“Aye.The Kraken have leveled five of our villages, and taken our women and children as prisoners.We do not know why, or what they intend, but we will find out.”
“How does my husband plan to rescue them?"
“He hasn't shared his plans with me, and the reasons he hasn't shared them with you are as plain as the nose on your face.Because he doesn't trust you!”She angrily shouted.
Weary of being berated for things beyond her control, Brunhild gave the woman a sharp nod and turned on her heel.
***
The next morning, Brunhild took her customary stroll along the shore.She'd begun using the routine walk to clear her head, and she had much to think about that morning.
One of the many guards always trailed behind her and she never went anywhere unarmed, she had no reason to fear for her safety.
When a net was thrown over her head as she stepped over the rocks, she was caught off guard.She struggled to unsheathe her sword, looking around wildly for her attacker.
Harsh laughter surrounded her from all sides, and the tentacled kraken rose from the water, a cudgel in its hand.
“You’ll not save his kingdom or any other, Brunhild Ranulfsdottir.But because your fool of a husband is convinced you’re the answer to his prayers he’ll come searching for you.Just as he’s been searching for those we’ve stolen.”
“I am nothing more than a vessel and an empty bargain to my husband.He will not search for me.”
She managed to lift and twist the net enough to turn, and one of the creatures waved its tentacles back and forth.“Our king knows your husband, and you do not.We have been fighting for centuries and victory is nearly in our grasp.Our sovereign knows you are something created by the gods to break our each uisge enemy.”
Chapter Eleven
“Yourmajesty,thequeendidn’t return from her walk below the cliffs.”
Every morning his new wife sought out the ancient grove of twisted trees that stood on the headland and the stone strewn sand below.She said she felt closer to Freyja, and her prayers to the goddess were more potent because of the old magic that dwelt in the roots.
Brunhild’s independent spirit hadn’t changed since the consummation, and Toran knew he’d feel her wrath if he hovered or followed her too closely.He stayed out of sight when he watched over her.That morning, he hadn’t followed her.His war leader had wanted to discuss strategy for the attack they knew was coming.The spies who had infiltrated the Kraken Court hadn’t been able to report details, but they’d confirmed an incursion was imminent.
If his enemies had kidnapped his mate, he would raze them to the ground.
Even now, he fought the instinct to transform and track down her kidnappers.
He was certain that’s what had befallen her.She was always armed to the teeth and was a force to be reckoned with, but if they had ambushed her, she wouldn’t have been able to fight all of them off at once.
After their dire warning, her captors had thrown a sack over her head and tied her wrists behind her back.When Brunhild heard the lap of waves, a knot of panic unfurled in her gut.They were taking her somewhere unfamiliar and she’d have to save herself from their intentions.She’d been taken because of her each uisge husband, and but she didn’t plan on remaining in their clutches long enough to become bait.
They pushed her forward and her knees banged against the stern of the boat.One of her captors caught her by grabbing the trailing end of the rope around her wrists, and viciously wrenched it.She didn’t fall face first, but she could feel the blood trickling down her arms from the rough treatment.
“I am a queen and a chieftain’s daughter, I’d be more careful if I were you,” she haughtily said.She knew her status didn’t matter to them, but if they thought she was nothing more than a pampered prize, perhaps she could chisel her way through their defenses.
“Ye’re nothin’ more than a bitch in heat with your blade between your teeth,” one of her captors said with an evil laugh.
“Aye,” another one said.“And the Kraken king likes nothing better than bringing bitches to heel.”
They all broke into raucous laughter at that, and even as their words raised her hackles, Brunhild bit her tongue.Her antagonism had worked.
She closed her eyes and rubbed the sigil on her bound wrist against her tunic, muttering her warlord’s name under her breath.He’d said it bound them, and his beast would heed her call.
One of the men cuffed her shoulder, nearly toppling her again.“What’s that you’re sayin’, bitch?”
She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin.“I was saying you’ll regret this.My king will come after you and rip your throats out.”
One of them, who seemed to be the leader, tsked.“No, he won’t.You’re bait, you Viking bitch, and he’ll fall right into our trap.”
From everything she’d witnessed of her mate, Brunhild knew he was too cunning to fall for their ploy.She also knew that he wouldn’t jeopardize his kingdom by letting anger or a quest for vengeance rule his actions.He had a cadre of spies and assassins whose sole mission was to infiltrate the Kraken kingdom and he’d wield them to his advantage.