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The men were stirring. Magnus gave her another squeeze, then eased away from her. He rose and stretched, naked and lean and powerful in the soft morning light. He looked down at her and was pleased to see the candid interest in her eyes. She was staring at him quite openly. “I will fetch you one of my tunics to wear.”
He smiled when she strapped Orm’s wide leather belt around her hips, but he said nothing. He guessed wearing the sword made her feel she was in control. The sword banged against her leg whenever she took a step. Her legs were long and bare, as were her feet. He watched her try to untangle her hair with her fingers. He could have told her that she looked wild and beautiful, as savage as a warrior goddess. Then she rubbed her bottom and the image was swiftly gone. He laughed. He made certain she ate her fill before they left camp.
The day was hot, the sky clear. They rode near to the shore, the trees to their left, for there was no tracking to be done now and it was a quicker way back to Malek by this route. Magnus carried Zarabeth in front of him. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and dozed. She felt safe; she felt at peace. It was a strange feeling and she was loath to let it go. She fell deeply asleep with the scent of him in her nostrils, the gentle sway of the stallion beneath her, his arms holding her steady.
Ragnar’s stallion came even with Thorgell. Magnus turned to see his sister regarding him solemnly. She said, “I want to know what you will tell our father.”
“Mother already came to Malek, frantic to know if anyone had seen you. Now all know that you escaped our father’s farmstead to meet him, Ingunn. What would you have me say? All know that you sacrificed your honor to him.”
“I saved your wife’s life.”
“You did, but not because you care one whit about her, so do not pretend that you do. You hated to see Orm take another woman. You feared that he would want her and not you. Isn’t that right?”
Ingunn was silent, but Ragnar said, “You speak harshly, Magnus.”
“Ragnar, you speak blindly. Look well at her, speak long with her, and listen to the feeling behind her words before you decide to take her.”
Ingunn’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? Take me? What is this, Magnus?”
Magnus stared between Thorgell’s ears. “Ragnar wants you for a wife.”
Ingunn seemed to swell up even as she sat there. “I don’t want him! He is a lout and a boor and I have seen him fondle any female who chances to walk by him. He is no more faithful than a flea.”
Magnus turned the full force of his anger on her and she drew back from the harshness of his expression, the coldness of his voice. “You are a fine one to accuse another of faithlessness. You who gave yourself to Orm. You want to reproach Ragnar? He is a man, not a maid whose virginity represents the value she places on herself.”
“Did your precious Zarabeth come to you a virgin? She was wedded to an old man and he—”
“Hold your tongue, Ingunn, or I will grant Ragnar full permission to beat you now. We are speaking of you and why you call Ragnar a boor and a lout. Why?”
Ingunn rallied, for she had known Magnus all her life. His anger was swift to come and equally swift to dissipate. He was her brother, after all. “He treats me badly. He has always been rude toward me, always smirking at me.”
“You sound like a sullen spoiled child. You deserve to be treated badly.”
“He won’t listen to me. He doesn’t care how much I have suffered.”
“He shows wisdom. As for your suffering, you brought any suffering you have endured upon yourself. You twist things, Ingunn, and you refuse to see your own hand in your woes. Your tongue is tangled about itself.”
“Ragnar cares naught for me. He wants only to be allied with our family. He is vain and ambitious.”
“I don’t understand how he could care for you, but I shan’t doubt his word. I believe he shows a lack of good judgment, but it is his patience to be tested if he takes you, not mine, thank Odin. As for our family, why, I cannot imagine a man who would not wish to be allied with us.”
“I won’t have him! Father won’t make me take him. He cannot, it is not our way.”
“You will do as you are bidden this time, for you have grievously wounded our family. I will encourage our father to hand you over to Ragnar. I gave you no schooling at all, more fool I, but Ragnar will bring you to submission. He will teach you to temper your damnable tongue.”
Suddenly Ragnar was laughing, and both brother and sister looked a
t him with expressions so close it made him laugh all the harder. He went on laughing, more loudly, more deeply. Zarabeth stirred, came fully awake.
“What is it, Magnus?”
He frowned at the hoarseness of her voice, but she didn’t need any more anger, even though it was directed toward another. He leaned down and kissed her ear. “It is Ragnar. He fancies that he will beat Ingunn until she falls faint with love for him.”
“I cannot truly imagine that happening, Magnus.”
“I won’t have him!” Ingunn shrieked.
Ragnar stopped laughing. He released his horse’s reins, grabbed Ingunn about the waist, and turned her to face him. “Listen to me, you silly woman. Whom will you have if not me?”
