asculine face of an a1enging god& no wo"an fro" ,onda!s world wouldn!t worshi$ at his feet. o "any 3uestions. o few answers.

,onda forced the hea1y ani"al hides off her body. Taking a dee$& cathartic breath& she decided it was ti"e to re+oin the li1ing.

Nikolas studied his logbook& his "ind distracted. .e needed to concentrate on deter"ining how "any bottles of oils were ready for bartering in New Norway& yet his thoughts ke$t returning to his wife.

.e wondered if she!d e1er re"o1e herself fro" the guest bedcha"ber2now her bedcha"ber2and at least atte"$t to ha1e $eace between the". Nikolas had left her alone this $ast week when he!d wanted to do anything but that. Talk with her& eat with her& "ake lo1e to her. #nything but lea1e her alone. till& he recogni/ed that she needed ti"e to settle into the way of things. .e could well i"agine the "yriad e"otions he!d be e*$eriencing were their roles here re1ersed. !Twould be difficult at best and "ayha$ i"$ossible to acce$t that he!d ne1er again lay eyes on all that was fa"iliar to hi". .e sighed& ho$ing such would not be the case with ,onda. .e found hi"self $raying to the gods "ore oft than usual& focusing on his wife. 9rayers of a $eace between the". #nd "ayha$& if he was lucky& e1en an e1entual lo1e. %hen 7trygg loudly barged into the den& Nikolas glanced u$. The older& fu"ing warrior was acco"$anied by his thirty-three-year-old& e3ually irate ne$hew& Erikk. 4>ou will not belie1e this& "ilord&4 7trygg bit out. 4.e!s a $er1erter of the law;4 Erikk chi"ed in. Nikolas raised an eyebrow. 4Toki5 7ne of his regi"e54 .e frowned. 4#nd s$eak in English. Toki and his idiot i"beciles ne1er learned it.4 7trygg!s face was beet red with his fury. .e was so worked u$ that it took hi" a "o"ent to get his words out. .e did& howe1er& switch the con1ersation to the 7utsider tongue. 4Toki is forcing "y sister& (roda& to the auction block.4 Nikolas stilled. 4!Tis i"$ossible. he-4 4!Tis true& "ilord&4 Erikk said bitterly. 4Toki!s soldiers ca"e to "y "other!s dwelling last e1e. They ga1e her a fortnight to say good-bye to her old life and $re$are for her new one.

40ut she!s a widow64 Nikolas said& stunned. 4#nd a widow beyond childbearing years& at that.4 4Nothru" co1ets her&4 7trygg infor"ed hi". 4The sadistic little bastard always has. #nd what Nothru" wants& Toki gi1es hi".4

Nikolas stood u$. (or as long as the -nderground had e*isted& widows of all clans in all three kingdo"s2New weden& New Norway& and New Daneland2had en+oyed a $rotected& sacred status. !Twas u$ to the" if they wished to re"arry or e1en dally with another warrior once their husbands left this real" to +oin the gods and goddesses in Valhalla. 4The ti"e to take New weden is now&4 Nikolas said 3uietly but forcefully. The agreed-u$on date for the cou$ was still a "onth off& but the sei/ing of $ower couldn!t wait. 4#lready $ublic o$inion sways to our side. %hen word of this s$reads throughout the colony& chaos "ight 1ery well reign6 4 4#greed. This is about "ore than "y "other& "ilord. This is about the stability and sanctity of our entire way of life. #ll fa"ilies will fear that their "atriarch will be taken fro" the".4 Erikk!s nostrils flared. 4If you are $re$ared to lead& then I a" $re$ared to fight.4 The two warriors locked eyes and Nikolas nodded. To sa1e !Erikk!s "other fro" Nothru"!s 1ile hands& the ti"e to o1erthrow Toki!s regi"e was co"ing u$on the" in a "ere fourteen days. There was "uch $re$aration to do. 4:aintain control here whilst I 1oyage to New Norway with so"e of "y "en to barter for "ore wea$ons. 'an you do that54 Nikolas waited for both uncle and ne$hew to nod their agree"ent before continuing. 4'all u$on the three elders we know to be loyal to Toki!s dead sire and the i"$ending cou$. ,ound the" u$ and tell the" in secrecy what is to beco"e of (roda. Tell the" not to tell anyone in Lokitown yet.4 Lord Ericsson continued to $ace. 4Instruct the" to ready their nobles2all of the" fro" all fi1e of our clans. Lokitown is $ositioned at the "iddle of New weden& so besieging fro" without as well as fro" within is key.4 4!Tis also i"$ortant that word of the cou$ not s$read to the New Norwegians or the New Danes&4 7trygg added. 4They would sei/e the o$$ortunity to en1elo$ New weden while she!s 1ulnerable.4 Nikolas agreed. 47ther than "y first in co""and& I won!t e1en tell "y "en why the urgency behind this 1oyage.4 4>ou will win& "ilord&4 Erikk "ur"ured. 4#nd& at last& you will be our king.4

