This fanfiction is based upon Judson Robert's Viking StrongBow Series. This book is based after the last one The Road to Vengeance. The series itself is very masculine and has lots of fighting in it. Even though I've kept the third person narritive, I've made it mine much more feminine with a lot more romance and drama. I'll warn readers now that there is a lot of mature themes involved and it is not for younger readers. Please be advised. I love the character Halfdan with his nobleness and devotedness to truth. He deserves a proper mate. In the third book Roberts introduces the character Genevieve who I just wasn't that taken with. Thus, I've introduced my own mate for Halfdan. For this fanfiction to work, you have to believe in two things: the ability for time travel to work and the ability for true love and soul mates across time lines to exist. I'm not sure about the first but the second I do personally believe in. I hope you enjoy my story and I wish you would review for me. This is a work in progress. Thanks so much, Lynda. PS. Even though it is not a songfic, I did name it after the Lady Gaga song Bad Romance so if you like the song you might take into consideration the lyrics and how they relate.
Bad Romance
Chapter One
Alexandria Harrison smiled as she looked at the pictures coming from outer space. How could she not? She was nothing if not living a dream. She'd wanted to be an astronaut as a small child, but then her mother had broken her heart one day over a pint of chocolate chip ice cream finally telling her that NASA had no use for astronauts with asthma. So, Alexa had thrown herself into studying physics and math in middle school. She'd gotten high scores on her SAT in high school, then a valedictorianship. Along came a lucrative offer from UCLA, three states away from her home on the prairies of Wyoming. She'd chosen the school anyway because of their associations with NASA's Jett Propulsion laboratory. Alexa was determined that she would find a way to work for NASA some day some way. It had always seemed a contradiction. This cowgirl in her Wranglers and Ropers with her long dark hair tied back in a pony tail working next to the certified geeks and nerds of the space science department at UCLA Berkeley. They loved her though. What was not to love? She had an easy smile and a good word for everyone. She worked hard at what she did and it was evident that Alexa Harrison wanted to be there discovering new worlds.
On this particular Saturday morning Alexa had come into the lab alone. She was finishing up some research time for a project that was due on Tuesday and she didn't want to be rushed to the last minute getting it done. She was a sophomore majoring in astro-physics and she was finding it to be challenging to say the least. She loved it more than she could say but the math was taxing her brain to the limit. Right now they were studying something that had mystified scientists for decades. Wormholes. The hypothetical theory of space time that allowed that maybe space folded in over itself forming a tube or a hole in which one theoretically could travel through time. It might be the only way in which one could travel quickly through space and get from one galaxy to another. Alexa was fascinated by it. She watched in awe on the screen as images of a nebula with it's glowing neon gases blew up. The universe was a mighty thing indeed.
Alexa got into her car and headed back to her dorm. She was somewhat distracted thinking about all that she had to do tonight. She had lots of write ups to do as well as work for other classes. Absently she fiddled with the radio trying to find something decent to listen to as the heater finally began to give her a little heat. Even though she was in sunny California, it was the middle of January and it was 48 degrees outside. Alexa had grown up in the heartland and was used to hard winters, so really, this cold was nothing to her. She'd gotten up at 5 o'clock in the morning and feed cattle in twenty degree weather as a teenager. She was a trooper.
Suddenly she saw beside of the road something she'd never noticed before on her many trips back and forth between the observatory and her apartment on campus. She would have sworn it looked like part of a ship, a rotted out ship, made of old old timbers sticking out of the earth beside of the road. Alexa made a U-turn and then pulled up along side the structure. Ignoring the cold and pulling her scarf around her head she got out of her car. For some reason she decided not to leave her bag in the car so she slung it over her head and left out to examine this 'boat'.
She walked up to it and noticed that it was indeed old. The timbers were almost beyond rotted. She was surprised that one good wind hadn't knocked that whole structure down. She walked around the bow of the ship and then noticed that there was an open door. Since there was no roof there was plenty of light to see in. Inside there were two mounds. Around the mounds were littered all kinds of articles. The most prominent to Alexa was the sword.
Oh my God she said to herself. Alexandria had always been a fan of anything Renaissance. She could tell this pre-dated the Middle Ages though. This sword was old, very old. The hilt was forged with steel and iron both, and strapped with leather bindings. There were no ornate jewels or gilded scrolls. This was a sword that was meant for business. It still looked sharp. Next to it on the ground was a small dagger. It looked like a ladies' dagger. It did have ornamentation on it. Rubies were enladen on the hilt and the blade was sharp to the touch. Also lying around what had to be a grave were golden pitchers and cups as well as various sewing instruments and men's armor, rusted and worn down.
