Something was wrong.

I was moving side to side, cramped and chilled from winter's cold caressing fingers. I huddled down into my fur-laced cloak, but 'twas not the cloak that was keeping myself partially warm from the elements.

I could feel it in my bones...something was amiss. My last memory was of the small fire I built in the little cavern on the mountain.

But this...

This was not the mountain. Mountains did not move. Nor were they warm and muscular. Nor did mountains nicker like a horse. I opened my sluggish eyes, squinting suddenly from the blazing sunlight from above.

I groaned, covering them, as my body ached fiercely from this curled and congested position.

I felt a low chuckle vibrate my side. Panic made my stomach drop and my heart pound as I realized my captor had found me. By the gods... My eyes flashed up to the face of the warm body that held me close, expecting the hard nearly black eyes glaring down at me.

But I was wrong. 'Twas not my captor, instead, a different man whom I did not recognize. He peered down his sharp nose at me with eyes blue as the sea back home, little specks of green decorated his irises. His cheeks seemed gaunt and jutted out along his face, his jaw holding a few days worth of beard. His blond hair was braided away from his angular face.

His arms were curled protectively around me, and I looked around in dismay at the unfamiliar woodland. Where in the gods' name were we? I peered back at the man, distrust immediately filling me. I kept eyeing the ground below, debating on what I should do next.

I could not jump off, his hold on me was like iron. The horse was tall and the ground seemed to be so far down. Tempting, but I desired to live another day. I had to remain calm in order to get away.

The man kept his blue gaze upon me, studying every feature. I frowned. Had I perchance met this stranger before?

I hesitantly asked, "Where am I? Who are you?"

He only smirked at me, remaining silent as he maneuvered through the forest. I watched the sun's rays dance across his face. Was this unknown man my savior? My watchful protector?

My one chance to escape from the handsome brute's grasp?

'Tis possible. But my gut told me this man did not take me to protect...but something else much more sinister.

Another thought crossed my mind.

How did he find me?

We carried on in silence, as he seemed to refuse to answer all the questions I asked him, finally reaching a low treeless valley after a few hours time. The stars lit the twilight sky in a cool nocturnal bask, enchanting the hills and lowland in a holy lumination. 'Twas beautiful. I marveled at the beauty of my homeland.

Norway was always beautiful...but this, this was ethereal.

The man slowed the large beast to a halt by a small river then jumped off the black steed. He reached up and roughly set me down on the ground before turning away. I stumbled from the abrupt shift of position, my back aching, my lower body numb from the trek.

I collapsed to the ground with a grunt, my face smacking the earth hard. My vision swam, the man becoming double before my eyes.

The two strangers squatted before me, wide eerie smiles on their face. Wait, was there not just one man? There were now two, yet earlier there was only one. My head pounded with a ferociousness of twenty warriors. I closed my eyes and groaned as my belly protested the sudden dizziness and featherbrained feeling.

I focused on my breathing, forcing the nausea away as I concentrated on the earth and it's inhabitants. The ground was cool and damp underneath my cheek and my palms. The cold wind seemed to creep underneath my cloak, making me shiver with the chill. A few birds called into the night for their companions. The rushing sound of water bubbled and gurgled not far away. I faintly heard an owl hoot in the nearby woods.

"Do not worry, min dronning, I shall protect you from whoever you are seeking to escape from." His cold boney fingers lingered on my face, brushing my cheekbone. I could not help the flinch as he touched me.

My eyes snapped opened to meet his. A weird gleam in those blue eyes made me inwardly squirm in uneasiness.

Queen?

His queen?

I could not help rolling my eyes and I suddenly snorted aloud in amusement.

This man too?

The two figures now settled into one body, assuming the blond stranger from before. His upper lip curled in distaste of my reaction from his contact. The touch of the brute was always warm and did strange things to my body, but this man's light touch made my skin crawl and was cold as ice in the heart of winter. The aura of him was not the same as the Jarl's, but darker and ominous.

This man had to be as daft as the brute. I was to be no man's queen or bride, not the stranger's nor the handsome barbarian's.

What was with these barbaric men that wanted to own me?

I was going to be an old maid. 'Tis decided.

I watched him warily as he started a generous fire, coaxing it to a large burning flame. The heat on my cheeks only reminded me of the devastating night a few eventides ago, and I curled in a ball from the emotions rocking through me. Flashes of my family's faces raced through my mind, and yet my thoughts wondered to their last moments and what they were like. I shook my head to escape the horrific images that brought an overwhelming amount of emotions. Grief and guilt clutched my heart vigorously as my mind continued to playing tricks on me. A few stray tears escaped, but I quickly brushed them away in perchance the mysterious stranger saw them.

I sat up and released a ragged breath. "Who are you? Why did you take me away from the mountain?"

The deep blue eyes were trained on the fire as the man spoke. "I took you from my cavern as there were a group of men looking for you."

The uncanny eyes looked up and peered hard at me. His head cocked to the side, like a cat. "Why were they looking for you, min søte?"

I tore my gaze from him, noticing that he did not give me his name. "I-I am not sure," I lied.

He only hummed in response. I was not sure if he believed my fib or not. 'Twas not his concern as to why the Jarl and his men were looking for me. I assumed I was far enough away from the brute and his warming touch. Now I would need to leave this man in search for a clan to take me under their wing.