4The balance of $ower has been shifting to your side in greater nu"bers these $ast se1eral "onths. I stand behind your decision that this is the ti"e&4 7trygg affir"ed. 4I hereby $ledge "y life and loyalty to you and your house.4 4#s do I.4 Erikk inclined his head. Nikolas had waited "any. "oon-risings to hear those words fro" 7trygg!s li$s. The elder warrior was wise and e*$erienced. .e had known the ti"e for the cou$ would be right when at last 7trygg had gi1en hi" his oath. 4I thank you.4 0linking& Nikolas cleared his throat. 4#nd now I "ust ask you to lea1e "e& that I "ight get the 1oyage to New Norway in $rogress with all s$eed.4 7trygg $atted hi" on the back. 4%ho will you take with you& Niko54 4I would like to go.4 The "en stilled. #ll ga/es flew toward the entrance of the den. /onda* Nikolas!s heartbeat had $icked u$ at the "ere sound of her 1oice. Looking u$on her& dressed in the nearly see-through silk tunic of their $eo$le!s wo"en& no less& da"n near "ade his heart beat out of his chest. he looked utterly breathtaking in a blue tunic that began +ust at the clea1age line and dra$ed to her ankles. The gold ro$e that crisscrossed at her hi$s ke$t the he"line fro" falling to her toes. The elastic band that circled the entire u$$er $ortion ke$t her breasts fro" s$illing out of the slee1eless& slinky sli$ of a dress. .er stiff ni$$les $oked against the sheer "aterial of the tunic. Nikolas blew out a breath. The gown offered no $rotection fro" his lust& and he had the achingly swollen erection to $ro1e it. 4I!" an e*cellent strategist.4 Nikolas forced his ga/e away fro" her body and u$ to her face. Not that it hel$ed "atters "uch. .er features were so strikingly e*otic in their beauty that he stayed hard anyway. 4I!" sorry54 he said& sna$$ing out of the fantasy that in1ol1ed riding her for about twenty-four solid hours.

4#bo1e the ground& that!s $art of what I did during ti"es of war2strategi/e. I decided how "any troo$s would go where and allocated the necessary funds to see it through.4 he had been a warrior in her world. In his lust& such knowledge had te"$orarily been forgotten. 4I see.4 ,onda sighed. 4I can take care of "yself& if you!re worried I!ll get in the way.4 7f that Nikolas held no doubts. Ne1er had he seen a wo"an2or& a "an for that "atter2break shackles "ade fro" iron with +ust the crossing and uncrossing of her legs. #nd the high +u"$ in the air with the series of kicks5 #ny $otential attackers would swoon. Verily& Nikolas was the only warrior he knew with a fearso"e wife. !Twas odd& but in a $leasant way that filled hi" with $ride. 4It isn!t that& so "uch& as I!" certain you would not care to ste$ foot in New Norway.4 7trygg chuckled. 4:ayha$ you should let her go& "ilord. Like as not& New weden will see" a $aradise in contrast.4 4%hat do you "ean54 ,onda asked& glancing o1er to the older warrior. 4Let us +ust say&4 Erikk inter+ected& gaining hi" her attention& 4that the lot in life for the wenches of New Norway is considered barbaric by our $eo$le.4 ,onda!s eyes widened. e1en less res$ect than this one. he couldn!t i"agine a $lace that treated wo"en with he was currently dressed like a se* kitten& she held no

true $olitical rights& was su$$osed to call her husband 4"aster&4 and was taken to task by the fe"ale ser1ants at e1ery "eal for not slee$ing with her "aster and seeing to his "anly needs. They "ight not s$eak English& but she had no $roble" translating the irate lectures2"ainly because a lot of it re1ol1ed around $ointing toward NikolasAs bedroo" and shaking their heads at her. 4%orse than this $lace54 ,onda shook her head. 4%hat do they do to the"5 9ut a$$les on their heads and use the" for target $ractice with a bow and arrow54

That got a laugh out of the three "en. ,onda!s heart stilled. had a hint of a di"$le. 4Not so bad as that&4 Nikolas said& a twinkle in his eyes. 4Then I can handle it.4

he!d ne1er seen

Nikolas wear a genuine s"ile before& and it suited hi" . . . better than $erfectly. .e e1en

4I don!t think it!s a good idea.4 Nikolas!s s"ile dissol1ed. 4The -nderground waterways are often treacherous. #nd when we arri1e in New Norway& you will be e*$ected to dress as their wo"en do. #nd24 ,onda held u$ a $al". 4I!" not the ty$e of wo"an who can +ust sit around all day and sew& okay54 #nd she highly doubted their "anner of dress could be "uch worse than the ense"ble she was currently wearing6 he felt like the Cueen of the lut 9eo$le. 4If you want us to "o1e forward together& then you!1e got to res$ect that.4 Nikolas!s heart thu"$ed in his chest. "ore. 4I!d really like to go& Nikolas. 9lease.4 .e sighed& then said& 4.a1e the ser1ants $re$are you a satchel of clothing.4 .e really had to sto$ this business of acting the in-lo1e "ilkso$ whene1er she was near. (rowning& he began walking away. 4%e lea1e within the hour.4 he was hinting at a truce. :ayha$ e1en

CHAPTER NINE

True to his word& they left within the hour. #nd ,onda got to see "ore of the underworld kingdo". The longboat they boarded looked like classic Viking handiwork straight out of anti3uity& but on a s"aller scale. Nikolas had told her that they were $re$aring to tra1el through a "an-"ade underground waterway that was only big enough for two boats to $ass each other si"ultaneously.