This was someone's grave Alexa thought. She started shaking. Was this a replica? Was this supposed to be here? Why had she never seen this before? She was a history buff. She would have known about this. Get your wits together she thought. You know what this is. This is a viking replica. This is how vikings buried their kings. They buried them in ships. She sighed. But why was it here? In California of all places. She could understand it being on the east coast, up in New England, or close to near where the vikings supposedly landed in America, but not on the West Coast. There was no connection.
She began to feel queasy at her stomach then. Like she hadn't eaten in days and she wanted to throw up but there was little on her stomach. Her head throbbed and spun. I've got to sit down. She thought. But I can't sit on these people's graves. These aren't real graves, Idiot! She said to herself. Alexa lowered herself to the ground and finally allowed herself to retch. When her stomach was finally empty she rolled over and realized somewhere in the back of her mind that she was lying on top of one of the 'graves'.
Halfdan was sad to leave the Gull. But he had to. He still had business to attend to with Toke. He'd proven to himself and the others from Hastein's crew that he was legitimate in his claims when he'd killed Snorre. Now he was going to kill the man who had killed his only brother and countless other men, women and children right in front of his eyes. He was out for vengeance.
He missed the friends he'd made on board the Gull already. Friends were in short commodity when you are a thrall, or a slave, and it hadn't been but six short months ago that he'd been one. He didn't tell his story to many people because quite frankly they wouldn't believe it or they'd take advantage of him. Halfdan was born a slave, but his father was a Danish chieftain. His mother was an Irish princess, whom his father stole away from her homeland. His father loved his mother but would not marry her, choosing instead to marry another woman in order to gain lands and position. His mother remained a slave until the day that he asked her to accompany him on his death ship. She agreed to do so in return for him freeing Halfdan and recognizing him as his heir. After his father's death, his new brother Harold took Halfdan under his wing and taught him the ways of a warrior. The two became very close and Halfdan loved Harold much. Harold took Halfdan north to visit a small estate their father had left him, and that's where Toke, their half brother, had attacked them. He agreed to let the women and children go safely and then massacred them. He killed Harold in front of Halfdan's very eyes. Halfdan was the only one to live, but he swore a blood oath that he would kill every member of Toke's crew for what they did that night. And now he was truly beginning that mission. He'd gotten off the Gull here in Ireland for he'd heard that some of the members had come here and were raiding in this area.
Dublin was a small port town. It was growing with Danish influence. Halfdan didn't like towns very much. For the most part they were dirty and everyone lived almost on top of one another. He couldn't understand how men could stand to live that way. If he had a choice Halfdan would live in the country as he grew up or be a seafaring man. He wasn't sure where to start exactly in his mission. He was thinking that one of the local drinking houses would be best. That's where the men usually headed when they got off of the ship. Even if none of the men he was looking for were at the bar he could probably find out some useful information, like where he might find a place to sleep tonight.
"Ahhhhh, help meeee!!!" he heard a scream coming a short distance off. It was a woman crying out. Halfdan ran towards the sound. He only heard it once but he was good at judging distances. Evidently the sound had been muffled. He ducked into an alley where he saw a struggle going on. Two men, Danes, had a woman pressed against a building. From what he could tell they had all intents upon raping her. One man had his hand over her mouth so that she couldn't scream and the other man was quickly ripping her clothes from her body, while she kicked and beat at him.
If there was one thing that Halfdan had no tolerance for it was rape. He had been witness to his own father raping his own mother countless times over the course of his adolescence and there had been nothing he could do about it. It had been the most horrible and helpless feeling imaginable. He gritted his teeth. It didn't matter that these two men were of his own blood. It didn't matter that they were probably a good fifteen years older than him. All that mattered was that he saved this girl from the pain and agony his mother had endured. He looked at the girl and saw her face for the first time through the man's large hand. She was beautiful. As beautiful as Genevieve had been, maybe more so.
Halfdan pulled his sword and stalked forward. He easily snuck up on the men because they were so intent on trying to pull off the ladies' clothing, which seemed to be of an odd nature. It almost seemed like she had men's clothing on.
"You leave the woman alone, now!" Halfdan commanded. The two turned their heads around but didn't let go.
"Why, it's a little pup that wants to play, Olaf," said one of the men,"We'd let you have a go at her but it looks like you are a bit young for this sort of thing, you know." And the man had the audacity to wink.
Halfdan lifted his sword and put it under the man's chin. "It's not for you to know what I do or do not know about the ways of love, for I may look young but I have more experience than you know. Now if you do not leave this girl alone you'll soon learn what kinds of experiences I do have."
"Hold her, Olaf," the man said, letting go and pulling his sword. He parried high and their swords clanged against each other. Then his sword went low and Halfdan swung around to meet it. Again and again their swords clanged against each other, meeting and meeting. Once Halfdan drew blood against Olaf's leg, and Halfdan thought that surely it was over but evidently it only made the man mad. Olaf returned blood for blood by singing his sword across Halfdan's cheek leaving a bright slash.
