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“You are little more than my slave now, my lady,”
he mocked her scornfully. “I will see you sold at the slave markets
in Oslo if you persist. Your new master will not be as lenient as I
have been.” His words had the desired effect and silenced her
quickly. He waited to deal harshly with the girl if she continued
to push him. Soon he heard her even breathing as exhaustion
overtook her.
    ****
    The Viking ships crossed the channel to the
North Sea. With fairer weather than expected, they would arrive in
Norway sooner than planned. Joran didn’t untie the noblewoman until
they were far out to sea the next day. He allowed the maid,
Elspeth, free movement of the ship to tend to her lady following
their departure from Britain’s shores.
    Elspeth was so bruised she could hardly be
identified from Wulfstan’s abuse of her. Allisande tried to reclaim
her sword from him when she saw her servant return to her that
morning looking so battered.
    Joran hauled her back into the enclosure when
she would have jumped ship and gone after Wulfstan as she
threatened for what he did to Elspeth. He cautioned Allisande with
threats of a beating when she rashly threatened him. She scoffed at
him with such foul curses, he was forced to tie her up and gag her
for her own safety.
    Elspeth was standing near the main mast later
that morning. He noted her strange behavior and closed eyes. He was
about to speak to the girl as he approached. She moved too quickly
and was over the side before any could stop her. She was smiling as
she sank beneath the dark waves. The Vikings were all grim to see
it. They saw this as a sign from their Gods foretelling
disaster.
    Allisande wept when the maid went over the
side, rushing to the railing to stop her. She turned and glared at
them, declaring them all doomed, enjoying their looks of
horror.
    She laid vile curses upon them that made the
Vikings all mutter.
    Joran grabbed her by the scruff of her tunic
and dragged her away from the deck. She kicked and fought against
him, but tied her and left her to hurl her verbal abuse against the
gag he shoved in her mouth.
    Allisande wept bitterly over Elspeth taking
her own life. She had a list of injuries she wished to inflict upon
her captors. She was recounting them when Joran returned to feed
her later. Her eyes narrowed as he approached her with a wooden
bowl of food.
    She kicked at him viciously. He winced as she
caught his shin with her booted foot before moving away. Joran’s
temper was already sorely tested. His fellow Viking’s complained
the Englishwoman was a witch and meant them all harm. Their worries
still rang in his ears. He lectured the superstitious lot of them
for nearly an hour until he was satisfied they were not taking the
girl’s threats seriously.
    Joran had enough of her verbal attacks. He
ripped a thick piece of canvas and approached her, his ice-blue
eyes meeting hers intently. She started screaming, much to the
delight of all those outside the enclosure. His men cheered
outside, thinking their leader was beating the girl at last.
    “ Stay away from me, you stinking
barbarian ox!” Allisande found herself backed into a corner, unable
to get away from the huge Viking who stalked her. He grabbed her.
She grunted and kicked him smartly in his instep, causing him to
glower and yank her along with him until she was dragged to his
sleeping mats. Believing it was his intention to rape her, she
struggled anew, kicking and biting him viciously wherever she found
contact with his flesh.
    Joran grabbed her flailing arms, and held her
down before she could do any more damage while he quickly bound her
mouth. He stared down at her thrashing beneath him. He was
disgusted at how his body became so heated from mere contact to
hers. He eyed her grimly as he rose. He stood over her with a gleam
in his Nordic blue gaze. She stared up at him defiantly, knowing he
could crush her skull with one blow of his powerful fist.
    “ When you learn to speak without