Free Cum For The Viking by Virginia Wade Page B

future. The sun poked through the clouds
briefly, enough to burn away the blanket of haze that refused to budge. It was
then that I caught a glimpse of red. I sat straight and squinted, trying to get
a better look.
    I gasped. The opening in the fog
revealed ships, lots of ships! Were they merchant vessels coming into port?
They looked utterly unfamiliar, which was worrying. Their shapes were long and
sleek, with dragon-shaped prows and high curving sterns. Billowing red sails filled
my vision. Bells began to ring in the village, the inhabitants having seen the
approaching threat, but it was too late.
    “God help us,” I whispered. These
were no merchant vessels. This was an invading force, and they would wreak
havoc, no doubt. I sprang to my feet, hastening to the house, where I packed
quickly; throwing whatever food items I could find into a sack. “Vincent? Where
are you, you silly cat?” I had the clothes on my back and my cloak. I was
fortunate enough to have shoes. My mother had traded her psychic services to a
tradesman for leather slippers. Most of the villagers went barefoot.
    I left the house, the wooden door
slamming behind me. I knew where I would go, but I dreaded it. Hurrying for the
forest, the faint sounds of screams reached my ears. I ran down the path, the
heavy sack slung over my shoulder and my heart thundering in my chest. I darted
into the safety of the trees, finding the refuge I needed. My legs carried me
to a small cave my mother had discovered years ago, while seeking protection
from the villagers, who wanted to burn her for witchcraft. She had lived in the
hideaway for more than a year, only returning when it was safe. That had been
Lady Abbot’s doing, but I suspected it was more out of jealousy, because of
Lord Abbot’s attentions towards her. We were hated for a number of reasons. Firstly,
my mother’s fortune telling abilities, then my particular success with healing
herbs, and then our beauty, of course. The Green women were renowned for their
lustrous black hair, pale, unblemished skin, impossibly large breasts, and heart-shaped
faces, which were bordered by delicately arching brows. I had always known my
mother was stunning, and, after father had died, the men came around. Married,
single, and engaged, it didn’t matter. She attracted them by the droves, and
they brought gifts: chickens, wine, cheeses, and silver. I would be made to
wait in the cold, while she let them have her body, her moans of pleasure
seeping through the clay and wattle walls.
    As I grew and my figure filled out, I
also received the attention of the village men, who leered at me from their
carts and horses, calling me rude names. I’d been attacked once, on the road to
Dorset, but I always carried a knife, sheathed on my thigh, and I had stabbed
him in the arm, frightening the scoundrel off. The men avoided me after that,
but they would stare, hunger flaring in their eyes.
    The cave was hidden behind a rocky
outcropping, and I hadn’t been here since my mother’s banishment. It smelled of
damp earth, decaying detritus, and limestone. I found a wooden chest against a
wall, which held an old blanket, several candles, and a small cauldron. I spent
the day collecting firewood and boiling water, and, after the sun went down, I
sat by the fire, staring into the bluish-yellow flames, and listened to the
sounds of screams from the village.

Chapter Two

 
 
    On the fourth day of my isolation, I
became desperate, not having eaten anything substantial in more than two days.
I scoured the forest searching for berries and mushrooms. I tried to catch fish
in a stream. I collected minnows instead and ate them raw, out of sheer need.
Exhausted and weak, I wandered further from the cave, hoping to find anything
that would fill my belly.
    The ground suddenly thundered with
the sound of horses. This sent me into the underbrush, crouching and hiding from
the strangers who approached, but I foolishly stepped on a branch, the