"Ahhh," Halfdan heard the girl cry out. He prayed to the gods that nothing too awful was happening to her behind him.
Their swords clashed again. Halfdan managed to hit hard. Hard enough to knock his opponent's sword out of his hand. He reached out and grabbed it before Olaf could retrieve it.
"I believe you've lost your sword sir," Halfdan said. "You and your friend need to get out of here"
Olaf looked at his friend and hesitated. Then, finally, he nodded, and the girl was let go. She crumpled into a heap on the dirt below. The two skulked off.
Halfdan quickly jogged over to the injured girl. He propped her up in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. He looked her over in the dim light. She was dressed very strangely. He hadn't seen anything like it before. Her pants looked like some form of canvas. They were obviously men's pants. And they were tight. They revealed every part of her lower body. It was no wonder those men wanted to rape her. He was feeling a bit aroused just looking at her in those pants. His mother, who believed in the White Christ would have said it was a sin to look at her with such lust in his heart. Maybe it was. The only real thing he felt guilty about was that it hadn't been that long ago that he'd been so close to Genevieve and he'd felt in his heart that she was the only one for him and now here he was lusting after some girl he'd just saved off the street. What was wrong with him?
He gazed up farther and noticed her torn shirt. It had once been in one piece and the material clung to her body and her curves. You could see her breasts outlined clearly beneath the shirt. They were a perfect size and shape. Oh, Odin, I have problems now. He thought as his body grew hard underneath her still form. He was glad that she seemed to be half unconscious because if she'd awakened she'd know what he was thinking. And what are you thinking Halfdan? That you want to do to her what those thugs had wanted to do?Except you don't want to hurt her. You would never stoop to that? You want to coerce her into sleeping with you? You'd believe that somehow, someway you would have her in the same manner you had Genevieve and she would want you?
He gently placed her on the ground away from his body, but kept her head on his chest. He sat and marveled at her beauty. He'd thought that Genevieve was beautiful and she was, but this girl was beyond his wildest dreams. He had no idea why he was even thinking she might throw him a glance. Why was he even pondering about it? He was losing focus on the mission again. But sometimes he wanted to. He wanted to act his age and he wanted to be in love and he wanted to be normal, but his life never had been normal had it? As he was contemplating this and stroking her long black hair, he saw her dark eyes start to flicker. She managed to get them open all the way and then she straightened up. The yawn she let out, caused Halfdan to laugh. She smiled at him, which made him smile back.
"Where am I?" she asked
"Dublin?"
"Ireland?" she asked, incredulous.
"Yes," he replied.
"That's impossible. I got sick and fell asleep in California,"
"Where's Cal-i-fornia" he sounded out the syllables in the state's name.
"Okay, everyone knows where California is, dufous."
"What did you just call me?"
"I called you a dufous because you tried to act like you don't know where Cali is?"
"I haven't the slightest notion where this place you are referring to is?"
"O-kay, Do-kay,"
"What does 'Okay' mean"
"What the hell?
"Huh, I've never heard a woman say such profanity,"
"Yeah, well, hang around me for awhile and I'll educate you."
"Who are you?"
"Names Alexandria Harrison but you can call me Alexa and I'm a sophomore at UCLA studying Astro Physics and Time Travel right now."
"I don't understand any of this."
"Who are you?" Alexa asked.
"My name is Halfdan."
"Just Halfdan?" She asked. "No last name?
"I am Halfdan Hrorksson of Hrorik, son of Offa......, my father was a Chiefdan on the Limfjord"
"Uh, so, you're a Native American?" Alexa asked confused.
"A what?" replied Halfdan equally baffled. "What is a Native American?"
"You know? An Indian?"
"I have never heard of such." he replied.
Alexa turned her head while still lying in his arms, so that she could examine the boy better. He really wasn't a boy she decided, although he wasn't fully a man either. She was hard put to name his age. It could be 18, 22, or anything in between. He had dark, dark brown hair that almost bordered on black. It was cut in a shaggy way that fell around his face in long layers. A skater boy cut, she thought. His dark eyes reminded her of hot chocolate or espresso, warm and inviting but with a bitterness somehow. She found herself swallowed up in their depths immediately, and had to steady herself with slow gasps of air. What was it with this dude? He was so intense.
"A Native American is a person who was born in America, not someone who immigrated there." she tried to explain, though she figured that he was simply making a joke at her expense. Everyone who had even an elementary education knew what an Indian was.
"America? What's America?" He then asked. She was stunned. He seemed completely serious. That or he was seriously pissing her off.
