Twin Passions(65)

Aye, so far their prayers had been answered, Gwendolyn thought gratefully. She smiled as she recalled Anora's expression of stunned surprise the day before, when she and Hakon had ridden together into the settlement on his spirited stallion. Her sister must have guessed at once the reason for the vibrant happiness in her eyes, for as soon as she had dismounted, Anora embraced her warmly. And after hearing about Hakon's plan, she had wholeheartedly agreed to give Gwendolyn's message to their father, assuring him that all was well and that it was her choice to stay with Hakon.

Gwendolyn leaned back against the curved side of the longship and closed her eyes. She basked in the warmth of the golden rays of sunshine heating the wooden deck. The rhythmic sound of the oars slicing through the water and the gentle slapping of the waves against the hull were soothing. A wave of relaxed contentment washed over her.





***





"Two warships off the port bow!"

Gwendolyn's eyes flew open at the sound of Hakon's voice. She leaned forward, stretching her slim arms above her head. Surely they had not reached the mouth of the Sogn already, she thought dazedly. She jumped up and ran over to the railing, gasping in surprise. The vast ocean was stretched out before them, as far as the eye could see.

Stunned, Gwendolyn realized she must have slept for several hours. She looked around her. Obviously Anora had decided to take a nap, too, for she could see her sister's leather slippers peeking out from the opening of the tent Hakon had erected for them near the cargo well. She ran over to the tent and tugged at one small foot.

"Anora, wake up! We have reached the ocean!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Anora sat up in the tent, yawning and rubbing her eyes sleepily. "The ocean?" she murmured, taking Gwendolyn's proffered hand as she was helped to her feet. "I must not have slept very well last night on that pallet, for when I saw you dozing off, I could not resist lying down myself."

But Gwendolyn did not hear her sister's words. Her eyes were fixed on the two warships fast approaching them from the direction of a green stretch of land jutting out from the mouth of the fjord. She gazed at them, a tremor of fear coursing through her. Were these the two warships Hakon had spoken of, the ones they would attempt to outsail when they reached England? She had never seen anything like them before! They were huge vessels, both at least ninety feet long; they were wider and lower in the water than Hakon's longship. Yet they cut swiftly through the choppy waves, their purple sails billowing in the stiff breeze.

Without thinking, Gwendolyn suddenly left Anora's side and hurried toward the dragon-headed prow of the ship, where Hakon stood. She quickly made her way along the narrow aisle between the rowing benches with practiced ease, nimbly dodging the coiled ropes lying here and there on the deck.

"My lord, are those Haarek Jarl's warships?" she called out breathlessly.

Hakon whirled around and looked down at her with surprise. His startling blue eyes narrowed angrily. He had been so engrossed in watching the ships that he had not heard her walk up behind him.

"Go back to your sister, Gwendolyn, and get inside the tent until I tell you both to come out. Now go, at once! Haarek Jarl's men must not see us standing here together!" he said tersely. His grim expression boded no resistance. "Go!"

Stunned and hurt by his tone, Gwendolyn nonetheless realized the folly of her rash action. She turned on her heel and quickly made her way back along the aisle, avoiding the disapproving glances from Hakon's men. Grabbing her sister's arm, she pulled her back into the tent. Anora opened her mouth to protest at this rough treatment, but Gwendolyn silenced her with a finger raised to her lips.

"Shh! Anora, be still! Hakon bade us to wait inside the tent," Gwendolyn whispered, her heart beating fast. God's blood! If she had ruined the plan . . . She shook her tousled head fiercely. Nay, she would not even think of it!

Suddenly a man's gruff voice could be heard shouting out something to Hakon from one of the warships. Gwendolyn lifted up the leather flap covering the entrance so they could hear better. "Listen!" she hissed. "They must be right off the port side!"

Gwendolyn leaned out just a little from the tent so she could catch the man's words. "He says his name is Thorolf Skallgrimsson . . . and that he has been charged by Haarek Jarl to accompany Hakon's longship to England." She leaned forward again, listening. "It sounds like he wants to see we are both aboard the ship!"

Her words were confirmed as heavy footsteps sounded across the wooden deck, moving swiftly toward the tent. Hakon suddenly threw back the flap, and crouched down, facing them.