The lower deck contained two slee$ing cha"bers& a crude kitchen& and a co""on area. The u$$er deck featured si* fi*ed oars that warriors "anually "aneu1ered2 three on each side2and two rows of chairs in the "iddle. Nikolas $ut a cloak around ,onda!s shoulders. 4There!s a chill in the air this far below& so I don!t ad1ise re"o1ing it.4 he nodded& already feeling goose bu"$s. 4>es& I feel it.4 .e s"iled& then hel$ed her to her seat aboard the longboat. i* i"$osing Viking warriors& each wearing a hooded black robe& were already in $osition at the oars. They re"inded her of the boat"an on the fabled ri1er ty*. 4The bottled oils are already loaded5! she 3uietly in3uired& settling in ne*t to Nikolas. 4#ye. :y "en "o1e 3uickly.4 4.uh. $ou sure don!t. I-I "ean. . .4 .er eyes rounded. ,onda couldn!t belie1e what she!d +ust said6 The words had stu"bled out of her "outh without her thinking about the"; she +ust ho$ed he hadn!t caught the double entendre. 4I had the boat ready within an hour. %hy would you call "e slow54 he frowned. .e hadn t caught the double entendre. be frustrated or relie1ed. 4I was +oking. %here did you learn English54 Obviously your tutors neglected to teach the delicate art of reading between the lines' he didn!t know whether to

7kay& she sniffed& so she was frustrated6 1ogue.

he bla"ed her raging hor"ones on her

not ha1ing had se* since bright $ink li$stick and gaudy blue eye-shadow had been in

#nd on the way Nikolas had been staring at her through hea1y eyelids in his den. 4:ost "en of the laboring class know how to s$eak it. # way to ha1e one u$ on the o1erlords& I su$$ose.4 .e shrugged. 4:y English is si"$ly different fro" yours. E1ery $eo$le $ossess their own dialect.4

4.ow did you learn it& if it!s the second tongue of laborers5 I thought you were an o1erlord.4 ,onda could ha1e sworn she felt hi" tense u$ beside her. 4I was not born within the class of nobles&4 Nikolas said softly. 4I was born the second son of a fifth son. !Tis a long& co"$licated& and boring tale. grew u$ a"ongst the laborers.4 4>ou worked your way u$ in the ranks instead of inheriting it54 #gain& the tensing. 4#ye.4 ,onda s"iled as she found his ga/e. 4That!s 1ery cool.4 4'ool54 4>eah& cool. >ou know2u"" . . . sort of a cross between ad"irable and desirable.4 ilence. .is eyelids grew hea1y again as their ga/es held. 4I think you are cool too&4 he "ur"ured. he couldn!t hel$ it. he had to grin. The way he had said it was +ust too cute. uffice it to say I

.er eyes s$arkled as she held his stare. ,eaching u$ to his face& she tucked a lock of hair behind one of his ears. 4Thank you&4 she whis$ered back. They re1erted to silence as the boat took off. Ten "en at the rear who were standing on the dock ga1e it a $ush. %ithin seconds of hitting the water& the longboat neared a ra"$. The oars"en began rowing& heading toward a dark tunnel. 4.old on64 one of the "en called out. 4.ere we go64 ,onda yel$ed as the longboat went racing downhill like a water ride in an a"use"ent $ark. he instincti1ely reached for Nikolas!s hand to steady herself. Laughing& she glanced u$ at her husband. 4This is cool54 .e s"iled. 4>eah6 0ut in a different way64

The longboat raced downhill for thirty seconds "ore before the waterway e1ened out and turned flat. The oars"en then returned to rowing and steering the 1essel toward their destination. #n hour later& ,onda was yawning. Two hours later and she could barely kee$ her eyes o$en. 4.ow "uch longer until we get there54 she asked Nikolas. 4#nother ten hours or so.4 4!en hours* Good grief6 I had no idea the -nderground was so 1ast.4 .is blue ga/e flicked o1er her features. 4%hy do you not go below and get so"e rest5 There won!t be "uch to see beyond tunnels for another se1en hours or so.4 ilence. 4%hat about you54 ,onda finally asked& her 1oice soft. 4Don!t you need so"e rest too54 If he "issed this double entendre& she!d ha1e to write hi" a book called /eading Between the 3ines 565. 4I!" not o1erly tired.4 %omebody get me a typewriter' 4Nikolas&4 ,onda sighed. want to be alone down there.4 #gain& silence. 4:ayha$ !twould be& uh& cool. . . if I lie beside you54 4Very cool.4 he s"iled. he ran a hand through her blond curls. 4I really don!t

The lower deck was lit u$ by light bulbs on wall sconces2so"ething she!d noticed in their dwelling& as well. 4I see you!1e disco1ered Tho"as Edison in New weden.4 4Tho"as Edison54 Nikolas in3uired as he led her toward the bedcha"ber. 4>es.4 ,onda $ointed u$ at one of the lights as they $assed by it. 4The guy who in1ented light bulbs in the year FGHI.4

Nikolas sniffed at that. 47ur $eo$le ha1e had the bulbs you s$eak of since FJKK. !Twas in1ented by :ilo Torgysson. 4No kidding54 .e grunted his acknowledg"ent. 4#ye.4 The bedcha"ber turned out to be 3uite cra"$ed and s$arse. Then again& there wouldn!t be "uch need for la1ishness on a longboat. The warriors didn!t s$end "onths on the" sailing the oceans& only a cou$le of days here and there on the underground waterways. Taking a dee$ breath& ,onda re"o1ed her cloak and worked u$ her ner1e. he