"Are you serious?" She asked, looking into his eyes trying to discern if he was trying to jerk her around. She wasn't a celebrity. This wasn't Ashton Kutcher and she wasn't likely being Punked.
"Why wouldn't I be? What is this America you refer to?"
"America is where we are. It's where I live. It's my country."
Now it was Halfdan's turn to look surprised and confused. He also looked incredibly worried. She didn't like the look on his face. It wasn't a mean look at all, it was a look of compassion actually. It was a look that said, "What have I gotten my self into?" Finally he looked a little more calm and he began to try to explain what he needed to say.
"You may not understand this too well, for maybe you hit your head when those men attacked you. I'm not sure what happened? You may be sick. There is no country that I've ever heard of called Amer-i-ca. Perhaps, it is some fancy that you have created." At this he looked at her kindly and sweetly and he ran his fingers through her hair. Ordinarily she would have jerked away. Such an intimate act from someone who was for all practical purposes a complete and total stranger should have sent her into a rage, but it didn't. There was something about this man who called himself Halfdan. She was remembering now. He'd saved her life. Not only was he quite possibly the most beautiful man she'd ever met, but there was something else about him that was attracting him to her. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself. A quiet confidence in his abilities, maybe. He was kind, that much was also obvious. She wasn't sure yet, but she wasn't ready to let him go. She wanted to know more about him. He continued to stroke her hair and explain her "delusions".
"We are in Ireland. The year is 859, and I am a Dane. I just got off of a ship called the Gull. I've been in Frankia waging war on Paris. I could have stayed as a member of Jarl Hastain's crew as a archer but I have personal business here in Dublin that I must attend to. That is why I am here. The question we must now figure out is why are you here when you are so obviously confused. You are out of sorts and you are not in any way dressed appropriately. What were you doing here in this alley to get yourself almost raped?"
Alexa couldn't meet Halfdan's eyes anymore. She had no answers for any of those questions. The truth was that she didn't know why she was in the alley. She had just appeared there. As for her clothing, she had on the same thing she'd worn to the lab this morning. Then the answers were coming like lightning. The wormhole theory. The viking ship. Then she suddenly had trouble breathing. And she was shaking. Sometimes this happened to her. When she became too excited and things overwhelmed her, her asthma would get the best of her. She prayed that the men had not managed to get away with her messenger bag because her rescue inhaler was inside of it. She fumbled around beside her, all the while wheezing and coughing.
"What's wrong Alexa?"
"Can't breathe. I have asthma"
"What's as-th-ma" Halfdan sounded the new word out.
"It's ...uhh..."Alexa gurgled and wheezed as she tried to find her bag. She didn't have enough air to explain it to him. "Help...find..bag.." she managed to pantomime with her hands. "Medicine. Inside"
Those instructions Halfdan seemed to understand. He was up in an instant and around the corner. He came back with Alexa's prized Coach messenger bag. It was a gift from her boyfriend Jacob. As she dug inside she was shocked to note that nothing seemed to be missing. Evidently nothing she carried was of value to the men who'd tried to take advantage of her so they'd simply dropped the bag around the corner. She said a quick prayer of thanks as she found the small white inhaler. She shook it quickly and then stuck it in her mouth and pushed the trigger. She inhaled the medicine and held it the requisite seconds. As she was holding her breath she watched Halfdan watching her. The look on his face was exquisite agony. He looked quite scared for a man who didn't even know her. He appeared worried that she was going to die on him, but at the same time he seemed inquisitive about the apparatus that carried the medicine into her lungs. She removed the inhaler and then let out the medicine in one big puff and a sigh. She was still shaking. The medicine always did that to her. Halfdan noticed immediately.
"You are shaking."
"The medicine does that to me."
"May I hold your hand?"
For some reason, the simple question caused her stomach to drop. The way it drops when you get asked to the prom by the guy you have a crush on . What was wrong with her today? She was in so much trouble in so very many ways. She shook her head 'yes' and held her hand out for him to take. Instead he took both of her hands and enveloped them in his. His hands were large and calloused. She wondered what type of work he'd done to have caused that. And there were scars too on his hands. She wanted to ask about them, but she was afraid that it would be rude. His hands were tanned a dark brown like the rest of his skin. Like he'd been out in the sun a whole lot. She looked up into his face, which she was growing to like a whole lot more than she needed to given the uncertainty of her situation. He had a sweet gentle face for a fighter. He had small eyes that were perfectly shaped with long black eye lashes and a straight nose that was neither too big nor too small, and his lips were shaped for kissing. Full and lush with a cupid's bow set in the center. It was hard for her not to stare at them and not lick her own. He had a strong jaw and cheek bones that gave his face enough definition that even though he retained some of his teenage boy adorableness it was clearly giving way to the sexiness of manhood. He was clearly going to be someone that the women would throw themselves at, and probably already were. She would have to watch herself or she might do it herself at any minute.
