Chapter Eleven - Melting Ice

Gudrun winced when she awakened. This had been a long night. Helga and Athelstan had spent the night healing her wound and cauterizing it when it needed to be. It hurt less than before at least. It hurt less than when they had burnt the remaining open wounds and put the strange plant poultice on it. She was persuaded she would get a scar, and not a glorious one. Right now, the bandages were painfully hiding the mark, but she would have to take them away soon.

They had forbid her to walk around, the most she was allowed to do was sit. She felt useless and cast out, since no one bothered to give her updates. She spent two very lonely days, twisting every remaining bit of the previous events in her mind, attempting to understand them. But two main things were torturing her: Siggy and Rollo.

Siggy's revelation was a bit of a shock, of course. Still, Rollo hadn't explained much, except to Ragnar. But he refused to talk about it. They were all in the heart of two deadly threats, because the Earl would go after them with no doubt. Before diving into uncertain traps, they had to think it through.

But her worse pain at the moment wasn't the potential life threatening danger or even her wound, it was the tall Viking. The memory of their kiss had lingered in her mind for too long, hurt her for too long. He hadn't come to visit her, though it was maybe for Helga forbidding everyone to disturb Gudrun. In a way she was thankful, but she was in pain and needed it to stop. She could remember the strangely satisfying contrast between the softness of his lips and roughness of his hands, the way he softly caressed her hair and how his hands possessively gripped her sides. A strange, low burn awakened in her lower belly, making her insides tingle and claim more of it.

She thought of her dream again. Was it a warning, a premonition, or both?

An unpleasant tickle in her side brought her back to reality. Her wound was still hurting her badly, and she was sick of it after two restless nights. She wanted out. Her mind wanted to bring her in warmer and more friendly places.

She decided to replay over and over her kiss with the tall man and focused on her feelings, trying pitifully to recreate them.

When they had been so close, her body had done things she had never even thought of. Her breathing was louder, uneven. Her torso and hips were drawn to Rollo's body like by magic, stuck together by a strength she could not control. The soft friction of his beard on her neck could have been enough to destroy her insides if he had done this longer, and his strong and hot breath in the crook of her neck had stolen her ability to be balanced on her legs. Speaking of her legs, the only thing they wanted to do was suddenly to part and let them be joined in a strong passion. The place between them had never been so wet and had never felt so empty, so in need of being filled. She had felt her junction slowly open itself like a flower against her clothes, making her legs weaker and weaker.

And now, thinking of this, Gudrun felt the same emotions submerge her all over again. Her heart was beating faster now, and the warm tingle was settling itself back in her abdomen. Her mind slowly focused on her growing feeling of emptiness, progressively deleting her worries from her mind. She understood now what getting in the mood was. She pictured Rollo on top of her, pounding in her rhythmically, breathing heavily from the effort and causing her to moan a few times.

She realised these thoughts were only causing more pain to her and induced a growing frustration. There was no way she would touch herself here, with Helga by the door. If Rollo was by the door, things would be different... She sighed and took a look at her bandages. Still an ugly sight. She stared at the ceiling and gritted her teeth. The following night was probably going to be long too.

Rollo had rarely cared too much about his feelings. Generally, he let them die like an old log on a small fire, or waited for stronger ones to erase them. But this time it felt radically different. The slow burn Gudrun had ignited was hard to ignore and hard to forget. As a saviour spirit descending from above, Ragnar had proposed him to go hunting. Even though the winter was decreasing in strength their rations were also drastically low. Hunting would probably not be easy or fun, but sitting around all day just torturing his own mind wasn't going to do him any good.

Both brothers had chosen to take a bow and an axe, in case they encountered anything bigger than themselves or some unpleasant men. Ragnar was saddened by their obligation in hiding.

"It's a shame we can't go fishing..." he said. "I would rather eat some salmon than a rotten squirrel." he complained silently.

Rollo, of course, had heard him.

"If you want to get caught by other boats, go ahead brother. I'll be watching." he had a low chuckle.

Ragnar smiled bitterly. "I am not that stupid." He played with his axe lightly, swinging it lazily at his side.

Rollo's mind began to wander away in the trees. They chose a spot where they had caught some birds once or twice, and they sat and waited. A few noises escaped the surrounding bushes and the men readied their bows. Suddenly, two ducks flew away, causing the trees to move around them. Ragnar shot one, but Rollo missed the one he had aimed for. Disappointed, he watched Ragnar pick up his.

