watched
the waters, suddenly, she spied something.
“There!” Gwen yelled, pointing to what
looked like a body.
They sailed closer, and Gwen’s heart
stopped as she saw the unmistakable sight of a body draped over a pile of wood.
The body floated there, and seemed cold, stiff, perhaps even lifeless. She was
afraid to hope, and yet, as they got closer, the body shifted in the current
and Gwen for the first time got a look at his face.
She burst into tears: there lay
Thorgrin, unconscious, drifting. Gwendolyn’s heart raced; she could hardly
believe it. She had been right—it was really him.
“Lower the ropes!” called out a voice.
Gwen turned and handed the baby to
Illepra beside her, then was the first to rush forward, grab a thick rope, and
cast it overboard as they approached. Gwen didn’t wait for the others, but
jumped overboard herself, grabbing onto the rope and lowering herself down.
Gwen’s heart pounded as she got closer,
praying that Thor was alive. She reached him and jumped off the rope, into the
water, landing by Thor’s side.
“My lady!” someone called from above,
and several men scurried down the rope to help.
Gwen ignored them; she swam up beside
Thor, and grabbed him, shaking him. She saw he was unconscious, his lips blue.
But he was breathing.
“He’s alive!” she cried out with joy.
She wept, so relieved, hugging his limp
body, clutching him, not wanting to let go. He was alive. He was really alive.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Thor opened his eyes to find himself lying
on his back in a rocking ship, in a dim cabin below, sunlight streaking through
the slats. He felt rested for the first time in as long as he could remember,
felt as if he had slept a thousand years. He felt a presence in the room before
he saw it, and he squinted and looked up, and in the dim light he was overcome
with joy to see a smiling face looking down on him, as a woman reached out and
held his hand with the softest touch he’d ever felt. Her face so filled with
love, her eyes glistening with tears, at first Thor wondered if it was just
another dream.
But as he sat up, his heart lifted to
realize it was not. There, before him, was the love of his life, the woman he
had prayed, time and again, that he’d have one more chance to see.
Gwendolyn.
Gwen leaned in and hugged him, crying over
his shoulder, and he hugged her tight. It felt surreal to hold her in his arms again.
Every wish, every prayer he’d ever had, had come true. He held her tight as she
cried, never wanting to let her go. He could not believe that they were
together again, after all they had been through.
“You don’t know how long I’ve wished and
waited for this moment,” she said into his ear, between her tears.
“I’ve thought of nothing but you,” he
replied.
“I did not think you’d ever come back to
me,” she said. “I only dared to dream.”
Gwen pulled back and looked into his
eyes. She laid her palms on his cheeks, and leaned in and kissed him, and he
kissed her back, loving the feel of her lips on his. They held the kiss for
such a long time, and all of Thor’s memories of Gwendolyn came rushing back to him—the
first time they’d met…their courtship…Guwayne’s birth. Thor had never imagined
loving anyone as much as her, and being here with her made him feel as if he were
meeting her again for the first time.
Thor also felt a new strength within
him, felt himself healed from all his wounds, rejuvenated, back to himself. He had
rested and recovered on this ship, and he realized that once again, his life
had been saved by Gwendolyn. He leaned back and looked her into her eyes.
“How did you find me?” he asked.
She smiled.
“It was easy,” she said. “You were floating
in the sea. You were hard to miss.”
Thor smiled and shook his head, taking
it all in.
“If you hadn’t come back for me, I would
be dead.”
Gwendolyn smiled at him.
“And if I hadn’t come back for you, I
myself would have
the waters, suddenly, she spied something.
“There!” Gwen yelled, pointing to what
looked like a body.
They sailed closer, and Gwen’s heart
stopped as she saw the unmistakable sight of a body draped over a pile of wood.
The body floated there, and seemed cold, stiff, perhaps even lifeless. She was
afraid to hope, and yet, as they got closer, the body shifted in the current
and Gwen for the first time got a look at his face.
She burst into tears: there lay
Thorgrin, unconscious, drifting. Gwendolyn’s heart raced; she could hardly
believe it. She had been right—it was really him.
“Lower the ropes!” called out a voice.
Gwen turned and handed the baby to
Illepra beside her, then was the first to rush forward, grab a thick rope, and
cast it overboard as they approached. Gwen didn’t wait for the others, but
jumped overboard herself, grabbing onto the rope and lowering herself down.
Gwen’s heart pounded as she got closer,
praying that Thor was alive. She reached him and jumped off the rope, into the
water, landing by Thor’s side.
“My lady!” someone called from above,
and several men scurried down the rope to help.
Gwen ignored them; she swam up beside
Thor, and grabbed him, shaking him. She saw he was unconscious, his lips blue.
But he was breathing.
“He’s alive!” she cried out with joy.
She wept, so relieved, hugging his limp
body, clutching him, not wanting to let go. He was alive. He was really alive.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Thor opened his eyes to find himself lying
on his back in a rocking ship, in a dim cabin below, sunlight streaking through
the slats. He felt rested for the first time in as long as he could remember,
felt as if he had slept a thousand years. He felt a presence in the room before
he saw it, and he squinted and looked up, and in the dim light he was overcome
with joy to see a smiling face looking down on him, as a woman reached out and
held his hand with the softest touch he’d ever felt. Her face so filled with
love, her eyes glistening with tears, at first Thor wondered if it was just
another dream.
But as he sat up, his heart lifted to
realize it was not. There, before him, was the love of his life, the woman he
had prayed, time and again, that he’d have one more chance to see.
Gwendolyn.
Gwen leaned in and hugged him, crying over
his shoulder, and he hugged her tight. It felt surreal to hold her in his arms again.
Every wish, every prayer he’d ever had, had come true. He held her tight as she
cried, never wanting to let her go. He could not believe that they were
together again, after all they had been through.
“You don’t know how long I’ve wished and
waited for this moment,” she said into his ear, between her tears.
“I’ve thought of nothing but you,” he
replied.
“I did not think you’d ever come back to
me,” she said. “I only dared to dream.”
Gwen pulled back and looked into his
eyes. She laid her palms on his cheeks, and leaned in and kissed him, and he
kissed her back, loving the feel of her lips on his. They held the kiss for
such a long time, and all of Thor’s memories of Gwendolyn came rushing back to him—the
first time they’d met…their courtship…Guwayne’s birth. Thor had never imagined
loving anyone as much as her, and being here with her made him feel as if he were
meeting her again for the first time.
Thor also felt a new strength within
him, felt himself healed from all his wounds, rejuvenated, back to himself. He had
rested and recovered on this ship, and he realized that once again, his life
had been saved by Gwendolyn. He leaned back and looked her into her eyes.
“How did you find me?” he asked.
She smiled.
“It was easy,” she said. “You were floating
in the sea. You were hard to miss.”
Thor smiled and shook his head, taking
it all in.
“If you hadn’t come back for me, I would
be dead.”
Gwendolyn smiled at him.
“And if I hadn’t come back for you, I
myself would have
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