The Pagan's Prize (5 page)

"Well?"

Rurik turned at the insistent tug on his arm and fixed
a dark glare upon the presumptuous merchant. The man withdrew his pudgy hand as
if stung and stepped backward in surprise, his eyes round with fear.

"You risk much to impose yourself so upon a
stranger," Rurik said in a low warning. "Take your slave and be gone."

"V-very well." The affronted merchant grabbed
his crestfallen chattel's forearm and pushed her back into the tent. "Just
the same, you're passing up quite a bargain," he added as the flap fell
behind them.

A female slave was the last thing he needed on this
journey, Rurik told himself again, watching grimly as the Varangian dragged the
fine-boned woman back to the center of camp, her torn tunic trailing behind her
and her exquisite body bared to the gathered crowd's gaze.

He and his three men had stopped to trade furs for
supplies for their trip downriver to Chernigov, nothing more. Sampling slave
women was part of their ruse as merchants, a pleasurable one to be sure, but
indulged in only to satisfy lust, not with any intention to buy. So there was
no logical purpose in challenging the Varangian for his golden-limbed captive.

"Rouse yourself, woman! Feigning a swoon won't
save you!"

Rurik felt disgust tighten his throat as the Norseman roughly
shook the young woman's prone body. The dullard hadn't even noticed that his
vicious blow had rendered her senseless.

When he received no response, the trader spread her
legs wide with his foot and went down on his knees between them, dropping his
broadaxe near her head. He stroked her upturned breasts with huge,
thick-fingered hands, then, grinning, cupped the golden mound at the apex of her
thighs and squeezed.

"I said I'd take you in the dirt, pretty bird, and
I meant it. When you feel Halfdan's Frey-wand deep inside you, you'll wake soon
enough and cry out for more."

"By Thor's hammer, enough! What kind of dog are
you to rut on the ground with a woman who lies as if dead?"

All eyes turned to Rurik in astonishment. A charged
hush filled the air. The Varangian trader did not rise, but his grin tightened
perceptibly as he appraised Rurik.

"You addressed me, stranger?"

Rurik nodded, his hand moving to the bright silver hilt
of his sword. Although acting upon impulse was foreign to him, he felt
strangely glad.

"Get up. You heard the wench before you struck her
down. She doesn't want your attentions."

"This slave's wishes are none of my concern, nor
are they yours, if you value your neck—"

"But they are mine!" A well-dressed Slav
merchant pushed his way to the front of the silent onlookers, though he and the
stout fellow who stood at his elbow remained a good distance from the kneeling
Varangian. "That woman belongs to me and she is not for sale until we
reach the markets of Constantinople." He eyed Rurik shrewdly, then his
gaze shifted back to Halfdan. "I offer ten gold grivna . . . no, twenty,
to any man who will wrest her from this barbarian, Halfdan Snakeeye. He refuses
to release her to me of his free will."

As the Varangian trader cursed and rose to his feet,
speculative conversation surged among the crowd but no other man stepped
forward. Surprised that a merchant would pay gold for a slave's behalf, even
one as fine as this lithe, tawny-haired beauty, Rurik's curiosity flared
hotter. The man would hardly recoup such a sum once they reached Byzantium's
capital; the most sought-after slaves sold for much less, and usually in
silver. This one woman was obviously valuable to him. Strange.

"My lord Rurik, surely you do not plan to fight
this trader!" whispered the urgent voice of one of his men.

Leif Einarson's ruddy face was flushed an even brighter
shade of red, his light blue eyes wary. "The woman is beautiful but just
look at her captor, my lord! Almost a head taller even than you and as big as
an ox, no doubt with the strength to match."

"The wits of an ox as well, Leif. The man is ruled
by lust instead of brains."

"True, but big, dumb, and well armed could prove a
dangerous combination, and we have much at stake—"

"Is it two of you who conspire against me now?"
Halfdan blustered. He swung his broadaxe menacingly in front of him. "Come
on, you dung-sniffers, and let's have done with it. When I've cut out your
beating hearts" —he glanced fiercely at Gleb— "next there'll be a
merchant's blood staining my blade."

"Go back to the ship, Leif." Rurik's voice
was grim as he kept his gaze trained on the Varangian. "If I don't return
shortly, you, Arne, and Kjell sail without me."