had s$ent an entire week thinking and rethinking things& changing her o$inions again and again& until she had at last "ade u$ her "ind on how life would be fro" here on out. 7nce she "ade u$ her "ind& she didn!t change it. It was +ust the way she was and had always been) stubborn and steadfast to the bone. he wanted to car1e out a "eaningful& ha$$y life for herself. he didn!t want to s$end any "ore ti"e brooding o1er what could ha1e been. e*hilarating $rior to her ca$ture. he reali/ed that Nikolas would ne1er let her go2he couldn!t. #nd it was not as if her life had been all that he!d asked for so"e e*cite"ent in her life& and she!d gotten it. )n spades. %hate1er the circu"stances leading u$ to her "arriage& it was ti"e to acce$t that she was indeed "arried. 4 oooo&4 ,onda said& her cheeks $inkening a little as she stood on one side of the bed& her husband on the other. 4%hat do your $eo$le wear when they go to slee$54 Nikolas stilled. 4Nothing.4 he blew out a breath. (inally they were getting so"ewhere. he!d ne1er tried

seducing a "an before; usually it was the other way around. The role of seducer was difficult. >ou could ne1er be totally sure if the other $arty wanted you or would re+ect you. 40ut I understand if you wish to slee$ in your tunic. !Tis cold down here.4

,onda sighed. .ow was that to be inter$reted5 Either he didn!t want her or he was letting her set the $ace. -nfortunately& there was only one way to find out the answer. li$$ing out of her sandals and undoing the gold ro$e at her waist& ,onda ke$t her eyes lowered to the ground. 4In your world&4 she whis$ered& lifting the tunic dress o1er her head and tossing it aside& 4what does a beautiful wo"an look like54 than courageous& and basically asking hi" if he liked what he saw. 4Like you&4 he said thickly. .er ga/e flicked u$. 4Leastways& they as$ire to. I!1e ne1er seen a wo"an so beautiful as you.4 .is blue eyes were hea1y-lidded as he studied e1ery cur1e of her body. .is ga/e lingered at her sha1ed "ons before roa"ing u$ to her breasts. 4#nd I!1e ne1er seen ni$$les that look so ri$e.4 .er heart thu"$ed. 4Is that why you $icked "e54 she "ur"ured& the da"$ness between her thighs increasing. .is ga/e flicked u$ to her face. 4Nay.4 he blinked. 4Then why54 40ecause&4 Nikolas said softly& 4you are full of fire and life. I couldn!t bear to see one of those "en break you and e*tinguish all that you are.4 ,onda!s ga/e wandered o1er his face& "e"ori/ed it. 4That!s the "ost beautiful thing anyone has e1er said to "e.4 4Thank you.4 .e was 3uiet for a "o"ent& then began undressing. .e re"o1ed first his tunic& ne*t his boots& and finally his braes. ,onda!s breathing grew hea1y as she watched hi" bare that hard& honed warrior!s body to her eyes. 0y the ti"e his long& thick erection s$rang loose fro" the braes& desire had coiled tightly in her belly. 4The "en of your world5 %hat is handso"e u$ there54 he drew in a shaky breath. -ncharacteristically& she he 3uickly batted the" away. felt the beginnings of tears welling u$ in her eyes. he!d ne1er felt so 1ulnerable in her life& standing totally naked in front of a "an& eyes downcast& rather

It took her a "o"ent to res$ond; she was too busy staring. 4They want to look like you&4 she said honestly& her ga/e flicking fro" that huge erection to his face& 4but few e1er achie1e it.4 .is face colored a bit. 7n a giant warlord like Nikolas& the effect was oddly char"ing. 4>ou lie&4 he "uttered. .er eyes widened. %as he serious* Good grief6 4I don!t lie.4 .er forehead wrinkled. 4%hat is handso"e on a "an down here54 .e shrugged. 4Nothru". The "an whose wrist you broke.4 44wwww' .e!s $ale and skinny and looks "ore like a wo"an than a "an. %here I co"e fro"& wo"en like "en to be big and strong and se*y. Like you.4 4>ou think "e se*y54 he asked hoarsely. ,onda wet her li$s as their ga/es clashed. In her world& she was considered a1erage. Down here& she was beautiful. In his world& he was considered a1erage. -$ there& he was handso"e. They were two 1ulnerable $eas in their own little $od. 4Very&4 she whis$ered. 4Is that why you $icked "e5 %hy your eyes sought "e out at the auction54 4>es.4 Nikolas grinned. God& he had a great grin. 4I can li1e with that.4 .er s"ile faded& and she said seriously& 40ut it wasn!t the only reason.4 4The other54 4I knew you!d ne1er let anybody hurt "e.4 ilence. 4If you get on that bed&4 Nikolas said thickly& his eyes intense& 4there is no going back. I ha1e but so "uch will$ower.4 ,onda do1e for the bed. Nikolas threw his head back and laughed. he grinned u$ at hi"& then s$read her legs wide o$en. .is s"ile dissol1ed& re$laced with hea1y breathing and $re-cu" dri$$ing fro" the ti$ of his swollen cock.

God& he was gorgeous. Deadly body. ,ugged "asculine beauty. #ll $ri"al& lethal "ale. Ne1er in her entire life had she wanted a "an with the fire that she cra1ed Nikolas.