"Are you better now?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm breathing better now." Alexa replied. Please don't let go of my hand, she thought to herself.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Halfdan asked, with a raise of his somewhat shaggy black eyebrows.
"Yes. I have a condition called asthma. It causes me to be unable to breathe at times. My lungs, the organs in your body that allow you to breathe, they have tubes inside them and when my asthma flairs up those tubes constrict." She made a motion with her free hand to prove her point. "It cuts off my air, and I cannot breathe any longer. The medicine in the little white container which I breathe into my lungs dilates the tubes back open so that I can breathe again."
"Does it happen often?"
"With me, it happens maybe once a month or so. It depends. I have to use my inhaler I get into something that makes me sneeze or when I get excited or scared sometimes an attack happens. That's what just happened. I think it was a delayed reaction from when those guys attacked me and then just this whole shock that I might not be in Kansas anymore."
"Where's Kansas?"
"Oh, no, that's just a saying." she replied reminding herself to stay away from colloquialisms."What I mean is that I think I know what happened. Why I'm here and how I'm here."
"Explain for me." he said.
"It's kinda technical"
"What is technical? You use so many words that I do not understand." he sighed, clearly frustrated at their language barrier. Personally she was surprised they could understand each other at all.
"I'm so sorry. You have to understand that we are using two completely different languages. I have no idea how we are understanding each other at all. I think I know how I am here though. But how can we comprehend each others language? That's magic."
Halfdan shook his head. It all was seeming beyond him at this point.
"Perhaps we should go find a better place to go discuss this. An alley is no place for a woman and at this time of night anyway."
"Where will we go?"
"Usually I just sleep outdoors or in a horse stall but I can't do that with you with me. I have some money. I'll get us a room, that way we'll be warm tonight and we'll be comfortable and we can discuss what has happened to you. We'll figure out if there is a way to get you back home or not."
"Thank you so much for helping me. You know you don't have to, you aren't obligated just because you found me."
"No, but I did find you, and I like you."
"You are a very noble man, you know that." Alexa complimented Halfdan as she rose up from the cold alley floor.
Halfdan blushed where she couldn't see it. The two started out of the alley and onto the street. Alexa instinctively took Halfdan by the hand. She figured it wasn't proper but she didn't care. She didn't want to get lost or run over on these streets. She also liked the feel of his hand in hers. He evidently didn't mind too much because he curled his fingers around her smaller ones and held her hand tightly. They walked until they reached the Golden Ring Inn. The first floor contained the bar and dining area. Even though the hour was late there were still several patrons. The second and third floor were reserved for paying customers who wanted room and board. Halfdan managed to find the mistress of the Inn and reserved for them a clean room on the second floor. He led Alexa upstairs and unlocked the door.
The room itself was serviceable. One small bed was under a window against a corner. There was also a writing desk with a lamp and a nice sitting chair. Alexa sat down on the bed and found that she sank down.
"What is in this bed?"
"Why? Probably corn husks?"
"Lovely!"
"What do you sleep on Alexa?"
"We have mattresses that are made of steel springs. But now I'll have to explain what steel is won't I? It's a pure form of iron."
"That's something I can understand. And it doesn't sound a bit comfortable. Who'd want to sleep on steel?"
"It's covered in cotton though!"
"But what's cotton?"
"The material I'm wearing, like my clothes."
"Oh, well, that's certainly soft." he said. Then he blushed. And he blushed hard. A blush that seemed to go from his head to his toes.
"He, he he, what on earth are you thinking about Halfdan? I didn't know a man with a tan could blush like that?"
"I'm not thinking anything you need to be concerned with."
"Oh, I think you are," Alexa said, getting up and walking over to him. She suddenly felt kinda bold. She wanted so badly to be brave and touch him and see what he would do. Better yet, she wanted to kiss him and see what those perfectly shaped lips tasted like. But now wasn't the time. They had to talk and she had to get a plan. What she couldn't understand was why she wasn't freaking out. From her calculations she was way out of her time period and she should be going out of her mind. But she wasn't. What was this effect that Halfdan had on her? She seemed so calm.
"Tell me what you know of what happened to you," Halfdan said changing the subject rather smoothly.
Alexa nodded. She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the bed and sat him down with her. She began pulling off the tall flat boots she had on over her blue jeans. Then she lay back on the bed.
"Lay down with me, Halfdan." she requested.
"Uh, please don't be mad, but I'm not sure that's a good idea." he replied.
