VIKING THRALL (Historical Romance, Medieval, Viking) by Joanna Davis

One
     
                  Esme stared out through small hole in the thick stones walls of the orphanage. She'd been born and raised here. Now as a young woman she helped to care for the children who came here in need.
                  It was a safe haven for the lost and alone.
                  Clean, well built and self sufficient, the orphanage was run by older unmarried and widowed women who wanted to retire from the world. They grew their own crops, raised their own livestock, and made their own cloth.
                  It was perfect.
                  And now it was in jeopardy.
                  Vikings had come to the region.
                  A thick cloud of smoke coming from the nearby village signaled that the ransacking was underway.
                  Something tugged at her skirt. She glanced down to see Petra, a four year old who had only been at the orphanage for a fortnight. The girl was uncommonly attached to Esme.
                  "Petra! Go and hide with the other children!"
                  The girl's tiny face crumpled as she let out a wail. Esme sighed and lifted the child into her arms. Of course the bairn was frightened. Esme herself was terrified and she had many years advantage over the waif!
                  She hurried further into the main structure toward the back entrance. There was a store house toward the back of the property. It was unassuming and built of stones, which made it difficult to burn. Underneath it though was the real secret: a root cellar that spanned the length of the building twice over.
                  "In you go."
                  Esme hauled open the wooden door and handed Petra off to one of the older children. Then she held her fingers to her lips and shut the door again.
                  The raiders were close. She was the fastest on her feet and left to keep watch. She knew that it put her life in jeopardy but she had to protect the children as well as the older women who had raised her and all the others.
                  Besides, it was possible that the Vikings could be reasoned with, right? She had a barrel of wine with which to bribe them. That's if they even came up the hill at all.
                  Esme resumed her post by the front gate. All was quiet. Too quiet. Something was not right.
                  There, by the side of the road. A wizened Viking warrior was hacking away at something. The base of a large tree.
                  What on earth?
                  She gasped as the other Vikings joined the one with the axe. Actually, they all had axes. Big, sharp, deadly looking axes.
                  She swallowed and closed her eyes, asking that the old ones protect them all.
                  That's when she saw him. Taller than the rest, with long golden hair that cascaded over his shoulders. She couldn't tell from here but it looks as though- yes- his eyes were a startling blue color.
                  He was uncommonly handsome, other than the rough looking leather armor and broadsword he carried. His muscles bulged in every direction, making him appear twice as big as the next largest Viking.
                  And they were all pretty large.
                  The blue eyed Viking was leaning against a tree, calmly surveying the high stone wall and thick gate. In fact, it appeared that he was looking straight at the peep hole she peering out of-
                  He was looking right at her.
                  Esme gasped and backed away from the gate, feeling exposed and vulnerable. Slowly she stepped forward and looked out again. The blue eyed warrior smiled knowingly.
                  He had seen her! Or at least, a small portion of her face. An eye and cheek perhaps. But it