Page 18 of Wolf Pack
Everyone had talked about the woman who had cut down the Viking warrior before he could even fight back.
“We will find her.” She slayed one of their enemies. If nothing else, Alasdair had to meet the lass and learn who she and the lad were.
Thankfully, they returned to the safety of the castle walls without incident, the wild boar carried on a cart. The staff hurried to prepare the boar for the morning meal, their faces a mix of relief and exhaustion. When the storm hit last night, they’d had to move the villagers inside the keep, both their own and the others.
Now, many were milling around outside the keep in the inner bailey, waiting to find out if it was safe enough to return home.
He also wanted them to be home, mainly because his people could not turn wolf until the humans left. He pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the feast that would feed all the hungry people.
For a moment, everything felt right in the world. But Alasdair knew that this uneasy peace could not last, and he braced himself for whatever challenges lay ahead.
Hans asked Alasdair, “What are you planning to do now?”
“I’m headed for the cliffs until the meal is ready.”
“Because of the woman and the lad?”
“Because of the concern that more ships will come.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Hans asked.
“Nay. The fewer of us that are exposed on the cliff, the fewer will be noticeable. We saw no sign of the marauders while on the hunt, so I’m certain they left the area to find a way home.”
Hans nodded. “If you dinna return, I will send the whole army out after you.”
Alasdair smiled and slapped him on the shoulder. “I will be back by the time the boar is ready to eat.”
When he reached the cliffs overlooking the beach closer to their castle and half a mile from where the smoldering longships were, he peered out at the water, not expecting to see any ships this time.
He squinted his eyes as he swore that he had seen something in the water—a small longship—another Viking longship. He’d seen the red-and-white striped sail first, and then it was gone. Then he saw the prow, and it disappeared, saw it again, and it vanished yet again behind large swells of waves.
It was smaller than the two they had destroyed and could only carry about six men or so.
He peered out at the water and saw naught but the waves that crashed onto the rocks way out from shore, and fog quickly enveloped the whole area.
Despite telling Hans not to join him, he suddenly was there with him, most likely worried that the marauders might come upon Alasdair. Hans slapped him on the back. “Did you see another Viking ship?”
Alasdair was certain he’d seen a hand-carved figurehead of a dragon at the prow of a small longship heading their way. The dragon was meant to placate the gods of the sea and ensure its safe voyage. AVikingdragon.
In truth, Alasdair had traded with some Norsemen but had fought with others. He never knew when to trust them. Language wasn’t much of a barrier since it was similar to theirs. But their intent—peaceful or not—could be an issue. Erik and his people had been an exception to the rule, but they were wolves.
Alasdair stared at the beach for a while but couldn’t see anything. Nor could he make out any sounds other than the water crashing into the rocks. With his enhanced wolf hearing, he suspected he would catch the sound of the breaking up of avessel on the rocks or men talking, injured or otherwise, as they made it to shore.
“Dinna worry. If more Vikings manage to land on the more accessible shore than here, we’ll take care of them. At least Erik and his men are still here to aid us if we need them to,” Hans said.
“Aye.” The Norsemen were persistent, if nothing else.
But what Alasdair couldn’t understand was that the sailing vessel had been smaller than what he was used to seeing Viking raiders use. Like a fishing vessel, not a ship sailing on the open seas. Unless they’d had an armada, and this one was the only one left or had lost the rest of the longships in a storm, and the rest of the armada was far from here.
The other thing that puzzled him was that the figures on the vessel seemed a wee bit small—not like hulking Viking raiders, and that didn’t make any sense either.
“Do you want to post a guard to alert us if raiders make it to our shores?” Hans asked when Alasdair didn’t budge from his spot.
Alasdair wanted to be the one keeping watch. “Is the boar done cooking?”
“Aye, that’s why I came to fetch you. But if you want me to stay?—”
The sky was still dark, and the twinkling of green lights of female fireflies telling prospective males they were ready to mate filled the meadow.