Page 22 of Ulf's Destiny
Her heart fell when Ulf started to take the saddle off the mighty beast without a word. The excursion she had been so looking forward to would never happen. The irony of the situation hit her cruelly. She was free, but she was still having to live with the consequences of her captivity. She hadn’t been anywhere while growing up, she hadn’t learned anything a slave didn’t do. As a result, she was useless, and would have to learn everything normal people did.
So happy a moment ago, she now felt like crying.
“All right,” Ulf said, once his father’s stallion had been released into the field. “Let me introduce you to Ratatoskr. He’s a gelding. You’ve met him before, of course, and as you can see, he’s not as impressive as Fáfnir. And we know each other inside and out. My grandfather gave him to me the day I turned thirteen.”
Ylva could not help a smile at the way he was talking of the horse, as he would of a dear friend. “Hello Ra…Ratatoskr. Quite a hard name to pronounce, is it not?”
“Do you think?” Ulf cocked his head, as if considering. “It is the name of the squirrel living in the tree Yggdrasill. He carries messages between the eagles at the top and the dragon Níðhoggr at the bottom.He is friends with Veðrfölnirand Duraþrór.”
Despite her despondency, Ylva burst out laughing, which she guessed was what Ulf had been aiming for. He had seen her sudden mood change and had decided to help her forget that she would not go to the beach that day. It was sweet of him.
“I see your point. Compared to that, Ratatoskr is at least worth a try.”
“Yes.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “And I’ll let you in on a little secret. You’re doing it very well. The accent is very appealing anyway.”
Ylva’s heart started to beat unbearably fast. What was Ulf doing? Helping her get over her disappointment or seducing her? His scent… His heat… His very proximity. Her head was spinning. Had he meant to make her feel desired, or was it all in her mind? Was she the only one feeling the attraction?
“So. Do you trust me?” he purred in her ear.
“T-trust you?”
What for? What did he intend to do? Kiss her? Was that why he had come so close? Well, the answer to that question was clear. Yes, she did trust him, enough to let him do it, and what was more, she was convinced she would like it.
“If you trust me, you can ride with me on Ratatoskr. Or if you prefer, I can go borrow the smithy’s cart.”
He drew back, a smile playing on his gorgeous lips. The lips she’d been certain she would taste only a moment ago. Apparently ithadall been in her mind, and she was the only onefeeling any attraction, because he had not been about to kiss her at all.
“The smithy’s cart?” she repeated. What was he talking about?
“Yes. It is your choice. But, one way or the other, we are going to the beach.”
8
“No thank you, I’ve already eaten more than I thought possible.”
Ylva laughed when Ulf offered her another piece of bread. To her utter delight, they had made it to the beach after all, and Ulf had taken her to an enchanting little bay nestled between two piles of russet-colored rocks.
The view was breathtaking, just as spectacular as she had hoped. She had never felt happier.
“Are you trying to fatten me up?” she teased, looking at the feast Ulf had assembled on the blanket he had brought along with them. The quick nibble she had been promised had turned into a veritable feast.
He cleared his throat, as if that was exactly what he had been doing and was ashamed to have been found out.
“I… Forgive me, I guess I was. I just thought that you probably spent most of your life not eating enough and I hate the idea.”
She sobered, imagining what she must look like. A man like Ulf, who was all a woman could want, would not have failedto notice her lack of womanly curves. Did he think her so worryingly petite? Childish even, because of it?
“Yes. You’re right,” she mumbled. “We never had enough to eat and what we had was nowhere near as good as what we just ate.”
The roast lamb, in particular, had been incredible. It was his father’s recipe, Ulf had told her, and rubbed with juniper berries. Determined not to dwell on her lack of knowledge about the world outside, she had not pointed out that she had no idea what those were. The meat had tasted wonderful, it was all that mattered.
“So what do you think of the sea, then?” Ulf seemed equally determined not to bring the mood down.
A smile broke out. He had asked just the right question to restore her sunny mood.
“It’s as wonderful as I imagined.”
More so. Never had she imagined she would be eating on the beach with a handsome man attentive to her every need, or that he would make her laugh and feel safe.