"Was something on your mind, brother?"

"No." Rollo answered maybe a bit too gruffly for it to seem true.

"Was it someone then?" Ragnar smiled cheekily.

"No."

"Well you rarely miss your shot. I figured it was maybe... A girl?"

This time, Rollo refused to answer. Why in the Nine Realms would Ragnar question his feelings? He had rarely done so before, and Rollo would always reply with a no. Why was this any different?!

"Gudrun. You like her!" he said, smiling.

Rollo got up and took his bow over his shoulder. He felt hot inside. Helping his brother up, and silently agreeing within a second to switch their hunting spot, he answered a brief "Yes". He strode in the front, leaving his brother giggling like an idiot to follow him. What had to count now was actually to bring more than a bird from their hunt, since they had very few food left. And Gudrun was weak, she needed to eat to recover. Rollo thought of her beautiful dark hair and pale eyes. She needed to get better. He wanted to see her tonight.

"No Helga, I swear it's fine!" giggled Gudrun as the beautiful blonde was handing her a spoonful of meat.

"You are weak! You need to eat!" she smiled. "Alright. If you want take the spoon, but I'll be staying here until you have eaten."

Gudrun smiled back. Helga was so peaceful she could feel herself be less tense in her presence. Floki's wife was genuinely good hearted and generous, as well as very beautiful. Gudrun felt priviledged to be able to spend time with her. After all, they were now some kind of family. And that was what Gudrun needed at the moment. Family.

She swallowed a few mouthfuls of it then put the bowl and the spoon down.

"No, you need to eat more!" said Helga with her hands on her hips.

"I assure you, Helga, I can't eat more! And I'm very tired." pleaded Gudrun.

"One more!" she said with the spoon in her hand.

Gudrun quickly swallowed. It was still warm and burned her throat, but it tasted good at least. Apparently, Ragnar and Rollo had hunted down some wild ducks. Helga had mentioned Floki was a little bit upset. He loved fish, but the fishing spots were too close from Kattegat not to be seen.

"Goodnight Helga, sleep well." smiled Gudrun at her blonde friend. Helga attempted to hug her without hurting her, but she resumed in a brief kiss on her cheek. Gudrun watched her leave the room and close the door behind her.

After Helga left, Gudrun was restless.

Firstly, the pain that dug in her side had decided to keep her from sleeping. Each time she tried to close her eyes and enter a world of peace which would be entirely her own, the stinging came back and woke her up. Sometimes she would lift the bandages to take a look, but it was too dark for her to see anything. She wished she had asked Helga to check again before leaving her because she was in a crucial need for sleep. Gudrun couldn't even move properly without risking to hurt herself, so she just lied there in mild pain, trying to find an impossible sleep.

Secondly, the fear she had been pushing away was crawling back to her. Siggy frightened her now, and knowing the Earl could strike at any moment was enough to keep her from sleeping for weeks. The perspective of losing everything she had was threatening to make her puke what she had just eaten. After all she had lived, why could it simply vanish like that?

Breaking her thoughts, a knock erupted from behind the door. It was loud and strong, so it had to be a man. A small "Yeah?" escaped Gudrun's mouth. The door opened and her heart stopped in her chest when she recognised Rollo's figure.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Yes... you can." she answered.

She felt hot and let her eyes linger on his backside as he closed the door. She felt so ashamed for her earlier thoughts about him, her desire to see him pounding into her restlessly. She blushed strongly, but hopefully the lack of light was hiding her embarrassment.

"Were you sleeping?" Rollo asked her a bit lower than before, suddenly taking in the calmness of the room.

"No." Gudrun blew out.

She tried to adopt a sitting position but winced when the skin around her wound had to move. She tried to appear as though she had not felt the stinging but of course Rollo had seen it.

"Why do you always want to look like you don't feel weak?" he said, sitting at the edge of the table.

"I don't." she said. She felt terribly awkward but at least, it was only the two of them in the room. She would have died otherwise.

"You're telling me you aren't suffering now?" Rollo chuckled.

"Not as much as yesterday!" she replied. It was not totally a lie. It still hurt, but far less than before.

"I don't like to see you going through everything alone. Why do you always need to hide when you feel bad or hurt?" Rollo asked more strongly, as if he was hurt himself.

"You do the same! I don't see why I shouldn't do it!" Gudrun said.

"It's not the same." scoffed Rollo. "And I'm rarely hurt."

