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Stardust Ch. 01

By: MsLaLa31



FOREWORD: Hi guys. This is one of the new stories I've been working on. I don't want to go so in-depth that I spill all the details. 

I pretty much just wanted to preface by saying that this is completely a love story. It is more a Fantasy and has lots of magic, enchantment...even time travel. It is also part-historical Romance with a lot of Viking references; however, not everything in the story is historically accurate. There's a bit of fact and a bit of fancy.

There are no sex scenes in Part 1. Even so, I hope you are able to read the story and are transported into the world of my characters.

Please comment (be nice) and vote. I really, really love hearing from you guys.

Holy crap, this is it...I'm so nervous! Okay...without further ado, I give you, "Stardust."

LaLa

*

Fall 2011

Tyler had buried her little brother today, and now she was alone in the world. She knew it was asinine to walk along the duck pond this late at night...especially in a foreign country; but she couldn't bring herself to go back to the confines of the hotel room, yet. 

It was disconcerting to be the only living relative.

Sitting on a bench, Tyler wept in such a manner that the force of her sobs made it difficult to breathe.

When she was empty, she got up and slowly made her way to her rental car. Noticing something on the ground a few yards away, she paused. The moon was huge and full, its light bounced brightly through the tall trees and off of the object. 

Curious, Tyler walked toward it and looked down.

What she saw was a small, gold box...but she had been wrong about one thing. 

The moon hadn't caused it to shine; the box had been...glowing? Couldn't be, she thought. Against her better judgment, Tyler picked up the box and ran her fingers over the warm, smoothness.

It was small enough that it could fit into her pocket, but it was incredibly heavy. 

Tyler shook the box...nothing. 

As she continued to examine it, she found that there was a small clasp in front. Flipping it up, Tyler watched as the lid slowly began to open. 

She jumped at the loud boom of thunder. Suddenly, the wind picked up and black clouds billowed overhead, effectively blocking the moon. Lightning bolts illuminated the sky. 

The forecast hadn't called for rain, she thought. Tyler had purposely checked the weather for the scattering of Marcus's ashes.

The wind was now whipping about her so strongly that it pushed her forward. 

Clasping the little trinket to her, Tyler was about to make a beeline for the car, but stopped when the box moved in her hand. Turning her attention back to the gold ornament, she watched in horrified silence as the weather died down, and all was once again quiet. 

Eerily, strange music radiated from the box, reminding Tyler of a scratched 1950s record. Unexpectedly, a quiet voice seemed to fill the air as it recited a rhyme: 

A transformation will befall the wielder of this box, And he who does not believe, or whosoever mocks, Shall find himself confined to a prison of his making, Until the gods have accomplished their enchanted undertaking...

Eyes widened, Tyler watched as the figurine very slowly unfolded, shifting itself first into a ball. Then it changed back into a cube.

This was all too creepy.

When the box shifted into a pyramid, it suddenly stopped, the tip pointing directly at her. Tyler was aware that everything had gone completely quiet.

RUN!!!! 

Her mind screamed at her to run away. She feared she had opened something otherworldly...something akin to an Ouija board.

The unnatural quiet was disturbed by another shock of lightening as it brightened the sky. It was immediately followed by a deafening peal of thunder. Tyler screamed when a lightning bolt crashed into the ground before her.

She was hurled onto the ground as everything was cast into darkness.

***

Winter, Northumbria, 876 

It was colder than a witch's titties. Lord Brand Magnusson maneuvered his huge, black destrier, Sleipnir, through the mounds and mounds of snow. He and his men were returning from serving their great Norse leaders.

Having traveled for over six months in an effort to return home, the men were weary.

Now that the manor was within sight, the mood among them changed. They all were energized as they spurred their warhorses onward, more than ready for the comforts of home and the sight of their wives and children.

Always the warrior, Brand caught a movement on the left behind a copse of trees. Instinctively, he withdrew his sword, and turned Sleipnir in that direction. Alert, his men followed with their swords and axes at the ready.

Brand pulled the horse to a stop a few yards away from the form that was lying in the snow. He'd thought it was an animal, but it was a person! Hurriedly, he jumped off of Sleipnir in one fluid motion.

Once beside the figure, he fell to his knees and prayed to Odin that it wasn't one of his people. Turning the body over, Brand found that it was a woman. But she wasn't like anything he had ever seen. 

During his travels, he had heard stories that there was a foreign land of people with dark skin that ranged from the lightest brown to midnight black. While others had scoffed at the idea, Brand had acknowledged that no one knew the mind or the ways of Odin. 

The world was a vast place; and anything was possible. Here, lying before him was proof. 

As his men gathered around him, there was a collective gasp. Not only was the woman dark, but she was wearing very unusual clothing. The fabric of her garments clung to her body and had not been nearly enough to combat against the frigid climate.

Leaning down, Brand pressed his ear to her nose and mouth. Feeling her shallow, labored breath across his cheek, he issued an expletive. 

She was alive! 

He whipped off his furs and wrapped them around the woman, swaddling her. 

"Bjor," he called to his huge commander. 

As Brand mounted Sleipnir, Bjor lifted the woman off the ground and placed her in Brand's arms.

His squire, Finn, mounted his own, small mare and rode at a breakneck speed to alert the manor's healer of their arrival. 

Taking care to cover the woman's face, Brand urged Sleipnir toward the keep. 

***

As the men arrived, they were met in the large, stone courtyard by the crowd who had come to welcome their return home. 

Despite the warriors' return, the once jovial disposition among the villagers was now grim. Bjor anticipated his lord's needs and was there to take the woman out of Brand's arms as he dismounted Sleipnir. 

The crowd parted as the small, old woman pushed her way forward. "This way, "Asgerd said as she hurriedly led them into the keep. 

She knew everything there was to know about medicines. Asgerd had been the manor's healer for 40 years. She instructed Bjor to set the woman down on the pallet in front of the large fireplace. 

They would first have to warm the woman if she would have any chance of survival.

When Asgerd removed the furs from around the stranger, there was another collective gasp among them. Even the warriors who had already seen the dark woman came closer for another look. Nobody had ever seen such a thing. 

As they all murmured amongst themselves, some wondered if this was some kind of mischief from Loki. 

Or worse.

Maybe this woman was a Dökkálfar...a dark elf.

It was hard to ruffle Asgerd...she had seen a lot in her 70 years. But even she was amazed that such a person existed. A young boy came forward and very gently dragged his finger along the woman's cheek. He looked at his finger to see if any of the brown color had come off...his wide, blue eyes stretched when his finger came away clean.

The boy turned to the crowd and showed that there was nothing on his finger. The bystanders continued to stare at the stranger, wide-eyed.

Remembering her purpose, Asgerd snapped into attention and took in the woman's appearance. She wore very peculiar clothing which left most of her voluptuous body exposed for all to see.

There were rules of decorum and Asgerd would not allow the crowd to continue gawking at the woman especially in her state of undress. 

"Shoo!" she said to her kinsmen, pushing them away. Asgerd refused to move a muscle until only she and her apprentice Inga were the only ones left in the room.

Lord Brand and Bjor quietly stood watching behind the two women.

"What should we do?" Inga asked, frightened.

"We do what we would if she were one of our own," Asgerd said, looking back at Lord Brand. 

When he quietly nodded his consent, she began to remove the girl's garments. 

In a show of propriety, the two giants turned away and made to leave. 

"Asgerd, you will keep me informed of the woman's progress. Spare nothing while treating her. I will return in a few hours' time," Brand instructed quietly.

"Yes, milord," she replied.

Once the woman's clothes had been removed, Asgerd gave her own orders to Inga. 

"Quickly, we need more blankets. It is important that we warm her. But Inga, avoid touching her body as much as possible...it will likely do more harm than good. We must be tender with this one."

As Inga went to retrieve the blankets, Asgerd took a visual inventory of the woman's injuries. There were blisters already forming where the snow had damaged her skin. She hoped the wounds were only on the surface; any deeper and the girl would be in danger of losing her limbs. 

Asgerd gingerly touched the skin on the girl's arm and found that although it was now a grayish-yellow, it was still soft. That was a good sign. If the skin had been firm, she would have reason to worry.

A small, shiny object trapped in the girl's garments caught Asgerd's attention.

She very carefully removed it. 

Once it was in her hand, Asgerd dropped it as if burned. It was a gold box, and the moment she touched it, the box had begun to glow. An old Nordic inscription had been engraved on it.

Asgerd took a cloth and once again picked up the trinket. She wrapped it carefully and turned back to the girl, looking down at her in wonder.

Who was this strange woman? she wondered.

Asgerd began the process of dressing the girl's digits first. The fingers and toes could not touch under any circumstances. She then tied a splint around the hands and feet. If the girl awoke and began to fidget, she would run the risk of doing irreparable damage.

Next, Asgerd placed cloths dipped in warm water on the girl's skin. The process of re-warming her was going to be a long one. Turning to her jars, she painstakingly applied her homemade paste of aloe and herbs.

Soon, Inga was back with a bundle of blankets. 

"What did you do? Take every blanket we have in the keep?" Asgerd asked.

"Almost," Inga replied. "All except Lord Brand's." Asgerd shook her head. 

Taking the blankets out of Inga's arms, she gently laid them on the sleeping girl. "We will have to change the cloths every few minutes. We must keep the warm temperature on her...warm, though Inga, not hot. Use your discretion. If the temperature is uncomfortable for you, so then will it be for her."

Taking the wrapped box with her, Asgerd pulled on her cloak and hurried toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Inga asked. She didn't want to be left alone with the mysterious woman.

"Never mind that...I will return shortly. Take care of her!" Asgerd commanded. 

Much to Inga's chagrin, the strange woman began to moan.

***

"What mischief brings you to my door at this hour, old woman?" 

Asgerd turned to see the young witch walking toward her, arms laden with wood. Her voice was mesmerizing in its rich, huskiness. 

Svala had chosen to distance herself from the rest of the village. Because of her gift and peculiar ways, she had become the outcast. Actually, the alienation had been self-imposed. 

She had spurned the attempts people made at friendship; eventually, the townspeople had left her to herself. Sure, whenever people needed answers or a magic spell cast for them, they would venture to the witch's cottage. 

They would bring coins or their biggest, fattest chickens or wine, fabric...the very best they had to offer in exchange for what Svala could do for them. But that was as far as the visits went. If people didn't need anything, nobody bothered her.

When Asgerd said nothing, Svala spoke again. "Has the woman arrived?" She walked past the old woman and opened the door.

Asgerd's eyes widened imperceptibly. It was sometimes disconcerting how accurate Svala was.

"Yes, she has. Lord Brand found her in the woods. The cold is ravishing her body." 

Svala seemed to mull over this bit of information. "Come in from the cold," she said.

As Asgerd stepped into the cottage, she welcomed the warmth coming from the fire in the hearth.

Surreptitiously, she eyed the witch. She was a beautiful woman, and could have made a satisfactory match if it had not been for her gift. Svala's ability to see and hear things had almost destroyed her.

Asgerd remembered her as a child. 

She had always been quiet...distant. She had come to them when Lord Brand's father Magnus had been chieftain. She was of noble birth, but her mother and father had been killed. His Lordship had been the girl's godfather, so he had taken her in.

At first, Svala was very distrustful. She didn't speak and stayed to herself. Then the nightmares had begun. 

The only time the girl spoke was to tell of gruesome images that haunted her. No one had known what to do with the child until one day she had come into the great hall while everyone ate the evening meal.

She had walked right up to His Lordship's brother and pointing, said, "You did it."

Ulfar was not well-liked. And he'd had a temper...everyone knew that. They also knew that when the fiery demon inside him awoke, it was best to get out of its way.

But young Svala had proved that Ulfar's transgressions went beyond a mere bad temper. A young girl had gone missing in early spring. By fall, it was assumed that the child was dead. 

Ulfar had made the most raucous. 

He spoke about tearing up the countryside, not leaving any stone unturned. He'd also said he would have the offender drawn and quartered. But it had all been for show. Ulfar had done nothing.

Lord Magnus and his men had been the ones to rip through the countryside for weeks. When the lord had returned, he had been much thinner and weary...and without any answers.

Even though the villagers no longer talked about the missing child, they all still mourned her, wondering if some terrible act of nature had claimed her, or if there was a villain in their midst.

When Svala had disturbed Ulfar at his meal that day, he had turned on her, very nearly about to box her ears for being so insolent as to interrupt a member of nobility at his meal. 

"Be gone girl, and find your manners. Who are you to disturb the Lord's brother while he dines?!" Ulfar had bellowed.

"You did it," was all Svala had said. 

Before the situation turned ugly, Lord Magnus had called young Svala to him. Sitting her on his knee, he spoke quietly to her.

"What has you troubled, little one? Do you not know 'tis bad manners to disturb a Lord and his guests in such a manner?" he had asked.

While Magnus had admonished her, he had done it gently so that Svala had not felt attacked.

Her eyes brimmed with tears anyway. "My Lord, you do not understand. He did it," she said quietly.

Ulfar sat watching the two, his face ruddy from anger.

"Come now, child. Tell me what my brother has done," Magnus had urged in an effort to humor the girl.

"He killed her," she whispered.

Magnus looked at young Svala in disbelief. "Who?" he'd asked.

"The girl who is missing. The one you cried for. He killed her."

Magnus had been stunned. He had broken down in the privacy of his own chambers when they could not find the child. No one knew about that.

With everything in him, he knew that some dark mischief was upon them. He had long since feared that Ulfar was unbalanced. More than once, he had caught his brother staring at children while they played. 

Magnus had always detected something manic in his brother. But he never thought...

"Go on, child. Tell me more," he said quietly. Svala had turned her head to the side as if listening. 

"He did bad things to her. He touched her in places he should not have. Then he beat her when she would not stop crying. He beat her until she was quiet forever."

"How do you know this, Svala?" Magnus asked, anguished. 

She didn't answer.

"Child, do you fear me?" he asked. 

When she shook her head, he continued. "Good, because you have nothing to fear from me. Now tell me, how do you know these things?"

"She tells me," Svala had whispered.

The hairs on the back of Magnus's neck had stood up...he didn't pretend to not know who "she" was. 

"She says she will take us to her body," Svala said.

Magnus froze. 

"Show me," he said finally.

The spot where Svala had taken him was outside of the manor, deep inside the forest. There was an expanse of dirt that did not mesh with its surroundings...it had looked disturbed.

Magnus motioned for his commander to begin the digging. As he and Svala sat atop his horse, he prayed that this was all a mistake. Magnus hadn't wanted to believe the child was dead.

If it was true, this would beget even bigger problems. 

He would have to kill Ulfar. It would also mean that Svala possessed a rare and precious gift. She would have to be protected from those who would harm her because of it.

Suddenly, his man stopped digging and looked up at Magnus, tears in his eyes. He had found the girl.

After that, there had been an uproar and everyone had wanted Ulfar's head on a pike. Magnus was a just and fair lord; what his brother had done had sickened him. He gave the order to have his brother drawn and quartered in the same fashion the sick man had claimed he would do to the girl's killer.

As rumors had begun that Svala was a witch and possessed powers, Magnus had called his people into the courtyard. He had stood with the little girl in his arms.

"This child is under my household. By Valhalla above, I have sworn to protect her. If any man lay harm to her, may Odin protect him," he had bellowed.

And with that, he had carried Svala into the keep, leaving behind him a stunned audience...nobody had ever dared to even look at Svala in an untoward manner.

***

"I am certain that you can care for whatever ailment the woman struggles with. What brings you to me, Asgerd?" Svala asked, bringing the old woman's thoughts back to the present.

"This," she replied.

She set the small bundle onto a table and unfolded the surrounding cloths. The box glowed beautifully, ethereally.

Svala's eyes widened as she looked at it. "It came with the woman?" she whispered.

Asgerd simply nodded.

"You have not touched it, have you?"

"I had to remove it from the girl's person. When I touched it, it burned me," she said. Asgerd held up her fingers to show the raw flesh there.

"'Tis not you that it wants. If it has come here with the girl, she is the only person it will allow to wield it," Svala said.

"What is it?" Asgerd asked.

"It is a gift from the gods. They have chosen this woman to do a great work here. We must treat her as one of our own for Odin will be greatly displeased if she is harmed while in our care. Her time with us will be short, but she will leave a great impression upon us," Svala said.

"Now go, attend her. Leave the box with me. I will keep it in my care until the appropriate time. I have need of more meditation on this. I will come to you when I know more. Go quickly, the woman is feverish," Svala urged.

Asgerd turned to leave, wondering about all Svala had said. The gods had sent the child to them? She would not argue; something was definitely amiss. In all her 70 years, she had never felt the change in the liveliness around them to this magnitude.


Stardust Ch. 01



Things were about to change, and they had to have been on a grand scale, because Svala had not come among the rest of them in years. This girl had already had the power to make Svala leave her solitude.

Asgerd rushed back to the manor to care for her charge.

***

Brand listened absently as his steward updated him on the manor's books and goings on in his absence. He could not for the life of him focus on what the little man said...Brand's thoughts were entirely on the woman and how she was faring.

He and Bjor had ridden back out into the forest to look for tracks or any kind of evidence that there were more of the woman's kind. 

They had found nothing. It was as if she had appeared from thin air.

Tiring of the steward's droning voice, Brand interrupted the man. "My thoughts are not on these matters, Edgar. We will convene in the morn," he said shortly.

Edgar looked at his master, surprised. 

Lord Brand was attentive to such matters, and usually had many questions and instructions for him. Edgar supposed his liege was weary from war and travel. He wasn't about to ask questions, though. 

The man intimidated him. 

It wasn't that Lord Brand had ever abused him...quite the opposite. But his appearance was frightening. Edgar never knew if his chieftain was displeased with him or not.

He closed the books he had been pouring over, and without another glance, Edgar hastily left his lord's solar. 

Rolling his massive shoulders and rubbing the back of his neck, Brand sat back in the chair and watched the steward almost break his neck to leave. Edgar had worked for him for many years now and the man was still jumpy around him. 

Brand knew his appearance was intimidating, but he had thought Edgar knew by now that he would not harm him.

At 36 year of age, Brand stood at an impressive 6'6." He managed to tower over most every warrior he happened upon...which was no small feat as his warriors were all big and bulky. His frame was heavily muscled without an ounce of fat. Brand owed his striking physique to years of battle and the wielding of his heavy sword, shield and axe.

His serious, almost-silvery eyes were in direct opposition to his thick, almost black eyebrows. 

The light coloring of his eyes often made people mistake him for a blind man. His Greek nose was straight and perfectly proportioned to his face. Brand routinely allowed his thick, long hair to hang in waves about his wide shoulders and down his back.

In battle and during the winter, he kept his bushy beard full, and thick; which often hid his strong, square jaw and full, sensual lips. 

Over the years, his body had taken a beating when some not-so-lucky bastard had gotten close enough to get in a blow. His body was heavily scarred, but the wielder of the weapon never lived to tell about it. Brand always repaid each injury he received with death.

He'd earned his latest scar only a few months ago. Some insolent Saxon prick had sliced his face from the bottom of his right eye to the top of his upper lip. 

Brand wasn't a vain man, but he hadn't liked that one bit...he had come too close to losing the eye. In retaliation, he had carved off the arm that had brandished the sword. Even so, he had been left with a scar that made his appearance even more sinister.  

His looks served its purpose, though. It frightened most, and nobody ever bothered him; but his looks also succeeded in making women wary of him. 

Well not all women, Brand thought with a slight, amused smile...only the softer, gentler nobility. Wenches never shied away from him. When they saw his huge frame, they assumed he had a large member and were always willing to bed him. 

Not one of them had ever left his bed disappointed.

Thank Odin for whores, he thought. Brand didn't know what he would do without them. 

His thoughts turned to the last whore he'd bedded. 

She had been an eager, young thing with long, flaxen hair. Her deep blue eyes were the color of sapphires and she had titties that had filled Brand's large hands. The girl had ridden him so enthusiastically that he had lost count of how many times he had come in her. 

It had been a good night, indeed. His shaft began to swell at the memory. 

Brand went to the door that stood parallel to the large fireplace. Opening it, he walked out onto his balcony and breathed in the crisp, night air...he needed to cool his ardor.

Such an opening to his chamber had been unheard of; but Brand had learned many things and had experienced the way the rest of the world lived.

He had built his keep to include much of what he had seen in foreign lands. 

The result was Ragnarsston Hall, a very unconventional manor in which he took pride in. 

Brand's superior fighting and loyalty to Halfdan Ragnarsson and Ivar the Boneless had earned him more riches than he knew what to do with. Halfdan had been generous when he shared the spoils of war, giving Brand acres upon acres of fertile land. 

Halfdan also made sure that Brand's coffers were filled to overflowing. 

Admiring the expanse of snow-capped land, his thoughts turned to the woman who now lay in the great hall. Who was she? Where was she from? How did she get here? Was she alone?

All the questions ran through his mind, the mystery of the woman perplexed him. Brand gave in to his curiosity and walked back down to the great hall.

***

Once Asgerd reached the keep, she found that Lord Brand was back, staring down at the woman.

"Milord," she said, once again acknowledging him. 

He had obviously just bathed as his long, dark hair was wet and looked almost black. He had changed into more comfortable clothing and wore his customary all-black garb.

"How is she?" he asked.

"The damage is not as terrible as I had feared. The skin is still soft and resilient. Boils have appeared on some of her flesh, but that is to be expected. I am certain her body will harvest a fever in an attempt to fight off the ailment. If she can weather that, she will be fine. Inga and I will work through the night," Asgerd finished.

Lord Brand nodded his head as he watched the woman. She was beginning to regain some of her color as the fire from the hearth turned her skin a deep, russet brown.

He sat in one of the chairs near the hearth and absently watched as Inga and Asgerd continued to care for the foreigner.

When the woman began to speak softly in her sleep, Brand listened intently. He leaned forward, hoping for some clue to her identity. What he heard surprised him. 

She spoke English.

Sobbing, she kept calling the same name over and over. There was a person named Marcus who had obviously been close to her. The pain in her voice even made Brand's heart clench at the rawness. Obviously this Marcus was no longer alive.

Placing a cool cloth on the girl's head, Asgerd crooned softly to quiet her. 

"She speaks English," she murmured in amazement. 

Brand nodded his head and mulled over the woman's words. "'Tis an odd form, but English nonetheless," he said.

"But we are all well-versed in the language. Yet it only sounds vaguely familiar. Where could she have come from?" Inga asked, baffled.

Satisfied that the girl was faring well, Asgerd leaned up from her ministrations. "We will have our answers when the time is right. Let us trust in Odin...he will not steer us wrong."

Nodding his head in agreement, Brand continued to watch the woman intently. He admitted to himself that he was fascinated with her. He wanted to be there when she opened her eyes for the first time.

Asgerd stretched, massaging her lower back. She had done all she could for the child. The only thing that was left to do was wait. She slowly made her way to a seat and was about to sit when Brand's deep voice stopped her.

"Old woman, I am well pleased with your compassion for this outsider. If you trust me with her, you may retire for the night...you have earned it. You as well, girl," he said to Inga.

Surprised, Asgerd looked at her young lord. In so many ways he reminded her of his father. 

Lord Magnus had been a kind, strong leader and a good man. She knew that he would have been proud of his son. Lord Brand couldn't have turned out better.

She knew not to argue with him. He was as stubborn as he was honorable. Besides, the way sleep beckoned to her, she was not sure if she could turn down his offer even if she wanted.

"Thank you milord," Inga said as she curtsied. She didn't dear look her master in the eye...he scared her too much! Scurrying from the great hall, she left Asgerd behind.

"Have someone fetch me if the need arises...it is good to have you back boy," she spoke gruffly. Asgerd's eyes suddenly misted. 

She had prayed daily for his safe return and was elated to have him back. She had raised him from an infant after his mother had died during childbirth. Watching him grow up from a small boy to a young, strapping man had been an honor.

The two showed a familiarity with each other that they reserved only for times like these when they were alone. Brand rose to his full height and walked over to Asgerd, sweeping her into a strong embrace. 

"I've missed you too, old woman," he said just as quietly.

He succeeded in making Asgerd squeal like a young girl when Brand lifted her off the ground.

"Put me down, you big oaf! Your beard is prickly than a rose's thorns," she said, swatting him on the arm. 

Brand grinned like a boy and continued dragging his bushy beard across Asgerd's weathered cheeks. He had allowed the hair to grow longer than usual.

When he released her, she straightened her clothing with a huff. "Insolent!" she mumbled. 

Brand winked at her, knowing full well that she was more bark than bite. 

Asgerd turned and walked out of the door, doing her best to hide her smile.

***

One minute Tyler felt like she was burning up in the pits of hell. The next moment, she was so cold she longed for the burning sensation once more. She was sweating profusely and felt like crap.

She tried to open her eyes but could only manage to open them to narrow slits. 

Her blurred vision could only make out a huge fire burning on her right. There was movement coming from two forms that she couldn't quite make out. Tyler had no idea where she was or what was going on. She only understood that she was the sickest she'd ever been in her whole life.

She recalled the events of that day and remembered that Marcus was dead. The sadness she had been trying to keep at bay came rushing back to her, making her groan. 

Soul-wrenching sobs erupted from her throat as she mourned her family and her dismal existence. 

"MARCUS!" she wailed brokenly. "YOU LEFT ME!!!" 

Suddenly, one of the forms rushed to her side, offering succor. "Shhh." The voice crooned softly. 

What followed were words that Tyler could not quite make out. German? Where the hell was she that people were speaking German? 

She was in Scotland, though. So there was no telling who was around here.

Tyler didn't have the strength to figure it out. As she began to lose consciousness, she hoped that God would be kind, and would not allow her to awaken.

***

The thin veil of grogginess began to fade and Tyler slowly awoke. Keeping her eyes closed, she became cognizant of the fact that there were several people in the room with her. She didn't recognize a single voice.

As she lay there feigning sleep, she remained perfectly still and kept her breathing deep and even.

There were two female voices and a deep male voice...but none of them spoke English.

Where the hell was she?! Tyler remembered dreaming about a German-speaking person crooning over her, but she had thought it was just that -- a dream.

Her heart pounded and adrenaline coursed through her body as fear took hold of her. She fought to control her breathing and the panic that swept through her. 

Something was very wrong.

Tyler was frightened. She couldn't for the life of her piece anything together, and didn't know how she'd gotten wherever she was. She desperately wanted to open her eyes to look around her, but she didn't dare.

Tyler made up in her mind that she would lay there until the cows came home. There was no way in hell she would let on that she was awake.

Suddenly she heard the door open and close and the room was silent. Tyler waited for what seemed an eternity before she finally opened her eyes to narrow slits. She first darted her eyes left then right in search of the three people who had only just been in the room.

When she saw nothing, she opened her eyes fully and took in her surroundings.

Tyler stared up at what should have been a ceiling. Instead, there were...rafters?

She looked straight ahead and saw the biggest fireplace she'd ever seen. The fire inside was ablaze and warmed the large room. 

On the left against a wall -- a stone wall -- was an elaborate tapestry. Tyler couldn't really tell what the depiction was, but she thought she saw a Viking longboat and what looked to be one of the Viking gods. It had to have been Odin because a huge, eight-legged horse reared back on its hind legs next to him...Sleipnir was the mythological horse's name.

She thanked God that she was a bit of a nerd...she knew such things that most other people didn't, generally because it was considered boring. 

Then Tyler had a thought. 

She obviously was in some replica of a Viking home...or maybe this was even a castle. It had the look of one. But how had she gotten here?! She tried her damnedest to remember the last few hours. 

Tyler had flown to Berwick-upon-Tweed to attend her brother's wedding ceremony. 

Marcus had joined an exchange program years ago that led him to the small, Scottish town. While there, he had met and fallen in love with Ian McShane. After four years of dating and Ian's relocation to the States, the two men decided to marry. They both thought it would be romantic to have the ceremony where they had first met.

So Tyler had dropped everything to jump on a plane and fly to Scotland to be there for her baby brother. Only, when she had arrived, it was to be met by Ian's parents and Scottish police.

Marcus and Ian had been killed. 

Her little brother was dead because some town bullies were homophobic and disapproved of Marcus and Ian's same sex marriage. 

The wedding ceremony had turned into a mournful spreading of the two men's ashes over the spot where they would have been wed.

Tears stung Tyler's eyes, the grief nearly paralyzing her. 

She desperately pushed thoughts of Marcus out of her mind. This was not the time. If she got out of this alive, she would have time to mourn her little brother. For now, it was imperative that she focus...she needed to survive.

With an effort, Tyler forced her thoughts back to last night. Against her better judgment, that she had walked around the park...AND SHE'D FOUND THAT GOLD BOX!!!

"Shhhit!" she exclaimed.

With every ounce of her being, Tyler felt that all this had something to do with that damn box that she should've let stay on the ground. The thing had been creepy, and it had done something...she just didn't know what.

Tyler frantically tried to piece together the events that led to her current predicament. Had she been knocked unconscious? She remembered being sick...maybe someone had found her and had taken her to their home.

"To hell with this," Tyler mumbled. 

She needed to find out where she was and what had happened. She was beginning to imagine the worst and was scaring herself silly.

What if she was being held prisoner by some Nazis? What if she had been sold into slavery? Now that would've been messed up! What if she had been abducted and her captors meant to gang rape her before they sawed off all her limbs? 

She thought of that Eli Roth movie she had seen once...Hostel was the name of it. In it, foreigners were sold so that rich, powerful people could torture them.

What if she had been sold to be tortured?! 

Whatever the deal was, Tyler wasn't about to stick around to find out.

Whipping the covers back -- no, the FURS - she became aware of two things: she was naked, and the most bizarre-looking man she'd ever seen was sitting in the room.

***

The man was sitting at a desk and had been pouring over some papers...or was it parchment? Scrolls???

Tyler's eyes traveled down his body and took in his physique. He was big...like, WWE big!

He was wearing some black, medieval getup, and reminded her of a dark warlord...a very large, dark warlord. 

The man really was a beast!

As he stared back at her, Tyler couldn't tell what color his eyes were from this distance, but she could tell that they were light...and piercing. His face was covered by a black, bushy beard, and his long, dark hair hung past his massive shoulders. 

"Oh my God!" she whispered inaudibly.

Panic arose in her, causing her to momentarily forget her lack of clothing; but Tyler did her best to squelch her fear. Coming to her senses, she jumped back in the bed and pulled the covers up and over her head. 

"What the hell is going on?!" Tyler yelled from under the covers. She had to get out of there!

She peeked out from under the covers. He was still there...and laughing at her! As if he would just disappear because you want him to, Tyler thought sarcastically. 

Carefully, she got up and wrapped the covers around her, vaguely aware of the cold stone beneath her bare feet. Warily she and the warlord continued to eyeball each other, but when he stood to his full, imposing height -- the man had to have been a few inches shy of 7'0 -- Tyler shrank back and pressed herself against the wall.

"This is it...I'm gonna die," she whispered to herself. 

"Stay back. I...I'll scream if you come any closer," she bluffed. Tyler knew perfectly well that she would do no such thing. Her screams would more than likely go unacknowledged...or worse, if she screamed, it could bring others like him into the room. That was the last thing Tyler needed. 

As the warlord stalked her, walking slowly towards her, Tyler looked about for a weapon. She slid along the stone wall until she had effectively managed to corner herself. She could not move left nor right; and now the imposing figure of the gargantuan male loomed over her.

