A Viking's Betrothal (Book Two of The Sogn Series)

Chapter One

            Dreary it was, with rain pouring down from every direction and the clouds becoming gray and desolate. Horses remained in the stables or took shelter from beneath the trees, and people did the same within their homes. The city of Sogn was quiet, and just like the silent breeze that flowed in the air, all was still.

            But, despite the gloomy weather, there was one voice that could be heard above the quiet whispers of people. Her voice was louder than the pouring of morning rain, and stronger than the blacksmith's robust pounding on iron. For it was her voice alone that could command the strongest of men, and the weakest of hearts.

            "Roald!" She had yelled, her tone beaming and drawing attention from the people who sat in the great halls, "I only wish to accompany you on your summer raids!"

            When the man with shoulder length hair grunted, mumbling incoherent words beneath his breath, only then did Clare throw a plate at him. She missed miserably, the clay dinnerware shattering against the wall behind him.

Her anger was evident, as she stormed towards him. Torsten, who sat casually in the room drinking ale, watched them with a nonchalant look upon his face. It was not the first time the Jarl and his wife had come to a dispute, and it would not be the last.

           Roald had begun walking away, and Clare followed, "Let me go with you!"

           As abruptly as a horse would stop midtrail, Roald stood still. His shoulders tensed making the muscles in his arms flex as he curled his fists, "I will not allow you to go with us."

Clare stopped from behind him and screamed loudly in her frustration, "And why not?"

           Then, he turned around to face her. His eyes were so bright that it was as if Thor's lightning had struck them, but his glare was darker than the pitch-blackness of the night. It was a look that everyone feared, everyone except for Clare that is.

           She closed the distance between them and jabbed a finger into his chest, "You said that I could go with you only a few months ago. What has made you change your mind so easily?"

           Roald replied with a curt look, "I do not need reason to change my mind, so you might as well accept the fact that you are not coming with us."

She yelled again, this time throwing her arms up for emphasis. Finally, as if giving up, she turned away from him and began to walk away. She whispered beneath her breath just then, "I will only have to find a way to deceive you."

           "What was that?" Roald asked loudly, as if catching the meaning of her words.

           "I said," Clare's face contorted into a sweeter look, almost too sweet for it to be convincing, "that I respect your decision."

           Roald hummed, "That is not what I thought you said."

Clare hummed back just as condescendingly, "Well, then I suppose you will just have to ponder."

           She left the building after that, making sure to slam the doors as she did so.

           As the conversation ended abruptly between the bickering couple, only then did Torsten turn to his friend and say, "You have one crazy bitch of a wife."

Roald gave him a hard look out of warning, but said nothing. He only turned away from the few people who had been watching their argument, and returned to his chambers to where he studied the many maps that lay upon his table.

           But little did he know what Clare was up to.

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            When the time finally came for the many warriors to gather their supplies and get onto the five ships, only then did Roald go in search for Clare. He wanted to say one last farewell, but she was nowhere to be found. He finally gave up with a frustrated and long drawn out sigh, assuming that she had been so upset with his decision that she would not give him a kiss goodbye.

            So, he returned to the ships and got onto the largest and most intricately carved one, with designs so brilliant that no other could copy them with just one look. He ordered for his warriors to let go of the ropes. Wives and children said their goodbyes, waving to them as their ships disappeared from sight. But, before they were completely gone, Roald scanned the crowd one last time for his beloved.

            Disappointment hit him hard when he could not find Clare's fiery red hair or sea green eyes in the crowd, but he pushed the thought passed him despite the desire to go back and find her.

            Torsten accompanied Roald by placing a hand onto his shoulder and mumbling, "Do not worry, we will be back in only a few moons and by then I am sure that Clare will not be so upset with you."

            "Either that," said Roald, "or she will be even more upset with me."

            Torsten frowned at that, but nevertheless, he went back to tending the sails, knowing that he could not cheer his jarl up at all.

            Roald gave one last look to the horizon, before finally turning away too. But, he never could completely tear Clare from his thoughts.