Nikolas!s breathing grew harsh as he watched his gorgeous wife s$read o$en her bald nether li$s and "assage her tiny little clit. .er head fell back against the $illows on a "oan as her $lu"$ ni$$les +utted into the air. .e!d wanted her since the first "o"ent he!d laid eyes on her. u$$ressing his

desire had grown increasingly "ore difficult with each "o"ent. E1ery second a new fantasy of what he wanted to do to ,onda had forced its way into his "ind. Thank the gods he no longer had to s3uelch his a$$etite. Nikolas do1e between his wife!s legs& re"o1ed her hands fro" her wet& "uskyscented flesh& and re$laced the" with his hungry "outh. on her delicious $ussy. 47h& God&4 ,onda "oaned& wra$$ing her legs around his neck. .er teeth gritting& she used her hands to $ress his face as close to her flesh as hu"anly $ossible. 47h& yes&4 she ground out& her hi$s undulating back and. forth. 4Eat it& Nikolas. Oh, &od(oh, yes' (eat me.1 Nikolas suckled harder. co"e. .e sucked harder. #nd harder and harder and harder. 1Oh, &od' Oh, yes' Ohhhhh, &oddddddd'1 con1ulsing as she ga1e hi" a 1iolent orgas". .e growled low in his throat. he tasted so good. he tasted like . . . his. he ca"e on a loud screa"& he "oaned& her lower body shaking as she $re$ared to he gas$ed& her hi$s instincti1ely rearing u$& her fingers twining through his hair as he sucked long and hard

47h& Nikolas&4 ,onda "ur"ured as her breathing began returning to nor"al. 4:""".4

.e ga1e her flesh one last hard suck& then released it. %hen he lifted his face fro" between her thighs& he noticed that her eyes were closed& a drea"y s"ile on her face. .e also noticed those hard& $ink ni$$les that he!d been dying to taste. ettling hi"self inti"ately between her legs& Nikolas $al"ed both breasts in his warrior-calloused hands. .e $ushed her large breasts together as closely as they would go& then dined. .e flicked at and sucked on her stiff ni$$les one at a ti"e& going fro" one to the other and back again. ,onda whi"$ered& lifting her botto" u$ so that her fe"ale flesh $ressed against his hard sto"ach. he wanted hi" inside her& but he took his ti"e& sucking on those ni$$les the way he!d often fantasi/ed doing while stroking his big cock and $retending she wanted hi" as "uch as he wanted her. 4Nikolas&4 she groaned in a $leading 1oice& her body writhing under his& please fuck me. ) m begging you.4 .e released one of her ni$$les with a $o$$ing sound& his head lifting fro" her breasts. Grabbing his thick erection by the root& he $ressed the swollen ti$ against her o$ening. 4Is this what you want54 he "ur"ured& his eyelids hea1y. @>es&B she $anted. .ow often he!d drea"ed of watching her lie beneath hi"& begging to be fucked by hi". trong& feisty& gorgeous& and deter"ined2all that he!d e1er wanted& all that he!d ne1er belie1ed he!d ha1e. Now he had her. #nd he would ne1er let go. 4Tell "e&4 he whis$ered& his ga/e drugged with $assion. .e $ressed the head of his cock a bit farther into her tight& gri$$ing $ussy. 4Tell "e how bad you want "e.4 @,eal bad&4 she ground out. 4-ikolas, please'4

,onda felt that she!d go insane if he didn!t i"$ale her right now. The thought of re1ersing their $ositions and taking what she wanted crossed her "ind& but he outweighed her by a solid hundred $ounds. This "an was KLM $ounds of honed "uscle. 4Gi1e it to "e&4 she hissed. 1.leeeeeease.1 4#d"it that you are "ine.4 .is +aw tightened. 4Vow to "e that you will ne1er lie with another.4 4I swear it. I!" yours6 -ikolas . . . I need you to24 ,onda gas$ed as he entered her flesh to the hilt in one long stroke. .er eyes watered a bit at the in1asion& as it had been a long ti"e since she!d had se*. #nd she!d ne1er had se* with a "an as large as Nikolas. 4>ou feel so good&4 he said hoarsely& his eyelids i"$ossibly hea1ier. 4I lo1e how tight and wet my wife is.4 he lo1ed the way he!d e"$hasi/ed my. It s$oke to so"e $ri"iti1e need for $rotection that had been i"$rinted by ca1e ancestors& e1en though she could take care of herself +ust fine. Nikolas began to thrust in and out of her& long& $ossessi1e strokes that "ade her "oan. 4#nd I lo1e the way you feel inside "e&4 ,onda breathed out& her aching ni$$les $oking u$ against his chest. 4 o thick and $owerful and filling.4 .e took her harder& rocking in and out of her gri$$ing flesh while they clung to each other and groaned out their $assion for the other. The into*icating scent of their co"bined sweat and arousal filled the air. 1Harder,1 she ground out. 4Gi1e it to "e real hard.4 4Like this54 .e $ounded inside her dee$ and fast. .er breasts +iggled with e1ery thrust. 4:"""& you feel so good.4 1Oh, &od() want to come'1 In a lightning-3uick "o1e"ent& Nikolas ca"e u$ to his knees and threw ,onda!s legs o1er his shoulders. 9ressing on her clit with his thu"b& he i"$aled her o1er and o1er and o1er as she "oaned& writhed& and threw her hi$s back at hi".