She bit her bottom lip, preparing to be slapped around or raped...or both. Tyler didn't know what the man planned to do to her; she only knew that she would howl like a banshee, and she would not go down without a fight.

***

Feeling the bite in the air, Brand had stopped what he was doing and was about to stoke the dying fire. Sensing a change in the air that had nothing to do with the temperature, he looked up and found that the woman was now awake. 

Not wanting to frighten her, he hadn't moved a muscle.

Curiously, he watched her look around, taking in her surroundings. Preparing for the worst, Brand fully expected a bout of histrionics when she realized she was in a strange place.

He was surprised when she got up and the furs dropped, exposing her curvy body. Brand's eyes immediately zoomed in on her large breasts...her brown, large breasts.

He was surprised yet again when he felt his manhood stir...of course it had a mind of its own and suffered no qualms because of the woman's unusual skin color. He had to admit though that her form was beautiful.

Pulling his eyes from her body, Brand continued to watch her as she gasped and jumped back into his bed, pulling the covers up over her naked flesh. 

His face broke into a half-smile as she hid under the covers. What a peculiar woman, Brand thought. Had she thought she could hide and he would simply go away?

A few moments later she peeked out at him, this time causing him to chuckle. The low sound rumbled throughout the room as the woman stood up again. This time her body was efficiently hidden from him. 




Stardust Ch. 01



Standing, Brand watched her scamper away as if he was going to attack her.

Looking into her eyes, he found them to be a dark, almost midnight hue. They reminded him of a fawn's big, round eyes.

Her thick, brown hair was the color of sable and it framed her face. It was disheveled, giving her a wild appearance. 

Brand should have been used to her looks by now, but he wasn't. He, Asgerd and Inga had formed a routine in which he watched the woman at night while the two healers retired. 

They had long since removed her from the great hall. Her presence had created quite a stir, and it had been inappropriate to keep her out in the open for all to see.

Besides, no work was getting done.

The manor's blacksmiths, the chambermaids, cooks, everyone frequently stopped what they were doing to come into the hall and gawk at the woman.

Brand had decided it was time to place her somewhere in which she could not cause such a disturbance. That place turned out to be his solar. It was the most private and convenient. 

He had unrestricted access to the woman and would hopefully be around when she did awaken.

While the woman remained unconscious, Brand had had ample time to allow his eyes to roam her features.

This woman was not the most beautiful he had ever laid eyes upon...but he did like her face.

Her nose was not large or small, but it fit her face...her lips were full and looked to be very soft. The woman's eyelashes were extremely long, and Brand found himself wanting to brush his fingertips across them...they could not be real.

He had refrained, though. No self-respecting warrior would give in to such a sissy urge.

Now that she was awake, he felt his heart beat erratically. 

For seven nights he'd observed her and envisioned what she would be like awake. The woman's direct gaze stirred something in him as he watched her valiantly stand there trying not to look helpless and frightened. 

She clutched the covers to her chest tightly and swallowed audibly. 

Brand was used to people being afraid of him; but for reasons he did not care to reflect upon, he did not want this woman to be one of them. He felt compelled to assuage her uneasiness. 

Not moving another inch, he tried to give her time to get used to his presence. It didn't work. The woman was steadily moving away from him, looking like a cornered animal.

When he would have soothed her fears, she spoke in her odd dialect, threatening to scream. Did she not know that her screams would go ignored? She was in his manor, after all.

"I am not here to harm you," he promised. "There is no need to be afraid."

She had imperceptibly jumped at the sound of his deep, booming voice in the quiet room. 

"I am Lord Brand Magnusson, and you are in my home. A sennight ago, we found you lying on the ground, left for dead. My healers have been attending you since."

The woman did not acknowledge anything he said, but continued to stare at him anxiously...even though he had assured her that he meant no harm.

Enough of this, Brand thought. Now he was irritated. His word was his honor...if he said he meant her no harm, then it was true. She was a woman...hurting her would be like hurting a child.

"I command you to not fear me. I repeat, I mean you no harm," he reiterated.

Silence.

Sighing, Brand placed one hand on his hip and dragged the other hand down his face in frustration. Thinking another woman would be better suited at putting her at ease, he was about to call for Asgerd when the woman finally spoke.

*** 

"Where is this place?" she asked.

Tyler eyed the warlord with his gray eyes and bushy beard. She couldn't really see much of his face because of the beard. But he did not look like he wanted to harm her; he was just intimidating as hell. The man was bigger than she had initially thought!

He spoke with a heavy accent and his English was...old.

At first, Tyler had been inclined to think this was some huge, ridiculous joke...or maybe even a dream. 

But this was real. 

She also was certain that her presence in this place was directly related to the gold box she'd found at the park. 

Having just told her she was in his home, Brand assumed she wanted to know what country they were in. 

"My fellow countrymen have taken Northumbria. Some of us have chosen to settle here," he explained.

Tyler tried not to have a meltdown. 

Northumbria?! She was in Northumberland?! That confirmed that this man was a Viking; and now the tapestry of Odin made more sense.

Tears stung her eyes and she turned away, trying not to let the warlord see her cry. How the hell was she going to get out of this and back to the States?!

Then another thought occurred to her.

"What year is it?" she asked, unable to keep her voice from trembling.

The warlord -- Lord Brand looked at her as if she was insane. 

"It is winter...876," he answered. 

Tyler did have a meltdown then. She slid down the wall onto the floor and covered her face with her hands. 

"What the hell?!" came her muffled cry.

Feeling the warmth of the warlord in front of her, Tyler forlornly allowed the huge man to gently pick her up and settle her back onto the bed. The fight had gone out of her.

***

So she wouldn't get the wrong impression, Brand stood back immediately after he set her on the bed and walked back to his desk.

He grabbed the chair and brought it next to the bed where he sat at a safe distance. 

The predicament Tyler was in made her feel overwhelmed with fright. 

Having always been fascinated with mysticism and the occult, she'd never expected something like this to happen...not in her wildest dreams.

Time travel.

Tyler felt in her core that she had somehow traveled to another place and time. She made an effort to digest this new bit of information, devastating as it was. How the hell was she going to get out of this one?

She'd been there a sennight? 

Tyler mentally went through every history book she'd ever read and remembered that a fortnight was two weeks. So a sennight was one week. She had been there for a week?!

She needed answers fast; but at the same time, she needed to keep her mouth shut about where she was from and especially the time period. The last thing she needed was to be thrown in a dungeon or burned at the stake for being labeled a witch.

Again, fear surged through her, forcing Tyler to close her eyes and breathe deep, steadying breaths. She opened her eyes to find a wooden cup in her face. The warlord was offering her a drink. She really, really hoped it was something strong.

Oddly, though, his composure calmed her and Tyler gratefully took the cup from his big hand. 

She admitted that she felt safe with him in spite of her precarious situation. For unknown reasons, she trusted this man. If he was telling the truth, he'd had a week to hurt or kill her. Tyler was sure she had not been raped...at least she didn't think she had.

So, she decided to trust this stranger. Right now, he was all she had in this alternate time.

Tyler chuckled bitterly. 

The irony of the situation didn't escape her. She had been alone in her own time, and now, she found herself alone again...this time in a different time period. What were the odds?

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Brand paused at the sound of her husky voice. He was pleased that she had chosen to not be too afraid to talk to him.

"You are safe here with me," Lord Brand was saying. "Though I sense you are still frightened, my people and I will not harm you."

He looked into her eyes, and willed her to accept what he said as truth.

Despondent, alone and afraid, Tyler nodded her head in understanding and acceptance.

"I have questions of my own. Will you oblige me?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered, once again nodding her head. Somebody who asked to be obliged that way couldn't possibly mean to harm her, could they???

"Who are you? Where is your home and how did you come to be here?" he asked.

Sighing, Tyler stared up at the rafters again...no ceiling, no stucco or even plaster. Certainly no ceiling fan or anything remotely modern. 

Just rafters! 

"My name is Tyler. I come from a place very far from here. It's called America. And I don't remember how I came to be here," she answered. 

It wasn't completely a lie. She had no idea how she'd managed to travel across centuries.

Brand's brows wrinkled in concentration. "Where is this place...this America?" he asked, intrigued.

Tyler thought for a moment and wondered how to explain the distance to him in terms he would understand.

"Not even your longboats would get you there very quickly. It would probably take a few months...maybe a year," she said. She managed a smile at his bemused expression. 

Tyler knew the Vikings were proud of their longboats...they had every reason to be. They were fast and practical. Telling Lord Brand that even his beloved boats would not get to her home quickly would put the distance into perspective for him.

She was surprised when he smiled back at her...even more surprising was that he displayed even, white teeth. How spectacular, she thought. Tyler was under the impression that everyone from this time period would stink and have rotting teeth.

Well, this man at least was the complete opposite. He didn't smell and his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. Cocking her head to the side, Tyler found herself looking at the warlord -- at Brand -- realizing that he was attractive!

Once she got used to him and past the initial shock, it was obvious that he was a very nice-looking man.

There was a moment of silence as they sat regarding one another. Aware that she was now staring (and that he was staring as well), Tyler lowered her eyes and nervously took a sip of her drink. 

Her eyebrows shot up. 

"Is this mead?" she asked, looking up in surprise. The drink was very good.

It was Brand's turn to raise his brow. She knew what mead was but had never tasted it? 

"Aye. Tis the best in all the land," he boasted.

Tyler smiled again, mirth reaching her lovely eyes. "Is it as good as King Hrothgar's mead?" she asked.

Brand sat back in his chair. This woman was proving to be very astonishing. "You know the story of Beowulf and Grendel?" he asked.

"Yes I do...it's one of my favorite stories," she replied. 

The two talked for a few more moments, exchanging information about each other. 

As Tyler spoke, excitement was laced all throughout her voice. She was in the 9th century and as a history buff, she was going to learn so much more than history books, TV and the Internet could have taught her.

Of course she was still scared as hell, but she didn't have a thing to lose. There was nobody to go home to, and truthfully, nobody would even notice she had been gone...not really. Such was her sad existence now that Marcus was gone.

He was the only one who cared for her and was concerned about her well-being.

Tyler swallowed against the pang she felt and continued explaining to Lord Brand that she had first read about Grendel and Beowulf as a youngster in school.

Brand sat mulling over the woman's words. He understood most of what she said; but her vernacular was very unfamiliar to him. She knew of the Norse longboats, mead, and Beowulf which fascinated him even more. 

How had she come to know so much about his culture yet he was so ignorant of hers? He was about to ply her with more questions when there was a knock on the door. 

"Enter!" he commanded as he stood and walked to the fireplace.

Asgerd and Inga walked in, surprised to find their charge looking back at them.

"She is awake!" Inga gasped.

She would've hurried over to Tyler but was stayed by Asgerd's hand.

"Be easy, child. She is awake now and does not know who we are. We must be careful not to overwhelm her," Asgerd spoke in their Norse tongue.

Tyler worried her bottom lip and glanced over at Lord Brand who was tossing more wood into the fire. She watched as the two women eyed her warily. One was a plain, thin blonde who looked to be in her early twenties. The other woman was clearly a matron with her long, silver hair. The older woman was short and small in stature, but she had a commanding presence about her.

This woman was used to being obeyed...Tyler was sure of it.

She was also sure that they were talking about her. They were both standing by the door eyeballing her and whispering amongst themselves.

How rude, Tyler thought.

Lord Brand's voice interrupted her thoughts. 

"Asgerd, Inga, come. The woman is called Tyler. Asgerd and Inga are the healers I spoke of. They have spent many days and nights caring for you," Brand said in English.

Tyler sat up and once again held the furs tightly to her body. Talk about awkward. 

"Thank you both for caring for me. I feel very well now," she said quietly.

The two women both stood there mute.

Asgerd was the first to shake herself out of it. "You are most welcome, child. There was a time when we did not know if you would stay with us. But you have proven to be strong."

Tyler smiled at the old woman, immediately liking her. She was kind.

"Thank you, too, Inga. I'm grateful for what you've done for me." Tyler spoke to the young girl in an effort to include her.

"Oh you are most welcome...Tyler? We are most happy that you are well!"

Brand observed the three women and admitted that this was a most unconventional situation. As much as he wanted to stay with the woman and question her, he was lord of the manor, and there were things to do. 

"Asgerd, you will have someone attend to the wom-Tyler. Have her bathed, clothed and fed. She will join us for the evening meal."

"Tyler, if there is anything you require, only request it. I will see you this eventide," he said brusquely.

Tyler blinked at his change in attitude. She watched his broad, retreating back, wanting him to stay. She felt safe with him but knew it was preposterous to expect him to stay with her a moment more.

"Thank you for everything, Lord Brand," she called.

He turned at the door and directed his gaze at her. Tyler's breath caught in her throat at the heat she saw there.

She gave him her brightest smile and couldn't wait to see how he would react. She was surprised when he winked in return. 

And with that, he was gone.

***

The rest of the day went by at a dizzying pace. When Tyler had first gotten out of the bed, her legs had felt like jelly. But as she continued to move about, she felt herself becoming stronger, and feeling like her old self again.

As her room bustled with activity, she was introduced to so many people it was near impossible for her to remember each name. Women came in to clean the room, and bring her clothes, soap, and a comb, brush and mirror. 

After she had eaten a light meal of bread and cheese, men brought in a heavy tub and placed it near the fireplace. 

A young boy of about fourteen years named Finn brought pails and pails of hot water to fill the tub. Tyler learned that Finn was Lord Brand's page.

Everyone openly stared at her. Some silently stared while others were kind and introduced themselves as they stared.

Tyler did her best to take it all in stride. 

A few times she almost lost her stuff when the realization hit that she was in a different time and place. But when that happened, she diverted her thoughts and tried not to take in the whole of her situation.

She'd also learned that she had been sleeping in Lord Brand's room...solar or chamber is what they called it. It was a big, masculine room with not many furnishings; but at least it was clean. There was the bed she had slept in, a full-length mirror, a desk, a chair, and the huge fireplace. 

Upon closer inspection, Tyler had also found that the tapestry covered a door that led to a balcony.

Asgerd had told her that Lord Brand was fond of open areas and that the balcony proved to be useful during the spring and summer months when it was much warmer.

Surprisingly, Tyler had become attached to Asgerd and Inga. They were the friendliest and had become the most familiar with her while they treated her when she was sick. Now that she was awake, they spoke easily and never left her side. 

Tyler was very grateful for them.

They spoke of the manor and told her how Lord Brand and his men had just returned from war when they had found her in the snow. She had been severely "damaged from the cold," as they had said. Tyler knew that frostbitten was more like it. She shuttered to think what kind of shape she had been in.

And when it was time to bathe, it was Asgerd who had graciously scrubbed her among protests. Tyler was very uncomfortable with having someone else bathe her, but soon she just shrugged her shoulders and allowed the older woman access to her body. She already knew she would not win an argument with Asgerd.

Well, she actually did manage to win one argument. The old woman was about to douse Tyler's hair with water, but Tyler very nearly had a miniature freak-out!

It was entirely too cold, and she was severely lacking in hair care products. 

Without a hair dryer, conditioner, moisturizer or a flat iron, there was no way Tyler was allowing water to touch her hair. She would simply comb it and brush it for now until she figured something else out. Tyler thanked all that was good that she had inherited her grandmother's soft, manageable hair! Maintaining it was never a problem.

By the time she had been freshly bathed, it was nearly time to go down to the great hall for the evening meal. Honestly, Tyler couldn't wait to see Lord Brand again. She walked over to the beautiful, long sleeve chemise dress that had been laid out for her.

The body of the chemise was black and looked to be made of velvet...it was perfect for the cold weather. The sleeves, however, made the dress as beautiful as it was. They were royal blue bell sleeves that were very wide and had been cut at an angle.

There was also a royal blue ribbon belt that would be wrapped around Tyler's waist. The gown was exquisite, even by modern standards.

"I can't wear this," she gasped. "It's too beautiful!"

"Nonsense. You are our chieftain's guest. And Lord Brand has chosen it for you, personally. You would not offend the lord of the manor by turning down his gift, would you?" Asgerd asked pointedly as she picked the gown up off the bed.

Once again, Tyler had been outmaneuvered by the old healer.

"No, I would not offend anyone," she answered. 

"You all have been so kind to me." 

"Then it is settled. We must make haste. The evening meal will be served soon, and Lord Brand should not be kept waiting."

Quickly, Inga and Asgerd helped Tyler pull on the beautiful gown...it fit perfectly. Inga wrapped the ribbon belt around Tyler's narrow waist several times before tying a bow in the front. 

Once that was done, one of the maidservants -- Tyler couldn't remember her name -- dressed her hair. She gently combed and brushed Tyler's long, brown mane and secured it in a simple ponytail at the base of her neck. The hair was then pulled forward over one shoulder.

The look was completed with a blue necklace of glass beads and matching earrings. She also wore soft, black leather slippers.

Standing in front of the mirror, Tyler could hardly believe what she was seeing. The dress was absolutely gorgeous. The detailing of the clothes was near perfect...just as good as -- if not better than -- anything a machine could produce.

Tyler felt beautiful...she also felt sick.

It was time to go downstairs for the evening meal, which meant she would have to meet more of Lord Brand's kinsmen and warriors. Tyler really wasn't looking forward to it.

And what about the food? 

She wished she had paid more attention to the Viking's food preparations during this period. What if she ate a raw or tainted piece of meat? Would the food even be palatable to her? Tyler had to come up with a plan, fast.




Stardust Ch. 01



Okay, girl...don't lose your crap. You can figure this out, she thought.

Simple...she would just stick with bread, fruits and cheeses. She had had a chance to sample the mead she had read about a million times. She knew that it was made with honey for sweetening. Also, the water used to make the refreshment had been boiled first. The drink had actually been quite tasty.

Tyler wasn't feeling any effects from drinking the mead, so she figured it was safe. 

Feeling good about her plan, she took a deep breath as Asgerd led her outside Lord Brand's solar. For the umpteenth time that day, Tyler was scared out of her mind. She had no idea what to expect; and what if the people demanded her head on a pike because she was an outsider...because she was Black??

"Well, I guess I'm about to find out," she mumbled to herself.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, Tyler stood behind the stone wall, hidden from the people who were assembled in the great hall. There were obviously a lot of diners there as the noise was at a fevered pitch.

She could hear laughing and talking, singing and the sounds of chairs scraping the floor. Straining to hear more, Tyler thought she heard the strumming of a harp as well.

Desperately she wished Brand would come for her...or better yet, she wished he would just allow her to stay in the room. 

She did not have the nerves for this!

Inga and Asgerd were not aware that Tyler was not with them. She was about to turn and make a beeline back to the room when Asgerd's voice halted her.

"Do not even think it, child. Come. Tis already late...milord awaits you," Asgerd said in her no nonsense tone.

Reluctantly, Tyler turned and followed Asgerd into the great hall.

***

Brand sat at the head of the table on the dais. He eyed the empty seat next to him once again. Everyone spoke cheerfully; the air was jovial as his men once again regaled everyone with stories of the battlefield.

None of them knew that Tyler would be joining them momentarily. Brand had not wanted to give them the opportunity to question him incessantly. His day had been a long one, and had been spent settling disputes amongst his people.

He was in no mood to be questioned.

Brand became agitated. He had specifically said for the woman to be at the evening meal. He was about to send for Asgerd when the old woman walked into the hall.

Tyler trailed behind her.

Sipping his wine, Brand watched as the hall grew silent and everyone stared while the stranger made her way toward one of the benches. Sighing, Brand wondered if she knew she was supposed to join him on the dais. 

As if she was privy to his thoughts, Asgerd gently led Tyler toward him. 

The dress he had sent for her to wear fit better than he had imagined. The gown was among the spoils when he and his fellow berserkers had pillaged the English countryside. When Brand had seen the gown months ago, he had been about to give it to one of his men...but something had compelled him to keep the garment.

He now understood why...it had been for the woman -- for Tyler.

Brand wondered if he would ever remember to refer to her by her given name. It was an unusual name...a boy's name really. But he found that he liked it. It was an unusual name for an unusual woman.

As she made her way toward him, he took in her quiet demeanor. She carried herself with grace and courage even though she had to have been petrified...she didn't show it. The woman walked with her head high as if she were a queen among her subjects.

Brand liked that about her...he liked how she tried to be brave despite her fear.

He continued to watch as her hips swayed gently underneath the fabric of the gown. Tyler had a feminine, very enticing figure. Her breasts were large, and the tops swelled ever so slightly over the dark dress. Her waist was small, her hips wide and womanly. 

She was not a small woman by any means, but would fit nicely in his hands.

Her wild hair had been tamed and now hung to one side over her shoulder.

The blue fabric of the gown was exquisite against her warm skin. How had he ever thought this woman was plain?

When Tyler neared the table, Brand stood to greet her. She looked up at him curiously, eyes stretching. Catching herself, she tried not to stare.

Brand had taken Asgerd's advice and shaved...well, he had allowed Finn to trim his beard as it was becoming cumbersome. 

His men always teased him shamelessly whenever he trimmed his facial hair.

It was the Viking way for the men to wear their faces bearded as protection against the winter cold. But Brand had never run with the pack; and he refused to admit to himself what -- or rather who -- motivated his actions.

Nor would he admit to himself that it was important to him what this woman thought of him.

Pulling her gaze from Brand's face, she bowed her head respectfully in greeting. "Good evening, Lord Brand," she said demurely.

"Tyler," he replied, gently taking her small hand in his and kissing it.

The occupants of the hall were still watching Tyler with wonder. Nobody had moved a muscle and a pin drop could now be heard.

"It's so quiet in here now," she whispered. 

"It won't be for long," Brand promised. Standing, he addressed the already quiet room in English.

"As you all know, we have had a new arrival here in our home. She is Tyler and she will be staying here as my guest for an undetermined time...we will treat her as such. I bid you all make her feel welcomed as she is gracing us with her presence for the evening meal. Let us eat, make merry and show her how festive we Vikings are."

With that, Brand held his cup in the air in a toast. He waited for Tyler and his countrymen to follow suit. 

"A-Viking!" he roared.

"A-Viking," came the cry from the benches. They all drank and conversations resumed.

***

"Thank you," Tyler said to Lord Brand as she took another sip of her mead. She really liked the drink. 

"You are welcome, Tyler." Brand's voice was deep and washed over her whenever he spoke. 

He looked very handsome tonight. His beard was lower, exposing more of his face for Tyler to see. He had changed into a gray wool tunic and black trousers making him look...good.

"Tell me...you were treated fairly today?" he asked as she was seated next to him.

"Yes, I was. Everyone was very kind and helpful. And I wanted to thank you for the dress. It's beautiful."

"You are welcome, Tyler," came the quiet reply.

Brand's gaze was so heated that she had to look away from him. It felt like he was trying to siphon the depths of her soul...it was very disconcerting. As she feigned great interest in her surroundings, she could feel that Lord Brand was still watching her. 

She dared to glance in his direction again. Yup...he was still gazing at her.

Blushing, Tyler grabbed her cup and took another, big swig of mead. This was going to be a long meal.

She actually had wanted to study his face more. Since he had shaved, it was much easier to see that he was handsome! Lord Brand was still imposing, but attractive, nevertheless.

His jaw was strong and square, his lower lip was fuller than the top one...the effect reminded Tyler of Batman. 

Brand had a scar that gave him a rugged look; but it didn't detract from his appeal at all. She'd had no idea that this gorgeousness had been underneath all that hair, but the gleam of humor in his eyes was Tyler's favorite part of his face. 

Finally, the food was being served. 

Tyler watched with trepidation as trenchers were brought out. Some contained meat stew -- she had no idea what the meat was -- and some contained salted fish. Of course there were more fruits, cheese and bread.

She learned that she would be sharing a trencher with Lord Brand.

Great, she thought. Now they would be doing the whole "Lady and the Tramp" thing.

When Tyler looked down at the meat stew, her stomach lurched. The stew was more like meat and scrawny vegetables swimming in a greasy broth. She was definitely going to skip that dish.

Instead, she tried the salted fish and found that it wasn't half bad. With the bread, cheese and fruit, Tyler had a nice, simple meal. Too bad there wasn't any tartar sauce.

She looked out at Lord Brand's kinsmen and paused. 

They were eating like animals. Not one used a utensil, and the grease from the stew drained down their beards to splatter all over their clothing. 

Some of the men openly stared at her, others were too busy shoveling the greasy stew into their mouths WITH THEIR HANDS, to notice her.

The reality of the situation hit her, and Tyler felt very out of place...and homesick. 

If possible, she felt more alone than she'd ever felt and longed for the isolation of her own life. At least she would be at home where things were familiar. Earlier, she had been stoked because she would be able to experience medieval life firsthand. But over the course of the last few hours, reality had robbed her of some of the enthusiasm.

What if she never found her way back home? She couldn't stay in Lord Brand's manor as an indefinite guest. What about war? The Vikings were berserkers and lived and breathed war...what would happen to her if she couldn't figure out a way to get back to 2011?

Sad, she tried to shake herself mentally and looked back down at her own food. Tyler trained her eyes downward and refused to look up, willing the tears to go away.

"Their manners leave much to be desired," Lord Brand said quietly. "But they are good people."

Of course he had been watching her, the disgust she felt had probably been written all over her face. Tyler felt horrible. 

He too partook of the salted fish, the stew sat untouched between them. She watched him eat and noticed that his own manners were impeccable. He used the wooden spoon and wiped his mouth with the cloth that was in his lap.

"I meant no disrespect," she said, her eyes downcast once again.

"I am not disrespected, Tyler. I have eyes and I am aware of the spectacle we must make...especially to foreign eyes." Lord Brand's gray eyes twinkled with mirth.

Tyler felt heartened. "Your own manners are quite polished. How is that?" she asked.

He looked at her in his direct way, once again making Tyler self-conscious.

"I have traveled far and wide and have learned the customs of a great many people. My presence has been requested among sovereigns; and as a royal guest, I have had to conduct myself accordingly. Also, Asgerd would box my ears as a child if I displayed poor manners," he said grinning.

Tyler laughed, drawing almost every pair of eyes to her. She couldn't imagine that he had ever been small...and much less allowing Asgerd to "box his ears."

Brand discovered that he rather liked the sound and was pleased that she had a sense of humor. Most women he had ever encountered were dry and frivolous...and fearful of him. This was not the case with Tyler.

It had taken a few moments, but the ice between them had been broken. For more than an hour, they spoke quietly with Brand asking Tyler many questions about her land. Tyler greatly enjoyed the conversation but had to stay on her toes, careful not to reveal too much about her time period.

He had been astonished to learn that in Tyler's "land," women earned just as much if not more than men. He was also surprised that women went to war alongside men, and that they would sometimes have to leave their infants behind in order to defend their country.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they had each moved closer, speaking intently to one another. The noise in the great hall was steadily becoming louder and louder as the men drank, making it difficult to hear.

Lord Brand was successful in making Tyler laugh, and she was increasingly becoming more comfortable with him. She could not keep her eyes from going to his unusual lips, and was drawn in by the kindness in his steel-gray eyes. 

Tyler admitted that she liked Lord Brand very much. For a medieval man, he was proving to be intelligent, fair, humorous and interested in the world around him.

She briefly wondered how he would assimilate in her world.

Suddenly, a huge, blond man walked into the hall, demoting Lord Brand to the second largest male she had ever seen. The men all cheered in greeting as the massive newcomer swaggered his way to the dais in front of Tyler. 

This man was definitely not lacking in confidence...that was for sure.

"Tyler, this is my commander, Bjor. He was with me the night we found you," Lord Brand explained.

"My, but you are a sight, woman," Bjor said suavely. 

He leaned over and took her hand in his great, big one. His golden locks lightly tickled Tyler's arm. Winking at her, he shamelessly kissed her hand, allowing his lips to linger for far too long.

Tyler couldn't help but laugh.

That was all the encouragement Bjor needed. He came around the table and plopped down beside her, wrapping his steel-like arms around her waist. He dragged Tyler closer to his side. 

"Looks like I got me a mighty fine one, milord! She cannot keep from attaching herself to me! Tis my wager there will be a wedding first thing come the spring and little brown, Viking lads to boot!"

Tyler had no idea what was going on since Bjor had switched back to his Norse language. She sat uncomfortably under his arm as the great hall filled with laughter as Bjor joked. What she did not understand, was that he was essentially claiming her as his own.

A pair of gray eyes narrowed as they watched the scene before them...they were not amused. 

"Unhand her, Bjor," Lord Brand said, silencing his commander and the rest of the merrymakers. 

He had not raised his voice, yet there was no mirth in it, either. The order had been issued plainly and menacingly.

Bjor looked at his best friend and lord, his deep blue eyes surprised. The unspoken words hung there as he considered challenging his friend for the woman. She was different, unusual and new...and her body. Why, even the way her tits spilled over the top of the dress was enticing. 

Bjor wanted her. 

But alas, Brand was more than his lord or his best friend. He was like a brother; and no woman -- no matter how beautiful or novel -- was worth ending his friendship with Brand.

Bjor would just have to make due with a romp with that little vixen who was even now shooting daggers at him with her eyes. Reluctantly, he dropped his arm from around the woman's waist. 

Free from his grasp, he watched as she quickly moved close to Brand once again. 

"Lucky bastard," he grumbled at his chieftain. 

Damn but it was good to be lord of the manor, he thought wistfully.

Appetite replaced with sexual desire, Bjor got up from the table and walked toward the little vixen. He wrapped his arm around her waist in the same possessive manner he had grabbed Tyler. As they made their way out, Bjor's chest expanded as his comrades cheered him on. 

Before leaving the great hall, though, he once again looked back at his best friend and the woman Brand had obviously claimed. Grinning, Bjor shook his head. 

Yes, it was damn good to be lord of the manor.

***

All heads turned at the vision that stood before them near the door Bjor had just exited.

The woman was beautiful with her pale, ivory skin. She had to have been about 6'0, towering over Tyler's own 5-feet 6-inches; and her body was thin, long and lithe. Her white-blonde hair cascaded down past her waist and her womanly curves were showcased in a simple, emerald green dress.

The inhabitants of the hall remained silent as the blonde beauty made her way to the dais. 

Tyler turned to Brand and saw that he had tensed, his jaw clenching. She continued to watch, wondering who the woman was and why everyone was acting so peculiar. Tyler didn't have to wait long to find out.

Beside her, Lord Brand stood and walked to the front of the table. When he reached the beautiful woman -- she was even more beautiful close up -- he took her hand in his and kissed it the way he had done Tyler's not so long ago.

"My lord, I am well pleased that you are back. You have brought a souvenir with you?" the woman asked. Though she had been speaking to Lord Brand, the woman's green eyes had never left Tyler's face.

Tyler immediately disliked her. The woman had looked her up and down as if she was a thing, and there was a coldness in her eyes that her beauty could not hide. Tyler was positive that this woman was trouble.

Lord Brand's next words stopped Tyler cold, making her heart drop. 

"Thora, this is Tyler, my guest. Tyler, this is Thora...my wife-to-be."



Stardust Ch. 02



FOREWORD: Hi babies! Okay, Chapter Two...this is the second installment of a 3-part story. More is being revealed here, but we won't truly have all our answers until Chapter Three which will be the conclusion.