No protest came. Rurik hadn't expected one, for as
their sworn lord, the right of command belonged to him. Yet he could sense that
the seasoned warrior wished to remain by his side, ready to fight to the death
for him if necessary.

"As you say, my lord." Scowling at the huge
trader, Leif stalked away.

"I accept your offer of twenty grivna," Rurik
announced, noticing the merchant's look of relief. His instincts told him that
the man had something more important at stake than simply regaining possession
of a female slave, and he intended to find out what it was, if Odin the
all-powerful deemed him the victor. Let the wily slaver think Rurik was
fighting for gold. In truth, he wanted to know more about the woman, yet that
was impossible until this belligerent Varangian was brought down.

"So your copper-haired friend is afraid to fight
Halfdan," the Norseman jeered, his extreme height enabling him to see
above the crowd. "Look how he hastens toward the river with his tail
dragging between his legs."

"Hardly afraid." Rurik stepped forward as he
pulled his sword from the leather scabbard hanging from his belt. His lips
curved into a taunting smile. "Why use two men where only one is required?"

His insult was met with a violent oath from his
opponent, who suddenly rushed at him, moving amazingly swift for one so large.
Halfdan wielded his heavy, long-handled broadaxe with both hands. Possessing no
defensive shield, Rurik barely had time to raise his sword before Halfdan's
flaring blade, a full twelve inches across, came crashing down toward his
chest.

Steel sang out against steel, Rurik's sword deflecting
the death blow as he dodged to the left and whirled, aiming a low, swinging
stroke at the Varangian's legs in hopes of severing a limb. But Halfdan must
have anticipated the tactic for he leapt aside, the tapered end of Rurik's
blade barely scraping his knee.

As they circled each other, the clamoring crowd began
to press closer, sputtering torches held high to illuminate the deadly contest.
Fearing that the woman might be trampled, Rurik shot a glance in her direction
to see that the merchant and his stocky companion were dragging her from harm's
way. Halfdan must have noticed, too, for he shouted, "You cannot hide her
from me, you stinking Slav! The moment I find her will bring your death!"

Rurik took advantage of the Varangian trader's fleeting
inattention. With a bloodcurdling cry, he grasped his sword with both hands and
swung the gleaming blade in a heavy blow across his opponent's stomach. To his
surprise, a loud thwack met his assault and not the sensation of polished steel
slicing into flesh. Cursing, Rurik leapt backward just in time to elude a
retaliatory strike, now aware that the Norseman wore a padded jerkin beneath
his fur clothing.

"Reindeer hide and bone plaques," Halfdan
rasped through clenched teeth, the ferocity of Rurik's blow nevertheless having
doubled him over. "As good as any rich man's mail-coat." Glaring at
Rurik, he drew himself to his full height. "It appears you and I are well
matched, stranger. I would swear a hardened warrior hides beneath that merchant's
garb. Pity you are soon to be a corpse."

The Varangian had hit perilously close to the mark, but
Rurik had no time for concern over possible spies in the crowd. Halfdan charged
at him, roaring in rage and swinging his broadaxe.

Ducking a blow aimed at his head that could have split
his skull like an eggshell, Rurik twisted to get clear, but the Varangian's
raised knee caught him under the chin. Smashed backward, his sword knocked from
his hand, Rurik sprawled in the dirt, stunned. In the next instant Halfdan
landed on top of him and pinned him, his broadaxe hovering directly over Rurik's
heart.

"Pray to Christ or Odin, stranger, but pray
quickly for now you die—"

The Varangian's words were cut off by the zinging flash
of a sword, his blond head severed from his body and sent flying into the
crowd. As warm blood rained down upon Rurik, the broadaxe falling harmlessly
from a lifeless hand to the ground, Halfdan's twitching body was kicked
unceremoniously to one side and Rurik hauled to his feet. Still slightly dazed,
he stared into Arne Flat-Nose's grinning face. Rurik was never more glad in his
life to see the grizzled bear of a warrior.

"Must I forever rescue you from scraps, my lord?
It's a good thing your father granted me the right to disobey your orders if
necessary, and aye, this occasion was surely one of them."

