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Chapter Twenty-Eight
Last Updated:
2024-11-12 22:09:16
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Berserker Chapter Twenty-Nine
Brand awoke with a startling sense of déjà-vu. He was face down in sand and a large fur boot lay in his field of vision as he blinked. Faen! This time when he tried to push up, however, his arms would not cooperate. Iron manacles were locked around his wrists. Heavy chains rattled behind him as he struggled to turn over. He felt the pinch of the blade and smelled the coppery tang of blood as a rivulet ran down his neck. He froze, panting."So, The Destroyer has awoken!" Magnus' voice boomed over the crashing of the waves, mocking him. Brand heard the mumbling and shifting of a crowd. He said a silent prayer to the gods that Astrid and Ulfhild had somehow escaped."Get him up," the Chieftain commanded, and the now familiar giant hand grasped his upper arm and yanked him to his feet. He glared at Sigurd as he spat sand from his mouth. The man smirked at him, and Brand's wolf snarled. This time, he didn't try to mask the sound and was rewarded with a look of uncertainty crossing the gian
Last Updated : 2024-11-12Berserker Chapter Thirty
The noise had been deafening. Metal against metal, flesh against flesh, shield against shield. And over it all, the battle cries of warriors lost to bloodlust and determination to kill or be killed. Brand had forgotten what it felt like – the all-consuming need for the blood of his enemies to be spilled on the ground at his feet.Brand shook his head another scream was silenced as he ripped out another throat. The blood dripped from his long snout as he took a breath and looked around him. Leather-clad warriors lay around him, some with eyes open staring at the sky as if looking for the Valkyries coming to take them to Valhalla. Brand snorted. Good luck. He couldn't believe the gods would want any of these followers of a deranged leader in their feasting halls. There were still several groups of men fighting, but they looked well in hand. To his relief, he saw no Skölls lying with the fallen at first glance. A large man covered in gore approached him warily. His lips curled up from h
Last Updated : 2024-11-12Berserker Chapter Thirty-One
Wyoming - Present Day"Oh my God! Make them stop, Brodi! They're going to wake up the baby!" Liv whisper-yelled in her husband's ear as someone pounded on their bedroom door."What time is it?" Brodi groaned, sitting up sluggishly and wiping sleep from his eyes."Three am. Now hurry!" Liv pushed at his hulking form to encourage his movement.Faen! His son had only fallen asleep a little over an hour ago. The pounding came again."Hurry!" Liv hissed beside him. A faint noise from the cradle beside the bed galvanized him into action. Throwing back the covers, he raced to the door without bothering to grab clothes and cracked the door open."The entire forest better be on fire," Brodi growled. Kelda, his shaman, and Gunnar, his youngest brother, stood in front of him, their eyes wild."I'm sorry, Brother, but you must come. It's…""The Yggdrasil has awakened, Alpha," interrupted Kelda, her moss green eyes flashing. "We need to go.""What?" Brodi asked in confusion. "What do you mean 'aw
Last Updated : 2024-11-12Berserker Chapter Thirty-Two
The group surrounding Brodi stood and stared in shock for long moments. Men, women, and children lay before them. All of them were dressed in combinations of wool, furs, and leather. Some were clearly warriors with weapons lying in motionless hands and strapped to still backs. Liv's hands covered her mouth, stifling a cry. "Oh, Brodi. Who are they all?" she asked, her voice breaking.He turned to fully face the meadow, studying the scene, his hand stroking his mate's back unconsciously. "I, I don't know, Elskede."Finn wrapped his arms around Asta holding her back to his chest as tears streamed down her face. "Are they all dead?" she whispered.Brodi kissed the top of Liv's head then released her. "Stay here," he commanded and started walking towards the nearest of the bodies, a large man in iron-studded leather armor with a broadsword under his palm. Squatting next to the man, he placed a hand on his back. He dropped his head in relief when he felt the man's chest rise and fall. "H
Last Updated : 2024-11-12Berserker Chapter Thirty-Three
Brodi collapsed in the worn leather armchair next to his bed. He'd been up for more than twenty-four hours without more than a moment to grab a bite or down a glass of water. Between trying to help triage and transport the wounded, finding places for everyone to sleep, and coordinating runs to buy groceries and other supplies that they needed, he was exhausted. They were ill-prepared for the unexpected influx of ancient peoples who had shown up on his doorstep. Who could be prepared for something like this? There were 397 souls at last count, but he was still not sure if that was completely accurate. A small smile tugged at his lips, despite his fatigue, at the sight of Liv nursing his son on their bed. It was a vision he never tired of. "I'm sorry I was not here to help last night," he said, toeing off his boots and groaning in relief. He couldn't remember a time when his muscles had ached so much, not even when he was battling warring tribes with broadswords, axes, and spears back
Last Updated : 2024-11-12Berserker Chapter Thirty-Four
Ulfhild's legs were numb with Brand's head resting on them for so long. Her eyes were gritty. They no longer focused after staring at the cream-colored wall for however many hours it had been since she had been brought to this place. Her fingers barely felt the growing stubble of her mate's beard as she stroked his face unconsciously. Hunger and thirst had ceased to have any meaning. In short, she felt no more substantial than a náin (ghost). Did she truly exist anymore?A light rapping came on the thick wooden door, but Ulfhild didn't stir. A blonde head covered in braids, strikingly similar to her own, peeked in the door. "Kan jeg komme inn, Cetter? (May I come in, cousin?)" Asta asked, taking a step into the room.Ulfhild's eyes didn't move as Asta walked toward her carrying a tray. She glanced at the previous tray she had left for the woman which sat untouched on the table next to the bed. She sighed and placed the new tray on the small table next to the window. "Du må spise, elle