I've mentioned before that my stuff is more stories that include sex. This one is no different. There are sex scenes, but not much. So if you're looking for a sex story, this one is not it!

I won't say any more. I hope you all are entertained. Please remember to comment/vote. Thank you for reading the story!

I give you Chapter Two...

***

Lord Brand was engaged to be married, and Tyler was devastated; but she didn't want to admit why. 

'He couldn't possibly love Lady Thora!' She couldn't resist the wayward thought.

Tyler thought dinner couldn't possibly get any worse...it did with the arrival of the man with the snake eyes. 

His name was Leif and apparently he was Lord Brand's cousin. Tyler immediately disliked him just as much as she disliked Lady Thora, if not more.

Leif was a monster. 

Tyler felt it in her core, and when the man had eyed her up and down his, brazen gaze resting on her breasts, the hairs on the back of her neck had spiked.

He and Lord Brand could not have been more different both in appearance and temperament. Leif was tall, but didn't come close to Lord Brand's immense height; and he certainly wasn't as big. 

Actually, the man was quite thin with fair looks that reminded Tyler of the modern-day Swedes. 

His features were soft and almost effeminate. 

His white-blond hair was straight, only reaching his shoulders. It had obviously been neatly manicured as the man looked as if he had just stepped out of a Pantene commercial. 

Leif's facial hair was almost non-existent. The light spattering of stubble had been trimmed as well; it was such a white-blond that it seemed invisible. The nose was long and fit his narrow face. 

He might have been beautiful if not for the cruelty that he could not hide.

Dressed in bright colors, the hose and froufrou attire made Leif look as if he didn't belong in the great hall with the big, bushy, unkempt warriors. He was dressed immaculately, but showy like a male peacock. 

But it was the eyes that made Tyler wary.

Leif's eyes were a dark blue, and the hardness...the viciousness in them was alarming. 

"What have we here, cousin?" Leif had asked Lord Brand. His chilly gaze was focused on Tyler, which had prompted her to move closer to Lord Brand. She hadn't realized that she had brought more attention to herself with the small movement.

Leif's pale brow shot up in amusement.

"He has brought back with him the spoils of war...a souvenir of sorts," Thora chimed in slyly. 

Oh how Tyler longed to scratch her eyes out! But instead, she reigned in her temper and slapped a smile on her face. 

As Lord Brand made the introductions and told of how he'd come to find Tyler, she was aware that he was looking at her strangely. It wasn't until Leif reached for her hand that she understood why.

Under the table, she had grabbed the hem of Lord Brand's tunic and was nervously twisting it in her hand. He gently lifted her hand and placed it in his large one. Apparently, when she had moved closer to him, she had grabbed him as well. 

Mortified, Tyler tried to pull away but was momentarily caught off guard when he held firm and would not release her. 

She looked at Lord Brand askance, but he did not let on what was happening. Instead, his steady gaze remained on her, while he lightly and reassuringly swept his thumb across her knuckles. 

Snake Eyes was now speaking to her, the falseness dripping from his tone.

"Tyler is it? What an extraordinarily masculine name. It is a pleasure I'm sure...welcome to our humble abode. And I do mean humble." he said. "For how long are we graced with your presence?" he asked.

He still openly stared at her cleavage.

Tyler smiled tightly and took her cue from Lord Brand; but what she really wanted to do was knock the stupid smirk from Leif's face.

"The pleasure is mine. And I will leave when Lord Brand says it's time," she replied sweetly.

Meanwhile, Lord Brand gave her hand another light squeeze before releasing it. No doubt he was silently offering her reassurance in light of the subtle, very cordial assault she was under.

As the meal wore on, Lady Thora threw her barbs at Tyler every chance she got. She purred and preened. Her laugh trilled throughout the great hall and she was constantly touching Lord Brand. Each time he tried to speak with Tyler, Thora would force his attention back to her.

Just when Tyler didn't know how much more she could take, the meal blessedly came to an end.

The hall's inhabitants broke into storytelling and song. Tyler pled fatigue and said her goodbyes to Lady Thora and Leif with false cheer.

"Tyler, allow me to accompany you to your rooms," Lord Brand said as he offered his arm.

"My lady, cousin, I will return shortly," he said in his quiet, no nonsense tone.

Tyler gratefully took his arm and walked with him out of the hall. Away from the noise and the hatred emanating from Thora and Leif, Tyler was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

As the two new companions walked arm-in-arm, neither saw the looks of surprise directed at them. It was highly unorthodox for the lord of the manor to accompany a guest in such a way.

Asgerd tried to hide the look of glee on her leathery face, and was barely successful. 

No one saw how Lady Thora's eyes narrowed with rage. Brand had always proven to be difficult to control. He was very unlike any man she had ever encountered. Most nearly swooned at her beauty; but he remained unaffected and normally turned a deaf ear and blind eye to her feminine wiles. 

To add insult to injury, he was now breaking decorum and following that dark monster to her rooms...and for all to see! She would get her revenge. Thora's mouth nearly salivated with bloodlust toward the woman.

Beside her, Leif watched with great interest as Tyler's full, round bottom gently swayed as she walked. His cock began to harden; and shielded by the table, he fondled it, imagining the dark vixen writhing beneath him as he pumped hard into her.

Grabbing his chalice, he downed the contents and bellowed for more wine.

He meant to have her...one way or another. It would be a perfect way to spite his dear cousin...take the woman he was obviously smitten with. It was delightful. Leif smiled with satisfaction as his twisted mind devised a wicked plan to get this Tyler alone.

When he caught sight of the scowl on Thora's lovely face, he tsked. "Wipe that look of rage from your face, my lady. Now is not the time or the place. The day will come when you are able to avenge yourself against the woman. But for now, you are on display."

His words worked like a charm. The look of anger was immediately replaced with a serene, calm expression. Lady Thora even managed a smile.

"There's a girl. Simply bide your time and play the part of perfect noblewoman," Leif continued smoothly.

"As usual you have proven to be wise. I am grateful for your presence," Thora responded.

'That you should be, Lady,' he thought. 'That you should be.'

***

"I believe you have carried yourself well this day," Lord Brand complimented.

Tyler almost laughed. 

"Thank you. It was difficult. Lady Thora is...a handful," she replied tiredly. 

Dinner had taken its toll on her; and all she wanted to do was go to bed and have a good cry over her current circumstances.

Brand heard what she had not said and understood.

"Your displeasure is not ill-placed. Would that I could heave Lady Thora onto a mare and watch it carry her into the forest," he said with a conspiratorial wink.

Surprised, Tyler looked up at him and laughed at the image of him tossing Thora onto a horse and slapping its ass as it tore into the woods.

"Does that mean this is a marriage of convenience, then?" she asked a little too hopefully.

Brand looked at her sideways. "Is there any other?" he asked.

Tyler cocked her head to the side as they walked slowly. She knew he was right. A marriage for love was very rare for people of his status. 

Once back upstairs, Lord Brand walked past his chambers a few feet to another door. 

"Now that you are well, I have arranged for you to occupy these chambers. I hope it is to your liking."

He opened the door to a room that was similar to his own but slightly smaller and more feminine. A fire had been built, making the room warm and inviting. 

Turning to her host, she was about to thank him when she became overwhelmed with the gravity of her predicament. She looked up into Lord Brand's familiar face – a face from which she now drew comfort – and burst into tears.

His brows snapped together with concern, and he swept Tyler into his big arms, carrying her to the bed.

"You are unwell?" he asked. "I will have someone fetch Asgerd-"

"No...no, Brand I'm fine. I'm just tired is all," she managed to get out as she sobbed. "I'm tired...and I'm so far away from home!!"

Brand pulled her into his lap and handed Tyler a cloth. She didn't use it, but instead turned her face into his strong chest and cried for all she was worth. He continued to hold her, and rubbed her back. He wished there was more he could do to comfort her, but he couldn't...at least not for now.

If there was one thing Brand hated was the feeling of helplessness. It was his duty to help his kinsmen, and though Tyler was not a Scandinavian, he was just as protective of her as if she were one of his own. 

He would do everything in his power to find this place she lived...this America and get her back home. For now, all he could do was keep her safe and provide for her. It wasn't lost on him how Lady Thora and Leif had descended upon her this eventide. He would rectify the matter, Odin help him. 

As her sobs began to subside and she rested her head on his chest, Brand admitted that even though she had broken politesse by calling him by his given name, he rather liked the sound of it on her lips. 

He also liked how she felt in his arms. She was heavier than she looked, but was soft and womanly. Her heat was all-encompassing and he found himself wanting to stay there with her the whole of the night.

'You will,' he vowed to himself. 

Kissing her forehead, he tried to look down into her face. 

"Tyler, you are better now?" he asked.

She simply nodded her head, too embarrassed to speak. For the second time that night, she had shamed herself in front of Lord Brand. First she had been too familiar and grabbed him at dinner, and now, she was sitting on his lap, snotting all over his big chest.

His big, muscular chest. Damn, the man was cut!

Keeping her eyes averted, Tyler scooted off his lap and used the cloth to scrub at the wet area on his torso where her face had just been.

"I'm so sorry. I keep doing stupid things to you. I don't know what's wrong with me," she began.

Brand grabbed her hand and cupped her chin, placing a thumb against her lips to silence her. 

"You have done nothing worth apologizing for," he said in his quiet, direct manner.

Tyler closed her eyes as his touch made her skin pepper with gooseflesh. The air crackled with the electricity between them. She felt so comfortable with him, it baffled her. This morning when she had first seen him, she should have fought harder or tried to get away from him.

But she hadn't.

His quiet strength and integrity emanated from him; and quite simply, she trusted the warlord. 

When she opened her eyes, she looked up into Brand's gray ones and silently pleaded for him to kiss her.

His thumb slid over her soft lips and down her chin to gently cup the back of her neck. Leaning forward, he was amused as Tyler's eyes drifted closed again and her full lips puckered expectantly.

She was an enticing minx.

Bringing his mouth to her ear, he kissed the shell slowly, sensually. "Soon," he whispered, and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

Tyler opened her eyes just in time to see his wide, retreating back as he made his way out and closed the door behind him.

"Soon," she whispered, her heart pounding erratically at his promise. 

She touched her cheek where he had just kissed her and flounced backward, lying on the bed. Dreamily, she thought of how it would feel to have Lord Brand kiss her. She wondered how his lips felt and whether or not he was a gentle kisser.

Was he thorough and did he have skills? Tyler was sure the answer to both those was yes.

"What are you doing?!" she growled suddenly. "He's going to be married! And you're not from here, HELLOOOO!"

She rolled onto her stomach and stared at the fire. This was a hopeless situation. She had been out of bed for one day and already she had taken a fancy to the lord of the manor and was sulking when she learned he was to marry a beautiful, blond harridan. 

There were much bigger issues at hand!

Instead of concerning herself with Lord Brand's affairs, she should be trying to find her way back home...back to 2011.

"But he's so damn sexy...and I like him," Tyler lamented to no one in particular.

She flipped on her back once more and threw her arm over her face. Why did everything have to be so difficult??

Removing her arm, she blindly stared up at the rafters. Something else was bothering her, and had been for most of the day.

Lord Brand's name had sounded so familiar, but she couldn't place where she had heard it...or if she had ever heard it before to begin with. Tyler had read so many history books and watched so many History channel documentaries that they sometimes ran together.

"Lord Brand Magnusson." She repeated his name over and over but could not figure out why she should know the name. 

In the morning, she would ask about Lady Thora and Leif's full names. Maybe that would jog her memory.

Pushing the nagging sensation aside, Tyler got ready for bed and perused her new rooms. She walked around, trailing her fingers along the stone walls. A beautiful tapestry had been hung against the farthest inner wall in the same manner as Lord Brand's room. 

This depiction was of a golden woman. She wore a cloak of feathers and a beautiful necklace. She stood powerfully on a chariot that was pulled by two cats... she was the goddess Freyja.

Tyler peeked behind the tapestry and smiled when she found a door identical to the one in Lord Brand's room. Turning, she lightly ran her hand over the small wooden table and chair. If she remembered correctly, only the wealthy lords had them. 

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she allowed her thoughts to turn to her beloved brother.

"Marcus, can you believe it? Can you believe where I am? I wonder if you can even hear me...or did you have something to do with this?" she asked.

Unexpectedly, everything that had happened came crashing down on Tyler. There was just too much going on. 

She was lost in the 9th century and had no idea how or if she would get back home. She had not had an opportunity to mourn her brother's death, she was smitten with a medieval man whom she barely knew, and his fiancée wanted to rip her to shreds. She didn't even want to think about Leif.

Tyler sincerely hoped that things could not get any worse. She didn't know if she had the fortitude to withstand any more!

As she stopped in front of the fire, she broke down once again and held herself tightly. 

She cried over the cruelty behind her brother's death, and she cried because he had been taken away from her so soon. She cried because he had not had the opportunity to live and love with Ian, and she cried because the world could be such a terrible place.

Tyler was drained. 

She washed her face with the water that had been left in a ceramic bowl and got into bed. 

Feeling better that she had at least been able to cry, Tyler was very aware that she seriously needed to figure out how to get back to her rightful time. 

That gold box was the key to everything. If she could find it, she was sure she could travel back to where she belonged.

But where the hell was the box? She hadn't seen it with any of her belongings, and hadn't even thought to ask about it. 

She would just have to speak with Asgerd in the morning. Tyler didn't have to tell the old woman everything...she would just mention that the box was of sentimental value and leave things at that.

By some great miracle, if the trinket had come with her, she had a fighting chance of going home.

As for Lord Brand...Tyler made up in her mind that nothing would go on there. It couldn't. So what, she had a small crush on him. 

Big deal. 

People developed crushes all the time. It was how the situation was handled that set people apart.

The man was as good as married, and Tyler had no desire to become a home wrecker. 

He really was yummy, though.

"Stop that!" she mumbled to herself and smacked her own hand. 

Her eyelids became too heavy for her to keep open, and her last thoughts were centered on Brand and the way he had made her feel. Too tired to dissect her emotions, she decided that her feelings were raw right now, and she was vulnerable.

"I bet you won't even like him that way in the morning," she whispered to herself. 

Yes. Tyler was sure that in the morning, life would make a tad bit more sense, and she would find that Lord Brand didn't affect her nearly as strongly as she'd thought.

***

The manor was dark save for the torches scattered about the walls. All that could be heard was snoring, the muffled sounds of a miscellaneous couple fucking and the footfalls of the guards outside. 

The cloaked figure slipped quietly into the chamber. 

"I was beginning to think you had changed your mind, my dear," Leif drawled.

He was nude upon the bed, his long, pale cock in his hand. "My apologies...I have begun without you," he said as he stroked himself.

"Those dimwitted barbarians grow increasingly greedier for wine and beer. They have just now settled in for the night!" Lady Thora said. 

She was disgusted with the lot of them.

If Brand wasn't as powerful and rich as he was, she would have left this place long ago. But he was rich and he was a powerful chieftain. She had been promised to the brute because Halfdan thought him "noble." But to Thora, Brand was nothing more than a savage lout. The only thing he was good for was wielding his sword and bringing her riches.

She despised everything about him. From his big, vulgar body to his dark, doglike looks...Thora wanted nothing to do with him.

Removing her cloak, she paced in front of the fireplace, exposing her slender form to Leif's feasting eyes. 

"The audacity," she growled. "The gall! To embarrass me in such a manner. The entire keep does know he escorted that woman to her rooms! Why is she his guest?! She should be a slave, yet she enjoys the same comforts as his betrothed!"

On the bed, Leif continued to stroke his growing manhood and watched Thora's titties jiggle as she stomped back and forth.

This was a laugh they both shared, for they both hated Brand. Thora gained much gratification from enjoying Brand's generosity. And when it was dark as pitch, she thumbed her nose at him by traipsing along the keep in a cloak with nothing on underneath.

She would make her way to her lover at night and fuck Leif, making the deceit all the more delicious.

"And he would take me to task and command that I am cordial with her...ME, Lady Thora!" she was saying.

Bored with her theatrics, Leif got out of the bed and walked to his lover. 

He forced her to halt her movements and wrapped his arms around her waist. Turning Thora so that her back was to him, he first placed one of her arms above her on the warm stone above the fireplace; her other arm followed.




Stardust Ch. 02



With his cock jutting upward in an effort to find her opening, he smoothed his hands down her wrists and arms to her shoulders and around to her breasts. They were not large like those of the dark woman, but they were perky enough.

Leif smiled knowingly when his hands found her rock hard nipples. He hadn't even seduced her, yet she was ready for him.

"I have a plan that will avenge you. But first, you must work for it. Show me just how much you want it," he whispered hotly in her ear.

Thora's breathing quickened and audibly became ragged. "You know I want it badly," she moaned. The double entendre was thinly veiled.

"Good. First you will suck my cock. Then you will fuck me; and when I am sated we will talk."

Closing her eyes as he titillated her nipples with his fingers, Thora nodded her consent.

She moaned as one hand squeezed her breast while the other slipped downward over her smooth belly. As it found her woman's mound, Leif's finger dipped expertly inside of her and rubbed along her slick, swelling clit.

"Yes my lady. You love this, do you not?" he whispered seductively.

In answer, Thora ground her hips against his finger in search of the shattering climax she knew she would experience. As her hips continued to rock, her moans grew louder breathier, causing the blood to stiffen Leif's rod even harder.

His fingers now slippery with her essence, he inserted another and applied more pressure to the swollen bud. Just when her climax was within her grasp, Leif suddenly pulled his fingers away and grabbed a fistful of her long, golden hair.

Screaming from the pain, Thora licked her lips with pleasure as more of her love juice squirted from her body. She loved the pain he inflicted upon her.

Leif turned her so that they were facing each other and relished the tears that rolled down her cheeks. He was hurting her and his dick was painfully erect from it. Licking the tears from her face, he roughly backed her against the wall beside the fireplace.

Grabbing her breasts crudely with one hand while the other still held her hair tightly in its fist, he savagely kissed and bit her lips, drawing blood. He slapped her breasts and face unrelentingly and smirked at the bright red marks his blows left.

"Down on your knees, you noble bitch," he ground out.

Thora immediately complied and gasped as the fist in her hair tightened. "Open your mouth," Leif spat.

She would not.

Giddy with her disobedience, he angrily jerked her head back and slapped both sides of her face again. Leaning downward, he brought their faces within inches of each other.

"Open your fucking mouth, bitch," he demanded.

This time Thora did open her mouth and received the long, veiny cock as Leif shoved it inside. She worked him and tried to keep up with his thrusts as best she could. He would occasionally remove his cock and use it to slap her face as well. When he dragged it along her hard nipples, Thora took the opportunity to gasp for air just before he shoved himself back down her throat. 

Beads of sweat dripped off of Leif as he continued to work himself in and out of Thora's mouth. He sounded like a keening animal as his breath came in short spurts. He delighted in the gurgling sounds her throat made as she struggled for air around his swollen rod. 

Leif groaned with the pleasure of it. 

Shoving himself balls deep, he almost came when he felt her throat constrict around his meat.

Reaching down once more, he slapped her face and roughly squeezed her titties.

Satisfied with the bright red hue of her body and face, Leif dragged her up by her hair and shoved her onto the animal fur at the foot of his bed. 

"On all fours, MY LADY," he mocked.

When she didn't immediately obey, Leif grabbed her by the arm and forced her on her back. 

"You defy me?!" he snarled. 

This time when he pushed his dick in Thora's mouth, he punished her insolence by squeezing her nostrils closed. 

Savagely, he fucked her face and with a glazed expression, he watched as she struggled for air. 

Finally, he allowed his cock to pop out of her mouth and laughed when she coughed, gasping. She looked a mess...and he loved it because he had done that to her.

"Let us try again, shall we?" he asked drolly, pumping his dick with his fist. "On all fours my lady."

This time when Thora slowly got onto her knees, Leif smiled with satisfaction. He didn't even bother to test her wetness with his fingers. The evidence of her arousal was even now dripping down the insides of her thighs.

With one hand around her waist, he aligned himself with her pussy and slammed into her in one smooth motion. Thora cried aloud with the ecstasy of it. She grabbed the furs and buried her head into the rug as she took every one of Leif's cruel strokes.

There was never anything gentle or loving about their sex. It was purely raw and animalistic. Thora intentionally disobeyed Leif so he would give her the pleasure/pain she loved.

It was the game they played.

She oozed even more lubricant all over Leif's thin, long cock as the sound of their fucking permeated the room. When he slapped her behind in rapid succession, she wildly bucked her hips in circles.

As his thrusts became harder and more brutal, Thora knew she would have difficulty walking the next morn...but this was worth it. This was bliss.

This time when her climax was upon her, she remained silent, knowing full well that Leif would pull out of her if he sensed she was about to finish. As her walls contracted around him, he let out a string of curses as her own powerful orgasm sent him over the edge and into his own.

He wanted nothing more than to impregnate his cousin's betrothed and have her carry his bastard for all to see...but he resisted. A Thora with child would only botch his carefully-laid plans. 

Instead, he pulled out of her and allowed his seed to spill onto her fiery-red bottom.

Weakly, and out of breath, he got up and walked to the bowl filled with water and wiped himself down. He then wet another cloth for Thora and tossed it to her, leaving her to her own ministrations.

Collapsing on the bed, Leif threw his arm over his face. Moments later, he felt her join him. 

She kept her distance as he hated to be touched after fucking. 'The lady has been trained well,' Leif thought arrogantly.

"Now, my lady, I will share my plan to bring down your worthless husband-to-be."

Thora instantly perked up and listened intently as Leif began to speak.

***

As was his custom, Lord Brand was up and about with the servants. He had always been an early riser and had never enjoyed the freedom of staying abed. From dawn to twilight his work as lord was never done.

This morn was different, however. Tyler had awakened, and she was never far from his mind.

Even now, thoughts of her plagued him as he prepared to oversee the training of his men. Brand found that he wanted to speak with her constantly and wanted to show her about the keep. 

It would, after all, be her home for however long she stayed there.

At least that was what he told himself. The truth was, he enjoyed her company and was fascinated with her culture. Her nearness drove him mad with wanting in a way that even the most experienced of whores could not accomplish. 

She had done naught but remain herself in his presence...there were no feminine wiles, no charms, subterfuge or acts of coyness. Tyler was simply all intelligent female; and he could not get enough of her.

Brand would eventually take her to his bed...of that he was certain. But she did not strike him as the kind of woman who would be content with life as his mistress; and therein lay the problem. 

In truth, he wanted to give her more than that...he wanted to give her his name, everything. However, he did not have the luxury, since his life was not his own.

His was a position in which hundreds of people depend upon him. Brand would not disappoint them for the sake of his own selfish desires. Instead, he would allow Tyler to choose. 

He admitted to himself that even though she would not be his wife, a life with her would be more than he could hope for.

Brand had resigned himself to a life with Lady Thora. But once he fulfilled his obligations and produced an heir, he doubted if he and Lady Thora would even live in the same manor. The woman was a snake, and Brand was sure even he did not know the depths to which she could sink. 

As he gave orders to the guard, he resolved to make Tyler aware of his intentions. 

Stepping out into the courtyard, Brand was pleasantly surprised to find that the weather was mild. It was a prime day to train his men.

Soon it would be time to prepare for spring and to celebrate Disting. The spring would also represent the time for his upcoming nuptials. 

Putting the thought far from his mind, Brand decided that he would walk with Tyler this morn. But first, there was someone he needed to see.

He made his way to the small cottage on the outskirts of the keep. Not surprisingly, the door was open in invitation.

"Good morn, milord," Svala said cheerfully.

She was sitting at her small table with jars of herbs and spices before her. The cottage smelled sweet and welcoming the way it usually did; daylight shown through the door and windows. 

"Come. I have prepared a modest meal to break your fast," she urged as she got up and brought her deepest bowl filled with chicken stew, bread, butter, honey and buttermilk to the table.

It didn't surprise Brand at all that she had known he would come to visit her. He and Svala had grown up together when his father had taken her into their home. They were two years apart, with Brand being the oldest. 

But as a boy, he had always been frightened of her.

There were many things he had not understood as a child. The circumstances surrounding his Uncle Ulfar's death and Svala's entrance into their home were all mysteries. It didn't help that she usually remained silent; and when she did speak, it was to tell of how she had visions and often spoke to the dead.

Aye, he had been very wary around her. It wasn't until one day when Brand had been beaten and teased by Leif and some other children about his dark looks that a bond between him and Svala was forged.

It seemed as if she had appeared from thin air, raven hair blowing wildly in the wind. Her midnight eyes flashed angrily as she had walked up to Leif and shoved him down into the dirt. 

"You are your father's son!" she had screamed. "Foul and cruel you would destroy everything in your path. Shall I tell the lord how you torture and then kill the animals for sport?! Shall I lead them to your hiding place for the carcasses?!"

All of the children had gone silent and Leif had lain there in the soil, petrified.

When he and the rest of the children had scrambled away, Lord Brand's small savior had offered a hand and helped him off the ground. From then on, the two had been inseparable and had been like brother and sister. 

Brand often listened with horror as she told of the things she saw and heard. They would stay up late talking when they both had been told to go abed. Svala would point out the kinsmen who were good and the ones who were not.

He would comfort her when she awoke with a nightmare and would bravely stand by her side while she spoke to a dead person.

And now, at 34 and 36, their friendship had never faded. The two meant the world to one another and Brand always visited Svala, unbeknownst to the rest of their kinsmen.

He sat at the table and slathered butter and honey onto thick slices of bread. 

"What news do you bring me?" Svala asked.

Chewing, Brand stopped, lifting his brow. "Is there anything you do not already know?"

"Humor me," she replied as she ground some ingredients into fine powder using a mortar and pestle.

The two sat easily in each other's company. They talked about nothing and everything. Then the conversation turned to Tyler.

"You have told her how you feel?" she asked.

When he said nothing, Svala was prompted to look up at him, picking up on the change in the atmosphere.

Sitting back in her chair she continued to watch him. Meanwhile, Brand steeled himself for what was to come. There were not many things he could hide from Svala...and even if he could, the secrets never remained hidden for long.

She did not disappoint. "You are taken with her, my lord. Will you not make your feelings known to her?"

Sighing, Brand poured himself a cup of the cool buttermilk. "She is lovely, yes," he admitted.

"Tis more than that, and you know it. You think of her constantly...I daresay no other has made you feel thus," Svala continued.

"Careful," he warned.

Forgetting herself, she immediately stopped reading him and closed the door to his personal realm.

"Forgive me, brother," Svala said, placing her hand on his arm. "I mean no harm."

Brand touched the hand on his arm and gave it a warm squeeze. "I know," was all he said in return.

"I do not wish to overstep my boundaries but she is taken with you as well," she said casually. A little too casually.

Brand grinned. "I know," he said again, arrogantly.

Rolling her eyes, Svala laughed at his cockiness.

She turned serious after a few moments, something obviously bothering her. 

"What is it?" Brand asked, reading the worried expression on her face. 

"I do not know why my gift is so jumbled when it comes to you...or even me. But I sense something is amiss. This rivalry between the woman and Lady Thora is not only a superficial conflict. It goes deeper. Please milord, protect this woman, as she is very important to this clan," Svala urged.

Before Brand could voice his assurance the hairs on his arms stood and there was a gust of wind that rippled into the cottage. Svala's eyes stretched as she looked at the door. 

Turning, Brand saw naught but the empty doorway.

He had known Svala long enough to know that look on her face. She was seeing something...or someone.

Sitting there, he waited for her to explain whatever it was she was seeing. Finally, after a few moments, Svala returned to grinding her powder. 

"Bring her to me this day. It is time," she said quietly.

Brand simply nodded. He had learned to not ask what Svala did not freely give. Still, he could not help but wonder what she had seen to make her change so suddenly.

***

Tyler had lied to herself. 

Not only did she still feel strongly about Lord Brand, but she was about to meet with him and was oh so excited.

Now, Asgerd was helping her dress for the millionth time. Inga had not come around much since that first day as she was too busy with her apprenticeship with Asgerd.

Tyler had insisted that the old woman should tend to her other, more important duties; but Asgerd had shushed her. She maintained that she was the only one who could care for Tyler properly...especially in case Tyler suddenly – and inexplicably – fell sick again.

Tyler had smirked, but dropped the issue. She suspected that the old woman had become fond of her...the feeling was completely mutual.

She stared in awe as she allowed Asgerd to help her into another beautiful dress. Lord Brand had sent up trunk after trunk of dresses and gowns he had either gotten from raiding or that had been given to him as part of his spoils.

This one was a fawn-brown dress.

The detailing was just as perfect as the other, countless clothes and the dark brown ornament trim on the front was impeccable. The dress also had bell sleeves but they weren't as wide, and this one came with a dark brown cloak. It was heavy and would provide a good deal of warmth when she went outside.

Without a doubt, Tyler knew that this would not fare well for her.

Lord Brand was sending these beautiful pieces to her instead of Lady Thora...it was inevitable that the woman was going to have her head on a pike for it!

"Asgerd, should Lord Brand be sending me all this? I mean, as his betrothed, shouldn't Lady Thora be getting these clothes?" she had asked worriedly.

The old healer had chosen her words very carefully.

"Lady Thora has a dressmaker who tends her and her only. She would not deign to be caught in what she considers used goods," she'd said meaningfully.

Tyler had understood fully what Asgerd was saying.

Spoiled brat or not, the woman was still going to have a fit when she learned that Tyler was wearing the clothing. She had a feeling that even though Lady Thora didn't want the dresses for herself, she probably didn't want Tyler to have them either.

Shaking her head, Tyler cleared all thoughts concerning the beautiful, vindictive shrew. Instead, she focused on Lord Brand and how he had asked her to be dressed and ready to go with him.

She had no idea where they were going. But Tyler was still more excited than she had the right to be. Her shoulders dropped as her guilty conscience spoke to her.

Not realizing the old woman had been watching, Tyler was surprised when Asgerd stopped lacing up the dress. 

"Sit," she ordered.

Bossy old lady.

Complying, Tyler sighed, and sat on the bed next to Asgerd, keeping her eyes downcast. She didn't want her new friend to know what she was upset about. 

Asgerd took Tyler's hands into her small, wrinkled ones. "You try courageously, but you cannot hide your feelings for Lord Brand from me," she began.

When Tyler would have denied Asgerd's assertion, the wise old woman held up her hand to silence her.

"Tis not a shameful thing...to care for another. The heart is fickle, child. Who can make sense of it? I can see in your eyes and his that there is a thing blossoming between you. You mustn't allow Lady Thora to take this away from you. If she were privy to this bond you and Lord Brand share, the lady would make you both pay."

Tyler's eyes stretched. This was way too much. Had she really been that transparent about how she felt?

"Asgerd, I just met the man. I don't even know if I really have feelings for him. I don't know him!" Tyler wailed.

Asgerd chuckled.

"As I said, no one can make sense of this." She lightly rested her hand over Tyler's heart.

"He is like a son to me...and he is a good man. I would see him with a woman more befitting of him. But alas, Lady Thora offers Lord Brand a strong union. My lord has responsibilities," Asgerd explained.

"So what do I do? I can't avoid him. I'm sure he won't allow me to take my meals in my room; and I'd rather not encounter Lady Thora again. If I do, there will more than likely be a cat fight," Tyler said.

