Chapter 1
She quickly unsheathed her twin daggers and fell into a crouch, ready to kill. As she heard the pounding of footsteps quickly approaching, she took a slow, deep breath, preparing herself, silently, for anything. Steeling herself and putting on a mask of pure cold steel.
The door was kicked open with a splintering f wood showering about the room. The men came roaring in with blades raised high above them.
Without hesitation, she sprang into action, quickly slicing the throat of the first intruder and quickly turning to the next as his body slumped to the ground. She cut through each of them with ease, not allowing a single blow to land upon her. She was fierce and unstoppable.
"Kari," a deep voice questioned from the hall beside her.
The question broke her focus and she froze. The loss of focus did not last long, as another of the screaming men rushed at her, she quickly sliced him down before turning to face the voice.
"You know my mother," she asked him coolly, taking in his appearance. He had tattoos framing his cold, brown eyes, one of which was obscured by his blonde hair.
"She was to one day be my wife," he replied before a smirk threatened to take over his face. "But I see you are proof that she had other intentions."
Another group of men began to storm the hallway, but he stepped in front of you, "enough! Leave us," the men stopped and quickly followed the order, likely finding another place to ransack.
"Your men, I assume," she asked with an eyebrow raised.
"My brother's, to be exact," he stated with a grunt.
She sheathed her daggers and relaxed from her battle stance, "and who may you be?"
"Halfdan," he said with a mock bow, "the Black."
She pondered the name to herself as she began to circle him predatorially, but he stood there completely relaxed with that smirk still plastered on his face. "So, Halfdan the Black, what brings you to Moorish Spain?"
He tilted his head ever so slightly, allowing his eyes to never leave her circling form, "We're here to raid. We are here to do as Vikings do."
"Viking," she said with a chuckle, "You're here to ruin the lives of all the people here."
She said it calmly. The statement took him by surprise, but he quickly responded, "As I recall, your mother was Viking, so that makes you," he trailed off.
"Viking," she finished with a small grin. "I am aware." With that, she brought herself to a stop and faced him squarely.
He was taken off guard as he was knocked back onto the floor. She held a short dagger against his throat, but something caused her to hesitate. Normally she would have sliced through the tender flesh of a man's throat without pause.
He let a crazed laugh slip from his lips as he took in her slender, womanly form from beneath her. "Yes, you are definitely Viking."
His laughing stopped abruptly, "come with me."
His statement took her by surprise, "come with you where?" She looked at him curiously, cocking her head slightly to the side.
"To your people," he stated directly, "many have wondered what became of your mother; I am sure you could enlighten them."
She was not sure how she felt about the possessive gaze that he was giving her, but she lifted herself from atop his chest and gave him a small nod of consent.