My stomach growled from lack of food, making me wince at the sudden loudness. He chuckled low and passed me a strip of dried meat from a small pouch at his side. 'Twas delicious. The bold flavors danced across my tongue and I closed my eyes, moaning at the taste. His face tightened in an unknown emotion and I could not help but scooch backward at the heated look he sent me with his eyes.

Perchance moaning at the food was not a good idea.

I finished the small portion quickly. Best time to leave before the stranger attempted to do something dastardly.

I cleared my throat. "Well, I thank you, courteous sir, for rescuing me from the group of men. But I believe 'tis past time that I leave and carry on my journey," I said, standing up and taking a few steps rearward.

He rose slowly, the fire illuminating the harsh lines of his face. A sinister grin erupted on his face and I could not help but let out a small whimper in fear of the malice of the man's semblance.

"You are leaving after I have been nothing but a man of honor?"

"I do not know you. You have been gracious towards me," I said, rocking back on my heels. "But 'tis best if we go our separate ways now. I cannot be your queen. You must be mistaken."

"Nei, lille venn, I am not," He said wickedly, walking around the small fire near me.

Every step he took towards me, two of mine retracted. I could fight him, but I knew I would be quelled very quickly. I had to run, but my past chances of escaping were futile. I could not, would not underestimate this stranger. But I had no other choice.

A line of trees was only a short distance away behind me, at least that is what it seemed like. I could make it.

Without another glimpse at the menacing man, I dashed towards the woodland. My bare feet tore into the earth as I ran harder than I ever had before in my life. A sharp shout was heard behind me, but I did not dare look back. The trees were becoming clearer and I wanted to shout in alleviation but I knew the chase was not over.

Once I stepped foot inside the forest, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, and I knew he had caught up to me. I shrieked as he tackled me to the ground, pressing my face into the dirt. I bucked and screamed in fury, and a sliver of fear raced down my spine. He straddled my body and flipped me around to face his red perspiring face, roughly pulling my arms above my head with a hand. He was breathing heavily, deep pants leaving his chest. I glowered at him in loathing, hissing threats.

The man grasped my chin in a harsh grip and crushed his lips against mine, teeth grinding against one another. He wanted a reaction from me, and I shall give it to him.

His tongue slipped past my lips, and I bit down hard.

He cursed and pulled away, bringing a lone finger up to his bloody mouth. He only smiled down at me, almost with enjoyment, his teeth tinged red with his blood. I wanted to gag at the bloody taste in my mouth. His hips dug into the cradle between my legs and I lifted my body to throw him off.

Oh, Odin, he was too heavy to completely move.

A frustrated cry left my throat and a trail of tears escaped my eyes. The stranger began touching my legs, pulling the material up to my pale thighs, and I spit in his face. This man was below the dirt, worthless, and a coward.

I was terrified yet furious at the situation. I could taste him on my lips and I wanted to hurl.

"Enough!" He growled and slapped me in the face, hard.

I could not help the small cry that escaped at the powered hit. I could taste the blood from my lip and my face began to burn. I bucked my hips at him, desperate to be relieved of his weight, but he remained sprawled across me.

"Get off me, you drittsekk!"

"Ah, I always love them feisty. So much more enjoyable to break." He whispered low in my ear, circling the shell of my ear with his tongue.

He began leaving wet kisses on my neck and I frantically attempted to move away from his mouth.

My yells choked off as I nearly gagged in horror of his words. A small part of my mind wished for someone, someone tall and dark to unchain me from this horrid man's unrelenting grasp. I would gladly welcome the barbarian's presence now. I closed my eyes tightly and screamed aloud in outrage and fear, silently pleading to the gods to make my suffering quick and painless.

A sharp whistle pierced the air before shooting past by my ear, making my eyes flash open at the noise. I watched in horrid fascination as the object punctured the man's flesh. A shriek of alarm escaped me as I realized an arrow was now embedded in his shoulder, thin ribbons of dark blood escaping the wound. I glanced behind me, expecting to find someone, but only the shadows of the forest met my gaze.

Where did the saving arrow come from?

Before I could blink, another arrow penetrated deeply into the stranger's flesh.

A low growl of pain escaped him, who grasped the second arrow buried in his other shoulder. He quickly snapped the two arrows in half, a majority of the weapon sticking out in a sickening way from his flesh.

He jumped up from the ground, spinning wildly in circles. His crazed eyes frantically danced around the shadows of the forest, looking for the perpetrator. I began slowly crawling rearward from him, desperate to be away from this vile man, but slow enough that he would not notice.

"Show yourself!" he screamed into the silent night.

There was no response, only the whistling of the wind through the branches. I silently pleaded with the unknown cerberus to kill this horrid man. I knew without this silent vigilante's interruption, the stranger would have voldtatt me. I shuddered in fear and finally relief at the hairbreadth escape.

His enraged gaze fell onto me and with a quick movement slid behind me, a small dagger suddenly pressed against my throat. His thin arm wrapped around my waist, squeezing painfully. I whimpered, holding completely still in fear of slitting my own throat.

"If you shoot one more blasted arrow, I shall slit her pretty throat without hesitation!" He yelled, his rancid breath reaching my nose.

I closed my eyes, my breathing faint as I felt the knife press deeper into my throat. This was it. I silently pleaded with the gods to make this end. A low chuckle vibrated my back and I opened them to find a familiar group of men standing before us.

I could not help the small sob of relief.

It was my captor.