There was a pause before Asgerd croaked with laughter. The girl had such a peculiar way of putting things. 

"Cat fight, indeed! You will do no such thing, my dear - this cat fight with Lady Thora. You will go to each meal, you will be pleasant, and you will show my lord that you are able to rise above the paltriness. He will be grateful for your presence. I know my boy...he is taken with you as well he should be."

Tyler blushed at Asgerd's assessment of Brand's feelings for her. 

Part of her felt like Asgerd was right. Tyler shouldn't punish Lord Brand because of Lady Thora...and she did enjoy his company. The other half of her – the more logical half - thought this was all absurd. 

She shouldn't be feeling this way about a man whom she hardly knew...and a man who was separated from her by centuries! And he was to be married! 

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. Her head whipped up as she looked at Asgerd. 

"What if he wants me to become his mistress?!" she gasped.

Asgerd smiled. She had become quite fond of this girl. "Only you can decide if the cost of your time with him is too great," she replied sagely. 

"Come, child. Let us finish this. We shall not keep my lord waiting." 

Tyler considered everything Asgerd had said. But she already knew there was no way she could be anyone's mistress. Hopefully, she wouldn't even be here long enough for her relationship with Lord Brand to go that far.




Stardust Ch. 02



Suddenly, she remembered what she was supposed to ask the old woman.

"Asgerd, did anybody mention a small box when they found me in the woods?" she asked curiously.

Tyler didn't see the way Asgerd guiltily pursed her lips. "Nay, girl. If they have, no one has spoken of such. This box, it is important to you?" she asked.

'That was an understatement,' Tyler thought. "It means a lot to me, yes," she replied.

"I will do my best to find what I can, child," Asgerd said, her eyes not meeting hers.

"Thank you," Tyler said quietly. This was worse than she'd thought. She hadn't considered that the box may not be available to her!

It just had to be! Tyler decided she would employ some optimism...at least for now anyway.

Temporarily putting thoughts of gold boxes out of her mind, Tyler finished dressing and walked downstairs into the great hall. Lord Brand wasn't there yet, and the hall was nearly empty. So she took the opportunity to look around the large room without having a million eyes on her.

The hall really was impressive. If this was how Ragnarsston Hall looked, she wondered what the Mead Hall had looked like in "Beowulf." 

Tyler had no idea what Leif was talking about when he had called their abode "humble." Then again, she expected that kind of churlishness from a man like him.

The great hall boasted the same stone walls that were in the upper chambers. Each wall had three, wide arches. Several wrought iron chandeliers hung from the ceilings, each accommodating ten candlesticks.

Tall, ornate wooden beams supported the wooden rafters. Tyler walked up to one of the many flags, banners and pennants that carried Lord Brand's coat of arms. It consisted of two primary colors...black and gray. Emblazoned on them was a fierce-looking, silver griffin.

Great, big round shields graced the walls inside of the arches and large pottery vases had been peppered along the base of the walls. On each side of the hall were long tables and benches. Tyler sat on a bench...very sturdy!

She stood up again and walked to the middle of the room. There was a big, rectangular pit that she imagined would be used to roast wild boar during a celebration. 

At one far end was the huge fireplace that was used to keep the place warm. Today there was no fire as Tyler was told today was a warm one...that spring was near. 

On the other far end was where she had sat with Lord Brand at his table.

The place was very beautiful...more beautiful and well-kept than she would've given credit for. 

But Tyler suspected that this hall was the exception, not the rule. Inherently, she knew it had everything to do with Lord Brand.

The man was unusual and he showed a great breadth and depth of knowledge that was uncharacteristic for this time period.

Lost in her thoughts, Tyler ran her fingers along the designs that had been carved into the wooden beams. Turns out they were carvings of dragons, griffins, lions...she even thought she saw Sleipnir in there.

Still peering at the intricate designs, Tyler froze as her breath caught in her throat. Her heart beat erratically and suddenly there was a warmth at her back. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to calm down.

He was here.

"They are of the most powerful mythological creatures. I had their likenesses crafted in the hopes that we may draw upon their strength."

Lord Brand's deep baritone washed over her. Tyler knew he stood indecently close to her and she fought the urge to lean back against his hardness. Her nipples pressed achingly against the bodice of the dress.

"They are beautiful," she said.

Turning, she faced him and drew in her breath. He was closer than she had thought. God, this man had the power to make her knees weak.

He wore wool trousers with leather thongs laced from his ankles to the knees. A leather belt was fastened around his waist, and he wore a simple, dark tunic.

Tyler had always thought Lord Brand's hair was black, but it wasn't. Today his dark brown mane had been pulled back, the strands at his temple left to hang down his shoulders.

Before now, it had escaped her how much he looked like an older, darker version of Battle for Asgard champion, Skarin. Marcus had loved the Xbox game and had convinced Tyler to play it. From that point on she had been hooked.

"What's up, Lord Brand?" She greeted him breathlessly. Her hands itched to touch him.

"Did you have a good night?" she asked.

Brand looked up and then back down at her, puzzled, his gray eyes devouring her. Aside from Asgerd, Bjor and Svala, no one had ever asked after his well-being. He smiled a slow, lazy smile, dazzling Tyler with his dimples and white teeth.

It was so infectious that she smiled back.

"Aye, woman, I did have a...good night," he said, mimicking her dialect. "What should I find up there?" he asked, nodding upward.

Tyler placed her hands behind her and leaned back against the beam so she could continue staring up at him. She thought she would swoon when he leaned a hand on the beam just above her head. The movement brought him even closer as he towered over her.

"When I say, 'what's up,' I'm saying 'Hello' or 'How are you?'" she explained.

Brand grunted in response.

"And what is up with you? Did you sleep well?" he asked quietly. 

By Odin, if she continued to stare up at him the way she did, he would take her right there against the wall. She looked beautiful in the simple, brown dress she wore. 

Tyler laughed. He caught on very quickly; and obviously this man didn't know how close he was to getting humped. There was only so much a person could take; and Tyler felt her resolve to remain aloof shattering.

"Yes, I did sleep well. I like my room and the clothes very much. Thank you again for everything," she said softly. 

Brand remained silent and only studied her features.

The pair stood there for all to see, lost in each other's eyes. 

Bjor walked into the keep at that moment and took in the scene. He rolled his eyes in exasperation and cleared his throat, breaking the spell.

"Milord, the men are assembled and await you," he said meaningfully.

Taking his time, Brand dropped his arm from the beam and leaned away from Tyler. He extended his hand for her to take. With her hand in his, Brand walked to the door and slapped Bjor on the shoulder.

"Begin the training exercises. I will be there shortly," he ordered.

As he and Tyler walked outside, Bjor stared at his lord and best friend's back in astonishment. Brand was as predictable as the sun. He always commanded the training of his men. Only when there were more pressing matters did he turn the training over to Bjor. 

He supposed there were more pressing matters now...her name was Tyler. With that, Bjor laughed heartily and left the great hall. He did not want to be his lord when Lady Thora got wind of just how far his affections went for the pretty, little vixen.

***

Lord Brand had shown Tyler around much of the large manor. She was fascinated with their way of doing things, and was bursting with excitement at her ability to actually see what she had always read about.

Now, they walked slowly to a destination only Lord Brand was privy to. Children ran around playing and staring at Tyler who was still the object of much fascination.

Everyone had said today was warmer, and most people had shirked their cloaks and wools. Tyler was personally still cold and hated to see what they thought was freezing weather.

As they walked further from the keep into the woods, the trees lent them unwanted shade and a cool breeze. She tugged on the hood of her cloak and buried her hands inside of her pockets.

Tyler took in the untainted, wild beauty around them and breathed in the clean, earthy smell of the forest and wet soil under the melting snow.

"What's the deal with your cousin, Br - Lord Brand?" Tyler asked, breaking the silence.

He chewed on a piece of straw as he concentrated on her words. "When we are alone I would have you call me by my given name," he ordered.

His bossiness was endearing. 

Brand was never a tyrant or a jerk about it...he was just very direct. Tyler loved that about him and knew that if it had been anyone else, she would've immediately bristled at the high-handedness. 

But that was just it about him...he was something entirely different, special even.

"Okay...Brand," she said tentatively. She felt all mushy inside and wanted to do a little girly-scream and shimmy. 

"Now what is this deal you speak of? I have made no deal with my cousin," he stated.

Tyler smiled. 

"If someone says, 'what's the deal,' they want to know information about something. For instance, I said, 'What's the deal with your cousin,' so I want to know about him. Why did he act the way he did at dinner last night? I'm also curious about your relationship with him. I imagine you two have always been rather unfriendly." 

Once again, Brand took a moment to digest all that she had said. She was very astute to understand that his relationship with Leif was less than ideal.

"Leif and I have always been...unfriendly. It goes back long ago when my father, who was chieftain, punished his father for the murder of a young girl. Leif somehow blames my father and his hatred has spilled over to me," Brand explained.

"How was his father punished?" she asked.

"Death," Brand responded.

'Crap!' Tyler thought. She hadn't meant to open old wounds. She'd thought their hostility would've stemmed from something simple like wanting the same girl. 

"But why does he blame you? And why do you let him stay around?" she asked.

"I cannot give you an answer as to why my cousin feels the way he does. I allow him to stay because he is my brethren," Brand said.

Simple. 

Nothing more, nothing less. He let Leif stay on because he was family. That small admission endeared Brand to Tyler even more. She didn't quite know if that was such a smart thing to do, but it still spoke volumes about the kind of man he was. 

They continued to walk beside each other until the silence was broken again, this time by Brand.

"Tyler, who is Marcus?" he asked.

She stopped walking. 

The sound of her brother's name on Brand's lips had the same effect of having cold water thrown in her face.

Turning, he watched Tyler curiously. Brand had not meant to upset her.

Slowly, she regained her composure and began to walk alongside him again. Taking another deep breath, she prepared to talk about her brother for the first time since his death.

"Marcus was my brother," she replied shakily. 

"When you were feverish, you spoke of him and how he had left you," Brand explained.

"Oh." 

Tyler continued to walk slowly and looked down at the ground. "He had just died right before...I came here. It always used to be just him and me. Our parents died when we were really young. So we were everything to each other," she revealed.

"You have no other living kinsmen?" Brand asked, shocked.

"None."

He could not fathom being alone. Brand had always been surrounded by clan members even though he had never known his mother. To be the last of one's kinsmen had to have been difficult. And now she was here, having had no clue how she had come to be away from her home.

Who would protect her once she left the manor?

Tyler spoke, bringing Brand out of his thoughts. "He was going to get married, but he was killed because of what he was."

"What he was?" he repeated, puzzled.

"Yeah...he was homosexual. Ummm...I think you know it as unmanly," she said quietly. "When some villagers learned he was going to marry another man, they killed them both."

'Ah, the brother was fuðflogi,' Brand thought. 

It was the Viking way to find men who chose other men as sexual partners to be unmanly. Any male who ran from manhood in order to take up with another man could not be considered masculine and was penalized.

However, it did not mean they were worthy of death; and for that Brand was sorry Tyler had lost her brother in such a manner.

Tyler sniffed and tried to hold back the tears, but it was useless. Marcus' death was still too raw and she hadn't expected Brand to ask about her brother.

Touching her arm, he halted her to a stop. He cupped her cheeks with his big hands and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. Brand marveled at the difference in their skin tones. 

Unable to help himself, he placed his large hands at her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

The act was so intimate, Tyler was momentarily taken aback. But when she felt Brand's massive arms around her, and she was surrounded by his heat, she melted. Placing her head on his barrel chest, Tyler felt relieved. 

"I am greatly disturbed by your present state...it is precarious. A woman such as you should not be alone without kinsmen and a male protector. You have my word, woman, I will be your protector," he vowed.

Tyler listened with only half an ear. 

He was so sweet to think he could fix her problems. If only he knew that being without a male protector was the least of her problems. His next words made her eyes pop open.

"Make no mistake, Tyler, I want you, and I mean to have you," he said quietly. "You may reflect upon it, you may even question it, so long as you accept that you will belong to me."

She didn't move for a moment but stood with her head still on his chest, her eyes blinking rapidly. When Tyler peeled herself away, she looked up into his unusual eyes. Then she allowed her gaze to roam over his features, taking in every part of his masculine face...the face that had come to mean so much to her.

Abruptly, she had another dose of reality and could not believe she was so taken with this man, this medieval warlord whom she really knew nothing about. As much as Tyler was unsure of, she did know one thing: he had captured her. 

Just like that she was a goner, and knew she would've acquiesced to anything he required. This was no fling and there certainly was nothing shallow about whatever it was that lie between them. 

This was real...and Tyler wanted Brand more than anything in her whole life.

"But what about Lady Thora? What about your marriage to her?" she asked.

"Lady Thora means naught to me. She is but a beautiful shell, void inside and spiteful. Ours is a marriage that will benefit both her clan and mine...nothing more," he replied.

"I understand all that, Brand. But I can't be anybody's mistress...I won't. I'm not going to wait for you to come to me when you're not with her. And I'm not going to watch while you sleep with her in order to fulfill your obligations to beget an heir!"

Brand listened to her, his gaze focused on her lovely face. While she spoke, he ran his thumb along her jawline. It was tantalizing and mesmerizing all at once.

He was a fair man and did not know if that had been his gift or his curse...right now it felt more like a curse. He would not have Tyler suffer so, but he knew she was right. Again, he vowed to himself that he would find a way. He would pray to the gods to make a way for the two of them.

For now, he would pacify her. 

Continuing his physical assault on her, Brand's large, warm hand traveled to the small of her back. Her breath came in quick, short puffs. "Then let us have our time now and allow the fates to decide our course thereafter," he wooed her seductively with his words. 

"I mean to have you, woman," he growled again.

Just for now until he got married. His words were so enticing, so harmless.

Tyler surrendered.

Sensing his triumph, Brand did what he'd wanted to do for a long while. Pushing back the hood of her cape, he threaded his fingers through her hair and brought his lips to hers. 

With his other, powerful arm still around Tyler's waist, he dragged her flush against his big frame. Instantly, she wound her arms around his neck and almost wept from the intensity of their kiss.

This felt too good...it felt too right.

She felt as if this was where she belonged, that her whole life was a compilation of events that had led to this moment.

Her nipples pebbled and she felt the familiar ache, the wetness between her thighs. Tyler struggled to breathe and welcomed Brand's battering as his mouth devoured hers. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and was rewarded when he jerked slightly.

Grunting his acknowledgment, Brand sought to pull her even closer as their tongues danced and dueled. He rubbed his big erection against Tyler and was amused when it was her turn to jerk. But she gasped as well, her eyes opening wide at his size.

A rustling in the brush beside them broke the spell and made Tyler jump. She peered down and watched as the biggest rat she'd ever seen went scurrying across their feet.

Tyler lost her shit.

"GET IT OOOOFFFF!" she screamed.

She was a mass of arms, hands and hair as she struggled to get away from the animal which was more afraid of her than the other way around. Tyler blindly jumped, twitched and bucked, swearing up and down and insisting that the rodent had somehow climbed up on her.

Slowly, she became aware of laughing. Brand stood with his head tossed back, his legs wide and arms crossed. He laughed at her with such abandon that she stopped in her tracks.

Looking around, Tyler spotted the furry creature a long ways down the path, scurrying along. Doubtless it was doing its best to get away from her.

Focusing on Brand once again, she straightened her clothing and smoothed down her hair. Placing her hands on her hips, she waited as he laughed, and laughed...and laughed, and laughed.

Unable to keep a straight face, Tyler joined in.

When he was able to wind down, Brand pulled her into his embrace once more. Kissing her on the forehead, he was aware that she felt a bit chilly. No doubt she was not used to their clime.

Pulling her hood around her face once more, Brand gently kissed her lips. "You please me, woman," he said gruffly.

"You please me, too," she whispered.

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her along the path once more. When they had gone a few more feet, they broke into a clearing with a small, pretty cottage within view.

"Where are we going?" Tyler asked.

"We are here. There is someone I would like you to meet. I believe knowing her will be beneficial to you," Brand replied.

They walked into the cottage and Tyler's senses were immediately assaulted with wonderful smells.

It smelled like food cooking and her stomach began to grumble. She'd been so excited to see Brand that she'd forgotten about eating.

"Bring her in so that I may see her, milord," a voice said from within the cottage.

Brand stepped aside and gently tugged Tyler forward. "Svala, this is the woman who has caused such a stir. Tyler, this is Svala. You will be safe here."

When he turned to leave, Tyler panicked. 

"You're leaving?" she asked, unable to keep the worry from her voice. Why did she always want to follow him like a lapdog?

He turned back to her and touched her thick, brown hair once more.

"Svala is like a sister to me. I have given you my word as my honor, woman. You will not be harmed," he maintained. "Svala, you will bring her to the keep when you have finished your business."

Then he was gone...he really was good at that. 

Tyler watched him walk away for as far as she could...she felt like a cat sitting in the window, watching its owner leave. When he was no longer in sight, she turned to the woman - to Svala - with dread. Why had he left her alone with this woman whom she didn't know???

"Come, dear. As Brand has said, I mean you no harm. I have requested your presence here," Svala began.

Hesitantly, Tyler walked further into the cottage and sat at the small table. 

"I know my lord keeps early hours. You cannot have eaten. Here, the bread is just out of the hearth." Svala pushed a warm loaf of fresh bread to Tyler along with the honey and butter she had offered Brand earlier. She also placed a bowl of the chicken stew and a cup of mead in front of her.




Stardust Ch. 02



Tyler closed her eyes and inhaled the wonderful aroma. This food was light years better than the food that had been served at the manor. There was no grease, but actual broth, and she could smell the spices Svala had used.

The dish had peas and carrots in it as well...she had learned today that their carrots were white instead of the traditional orange ones she was used to.

Tyler closed her eyes, blessed the food and dove in with gusto. When she tasted the first mouthful, she thought she had died and gone to heaven. 

"This is so good, Svala!" she exclaimed.

The woman beamed and sat down across from her, putting spices in jars. Tyler took the time to study Svala covertly. She was a beautiful, sultry woman...there was a strange quality about her. Maybe strange wasn't the correct word. More like mysterious.

She had the same dark mane that Brand had, except hers was actually black whereas Brand's hair was a deep brown. Her dark eyes were gorgeous and the woman's skin was rosy and flushed. The deep red dress she wore complimented her complexion. 

Svala was buxom with a figure that was to die for. She couldn't have been more than 5'5," and only looked to be a few years older than Tyler. The woman was a knockout.

"You have enjoyed your time here?" Svala asked.

Tyler almost laughed at the question. It was asked as if this was a resort and she was on vacation or something. She considered her words carefully.

"For the most part, people have been kind. Lord Brand has been very hospitable," she replied.

Svala seemed to mull over her words. "This means there are some who have not been kind to you," she replied.

Tyler simply shrugged her shoulders.

That had been an understatement. But she wasn't about to expound. It would be just her luck that she'd talk a whole bunch of smack about Leif and Lady Thora only to find that Svala was a relative or friend. She didn't need to be going through the whole he said/she said fiasco in the 9th century.

Sensing Tyler's reticence, Svala decided to be more forthcoming. 

"Tyler, I have asked Lord Brand to bring you to me for a purpose. There is a message I must give you."

As Tyler finished the last of the stew, she drank deeply from her cup. That mead was some good stuff!

"I'm all ears," she said when her meal was done.

Tyler registered Svala's perplexed look. "That means I'm listening," she explained.

Svala smiled her understanding, and pushed her jars and spices aside. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to tell Tyler all the things that needed to be said. She had no idea how she would respond. It was one thing to read for the villagers who understood her gift.

It was quite another to do so for a complete stranger.

"Tyler, I know there are many things you do not understand. I know your presence here is a great mystery to us, but to you as well," she began.

Tyler listened to Svala, not having any idea where this was going. She didn't really like the tone of the conversation, and began to squirm in her seat.

"Be easy," Svala said softly, placing her hand lightly on Tyler's. "I would never harm you, but there are things I must speak of with you."

"Okay," Tyler said nervously.

"You have lost a loved one, yes?" she asked.

What was going on? Was this "Everybody Dig into Tyler's Personal Life Day?!" First Brand had brought Marcus up out of the blue, and now here this stranger was doing the same!

Tyler nodded her head and stared at Svala, warily.

She was sitting with her back to the door, but she felt the gust of wind as it traveled into the pretty cottage. Looking behind her, Tyler didn't see anything but she felt...strange somehow.

"He is here, and he wishes to speak with you." 

"Who's here?" Tyler asked, bewildered. 

Svala didn't immediately say anything. She simply looked at a point over Tyler's shoulder for a moment and then she spoke.

"Your loved one is here, and he wants to speak with you."

***

This day was too weird, and Tyler had had enough. As she got up to leave, she was halted by Svala's next words. "He was your brother...Mark – Marcus. He wants you to not be so stubborn and to give me a chance," Svala said urgently.

Tyler froze. 

Marcus always called her stubborn...and how had Svala known his name? 

Coincidence. It was all coincidence. 

As she walked toward the door, she couldn't ignore Svala's next words. 

"He is saying he did not have anything to do with this, though it would make a good...prank?"

Tyler stood in the door's opening and closed her eyes. She leaned against the frame, weak and unsure of what was going on. 

Marcus was referring to the question she'd asked him last night. She'd asked whether or not he'd had something to do with her presence here. 

Svala was a medium? 

First time travel, then Vikings, warlords and great halls...now this. Never in her twenty-seven years had she experienced the like. What would she find next, unicorns and dragons?!

Resigned, she walked back to the table and sat facing Svala once more. 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Svala continued. "He knows you miss him, but he has said that he is happy. There is no more condemnation or hatred."

Tyler bowed her head. Covering her mouth, she began to cry. No more condemnation for being gay.

Svala paused to allow her words to penetrate. 

"He says he misses you and he is sorry for leaving you alone. But you are strong, and you have a great work before you."

She continued. "He says Lord Brand is...hot? Do I understand correctly? He is hot and he is a good man."

Tyler laughed through her tears. Her brother would think Lord Brand was hot...God knows the Viking certainly was!

Svala smiled at Tyler's beautiful laughter. It warmed her that she was able to find joy from this reading. "He also says he knows you are smitten with Lord Brand, as well you should be."

"Marcus! TMI in front of company!" Tyler gasped.

"He laughs," Svala said, amused. Abruptly, her laughter faded and she continued to look at the spot over Tyler's shoulder.

Now came the difficult part.

"He is beginning to fade, but he has one thing more to say...it is of great import," Svala explained.

"What?! He's leaving already? He just got here!" Tyler exclaimed.

"Again, he is saying you are here for a reason; and it is only when you have accomplished your task that you will be able to return to your home. He says 'tis good after all that you are..."

Svala stopped, her brows furrowed in concentration. Tyler sat on the edge of her seat and waited for her to finish. When she didn't immediately resume talking, Tyler thought she might have a fit.

"I am what?!" she asked anxiously.

"I am not certain I understand. 'Tis good that you are...a nerd?" Svala asked, perplexed.

Again, Tyler dissolved into laughter and understanding. "Yes, he always thought I was a nerd. I'll explain it later," she promised.

"He is leaving now. But Marcus wishes you to know that he loves you, and...you must remember the flight."

"Flight? What flight? I've been on a million flights!" Tyler exclaimed. "Wait! Is he still there, I have so many questions!"

This was the part Svala hated. 

The loved ones were never around long enough, and it was always difficult for the ones left behind to say goodbye. Sadly, she watched as Marcus walked into the light. He was now gone forever and would most likely never make contact with Tyler again.

"He has gone," Svala said quietly.

Tyler crossed her arms on the small table, and buried her face there. Her shoulders shook with the force of her weeping. Normally, Svala would leave the room for a moment to give her patron privacy. 

But this one was different.

She felt a connection with Tyler, and though she did not know her well, she liked her...she liked the idea of this woman with Brand. It had not been lost on Svala what the brother had said concerning her lord. Though their language had been a challenge, she did know that the brother, Marcus had gently nudged Tyler in Brand's direction.

Svala got up and knelt beside the pretty woman, pulling Tyler into her arms. She patted her on the back and allowed her to cry. When she quieted, Svala produced a cloth and wiped away her tears as if she were a small child.

Embarrassed, Tyler gratefully took the cloth and finished wiping her face.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Tyler was blown away. Actually, blown away didn't even begin to describe how she was feeling. Marcus had come to see her. He had actually thought of her on the other side and had found her.

More tears welled up in her eyes and Tyler finally looked up at Svala. "This is why you asked for me, isn't it? Marcus wanted to speak to me."

Svala nodded. 

"You said he was "gone." Does that mean he's gone...forever?"

Again, Svala nodded. 

"In all the years I have used my gift, I have not seen the dead return. When they have contacted the living, they are at peace and go into the white light. Tis not to say it would never happen. I have seen much, and have since learned that all things are possible." 

Tyler accepted all Svala had said. She was dazed and...words escaped her. 

"If you don't mind, I think I'll go back to my room now," she said.

Svala smiled affectionately and got up from the table. She tossed a shawl around her shoulders and was about to walk out the door when Tyler stopped her. 

"Really, you don't have to leave your home just to walk me all the way back to the manor. I remember the way...I'll be fine," she said, not wanting to inconvenience the woman.

"And besides, who will walk you back?" Tyler asked.

Svala shook her head. "Lord Brand has given me orders. I will not risk his displeasure...not even for that lovely face," she said, chucking Tyler under the chin.

Before Svala closed the door behind her, she wondered briefly if she should give Tyler the gold box. She looked briefly at the small space where she had tucked the ornament away.

The still, quiet voice that had become a part of her spoke simply, answering her unspoken question. 

"She is not ready," the soft voice whispered.

With that declaration, Svala obediently closed the door behind her.

As the two walked down the path toward the manor, each woman was deeply engrossed in her own thoughts.

"I'm not from here," Tyler said abruptly, breaking the silence.

"I should say that was obvious," Svala replied with a wink.

"No, I mean, I'm not from here...I'm not from this time period."

Svala continued to walk, not answering for a moment. When she did speak, her words baffled Tyler.

"You are neither from this place nor from this time, but have embarked on a voyage in which few can say they have knowledge. Dear Tyler, you are a time traveler, centuries ahead of our era. You have been chosen by the gods as the keeper of this gift, and you have been chosen to carry out a great work here."

Stunned, Tyler listened to Svala correctly sum up her presence there...well, at least the part about her as a time traveler. She didn't know about the rest. It didn't matter. She was so relieved to share her secret with someone else. Holding it inside had been too much; and she had been nearly bursting with the weight of it. 

Tyler now understood what Brand had meant when he'd said knowing Svala would be beneficial. Turns out his assessment had been correct. Then she gasped, stopping in her tracks.

"Does Lord Brand know?!" she asked.

"No, I am certain he does not. However, if he did learn the truth, he is a man you may depend upon and trust," Svala said gently.

Tyler knew Brand could be trusted, but she wasn't about to unload a bomb like this. It was one thing for him to believe she was far away from her own country. It was quite an entirely different animal to tell him she was from the future.

No...Tyler planned to keep her mouth zipped for as long as she could.

"Svala, I'm not ready to tell him anything this...fantastical yet. Can I trust you to keep this between you and me?" she asked.

"Yes, of course. The nature of my craft relies upon great discretion. You have my word," Svala promised.

"Good. Thank you," Tyler said warmly. She liked the woman.

They made it to the manor just in time to watch a training demonstration between Lord Brand and Bjor in a nearby field.

The two women had no idea what a pair they made. 

Each was eccentric in her own way; and their presence among the kinsmen was new. The courtyard's inhabitants didn't know to whom to give their attention. It was a rare and special treat to watch Lord Brand and Bjor battle. It was like watching two titans clash.

On the other hand, Tyler was still so new and different than anyone had ever seen; and she had succeeded in bringing Svala to the keep...something that hadn't been done in years.

One of the little boys ran to the great hall and bellowed at the tops of his lungs.

"THE WITCH AND THE DARK STRANGER WATCH MY LORD AND BJOR BATTLE!"

The youngster repeated his announcement until every person in the manor came running outside to watch the spectacle.

Lord Brand and Bjor circled each other warily. The two men had long since abandoned their tunics; their massive torsos glistened with sweat. 

Tyler gasped when she caught sight of Brand's tattoo. He had a tattoo?! 

The dark design rippled from his left shoulder to his wrist in what looked to be the modern Celtic Knot, but she couldn't be sure.

The Rus were the only tribe who had been accredited with tattoos. There had been much debate about whether or not the Scandinavian Vikings had practiced the art. But since recordings of Viking history had been scarce, no one knew for sure...until now. 

Tyler's heart rate tripled as she breathlessly watched Brand eye Bjor and vice versa. Her vocal chords contracted with the urge to cheer him on. 'KICK HIS ASS, BABY!' That's what she would've shouted. 

Instead, she schooled her features, making her expression indifferent.

Beside her, Svala inched closer and discreetly grabbed her hand. Tyler gratefully squeezed it. She was so nervous! This was an exercise, true, but it also was for bragging rights. 

Bjor had a good five or six inches on Brand and about fifty pounds. There was a very real possibility that he would beat Brand.

Suddenly, swords went flying and the sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air. Tyler didn't know how either man tolerated the jarring blows! In a dance, they maneuvered and outmaneuvered one another. It was obvious both men were good at their craft. 

There was no obvious winner yet.

As the demonstration wore on, Tyler thought she would die from the anxiety. She knew she squeezed Svala's hand just a little too tightly but was helpless to do anything about it. 

Then something happened.

It was imperceptible, and Tyler doubted if many people saw it...if any. Brand had worn Bjor down. The giant was beginning to swing his sword a little more sluggishly and he didn't move with the same gusto. 

That was all it took.

In an amazing spurt of vigor, Brand swung his sword like...well like a berserker! He unrelentingly hammered away at Bjor's sword with speed and power. 

The commander never stood a chance.

The tired behemoth was no match for Brand's swiftness and concentrated strength. Catching his tired friend unawares, Brand knocked the sword out of Bjor's hand. Pushing him backward with his foot to the gut, Bjor hit the ground with a resounding thud. 

Breathing as if he had just taken a walk in the park, Brand towered over Bjor, his sword pointed at his gullet. The roar from the crowd was deafening, and even Tyler couldn't help herself.

She clapped loudly and came very close to jumping up and down with delight before she caught herself. Slapping on a polite expression once again, she clapped her hands with less enthusiasm.

Lord Brand offered his hand and helped his friend back up. The two clapped each other on the back...no harm done.

Brand began to speak to his warriors and warriors-to-be in their Norse language. Tyler couldn't pull her eyes away from him. The way his muscles undulated with his movements nearly had her panting like a dog.

"He explains to the men that endurance is just as important as strength in battle," Svala said.

As Brand's strong voice echoed throughout the courtyard, he walked around seemingly oblivious to the crowd that had congregated around them. After he had spoken, he dismissed his men for the noon meal. 

Tyler realized Bjor had been staring in their direction as he pulled his tunic over his head. Cocking her head to the side, she looked over at Svala to find that the woman was staring back at Bjor. Without hesitation, the big man made his way over to them.

He first took Tyler's hand in his and suavely kissed the back of it, carrying on about her beauty. Once again, she was taken by his charm and laughed at his blatant flattery. However, Bjor saved his best stuff for Svala.