"Hah, you see. You're blaming me but you're doing just like me." she crossed her arms, trying to look a bit angry. But she wasn't. She could look angry, but she was more excited and slightly aroused than anything. His manly scent was something else than the womanly flavours that had surrounded her for the past days, even though they were not unpleasant.

He stepped closer to her. His breathing hitched, as Gudrun's heart's rate. He took her hand and kneeled next to her. His eyes stared at hers for what seemed like countless hours. Fearing he would slip away from her, Gudrun found her courage and slowly snaked her hand around his neck. It was warm and soft with hair; she gently pulled his head to her mouth, but he made the final movement that closed the gap between their lips.

His insides were boiling with need and a fierce want for domination, but he harnessed his fire enough not to hurt her more than she already was. He gripped her hip possessively while expertly moving his lips against hers, enjoying the warmness and excitement of the wet entrance. With his free arm he supported himself over her, covering her with his broad frame but not touching her wound. He could tell she was growing more and more aroused simply by listening to her breathing, or by looking at her trembling hands.

Rollo felt Gudrun's mouth leave his, and experimentally leave a trail down to his neck and collarbone. She kissed him softly there, driving him mad when she breathed out in the crook of his neck. She didn't know that of course, but her simple warm breath on his skin was enough to make the man grow hard and wanting. She kissed him longer on his Adam's apple, something Siggy had never done, or any other woman before her. Gudrun was soft, gentle, and Rollo really appreciated the different way she seemed to envision the masculine body. He had the feeling that to her, he would always be more than a cock.

"I liked that." he breathed out in a low voice when she resumed and kissed him on the corner of the mouth.

He kissed her back, stronger this time and more demanding. He brought his knees and spread them over her as support, so he still gripped her hip as well as hold her cheek with his now free hand. She apparently liked his straddling and she gave in to his touch on the side of her face. Her body, even though in mild pain, was growing more and more familiar with Rollo's and attempted to touch it more.

Rollo was growing terribly hot. He lifted his first layer over his head and threw it away, and did the same with the second. Gudrun watched him just stand there over her, on his knees, a thin veil of sweat covering his pectorals and his forehead. He leaned again and Gudrun appreciated the sight of his arm muscles flexing as he bent over her. He was perched on her like a predator and seized her mouth again.

Gudrun was losing control. Her small hands caressed his sides and his lower back, enjoying the sensation of skin to skin contact. Being touched like that made him shiver with need, but he found the small amount of control he had left not to hurt her. He slid a hand behind her back and rubbed her there. At first it was nothing more than a pleasant tickle, but as he was giving strength to his back massage, Gudrun found her sensations increasingly impossible to control. She soon felt the need to bend her back and timidly buck her pelvis into his.

Appreciating her reaction, Rollo dug in her back with his hand again, rubbing this precious spot, and answered her provocation by putting more of his weight on her. This delicious pressure made her feel warmer and awakened even more the space between her thighs. When Rollo began to kiss her neck, she closed her eyes to focus on the sheer feeling. A soft moan escaped her lips. It was not loud at all, like some women often liked to do, thought Rollo. But it was almost inaudible, shy, and felt pure. He kissed her lips gently, and repressed a smile as he felt her cheeks grow hot. Though he could not see her, he was persuaded she was terribly blushing.

Since she had to stay in bed while her wound was healing, Gudrun was very lightly clothed. At first she hesitated, but then she pushed her fears in the back of her mind and took her shirt off. It grazed her bandages and she winced a little, but she threw her item of clothing aside. The weak light that was coming in underlined her womanly shape, as well as her soft stomach and breasts. Rollo took in the sight of her like that, lying under him, her hair all over the place and breathing loudly. He had rarely seen anything more arousing than this vision of beauty. He was glad that she was far less weak than when they had found her. She had gained strength and even though she was nothing like Lagertha, she was looking more alive. But his eyes stopped on the bandages on her side. He promised himself to be careful, not wanting to cause her any more pain.

He softly caressed her stomach with the tip of his fingers. Little bolts of anticipation were sent in a lower place that felt heavier every minute. Gudrun watched as Rollo's hands were rubbing her sides, going up painfully slow. When they reached her breasts she stopped breathing. His fingers brushed the hard dark pink tip of her right breast while he was lightly squeezing the left one. Gudrun's chest filled with a loud breath of pleasure and surprise, and her lower lips immediately started to burn again.

