Rescuing Kadlin Read Online Free

such lust that he had been overcome. That she was likewise affected convinced him that she was meant to be his… always.
    They had made love for the first time under the soaring pine trees, and afterward, he had pulled a smooth glass bead from his braid and strung it into her hair. In accepting the token, she had accepted him, and they were bound together. When they had returned to the farm, Grima had presided over a handfasting that sealed their intent. The other six who lived and worked with them had borne witness to the ceremony. They had been loyal friends, and Bjorn wondered how the journey he was about to undertake might change things.
    Bjorn fingered the bead then followed the braid upward to the place it started—just above his right ear. He touched the long, thick scar on his scalp, and his anticipation turned to anger. The newly-found memory of Rowyn shoving him under the willow tree loomed up in his mind. Bjorn’s hands had been bound behind his back, and he’d lost his balance and fallen to the ground. His last clear memory was of the vicious smirk on his brother’s face as he hefted the club over his head and brought it down on Bjorn’s skull. Bjorn wondered why Rowyn had bothered to untie him before leaving him for dead. Perhaps he’d had a moment of mercy and wanted Bjorn to have his hands free when he entered Valhalla. More likely, Rowyn was afraid for his own soul and wished the gods to take pity on him when his own time came.
    The Viking tamped down his rage and tried to focus on his goal. It would do him no good to let emotions get the best of him. There was too much to be won—and lost. As the others gathered around him and offered well wishes, he concentrated on being a gracious master. He would rely on them to watch over the farmstead, and more importantly, keep Kadlin and Hjortr safe in his absence. The thought had barely formed when his young son burst from the house and ran to his father’s side.
    “I’ve something for you, Father,” he said in his sweet little voice. Bjorn held out his hand, and Hjortr dropped a tiny clay figure into his palm. “It is Odin. He will watch over you in your travels.” Bjorn bent and kissed the boy on the top of his head.
    “Thank you, son. I will keep it with me and think of you every day.”
    The child wrapped his arms around his father’s neck, and the Viking stood and pulled him to his chest.
    “Now, I am counting on you to make sure that the chickens are fed. You must feed your dog, Floki, too, and see that he doesn’t chase the sheep too much.” Hjortr nodded then nestled against his father’s neck. Bjorn could feel the boy’s tears on his skin. “And you will watch over your mother. You must do as she says, and if she seems sad, you should give her kisses and tell her all is well.”
    Bjorn kissed his son again and set him on the ground. “Where is your mother, boy? Has she decided to sleep late?”
    “I have not slept late, husband.” Bjorn turned toward the sound of Kadlin’s voice and saw her leading her pony into the dooryard. It was laden for a journey. His wife had traded her proper Viking apron dress for the garb of the Reindeer People. She wore a deep blue tunic with a beaded belt, trousers and leather shoes that curled at the toes. She’d been wearing the same clothes when he’d first met her and seeing her dressed this way made his blood boil.
    “Are you going somewhere, wife?” he asked, struggling to keep his anger in check.
    “ We are going somewhere, husband,” she answered, jutting out her sweet little chin.
    Bjorn looked at her pony and discovered that it had been outfitted exactly as his horse had been. She’d had help from the others, and their betrayal fueled his anger. He turned to face the three couples, and they dropped their gazes to the ground under his stare. Agata wrapped her arm around Hjortr’s shoulders and led him back to the house. The others quickly followed.
    “Back to the hearth, Kadlin,” the