Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 102573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“Aye,” Sven said. “It was nothing more than a dead animal mauled by another animal. His heart still intact.”
Tavia breathed a sigh of relief at the good news for a change.
Bhric joined his wife on the bench beside her. “We will eat and seek an early bed.” His arm hooked her around her waist, and he yanked her close to nibble teasingly at her neck.
“I agree,” Sven said and went to do the same to his wife.
“Whoa!” Ingrid said, her hand pressed to his chest, stopping him from getting close. “Do you see the size of me? I do not need anything else that is big inside of me right now.”
Bhric shook his head and Tavia chuckled.
Sven stuck his chest out. “At least she admits I am a good size.”
Tavia’s cheeks blushed and Bhric kept shaking his head.
“You two really are made for each other,” Bhric said.
“As are you and Tavia,” Ingrid said. “I simply did not want to admit that Mum was right.”
“As she usually is,” Bhric said and called out, “food and drink!”
Talk went on as warriors from the tribe and clan entered the Great Hall for supper. Laughter filled the air, food was enjoyed, and much ale and wine drunk.
“Time to keep that promise, wife,” Bhric whispered in her ear and rubbed his face in her soft dark hair, the scent of mint pleasing his nostrils.
Tavia smiled and responded by slipping her hand beneath the table to rest it between his legs and give his aroused manhood a squeeze.
Eager to have his wife to himself, Bhric went to announce their departure when a warrior burst through the doors.
“A FIGHT, MY LORD!” the warrior shouted.
Tribe warriors stood as did Clan MacShane warriors, anger on all their faces and their hands going to their weapons at their sides.
The warrior seeing what his shout had caused hurried to say, “Between tribe warriors.”
“Stay here, wife,” Bhric ordered annoyed his plans had been disrupted.
“Absolutely not,” Ingrid said. “Tavia comes with me. I have been eager to watch a good fight.”
Tavia did not have much choice. Ingrid grabbed her by the arm and propelled her out of the keep behind Sven and Bhric, both men shaking their heads, Fen keeping pace with them.
Two large men stood surrounded by Northmen who cheered them on as they threw endless punches. The crowd parted to allow Bhric to enter, and the two men stopped abruptly when they caught sight of him.
The one man, blood running from his nose and mouth into his blond beard, said, “He said my wife was ugly. He deserves a beating.”
The other man, whose one eye was nearly swelled shut, laughed. “She is ugly, but then so are you.”
Punches were thrown again, and everyone cheered them on.
Tavia suddenly felt people closing in around her. No one had ever gotten that close to her with Fen by her side. That was when she realized the hound was not there. She made her way through the crowd and found him a distance away staring into the darkness growling.
She approached him cautiously. “What is wrong, Fen?”
He turned, growled, took a step forward, then whined.
“Someone is hurt?” she asked, and he hurried forward, the darkness swallowing him up. She did not hesitate she followed after him.
No torches lit this area, and she took cautious steps calling out to the hound. When she heard him whine, she headed toward the sound quickly. Her feet caught on something, and she tumbled forward landing heavily on the ground. Fen was quickly at her side. She turned, sat up and braced her hands on the ground to push herself to her feet.
Her hands were wet and sticky, and she brought them up close to her face to see what she had touched. That’s when she spotted the flickering flame of a torch light rushing toward her, and not soon after two screams suddenly pierced the night air.
“SHE KILLED HER. SHE KILLED MARTA!”
CHAPTER 24
Tavia stared down at Marta, blood pooled beneath her head. Her eyes were closed and her body lifeless. She dropped down beside the woman and leaned her face close to Marta’s lips to see if she could feel a breath. She also pressed her hand to her chest to see if she could feel it rise and fall.
“Get away from her! Get away from her! You will not steal what breath may linger in her,” one woman accused.
“Get Greta. Marta is still alive,” Tavia ordered her tongue sharp as she bundled what she could of Marta’s cloak and pressed it to the back of her head.
“She killed her!” came another accusing voice that was echoed repeatedly by others.
“Good Lord, what happened?” Ingrid said, rushing toward a kneeling Tavia and stopping beside her, her eyes wide with shock.
Sven was not far behind his wife and stood next to her, a look of complete disbelief on his face as he stared down at Marta.