"Why? I thought we were becoming friends. Don't you like me?" Alexa replied hurt. Perhaps she had been too forward with him. Perhaps he had a girlfriend back home somewhere. That probably was it. All the good ones were always taken. Wasn't that the way of it? Of course she was technically taken herself, although she seemed to have conveniently forgotten it. For some reason she wanted to cry all of a sudden. The thought of Halfdan with another woman was enough to make her sick. She prayed she didn't have a repeat asthma performance. Sometimes she did that. If she had one, then they would piggyback each other. She didn't need the drama. Why did she suddenly have her heart set on Halfdan so badly? God it hurt.
"No, it's just that...well, it's embarrassing to explain really." Halfdan cried out.
"I understand Halfdan. You don't have to tell me." Alexa said with a sob in her voice. She'd tried hard to keep it out, but it was there nonetheless. She laid her head down on the pillow and tried hard not to breathe in the stench coming off the pillow. There was nothing clean about it, but it was soft. She closed her eyes tight but the tears kept coming as visions of Halfdan and faceless girls in shifts that she dreamed up based upon those she'd seen in history books came dancing into her view.
She felt him laying beside her. It would have been hard not to, on the knotty mattress. His calloused thumb traced its way down a tear from her eye across the crest of her cheekbones and then down across her lips. Her lip trembled as his finger traced it. With his other fingers he cupped her chin.
"Do you cry because you miss home?" he asked.
"I should tell you yes, because that is the proper thing to do. But no, I'm not missing home yet."
"Why do you cry then?" he looked alarmed.
"As you said, it's embarrassing to explain really,"
"And as you said, I thought we were becoming friends." He shot back.
Alexa rallied her courage. "I'm sad because you already have a girlfriend. I know that is stupid because I don't even know you, but for some reason it seems that you and I have an attraction to one another and I don't guess I'll ever get to know if anything would have ever come of it."
"What is a girlfriend, Alexa?"
"Someone you date." She looked at his totally clueless expression and then realized of course that most marriages in his time were either arranged or happened in a formal fashion. "Like courting. Someone you would court. Maybe with the intention of marrying someday. The person that you love."
"Oh, I think I understand now."
"You see why I'm sad. I hope you don't think me foolish considering we just met and I really don't know you that well. Maybe I'm just infatuated with you because you saved my life and all."
"Alexa..." he paused getting her attention,"I don't have a girlfriend or a betrothed. When you hear my story you'll understand why I've not exactly had time to have much romance." Then he laughed a little bitterly. "To be honest, I have very few friends and I treasure the ones that I do have."
"You know I'll be your friend after you saved me and all." Alexa said quickly.
Before he could lose his courage Halfdan brought his lips down to hers and slid them across. She opened her mouth allowing him access. Halfdan wasn't used to this kind of kissing. In fact he'd only kissed like this twice in his whole life. She wound her tongue around his before he had a chance to even think about it. The feeling was electric and his body surged within his clothing. It would be hard to hide this from her. He wondered how much experience she had and how far she was willing to go. The idea both scared and appealed to him. He didn't know much at all about her, except that he wanted her. He wanted her so much he was willing to fight for her. At the same time it bothered him that she was experienced. Genevieve had been an innocent. He was willing to bet that Alexa was not. He even wondered if she had a "boyfriend" back in her own land. If she did what would he do? The thought was making him crazy already. She was so beautiful with her long black hair,green eyes, small nose and curved lips. She had the kind of body that made men lustful just by looking at her. She was petite, with curved high breasts and a nipped in waist. Halfdan traced the curves of her sides from her breasts to her waist to her thighs. All he could do was groan as he felt his manhood become even heavier. She was divine. He knew for a fact that he had fylgja,or female spirits following him and guiding him and often getting him out of trouble. He wondered if the spirits had led this woman to him. It was the only possible explanation for her getting lost and landing on his doorstep.
"Halfdan?"
"Yes?"
"Tell me, are we going to do this or do we need to stop because I think I'm getting a bit carried away?"
He had to admit he liked how she put it. He knew for a fact he too was getting carried away and he liked that she was taking responsibility as well.
"As much as I want this, you are right, we are getting carried away. We need to talk. We need to find out about each other. There will be time for pleasures later." he admitted.
"So, you do want me though..." she said a bit sheepishly, like a lost schoolgirl and not the beautiful career woman she'd grown up to be.
Halfdan smiled and took her hand. He placed it on the front placket of his trousers where they were tented.
"Doh," Alexa gulped with big eyed surprise. From what she could feel through the thick wool material of his pants, she was in for something else when they actually got down to business. She'd been wrong to call him a boy. He was a man. Thick and hard and aroused.
"No, my lady. I do not desire you at all. Can't you tell?" Halfdan laughed. Alexa laughed with him. She leaned up and kissed him again long and with much emotion.
"What I meant Halfdan was do you think you might want me as your, I don't know, what to call it? We would call it "girlfriend"? Perhaps "lover"? We have to straighten everything out and figure my situation out and everything for I may well be stuck her in this place and if I am I'll need someone to stay with for awhile til I can help myself. I may need your help. If we can figure out how to get me home you might want to come with me and see what the things are like where I am from?"
