Come Back to Me (22 page)

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. She had never known any such. But he did, and so powerful was his vision that she could almost see it for herself. Almost.

"You do not touch me." The words were out before she could reclaim them. She bit her lip hard, drawing blood.

"Don't," he said, nearly pleading as he caught the tiny crimson drop. His lips touched hers, brushing lightly, giving her the taste of him. "I will," he said, and she was gone, lost in the glow of yearning.

THEY MADE LANDFALL THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON. It came upon them in a rush, so it seemed to Rycca. One moment the world was all blue, sky and sea together, and the next it was green lit through with slashes of white and gray. The contrast was dazzling. As Dragon had promised, birds swirled overhead in welcome. The men threw bits of fish to them and laughed as they swooped down almost into the water before soaring back into the sky. The tang of salt yielded to the sweet perfume of fecund earth and towering pine.

And the land rose, sudden and sharp, climbing like the birds. Rycca gasped to see it. The world seemed out of kilter, no longer mainly flat as she had always known it but dominated by height. The rugged peaks, some she could see still harboring snow in rocky clefts despite the summer season, seemed to hold up the sky. Here and there along their slopes and in the valleys between, she could make out the gold of fields ripening in the sun, the green of pasturage and deep, sweeping swathes of pine. Fingers of the sea, glittering in the sunlight, reached between folds of the mountains as though to challenge their supremacy. A beautiful land to be sure but a land in which nothing would come easily.

Standing beside her in the bow of the drakar, Dragon said, "My brother's holding is to the east beyond the plain of Jaeren. Between us, we control the coast facing Jutland. It has been many years since the Danes raided here. They are ambitious men, to be sure, but sensible all the same. They have discovered that trade is more profitable than war. The alliance between Saxon and Norse further assures they will never forget that."

"Would the Danes in England could learn the same."

"They are learning it. Alfred is a very good teacher."

She smiled at that, as he had hoped she would for he was inwardly cursing himself for making any mention of the Danes. Clearly, she had been badly scarred by what she had witnessed. But scars, even old ones, could be healed given time and proper care.

His heart lifted as the signal horns from the watchtowers near Landsende called out their welcome. They were close enough to shore now to see men and women in the fields and along the water's edge, waving to them. Up the finger of the fjord they flew, still racing until they were almost upon the docks, when Dragon called a command. At the same instant, the sails dropped and the oars rose, sending bright streams of water sluicing down them. All three drakars slowed and came to rest gently against the stone quays.

The crowd rapidly gathering there cheered the display of seamanship and cheered all the harder the return of their jarl. They raised their voices as one in lusty welcome, guards banging the hilts of their swords against their shields, men and women alike stomping their feet and calling out welcome while the children ran about wildly, dogs barked, roosters cawed, and a generally exciting time was had by all.

Until they noticed the woman standing at Lord Dragon's side.

Surely, Rycca thought as the cheers died away, they knew why he had gone to England? They must have realized he would be bringing home a bride? Or had they thought something would happen to prevent the marriage? Something very nearly had, but pray God they would never know that.

Silence descended along the quays. The combined weight of several hundred pairs of eyes fixed upon her made Rycca feel she could scarcely stand. Yet she straightened her shoulders and held her head high. Saxon pride, she reminded herself, and filled her lungs with alien air.

Dragon frowned. He knew his people to be a kindly lot but cautious. Knew, too, that there were mixed feelings about a Saxon bride despite the high esteem in which the Lady Cymbra was held. She was presumed to be unique, therefore no indication of what they could expect.

He had to tell them that and quickly. His gaze fell on Sleipnir and Grani, being offloaded from the adjacent drakar. Half-a-dozen grooms oversaw the operation while everyone else kept as far back as possible. After more than a week at sea and only two opportunities to run off their vast reserves of energy, the horses were even more exuberant than usual. They pawed the ground, tossed their mighty heads, and generally looked as though they were about to bolt.