Rollo spread his hands over her breasts and rubbed her two taut nipples with his thumbs. She arched in his touch and winced in pain when she bent the bandages of her wound. Rollo pushed her down and kissed her hard. She returned it with intensity as he continued to stroke her breasts carefully.

Gudrun moaned the same, soft, almost choked away moan in Rollo's mouth. He gripped the back of her head, drowning his fingers in her dark hair, and pushed her hard on his lips. There was nothing more arousing than this natural sound to him.

He knew Gudrun wanted to move more, but was unable to because of her aching side. He suddenly felt the need to make her feel good, to pleasure her like she deserved. The slightly sick face she adopted enraptured him. He kissed her pink bud, slowly stroking it with his teeth, then kissed his way down to her stomach. He pushed down the linen pants that were hanging on her hipbones, and uncovered the area that he wanted above everything to be in. He felt her thighs tighten when she was totally naked under him. Though this sight made his heart burst, he noticed her fear.

"Don't worry." he said, kissing her neck. "I'll be gentle."

And he had absolutely no intention of harming her. Besides, even if the thing he wanted the most was to make love to her, he doubted something so physical was the best cure for her condition. He wouldn't go too far tonight.

His fingers slowly made their way down between her legs. Everywhere his touch had been a burning sensation was ignited. Gudrun struggled to control her breathing, and just looking at him work his way down was almost enough to kill her.

Rollo smirked. The wetness he found down there was a pretty good indicator of how aroused she was. At first, he painfully slowly slid his fingers up and down her slick. He listened carefully to her reactions and was satisfied with them, though he didn't intend to stop there. His rubbing became slightly faster as he was getting her lips to open for him. His fingers were slowly getting in. He stroked the place just above her entry and then pushed up, then down again. He spread her folds of soft flesh and rubbed again.

Gudrun was panting heavily. A powerful sensation was building in her lower belly and at her core. Her breath was slowly laced with more and more silent and soft whimpers. When Rollo put a finger in her, she bucked her hips against his hand. He added a second one and she moaned again, but a little out of pain. He understood and went slower. He pulled his finger out then slammed it back in. The friction made Gudrun shiver.

"Can you go... fa- faster?" she breathed out, blushing.

Rollo went up and kissed her with demanding lips, fucking her restlessly with his middle finger. She let out a pant, another one, and another one, and then a womanly moan escaped her mouth. Rollo put his hand on her mouth as her pelvis was freely asking for more and her legs were spreading to allow him better entrance. She was not very loud, but it would be oh so better if they could remain private. Her body shaked. In one last final whimper that made Rollo's entire body burn, her inner walls tightened around his finger and she came.

Gudrun saw stars and light. Her lips squeezed around Rollo's hand one last time before he slowly pulled out, apparently satisfied with what he had just created. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were closed. She had barely felt the pain in her side and wanted to thank Rollo for that. She made an effort and sat up, wincing. She kissed him gently, as an ultimate proof of love and gratitude. He embraced her, kissing her neck. What they had just lived was so beautiful and private they felt like they were the only ones in the world.

"Please stay." she whispered to Rollo.

"I can't." he said. "Besides, I'll be hunting again tomorrow. I have to be up early."

She stroked his hand.

"I'm sorry I... I can do something if you want."

Rollo got on his knee to be at her level.

"Don't say that. There's no payback, I did this for you only." he took her face between his hands.

Her forehead touched his. Now she was the sweaty one, but apparently neither did care. Their skins were one. Rollo badly wanted to be one again and more, but Gudrun was clearly terribly tired.

"Please sleep." he whispered in her ear, leaving a final kiss on her lips.

He got up, leaving her there in her beautiful state. His hands were still craving for more contact, more flesh to grip and hold. His lower parts were aching too, so much that he thought he would be touching himself tonight.

"I love you." he thought he heard as he closed the door. He was not sure. Maybe it was his mind making up sounds as the wind was blowing outside, but he wished it was Gudrun who had said that. But he left, ready for a restless night and his mind filled with happiness.

[A/N: I'm again terribly sorry for the long wait. I'm definitely struggling with inspiration this summer. I really don't have time to answer the lovely reviews today, and I'm really excited to post this chapter. So I'm extremely thankful for the kind messages and for all the people following this story with interest! You guys are almost 100, it's crazy!

As usual, if you have any questions, suggestions or criticism concerning this chapter, they are more than welcome. Heck, any feedback is more than welcome. I love you so much guys, and I apologise so much for being such a slow updater. Thank you all. xxx]