Towering over Tyler's new friend, he gazed deeply into her eyes as he reached for her small hand. He kissed the hand, his eyes closing as if touching his lips to her hand was the most delectable rapture. 

Svala rolled her eyes, though she secretly loved the attention. Many winters had passed since she had last seen Bjor. Time had been kind to him.

Sensing that she had become the third wheel, Tyler hid her smile and discreetly walked away from the pair. 

'Work it, Svala,' she thought to herself. 

Brand was there in an instant. Unfortunately, he had pulled his tunic back on as well.

"Tyler, what is up?" he asked, his gray eyes alight with humor.

He had meant to make her laugh, and was successful. As Tyler laughed, he allowed the warm sound to wash over him. This woman would make him a sissy if he allowed it...him with all his womanly thoughts. 

"Nothing's up. Svala and I stopped to watch your demonstration. You were magnificent," she said with awe.

"You are magnificent, woman. You have enjoyed your visit with Svala?" he asked.

"It was very interesting. I'll tell you all about it at dinner," she promised. 

"Dinner...you have used this word before. What is its meaning?" he asked.

"Uh, it's the evening meal. You know...the last meal of the day? Last eventide we ate dinner with Lady Thora and Leif," she explained.

Brand nodded his understanding. 

"You will not join us for the noon meal?" he asked.

After Tyler had eaten Svala's wonderful cooking, she didn't know how she would ever eat in the great hall again.

"Actually, I just ate some food at Svala's," she replied.

"Ah, yes. Tis good food she prepares...much more pleasing to the palate than the fare in the hall," he accurately surmised.

Tyler laughed. He knew the food there was crap, but she wondered why he didn't do something about it.

"I will await you so you may inform me of your visit...at dinner," he said, testing the word on his tongue. He was not blind to the many things she could teach him. Mayhap one day he would travel to her land and experience it firsthand.

He both enjoyed and loathed the idea.

If they went to her home, she would want to stay there; and he was not ready to give her up...especially since he had not fully enjoyed her. Once again, Brand resolved to set things aright so that she would be a permanent component of his life.

"What will you do for the rest of the day?" Tyler asked. She hated admitting that she didn't want to be away from him for long spurts of time. But what was she going to do short of stalking him?

"Once the meal is finished, the men return to training. My page Finn is now of age. He becomes a squire this day," Brand explained.

"Okay. Well I won't keep you. I look forward to talking to you later, Brand," Tyler said as she gazed up at him shyly from beneath her long, thick lashes.

Brand lifted a brow.

"You are shy when only a short while ago you have woven your magic and seduced me with your enticing body?" he asked.




Stardust Ch. 02



Tyler gasped and put her hand over his mouth.

She peeped around him to make sure no one had heard what he'd said.

"Brand! You can't tell people what happened!" she whispered.

"Tyler, I am lord here. I keep no secrets from my people. Besides, my brethren know that you belong to me. And as such, no man is to touch what is mine...no one," he said menacingly.

She shivered.

Tyler sincerely hoped nobody ever decided to put Brand to the test. She didn't want anybody fighting over her. It was a sure bet that any man who would cross Brand would lose.

As they walked to the keep, she turned to see if Svala was still there...she was, and Bjor was intently listening to something she was saying. Tyler thought it was awesome that the two may be hitting it off. She liked them both.

And it had not been lost on her that Svala, while beautiful and self-sufficient, had still exhibited a loneliness that she couldn't hide. Tyler didn't know Svala's whole story, but she guessed living out in the woods in a cottage, away from everyone didn't encourage friendship and love.

She was all too familiar with the bitter sting of solitude, which was why she was pulling for Svala. Tyler wanted her new friend to have some happiness.

"Will Bjor walk Svala home?" she asked Brand, worried about the woman's welfare.

"Most likely he will do more than that," he replied dryly.

Tyler laughed, enjoying her witty Viking's quick sense of humor.

Smiling at the sound of her musical laughter, Brand tugged her hand and brought her into his embrace once more. When she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, he felt desired...and like a man.

He placed a rough kiss on her lips that was over much too soon. When Tyler grumbled her disappointment, Brand kissed the shell of her ear in the same manner he had the night before. 

His words made her jaw drop.

"This eventide you will share my bed, and I shall cover your body with kisses. This night you will be loved thoroughly, and you will know no disappointment." 

Goose flesh, tremors, shivers and everything else ran all throughout Tyler's body in reaction to his words. 

'OMIGOD IT'S GONNA BE TONIGHT!" her mind screamed.

After Brand had walked into the hall, Tyler looked left then right and jumped up and down, squealing with glee. Then she raced up the stairs to bathe and ready herself for dinner and her night with Brand. 

*** 

Leif had watched the display of barbarism with narrowed eyes. Brand and Bjor had circled each other like two behemoth animals. It was amusing to him the lengths to which his cousin would go in order to train the men to behave like wild boars. In Leif's opinion, the greatest battle was won with the mind.

Any brute could use force to take what he wanted.

It was the man who used his mind to manipulate and control a situation who impressed Leif. A man like himself did not need swords, shields and a useless mass of muscles to accomplish what he wanted. With finesse and cunning, the world would be his...he need only but bide his time.

Once he was lord of this manor, he would elevate it to the powerful fortress it should have been. His uncle Magnus and now Brand had always been too soft. They...cared about these people who did not matter.

Brand believed in fairness and justice where the clan was concerned.

Leif nearly spat. He would rule this stronghold with an iron fist. People would fear him and those who would oppose him would pay. Yes, it was his shrewdness that would take him far. 

No big oaf had ever been able to take down his cousin. 

War after war, battle after battle Brand returned with only minor cuts and bruises. But the bards would not sing of how his cousin had been brought down by a mighty sword.

Leif's name would become legend. The stories would glorify him and his cunning. That was what the bards would tell of...how the big and mighty Brand Magnusson was taken down not by brute force, but by craftiness.

He smiled, savoring the thought. 

Leif stepped back into the shadows as the men withdrew for the noon meal. The time had come for action...the plans that would destroy his cousin were well underway.

***

Tyler sat by the fireplace in her room and watched the beautiful, amber flames. She had taken a bath and was now allowing the fire to dry her hair. Svala had allowed Bjor to walk her home - Tyler had seen that coming a mile away - and had sent back scented soaps, rose water and rose oil for her hair and body.

Tyler had hugged Finn to her when he'd delivered the goods to her door. She had been so enthused, that she'd embraced the teenager in a show of affection. "Ma'am! Lord Brand will box my ears for touching you!" he shrieked.

She had forgotten what Brand had said about no "man" touching what belonged to him. Making her apologies, she'd promised to take the blame if Lord Brand ever found out what had happened.

Seemingly satisfied, the boy had left hurriedly to bring her bathwater.

Turning her attention to the rose water, oil and soaps, Tyler opened the jars and thought she would die from the wonderful fragrance that wafted into the room. Svala had literally been a godsend.

Now in front of the fire, she was alone with her thoughts. Today had been an active one. Threading her fingers through her curls, she held her tresses up so the fire could dry them.

Marcus had come for her. Shaking her head, she didn't even try to make sense of it all. When she had opened that box over a week ago, everything in her life had stopped making sense.

But the fact that he had come to her from beyond...honestly it blew Tyler away. She felt better though. For some reason, because Marcus was no longer among the living, she kept picturing him the way she had seen him last...cold in the morgue with his eyes closed.

Tyler had just felt like that's how he would spend his eternity...as the victim of a double murder and asleep in the dark.

But he was still filled with verve and even now considered her. He had essentially given his blessing as far as Brand went...and he was free. Free from the hatred of the world.

Tyler truly and honestly couldn't be happier.

Whether in this time or her own, she would always cherish his words and carry him in her heart.

"I love you, baby brother," she whispered. "But I still have no idea which flight I should be remembering!"

Thinking about her own time triggered another thought. Guiltily, she remembered she had failed miserably in her quest to get back home. Tyler had not really put in the leg work to find the gold box that had started this whole thing.

Instead, she had become swept away with Brand and the budding relationship between Svala and Bjor. Then she had rushed up here to get ready for her night with her warlord. 

She was going native!

But Tyler was powerless to do anything about it. What was there left for her in 2011 anyway? She had no family and she had no friends. She had tried dating fruitlessly. The men of her time for the most part had become too pretty; and they wanted the woman to take care of him. 

She had gotten discouraged with all the hit and misses and had abandoned dating altogether. Making Marcus her focus, he had become her everything; and when he had met Ian, Tyler had respectfully stepped back to allow him time with his love.

She was tired of thinking; tired of overanalyzing everything and constantly playing it safe. Tyler was going to enjoy her time with Brand for as long as she could; but when he got married, she would put an end to their relationship.

Simple.

Tyler laughed as she lied to herself. Judging from that kiss this morning, she knew nothing with Brand would ever be simple. But it was a risk she was willing to take. He had awakened something in her; and she wanted him, needed what he could offer her.

At the soft knock at her door, Tyler got up and opened it to find Asgerd standing there.

"Hey Asgerd. Come on in!" she said warmly.

The old healer walked in and briefly hugged Tyler as had become their custom. 

"You have enjoyed your outing with my lord?" she asked as she immediately began to help Tyler dress.

Tyler had no idea why Asgerd insisted on acting as her lady's maid. Even though she enjoyed the old woman's company, she didn't want her fussing over her either. She tried once more – although futilely – to dissuade her.

"Asgerd, really, you don't have to help me every time I need to get dressed."

But as always, the healer shushed Tyler and continued with whatever she happened to be doing at the moment. Throwing her hands up, Tyler relented and allowed Asgerd to have her way.

"Yes, I enjoyed myself with him a little too much. You were right, Asgerd. He likes me just as much as I like him."

Tyler was startled when Asgerd blew a raspberry. 

"Like...what is this 'like?' My boy is smitten with you, taken with you...his feelings go well beyond 'like.' You would do well to know this, my girl. As for you...you may continue to tell your falsehoods to whomever, but not to me. Your feelings go far beyond 'like' as well." 

Asgerd spat.

Shocked, Tyler just stared at the woman for a moment and then burst into laughter. Hugging the small woman closely to her, she tried to atone for telling Asgerd that she and Brand "liked" each other.

"You're as wise as you are wonderful, Asgerd. Forgive me if I seem like I'm hiding the truth. You have to understand that it's unheard of for me to care for somebody the way I care for Lord Brand...and so quickly! I've only known him a few days and I live and breathe him...it's unthinkable!" Tyler exclaimed.

Asgerd nodded her approval. That was more the truth of it!

"So much talk of this," she said, tapping Tyler's temple. "And so little talk of this." She once again placed her gnarled hand over Tyler's heart the way she had before. 

"Hear my words. Enjoy him. Love him, for time belongs to no man... 'tis even more so the truth for you," she advised cryptically. 

The time drew nearer for the evening meal, and Tyler was nervous. In a few short hours, her relationship with Brand would forever be changed; and she had no idea what would happen afterward.

This time, she had chosen one of the prettier dresses from the trunks of goodies Brand had sent up to her. The dress she wore tonight was a dark green with gold trim. It was made with velvet and brocade and was finished with a lovely, green belt with a broach in the middle.

Tyler was pleased with how her hair had turned out, considering she had nothing to use on it but what Svala had sent. Her hair was given to natural curls when she didn't straighten it with the blow dryer or flat iron. So tonight, thanks to the rose oil, her brown mane curled softly around her face. 

Whenever Tyler moved, the wonderful aroma of roses wafted around her. On impulse, she also used the water on her neck and the insides of her wrists. She found herself hoping that Brand would be pleased as well.

When the time came to go downstairs, Tyler's stomach twisted into knots. She couldn't wait to see Brand again, but the promise of the night to come weighed heavily on her mind. In less than a few short hours, she was going to be intimate with this man!

Ever by her side, Asgerd sensed that something was different. She sincerely hoped the girl would let down her guard for Lord Brand. Though he had been promised to Lady Thora, Asgerd had secretly hoped for a true love of his own.

She did understand that as a woman, Tyler would find it difficult to be the other woman. However, in Asgerd's eyes, they were trifles. Lady Thora and Lord Brand would be married in name only; yet she knew with a certainty that Tyler would hold the most important part of her boy...the best part – his heart.

The old woman hoped that in time that would be enough for Tyler, for she wished happiness for the girl as well...she did deserve it.

***

Once in the great hall, Asgerd dropped back as usual and joined the rest of her kinsmen at one of the benches. She allowed Tyler to walk alone toward the dais and took pride in the way the girl carried herself.

Lord Brand sat at the lord's table, and when the hush fell over the crowd, he watched in awe as Tyler walked toward him. Courageously, she gave a small smile to his clan members and even waved at some. She never ceased to amaze him, and it seemed as if she was lovelier each time he laid eyes upon her.

Her hair was different this eve and curled ever so softly about her face. Brand could not wait to run his fingers through it and to see her soft, plump lips swollen from his kisses.

He stood, preparing to greet her, the delicate smell of rose petals preceding her.

Brand came very close to tossing her over his shoulder and hauling her up to his solar, food be damned!

But he did not. 

'Bide your time, man!' He admonished himself. 

Taking her hand into his, Brand politely kissed it and pulled the chair out for her. Once she was seated, he took his own seat again, relishing in her scent.

"You are beautiful, Tyler. I am well pleased," he stated.

"Thank you," she whispered demurely. "You look rather handsome, too."

And he did.

He wore all black again, making Tyler dig her fingernails into her palms. The man was so gorgeous!

He was freshly bathed, a quality she was so thankful he possessed. Even though Vikings were relatively cleaner than most people of the medieval age, Brand was still alone on his campaign to bathe everyday...well, except for Tyler at least.

She had overheard a disgruntled Finn grouse about the absurd number of baths both she and the lord enjoyed. Since he was primarily responsible for lugging the pails of water to and fro, Tyler could understand why the young man was so irritated.

Brand's tunic was thin and sleeveless, baring both his heavily muscled arms. There was a silver armband on each of his upper arms. 

His tattoo was visible, and Tyler tried to pry her eyes from it. She had a million questions and wanted to touch the intricate art, but refrained. 

She guessed she would have time to indulge later on!

Blushing, at the thought, Tyler busied herself with the washing of her hands in the proffered bowl of water before her.

Fashionably late as usual, Bjor swaggered into the hall amidst boisterous shouts from his clansmen who were already halfway down the road to drunkenness.

Again, the crowd was shocked into another silence when everyone spotted Svala trailing behind Bjor. The large man pulled the small woman behind him in such a manner that it looked as if she had trouble keeping up with his long, confident strides. 

Gasping, Tyler clapped her hands with delight and looked over at Brand, who had been smirking. 

"Did I not assert that he would escort her home...and more?" he asked Tyler.

"You absolutely did," Tyler said, laughingly.

She excitedly got up to greet Svala. Again, the two women were completely unaware of the odd and striking pair they made as they pulled each other into a warm embrace. 

"Tyler, I have much to share with you. You must visit me in the morn! Let us break our fast whilst we talk," she said quickly.

Tyler nodded her head in agreement as Bjor continued to drag Svala to the other side of Brand. Apparently the giant wasn't willing to share Svala tonight. Amused, Tyler took her seat beside Brand as the food was served.

'More slop, 'she thought. Tyler nibbled on bread and sipped her mead. She couldn't wait to get to Svala's tomorrow for a real meal. 

As dinner wore on, she became more and more nervous. Bjor had monopolized most of the conversation but every now and again, Brand would turn to Tyler and engage her in conversation. 

Lady Thora and Leif had been noticeably absent. Tyler was pleased to find that Leif wouldn't be joining them for dinner. Even better, Lady Thora wasn't at the manor at all. For the sake of appearances, she had visited Lord Brand when he'd returned from war. Now that she'd done her duty, Thora had hightailed it back to her family's home.

Excellent.

Finally, the loud, bawdy singing began, signaling to Tyler that it was time to turn in. Unsure of how to go about this, she turned to Brand and found him watching her.

When Tyler bid him good night, he once again brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. 

"And Tyler," he said quietly. "Retire to my rooms," he commanded. Turning, he continued his conversation with Bjor.

She simply nodded and embraced Svala once more before leaving. 

The butterflies in Tyler's belly felt more like birds...she was so nervous! 

When she had rounded the corner and was out of sight, she began mumbling to herself. 

"What is wrong with you?! You're not a virgin! What's the big deal? He's a man, that's all! You're not about to hump a god!" she reasoned.

Stomping up the stairs, Tyler went to Brand's room and closed the door behind her. She leaned back against the door and inhaled deeply. The room smelled like him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but Brand had a distinctive smell that was uniquely him.

It was fresh cleanness and male. She loved it.

There was a small fire in the fireplace and Tyler was grateful for that. She decided to disrobe and make herself comfortable while she waited for Brand. She slowly removed her dress but when Tyler was nude, she realized she hadn't brought anything to sleep in. Not wanting to pull her dress back on to schlep back to her room for something to wear, she rummaged through Brand's chest. She found one of his large tunics and pulled it on. The garment was gigantic on her but it served its purpose.

Neatly Tyler folded her dress and laid it on the trunk. With nothing else to do, she proceeded to wait. 

Not long after she settled herself on Brand's bed did she hear footsteps outside his door. She looked down and saw a shadow pass on the other side of the threshold.

Tyler's breath caught in her throat, her heartbeat doubled. When the door opened, Brand was there, his wide shoulders filling the opening. When he came in and closed the door, he didn't say anything.

He just stood there watching Tyler, which made her immensely nervous. 

Then, slowly he began to remove his clothing. Interest piqued, Tyler rolled onto her side and rested her chin on her palm. 

This was gonna be good.

As Brand stripped for her, Tyler wished he would hurry. The man knew how to prolong the agony! First, his large, muscled chest was exposed along with the beautiful tattoos on his shoulder and arm.

She watched in awe as his abs rippled with brawn.

Next came the belt and leather thongs he used to hold up his woolen trousers. Brand was even slower in removing them, making Tyler bite her bottom lip in anticipation. 

When he stood before her completely nude, she gasped, her mouth slack as she took in his physique. His thighs were heavy with power and sinew.

Everything about him was larger than life...EVERYTHING. Tyler's eyes widened as she took in the size of the cock which now bobbed and swayed with his movements.

The man was simply magnificent.

***

Brand stood there, more affected by Tyler than he thought possible. She lay on his bed in one of his tunics, the garment slipping seductively off her shoulder.

As he regarded her loveliness, the difference between her and Thora did not escape him. While Thora was fair, with long, flaxen hair, aesthetically there was not a thing more perfect than her.

But her heart was black as pitch...Brand knew that. He also knew she looked upon him with contempt. She believed her thinly-veiled scorn went unnoticed; but he had seen it in her cool eyes more times than he could count.

It was then that Brand began to resign himself to a life with a shrew. For his kinsmen depended upon the riches, power and land a union with Thora would bring.

And then there was Tyler. Lovely, sweet Tyler who even now looked up at him with big, wide eyes filled with desire. 




Stardust Ch. 02



'Ah, she did make him feel like a man!'

She was not as perceptibly beautiful as Thora, but instead possessed her own splendor...both inner and outer. Brand had heard much talk of her coloring and how others – mostly women – found her looks to be odd. The men, however, all used bawdy words and phrases to describe her breasts, hips and arse when they thought Brand was out of earshot.

He was inclined to agree. Her shape was beautiful, and there was naught on her that was boney. Her breasts were large and inviting; her hips and backside were round and ample. They were made even more luscious by her narrow waist.

Even now, Brand stared at her plump thighs that had been laid bare before him. No, Tyler was unlike any he had ever come upon. Her skin was slightly darker than the warm, rich honey they used to sweeten the mead...but just as smooth. 

In her, Brand found naught but loving kindness and regard for others.

He also perceived a deep sadness in her that he wished he could wipe away. He did not know what had caused her such pain – save for the loss of her Marcus – but Brand found that he wanted to see her face alight with the untroubled, freedom of happiness.

She did deserve it. Just as surely as he knew this, he knew that in such a short time span this woman had stolen a piece of him...a piece of his heart.

And she belonged to him.

Gruffly, Brand cleared his throat and slowly moved toward her to claim his prize. She was the fairest of them all...in her own way.

As Tyler rolled onto her back, Brand was there on the bed with her, all masculine glory. He eased himself between her thighs and rested above her, motionless with his hands on either side of her head.

The heat she saw there in his gray eyes made her blush. Was it possible to want somebody the way she wanted this man?

Loving the feel of him towering over her, Tyler rested her palms on his chest. He allowed her to explore his body, enjoying the feel of her small hands over his arms, chest, stomach, back and buttocks.

She inhaled at the feel of steely muscles underneath warm skin.

When Tyler brought her hands around to cup his face, the two said nothing; in their gazes was everything. Closing her eyes, she brought his head down to hers and allowed him to drink from the fullness of her lips.

Brand immediately took control and deepened the kiss, his breathing becoming ragged. He licked and sucked her lips, reveling in the warm, sweet taste of her.

Tyler wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, drawing him closer. She moaned at the feel of his skin against her erect nipples. 

Her legs were driving Brand mad. 

They were soft and smooth; and she had spread them wide, welcoming him into her searing cocoon. Even now as she rubbed against his legs, her feet dug into his thighs and buttocks in a silent plea.

She wanted him inside her.

Brand wanted nothing more than to oblige. Yet it was too soon...he was losing control. 

He had meant to go slowly, savoring each moment. This was all wrong – too fast. She was going to make him weaken...

When Tyler wrapped her hand around his large cock, Brand bucked, his resolve to slowly seduce her quickly fading. Her grip was firm as the hand glided up and down his velvety hardness. She held his hot, heavy member in her small hand and used his wide tip to pleasure her swollen nub.

"Brand, please. Don't make me wait," she whispered frantically.

'A boy. She has reduced me to an adolescent boy!' Brand thought.

Her wetness pulled at him; called his name... he lost the battle and began to push into her. Tyler moaned as Brand's cock entered her tightness. She had known he was big, and had relished the thought of him deep inside of her.

But this was more superb than she could've imagined.

He slowly continued his assault, easing himself into her, inch by slow inch. Brand now lay atop Tyler as he focused on gently invading her...as gently as was humanly possible. 

Her pussy was wetter than he'd ever experienced, and he had done naught but kiss her!

When Tyler's walls pushed and pulled at Brand simultaneously, her tightness nearly overwhelmed him. He squeezed his eyes closed and gritted his teeth as her body tugged at him, urging him deeper. 

The pleasure was unbearable.

Finally, when he was deeply embedded, he raised himself on his hands once more and looked down at his new lover. Breath spasming and heart pounding irregularly, Brand watched her intently as he began to fuck her.

The sheer delight on Tyler's face made him swell with pride. But he wanted more...Brand wanted to hear her call out his name.

Pausing mid-thrust, he ripped his tunic from her body and was hypnotized by her breasts when they bounced free. They were large, the areolas dark and wide. They almost covered half her brown globes.

Nearly salivating, Brand dipped his head and licked one of the mahogany pebbles. A rush of air left Tyler, her eyes rolled back into her head. When he took the nipple into his mouth, he felt a spurt of her lubricant as more of it covered his cock.

Unable to resist, the Viking withdrew his cock and pushed it deep inside her, delighting in the sounds his sex made as it stroked her.

Tyler rolled her hips in an effort to make Brand ride her harder, faster. But he wouldn't accommodate. 

"BRAND, PLEASE!!!" she wailed.

Chuckling, he enjoyed the power he had over her until she lovingly stroked his balls and took one and then the other nipple into her mouth.

"Vixen!" Brand groaned. She had defeated him in their game of power.

He pushed her knees back and settled her thighs over his shoulders. Tyler smoothed her hand over his body with one hand and grasped the covers with the other.

Even still, when Brand splayed his massive hand against her soft belly and began to drive into her, she was not prepared. His cock created such friction against her inner walls, that Tyler was powerless to do anything but stare up at him. 

Her mouth hung open yet again, void of all sound except for her trembling breaths. Her eyes were glazed, unseeing of the huge man who was dominating her.

She could only feel.

Brand kissed her limbs from foot to knee, his powerful strokes becoming more forceful and faster.

Finally, Tyler's vocal chords were freed and she began to moan and whimper as the thick, veiny cock commanded her to sing.

"Oh, God! Oh Brand!" she called, her words throaty and barely coherent.

"That is right, woman. I am your god. Worship me," Brand commanded.

"Harder. Please, harder!" she gasped.

He happily indulged.

Brand used his hands to steady himself on the bed and proceeded to batter Tyler's pussy with vigor and gusto. Sweat poured off his big body onto Tyler. Her cries of passion were loud and long.

At the familiar tightening in his balls, he rubbed his thumb against her clit. Her keening cries reached a fevered pitch when her orgasm rocked her.

Blindly, Tyler reached for Brand, pulling him close. One hand was buried in his hair, the other had its nails embedded in his back.

Brand continued to pump into her until he was ravaged by his own orgasm. He had the strength and presence of mind to pull out of her wetness; his come spouted in rivulets, forming a path from her woman's mound to her belly.

As they both floated down from their zenith, their breathing becoming steady, Brand lifted himself on his elbows and observed Tyler. She gingerly removed her nails from his back and smiled up at him sheepishly.

She wore the look of a woman well-loved. 

Her body was misted with sweat; her eyes were deep and smoldering. Her lips were swollen and raw from his kisses and Tyler glowed from the time she'd spent in the throes of passion.

His woman was beautiful...and she owned him.

Brand had faced giants in battle and had come dangerously close to the end of an enemy' sword many a time. But he had always managed to escape death's grasp. 

It had been at the hands of this small woman that he had been defeated.

She had single-handedly maneuvered her way into his manor, into his mind and affections...and now into his bed.

Aye, she had been an underestimated opponent, an unforeseen foe. Quietly, sweetly she had done the impossible...Tyler had conquered him.



Stardust Ch. 03



"You please me, Lord Brand," Tyler whispered, batting her lashes coquettishly. Her eyes twinkled with mirth and her skin glowed radiantly from their lovemaking.

Brand chuckled in acknowledgment. It was he who normally spoke of how pleased he was with her.

"You are a minx," he teased as he kissed the tip of her nose and rolled his big body off of hers. Unable to pull her eyes away from Brand, Tyler's gaze followed him across the room as he made his way to the bowl of water. 

She was still in awe of his powerful physique...not one ounce of fat! 

His upper thighs nearly rubbed together when he walked, they were so heavily muscled! Not even his battle scars could mar the perfection of his form.

Tyler continued to stare, her appreciation evident when Brand brought a wet cloth over to her. He proceeded to gently clean her body of his spilled seed; the tenderness of his attentions belied his fierce, warrior frame. She placed one arm behind her head and allowed her other hand to trail idly across the soft furs on the bed.

Absently, she contemplated Brand's face. It was in these chambers that she'd first seen him. His appearance had scared the crap out of her; and Tyler had been afraid of him...afraid that he would hurt her. 

Now she was amused by the thought. 

She had come to love his face, love the kindness that was evident in his gray eyes. Tyler held no allusions about his violent side, though. She was positive he was vicious in battle and had killed many...he must've in order to have acquired his status as chieftain and the accompanying lands and riches.

"What has claimed your thoughts?" he asked, his deep voice bringing her out of her reverie. 

Again, Tyler watched as he made his way back to the bowl to toss the cloth inside. She cocked her head to the side and bit her bottom lip. 

His ass was perfect...so round and firm and fit! Even his big, muscular back was sexy.

"Whew!" Tyler whispered quietly. She could feel her natural lubricant pooling inside her woman's parts.

Brand walked around so casually, as if he owned the world. He was obviously comfortable with his nudity – he really had no reason to be ashamed – and walked around as if his nakedness was the most natural thing in the world...which, Tyler supposed it was!

This time when he walked back to the bed, she allowed her eyes to roam his entire body. As she focused on his cock – which was now semi-hard – she blushed prettily. Brand's manhood was long, large and beautiful.

It was dark and veiny and so...powerful, just like the rest of him. She definitely was going to taste him before the night was over.

Tyler blushed again at her wayward thoughts.

Just then, she realized that Brand had asked her something. She had been so busy with her perusal, she had completely ignored him!

Ripping her gaze from his body, Tyler looked up to find that Brand was now looking down at her. As he towered there, she was momentarily taken aback by the heat she witnessed in his eyes. Fire couldn't have burned as hotly as his gaze. 

And his dick was now fully erect, and it pointed...at her.

"There is something you...require, woman?" he asked, his voice silken, mesmerizing...daring.

Hypnotized, she nodded her head and slowly rolled to her knees. She then stood upon the bed which brought her close to eye level with him.

Never breaking eye contact, Tyler lightly placed her hands on his stomach and felt him jump ever so slightly. 

She smiled wickedly.

Brand growled.

Leisurely her hands moved upward along his abs and over his chest. Tyler smoothed her hands along his warm skin and rained soft kisses along his flesh. Her hands continued their exploration over his shoulders and down his heavy arms. This time, when her lips touched his body, it was to take each of his nipples into her warm mouth.

Brand jumped more perceptibly.

Biting back her laughter, Tyler continued to kiss her way up his torso until she came to the base of his neck. Nuzzling him there, she reveled in the feel of his scratchy facial hair and his clean, fresh scent.

With one hand on his shoulder, and the other at the back of his neck, Tyler slowly and thoroughly left her love mark on him.

To his credit, Brand didn't move a muscle. He stood there, power harnessed and allowed her to explore his beautiful body.

Now hungry for her man, Tyler inched closer, and loved the feel of his skin against hers. His cock throbbed between them and it excited her. A spell had been woven around them. 

With heavy eyelids that were half closed, Tyler wrapped her arms around Brand's shoulders. She threaded one hand into his beautiful hair and brought his head down to claim her lips in a kiss. When she felt his arms finally close around her, she gasped at how good it felt...how right. 

The intensity between them was sweet, and so potent that a single tear trickled down her smooth cheek. She quietly sobbed her need for him. Tyler was compelled to bring her warrior even closer to her own body as she climbed him and wrapped her thick thighs around his body. 

Sensing her need, and swept away by the strength of their passion, Brand took control. 

As they kissed hungrily, their tongues dancing and breath mingling, he walked them over to the stone wall beside the fireplace. Pushing Tyler's back against it, Brand continued to kiss her roughly.

His big hands massaged and squeezed her breasts, hips and thighs; and when he couldn't wait any longer, his cock found her tight, wet opening of its own volition. Steadying himself, he pushed his dick inside and almost died from the sweetness he found there.

"Woman!" he growled when Tyler squeezed her thighs around his waist. The action also caused her to tighten down on his thick manhood. 

Brand spread his arms wide and splayed his hands against the wall. He tucked his face in the crook of her neck and breathed in the soft sweetness of rose petals. 

"Odin help me," he mumbled, very nearly defeated. He fought for control and willed himself not to come inside her. 

Finally regaining control, he began to move within her. 

Repeatedly Brand's cock stabbed Tyler's pussy, making her eyes widen and her jaw slacken. All that could be heard was her rough gasps at the exquisite feel of Brand circling his hips against her. 

Once again, he had rendered her silent. 

Tyler held on for dear life as her Viking continued his slow, painfully wonderful assault.

By now, his fingernails dug into the warm stone of the wall, his control was gradually slipping away yet again. His thrusts changed and became more hurried, deeper and harder. With his face still nestled against her neck, Brand bit and sucked the soft flesh there, very close to his orgasm.