Last Updated : 2024-11-12Berserker Chapter Thirty-Five
Having been dragged from her stupor, Ulfhild found her mind restless once the other women had left. She fought down feelings of panic as she ran her hands through Brand's hair. "Please wake up, min ulv, and speak to me. You promised to be here for me in this place. I don't understand any of it. Please, please come back to me," she begged, but he continued to lie just as still as he had been since they had arrived.Ulfhild sighed heavily and looked around the room for the first time, trying to distract herself. It was a large and masculine space. The fabric hanging over the windows was a dark green color and matched the coverlet on the massive bed she sat upon. There were two large armchairs in front of a fireplace that she thought were covered in a very fine leather. The room was warm though the logs weren't lit. Could it be summer here? Ulfhild tried to recall what her surroundings had looked like when she was brought to this dwelling but could not remember anything but Brand's blood
Last Updated : 2024-11-12Berserker Chapter Thirty-Six
Brodi took in the barely controlled chaos around him. Men were shouting orders, hammers were banging, saws were buzzing. They were building as fast as they could, but he'd had to admit that they would never get enough shelters built for everyone before the winter cold descended. Though he was well aware they had come from a much more brutal landscape and were used to the cold, Brodi still couldn't bear the thought of any of the new arrivals camping in the snow and ice. He'd given in to his Beta's suggestion to order some pre-fab metal buildings to try to get everyone housed as quickly as possible. They were reviewing the final order when his brother, Gunnar, who had been in charge of the guards since Brand had been gone, stalked up to them with a hard frown."What is it, Brother?" Brodi asked."I'm sorry to bother you, Alpha," Gunnar said, formally. "But we found something in the woods on patrol last night I thought you should know about."Brodi's ice-blue eyes locked in on his broth
Last Updated : 2024-11-12
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Berserker Epilogue
The clearing glowed with the twinkling fairy lights that adorned every tree, and the torches that had been lit along the path to illuminate the participants' way. Brand stood in front of the Yggdrasil feeling like his throat was being constricted by a stiff collar rather than a soft tunic. He wore a bearskin over one shoulder to symbolize strength and protection. He was also glad of its warmth as the first snows had started to fall just in the last week. He huffed as Brodi clapped him on the shoulder. "Nervous yet?" he asked with a smile, adjusting the leather hauberk that held his broadsword across his back and the belt at his waist where the sheath for his ceremonial dagger rested. "No, just cold," Brand lied through gritted teeth. His brother just laughed at him. "Don't worry, Brother. It will all be over soon, then we can get to the feasting," Brodi told him jovially.Brand frowned at him. "Easy for you to say," he muttered."Really, Brother. I know you missed our ceremony, but
Berserker Chapter Forty-Seven
Brand's brother turned to him, seeking guidance, just as Brand became aware of the stickiness on his hand. He at first ignored it. He had been in too many bloody brawls in his lifetime for blood to bother him overmuch. But when his mate gasped and tensed in his arms, a wave of dread washed over him. He realized that the stickiness was not merely the expected aftermath of the fight but something far more sinister. His elskede, his alt, Ulfhild, was wounded."Min elskede! Where are you hurt?" he demanded, his hands roaming frantically over her body.Ulfhild slapped at him ineffectually. "It is nothing, min ulv, only a scratch. Go with your brother. There is no time to spare."Brand ignored her and instead shouted to Astrid who had been standing on the edge of the crowd, clearly overwhelmed by her ordeal and its brutal end. Broken out of her reverie, Astrid came forward quickly and fell into healer mode. "Lie her down. Let me look," she instructed, ignoring her daughter's continued prote
Berserker Chapter Forty-Six
In the meadow, the winds seemed to take on a malevolent life of their own, their force intensifying with each passing moment. They twisted and spiraled, whipping through the grass and causing mini-tornadoes to erupt from the churned ground. The very earth under his feet seemed to groan in protest, and the acrid scent of freshly turned dirt mingled with the sharp tang of ozone, assaulting Brodi's senses as he ducked his head against the maelstrom and continued to silently advance.Above, the heavens were entirely shrouded by roiling, malignant clouds that seemed to devour any trace of starlight or moonshine. Leif and Astrid appeared to him only in the stark, searing flashes of the lightning overhead. The thunder that followed was a deafening roar, so powerful that it resonated deep within his chest, but still he stalked toward his prey. Squinting against the flying debris, he finally saw his brothers and the warriors in position against the backdrop of the ancient tree, whose gnarled b
Berserker Chapter Forty-Five