"'Tis as I feared," he muttered, looking from one to the other. His expression was grim. "Haarek Jarl has sent one of his most ruthless warriors to see that his orders are obeyed. But we shall proceed as planned. Come out now, both of you. Though I have told Thorolf that you are safe, he wants to see for himself."

Hakon first helped Anora from the tent, then Gwendolyn. He kept his voice low as he addressed her. "You must stay away from me for the rest of the journey, my love, though I would wish it otherwise. Try to appear as aloof as possible. Do not give this Thorolf the impression that you are anything but elated to be returning to your homeland." A wry smile briefly touched his face. "At least I have no worries that Anora will be anything less than convincing." With that he strode over to the port side of the ship and motioned for them to follow him.

Gwendolyn trembled at the sight of the great warship looming beside them not more than thirty feet away. She could see at least fifty armed men staring back at her, dressed in full battle gear. Suddenly several of the warriors stepped aside as a fierce-looking man, tall and swarthy, walked up to the side of the warship.

"Are those the wenches?" he yelled out, his shrewd eyes moving over them.

"Yea, Lord Thorolf. They are Anora and Gwendolyn, daughters to Earl Godric of Cheshire," Hakon called back.

He pointed to Anora. "This one is the betrothed of the Dane, Wulfgar Ragnarson."

Thorolf nodded. "They are as beautiful as the merchant said, if not more so!" He laughed crudely, but quickly sobered. "Very well, then, Hakon Jarl. Let us sail for England!"

"Yea," Hakon muttered, meeting Gwendolyn's gaze. "Let us sail for England."





Chapter 43





Gwendolyn drew in a deep breath of the salty air, staring out at the lush coastline stretching out before them. England! It had taken little more than six days of sailing to reach their homeland, what with the clear skies to guide them both day and night and the strong winds filling the large sail.

She sighed. Haarek Jarl's warships had dogged them the entire journey, one flanking each side of Hakon's longship. She had stepped from the tent each morning, hoping to find that one or both of them had strayed off course during the night, but she was always disappointed. Even now they were cutting through the waves not far behind them, unswerving, like two guardian watchdogs.

"Such seriousness does not suit you, my love," Hakon said softly, walking up beside her. He stood a few feet away from her, his hands resting on the railing, knowing he could move no closer. He seemed to have read her thoughts. "Yea, they have followed us this far, Gwendolyn. But do not fear. I have no doubts that we shall be able to evade them. Soon it will be dusk and we will have the cover of night to aid us." He paused, his eyes raking over her. Thor, how he longed to take her in his arms! But he knew that would have to wait, at least for a few more hours. He spoke to her in low, measured tones. "Thorolf does not know it yet, but his warships will be unable to follow us past the mouth of the river that runs alongside your father's lands. The water is much too shallow for their deeper hulls. He will have to content himself to wait for our return, though I am sure that will not sit well with him."

Hakon chuckled lightly at her look of amazement. "Yea, my love, I have thought of every detail." But then he sobered. "Once we are inland, you will have to show me where to moor the ship so it is as close as possible to your father's stronghold. Then I will take several of my men and escort Anora through the woods to within sight of the stronghold, where we will have to leave her. Do you think your sister will be able to find the rest of the way by herself?"

Gwendolyn nodded. "Aye, my lord. We know those woods well."

"Good," Hakon murmured. "By then it will be dark. Once we return to the longship and are under way again, 'tis my hope that we can ease past the two warships waiting for us at the mouth of the river and be well out to sea before they are able to turn about and follow us." He smiled reassuringly. "Go and tell Anora of the plan. It will not be long now before we reach the coast."

Gwendolyn nodded, watching as he strode back along the deck toward the prow. A surge of hope flared within her heart. It all sounded so simple. Surely it would not fail! She hurried to the tent, where Anora had spent much of her time during the voyage. This time it had been her sister who suffered miserably from seasickness. She was about to lift the leather flap when a bright glint caught her eye just off the starboard side of the ship, then another, then several glinting reflections all at once. She looked out across the rolling seas, shielding her eyes from the late-afternoon rays of the sun. Suddenly her breath caught in her throat.