"Hold on..you are going too fast for me....lover....yes..I suppose you could be my lover...but I don't like that term. I'd rather get to know you and I'd rather know that you were my betrothed. We will find a way to figure our situations out together."
"You would want to marry me?"
"Of course. You have a pleasing demeanor and are so beautiful that it breaks my heart to look upon you."
"You said you have a situation."
"Yes, I'll explain everything to you as well. You may find that I am not what you want and that you have no interest in me anymore after you hear my story. In fact I fear that greatly."
"Are you going to tell me that you've been married before or that you have a kid somewhere or something like that." Alexa sighed.
"No, but what I have to say is much worse."
"I cannot imagine anything worse that that."
"Alexa, I was born a slave. In fact, I was a slave only six months ago. My father freed me on his death bed in agreement for my mother going with him on his Death Ship. I went from thrall to chieftain's son overnight, but at the cost of losing my mother forever. " Alexa listened to his words quietly and bowed her head. Unfortunately Halfdan took her actions as disgust.
"I knew that you would not be able to stand being with a slave. I wouldn't be good enough for a woman of quality such as you. But know this. By my blood I am a chieftain's son and my mother, though she spent most of her life as a thrall and the concubine to my father, she was really an Irish Princess. I should have been the grandson of an Irish King. My father chose to keep my mother and I in bondage... I watched my father rape my mother, that's why I went crazy when I saw those men attacking you..."
Alexa grabbed Halfdan in a hug as tight as she could and she tipped her face up towards him, forcing him to look at her.
"I've made a decision Halfdan. For right now, I know that I cannot go back home. I am stuck here. For some reason I do not care. It is as if my heart is hardened. Perhaps that is magic too. I believe I am meant to be with you. Truly I am. I've never felt like this about anyone and I've only known you a few hours. I don't care who you were in your early life. I respect you for what you've done for me and what you've risen above. The fact that you were a slave and you can fight the way that I saw you fight in that alley? That's amazing. I wouldn't imagine that most slaves have the manners you have and would not act like a gentleman the way that you do. Obviously your mother was a great woman because she raised you well." Alexa noticed there were tears in Halfdan's eyes as she spoke. "Now, I've decided that I want to stay with you if you will have me."
"Yes, my Alexa, I will have you," Halfdan replied
"Now, that's settled, one more little thing before we get to the serious talking stuff," she said.
"Anything, name what you want and if I can provide it you shall have it, love," Halfdan, said smiling.
"I want you," she said pulling at his tunic and managing to get it most of the way over his head. Halfdan's eyes got large.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. More positive of this than anything in my life. I've never actually wanted this before. Never. And right now I want to have sex with you. I know I'm being blunt and terribly wicked but I can't help it. I'm just saying the truth. If you could only feel what I feel for you you'd know what I need. I can't even put it into words it's so obscene."
The growl that came from Halfdan was primal and fierce. He managed to get her white knit turtleneck sweater off in one swoop. The Victoria's Secret bra underneath however was mystifying to him but also turning him on. He'd managed to push her against the wall of their bed room in between the bed and the desk. Her bra was a light pink with a lace overlay. It was designed in the pushup style making her breasts appear even larger to him.. Alexa watched in fascination as Halfdan took his index finger and traced the plump top of her breast which peaked out over the top of her bra. At the pinnacle of each one you could just see where the nipple aureola began and Halfdan slipped his finger under the bra there to tease. Slowly he pulled the cups down, unsure how to get them off.
"Here, this is how you unhook it." Alexa demonstrated how to unhook the bra in the back for him. In a second her glorious breasts were free for him to lave and touch.
"They are beautiful, my angel." he said as he drew the nipple of the right breast into his mouth and suckled hard.
"MMMMM," was all Alexa could reply. He then moved to the next breast drawing it's nipple into his mouth and suckling deeply as well, and pinching the other.
He allowed her to remove his green wool trousers and boots. He stood naked before her but was not shy. That was one thing about Danes, they were not shy about their bodies. Alexa was simply in awe. The man in front of her was a god. His chest and abs were cut. He looked like a man who spent countless hours in a gym. She supposed it came from hours of rowing on a long boat. That would make the most sense. His abs were cut into his groin in pure muscle. There was a fine patch of dark black hair and his manhood stood out proud and strong. Just like everything else about the viking, it too seemed to be bigger than life. Alexa placed her hands on his sides and then kissed his nipples just as he had hers. His growl of satisfaction made her realize that she was doing something right. Then she kissed her way down his stomach, licking and kissing in alternating succession. She loved licking the definition lines that went down his abs. It evidently tickled because she could hear him and feel him moving underneath her and against the wall she had turned him against. She traced the lines all the way to his groin and she heard him wailing under his breath.
