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Chapter One

Though it had been some time since a Norse longboat had raided an English ship at sea, Hall Valborg just could not resist the merchant ship with all it's valuable and most food. The lack of moon made it easy to come up along side the English ship, but it was the lack of crew standing watch that made it even easier to raid. Those his native language was that of the Norse, Hall had learned the English language from his grandmother. She had been taken by his grandfather and had birth several of his children. His own mother, however, was a Norsewoman from their own village. It was in dealing with the English that he was glad that he could understand their tongue.

Hall and his men easily stole over the side of the ship and cautiously moved their way towards the sound of voices. Of the men with him, several others could understand the language being spoke and intently they listen as the approached.

"We don't care about the deal made with Sir Wells," an angry man's voice said, "we want the girl." "No," an older man's voice came. "She is to be delivered untouched. It is only after the wedding night will we be paid. If she is found unsatisfactory, we can forget payment." "Who's to say that she is not already used," another angry voice said. "I'll take my payment from between her legs now," another said. "Yeah," cried anothers.

It was not hard at all to over take the crew since they were already preoccupied by other matters and not expecting them. In just a few short moments, the entire crew was take below to the hold and locked up. The only one left out was the old Captain.

"Now Captain," Hall said as he loomed over the old man, "I understood one of your men to say that she was still pure. Is this true?" The old Captain looked down at the floor. "Answer me," Hall demanded. "Yes," the older man sighed. "Yes. She is pure." "And why is she aboard a merchant ship and not aboard a regular passenger," Hall asked. The old man looked up at the large Viking from his sitting position on the floor. "She was being taken to her betrothed. He didn't want to wait until the regular passenger ship set sail. He was determined to have her as soon as possible." "And this betrothed of hers," he asked, "will he come looking for her if she does not show." "I doubt it," the captain answered. The old man stared at him before asking, "Now, might I venture to ask your name?" Not seeing the harm in it, he replied, "Hall Valborg." "I know of your reputation," the old man said.

Hall looked at the old man and wondered why he was giving the information so easily. Either this girl was so no beauty to behold, or she truly was not pure. Or was it possible that it was an arranged marriage and the betrothed cared nothing for her at all. And then there was the possibility that the story of the betrothal was a lie to save the girl's virture from the crew; if was indeed virginal. Curosity now had him wanting to know.

"Tell me," Hall said, "why do you answer my questions so eagerily?" He watched the old man sigh again before answering, telling him that what the man was about to say was indeed the truth. "She is to be married to man who does not, and will not ever, love her. If fact, she didn't know of the marriage until just before leaving England. Both she and her mother was purchased as servants once her real father had died and left them with a heavy debit to her betrothed. Her mother gained favor with the man and has already paid some of the debit off with her own body. Miss Bethany was to be the remaining payment."

The old man's tone changed to that of desperation, "Please. Spare her the humiliation of being taken by all of your men and take her as your own. Do as you wish with the ship and crew, since they have committed mutiny anyway, and spare my life. I will tell her betrothed that the ship went down in a storm and that only a few survived. She will be yours." Hall cautiously watched the man as he added, "A life with you is a much better life than the one she is headed for." "I'll see her first," Hall said and watched the old man eagerly agree.

Bethany was huddled on the bed when she heard the Captain's voice telling her he was unlocking her door. She watched as he and very handsome, tall, and bare chested man entered the her room. "What has happened," she asked the captain cautiouly, but stared at the other. "These men have taken over the ship," he said. "There is nothing I can do." She looked the tall man over. He was so tall that he had had to duck his head sideways to enter the door. His sandy blonde hair hung just below his shoulders. He stood with his feet apart and his arms crossed over his chest. Eyes as clear as the blue sky stared at her. His facial features were strikingly handsome. He said not a word, but allowed his eyes to roam her body. Even though she was fully dress, she felt naked before him. "Agreed," he said aloud, causing her to jump.

"Agreed to what," Bethany asked. "May I," the captain asked the other man. She watched as the young man nodded, but stood firmly in place as the captain approached her. "You know what awaits you in England, my dear," the old man said, taking her hand as he sat next to her on the bed. "Hall Vlaborg here is a young man, not old and leacherous like Wells is. And is he not pleasant looking to you?" He paused for her to nod "yes" towards the large, younger man before continuing. "I am sure that you would much rather loose your innocence to man like him than to an old one like Wells."

Bethany was begining to understand all to well what the captain was trying to say. "Are you saying," she asked, still staring at the large Viking, "that I will be taken with him and not returned to England. That I am to become his whore to save myself from becoming Wells' wife?" She felt anger starting to surface and her voice grew louder. "No sir," she yelled at the handsome man. "I will not be your whore. I would rather die a thousands deaths than live the rest of my life as your bed toy."

Bethany felt her eyes narrow as the Viking said, "I don't believe you have a choice in the matter, wench. The agreement has been made. The captain and your lives are to be spared. The ship will be raided and then sank. The remaining crew will meet a watery end. Your beauty alone made the decision for me. And now the chance to tame you, wench, will be my top priority." He walked too her and ran his fingers through her flameing red hair. "Red hair is rare in my village," he said. "I will indeed be seen as a great warrior when you are conquered for it is known that a strong will and temper goes along with it."

Bethany's emerald eyes widen at his words. "You, sir, are a monster," she hissed. "I will never be tamed. Not by you or any man. I would rather be passed around to your men than to share your bed willingly." "That," Hall hissed, "can easily be arranged. That is, once I have taken your purity." She felt his hand grip her wrist and pull her from the room. The old captain was restrained as she was led away. She spent the next week confined to Hall's sleeping quarters as the long ship sailed towards his home.