"
Forever
rescuing me?" Rurik wiped the blood and sweat from his face with his
sleeve. "A fine exaggeration. In all the years I've known you, Arne, I
could count on two fingers—"

"Three now, my lord, and well timed, wouldn't you
say?"

At the glint of seriousness in Arne's eyes, Rurik could
only nod, all semblance of joking put aside.

"You have my thanks, friend."

"That is all well and good" —Arne glanced
pointedly at the curious onlookers and lowered his voice— "but the best
thanks would be to walk with me to our boat and forsake any idea of rescuing
some slave wench in distress. I'd say we've drawn more than ample attention to
ourselves for one day. It's time we sailed."

"Not yet." Rurik's senses were now back in
sharp focus. Ignoring Arne's look of disapproval, he picked up his sword and
then scanned the surrounding faces for the Slav merchant, but the man had
vanished. The cunning bastard! Doubtless he had no intention to pay the sum
promised, not that Rurik cared for the gold. The merchant had probably used the
fight as a screen to spirit away the woman.

"Where are you going?" Arne called out as
Rurik stepped over the headless corpse and strode through the gradually
thinning crowd, traders and buyers alike returning to their business now that
the bloody spectacle was finished.

Rurik didn't answer, his gaze sweeping from one end of
the camp to the other. No sign of the merchant or the woman. He was about to
begin a search of every tent when he spied a flash of purple silk near the
well-lighted docks, and he began to run. Arne huffed not far behind him,
grumbling loudly about the witchery of women.

"Hold!" Rurik shouted, not surprised to see
the merchant and his burly companion, the woman slung over his shoulder,
increase their pace as they headed toward a large river ship that was already
loaded with slaves and other retainers. "Hold, I tell you!" When
Rurik was almost upon them, the merchant turned back and hastened to meet him
while the other man hurried on with his precious load.

"Ah, forgive me, good sir . . . how forgetful of
me! Your gold is right here." Smiling tightly, the merchant held out a
small leather pouch. "Count it if you must, it's all there. Twenty grivna,
the least I could pay for such skill and bravery, such honor—"

"I don't want your gold." Rurik's gaze burned
into the man's eyes. "Tell your fat companion to bring the woman here,
now, or I will not hesitate to slit your treacherous throat."

"Treachery! What treachery—"

Rurik grabbed the older man and spun him so that he
faced the river, his sword resting ominously against the merchant's scrawny
neck. "Tell him!"

"As you wish, as you wish! Urho! Bring the slave
to me at once!"

"Now talk and quickly, but keep your voice low,"
Rurik commanded, aware that they were eliciting much observation from curious
passersby. "Where did you get that woman?"

"Her parents sold her to me . . . they were poor,
needed the silver—"

"You lie! Before that Varangian trader struck her
down, she promised me a reward if I helped her. No peasant's daughter would
swear such a thing, and no peasant wench would speak with such refinement.
Where did you find her?"

"Please, I cannot say or my life may be forfeit!"

"Speak or your life
is
forfeit." Rurik turned his weapon so that the razor-sharp
blade rested upon the man's bobbing Adam's apple.

"Very well, I will tell you! Stay your sword! My
men abducted her from a wealthy river caravan a day's eastward journey from
this camp."

"A caravan?"

"Traveling from Tmutorokan to Chernigov."

Rurik tensed, his instincts alert. Such a caravan might
be somehow connected with Prince Mstislav . . .

"How could your men have gotten so close without
an alarm being raised?" he demanded. "Surely there were guards—"

"Yes, but what few we found near the girl's tent
were slain. It couldn't have gone more smoothly. Everything was arranged in
advance."

"By whom?"

"The eunuch of the woman who wished to rid herself
of her husband's favorite concubine. The half man paid me much gold to see that
the girl's tongue be cut out and she be sold in Constantinople. He said that if
his mistress's orders were not followed, she would not rest until I was found
and punished."

So the wench was a concubine. Rurik watched as the man
called Urho drew near with the limp woman. She was wrapped in a dark cloak with
only her head visible, her long sandy-colored hair, more blond than brown,
tumbling down Urho's back. Rurik found himself wondering what it might feel
like to touch that golden tousled mass, to bury his fingers in it . . .

Rurik snorted. From his own reaction, he was not
surprised that she was a favored one.