Gunnar stopped on the edge of the clearing where the giant Yggdrasil grew. He shifted, holding up a hand to forestall the warriors behind him. "He and Astrid are in the clearing," he whispered to the men.Birger squinted, trying to see them through the screen of skinny pines that blocked their view of the meadow. "Where? I can't see a thing through all these-" he stopped and hit his forehead with his palm. "Right. Wolf. You smell them."With a crooked smile on his face, Gunnar nodded to the man. "Yes. Their scent is very strong. The boy is fearful." He sniffed the air again. "And the woman is angry. More angry than fearful."Erik tipped his chin up in agreement. "That would be Astrid. She may not be a warrior like her daughter, but she is stronger than most men I know. She would never have gone with him if it had been only her own life that was threatened."Vidar's face showed his worry. Again, he was in the middle of a disaster. At least this time, it was a disaster not of his own ma
Berserker Chapter Forty-Four
Liv rested her forehead against Brodi's chest, fear almost taking her breath. His arms tightened around her as she shook with silent tears. Brodi had brought her back to the house, forbidding her to continue with the hunt. Overwhelmed by concern for her baby, she'd teetered on the edge of hysteria, her emotions running wild. She had to calm down, especially considering the news she had discovered just this morning."Min elskling, you must try to remain calm. We will find him," Brodi had assured her, holding her close to his broad chest and rocking her in his arms like a child. Her sobs finally quieted, taking strength from within his strong embrace and the firm certainty of his voice. He flattened a large palm on her belly. "This child will have a big brother that is healthy and hale. I swear to you."Looking up into the blue eyes she loved so much, she could see his absolute conviction that what he was telling her was true. They knew every inch of their pack lands. Surely, they would
Berserker Chapter Forty-Three
"Quit mumbling, witch!" Leif ordered as he continued to pull her along with the leather cord that bound her wrists. "I won't have you spelling me! Keep it up and I will stick a gag in your mouth. Do you understand.""Yes," Astrid said shortly. A bit of her usual calm composure returning to her after completing her frantic prayers. "I understand perfectly." She paused for effect. "But, young Leif, I do not think you understand your situation very well."Leif twisted his neck around to fix her with a venomous glare, his eyes blazing with an insanity that sent a shiver down her spine, but she maintained her dispassionate look. "What are you talking about, Witch? I'm the only one who understands exactly my situation. I've been stuck in this place for over a week, alone. How to get myself back to my proper time is all I've been thinking of.""What you have not thought through," Astrid continued calmly, "is what will happen to you once the Alpha finds you. Cubs are rare here, I understand."
Berserker Chapter Forty-Two
Leif panted as he leaned against a tree to catch his breath. The child was heavier than he'd expected, and the air here was thin. Placing the baby at his feet, he looked around, trying to get his bearings. He estimated he'd run several miles from the women and the clearing already. Suddenly, howling rent the silence of the forest. The baby inexplicably smiled and clapped his chubby hands, but the fine hair on the back of Leif's neck and arms stood straight up in atavistic fear. Were the creatures close? Dusk was approaching but he didn't dare light a fire. Where could he hide with the krakki?The wolf song died out and the baby began to fuss. Leif glared down at him. This was going to be more complicated than he thought. If the baby started wailing, the sound would bring people and wild things alike. Was he even old enough for solid food? He should have grabbed that big bag with the silly looking animals all over it that was sitting next to him. He bet that housed some baby things. B
Berserker Chapter Forty-One
Ulfhild felt more like herself than she had since coming to this new place. Asta had beat her soundly at axe throwing, Ulfhild not having much practice at that particular skill, but she was sure she could compete in archery. Though she missed a lot of what they were saying, it was good to laugh with the women and experience the comradery. She'd always been set apart by the women in her village who would never have thought of throwing axes. Maybe this time wouldn't be so bad.Suddenly, she heard terror in Liv's voice. "Brand? Brand?" she called in a panic, searching frantically around the boulder.Ulfhild realized the baby was no longer on the blanket playing with his toys. Fear clutched at her heart. She thought he could not crawl or walk? With all the wolves around, there were no other large animals around for miles. She'd heard the men discussing the lack."He can't have gone far," Asta said soothingly, trying to calm her sister-in-law's panic. She started to search around the nearb
Berserker Chapter Forty
Liv had not been kidding when she had said they'd have to tromp through some woods. The training field was much farther from the area where they had their homes than she had expected. The distance and rough terrain didn't seem to bother the women. Baby Brand was strapped onto Liv's chest with some complicated looking knots of fabric that created a comfortable carrying sack for the large infant. It was obvious by her easy stride that carrying the boy this way was commonplace to her. On the way, Liv pointed out landmarks and told her things about the area. Asta tried to keep up with all the words, but Ulfhild felt she missed quite a few. It didn't matter. Simply being in nature and stretching her unused muscles was a relief to her. And they were going to train. Her heart leapt at the thought. This was exactly what she needed to dispel her melancholy and feel more like herself.Finally, they rounded a large boulder and came into a meadow that reminded Ulfhild of the meadow in her woods
