Eira: Banished
Viking Guardians Book 1
Kaitlynn Clarkson
Contents
Contents
Copyright Page
THANK YOU!
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
GLOSSARY
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Kaarina: Rejected Chapter 1 (Sneak Peek)
Loved it? Didn’t love it?
Get a Free Book
More Titles by Kaitlynn Clarkson
About Kaitlynn Clarkson
Copyright Page
Copyright © 2020 Kaitlynn Clarkson
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic and mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.
Disclaimer
Although the places described in this story are real, it is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to any event, either historical or recent, or any person, living or deceased, is completely coincidental.
Cockatoo Publishing
PO BOX 4037
Moorland 2443
NSW Australia
THANK YOU!
Thank you for choosing my book; I just want you to know that it means a lot to me. I know you had a choice … and you chose mine! (Happy dance!).
As a special thank you to my readers, I am offering a free book when you sign up for my newsletter. It’s exclusively for my readers and is not available anywhere else! You can get it here.
When Halvar takes his younger sister Freja to the festival of the Disting, he expects her to be on her best behavior. After all, she’s supposed to be finding a husband.
But Freja cannot help herself. Wild and free-spirited, she is a skilled archer and a keen competitor who ignores the rules for women in her society. She finds a way to join the men-only archery competition and her talent catches the eye of a jarl, who decides he must meet her.
Freja’s mind is as sharp as her aim and she eagerly engages in the discussions surrounding the politics of the land. The jarl has never met a woman like Freja and he cannot stop thinking about her.
But with trouble looming in the form of a new king, the jarl must do his best to keep his people safe and he is forced to attend to political matters. When the crisis passes, the jarl’s thoughts turn to Freja. Is the difference in their social status too great? Can they be together? Or must the jarl bow to the will of the people and take a wife who will offer a political advantage?
This novella is set in the days of King Haakon of Norway, a time when the Vikings left their homelands to raid and plunder; when Christianity was making tentative approaches and kings fought for the right to rule.
CHAPTER 1
E ira ran for her life, her legs churning as she gasped for breath. Her pursuers were close behind her, pitchforks and axes raised as they shouted in rage. They were just three in number, a father and his two sons, but she could feel their anger as if it were a whirlwind gathering strength. She glanced behind her and almost fell but strong hands caught her, lifting her to her feet. She looked up and met her father’s eyes. He gave her a stern look and she knew that he meant business. The three men stopped in their tracks, each of them sizing up the big man. He looked down at the girl and smiled ruefully. He knew it wasn't any fault of hers, this gift she had been blessed with. Or was it a curse?
"Stay behind me," he ordered. Then he stepped forward and drew a line in the dirt with his foot. "Whoever thinks himself man enough to face me, cross the line. You want her? Come get her!" His voice was loud, seething with anger.
The three men looked at each other. None of them had expected to encounter a situation like this. The older one amongst them dropped his gaze, turning back abruptly as he did. The two others followed him, dragging their pitchforks behind them.
"He actually brought two axes!" Bjarni exclaimed under his breath as the assailants retreated. "What did you do this time, Eira?" he asked the girl whose beautiful green eyes met his.
"I did not do a thing, Father. Nothing at all." She looked away from him after answering, focusing instead on something in the distance.
He sighed. "Eira, it is evident you did something. Why else would they be after you with pitchforks and axes?"
"I know not. Perhaps they think I am hay for their horses or wood for their fire?"
Despite the situation, Bjarni found himself laughing at her silly joke. "Hay? Wood? Come on, Eira. I am sure you did something to them."
The girl shifted her attention back to her father. "Uh... Maybe I did a little something. You could call it meddling for the good of the clan."
Bjarni strapped his axe to his side then looked at her again. "And what is that little something that you meddled with?" he probed.
“They were planning to do something bad and I confronted them about it." She looked away as she said it. She was afraid he would get angry because she had done something that he’d warned her not to.
Bjarni didn't want to get angry with her so he kept walking instead. He sighed with exasperation. There seemed to be no end to the troubles his daughter could get into. Her escapades were more than he could cope with.
