Viking: Legends of the North: A Limited Edition Boxed Set by Tanya Anne Crosby, Miriam Minger, Shelly Thacker, Glynnis Campbell
Tags: Historical Romance
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move, Brandr met her gaze over Kimbery’s head, and she instantly saw the truth in his compassionate eyes. He hadn’t hurt Kimbery. She’d hurt herself. And she’d run to him for comfort.
Avril didn’t know what to think. Kimbery had been far too trusting of the Northman, sharing her doll with him, drawing pictures of him, listening to his stories, calling him Da. And yet sometimes children had an instinct for people. Sometimes they could tell who was good and who was bad.
She stood at the doorway, watching them in tense silence.
Kimbery’s sobbing subsided to sniffles, and she lifted her head to look at Brandr. “Is it bleeding?”
He narrowed his eyes, studying her brow. “A bit.”
Kimbery touched the place and drew her fingers away, whimpering at the sight of the blood on her fingertips.
“It should make a fine scar,” he assured her. “All great warriors have battle scars.”
She stopped crying. “They do?”
“Aye.”
“Do you have a scar?”
“Oh, aye, lots of them.”
“Where?”
“There’s one here, under my chin.” He lifted his chin for her to see, though it was covered with stubble. Then he lowered his head. “And I have one on my forehead, like you.”
“Did you run into a table, too?”
“Nay.” He tried to scowl, but his eyes were twinkling. “That’s where Thor struck me with a bolt of lightning.”
“Really?”
His frown melted into a smile. “Nay, not really. My brother caught my brow with an axe.”
“Is your brother evil like my mama’s brothers?”
Avril’s breath caught.
“Nay,” he said. “It was an accident. We were sparring.”
After a thoughtful moment, Kimbery rose to press a kiss to his brow. Avril’s jaw dropped. “Mama says this will make it all better. Now you give mine a kiss.”
Before Avril could gasp out a word, Kimbery leaned her head toward Brandr’s lips, giving him no choice but to repay the gesture.
When Kimbery pulled away, she cocked her head and touched a finger to his temple, where Avril had clubbed him with the driftwood. “Is that a battle scar?”
A hint of a smile threatened at the corner of his lips. “Aye.”
“My mama has a battle scar.”
Avril nearly choked.
Kimbery continued, “It’s right here.” She pointed to the right side of her chest.
Brandr’s smile blossomed into a full grin. “Really?’
Avril had heard enough. Blushing, she swept into the room. “Kimbery, what happened?”
Kimbery jumped up and ran to her. “Mama, I have a battle scar!”
“Is that so?” She crouched to inspect Kimbery’s brow. There was a red bump and a tiny cut there, so tiny that she’d be surprised if it left any mark at all. Nonetheless, she frowned in concern. “And who were you battling to give you such a scar?”
“Sir…Table!”
“I see.” She ruffled the top of Kimbery’s hair. “And did you give Sir Table battle scars as well?”
Kimbery nodded and then leaned against her and began twining her fingers in Avril’s hair. “Mama, I let Brandr kiss my cut.”
And I let him kiss my lips, Avril thought. But all she said was, “Oh?”
Kimbery added in a loud whisper, “I don’t think he’s a very bad man.”
Avril sighed, and she felt the tension go out of her. Kimbery was right. He wasn’t a very bad man. He’d done nothing wrong. In spite of being shipwrecked and captured and tied up, he’d been civil and even kind. He’d told Kimbery stories, he’d eased away her tears, and been a model father to a little girl who’d never had one. He’d even saved Avril from falling into the fire. Avril slowly raised her gaze over Kimbery’s shoulder and looked him squarely in the eye. “Neither do I.”
Brandr should have been relieved. Avril was staring at him with complete trust now. He could tell by her eyes that she had no intention of turning him in. He wouldn’t have to worry about escaping, because she wouldn’t tell anyone he was here. She meant to set him free.
To his surprise, his
Avril didn’t know what to think. Kimbery had been far too trusting of the Northman, sharing her doll with him, drawing pictures of him, listening to his stories, calling him Da. And yet sometimes children had an instinct for people. Sometimes they could tell who was good and who was bad.
She stood at the doorway, watching them in tense silence.
Kimbery’s sobbing subsided to sniffles, and she lifted her head to look at Brandr. “Is it bleeding?”
He narrowed his eyes, studying her brow. “A bit.”
Kimbery touched the place and drew her fingers away, whimpering at the sight of the blood on her fingertips.
“It should make a fine scar,” he assured her. “All great warriors have battle scars.”
She stopped crying. “They do?”
“Aye.”
“Do you have a scar?”
“Oh, aye, lots of them.”
“Where?”
“There’s one here, under my chin.” He lifted his chin for her to see, though it was covered with stubble. Then he lowered his head. “And I have one on my forehead, like you.”
“Did you run into a table, too?”
“Nay.” He tried to scowl, but his eyes were twinkling. “That’s where Thor struck me with a bolt of lightning.”
“Really?”
His frown melted into a smile. “Nay, not really. My brother caught my brow with an axe.”
“Is your brother evil like my mama’s brothers?”
Avril’s breath caught.
“Nay,” he said. “It was an accident. We were sparring.”
After a thoughtful moment, Kimbery rose to press a kiss to his brow. Avril’s jaw dropped. “Mama says this will make it all better. Now you give mine a kiss.”
Before Avril could gasp out a word, Kimbery leaned her head toward Brandr’s lips, giving him no choice but to repay the gesture.
When Kimbery pulled away, she cocked her head and touched a finger to his temple, where Avril had clubbed him with the driftwood. “Is that a battle scar?”
A hint of a smile threatened at the corner of his lips. “Aye.”
“My mama has a battle scar.”
Avril nearly choked.
Kimbery continued, “It’s right here.” She pointed to the right side of her chest.
Brandr’s smile blossomed into a full grin. “Really?’
Avril had heard enough. Blushing, she swept into the room. “Kimbery, what happened?”
Kimbery jumped up and ran to her. “Mama, I have a battle scar!”
“Is that so?” She crouched to inspect Kimbery’s brow. There was a red bump and a tiny cut there, so tiny that she’d be surprised if it left any mark at all. Nonetheless, she frowned in concern. “And who were you battling to give you such a scar?”
“Sir…Table!”
“I see.” She ruffled the top of Kimbery’s hair. “And did you give Sir Table battle scars as well?”
Kimbery nodded and then leaned against her and began twining her fingers in Avril’s hair. “Mama, I let Brandr kiss my cut.”
And I let him kiss my lips, Avril thought. But all she said was, “Oh?”
Kimbery added in a loud whisper, “I don’t think he’s a very bad man.”
Avril sighed, and she felt the tension go out of her. Kimbery was right. He wasn’t a very bad man. He’d done nothing wrong. In spite of being shipwrecked and captured and tied up, he’d been civil and even kind. He’d told Kimbery stories, he’d eased away her tears, and been a model father to a little girl who’d never had one. He’d even saved Avril from falling into the fire. Avril slowly raised her gaze over Kimbery’s shoulder and looked him squarely in the eye. “Neither do I.”
Brandr should have been relieved. Avril was staring at him with complete trust now. He could tell by her eyes that she had no intention of turning him in. He wouldn’t have to worry about escaping, because she wouldn’t tell anyone he was here. She meant to set him free.
To his surprise, his
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