.e rode her hard& "ercilessly $u"$ing in and out of her flesh. ,onda gas$ed as the tingle in her clit coiled tight. The sound of slick skin sla$$ing against slick skin& her se* sucking back in his cock& the $ressure of his thu"b at her clit2 7Oh. 8y. &od2-ikolaaaaaaas'1 he ca"e hard& groaning as a 1iolent orgas" washed o1er her. 0lood rushed to her face& heating it. 0lood rushed to her ni$$les& elongating the". wanting hi" to e*$erience the sa"e $leasure he!d +ust gi1en to her. 7/onda.9 .is +aw was tense& his +ugular bulging. .e fucked her harder& sla""ing in and out of her. Once, twice, three times more. . . Nikolas ca"e on a loud growl& his teeth gritting as his body con1ulsed. out his $raise& lo1ing e1ery second of it. of her. They lay there& holding each other& clinging to each other& in co"fortable silence. It was a long while before their breathing returned to nor"al. Nikolas got u$ fro" the bed only long enough to fetch so"e ani"al hides. %hen he returned to the bed& ,onda snuggled u$ with hi" beneath the furs. he rested her head on his chest as his 1ein-ro$ed ar" ca"e around her& holding her close to hi". 4It occurs to "e&4 he "ur"ured& 4that we still ha1en!t kissed.4 he s"iled fro" where her head lay on his chest. 4 o kiss "e already&4 she whis$ered. .e wasted no ti"e in "eeting her challenge. Nikolas kissed her as she!d ne1er been kissed before. #nd "ade her heart ache for hi" in a way that& on the day of her ca$ture& she hadn!t thought would e1er be $ossible. he ke$t he bucked harder&

$ushing her hi$s u$ at hi"& "ilking hi" for e1ery bit of +uice he had to gi1e. .e groaned he didn!t sto$ until& s$ent& he colla$sed on to$

CHAPTER TEN

7trygg had been correct about one thing) in contrast New Norway did "ake New weden see" like a wo"en!s rights $aradise. #t least in Lokitown& ,onda had been $er"itted to wear clothing. 4Nikolas&4 ,onda gritted out& 4$lease don!t tell "e these $eo$le actually e*$ect "e to take !off "y dress while we ha1e dinner with the".4 .e sighed. 4Did I not try to warn you before we de$arted54 >es& he had. #nd she had refused to listen to his argu"ents $ertaining to why she should re"ain behind. +rrrrg' 4!Twill be $ut two hours at "ost&4 he said to co"fort her. (or whate1er co"fort that offered6 47nly whilst the warriors unload the oils and load the bartered wea$ons.4 he sighed& then $inched the bridge of her nose. 4#re you sure they won!t let "e kee$ on "y clothes54 she asked ho$efully. 4:aybe since I don!t li1e here& they won!t e*$ect "e to abide by their24 4%e e*$ect the" to obey our laws when in New weden.4 ,onda frowned& but conceded the $oint. 47kay.4 Damn it' There didn!t see" to be a graceful way out of this. If she refused to re"o1e her clothing& she was a lawbreaker. If she re"ained on the boat& she!d not only be in the warriors! way& but would also be considered ter"inally rude. 47nly for two hours54 she "iserably retorted& sounding e1ery inch the "artyr she felt to be. .e nodded. 4%e will be on our way back to Lokitown before you know it.4

It was the longest two hours of ,onda!s thirty-three-year old life. Not only were the fe"ales of New Norway!s .allfreor clan forbade clothing& but they were regarded as little "ore than sla1es by these war-hungry "en. Nikolas had told her that the custo" of the "arriage auction block had co"e to New weden 1ia the New Danes. 0ut it was fro" New Norway that Toki had co$ied the selling of naked wo"en who could be $oked at by any lust-hungry warrior with bartering rights. If Lord Ericsson successfully o1erthrew Toki!s regi"e& he $lanned to re1ert to the old way. ,onda had no idea what the 4old way4 consisted of& but +ust about anything would be better than the status 3uo. #s guests of the .allfreor!s ruling noble& they ate within his large& la1ish dwelling at the docks. ,onda was the only fe"ale $er"itted at the table. The others& all as naked as she was& were either ser1ing food or attending to their "aster. This $articular noble clearly en+oyed ha1ing se1eral nude& subser1ient wo"en around hi" at all ti"es& their attentions de1oted e*clusi1ely to hi". They sat at his feet ga/ing worshi$fully u$ at hi"& not so "uch as blinking unless he "otioned for the" to do this or that. 7ccasionally he would reach down and stroke one of the" or $lay with another one!s ni$$les. It brought to "ind a "an $etting his cats. Do ) throw up now or later* #s ,onda recalled 8onna!s words& she wondered how the beautiful wo"an was settling into life in New weden. %hen they returned to Lokitown& she would ask to see her. The noble!s eyes ke$t flicking to ,onda!s naked breasts& the only $art of her he could see while seated at the table. .er only consolation was that Nikolas clearly didn!t care for it& either. .e had a $ossessi1e ar" cla"$ed around ,onda& letting e1eryone in the dining cha"ber know +ust who" she belonged to. #bo1eground& she hadn!t liked $ossessi1eness in a "an. 0elow the ground& it was not only welco"e& but see"ed to be a necessity to kee$ fro" being "anhandled or worse. 4I would be willing to barter e*tra wea$ons&4 the lord of the .allfreor clan announced& his ga/e darting fro" ,onda!s ni$$les to Nikolas!s face& 4if you would be willing to $art with so"e of your balls of light.4

