Viking: Legends of the North: A Limited Edition Boxed Set by Tanya Anne Crosby & Miriam Minger & Shelly Thacker & Glynnis Campbell

Author:Tanya Anne Crosby & Miriam Minger & Shelly Thacker & Glynnis Campbell [Crosby, Tanya Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Historical Romance
Publisher: Oliver-Heber Books
Published: 2015-02-17T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Her knees clasped to her breasts, Zora glowered at the tent wall.

Were those swine going to bring her something to eat or not? Her stomach was so wretchedly empty that she felt almost sick from hunger. She hadn’t tasted food since the few bites she had managed in Chernigov, yet her Norse captors had the gall to be enjoying a meal without her! Outside they were loudly commenting on how delicious everything was while Arne recounted some ribald tale. She was certain his mouth was full as he spoke. The coarse, unmannered slob!

The boat dipping and swaying beneath her like a flimsy piece of flotsam wasn’t helping her hollow stomach either. She had never imagined a river could be so rough, but then again, she’d only traveled smaller routes in the past. They were now on the great Dnieper, one of Rus Land’s main trade routes. When she had caught a glimpse of the vast river before she had been whisked aboard late yesterday afternoon, appearing as wide as any three she had ever seen, it was still swollen from the spring thaw, the currents fast and dangerous.

Hearty male laughter erupted outside again. Zora frowned. The Varangians certainly seemed relaxed now that they were a night’s journey from Liubech.

Before today the mood had been much darker. The tension resulting from her screaming fit in the forest had been palpable enough to cut and had lasted until well after they set sail. Although it had become clear from eavesdropping on Rurik’s low-spoken conversation with his men that the small trading town posed no threat, he hadn’t said more than a sentence to her.

He had thrust her inside this stuffy, hastily constructed tent and roughly removed her gag with a terse threat that she had better remain quiet or else. She had been tempted to fling at him, “Or else what?” but had reluctantly held her tongue. His scowl had been fearsome. Obviously his anger toward her had not abated.

Eventually she had fallen asleep, so exhausted from their long ride that she couldn’t keep her eyes open. At one point in the night she had half awoken to the unsettling sensation of someone watching her, but when she had rolled over to look, she was alone. She hadn’t opened her eyes again until a short while ago.

“Shall I take the wench some food, my lord?” came an unknown male voice. At last someone had thought of her needs! “She’s probably awake by now and I imagine she’s hungry,” the voice continued.

“You heard my orders, Kjell. If she wants something to eat, she can come out here and fetch it. I don’t want to see any of you waiting upon her. She may be Grand Prince Yaroslav’s niece, but I’ll not have you taking your minds off your duties to coddle some spoiled, overindulged princess.”

Spoiled! Zora thought, outraged. Hardly! Hermione had always seen that she remembered her place in the terem whenever their warrior father wasn’t around, which was much of the time.

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