His shaft continued to batter her, and like before, Tyler finally found her voice.

She pumped her hips in accordance with Brand's rhythm; her lusty cries of passion urged him to pummel her even faster. His movements became too swift for her to keep up with, so she clung to him and took every one of his hard strokes.

Tyler tried to cling to him, but the sweat on their bodies made their skin slippery. Brand backed away from the wall and cupped her round, soft bottom in his hands. Still deeply implanted inside her, he walked toward the bed as Tyler took his face in her hands and kissed him passionately.

He laid her on the bed and immediately began riding her, making a startled Tyler gasp.

She moaned and sighed, whimpered and wailed, allowing Brand to surge in and out of her tight pussy. 

"Take me," he ground out. With each splendid thrust of his hips, he chanted the same refrain. "Take me...take me...take me."

He chuckled arrogantly as Tyler gushed more of her slick essence all over his cock.

Her soft moans turned into deep, guttural cries when her inner walls began to contract around him. 

"Fuck me baby...harder!" she exclaimed.

His surprised expression was almost comical.

For a second time, Brand buried his face in the crook of Tyler's neck and he unleashed himself on her. He beat into her, his own moaning joined with hers. And when she came all over his dick, her body emitted even more of her nectar.

It was Brand's undoing. 

This time when he pulled out of her, his hot come erupted from his balls amidst his loud bellowing. He was powerless to do anything but tower over Tyler, frozen. He allowed his liquid to drain out of him until he was spent...until they both were sapped.

Weakly, drowsily he rolled off of her onto his back. Out of breath, he began to smile. Then his smiles turned into a chuckle...which turned into full on laughter. 

Curiously, Tyler looked over at him, and briefly wondered if he'd lost his mind.

"What's funny?" she asked, unable to resist her own grin. His laughter was infectious. 

"Fuck me baby," he mocked. Tyler's eyes stretched both because of his high-pitched imitation of her voice and the reminder of what she had said in the heat of passion.

"NOOO!" Tyler shrieked, covering his mouth with her hand. She was getting pretty good at that!

Brand laughed even harder as she blushed and refused to remove her hand.

"How do you even know what that means?!" she wailed.

She finally removed her hand so Brand could answer. 

"'Tis a common enough word for we Vikings," he said as he made his way back to the bowl of water. "We speak it a bit differently, but tis not so difficult to recognize."

Intrigued, she leaned up on her elbow. "How do you say it?" she asked.

At first, he looked at her askance as he cleaned his fluid from her belly. Never before had he held such a discussion with a woman...not even with a whore. 

But Brand did feel as if he could share a great many things with her that he ordinarily could not with any other woman.

Decisively he tossed the cloth back in the bowl and took his cock in his hand. 

"This we call 'fock.' And this, what we have just done, we say 'fokka,'" he explained.

"Wow," Tyler said as she mulled over what he'd just said. She could write a book based off the things she'd seen and heard here. But who would believe her? What would her credentials say? Time travel?

"What of your people?" he asked as he lay beside her on the bed. 

"Us?" Tyler asked. She pointed at his penis. "Well, that has many words. There's cock, dick, shaft, schlong, prick, love stick, third leg..."

She broke off when she heard Brand's laughter.

"Third leg...I must use this," he said appreciatively.

Tyler smirked. 

This really was too funny. She should've been telling him about technology and the great strides they had taken since his time. Instead she was teaching him different ways to say penis.

Scooting closer to him, she ran her fingers along his shoulder and down his arm to the wrist. Tyler traced the tattoo there and wondered at the elaborate art. It looked just as good as the work of a 21st century tattoo artist...if not better.

"Who did this?" she asked.

Brand welcomed her featherlike caress, and was pleased she did not hesitate to touch him. 

"Tis the work of my Rus brethren...a gift of sorts in honor of my chieftainship and prowess in battle," he said.

Tyler knew it! They did have tattooing, it just hadn't been documented!

"How is it done? Do they really use wood ash? Was it painful?" she asked excitedly.

Brand smiled at her enthusiasm and was pleased about her knowledge and interest in his culture.

"Aye, the ink is made with wood ash and water," he said, gesturing to the deep blue-black color of the ink. "A sharp instrument not unlike a needle is then inserted in the mixture and applied to the skin. As for pain...a true warrior speaks not of pain, woman," he said.

Tyler loved the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he joked. He had such a good sense of humor!

The two fell into a companionable silence. 

Tyler inched even closer to Brand as she mulled over his explanation of the tattooing process. Her head rested on his shoulder while her hand lazily stroked his chest and stomach. She absently kissed his warm skin and became aware of a movement down below.

Brand's staff was beginning to swell. It lifted from its resting position against his thigh, saluting her.

Pursing her lips to hide the smile there, Tyler feigned ignorance and continued to fondle his burly torso. She "innocently" stretched, bringing her thigh up and across Brand's. She even "accidentally" rubbed her knee against his manhood.

Brand wasn't fooled.

With lightning quickness, he brought Tyler up and over him, her thighs straddling his. Before she understood his intention, he walloped her on her plump backside.

Tyler yelped.

"You tease me, woman?" he growled playfully.

Laughing, she leaned down and sprinkled kisses on his face, lingering on his scars. And then she kissed him gently on the lips. 

"Forgive me and allow me to make it better," she whispered.

Boldly, seductively Tyler crawled backward until she was leaning over his shaft. Tenderly, she ran her tongue along his salty erection, eliciting a loud moan from him. She had lost count of how many times she'd been able to make him do that. 

She felt powerful and sexy like a siren.

Tyler wrapped her palm around Brand's heavy dick and took the head into her mouth. She squeezed him and jerked her fist up and down as she took more of him inside. She loved the feel of his swelling cock.

Brand gritted his teeth and thought he would die from the bliss Tyler bestowed upon him.

She worked to take more of his hardness into her throat. When she bobbed her head up and down, creating a vacuum with her mouth, she thought Brand would explode right then and there. His thigh muscles bunched and he roughly threaded his fingers in her hair. 

Tyler could taste his heady pre-ejaculate.

Overcome with desire, she removed her hand from his shaft and allowed her palms to caress Brand's muscled thighs. She skimmed over his belly and dragged her nails over his hard chest. Tyler allowed him to slip from her mouth, so she could down first one and then both of his balls.

Once again pumping her fist over him, she sucked and licked Brand's scrotum. 

Dripping wet, she replaced her hand with her mouth and once again held him in her throat. Attuned to his needs, she quickened her pace. Cupping his sack in one hand and tightening her grip on his cock with the other, Tyler sucked his dick frantically.

Brand's hands tightened in her hair and his hips began to pump furiously. He sincerely hoped he did not hurt her, for he was powerless to stop. She was a witch who had woven a spell about him!

Tyler continued her assault on her lover. 

When he froze and issued a long, loud, throaty sound, she prepared to receive the cream that gushed out of him. Swallowing every drop of his love substance, she squeezed and sucked his cock until he was dry. 

Crawling back up, Tyler sat on Brand's stomach.

He stared up at his beautiful vixen; her hair was a wild mass of dark curls. He promptly began to harden, surprising even himself. He wanted her yet again.

Finding the strength, he sat up and adjusted her on his abs so he could reach her breasts.

When he touched her nipple with his hot, wet tongue, Tyler arched her back and let out a low, sexy moan. Brand took the erect point into his mouth and licked it...slurped it...sucked it.

After loving the first nipple, he slowly moved to the second and stayed there for what seemed to Tyler like an eternity.

She was soaking wet by the time he rolled her onto her back.

Reaching between their bodies, Tyler was shocked and pleased to find him erect. As she did earlier that night, she rubbed his smooth, red mushroom head along her clit. Brand brushed her hand aside and took his shaft into his hand. He dragged his cock along her bud...for a few moments. 

And that was all he did.

He stayed there and titillated her with his head. Tyler gasped and moaned both with desire and frustration.

She thought she would die from his teasing!

"Speak to me," he demanded.

Legs spread wide and one arm thrown across her face, Tyler squeezed her own nipple. She tossed her head from side to side in exquisite agony. She had no idea what a sight she made. Brand nearly abandoned his campaign to make her beg.

"Tyler, what is it that you want?" he commanded gruffly. His thighs flexed as he moved his hips back and forth. One large hand still grasped his big cock while the other held her thigh open at her bent knee.

Breathlessly, Tyler moaned her wishes. "Brand I want you...I need you inside me. Don't make me wait!"

He didn't know what it was about her...or what it was about what she'd said. But he wanted to give her the world. He needed her just as much as she needed him. Tenderly, Brand bent over and brought his lips to hers. 

He kissed her deeply and gently pushed his cock inside her.

Tyler's eyes fluttered closed as she took all of him. She wrapped her arms around his wide back in an effort to bring him closer. 

Brand's lovemaking was slow and unhurried. He fucked Tyler as if time was nothing more than a whisper. He changed the angle of his thrusts and rocked his hips so that he ground against her clit.

Her tightness sucked him in and made for an incredible sheath. And when their energy became more intense, his pace became harsher. His thrusts became faster and harder, all gentleness gone.

He used the pad of his thumb to manipulate her woman's bud. 

Brand took her nipple in his mouth one after the other and overwhelmed her with feeling. Dragging his cock in and out of her pussy, his strokes became almost savage. Their breathing became heavy panting, the sounds of their fucking was all that could be heard in the quiet chambers.

Tyler had lost count of how many times she had come. So when her pussy tightened around Brand's dick, she hugged him closer as her inner walls again convulsed around his shaft.

She howled her pleasure and couldn't be bothered about the noise she made. She was experiencing nirvana, and nothing else mattered to her except for Brand and the things he was doing to her.

He made her body sing...hell, he made her sing!

When his own climax descended upon him, Brand pulled out of Tyler and once again came on her belly. Breathing heavily, he stayed there for a moment, unmoving. He watched her silently as she fought to catch her own breath.

Feeling his gaze on her, Tyler looked up and gifted him with a warm, loving smile. She wanted so badly to seal their act with words. She was overwhelmed with her feelings for this man and wanted to tell him. She wanted to let him know what he meant to her.

But this wasn't supposed to last. 

And whether here or in her own time, rejection was still very much real. Tyler had no way of knowing how he felt about her. So instead, she placed her hands on his back and brought him closer. Then she kissed him.

In that one kiss, Tyler placed all the intensity, all the passion and all the adoration she felt for him. Her actions were from the heart, and she hoped in the joining that she had told him everything she'd wanted him to know.

When she pulled away and looked up at him, Tyler smiled. There, mirrored on Brand's face was everything that she had felt.

***

Brand and Tyler spent the rest of the night alternating between lovemaking and conversation. They asked questions and learned more about each other's culture. While Tyler lovingly traced and kissed each of Brand's scars, he told how he had come by them.

When the night grew later and their talk slowed, he placed his sword in his customary place near the bed. It was crucial for his weapons to be within his grasp at all times...even during slumber. 

He then positioned himself between Tyler and the door and pulled her against his warmth. Brand drew the furs around them and wrapped his arms around her. As her eyes drifted closed, Tyler snuggled under the covers and purred softly, making him smile. 




Stardust Ch. 03



His thoughts were too numerous for sleep just yet. Brand was more affected by Tyler than he realized. 

Affected. 

That was not a true summation of his feelings for her. He sighed. Now he had been reduced to thoughts of feelings. Brand was becoming a woman. He could feel his masculinity draining from him...all because of a fetching vixen with big, expressive eyes.

Unconsciously, he kissed the top of her head, still consumed with his thoughts. 

This woman twisted him up in ways he had never before experienced. He was a warrior, aye, but he was not ignorant of the happiness a good woman could bring to his life and home. His own father had been captivated by a Saxon woman...Brand's mother.

Magnus had acquired Edith as part of the spoils of war. A slave, she had initially shown contempt for Magnus and had fought him tooth and nail. Brand's father would have been well within his rights to force the woman to submit...but he did not.

Instead, the great chieftain wooed her and treated her with gentleness. Once Edith had seen the just manner in which Lord Magnus ruled his people - both clan member and slave alike - she could no longer resist his charms. 

Both Asgerd and his father had always told of the great love that had existed between a lowly Saxon slave and a great, Viking warlord. Neither had wanted Brand to ever forget who his mother was. 

Edith's acceptance of Magnus had been absolute, and the two had known a great love like no other.

Brand was the result of that union. 

Edith had been ecstatic to learn that the tangible evidence of her love with Magnus was growing in her belly. The two lovers were married and made grand plans for the time when their baby would arrive.

However, theirs was not to be a happy ending. 

During childbirth, Edith had lost too much blood. Asgerd and the midwives had worked tirelessly to stop the bleeding. They had done everything to help the young woman survive...she had meant a great deal to their lord. But their work had not been enough.

With her final breath, the Saxon woman had professed her love for Magnus and had beseeched him to care for their baby...to love it twice as much.

Edith had never learned that she had given birth to a son.

Brand had always carried the heaviness of his chieftainship with silent strength. No one knew how burdened he was with his duty. It was his responsibility to beget an heir...a boy who would continue on his name. But he was haunted by his mother's death. She had died during labor. 

What if history did repeat itself with his own wife?

When Thora had become his betrothed, Brand had not known how to feel. In the beginning, it had looked as if their future was promising. He was a powerful warlord with more riches than he could count. And as a boon, Brand was to marry the most beautiful woman in all the land. 

However, when he had witnessed the coldness in Thora's eyes and watched her recoil from his touch, he knew he had been condemned to a life of suffering. Of course he could force Thora and bed her against her will...he would be well within his rights.

The thought turned his stomach.

He was a man of great pride. Any woman who would join him abed would come willingly or not at all. Brand did not have to force a woman to welcome his touch.

The paradox which was his life amused him.

He was no longer vexed about his wife dying in childbirth. That burden had been lifted and was replaced by a future of imminent bedlam with a cold bitch whom he would rather set adrift in one of their longboats. 

And then there was Tyler...sweet Tyler.

Svala's words had been true. There was none other who had made him feel in this manner. Brand was overwhelmed by the power of his affection for this woman. Subconsciously, he held her closer and buried his face in her hair. The intoxicating smell of roses almost made him roll her over unto her back and mount her.

'In the morn,' he promised himself. In the morn he and his third leg would greet her properly. 

Brand chuckled at his newfound phrase. 

Abruptly, his thoughts turned serious again, his old fears once again haunted him. As much as he wanted...needed to breed with Tyler, he could not. He would not risk losing her to childbirth.

It had taken every ounce of his strength to not spill his seed in her wondrous heat this night. Brand did not care what had to be done; he was certain that he would not allow himself to impregnate her.

She meant too much.

He thought of the way she had lost herself this night. With abandon she had given of herself in a way that no woman had before her. He knew without a doubt that he would never take another to his bed...not while Tyler was a part of his life.

Brand corrected himself. She would always be a part of his life, for she was his. He would never let her go, Thora be damned. He would find a way for Tyler to bear his name, for he had to have her. He acknowledged that he needed this woman the way he needed air, for she had come to mean everything to him.

He loved her.

***

The next morning, Tyler awoke to the sound of movement in the room. She peeped out from under the mound of furs and watched as Brand stoked the fire. He was fully dressed and sat on the bed to pull on his boots.

She thought of the night she had spent with him and blushed at her memories. They all involved the two of them naked with him deep inside of her.

It had been the best night of her life.

When he began to comb his fingers through his hair, Tyler threw the covers off and crawled toward him. Wrapping her arms around him, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his clothed back against her naked body.

"Good morning, Brand," she said tenderly, her voice husky from sleep.

"Come," he commanded, pulling her around to face him.

Tyler obeyed and stood before him shyly...she was after all, still nude.

He picked her up in a big bear hug and kissed her squarely on the lips. 

"You have slept well?" he asked.

Brand had no idea how well she'd slept...as a matter of fact, she'd slept like the dead!

"Yes. It was the best sleep I've had in a long time. And what about you? Did you sleep well?"

He smiled. 

When she inquired after his well-being, Brand did feel as if he was of great import to her. It was a feeling he decided he did like.

"Aye, a little too well," he replied. He had been a young boy without training the last time he had slept so hard. If he continued on this course, he would need to rely on Tyler to protect him in the event of an ambush!

"Do you have to leave so early?" she asked. "Is the sun even up yet?"

Tyler's voice had been sullen. She knew it was extremely early, and she wasn't ready to let him go yet. She wanted to spend more time with him, but understood he had responsibilities.

Brand tilted her face upward and looked down at her. Even first thing in the morn she was beautiful. Her hair was mussed and more untamed than the night before. Her eyes were hooded as she valiantly tried to keep them open.

He knew that the hours he kept were not for most. What he would not give to shirk his duties and spend countless hours abed with his woman.

"If the sun has beaten me up, it means I am late," he said quietly.

Tyler wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. Leave it to her to take up with the lord of the manor. Why couldn't he be somebody of less consequence? Somebody who could lounge around all day and do nothing?

She immediately knew she would never fall for anyone of the sort. Part of the reason she was attracted to Brand had to do with his integrity, honor and work ethic. She certainly couldn't blame him for taking his duties seriously.

"Well, I understand you have to leave. But before you go, could you grant me one favor?" she asked.

"Anything," he replied solemnly. He would give her the moon if she asked.

"Make love to me." 

Brand closed his eyes. She had trapped him.

Tyler looked up into his face and smiled impishly. She knew his word was his bond, and he had promised her anything. He would have to make love to her before he left.

Knowing she had won, she took his hand and led it to her already-wet, quivering sex. Brand remained speechless.

"I'm ready for you. Back home we call it a 'quickie.' It's fast, it's dirty and it's good," she whispered. 

'The woman beguiled him,' Brand thought. 'Aye, she was good at her craft.' Later he would repay her in kind.

Unfastening his belt, Tyler watched in fascination as she opened Brand's trousers and his dick sprang free. She loved the way it bounced and swayed like a wayward limb.

As if she could not be any more enchanting, she crooked her finger at her giant, beckoning him to join with her. Brand stood in shocked silence when she crawled onto the edge of the bed, her knees spread wide apart.

There was a perfect arch in her back which displayed how her narrow waist flared into wide, enticing hips. Her thick, round bottom hung in the air in invitation. Her magnificent, near-bald pussy called to Brand.

He had never taken a woman in this way. It was his experience that animals bred in this manner...it was a common occurrence to see two dogs or sheep or horses rutting like this.

But humans?

Intrigued, his body stumbled forward, led by his eager, engorged cock. Unable to resist Tyler's ass, he massaged the flesh and savored her softness. She was so plump! He allowed her to take hold of his shaft and stroke it. 

When she led him to her opening, Brand paused. He was nearly beside himself with excitement of the unknown. 

"You are sure?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes...do it," Tyler begged.

Obediently, he allowed her to pull him to her opening. Once there, Brand brushed her hand away and placed one palm on her waist. The other guided his cock inside his woman. Clenching his jaw, he thought he would come from her tight resistance. 

Her pussy was so small!

When he had pushed in an inch or so, his hand left his cock and joined the other on Tyler's waist. He continued to push into her as he simultaneously pulled her against him. He was now balls deep.

Impaled, Tyler panted and welcomed the fullness of Brand's organ. She flattened her torso on the bed, keeping her ass in the air for him. She turned back to look at him and almost laughed. He looked like he had just received a new toy. 

At the first thrust of his hips, Tyler's eyes fluttered closed. When he withdrew and thrust back into her again, she grabbed handfuls of the covers. He was so big!

"A quickie," she heard him mumble.

Brand made good use of the word. His strokes became faster and much stronger. The new position allowed him to sink even deeper into Tyler's depths. He grunted as her pussy clenched around his dick.

Powerfully, his cock stabbed her insides over and over again. Their moans and groans filled the early morning air. If anyone were to pass by Lord Brand's chambers, they would be privy to the passion within.

Reaching his stride and in control, Brand's wonder and amazement was replaced by unadulterated lust. 

A true man, he watched as Tyler's ass jiggled from his pounding. In pure male fashion, his hand reared up and came crashing down on her soft cheeks. He spanked her ass thoroughly and was rewarded with her cries of pleasure and the reddening of her skin.

Tyler smiled with appreciation and humor...he definitely was a true man.

Brand was near his climax. 

He kept up his hard and fast pace, and urged her up on her hands. He fondled her breasts and brought his hands down past her belly. When he found her small, turgid nub, Tyler bucked and keened at the contact.

Just when she thought their fucking couldn't possibly get any better, Brand began to fuck her even harder, faster. 

With his fingers still dancing along her clit, Tyler welcomed the familiar twinge in her gut and pussy. Her nipples puckered, and her breathing trembled. When she came, she squirted her clear liquid along Brand's shaft, making his thrusts wetter.

Tyler's screams were momentarily overshadowed by Brand's shouting. 

At the clenching of his balls, he grabbed her shoulders and roughly pounded into her. At the eleventh hour, he pulled his pole out of her and came on her pussy lips. With his eyes closed, and head tossed back, Brand jerked his dick, draining it of all his come.

Tyler collapsed on the bed in satisfied happiness. Now that was a quickie!

She felt Brand moving behind her, the bed pressed down on either side of her against his weight. She felt his warm lips on her back, shoulders and neck...then he was gone. 

Returning with a wet cloth, he wiped Tyler's bottom in the same way he had the night before. Cleaned, she turned on her back and watched him readjust his clothing. The two were silent, not from a lack of conversation, but from the strength of their connection.

They would both stay in each other's company the entire day if they could.

When Brand dragged his hands through his hair once more, Tyler got up and grabbed his brush. Wordlessly, she climbed back on the bed and motioned for him to sit. With his back to her, she brushed his long, glossy mane and pulled it back. 

She secured it with a leather strip into a neat ponytail. 

Once finished, he stood and faced her. 

Brand pulled Tyler to a stand on the bed and drew her into his arms. Her hands roamed along his back as she lovingly placed kisses along his face. 

He grunted his pleasure, but that was all.

Neither said a word...they didn't need to. 

Brand grabbed his sword and knives and slipped them into their holsters. As he made his way to the door, he turned for a final look at Tyler. She sat on the bed, wearing her nakedness proudly. Her hair was a dark cloud around her head, and she wore the look of a woman well-loved.

When she pressed her fingertips to her lips and blew him a kiss, he briefly touched his hand to his heart. And with that, he opened the door and left.

***

Tyler walked briskly toward Svala's cabin. It was now midmorning, and it had been a few hours since Brand had left. 

She had gotten little to no sleep the night before because of her sex fest with Brand. So Tyler had crept back to her own room and had burrowed underneath the covers. Her growling stomach had awakened her. Other than that, she was sure she could've slept for another few hours.

The day was shaping up to be a nice one. 

Even Tyler appreciated the warmth in the air. There was no snow and the sun shined brightly, lending them its heat. She forwent her cape and settled for a simple white, muslin underdress with a full, black skirt over it. The skirt featured a fitted bodice and was split in the front, showing a hint of the white underdress. 

Today, she had pulled her hair back into a high ponytail with a black ribbon. 

As she made her way to Svala's, Tyler waved at some of the residents. Since she'd been at Ragnarsston Hall, they had slowly begun to come around. They waved whenever they saw her, and some even ventured to speak to her. Not all spoke English, which created a language barrier; but they were friendly all the same.

Tyler had not won over the masses, though. 

Some of the men leered at her every chance they got while others turned their back on her as if she didn't exist. Most of the women were still wary of her; and she was sure things were bound to get worse once they found out about the kind of relationship she had with Brand.

With Svala's cottage in sight, Tyler walked faster. Brand would have her head on a pike if he knew she'd walked this distance by herself.

Knocking on the door, she closed her eyes and inhaled the aroma of whatever wonderful dish Svala was cooking. Tyler's stomach growled again in anticipation. When the door swung open, she looked up into Bjor's blue eyes.

Startled, she gave her apologies for interrupting and was about to back away when Bjor's large hands reached out for her. He grabbed her into a big hug and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

"Nonsense, lady! Come inside, the witch – er, Svala has been expecting you," he said boisterously.

Tyler absolutely adored Bjor. His size was deceiving, as he was one of the jolliest people she'd ever met. When she walked inside the cottage, it was to find Svala scurrying about, placing roasted cod on a trencher with fruit. She took a loaf of bread out of the hearth and turned just in time to see Tyler.

The two women eyed each other and were bursting to have their girl talk. 

"Tyler, good morn! Please, come... sit," Svala invited. "Bjor, shoo! We women need our time together now."

He refused to be dismissed. 

He walked over to Svala and stood there silently, the heat in his gaze obvious. Svala watched him breathlessly, trying her best to display an outward calmness. The chemistry between the two lovers was so potent, that Tyler blushed, looking away. 

"Enjoy your woman's time, lady. But make no mistake, I will have my time later...much later," he said meaningfully.

When Bjor wrapped his huge arm around Svala's waist and kissed her deeply, Tyler looked down and busied herself with buttering her bread.

"Bjor!" Svala gasped, blushing. 

"Aye, I am leaving. Brand will have my hide as it is.'Tis late, but you entice me so," he growled and wiggled his brows suggestively.

Laughing, Svala pushed him out of the cottage and joined Tyler at the table.

"Well, missy, we both have a lot of talking to do...should I go first or do you want to?" Tyler asked as she took a big bite of the food. She closed her eyes, blissfully savoring the well-seasoned fish.

"You go," Svala urged. "By the looks of your aura, I can venture that you and my lord have...consummated your...friendship." 

She could barely keep a straight face...neither could Tyler for that matter.

"Thank you for trying to be tactful," Tyler said chuckling. "I don't normally kiss and tell but, I have to talk to somebody! Brand was so awesome and so tender! It was so intense! I mean, you should've been there - well, maybe not - but....oh, Svala. I'm crazy about him!"

Out of breath, Tyler sat back in her chair, her gaze somewhere outside of Svala's open door. She wore a dreamy expression and probably was not aware of it.

Taken with her newfound friend, Svala leaned her elbow on the table with her head in her hand. It pleased her greatly that Brand had found someone so special. For years she had hoped, had prayed to the Great Father Odin for a special woman for her brother. 

She had even offered up prayers and gifts to Freyja who was the goddess of love and sorcery. It would seem that the deity had heard Svala's supplications for now before her sat a woman more lovely and deserving of Brand than Svala had ever encountered.

Snapping out of her whimsical thoughts, Tyler turned her attention back to Svala and blushed. She had completely forgotten the woman was sitting there; Tyler had been so consumed with thoughts of Brand.

"I'm sorry. This guy has me gone," Tyler apologized sheepishly.

"He has you gone?" Svala asked quizzically.

Smiling, Tyler explained what the phrase meant and asked about Svala's time with Bjor.

It was the beautiful woman's turn to blush. 

"Well, that guy has me gone as well!" she admitted. She smiled at Tyler's laughter. 

"I well knew of him as he is my lord's closest confidante; but that is all. The men's training demonstration was the first I have seen of him in years."

Tyler bit her lip when Svala's expression turned dreamy. The two of them were a pair of love fools.

"When he did walk me home after the demonstration, it did seem as if there was a connection. And last eventide - well..." 

Svala broke off, blushing once again. 

"Let us say we did consummate our friendship...and it was good," she finished.

Tyler smiled. She knew exactly how Svala felt. New love was always so exciting and so...well new! And amazing! 




Stardust Ch. 03



The two friends decided to surprise their men by preparing a noon meal for them. Tyler was happy she would be able to show off her culinary skills.

While they cooked, they shared stories about themselves. A very curious Svala inquired about life in the future, and her mind was blown by all the many changes and advances in technology and medicine.

She was saddened to hear that the Viking age would come to an end, and that her brethren would be conquered. But Tyler assured Svala that the Viking influence on the future was absolute. She also explained that the Viking name was associated with strength, valor and cunning in battle...that in no way had their culture died.

As the time for the noon meal grew near, Svala and Tyler rushed to wrap the food in cloth. The meal consisted of cheese tartlets, game hens with roasted carrots, parsnips and apples, a round loaf of bread, and fruits and berries for dessert. They tucked the food carefully into a basket along with a skin of wine and breezed out of the cottage.

Curiously, Svala once again glanced back at the spot where the gold box was stored. As before, the quiet voice instructed her that now was not the time. Relieved, she closed the door behind her and walked along the path with her friend.

***

Leif pulled the hood of the cloak further over his face. He stood among the forest trees, its leaves and branches had effectively blocked out all sunlight. A very long way from the manor, he hoped his plan did not go awry.

He had taken a great chance coming out here alone this way. 

There was a chance the man would change his mind and decide to not meet with Leif after all. Or worse. The man could betray him. On the other hand, things could go as planned, and all could go well. 

Either way, Leif was a gambling man, and he would do what he must to attain what he wanted most. When he heard the footfalls of the horse and rider, he remained in his hidden position and peered through the leaves and branches.

Suddenly, the horseman broke through the trees and looked about him warily.

Leif still did not move a muscle. He wished to be sure the man had come alone. When enough time had passed and he was satisfied, Leif finally stepped out of his hiding place and revealed himself to the man.

The two eyed each other warily, the circumstances of their meeting made each man untrustworthy. Silently they assessed each other, both keeping their faces hidden beneath the folds of their hoods. 

The horseman nudged his horse closer to Leif.

"Identify yourself," he commanded.

The man chuckled. 

"You are in no position to order me about, Norman. You have summoned me...not I you," the rider growled.

Leif's eyes narrowed. Pompous jackass. Diplomacy was in order, else everything he had worked for up to this point would be unraveled.

He groveled.

"Forgive me, sir. I wished only to guarantee you are who you say," he replied smoothly. "I meant no disrespect."

The man sat atop his horse and did not speak for a moment. He did not buy the Norman's sudden change in demeanor. Any person who would summon the likes of himself to do what the Norman wanted done was not an individual to be trifled with. Still, this yellow-bellied coward offered the unattainable. 

For now, he held the key to all the horseman dreamed of. 

For now. 

Once in striking position, he would bring down this man and all he held dear. But not yet. He must play politics first...only a while longer.

"I require half the payment upfront. I expect the rest once the job is done," the stranger said, his voice clipped.

Without hesitation, Leif tossed a pouch to the man that contained half of the agreed upon amount. The man easily caught the pouch and felt the weight of the coins under his palm. He nodded his approval.

"Where is this manor?" the rider asked curiously. He reined in his dancing mare...the thoroughbred was becoming restless.

"All in goo d time, friend. First, we adhere to the plan. Do your part, and the rest will come later," Leif assured.

Dumb fuck. Did he really think he would disclose such precious information to him?

Leif carefully outlined the plan once more. And when he was done, the two men agreed upon a day and time, with Leif promising that everything would be in order...that there would be no surprises and no resistance.

Their pact made, the man turned on his horse and made to ride through the forest. He tossed Leif one more disgusted look and nudged his horse into a gallop.

Leif remained where he was, victory well within his grasp. He closed his eyes and envisioned himself as lord of the manor. Only a little while more and he would have it all. As he made his way to his own horse, he began to chuckle.

Aye, he would conquer his cousin alright. And the best part, was that Brand would never even see it coming.

*** 

Brand pulled Tyler up off the blanket they had spread on the ground and drew her into his arms. The men had been pleasantly surprised with the meal the women had prepared. Their meal had been filled with laughter and good-natured ribbing as the four savored the delicious food.