40alls of light54 Nikolas asked& an eyebrow arching. 4#ye. Those concoctions you ha1e that contain fire in a ball.4 Light bulbs& ,onda thought. #$$arently the New wedes hadn!t shared :ilo!s in1ention with the two other -nderground kingdo"s. That e*$lained why they were eating by torchlight2not that she was co"$laining) it "ade it "ore difficult for the o1erse*ed noble to discern her nude body. 4I belie1e we ha1e a few cartons aboard shi$. I can lea1e two of those cartons behind. . . for the right $rice.4 4#nd that $rice would be54 4Ten "ore guns and fifteen "ore swords.4 Lord .allfreor hesitated only briefly before inclining his head. 4!Tis done.4 The re"ainder of the "eal Nassed by "ercifully fast. Now that Lord 9er1ert was concentrating on bartering with Nikolas& ,onda felt "ore rela*ed. In fact she ended u$ rather en+oying the "eal& for the great food. 0efore she knew it& it was ti"e to reboard the longboat and sail back to Lokitown. ,onda thanked the noble for his hos$itality as she stood u$& and the "an!s ga/e lowered to her bald "ons. 4#nd I thank you too&4 Nikolas growled& flying& to his feet. .is blue ga/e was as icy as when ,onda had first seen it. 4%e shall de$art for New weden anon.4 4'o"e now& old friend. %hy not stay the "oon-rising54 # gli""er of a"use"ent& and recognition of Nikolas!s +ealousy& s$arked in the noble!s eyes. # tic for"ed in Lord Ericsson!s +aw. 4Nay. %e $refer to return ho"e.4

#s soon as they boarded the longboat& ,onda "ade a beeline for the bedcha"ber to retrie1e her tunic-dress. 7ne thing was certain) she!d ne1er be asking her husband to take her on a 1acation to New Norway. -ooooo thank you' 'lothing was her friend& a new "antra.

0ent o1er the bed as she searched for the gar"ent& she was so busy throwing ani"al hides this way and that& that she didn!t hear Nikolas enter the bedcha"ber. Two strong& calloused hands sei/ed her hi$s fro" behind& "aking her gas$ in "o"entary fright. .is long& thick cock slid into her gri$$ing flesh all the way& turning her gas$ into a "oan. 4Nikolas&4 she breathed out& glancing o1er her shoulder. .is territorial stare looked "ore ani"al than hu"an& his "uscles tense and ready to take her. .e was still fully dressed& his braes down +ust enough to let his erect cock and tight balls s$ring free. 1$ou re mine,1 he ground out& dee$ly i"$aling her again. 1+ll mine.1 4>es&4 ,onda $anted& falling onto the bed and lifting her buttocks high in the air. 4I a".4 9al"ing both round cheeks in his hands& Nikolas wasted no ti"e in branding her body as his $ossession. .e rode her without "ercy& sinking into her aroused flesh again and again. ,onda!s large breasts +iggled beneath her with each of his thrusts& her ni$$les getting stiff and aroused. 1Harder,1 she gas$ed. 18ore.1 4Do you like "y cock buried inside you54 .is 1oice was forceful and laced with "ore than a little +ealousy. .is thrusts ca"e harder& faster& dee$er. 1Do you*1 1$es,1 ,onda groaned& $ushing her hi$s back at hi"& "eeting hi" thrust for thrust. 4I lo1e your cock.4 .e went $ri"al on her then& $lunging in and out of her so hard; dee$& and fast that all she could do was screa" and co"e2twice. Nikolas!s body tensed u$ after her second orgas"& his breathing labored& his "oans telling her without words that he was ready to burst. .e ca"e inside her on a loud roar& $u"$ing frenetically as he e"$tied his seed inside her tight flesh. he threw her hi$s back at hi"2faster' faster' faster'2lo1ing the sound of his ani"alistic groan while she "ilked his cock of its s$er".

0y the ti"e they finished& ,onda was so e*hausted that it was all she could do to crawl to the "iddle of the bed& where& $anting as if she!d +ust run a "arathon& she colla$sed. Nikolas chuckled& then fell to the bed beside her& his breathing +ust as hea1y. %ithin "o"ents they were under the ani"al hides again& snuggling as they had before. Nikolas stroked her hair as she laid her head on his chest. 4I don!t know what hand fate will deal "e when we return to Lokitown and I declare war on the +arl.4 Nikolas s3uee/ed her tightly. 48ust know that I will die to $rotect you& and that e1en should I go to the gods in Valhalla& you will dwell in "y heart fore1er.4 Tears stung ,onda!s eyes. 4I won!t let you die&4 she 1owed. 4Ne1er.4 .is s"ile was soft& gentle2an e*$ression at total odds with the rough& rugged warlord wearing it. 4I belie1e you.4 .e was 3uiet for a "o"ent& then) 4 hould I li1e to defeat Toki . . .4 4>es54 4Do you think that. . . "ayha$ . . .4 .is ga/e searched hers. 4Do you think that "ayha$ one day you "ight grow to lo1e "e54 ,onda!s li$s cur1ed into a s"ile. 4I think we!re already heading that way fast& Nikolas Ericsson&4 she whis$ered. 4Very fast.4 4#s do I.4 .is li$s found hers. 4#s do I&4 he "ur"ured against the".

EPI&OGUE T#e ty years later

It hadn!t taken ,onda Ericsson long at all to fall in lo1e with her husband. Indeed& she so"eti"es wondered if she hadn!t lo1ed hi" fro" the "o"ent he!d sa1ed her at the auction. .e had $ro1en then what he!d $ro1ed ti"e and ti"e again o1er the years2

Nikolas!s heart was true& his lo1e loyal& and his $rotection a gi1en. ,onda had learned a lot about what lo1e really "eant o1er the $ast two decades. Not that she hadn!t taught her warlord husband $lenty herself. he!d instructed

hi" in the art of karate and& "ore i"$ortant& in the understanding that he was worthy of being lo1ed. .e had been a king for al"ost as long as they!d been "arried& but her feelings for hi" would ha1e been the sa"e if he weren!t. New weden was a different $lace under Nikolas!s rule. The warriors still held steadfastly to the old ways& but wo"en had gained "ore freedo"s and rights. #t ti"es it had been teeth-grittingly slow going& but it had ha$$ened and continued to e1ol1e. Nikolas was a +ust& fair ruler. .e held his $eo$le together with a reasonable but fir" fist. ,onda had been& uncharacteristically for wo"en down here& 1ocal in her o$inions. he and Nikolas had taken so"e flack for it o1er the years& but her $o$ularity a"ongst the $eo$le& es$ecially the "atriarchs& was too $owerful for a few naysayers to destroy.

