Stolen Away Read Online Free Page B

the ship. She smiled as she wandered through the colony of workers as they lovingly nurtured their thirty-five foot long, timber-lined queen. Kiera ducked underneath the arching keel and moved towards Mats, lying on his back, red-faced, and holding a plank up with one hand against the bottom of the hull.
    â€œTo the gods above,” he moaned, “it's about time! Quick! Quick! Bring them here before my arm falls off!”
    Kiera passed the nails to his free hand, then watched as he placed the majority of the nails on his chest, stuck the last two in his teeth, then, with three expert cracks of the hammer, drove his first nail deep into the plank. Slithering backwards, Mats worked his way along the length of the keel, driving in nail after nail, his hands flying with quickness and precision. Securing the board, he gave a great sigh, rolled onto his side and smiled at her.
    â€œThanks, Kiera. Sorry if I was grumpy a moment ago.”
    â€œThat's all right,” she said, trying to be casual. “How is it going with the ship?”
    â€œShe was in rough shape, but with all of us breaking our backs on this job, I think she will be ready to go in a day or two.”
    â€œAnd I guess you'll be going?”
    Mats shrugged and turned his attention back to the hull. “Don't know. Thorfinn hasn't yet decided who's going, as far as I know.”
    She frowned as he began to repair another section. The short conversation was over.
    â€œI had better get back to repairing the sail.”
    Only the hammer responded with a sharp crack. Kiera shrugged, turned and walked face-first into a sweaty chest.
    â€œBetter watch where you're going, young lady.” Bjorn pulled her away from him by the shoulders and glanced over at Mats, raising his eyebrows. “Actually, I'm glad I bumped into you.”
    She smiled shyly, knowing that Bjorn wouldn't embarrass her in front of Mats, and brushed the hair from her eyes. “Do you need some help down here?’
    Bjorn cleared his throat. “Not exactly. Thorfinn and I have decided that we would like you to come with us on the voyage.”
    Kiera's mouth dropped open. “Go with you? On the ship?”
    â€œThat's right.”
    â€œBut I'm…”
    â€œI know. You are a young woman, and it's unusual for women to go on voyages of exploration, but we really don't have much choice. We need every available man to stay behind and guard the village from possible attack. Thorfinn has decided to take only a skeleton crew with him on the journey south. If you come, then Gunnar, the only man who is skilled in sail repair, can remain and help guard the village. He can also continue to work on the other boats in case the village needs to evacuate on short notice.”
    Kiera shifted uneasily. Unlike many Vikings, she preferred to have dry land under her feet. “But there are other women in the village who are skilled at sail repair and life on the ocean than myself. Perhaps one of them should go in my place.”
    â€œI'm afraid that's out of the question,” Bjorn said flatly.
    His words cut her to the core. The other, more skilled women were blood Vikings. She was not. Even though Bjorn and Dagmar treated her as family, she was still a slave. Her life didn't matter. Clearly, her idea of Bjorn, Dagmar and Lorna being a second family to her was just a fantasy. If this is how her own family felt about her, then what about Mats? To the villagers, she was still an outsider and would remain so for the rest of her life. Her gaze drifted down to the ground to hide her watering eyes.
    â€œWhen do we leave?” she asked, her voice hollow and defeated.
    â€œTomorrow, at first light.”
    She turned, shoulders sagging. “Then I had better go pack.”
    Kiera wasn't sure if Bjorn had picked up on her dejectedness. She wasn't even sure if he cared. Everything she believed of her place in this community was now shattered. She was heading out to sea, past