"Feeling up to a ride?" Dragon asked. Before Rycca could reply, he lifted her into his arms and strode onto the quay. Silent, watchful, the crowd fell back. "I hope so," he went on, talking to her as though there were only the two of them. "Do you have a preference, Sleipnir or Grani? I suppose you adore them both?"

"Yes," Rycca said, glad of distraction from the blanket stillness. "They're both wonderful."

He looked down at her with a smile. "And you ride as well as I think you do? Enough to stay on one of these monsters after he's been cooped up for days?"

She met his gaze unhesitantly. "I ride superbly and they aren't monsters."

His smile deepened. The horses quieted a little at his approach although they did try to paw at him for treats. "Enough," he said in a tone that brooked no refusal. When they had steadied, he handed Rycca up carefully onto Grani's back. "Hold tight," he muttered, "and don't let him forget you're there."

Rycca's face broke into a delighted smile. Her apprehension about the silent scrutiny of so many faded. Absorbed in patting Grani and telling him how wonderful he was—sentiments with which the big baby totally agreed—she did not notice the change in the crowd. Quiet watchfulness gave way to shock and the dawning of amazement. A child pointed until his mother snatched down his arm. Grown men caught themselves staring slack-jawed. Warriors who had thought themselves inured to anything craned their necks for a better look.

Dragon took note of all but Rycca remained completely unaware. Without concern, she rode beside him along the quay and up the road leading to the stronghold perched above. Only then did she realize that the crowd was coming right along with them and that more people were lining their way. So, too, was the silence dissolving into excited exclamations.

Uncertain how to react to any of this, she patted Grani again and laughed when he tried to break into a gallop. "Not yet," she admonished, skillfully reining him in, "but soon…" She glanced over at Dragon. "If you will permit, my lord?"

"Tomorrow we will ride to your heart's content." He looked well pleased and even amused.

"I do not understand," she said. "Your people were so quiet and now…"

Now they were cheering again, the women nodding in approval and the men going so far as to toss their caps into the air. Children were running alongside the horses, although not too closely.

Dragon grinned. "Did I mention no one ever rides these two save me?"

She could not have heard him right. "No one?"

"Only me," he confirmed. "Several of my warriors have tried but they were all thrown." He leaned a little closer and whispered to her, "Maybe if they'd been afraid of heights, they would have held on tighter."

Laughter bubbled up in her. Silly, giddy, astonished laughter. She could not believe he had done this yet she should have known, for he had ever treated her with kindness. Now he had bent a warrior's pride, for surely it must have been a great thing to be the only one to ride such horses, and given his people reason to admire her. She looked out over their smiling faces and knew the effort had succeeded.

Men, women, and children she had never seen before and whom she had been schooled to think of as enemies were cheering her as though she were one of their own. She could make out only a little of what they said but she knew they were encouraging and welcoming her. Tightness welled up in her throat. She looked from the crowd to her husband, who was gazing back at her with genuine pride in his eyes. Without thought, she reached out a hand across the space that separated them. He took it and raised it to his lips.

The cheers rose to heaven.

For the first time in her life, Rycca felt what it was to come home.

LANDSENDE DELIGHTED HER. EVERYWHERE SHE looked, everything she saw was so very different from what she had known at Wolscroft. There were strong stone walls, to be sure, and high towers, but so too were there smiling people. Children ran about laughing. Women waved and called out boldly. Men saw that and did not mind but joined in the merriment.

Instead of the general air of a badly maintained barracks, to which she was so well accustomed, the town looked as though every inch had been swept clean. Nothing seemed out of place or neglected in the smallest way. There were even—wonder of wonders—flowers growing in small plots before the houses.

On a hill above the town stood a walled compound. The gates were open, guarded by men-at-arms who joined in the cheers as they entered. Dogs barked and ran alongside the horses, and chickens squawked as they dashed across their path. At the center of the compound stood a large wooden building roofed in tile and decorated with ornate carvings around the doors and windows. Nearby were several smaller structures, one of which Rycca recognized as the kitchen. Some distance away were several lodges, also intricately carved and painted.