"I have enjoyed this repast, woman. It pleases me even more that it was prepared by your hands," Brand complimented warmly.

"I'm glad you liked it," she said sweetly, kissing his nose. "But I had help."

Brand looked in Svala's direction and grunted. "I would thank Svala; however, she seems to be a bit...occupied at this moment."

Tyler followed Brand's gaze and saw that Svala and Bjor were engaged in a fierce lip lock and tight embrace. Blushing, Tyler looked back at Brand who was now staring at her lips.

"I believe we shall follow suit. But I want more...another quickie," he declared. 

His gaze was hot as he began to tug Tyler into the woodland away from Bjor and Svala.

She covered her mouth to hide the smile there. Brand was picking up on her jargon rather well...too well!

A few minutes later, the couple reemerged from the wood, holding hands and sated. Bjor and Svala shot them knowing looks which Brand and Tyler chose to ignore. The men kissed their women once more and headed back to training.

Wanting to give Svala time alone, Tyler left for the manor to find Asgerd. 

As she made her way along the path, a cloaked figure appeared from the forest on the right. Tyler stopped in her tracks, her heart in her throat. Now she understood why Brand didn't want her walking around alone. 

She was now much too far away from Svala's cottage, and she wasn't close enough to the manor yet, either. If she screamed, there was nobody around to hear her. Anxious, she continued to stand there and looked around for a weapon.

Nothing.

There was nothing she could grab in order to protect herself. As the form slowly made its way toward Tyler, she began to panic and imagine the worst. She visualized the person slicing her to pieces with a sword.

Or what if they stabbed her with a dirk? She could be raped or beaten to death...the possibilities were endless. 

When the stranger stood before her, Tyler didn't dare breathe. She balled her fists and prepared to give them hell...there was no way she would go down without a fight. She thought of Brand and how hurt he would be if she died.

Her amazing Brand.

Suddenly, smooth alabaster hands reached up to push back the hood. 

Lady Thora.

Tyler breathed a sigh of relief. If it went down, she could take Thora...she'd rather see this woman than Leif any day. 

"My but you have certainly made yourself at home here," Thora said. Her tone was smooth, lazy and reproachful.

She looked Tyler up and down, assessing her. Her look of disdain clearly let Tyler know that she had been measured and had been found wanting. 

"You have partaken of my threads, my home, and my food...the bed of my betrothed. You are overconfident and I dislike you greatly."

Tyler stood there, her hands still balled into fists at her sides. Thora disliked her? She briefly considered ripping the woman into shreds verbally. But she wasn't worth the time or effort. 

When Tyler tried to walk around Lady Thora, the tall woman blocked her. Standing this closely, Tyler could see she had guessed correctly a few days before. The woman was much taller and towered over her.

"Listen to me, you whore," Thora growled. "You enjoy your time here...even enjoy my intended. Only know this: he and I will be wed, and I will be the lady of the manor. You will be nothing more than a common cunt, and I shall send you away to a fate far worse than you can imagine."

With that, Lady Thora whipped the hood back over her face. Her ice blue eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing. 

"But before then, you will have what you deserve...this I swear," Thora said solemnly.

She turned on her heels and walked back into the direction from which she had come.

***

Tyler was pissed. She paced the floor of her chambers and was deep in thought. 

'That bitch! The nerve!'

She had powerwalked back to the manor after her encounter with Thora. She wasn't about to risk another run in with someone much stronger. So she had walked as fast as she could back to the keep.

Safely inside, she ran into Finn who had been running an errand for Brand. She asked if he could find Asgerd and send the old woman to her chambers. Now, Tyler's feet were eating up the cold stone beneath her.

Livid did not begin to describe how she felt now.

At the sharp knock at the door, she turned as Asgerd walked in. The old woman took in Tyler's state and rushed toward her. 

"What is it child?" she demanded.

"Thora, that's what! I was on my way back from Svala's and she intercepted me there. She was the bitch she always is, but she threatened me this time."

"Tell me," Asgerd urged.

Tyler took in a deep breath. "Well, she knows about Brand and me –"

She broke off. 

Damn, she hadn't meant to tell Asgerd that she and Brand were intimate. She knew the woman wouldn't judge her, she just had wanted to keep her relationship with him under wraps for as long as possible.

Asgerd seemed to read her mind. "Tis good, child. You need fear no judgment from me. I am glad," she said reassuringly.

Nodding her head, Tyler continued. "She was full of venom and was her usual nasty self. But this time she threatened me. She told me I'm going to get what I deserve...and Asgerd, I believe her!"

"Come. We must tell Lord Brand of this. He is the only one who can stop this and put that pest in her place," Asgerd said.

"Really, Asgerd, I don't want to bother him with my petty problems. He has a lot on his mind as it is."

The old woman looked at her and smiled softly. She cupped Tyler's face in her hands. 

"Spoken like a woman who truly loves my boy," she said warmly. 

The moment quickly passed.

"Now come," she barked.

Tyler trailed behind. She didn't know why she even bothered arguing with Asgerd.

Bossy old woman.

***

The courtyard buzzed with talk and interest as they watched their Lord Brand with the emissary. 

When Tyler and Asgerd arrived, they both took in the scene with apprehension and curiosity. Asgerd knew well that a messenger often brought more bad tidings than naught.

Her lord and his men had only just returned from war, and now here stood an envoy.

Quietly, she and Tyler tried to listen. As Brand and the messenger spoke in their Norse tongue, there was no way for Tyler to understand what was being said.

She tried to read Brand's expressions and was nervous when he looked surprised and then upset.

What the hell was going on??

Soon, he stepped aside and allowed the lone horseman inside for refreshment. Meanwhile, Finn led the man's horse to the stables.

Tyler tried to make eye contact with Brand. 

When his gray eyes landed on her, his expression was grim and reserved. She wanted badly to go to him and wrap her arms around him...she wanted to take away whatever bad news the messenger had delivered.

But she needed to keep her distance and wait until later when they were together. Thank goodness that wouldn't be too much longer. She decided to postpone her talk of Lady Thora as well.

That evening, the meal passed without incident. 

The mood in the hall wasn't nearly as jovial as it normally was...really, the mood had been rather somber. By the end of the dinner, Tyler was fit to be tied. She was ready to explode with curiosity and was so relieved when the meal came to an end.

As was her custom, she left well before Brand and made her way to his chambers.

Worried, she paced the floor as she had done earlier that day. Something was wrong, and she couldn't help remembering what Marcus had said. 

"Remember the flight, remember the flight," she mumbled.

Just then, Brand walked inside and Tyler immediately went to him.

He took her into his arms and breathed in her sweet scent.

"I have been summoned by my leaders," he said. There was no emotion, no anger or frustration. Just simply stated. 

Tyler pulled away and stared up at her lover in disbelief. "But you just got back!"

Nodding, Brand gently pulled away to remove his clothing. "Tis true. But it is not unheard of...rare, but not unheard of."

Tyler knew he was upset. 

In their short time together, she had come to know this man. She knew he would never in a thousand years voice his true opinion. He was honor bound and took his responsibilities seriously. 

But something wasn't right.

'God help me...Marcus help me!' her brain screamed. Why couldn't she pinpoint what was wrong?

Fully nude, Brand began to undress Tyler. 

She tried her hardest to focus on her thoughts, but the man had a way of driving her insane. His simplest touch...hell, his look had the ability to make her wet.

"But Brand, wait. What does this mean?" she asked.

"Later. I need you now, woman," he growled.

Tyler instinctively responded to the need in his voice. She allowed him to undress her, and when she stood gloriously naked before him, he swept her up in his arms and took her to the bed. Gently laying her there, Tyler reached for his cock, but was intercepted.

"Allow me to touch you this night," Brand said quietly.

When Tyler nodded her concurrence, he touched her entire body...as if he were memorizing it. His big hands swept over her smooth skin, making it hum.

His lovemaking was gentle, yet intense. But before they could talk more, they both were overcome with exhaustion and fell into a fitful sleep.

***

Brand was to leave in just one day. 

In the small amount of time they had left together, he and Tyler made love and spent as much time in each other's company as possible. When necessity forced them apart, Tyler would always find a way to show up in strange places in order to steal a quick kiss.

More often than not, Brand required more than a kiss, and somehow Tyler almost always found herself behind some trees or in a dark, deserted room with her thighs spread wide and Brand's dick thrusting in and out of her.

Their time together was always wonderful, but was tainted with the knowledge that Brand and most of his warriors would soon leave in answer to Ivar the Boneless and Halfdan's summons.

Though Brand was unsure of why he had been called, the unspoken truth was there was a very real possibility that he would once again be forced to leave his home for months – or years – in order to take part in the Viking campaign for more land, more riches, and more power.

Each night after Tyler and Brand made love, she would lie there in his arms, sleep outside of her grasp. Her mind and thoughts would spin at a pace that would leave her frustrated and confused. She was unsure why, but it seemed that it was even more imperative that she meditate on Marcus's cryptic message.

Tyler toiled over every flight she'd ever taken. 

She even tried to remember all the flights Marcus had taken. She combed through the recesses of her mind and brought forward every complaint, every hostile word from a flight attendant, every lost baggage. 

But Tyler could never come up with anything.

By the morning of Brand's departure, she had worried herself sick. With everything in her, Tyler fought to swallow her tears and slapped on a serene expression. This was much harder on Brand, so she didn't have the luxury of crying.

She would stand firm and send him off in the best way she knew how...with love.

Tyler had admitted to herself that she loved her Viking. It was why she never really tried to look for the gold box. That trinket meant that she would go back to her own time...and her own time meant a life without Brand.

And a life without Brand wasn't worth living.

He had come to mean everything to her; and Tyler was more than willing to give up all the comforts of the future for a lifetime of true love. Even though he had not spoken the words to her, she knew he loved her as well. It was always there in his touch, in his look, in the way his face lit up whenever she came around.

Yes, he loved her...Tyler was certain of that.

When she awoke, she wasn't surprised to find that Brand had already dressed and had left his chambers. She knew he would like nothing more than to have one of their sessions before he dressed, but he had explained to her that a warrior never spent his seed before battle. It would cripple him.

Tyler jumped out of the bed and quickly washed her face and rinsed her mouth. She dragged the hairbrush through her hair and dressed in record time.

With her hand on the doorknob, she paused for a moment. 

"Please give me the strength to do this. Don't let me cry," she pleaded. 

Tyler steeled herself, opened the door and walked out.

***

Svala's eyes fluttered open. It was very early morning.

Today their men traveled in answer to the summons. But something else disturbed her. She carefully and quietly removed Bjor's large arm from around her waist, and got out of bed. 

She walked into the kitchen and looked around. 

It was as she had left it. 

Svala then turned to the door and opened it. Peering outside, the mist from the fog made it difficult to see the forest beyond. But there was nothing unusual about that.

Closing the door, she turned and froze. There was an eerie glow that came from the spot where the gold box was hidden. Svala turned her head to the right as the quiet voice instructed her. 

She listened intently and was saddened. 

Moving to the box, she carefully removed it, making sure not to touch it. Even the cloth she had used to wrap the ornament could not mar its beautiful glow. Wistfully, she stared down at the object, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Svala had always been obedient whenever the voice spoke. She always regarded her gift with veneration and honor. Today would mark the first time she had ever considered disobedience.

However, common sense took over and Svala prepared to do as she had been instructed. She quickly dressed, threw on her cloak, and left the cottage with the box in hand.

*** 

Tyler swallowed around the lump lodged in her throat. Finn had relayed a message that her presence had been requested in the great hall. She now stood in front of Brand, fighting to remain composed, but hanging on by a thread.

As she took in his appearance, Tyler was awed. He looked magnificent. 

Brand was adorned in battle garb and looked every bit the fierce Viking warrior...only without the blond hair.

As the weather was becoming more humid, he wore a black, sleeveless tunic and silver armbands that showcased his strong arms and tattoos. He was also wearing his sword, knives and axe, and part of his hair had been pulled back with two braids at his temples.

Tyler was unsure of the protocol for wishing a warrior farewell. 

In movies, it had always been frowned on for the female to show emotion when the warrior left for battle. So she was surprised when Brand gave Finn orders to bring her to the hall.




Stardust Ch. 03



Her warrior very gently placed his hands on Tyler's waist and pulled her to him.

The two lovers embraced, not caring one iota if anyone caught them. Tyler was no longer able to keep her tears in check.

"You come back to me," she whispered. With her eyes closed and her face pressed against Brand's warm, hard chest, she breathed in his familiar scent. 

She didn't want to think negatively, but willed herself to find the courage to say the words that needed to be voiced...just in case. 

"I just found you and I'm not done with you yet. So find your way back to me. I...I love you, Brand."

He tensed.

Tightening his arm around her, Brand pulled back and looked down at the top of Tyler's mass of curls. 

"Woman, I would gaze upon your eyes," he commanded.

Hesitantly, Tyler looked up at him, afraid of his reaction to her words.

She had nothing to fear.

The passion and the hope there in his face almost broke her heart. It was as if he'd just heard those three words for the first time in his life. 

Tyler vaguely cursed Thora for having scorned Brand; but simultaneously she thanked the reckless woman, because her crassness had left the door open for Tyler and Brand to find each other.

He must have been satisfied with whatever he found in Tyler's eyes, because he touched his forehead to hers and grasped her wrist, bringing her palm to his rapidly beating heart.

"You are the keeper of this...my soul. Take care with it, as I do not give it impetuously. I offer you a life here with me, and I pledge my undying allegiance to you as your lord, protector and mate. All that I have would be yours. What say you, Tyler?" 

She leaned back and cupped his face in her hands, shocked.

"Are you asking me to marry you?!" she asked incredulously.

"If you would have me...aye," Brand replied.

Tyler's knee buckled. If she would have him?! How could he ever doubt how much she wanted him???

"But what about Thora?" she asked.

"She is my concern; do not trouble yourself. Now what say you?" he repeated. 

"Yes! Yes, I will have you," she sobbed joyously.

Before Brand allowed himself to join in her happiness, he issued another word of caution. 

"You will be my mate for life, woman. Is this what you want?" he asked sternly.

"BRAND! I want YOU! I don't want anyone or anything else! You've made me the happiest woman alive!"

Tyler brought his lips to hers and sealed their pledge to each other with a kiss. When they finally broke apart, they were breathless, desire overwhelming them both. 

"Would that I could join you abed," Brand said mournfully.

Tyler laughed at the agony on his face and in his voice. A quickie really sounded like a good idea right now. But she wanted his mind focused on his journey. The last thing she wanted to be was a distraction to him.

"Take care, sweetheart. Please come back for me...I'll wait for you forever if I have to," she whispered.

With every ounce of his strength, Brand broke their embrace. Abruptly, he gave Tyler a hard kiss on the lips and backed away. Turning, he walked toward the large arch that led to the door. Before he crossed the threshold, he looked back at Tyler once more.

She stood there, all feminine and irresistible. 

But Brand knew she was completely ignorant of her appeal. He remembered the day he had found her near-lifeless body in the snow and thanked the Aesir above for bringing her to him.

He was caught entirely unawares by the summons from the Ragnarsson brothers and could not begin to guess what had prompted them to demand his return. But the one thing Brand did know was that he would fight. He would fight unto the death and he would continue to defy the odds. His treasure stood there with big, doe eyes that even now glistened with unshed tears.

Aye, he would fight...and he would return to her waiting arms. 

Brand walked out the door and this time he did not look back. With difficulty he pushed thoughts of his woman out of his mind. As he walked past Asgerd, he nodded to the woman who had been his mother.

"We ride," he declared, his deep voice boomed throughout the courtyard as he mounted Sleipnir.

He did not dare permit himself a backward glance at the woman who had come to mean so much to him. Instead, Brand urged the warhorse onward and allowed it the freedom to charge into the forest. 

Valhalla above must have heard his silent plea for strength, for he did not look back.

***

Tyler stood rooted to her spot in the courtyard. 

As was her habit, she watched until Brand was no longer in sight before she allowed the tears to spill freely down her face. Turning, she made her way up the steps and into the keep. 

She needed to get away from the prying gazes and the whispers.

Once in Brand's solar, she closed the door, removed her clothing and pulled on one of his tunics. His wonderful scent instantly assaulted her, and she burrowed under the covers and sobbed for all she was worth.

"Please keep him safe," she gasped, barely able to breathe.

For an hour she remained just so until she was spent. At some point, Asgerd had come to the door, but Tyler had refused the old woman entry. She only got up once to clean her face with the cool water from the bowl. Then she climbed back into the bed and pulled the covers over her head.

Before she knew it, she was asleep.

***

Tyler was on the flight to Scotland. She was ecstatic that her baby brother was marrying, and had dropped everything to come to the wedding.

Because the flight would take eons, and because she was an avid reader, she had visited a Barnes and Noble a few days before her flight. Though Tyler would be traveling to Scotland, the actual ceremony would take place at Berwick upon Tweed. 

In the spirit of the region to which she would be traveling, she had picked up a book about the history of Northumberland. 

Once on the flight, Tyler had been so wrapped up in the book - and in one story in particular - that she had neglected to eat and had even fought sleep for as long as possible. When she could barely keep her eyes open, she inserted her bookmark where she had left off and reluctantly slept. 

Awake once more, Tyler partook in the meal offered by the flight attendant and immediately returned to her book. It was a story of violence, honor, loyalty, friendships, and betrayal. 

Apparently, during the Viking Age, a great and powerful chieftain rose to power.

His many exploits had reached far and wide, and he was honored and respected by his comrades and leaders. A family member, envious of the chieftain, betrayed him by turning the great lord over to the Saxon enemy. In an elaborate plot, the cousin arranged for a messenger to arrive at the chieftain's manor with false news from their great Viking leaders.

The nobleman had only just returned from war, but because he was upright, he didn't protest but left his keep with a large number of his men to answer the call. 

Only, there was no call.

The chieftain and his troops walked into an ambush and were taken unawares...every single warrior had been killed that day. The only remaining relative, the heinous cousin became lord of the manor and enjoyed the power that came along with such prestige for a short while. 

However, he was later betrayed by the Saxons with whom he had consorted. With little to no defense, the keep had been taken. The men were killed, the women raped; they were forced into slavery along with the children. The Viking campaign suffered a great loss.

The betrayed chieftain had been Lord Brand.

*** 

Tyler's eyes fluttered open. She sobbed as remembrance rushed back to her. 

Even on the plane to Scotland she had felt a heaviness, a sadness she didn't understand as she read Brand's story. Now her sorrows had been worsened a hundredfold, because the betrayed lord was no longer a stranger...he meant everything to her.

Throwing back the covers, Tyler got out of bed and threw open the door that led to the balcony.

It was almost dark. 

She pulled on her clothes and ran out of room, making her way down the stairs and outside the keep. She knew she made a spectacle of herself, tearing through the courtyard, but Tyler didn't care. This was too important, and she had to warn Brand that he had been set up.

As she made her way toward Svala's cottage, Tyler began to run out of breath. Her sides ached but she refused to slow to a walk. The small house seemed to be further away than usual...she was sure it was her imagination. But finally, when it came into view, she let out a cry of joy.

Not even stopping to knock, Tyler burst through the door, startling Svala who had been sewing. Her head jerked up in surprise as she took in Tyler's anguished state. 

"What is it?!" she demanded.

Tyler simply stood in the middle of the floor, gasping for air. Tears welled in her eyes, but she couldn't form a single sentence. 

Finally, Svala sprang to life. She grabbed a chair and pushed Tyler down in it. Then she ran to the kitchen and poured her a cool cup of mead.

"Here, drink this," Svala instructed.

She stood in front of Tyler watching her drink the refreshment. Svala nervously wrung her hands and wished Tyler would finish the drink already. The wait was more than she could bear!

Tyler's breathing slowed enough for her to speak.

"Svala, Brand and the men are in trouble. Long story short, ever since I've been here, something's been bothering me about Leif and Brand...but I couldn't figure out why. Today, it all came back to me. In my time, I read a book about Brand. He was betrayed by Leif and was killed. The summons from Halfdan and Ivar isn't real, it was contrived by Leif and some Saxons...Brand is walking into a trap!"

As Tyler spoke, Svala's jaw dropped in horrified shock. She covered her mouth with her hands, her big eyes wide.

She did not need the use of her gift to validate what Tyler said. 

Svala knew with all her heart that her friend spoke the truth. How had she not discerned this before Brand and the men had left...before she had allowed Brand and Bjor to walk away into danger?

"Svala, I'm going after them myself," Tyler was saying.

"What? No! I cannot allow you to roam the countryside alone! You will be harmed! Let us not be foolhardy...we must devise a plan," Svala said with more conviction than she felt.

Tyler stood.

"Svala, we don't have time for all that. And we can't tell anyone else, either. How would we explain how I came by the knowledge that Brand is walking into a trap?" she asked.

"We can say it was something that came to me in a vision," Svala replied.

"Then the men who were supposed to stay and guard the rest of us will go after Brand. The keep will be completely defenseless. In case those Saxons decide to invade early, there should be somebody here to fight them off," Tyler reasoned.

"Honestly, I can't stay here and wait, Svala. I have to get to him before he's killed. I know now why I was sent here. I can't fail!"

The urgency in Tyler's voice was Svala's undoing. 

"I come with you, Tyler. You know nothing of this land. We will need horses, but leave that to me," she said. Her tone brooked no argument.

As the two women rushed down the path toward the stables, both were deeply troubled. Each silently prayed that they would reach the men in time. Neither allowed herself to think about what would happen if they were too late.

***

Tyler was spooked. 

Svala had managed to procure two horses for them, and they were now stealthily making their way through the pitch black forest. She now wished she'd listened to Svala.

This was the first time Tyler had ever been outside of the keep this late at night. The forest looked like something from a horror movie, and she half expected Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers to come ripping through the brush.

She forced her thoughts on the task at hand and remembered that all this would be worth it when they found Brand and saved the men from certain demise.

By the time they had traveled for a couple hours, both women's nerves were on edge. Every owl, every snap that came from the forest floor made them jump. When the wolves began to howl, Tyler almost lost her cool.

Neither woman spoke. They were both too afraid, and didn't want the sound of their voices to alert anyone or anything of their presence.

By the fourth hour, Tyler was near tears. This was a horrible mistake. She and Svala hadn't packed any food, she was cold, her limbs were aching from sitting astride her horse, she was scared shitless, and the men were nowhere in sight. 

Just when she would slump forward in defeat, a shrill whistle pierced through the night. Tyler and Svala jerked up, not knowing whether to be grateful for the sound or afraid.

The two friends reined in their horses and huddled together. 

"There is no need to be frightened," Svala reassured Tyler quietly. "We are saved."

Tyler peered at her friend and accepted her word as gospel. The irony of what she had said wasn't lost on Tyler. They were on a mission to save the men but had needed saving instead.

Just then, there was movement in front of them that seemed to materialize from the bowels of the black forest. Tensing, Tyler squinted and tried to see who was moving toward them. She grabbed Svala's hand and nervously squeezed it.

Even though her friend had said they were safe, Tyler was still nervous.

The form drew nearer and she could now make out a big, black horse. She waited anxiously, silently urging the horseman to come into the spot of bright moonlight. When he did, tears sprang to her eyes and Tyler trembled, overwhelmed with relief.

It was Brand.

***

He was near frothing at the mouth he was so angry. When the scout had told Brand that they were being trailed by Tyler and Svala, he could hardly believe his ears. He had asked no questions but had jumped on his horse and rode at a breakneck speed from their camp and through the wood.

When Brand came upon the two fools, it was obvious they were exhausted and nearly frozen to death. They were hours away from the manor and had traveled with no provisions, no weapons...not one form of protection. 

He still could not believe it. 

Brand sat astride Sleipnir for a moment and didn't move. He fought with all his might to rein in his temper but was failing miserably. He wanted to wring Tyler's scrawny little neck for attempting something so foolhardy; and he wanted to do the same to Svala for allowing Tyler to talk her into this...he had no doubt that Tyler was indeed the mastermind behind this entire plot. 

As he dismounted his horse, Brand signaled to Bjor to help Svala off her mare. He would allow his commander to deal with her...Brand had his hands full as it was. Wordlessly, he walked up to Tyler and unceremoniously dragged her off the horse.

He held her steady as her legs buckled beneath her. No doubt the little imbeciles had not stopped to stretch or allow their horses to rest. How could they in the dead of night? Brand was getting angrier and angrier by the second.

Her neck looked so enticing. Would that he could only wrap one hand around it and squeeze...

"Brand—" Tyler began, but she was cut off by the murderous glint in his eyes.

She'd never seen him this angry before. His face was pulled into a ferocious scowl and a muscle in his jaw jumped. There was even a vein in the middle of his forehead that fascinated Tyler. She stared at it, watching as his skin became mottled with red. 

"Tyler, why are you and Svala here?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm. It was conversational even.

She pulled her gaze from his forehead and looked over at Bjor. His booming voice nearly drowned Brand out as he yelled at Svala, thoroughly affirming his displeasure.

Tyler looked into Brand's silvery eyes. 

Yeah, he was mad as hell, too. Even with that knowledge, she wasn't afraid. She trusted Brand with her all and knew that he'd never do a thing to harm her.

Sure he may want to choke her out right now, but that was the difference. He'd never act on his baser instincts.

"Brand, I know this is going to sound crazy, but the summons isn't from Halfdan and Ivar. It's a set up!" 

He frowned down at her. 

"Explain, woman," he said darkly.

Tyler drew in a deep breath. This is the part that had bothered her. What if Brand didn't believe her? He had to...she just had to convince him of the truth! His life depended on it...everybody's lives depended on it.

"Svala...in a vision, she saw that the summons was a ruse to get you and the men here so that some Saxons can overtake you. You're an obstacle that Leif had to remove in order to become lord," she explained.

Tyler watched as several emotions played over Brand's face. There was doubt, followed by comprehension; then there was disbelief which was immediately replaced by anger. The final emotion she read almost broke her heart.

It was hurt.

They both knew that Brand had greatly underestimated Leif's hatred for him. Tyler hoped that this would be a wakeup call that would show Brand that his cousin was a very real, very dangerous enemy.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "When I...when Svala realized the summons wasn't real, I just had to get to you. I know I could've told someone or sent a messenger but I had to see you, had to make sure you were safe."

At her impassioned plea, Brand could not remain angry with her. She had after all saved his life...she had saved a great many lives. If Leif's plan had come to fruition, it would mean the end to all he held dear.

"There is none other like you, Tyler. I owe you my life," Brand said gruffly. "But you are correct...it was foolish of you and Svala, two women, to travel alone in such a manner. You could very well have sent a messenger, for when Svala speaks, I take heed."

Tyler nodded her understanding and sniffled. Brand gently brought her chin up and brushed the tear away with his thumb. Then he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

"We will discuss this more. And then we will finish our talks with hours upon hours of lovemaking," he promised quietly.

Tyler shivered with anticipation.

Brand produced a blanket and wrapped it around her.

"Berg, Grim, escort the women back to the manor," he commanded.

His mind was already turning with different ways to deal with his cousin. But for now, he focused his attentions on the enemy that lie in wait for them.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins as the scent of battle coursed through the night air. Brand's hands itched to grab his sword and axe and pull them free of their constraints. Not yet...soon, but not yet. 

Mounting Sleipnir, he gave more orders and dispatched some of his men to scout for the Saxons. He spoke fervently and with inspiration to the rest.

"Give praise to the gods and make your entreaties to the Valkyrie. For this night, we feast on Saxon flesh! A-Viking!" he rumbled.

Similar cries disturbed the quiet evening as the men charged their horses in pursuit of the enemy, in pursuit of battle.

***

Tyler was so happy to be back at the manor, and was so happy that she and Svala had made it to Brand and the men in time. 

But she was dog-tired.

After begging Svala to take her chambers while she slept in Brand's, Tyler had requested bath water and was now lying back in the steaming liquid.

Her muscles ached from all those hours on the horse, and then she'd had to turn right back around and endure four more hours. By the time the keep was in sight, Tyler had come very close to weeping.

She wouldn't be surprised if she was bow-legged now.

As she closed her eyes and allowed the heat from the water to massage her kinks and bruises, she didn't really register the sound of the door opening and closing. Tyler assumed it was Asgerd or Svala and kept her eyes closed.





Stardust Ch. 03



It was a mistake.

Leif's hated voice broke the spell the comforting bath had woven around her.

"Alas, a moment alone with my dreadful cousin nowhere around to smother you."

Tyler froze. She instinctively knew that Thora's earlier threat was now coming to fruition. 

She sank deeper into the bath, trying to hide her nudity.

In horrified silence, she watched as Thora walked into the room and closed the door. She stood in front of it, arms crossed. The look on her face couldn't possibly be any smugger.

"She is not so mighty now without her Lord Brand here, is she?" Thora asked.

"No. I cannot say she is," Leif responded, the amusement in his voice evident.

How was she going to get out of this? Tyler wondered.

"Get out of the water. I would gaze upon the form that has made Brand so much more boorish than usual. Surely you realize the effect you have on the oaf," Leif said.

Tyler gritted her teeth. Of course she didn't want to show this asshole her glory, but she had bigger problems than her modesty right now. She was sure Leif had no intentions of only looking with no touching. 

She had to keep her wits about her if she wanted to make it out of this unharmed. Slowly, she stood; the water glistening off her naked body. 

Immediately Leif felt his cock harden. 

She was even more beautiful than he had imagined. He understood why Brand had not hesitated to claim the woman; but tonight, she would belong to Leif. Tonight, he would do all the things to her that Brand could not. 

Tyler cautiously stepped out of the tub and walked backward as Leif stalked her. When she had nowhere else to go, she stood with her back pressed against the wall. 

Leif's eyes shown unnaturally, no doubt he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt before he devoured her. 

Tyler wasn't sure if he intended to rape her first or just kill her. But what she did know was he definitely intended to harm her in some way.

His words belied her thoughts. Leif's pale hand cupped her cheek; his right thumb slowly traced the outline of her full lips.

She recoiled from his touch.

"You know, darling, I have wanted you from the very beginning. This smooth, warm skin...I have longed to caress it. This curling, silken hair...I have wanted to plunge my hands into it. These wondrous, plump lips...I have dreamed of kissing them. And these," he said, grabbing Tyler's breasts.

"These heavy titties...I have needed to suck them. And this extraordinary pussy...how I have imagined fucking it," he growled. Leif's hand grabbed at Tyler's womanhood, and only paused in its quest when she slapped him in the face.

For a moment, neither one of them moved. Tyler watched anxiously, wondering what he would do to her. He rubbed the reddening spot where Tyler had hit him and smiled wickedly.

When he backhanded her across the face in return, his cock swelled even more.

"Oh, yes, sweetness. I shall enjoy riding Brand's lovely cunt," he groaned as he ground his body into Tyler's.

She felt sick but refused to cry. She would not allow this skinny bastard to rape her...come hell or high water she would scratch his eyes out first.

"Enough of this talk," Thora growled. She shook with rage and jealousy over the display Leif made over Brand's bitch. 

"Be done with it...give her what she deserves!"

Tyler glared at Thora and would've charged at her if she didn't have to worry about Leif.

"Yes, my dear. By all means, I will give her everything she deserves," he replied. 

When he bent to take one of Tyler's nipples into his mouth, she thought she would vomit right there all over him. Actually, she should have. It would certainly keep him at bay.

