Free Viking Claim (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors Book 2) by Sky Purington

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”
    Veronica shook her head. “I’m not sure it’ll matter so much in the end.” Genuine pain met her words. “The thought of leaving you breaks my heart but I can’t ultimately live here. I don’t belong.”
    A wistful glint flickered through Megan's eyes. “One thing at a time. Let’s not stress over any of that right now. I only woke you because the Thing will be starting soon and I know you wanted to attend.” Megan brushed Veronica’s long bangs out of her eyes, voice tender. “But there will be others. Why don’t you get some more sleep?”
    She shook her head. “No, I want to go. Besides, I’ve yet to step outside during the day.”
    Megan nodded and stood. “I had a basin of warm water brought in and more dresses and tunics made for you.” She held out a thin, leather strap with a delicate pouch attached. “The cylinder and stones will fit in this. You have to wear it around your neck at all times in case you end up back in the future.”
    Right, because she needed the cylinder to return to ninth century Scandanavia.
    Veronica took the pouch. “So I can’t look inside the cylinder?”
    Megan shook her head. “Nope. Not until you’re home.”
    Well, at least she had the certainty of knowing she’d be returning to the twenty-first century.
    So, after a bath and being pampered by strangers, she pulled the necklace over her head and tucked the pouch into her cleavage. The odd clothing still threw her and she said as much when Megan returned. “Thanks for having dresses made for me, but I’ve always been more of a pants kind of girl. Or skirts.” She fingered the material. “Or any sort of dress but this.”
    She nodded at Megan’s outfit. “You’ll need to hook me up with some of those leather pants.”
    Megan grinned. “Already working on it.” Then she shook her head and laughed. “Not sure Raknar and Kol would survive it though.”
    Veronica waved away her words. “Then they can look in the opposite direction.”
    “Yeah, I’m sure that’s what they’ll be doing,” Megan muttered. Then her eyes sparkled. “You’re here at a pretty cool time. The festival of Walpurgis starts tonight and ends nine days from now on Walpurgisnacht.”
      When Veronica frowned in question, Megan continued. “It’s a holiday that honors AllFather's self-sacrifice upon the World Tree Yggdrasil. Apparently, it was on the ninth night or April thirtieth in our time, Walpurgisnacht, that he beheld the Runes, grasped them, and ritually died for an instant. When he did, all the light in the nine worlds was extinguished, and utter Chaos reigned. At the final stroke of midnight, the light returned in brilliance. Then the bale-fires are lit. On Walpurgisnacht, the dead have full sway upon the earth. It’s also the ending night of the Wild Hunt. May first is the festival of Thrimilci, the beginning of Summer. Thrimilci is a festival of joy and fertility.”
    “Fertility, huh? Good thing I’m on birth control,” Veronica joked then cringed at her own lighthearted insinuation. “But interesting information.”
    Megan nodded, a smirk ghosting her face. “After the Thing we’ll shop a little and see if we can get you all fashioned up for tonight.”
    “That’d be wonderful.”
    Anything to lose the long, draping dresses.
    “Come on then.” Megan pulled her out of the cottage. “Time to show my lawyer sister Viking justice.”

Chapter Five
     
    Seeing things at night was nothing like seeing them during the day. Impressed, Veronica stared up at the towering mountains behind the massive village, entranced by the fog-like clouds sweeping down them. Then her eyes were drawn to the buildings with their long slanted roofs that nearly touched the ground. The community was busy and as far as she could tell, thriving.
    When they entered the largest building, the one she’d been in the night before, throngs of people lined the outer edges. The head table had been removed