Dragon drew rein in the center of the compound and dismounted. He came to Rycca and held up his arms. With a smile, she went into them. Still holding her, he climbed the wooden stairs to the walkway along the wall. From that height, the town and port were spread out below them, as were the golden fields and, beyond, the misty realm where land faded into sea.

"Landsende," he said with pride. "My mother's people came from here. They had a farm and did some trading when war didn't intervene. When Wolf and I were done seeing the world, I came here. There were only a few falling-down buildings left and a handful of people trying to wrest a living from the place. Fortunately, that's changed."

Looking out over the prosperous settlement with its bustling air of purpose, Rycca had to ask, "What made the difference?"

"Peace," he said bluntly. "People who feel safe will plant fields, improve their houses, invest in trading ventures, and the like. They won't huddle around their hearths waiting for the next disaster to befall them. And other people, seeing that a place is good, will come themselves. But peace has to come first. With it, everything is possible."

"And without it, nothing is?"

"Nothing worth having." He smiled apologetically.

"Forgive me, this is no time to dwell on the past. Come, there are many people who will be wanting to meet you."

He understated the matter. Over the next several hours, Rycca was convinced she met everyone in Landsende. Oh, it was possible she missed a baby or two who were napping but apart from that she was quite certain no one passed up the chance to greet the jarl's bride. Young and old, men and women, farmers, tradesmen, warriors, weavers, one and all they came to get a look at her. She smiled, nodded, and tried out what Norse she had so far acquired. That was so well received that she vowed then and there to work diligently until she had mastered the language.

Overwhelmingly, the people were friendliness itself, which made the handful who weren't stand out all the more. Several young and very pretty women frowned at her and sighed at Dragon. Rycca balled her fists and took great pride in the fact that she refrained from doing the huzzies bodily harm. Then, too, there was the warrior introduced as Magnus.

"My chief lieutenant," Dragon said as he presented a man slightly younger than himself, almost as tall, and well built. "Magnus and I knew each other as children. He settled in Landsende several years ago."

Rycca frowned slightly. He looked familiar to her and she thought she ought to know him already.

"Magnus was in Essex," Dragon explained. "He kept the horses company on the way home."

Of course, Essex, where he would have accompanied his lord to his wedding but not been introduced to the bride because of the… unusualness of the event.

Rycca smiled, prepared to like the man her husband obviously trusted. But even as she did so, a small shimmer of apprehension moved through her. She could see no reason for it. Magnus was by no means as handsome as Dragon; indeed his features were most remarkable for being utterly unremarkable. Yet did he appear cordial enough. Appear. Her cursed gift made appearance irrelevant; nothing mattered save truth.

And the truth was… what?

Magnus bowed his head courteously and regarded her with what gave every appearance of being warm but entirely proper admiration and appreciation. "My lady, you are most welcome here. Indeed, it is fair to say your arrival is the cause of much rejoicing."

So smooth. Yet what was wrong with that? He was a politic man. That did not mean he was disloyal.

"I am most glad to be here. Never did I imagine such a welcome."

"You did not? But surely you must be aware of how vigorously we all wish for peace."

Not him.

Oh, stop! She had no reason to think this way, no basis at all for her sudden suspicion. He was an entirely pleasant man. Surely Dragon was adept at winnowing the wheat from the chaff. If he trusted Magnus, and clearly he did, she had no reason to do otherwise.

Blood… fire… pain…

She closed her eyes for a moment, willing her wayward mind to stop. Cease its relentless assessing and simply allow her to enjoy the moment.

"What's wrong?" Dragon said with real concern. His gentleness tore at her, making her hate all the more her inability to enjoy so rare and precious a thing as this homecoming.

"Nothing," she assured him with a quick smile. "I am merely a little tired."

"I should have thought of that." He did something, she wasn't sure what, some gesture perhaps. The crowd parted. She was in his arms, despite her weak protests, being carried away in the direction of one of the lodges she had seen. It was larger than the others and farther apart.