Berserker: Captive of a Viking Ch. 03

I had always had this vision in my head of the perfect guy. His looks had varied over the years mostly due to the latest Disney movies. When Beauty and the Beast had come out, I had been fantasising about a half man half beast for the better part of a year. But one thing that had always remained the same was his gentlemanly ways and his respect for me. He would often tell me what an extraordinary woman I was. Then in my mind, he would get down on one knee and ask me for the honour of being my husband.

Although, unlike in Beauty and the Beast, when I married him I wouldn't just give up my dreams and move into his castle. No, we'd buy a boat together and explore the world like Indiana Jones and his girlfriends. Of course, I wouldn't be like that pansy bitch in Temple of Doom. No, I'd be more like that girl in Raiders of the Lost Ark. But this...this was never in one of my fantasies. Why then did this guy make me hotter than any of my fantasy men put together? I don't know. I don't care. I'll just get fake married, wait to get to shore, and then run. Yes, it would work. It had to work.

I don't know how long I sat there on the ground, but it was long enough. When I heard footsteps again, I was sure it was him, and my gut churned. I thought I was going to be sick. I scrambled up as the door opened, but it was a young boy who poked his head around the corner. He was a ginger with a mess of red hair and a wash of freckles. He was only as tall as me which is, of course, not a lot. His hair looked like it had been hacked off with a sword, and I felt the urge to push some offending bangs out of his eyes. He had cute blue eyes that were darker than Asegill's. He also showed potential for fine bone structure once his teenage lankiness wore off.

At first, he only had his head inside the room, but he pulled it back quickly. Then the rest of him backed in shutting the door behind him very slowly almost as if he didn't want anyone to hear him. He smiled when he finally turned to me, and I felt an answering smile on my own face. I found that I felt the need to know someone else on this ship maybe even to call for help when the time came.

He was wearing an ill-fitting but finely made tunic with a stain or two on it. On the front, there was an image of a bird stitched in green thread. His pants fit better, but matching stains adorned it as well. He held something towards me which made me smile in absolute adoration. In his arms were my clothes! My tank top was dry and clean at the top of the pile. When I picked it up, I saw my jeans underneath looking almost perfect. Someone had done a good job of sewing together the edges of a long rift running right down the pant leg.

I gasped and hugged them to myself. My clothes! I had my clothes! As I jumped forward and hugged him, he seemed stiff with shock for a moment. Then he hugged me back a little and backed away. I tossed my clothes on the bed and turned to him again.

"I'm Francine." He shook his head and said a few words in a language I didn't recognize. I pointed at myself. "Francine."

He smiled in understanding and pointed at himself. "Grimr."

Crap, how was I going to get him to help me if I couldn't speak his language? I pointed at the door making a turning motion with my hand. His eyed lightened with understanding, and he pulled a key out of a pocket on his shirt. I reached for it, but he pulled it back and shook his head again. He pointed at himself and then pretended to sneak towards my pants on the bed. When he got there, he slipped the key into and out of the pocket. "Minndrottinn," he said. I shook my head in misunderstanding. He hesitated for a moment and then as if he wasn't supposed to, he said softly, "Asegill." He did the demonstration again.

"Oh!" I realized. "You stole it from him."

He waited for me to nod my head before he pocketed the key again. I did understand. He took a huge risk by getting my clothes for me, and he had to sneak the key back now. I didn't have any way to ask him, but I hoped if he was willing to help me this way, then maybe he would also help me escape when the time came.

When someone started walking down the hallway, I raced to the wardrobe and opened it motioning towards him. He didn't wait to be told twice and jumped in quickly before I shut it behind him. I tensed, but the footsteps stopped and receded. After opening the wardrobe again, he jumped out and hurried to the door. He smiled at me again and bowed before opening the door and locking it behind him.

I turned around and glanced at the clothes. They were now a symbol in my mind. They were my freedom, or at least, they represented it. And now I had a friend. Maybe he had a thing for damsels in distress, maybe he was just hoping to woo me, or maybe he felt he had to help with an injustice being done in front of him. I didn't know or care, but the world felt a little more bearable now. I walked over to my clothes and replaced them on my body shutting Asegill's clothes in his wardrobe. This time I didn't huddle on the floor. I sat at his desk again and leaned back waiting. Hit me with your best shot, honey.

~

It was time. Asegill made his way through his ship pausing at the door of his cabin. He knew she would be waiting for him. She would probably be sitting behind his desk in what she would consider her most dominating pose. He smiled to himself. Well, she had met her match. She would marry him today even if he had to drag her up top kicking and screaming.

Opening the door, he found her leaning back in his chair as expected but drawing on a piece of paper. That he had not expected, and for some reason, it annoyed him. He thought she would have had her full attention on the door, but she took her time lifting her eyes up from her work. He walked into the room and right up to her. It was then that he noticed her clothes. How the hell? He had assumed that Falki had removed them at some point during the night, but who had gotten them back in here and repaired them? Thinking to scare the information out of her, he leaned over her and put both of his hands on the arms of the chair. She craned her neck back to keep eye contact with him, but he caught the subtle rising of her breasts that betrayed her deep breaths.

"Who gave you those clothes?" he growled.