Nikolas had turned out to be e1erything ,onda could e1er ha1e wanted in a "an and then so"e) an e*cellent father who $laced as "uch 1alue on their daughter as he did on their three sons& a wise leader of their $eo$le& a thoughtful& lo1ing husband& a fierce warlord& and in a few short weeks when their daughter& 'ora& ga1e birth& she knew he!d be the world!s "ost de1oted grandfather& as well. 7n "ost sub+ects Nikolas was $retty fle*ible& as Viking warriors went& but on the issue of& re"aining below the ground his o$inion could not be swayed. .e clung steadfastly to the belief of the ancients& that one day the in1entions of 7utsiders would cost the" dearly and s$read disease and chaos to all those li1ing abo1e the ground. (e"ales& for reasons unknown& would dwindle in nu"bers and bloodlines would die out. ,onda could only sigh and shake her head at such alar"ist& head-to-the-hills reasoning& but these beliefs were the 1ery foundation of the -nderworld culture. and New Daneland would also cease to thri1e. he su$$osed if this belief syste" ceased to e*ist& the clans of New weden& New Norway&

4Good "orn& "y lo1es.4 Nikolas bent down and kissed ,onda and then their daughter& who were sitting in the solariu". It was the brightest of all the cha"bers in the Ericsson dwelling& ha1ing the "ost $ee$holes leading u$ to the world that lay abo1e. The sun!s light shone through strongly in here. ,onda s"iled. 4Good "orning5 It!s al"ost ti"e for dinner. #t last& he arises64 God& he was handso"e& she thought& a twinkle of content"ent in her eyes. The years had only "ade hi" look i"$ossibly better to her. .e was as "uscled& $owerful& and strong as e1er. # few laugh lines around the eyes and his salt-and-$e$$er hair were the only hints he!d aged at all. 4I thought the elders of the council would ne1er cease their $rattling last e1e. %hat ha1e you two been doing54 4Going o1er $lans for the soon-to-be baby!s bedcha"ber&4 'ora e*citedly infor"ed hi". 40ut so"ehow we got on the sub+ect of how you and "other "et.4 'ora grinned& her father!s di"$le denting one cheek. 4Tell "e& did she really knee you ill the 24 4#ye&4 Nikolas cut in& frowning. 4I walked funny for days.4 #s the three of the" shared a good laugh o1er that& ,onda winked at her husband. No "atter the gruff 1oice& she knew he lo1ed that "e"ory. he had been the only $erson who!d been able to $hysically thwart hi"& if e1en for +ust a cou$le of "inutes. 4I!d better go&4 'ora sighed& standing u$. .er belly was so ri$e ,onda wouldn!t be sur$rised if she ga1e birth to twins. 47laf and I are to su$ with his $arents this e1e.4 4(un& fun&4 ,onda teased her daughter. 'ora frowned. 4If 7laf!s sire tells another boring ode of his warrior days gone by& I will throttle hi".!4 4#hhh&4 Nikolas chastised his eldest child& 4lea1e 7trygg to his "usings. #t his age& !tis all he has left.4 'ora s"iled her agree"ent as she lifted her satchel and $re$ared to lea1e. 47h64 she said& looking back at her $arents. 4I al"ost forgot to show you so"ething "y husband wanted you to see& 9a$a.4

Nikolas lifted one dark eyebrow as 'ora fished out an abo1eground news$a$er and handed it to hi". 4I don!t know how I could forget so"ething like this&4 she said. 47ne of 7laf!s scouts retrie1ed this fro" the 7utside.4 before the rest of the -nderground is abu//.4 (rowning& ,onda stood and read the news$a$er by her husband!s side. stilled& the article +arring) One year ago today, after twenty: five years of research, scientists perfected the ability to choose the gender of babies to be conceived. Detractors, including many feminist groups as well as the pope, are trying to get genetic tampering barred in ;ongress, so far with no success. !he detractors cite statistics from last year s pregnancies, which suggest that for every female that was born last year, ten male babies had been born. . . he he took a dee$ breath. 4#las& the $ro$hecy of the ancients is co"ing to $ass. 7laf thought you would want to know

,onda felt di//y. %as it true5 'ould those old $ro$hecies she!d thought of as rubbish actually be co"ing to $ass5 Goose bu"$s for"ed on her ar"s. @.a1e no fear& "y lo1e&B Nikolas "ur"ured& sensing his wife!s distress. 4The -nderground is safe.4 .e wra$$ed a secure& $owerful ar" around her. That 1ein-ro$ed ar" was as co"forting now as it had been two decades ago. 4#nd we always will be.4 # s"ile of ad"iration and lo1e for"ed on ,onda!s li$s. 4No "atter what lies ahead for any world& abo1e or below the ground& I will always be by your side.4 always lo1e you.4 4I lo1e you too& ,onda Ericsson.4 .e waited for her to look u$ at hi"& then he winked. 4I!1e always thought you to be 1ery cool.4 he leaned into hi"& needing his strength and war"th. 4I lo1e you& Nikolas Ericsson. I will