She pulled back when she got to his penis. She'd never seen an uncircumcised penis before in her life. And certainly not a man as large as Halfdan. Her look of fear must have been quite apparent to him, for he raised her chin up and said, "Don't be afraid little one, I'd never hurt you. I've seen my father hurt my mother too many times. You are too willing and wanting of me for me to ever do anything to change that."
Alexa was touched by his short speech. So she only shook her head. She was surprised when he easily picked her up and placed her on the bed. She sank down slowly within it. She felt his weight beside her. He wasn't through with her yet though. Someone had obviously taught him a few ways in how to treat a woman, for he was soon kissing her thighs, eliciting sighs and giggles from her. With her legs now spread before him he took those long fingers and caressed her woman's center. She felt as though she couldn't breathe, but not in the way of the asthma, this was a different way altogether. She felt like she was falling. His thumb rubbed small circles against the small nub that was the center of her pleasure as he slipped one long finger inside her.
"Ah," she cried out.
"Have I hurt you?" he asked, concerned.
"No, NO! That feels awesome," she cried out.
"Is awesome a good thing?"
"The very best." She replied bucking against his one finger. He quickly added another. She felt as though she were in heaven, especially when he curled those fingers in a way that touched a part of her that she didn't know existed. Alexa had had sex a couple of times with Jacob but the times had been nothing like this. There'd been no foreplay and to be honest both times had been uncomfortable for her, though he'd seemed to enjoy it. She'd often wondered if would regret having given her virginity to him. Now that she was learning what real sex felt like, she knew she regretted it. She should have waited for Halfdan. Innately she knew Halfdan would have treated her experience with more respect and love and kindness. She might have even enjoyed it regardless of the pain. She was building up to something. huge and she just couldn't see over the ridge top. She needed something and she didn't know what. Like a fool all she could do was cry out, "Help me, Halfdan, I'm...I need something, I don't know.."
But he did help her. He began thumbing her clit harder and thrumming her insides with a deeper beat and just when she was thrashing about on the bed thinking she couldn't take anymore he leaned over and literally bit the tar out of her left breast. That was it. She was finally exploding. It was a feeling unlike anything she'd imagined possible. Like every nerve ending was taxed to the limit and then suddenly relaxed at once. She felt a liquid ooze out of her body and onto his hand and hoped it wasn't too disgusting. It just happened when the explosion occurred within her. She'd officially had her first orgasm. When it was over, she lay overwhelmed on the bed, breathing heavily, with Halfdan smiling over her.
"You were so beautiful when you were laying in my arms in pleasure."
"That's never happened to me before. I didn't know something like that was really possible. Thank you." Alexa gushed. She leaned forward and kissed Halfdan on the mouth. "Where did you learn to do that for a woman?"
Halfdan blushed and looked down. "I'm a Dane. We become men at a younger age than your men do I suspect. Someday I'll explain to you how I come by what little experience I have. I promise you that right now, you have my heart though."
"And you have mine. Take me. I am yours."
That was all she had to say. Slowly, Halfdan placed himself at the entrance to her womanhood. He slipped inside her inches at a time watching her face for signs of distress. At times he could tell that she was uncomfortable and he would stop for a second or so for her to get adjusted again. Eventually he managed to place himself all the way within her. It was a tight slick fit that gave him immense pleasure. He couldn't see why the men of his people would want to take women against their will when you could have a woman like Alexa who was warm and willing. He'd only once felt something like this, but it couldn't compare to Alexa's body, for Genevieve had been young and scared. Alexa was willing and loving, even now wrapping her legs around his waist so that his body would slip even farther into hers. His groan of satisfaction was impossible to tame. It would be difficult to reign himself in and not use her hard. He wanted to slam himself up inside of her or throw her up against the wall and then bury himself inside of her until nothing was left. He wanted his seed inside of her and someday he wanted her to have his children. He wanted to possess this woman so that she never left him. He didn't care where it was she was came from. She was his now. No one else would ever have her. No one. He began thrusting hard against that spot that caused women joy. He could hear her moan. He repeated it. He wanted to feel her joy again as he'd seen it before. He wanted to feel that wet confirmation that he'd pleasured her. He could do it. He continued to thrust hard. He heard her call his name and he almost lost it himself. Then he felt it. That contraction of her female walls and the wet slick liquid flowing down around him. He was done. He came in spurts around her. He hadn't lasted long, but he knew he wouldn't. He'd wanted her too badly. There would be time for long sessions of pleasure making later. For now he'd be happy to simply hold her tonight in his arms and then trade stories later. He just prayed to the gods that she would still travel with him after he told her he was a killer.