"You mean MY clothes? I don't think that's any of your business." He eyed her up and down. One side of him was angry that someone on his ship had betrayed him and that she was defying him. Another side of him loved the way her body looked in that clothing. Every bit of her, from her lovely breasts to the v of her thighs, was tightly encased in that fabric that gave everything away and yet nothing at the same time. He wasn't sure which side of him was which at the moment.

"You will tell me―"

"No, I don't think so." He had to acknowledge the truth in that. Very well, he'd get the information another way. "Well, shall we get this over with?" The way she said it made it sound like an irritating errand and certainly not like something she would be swearing herself to him for all time.

He leaned back. "Change first."

Sitting up straight, she said, "No. I think I'll stay in my clothes."

He narrowed his eyes as he thought about why everything had to be a fight with her. He knew why. This was her only way of fighting so he pushed down his anger.

"How about we make a compromise? You wear a shirt over that." He backed up a few steps. He could see she was about to argue so he continued, "You realise that dressed like that you might as well be naked in front of my men. Besides, it will be cold upon the deck." He reached into his wardrobe, pulled out his longest shirt, and held it towards her. After chewing on her lip for a moment, she finally took the shirt from his hand. It had been the same one she was wearing earlier. Then, he reached into the back, pulled out a sword belt, and handed that to her as well.

When she was done, he glanced at her when she thought he wasn't looking. For a moment so brief, he might have sworn it didn't happen. He saw her brows furrowed in worry and her eyes filled with fear. Then, she clenched her fists and walked to the door. Folding her arms, she waited for him. Only her white knuckles betrayed the moment he had seen. He reached for the door to open it, but she beat him to it. Instead, she opened it and walked down the hallway as if she did this everyday. He came up behind her and walked beside her. When he rested his hand on her hip, she stiffened but ignored him. He gestured towards the ladder when they reached it.

~

My hands were shaking, but I wasn't about to let him know that. Confidently, I stepped up the ladder and climbed into the light of the setting sun. Even with the fear that was churning inside me, I couldn't help but love the sight and feel of the sun again. The entire deck of the ship was very wide; each end came to a point like a giant canoe. Waiting on the deck were a dozen or so men I assumed was the crew. They were all dressed in that strange clothing of mixed leather, fur, and wool spun cloth. Most had weapons, and I noticed that blond and red seemed to be the most common hair type. They were mostly very brawny men except for a couple of men who were younger and a bit lanky. The smallest was Grimr who I recognized immediately. Most of them were staring at me so I deliberately looked them in the eyes until they broke contact.

Asegill had been right about it being chilly up here, but I pretended not to notice. When he came up on the deck as well, he smiled at his men, and I didn't understand why a laugh went through the group. I hoped that the ceremony would be performed in his language so it wouldn't feel as real that way. He motioned towards the head of the ship. I walked ahead of him and turned to him when I reached it. Just breath...it's not real.

When Asegill stood in front of me, I noticed that he had a beautiful sword strapped to his side. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a beautiful golden handled dagger. He held it out to me and leaned close to whisper in my ear. "Do not try anything."

I snatched the dagger out of his hand and snorted. Did he think I was an idiot? He pressed a simple, wide gold ring into my hand as well. I clutched them and glanced up at him. His face looked way too intense. His eyes were boring into my own until I couldn't look away. Then he started. He didn't look away from my eyes when he said his lines in that strange language. I didn't recognize a single word, but at times it looked like he was suppressing a smile. I didn't want to know what he was saying.

Then, he opened my hand and plucked out the ring. I couldn't move or think as he placed the ring on his index finger and reached into his shirt again removing another smaller, simple gold band. After he pulled my right hand out and slid the ring onto my finger, I looked down at the ring. It was a little large and would have fallen off if he hadn't closed my hand in a fist over it. He then pulled out the sword at his waist and gathered both our hands on the grips of my dagger and his sword. I could feel the cold metal of my dagger and the old leather of his sword underneath my hands. His own large calloused hands covered mine holding them. He started to speak again. My head jerked up when I noticed it was in English now. A murmur went through the crowd at the change of language.

"I take this woman, Francine, as my own." He said my name slowly savouring each syllable and making me shiver. "To protect and cherish and to hold on the coldest of nights. I give her my sword which will always protect. I give her my ring which will always bind. I will honour and love Francine in this day and until Ragnarök comes upon us." My anger sparked up. His own, my ass. Asegill smiled like a predator and leaned down to whisper in my ear again. "Repeat after me." He said another sentence in his language now.

I repeated each part in a dead monotone except for the part when I said his name sarcastically. When Asegill straightened again, his hands were gripping mine a little too tight. He let go pulling the dagger out of my hand and left the heavy weight of the sword in my own. He threaded the dagger through his belt, and I did the same with the sword.

Looking back at the men, I noticed that they looked as if they were about to burst into laughter. I smiled hoping they would recognize the sarcasm. Suddenly, Asegill grabbed my arm and spun me back towards him. Before I could do anything, he bent down and claimed my lips again. There was no tongue this time as he started the kiss off hard but ended it softly. I held still again not letting my lips or body betray my emotion. But when he pulled away, he ran the back of his hand down my cheek, and I couldn't help but wonder what I had done.