Leif roughly grabbed her hand and brought it to his crotch. "Squeeze it," he urged, thickly. He was already in the deep throes of passion.

Tyler refused. 

She allowed her hands to drop limply at her sides and was taken completely unawares when he cuffed her on the side of her head.

Unfortunately for Tyler, she had no idea she was playing into one of Leif's sexual fantasies. He loved to dominate and when his lovers were disobedient, it drove him mad, sexually. It allowed him to be aggressive which, was a turn on. 

Nothing hardened his dick more quickly than hurting someone.

Abruptly, Leif licked Tyler from the base of her neck to her ear. She shuddered with repulsion.

"I would have you suck my dick, but we will have time for that anon. Now, I must bury my cock in your dark pussy," he growled.

At that, Tyler went ballistic. She swung, punched slapped and clawed at Leif with the vehemence of a banshee. He really didn't know how to handle her...on the one hand he was livid and wanted to kill her for the blows to his face.

But the way she fought back...even now his long, thin rod saluted her.

When Tyler began to scream was when all hell broke loose. Thora rushed her and tried unsuccessfully to quiet the shorter woman. The two ended up rolling around on the floor which gave Leif immense pleasure.

Thora was on top of Tyler and had her arms pinned above her head. Just when Tyler didn't think she could be more horrified, the blonde harpy kept one hand on Tyler's wrists and slid the other down her body.

With narrowed eyes, Thora watched Tyler and squeezed her puckering nipple.

This was really too much. To make matters worse, Tyler's body began to react to the bitch's touch.

Meanwhile, Leif sat on the bed with his cock in his hand. The picture of the two women together was almost more than he could bear...his manhood now ached to be inside of a warm, tight pussy.

Just when Tyler thought she would become Thora and Leif's sex toy, the door shot open with a bang against the wall.

Blessedly, Svala stood there...with a bow and arrow no less. If the situation wasn't so serious, Tyler would've laughed.

"Tyler, I felt that you were in harm's way...but I have been wrong on occasion. If you wish me to leave, I will of course do so." 

Uncertainty was written all over Svala's face. 

Was she crazy?! Tyler thought.

"Svala, if you leave me here like this I'll smother you in your sleep!" Tyler wailed.

It was enough for her friend.

"You heard her. I've sent for the guard so I suggest you let her up, Lady Thora and allow her to dress. And you, Leif. I will not waste words. Cover yourself...and make haste."

Tyler expected the two perverts to laugh at Svala's bluff. But to her surprise, they hurriedly complied. Even more surprising, Svala had not been bluffing at all. Grim and Berg arrived just as Tyler wrapped furs around herself.

If they thought anything peculiar, neither one of them let on. They simply grabbed Thora and Leif and shoved them out the door. 

"Where are they taking them?" Tyler asked.

"To the dungeon. Neither is aware that Brand knows of their deceit. They will remain blissfully unaware until his return," Svala explained.

All of a sudden, Tyler dropped down on the bed with her face in her hands. She had very nearly been raped and molested by a man AND a woman! 

Svala walked to her and took her friend into her arms. She offered all the support she possibly could.

"Svala, what would I have done if you hadn't come along?" Tyler screeched.

"There, there. We will not think on such things. I did come along...we will only focus on that."

Abruptly, the events of the last few hours overtook Tyler and she ran to the garderobe. There, she emptied all the contents of her stomach. When she was done, she walked back into the chambers and dropped the furs.

"Forgive me, Svala, but I need to get his smell and the feel of his hands off my body."

"No need to apologize. If you need me, I will be right across the hall," she said as she left the room.

"Svala," Tyler called.

She stopped and turned back to Tyler.

"Thank you so much...for everything. You're the closest friend I've had in this world and my own. I love you," Tyler said quietly.

Svala's eyes brimmed with tears. "And I you," she whispered sadly, and walked out the door.

Tyler feverishly scrubbed her body using the rose water soap Svala had made. She especially focused on the area where Leif and Thora had licked and touched her. 

When she felt like she had been disinfected, she rinsed, dried and searched for one of Brand's tunics. Her hand brushed against something. It was a small, wrapped bundle that she didn't recognize. 

She pulled on a shirt and picked up the object, feeling the weight of it. Curiously, she unwrapped it.

Gasping, she was shocked when the gold box fell into her hands. It rolled, causing the clasp to flip up on its own. Instantly, it sprang to life and began to glow. With dread, she listened to the distant rumble of thunder and that creepy music. She watched as the lid opened in the same manner it had before. 

Tyler desperately wanted to close the box or run from the room. But she was frozen...it was as if she couldn't move a muscle.

Again, the same odd voice spoke, but this time there was no rhyme. It addressed her directly.

"Tyler, we are pleased. We have searched the world high and low for a creature of your ilk. In you, we have found fearlessness and integrity. You r journey is completed."

"No," Tyler whispered. "Please, I don't want to go back!"

But the voice did not respond. Instead, it was quiet...eerily so. For a split second, Tyler thought perhaps she had been allowed to stay. However, a great explosion of thunder caused her to jump. 

With dismay, she turned as the balcony door was ripped open. The wind beyond the door was nearly torrential and lightning brightened the sky so that it momentarily looked as if it was daylight. 

Anguished, Tyler tried to run. 

She no longer felt frozen and sprinted in the opposite direction of the balcony. When she tried to leave Brand's chambers, it was if she was being dragged back. She screamed for all she was worth.

Tyler cried out Brand's name and sobbed dreadfully. She grabbed and clawed at anything she could get her hands on, but it seemed as if she was powerless against the mighty force that pulled her. 

Now on the floor, she grasped the wood of the bed in a final attempt. In one last act of desperation she still fought to remain with Brand.

But she was tired...so tired. She was tired of crying, tired of hurting, and tired of her loved ones deserting her. Now, it was the opposite; it was she who was leaving Brand.

"I can't," she gasped, the tears pouring down her face. 

Tyler's grip on the bed weakened, her head bowed in defeat. She stopped fighting.

"Brand, forgive me...I'm so sorry," she mumbled brokenly. Her eyes grew heavy...much too heavy to keep open. And when she felt like she was spinning, Tyler allowed it. She no longer fought, but accepted her fate.

***

Tyler had no idea how she'd gotten back to the hotel. She had vague memories of awakening on the ground at the park. It had been late evening still...like only a few minutes of time had passed in her century.

She remembered stumbling to her rental car only wearing Brand's tunic. 

When she had turned on the ignition, the clock on the dashboard had read a few minutes after midnight. Amazing. She had spent weeks in 9th century Northumbria, yet only about an hour had passed in the 21st century.

Tyler barely recalled navigating her way through the roads but her memories ended there. 

She had been too busy crying and mourning the loss of Brand. Somehow she had managed to stumble back to the room and had crashed on the floor...she hadn't even the strength to make it to the bed.

Now, it was morning, and daylight tried in vain to come in through the drawn blinds. Tyler could hear birds chirping and the city preparing to greet the new day. 

How strange. 

Today, and the next and the day after that, the world would go on without the knowledge of what happened to her. They would get up in the morning and dress for work. They would get their children ready for school...they would pay bills, argue, make love. 

Everything would be the same. Yet nobody would know of the fantastical voyage she had returned from. Nobody would know that she had fallen in love with a man who was one of a kind. Tyler was positive there would never be another like him.

Still lying on her stomach on the floor, she allowed the tears to fall on the shaggy carpet. She didn't have the strength to move, so Tyler remained and allowed herself to drown into deep sadness.

At precisely 8 a.m., the clock radio jumped on. She was supposed to be leaving today. She'd had a noon flight to catch and had set the alarm the day before.

To her misery, one of her favorite songs played, bringing the tears forth more earnestly. Despondently, she hummed along as Loni Rose crooned the lyrics of "Soft Place to Fall."

Tyler was hurting. 

The lyrics were too painful, too real; and she welcomed them. Her fingers twisted into the carpet beneath her. She wept deeply, heart-wrenching sobs spilled from her, choked her. Tyler struggled to fill her lungs with air, so powerful was her grief. 

When the song ended, she weakly got to her feet and went into the bathroom to clean her face. Briefly, Tyler wondered if she'd imagined Brand and the manor. What if she'd been knocked unconscious at the park when she fell? What if she had taken what she'd read in the book and dreamed up the whole thing?

She began to tremble. 

No...she couldn't have. Her time there had been too real, too elaborate. Turning toward the mirror, Tyler's breath came out in a whoosh. What she saw made her relieved and it opened up her wounds even more.

She was wearing Brand's tunic. Her forehead creased and her face crumpled as she sobbed anew. Grabbing handfuls of the garment, she brought it to her nose and breathed in his scent. His wonderful scent.

Her time there had been real. Tyler pulled the tunic over her head and changed into one of her t-shirts and panties. She carried Brand's shirt with her and sat on the edge of the bed. 

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone and dialed the front desk.

"Yes, good morning. This is Tyler Kenard in room 221. I'd like to extend my stay another two days. Yes...and I'd like to not be disturbed. Thank you."

Tyler didn't have the strength to fight with the airline about her ticket. But she needed to figure out what she would do with herself, where she would go. For right now, though, she would allow herself to grieve. 

She hated feeling sorry for herself, but in such a short time, she had lost a lot. Her brother was gone and so were her new friends and the love of her life. 

Turning down the covers, Tyler lay on the cool sheets and brought the blanket up over her. She cuddled Brand's tunic against her and breathed in his smell. Once again allowing the tears to flow, she surrendered to her misery.

***

The great hall was not as cheerful as it normally was. 

Lord Brand's mood affected all, and since the woman's departure, he had been melancholy. Never before had anyone seen their chieftain so. He was withdrawn, he barely spoke and he had lost much weight.

Even now, he was somber and appeared to be deep in thought. No matter how many times Bjor or Svala tried to engage him, he simply responded to their questions but offered no more. He was a man in mourning.

Only Svala, Asgerd and Bjor knew the truth of what had happened to Tyler. 

The rest of the kinsmen figured she had finally returned to her home. Wherever she had gone, they all had a new respect for her. Word had spread how she and Svala had ridden through the night to warn Lord Brand that he had been betrayed by Leif.

None of them were surprised. 

They all had known what a bastard Leif was, but they were surprised by his affair with Lady Thora. Much had been revealed in the last week and they all spit on the name of Leif Ulfarson and Lady Thora.

Asgerd looked on at her boy, her heart filled with much regret. Would that he was still a small boy...she would take him into her arms in the same manner in which she used to. She would kiss away his tears and his mood would instantly lighten.

But he was a full grown man now. The only happiness he would find was in Tyler's arms. Such a cruel thing this was! Asgerd would never question the gods, but to bring the boy such happiness and then have the two lovers ripped apart.

She supposed they all should be grateful. Tyler had done what she had been commissioned for. The girl had saved the lord...she had saved them all. Asgerd was indeed grateful. But she wanted it all. She wanted her boy alive and with the woman he loved.

She really did miss Tyler. Such a sweet child and so perfect for her lord.

"Forgive me, ye gods...but tis pure cruelty," she mumbled to herself. She could not take any more. Asgerd abruptly got up from the table and retired to her own chambers. 

***

Svala's thoughts were similar to Asgerd's. She was mourning the loss of a friend, and she hated to see Brand suffer so. When she had been instructed to quietly place the box in Brand's trunk, she had known then that Tyler's time with them was nearing an end.

She had begged, and pleaded, asked and raged at the voice inside her. But it had been strangely quiet. Her gift had been nearly useless, and she remained without answers.

The gold box was gone, too.

Svala had hoped to do some sort of spell to bring Tyler back. But her friend had vanished. Well, that was not exactly true. She had been across the hall in Tyler's rooms the night she had been taken from them.

She had heard Tyler's screams and had cried endlessly for it. Svala had wanted to help her, but she had been instructed to not interfere with the workings of the gods. But she could not stand the sound of her friend's pain any longer.

Svala had run to Brand's chambers but she could not get inside. Try as she might, the door would not budge. She had slid to the floor, helpless to do anything but listen to Tyler's sounds of agony as she cried out for Brand. 

Svala felt as if her heart had been ripped in two. No one should be made to ache so.

Then it was unnaturally quiet. 

The next time Svala tried to open the door, it gave way with no resistance. She walked inside to find the room in a state. The balcony door had been flung open, the tapestry was in a pile on the floor; Brand's desk and the parchment and inks were a mess.

It had looked as if a great storm had ravaged the place.

Svala began to set the room to rights. She did not want Brand to find his chambers in such a state. It would only compound his pain if he felt that Tyler had suffered.

When the room was once again put together, Svala returned to Tyler's rooms and shed her own tears. She could not make sense of this. She was never in the habit of questioning the gods or the fates. But Tyler had wanted to stay.

Why bring her here and have her fall in love, only to rip her away from all she held dear?

Svala had no answers. She was as much in the blind now as she had been a week ago when Tyler had been taken from them. All she knew, was there had to be something that could be done. She was fearful that Brand would wither away; and she did not want to think how badly Tyler fared in her own century.

***

Tyler was between consciousness and sleep. 

The room was pitch black and the darkness beyond the blinds confirmed that it was night. She had slept the entire day. Amy Winehouse's "Love Is a Losing Game" played softly on the clock radio.

The song paired with Tyler's loss created a gloomy atmosphere. She wanted to turn the radio off, but her limbs were too heavy with heartache to move. So she lay there, listening to the painful lyrics until sleep once again claimed her.

***

Brand stood on the balcony of his chambers, his mind a web of bleak thoughts. 

For the hundredth time, he mentally replayed the day he had returned to find that Tyler was gone.




Stardust Ch. 03



He had tossed Sleipnir's reins to Finn and had immediately bounded up the stairs to his rooms. Brand had wanted to tell her that they had indeed found the Saxon bastards and had taken them all unawares.

When he had found that Tyler was not in his solar, he had assumed she would be in her own rooms. He had burst into Tyler's chambers only to find Svala there.

"Where is she?" he had asked.

Brand shook his head. He should've sensed something was wrong. It had been written all over Svala's face, but he had been so eager to see Tyler.

When Svala had looked at him, her large eyes filled with pain, his mind had finally registered that something was not right. 

"What is it...where is she?!" he had bellowed.

Svala jumped. Brand never raised his voice. She could not seem to get the words out.

Fearing the worst, Brand charged her. Grabbing her by the arms, he drew the woman up and searched her eyes. 

"Svala, tell me where she is!" 

The torture she heard in his voice was what snapped her out of it.

"She is gone!" Svala cried.

"She is gone where?! She is hurt?!" 

"No, she is not hurt. She has been taken from us, Brand," Svala said mournfully.

She proceeded to tell him an extraordinary story by which he learned that Tyler was not from their time, but a futuristic one. Even for Svala, it was strange. But he trusted her in all things. 

What she said did explain much. 

It explained how he had found Tyler in the snow and how there were no tracks and no others with her. Brand remembered thinking she had appeared from thin air...he had not known then how close to the truth he had been.

Svala's story of time travel explained why Tyler was so different. Everything from her appearance, to her dialect...how advanced her culture was. 

Everything was coming together. 

Why had she not told him? At first Brand was hurt that she had kept such a big secret from him. But in all honesty, what could she have done? She was in a strange place, she'd had to assimilate to life there...how would she inform a stranger that she was from another time?

Brand did understand.

And he did not think it possible, but he loved her even more. She had come to them and had bravely lived among a strange people. She had protected them and had saved him and his people from certain death.

She was an extraordinary woman, and Brand was sure he would never find another like her. 

Right then and there on the balcony, overlooking the keep, Brand promised his love and allegiance to her. It devastated him that he would never gaze upon her lovely face again. He had pledged his love to her, and he would honor that.

Brand was no longer concerned with lands, betrothals and marriages of convenience. 

In Tyler he had found a love which quite literally had transcended time. He would always hold her in his heart. She would ever remain his lover, friend and wife even if they had never made it to the altar.

Tyler would remain his until his time here in this world was done.

***

Tyler wondered along the quiet streets. She had finally dragged herself out of bed, and out of the little cottage. It had been two months since she'd come back. She had allowed herself time to grieve and after the couple days in the hotel, she decided she wasn't ready to return to the States.

So she had found a quaint little cottage to rent, which had reminded her so much of Svala's small house. Tyler supposed she had chosen to stay in Berwick upon Tweed to remain close to Brand. In some ways, it comforted her to be in his land.

Tyler's first night in the cottage had been a quiet one. She no longer came undone at the thought of Brand. Of course she was still in shambles, but she had already cried so much, she didn't think she could ever weep again.

When she unpacked her bags, the book she'd read on Northumberland history had slid out of her baggage. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Tyler leafed through the book when a thought occurred to her.

Nearly trembling, she flipped to the pages to where the book spoke of Leif's betrayal. It didn't occur to her until now that Brand may not have survived. She had just assumed that because he had been warned, he had found the Saxons and had dealt with them.

But what if he was killed anyway? 

"I promise I will jump off a cliff," she muttered as she searched the pages.

Shaking, she found the passages of Brand's story and read them. Tyler shrieked and fell back against the bed when she read that Brand had almost been betrayed, and that the staged Saxon coup had been subverted.

"HE DID IT!" Tyler squealed.

She read on to find that sources were unsure of how Brand learned of the plot. It only stated that there was a myth that a sorcerer lived among the kinsmen. The tale went that she had had a vision and had ridden on horseback to stop Lord Brand and his men.

The sorcerer was attributed to having saved the entire clan.

When the author said that such a tale was "obviously" farfetched and nothing more than superstitious conjecture, Tyler did something she hadn't done in a long while. 

She laughed.

She went on to read that Leif had been executed for his treachery. Lady Thora, fearing the same fate as Leif had ended her life by drinking poison. Tyler shuddered. As much as she disliked the two, she had never wanted to see them killed...especially so violently.

As for Brand, he never married and never begot an heir. She knew in her soul that he'd never married because of her. One of the last times they'd spoken, he had asked her to marry him.

Brand was the kind of man who didn't take marriage lightly. If he proposed, he meant it. And apparently he really, really meant it.

She didn't think it was possible, but more tears trickled down her face. She was touched that he had never taken another; but it was all so sad. Tyler hated to imagine a life in which Brand had never found any happiness.

Closing the book, she looked at the cover and ran her hands over the words. On the spine was a griffin, the symbol of the book's publishing company. 

"How ironic," she whispered, remembering the griffins Brand had had carved on the beams in the great hall. 

On a whim, she grabbed her laptop and Googled "griffins." What she found pained her. This couldn't be coincidence. Was it fate?

The griffin was described as a mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. It was considered the king of creatures and was known for guarding treasures.

But it was the next sentence that was Tyler's undoing. 

"Griffins not only mated for life, but also, if either partner died, then the other would continue throughout the rest of its life alone, never to search for a new mate."

Tyler was more affected by that one sentence than she could stand. Closing her eyes, she had covered her mouth and sobbed. Apparently she hadn't been out of tears.

Right then and there, she made a pact with herself and the love of her life.

"I promise it will only be you, Brand. There will never be another," she had whispered. 

Even now, more tears threatened to spill.

"Enough of this. I need to get outta here," Tyler said.

With resolve, she walked to the bathroom and cleaned up. 

When she was ready, she anxiously ventured out into the real world in an attempt to divert her mind from haunting thoughts of Brand.

Her Brand.

She bit her trembling lips and desperately fought the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. When Tyler swiped at the tears, she took a deep breath. Maybe this was a mistake. But then, she couldn't hide out for the rest of her life.

So with effort, Tyler walked toward a bakery when she saw a small antique shop a few doors down.

Part of her wanted to go just to satisfy her curiosity...the other part of her felt like the few extra steps to the shop were more like a mile.

On impulse, she dragged her leaden feet to the door of the antique store and walked in.

The musky smell of timeworn bric-a-brac greeted her. 

Wrinkling her nose, Tyler thought maybe she was better off at the bakery. Just when she was about to turn and leave, a small man who looked as hoary as his goods made his way toward Tyler.

He motioned for her to come in and asked if he could be of help.

Tyler told him she was only browsing and the man was delighted to be speaking with an American. He had many questions, and thankfully, after a few moments, the telephone rang, sending the old shopkeeper off.

Even though the old man was very sweet, Tyler wasn't in the mood to keep up with polite conversation. She was about to use the distraction as a chance to make her exit when she stopped cold.

There it was.

The gold box that had sent her on a magical journey was sitting there behind a glass casement like an ordinary trinket.

Heart pounding, breath baited, Tyler approached the glass and felt her heart soar when the box began to glow.

She tripped over her own feet in her angst to get to the shopkeeper who had just hung up the phone.

Giddy with delight, she motioned the old man over to the casement and told him she wanted to buy the box. He began to launch into a story about how he'd come by the ornament as she reached into her purse and dumped a wad of money onto the counter.

When the box had been packaged in a paper bag, Tyler said her farewells and practically ran back to the cottage. Once there, she locked the doors and pulled all the blinds. Taking a deep breath, she removed the gold box and set it down on the bed. She stared at it, all kinds of thoughts running through her mind.

What if it didn't work this time? Or what if it worked but she ended up in another place this time? What if she went to the right place but Brand didn't remember her? Or worse, what if Brand wasn't alive...what if he'd died in battle?

This was crazy!

Wasn't this what she had wanted, no yearned for the last few weeks?! Hadn't she been depressed at the thought of never seeing Brand again? Now she had a wonderful opportunity to go back to him and she was hesitating.

Tyler stopped pacing and stared at the box once more.

She had a thought. 

Grabbing her duffel bag, she emptied its contents. Then, running around the cottage, she grabbed everything she could. She tossed in makeup, lotion, deodorant, shampoo, her laptop, her iPod, a blanket and pillow, her digital camera, magazines, the book about Northumberland and food.

She emptied her purse of all its money and quickly scribbled a note for the cottage owner. 

Tyler dragged the bulging bag with her and sat cross legged on the bed. Staring at the box, she took a deep breath and uttered a short prayer.

"Please God, let this work...I need him."

She gingerly picked up the box and flipped the clasp up. The music still had the ability to make the hairs on Tyler's arms stand up.

The loud crack of thunder made her jump...how could she have forgotten that part?

In a daze, she listened as the eerie voice spoke. This time there was no poem, there was no speech. The words were simple and music to Tyler's ears.

"Welcome, dear Tyler. He awaits you."

Nobody needed to tell her who "he" was.

Watching raptly as the box shifted, when the pyramid pointed at her, she closed her eyes at the familiar bolt of lightning that invaded the quiet cottage. Tyler steeled herself and prepared to go home.

*** 

When she opened her eyes, she realized she was lying on her back. She groggily tried to sit up, but felt like she was being weighted down. It was the black duffel bag. The strap was over her shoulder.

Everything came back to her in a rush, and for a moment, Tyler was afraid to move. She was afraid she wasn't in 9th century Northumbria and she hadn't gone back to Brand.

But then she gazed up at the familiar rafters and her eyes widened.

Ripping the strap over her head, she sat up and found that she was in Brand's chambers. Shaking, her breathing accelerated as she unsteadily got to her feet.

Everything around the room was the same...it was all neat the way Brand normally kept it. But he was nowhere in sight.

Then Tyler saw him. With his back to her, he stood on the balcony, large, strong and solitary. She could guess his thoughts and knew he was thinking of her.

Panting, Tyler began to cry. She was here...she was back where she belonged.

"Brand," she whispered as she moved toward him.

She didn't want to startle him, so she kept her voice quiet, when what she really wanted to do was scream like a crazy woman and charge at him.

"Brand," she called a little louder.

Tyler saw him tense. But he didn't make a move to turn around...he was talking.

"Even now your voice still haunts me, woman. Would that I could have you here with me. I would cherish the sound of you, and I would slay the demons of hell to keep you near."

Tyler's hand flew to her heart at his earnest, quiet words. 

"Brand," she called again softly. She now stood in the doorway of the balcony and waited for Brand to turn around.

She was afraid to move...to breathe. 

When Brand finally did turn and beheld her, he stood there momentarily frozen. 

"Brand...I came back!" Tyler exclaimed.

He dropped to his knees, still speechless as she rushed to him. Tyler fell to her knees as well in front of her lover.

Brand's eyes filled with unshed tears. "Before Odin I swear you are my curse. Woman, tell me this is not a dream!"

Tyler reached up and cupped his face in her hands. "No, Brand. This isn't a dream. I'm here...I'm really back!"

He grabbed her and crushed her to him. The force of his embrace propelled Tyler forward sending them both toppling to the floor. 

Brand gazed down at her; all the love and affection he felt for her was apparent in his eyes. 

"My sweet, beautiful woman," he murmured. "I love you. You will never leave my side again."

"I love you too, Brand," Tyler whispered. "I've missed you so much."

For a while, the two lay there on the floor of the balcony in a loving embrace. And when Brand could stand it no longer, he kissed her ever so tenderly, as if she might break. But Tyler wanted more. She pulled Brand to her, his touch instantly arousing her.

The air between them immediately switched from sweet affection to raw heat.

The two made love where they were; their expression of love was more powerful, more intoxicating than ever before. And when they finished, Brand picked her up and moved her to his bed. 

They made love the rest of the night with Brand holding Tyler near the entire time. He was still very afraid to let her go...afraid that she would once again disappear from his life. When she explained that only the box could send her back to the future, he abruptly got out of bed and dressed.

"Where are you going?" Tyler asked bewildered.

"We are going to be rid of that damned box. Come with me," he commanded.

Tyler scrambled to dress, and Brand paused as he watched her. She wore trousers with some sort of tunic and peculiar looking sandals. The way her trousers hugged her curve was becoming. He felt his cock begin to swell...again.

When she was fully dressed, Tyler caught Brand staring at her. Looking down at herself, she hadn't realized how she must look to him. She wore fitted jeans, a white V-neck t-shirt – which showed off her cleavage – and some pink flip flops.

Judging from Brand's heated expression and the bulge in his trousers, she guessed he found her appealing.

Unable to resist him...not wanting to resist, Tyler went to him and wrapped her arms around his big shoulders. 

Except he wasn't quite as big as she remembered.

"You lost weight," she said, running her hands over his body. 

"My appetite was among the great many things I had lost," Brand replied. He enjoyed the feel of her hands all over him. And such concern for his well-being never ceased to amaze him.

"Well I have to fatten you up again, sweetheart," Tyler promised.

"I look forward to it, woman. Now come...I shall not rest until we are rid of that box."

That night, Tyler was formally introduced to Sleipnir. Brand mounted the horse first, and then pulled Tyler up in front of him.

They rode through the forest, the gold box safely wrapped in many, many cloths, and tucked into a satchel. Neither of them wanted to chance touching the trinket. 

When Brand had taken them deep enough into the woods, he dug a deep hole and inserted the box there. He proceeded to cover the hole, and smoothed the disturbed earth so that it would not call attention to itself.

Satisfied, he turned back to Tyler who sat on a large boulder.

"There," he said. "The box should not be disturbed in its present place."

"Good. I'm glad," Tyler replied. "Now please, my lord. Take me home and make love to me."

Brand drew her in his arms and rested his forehead on hers. 

"Say it again," he requested softly.

"Make love to me?" she asked.

"No, the other."

"Take me home, baby," she said tenderly.

And Brand did just that.

EPILOGUE

"Now will you show me what is in the satchel?" Brand asked.

"Yes. And actually, it's called a duffel bag," Tyler explained.

It was three months later, and Tyler and Brand were now happily married. They were on their honeymoon and had not come out of Brand's chambers for two days now. 

It was unheard of for a chieftain to indulge in such a manner. But no one complained. If anyone deserved a bit of happiness, it was Lord Brand. His kinsmen were happy that Tyler was back, for only she held the power to bring him out of his angst.

Tyler was the happiest she'd ever been in her entire life. Brand made her laugh, love hard and there was nothing she couldn't tell him. She didn't fear judgment and she knew with him, she would always be safe.

Brand hauled the heavy bag onto the bed. With much curiosity, he watched Tyler open the bag first by tugging on a small device.

"What is this?" he asked.

Tyler looked at him quizzically and followed his gaze. "Oh! It's a zipper." She explained its uses and allowed him to open and close the bag using the zipper.

"Tis a wonder," he exclaimed.

"If you're in awe over that, I don't know if you can handle the rest," she joked.

Tyler spent the remainder of the evening showing Brand everything she had brought with her. He was shocked, awed, fascinated, confused, a bit frightened – though she'd never mention that to him. 

His emotions ran the full gamut; and Tyler kind of felt bad for him. For a moment he looked like a lost little boy, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him tight. But then he asked a million questions and became excited with each demonstration Tyler gave, and she felt better.

Brand's expression was rather comical when Tyler played him some music on her iPod. His absolute favorites though, were the sweets. 

He tasted everything Tyler offered; but he liked nothing better than the Little Debbie oatmeal crème pies. Tyler was so glad she'd packed the entire box. He would at least be able to enjoy twelve of them before he ran out!

"I can't wait to tell our children about the time their father first tasted an oatmeal crème pie," Tyler teased as she began to pull out the laptop.

When Brand didn't respond and wouldn't make eye contact, she looked up at him. His expression said it all.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Tyler, I've never spoken of this to anyone. I am uneasy to have my wife bear children. It is what killed my own mother," he said cautiously.

Tyler knew he'd lost his mother during childbirth, but she'd had no idea he had been affected in such a manner. 

She had often wondered why Brand always pulled out of her before he came. She'd just thought he was very conscientious that way. But now, it all made sense.

Then a crazy, totally demented thought occurred to her. 'No,' she thought. 'That's insane...but then, it could work.'




Stardust Ch. 03



Tyler looked at Brand and studied him for a moment. She wanted children, but if she was honest, she was also deathly afraid of giving birth in the 9th century. There was a very large possibility that she could die during childbirth; and without an epidural, she was sure she'd want to die.

"You know, Brand," she said carefully. "There is a way we can have children and eliminate a large part of the worry."

Perplexed, Brand looked at her as he unwrapped a second oatmeal crème pie. 

"What way is this?" he asked.

"Well, it would involve digging up the gold box. I mean, if I were to get pregnant, we could use the box to-"

She broke off when Brand interrupted her. 

"Nay," he said. "That contraption is a menace and it is better served underground."

"Brand, at least think it over. You have to have an heir...who will we leave our legacy to? And besides, I really want children!" she pleaded.

"I'll not hear of it, woman. I have lost you once and will not risk losing you again," Brand replied stubbornly.

"Well see, that's the thing. This time you would come with me. Our health care for a pregnant woman is light-years better. You and I could use the box, get excellent care for the nine months, and once the baby is born, we can come back!"

Brand closed his eyes. It was foolish for them to even have this conversation. But it all sounded so simple, so...feasible.

"I will not say yes; but I will think on it, woman. You bewitch me with your smooth words," Brand grumbled.

Tyler hugged him and smiled in return. She had no idea if she really wanted to do this...the plan had just popped into her mind. But at least Brand was willing to think it over. That was really all she could ask for. 

Also, Tyler admitted that she would love to take him with her to the future and show him what the world had become. 

Maybe, she thought to herself. Just maybe. 

***The End***

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you all so much for reading "Stardust." I truly hope you enjoyed it and that you were entertained. My Photobucket page for the story is up, and it is viewable. You can access the link (and the playlist) on my Bio page.

Much love,

LaLa