Hearts Aflame

Norway 873 A.D.

Dirk: Gerhardsen dropped to the ground and then elbowed his way, closer to the river where the golden-haired girl had stopped. Kristen Haardrad, looked oncebehind her, as if she might have heard him, then tethered great stallion and walked right to the water's edge. To the left, the Horten Fjord flowed swiftly on its course. But here a spattering of boulders kept the currents at bay, and the water was smooth, calm like a stillpool. Dirk knew from past experience that it would be deliciously warm, too, and much too, inviting for the girl to ignore.

He had known Kristen was coming here when he saw her leave her uncle Hugh's house and ride this way when they were younger, much younger, they used to swim here together with her brothers and cousins. Kristen had a large family: three brothers, an uncle who was Jarl on this side of the fjord, and dozens of distant cousins from her father's side, all of whom thought the sun and moon rose in this one girl.

Dirk had thought so too, until recently. He had taken his heart in hand and asked Kristen to marry him, as so many others had done. before him She had turned him down gently, he grudgingly admitted—but still the disappointment was nearly devastating. He had watched her grow from a tall, awkward child into a majestic, stunning woman, and there -was nothing else he wanted quite so much as he wanted to call Kristen Haardrad his own.

Dirk held his breath as she began to remove her linen gown. He had hoped she would. It was why he had followed her, knowing that she might, hoping, and Odin help him-she did. The sight was almost more than he could bear-the long, shapely legs ... thegentle curve of her hips ... the slim, straight back covered only by a thick tawny braid. Just a fortnight ago, he had held that thick braid in his fist and forced her lips to meet his in a kiss that fired his blood to near madness. She had slapped him soundly for it, a- blow that actually staggered him, for Kristen was no-snuff, weak-limbed girl; she was in fad only two inches shorter than he, and he was six feet tall. This did not daunt him, though. At that time, at that moment, he had felt he really would go mad if he couldn't have her.

It was fortunate that Kristen's older brother, Selig, had intruded, but unfortunate that it was, precisely when Dirk had reached for her again and was wrestling her to the ground., He and Selig both bore wounds from that encounter, and Dirk had lost a good friend in Selig not because they fought, for Norsemen were ever ready to fight for any reason, but because of what he had attempted to do to Kristen. And he could not deny he would have taken her, right there on the floor of her father's stable. He would have been dead now if he had succeeded. And it was not her brothers or cousins he would have: had, to fight, but her father, Garrick who would have killed Dirk with his bare hands.

Kristen was covered now by the water, but the fact that Dirk could no longer see all of her did not cool the fire running through his veins. He had not thought what torture it would be to him to watch her swimming. He had only reasoned that she would be alone, far from her family, and that this might be the only time- he would ever find her alone again. There were rumors she was to wed soon, to Sheldon, the oldest son of Perrin, her father's best friend. Of course there had been rumors before, countless times, for Kristen had seen nineteen winters, and in the last, four' years nearly every able-bodied man along the fjord had asked for her to wife.

She was floating now on her back, the tips of her toes visible, the creamy tops of her thighs, her upthrust breasts—Loki take her, she was asking to be ravished! Dirk could withstand it no longer He tore his clothes off in his haste.

Kristen heard the splash and looked in the direction she assumed it came from but there was nothing there. Rapidly she turned a full circle, but the warm pool was empty except for her; the only ripples in the water those she caused. None the less she started swimming toward the bank where her gown lay, along with only weapon she had with her, her jewel-hilted dagger, was worn more as an than for protection

She had been a fool to come here by herself, instead of Waiting for one of her brothers to join, her. But they were busy readying her father's great Viking ship that Selig would be taking east next week, and the day, was so beautifully warm after a cool, spring and an exceptionally cold winter. She had been unable to, resist the temptation.

It had seemed like an adventure to do what she had never done before, and she did so love adventure. But all of her previous adventures had been shared with others. And mayhap it had not been the wisest thing to remove all of her clothes, though at the time it had seemed a deliciously wicked, bold thing to do, and if Kristen was, anything, she was bold. It was always after the fact, as now, that she regretted being so bold.