Page 44 of Lord of Fire and Ice

A man could stand only so much, and he’d reached his limit. He’d bridled himself. He’d let her take the lead, something he’d never even remotely considered doing with a woman before. He’d sought to peel away her protective layers to find the vulnerable soul beneath.

Now he knew there was nothing there.

Thrall or not, he’d be damned if he’d ever come to her bed again.

Chapter 15

Katla and Finn labored together for several hours. In the end, they saved the calf but lost the cow. She bled out as soon as the bull calf slipped wetly from her tortured body.

He was a hardy little thing, despite his difficult entry into the world, and was fighting to rise on wobbly legs before Katla could even clean him properly. She put him in a stall with another cow, and fortunately, the surrogate seemed willing to accept him.

Katla leaned on the top rail of the stall and, bone weary, laid her forehead on her arms. The bull calf sucked greedily on the cow’s distended teat. His vigorous slurps eased Katla’s fears for him.

Katla breathed deeply, but the fresh newness of the calf and the smell of clean straw wasn’t strong enough to mask the stench of blood and offal left in the next stall.

“I’m sorry about the cow,” Finn said. “I’ll fetch some fellows to butcher her.”

It was a great misfortune to lose her at this time of year. Of course, Katla’s people would be happy to have fresh meat, and since Finn still intended to impress Katla’s prospective husbands with lavish banquets, part of the cow would serve for those feasts in the coming days. But the majority of the beef would have to be salted and smoked for later use. If winter had been on the wind, they could have hung the carcass and left it to freeze, sawing joints off as needed. When the meat thawed, it would have been as good as fresh.

At least the tanners would have a fresh hide to work into shoes and belts, bridles and harness. From horn to hoof, every bit of the animal would be used for something. Someone would probably even fashion a fly whisk from the cow’s tail.

Katla sighed. She felt every bit of her was being used up too. The burden of caring for the welfare of so many seemed heavier than usual when she was tired. Perhaps she’d feel better after a bath.

“While you’re at the house, ask Gerte to bring some fresh clothes to the bath house for me, please,” Katla called after Finn as he headed toward the longhouse. “You’ll want a bath too, I expect, since we’ve a guest for night meal.”

“Ja, I’ll have her pick something appropriate for meeting a suitor. We want you at your best, you know,” Finn said with a dismissive wave.

“Finn.”

Shoulders slumped, he stopped and turned back to her, expecting a rebuke.

She closed the distance between them. “It wasn’t your fault we lost the cow. You did everything you could. And you helped me save the calf. Thank you.”

He nodded curtly, but his face brightened under her rare bit of praise. His step was jaunty as he continued to the longhouse.

Mayhap Finn is finally growing into himself.

Katla trudged toward the bath house, mulling over his words from that morning. Like it or not, her brother had raised a valid question.

What would she do with Brandr once she married?

A hard lump settled in her chest. He hadn’t been part of her life long, but as she went about her days, she found herself watching for him. When she chanced upon him at his work, she couldn’t help but stand apart and admire the line of his long legs and the breadth of his shoulders. He had an easy way about him, and she smiled when she overheard him talking and laughing with others. Even though he was a thrall, her people responded to him with acceptance.

She’d caught the occasional look of pity for him, but that was to be expected for one who wore iron about his neck.

Strange she hadn’t seen him this day, but then she’d been in the barn for most of it.

While she and Finn had worked together over the cow, her brother admitted he wasn’t much interested in farming, no matter how much land he received as part of Katla’s marriage contract. He confided in her about his hope to learn shipbuilding and how Brandr had offered to help him.

It was an extraordinary thing for a man to do for one who’d tricked and enthralled him.

But then, Brandr was extraordinary.

Last night was ample proof of that. If Katla were a skald, she’d compose a poetic edda about his inspired bed skills that would make him the stuff of legend. He’d untied her every knot. Even now, her body glowed with the contentment of having been well loved. All her joints felt pleasantly loose.

After being with Brandr, the idea of taking another man into her chamber left her slightly queasy.

She shoved the thought from her mind as she pushed open the bath house door.