Blaze of Light

By Robyn Crane Chapter 1 The endless highway stretched through the midnight desert landscape like a huge black mamba. Candace Swenson tossed her mane of white-blond hair over her shoulder for about the hundredth time in the last hour. She stomped her foot in frustration, looking up and down the highway for any sign of life. There was nothing there, just darkness ad infinitum. Nearly growling in anger, she climbed back behind the wheel of her compact car and twisted the key. A click as the key slid to the side, then nothing, total silence. Candy hit the steering wheel, uttering a most unladylike curse. She spoke to herself to help allay her loneliness and fears. "You stupid car! Five years you serve me faithfully, not even a flat tire. Now, when I'm in the middle of the Nevada desert, not even a gold miner's shack in sight, you betray me. Bad car; bad, bad car!" She emphasized each 'bad' with another smack to the steering wheel. Then she fell back against the seat and gave some thought to her situation. She was stranded in the desert somewhere between Las Vegas and the Nevada/California border. She had half a tank of gas, the car had enough oil and water, she had the dirty hands to prove she had checked that, the battery was okay because the radio and lights would come on. So why had her car died? There had been no warning, just instant death. One minute, she had been driving along, singing with the radio to keep herself awake; the next, the car was slowing down and there was no longer any engine noise. The last town she had passed was about ten miles away. If she remembered correctly the last road sign she'd seen, the next town would be about thirty miles down the road. With a deep sigh of resignation, Candy grabbed her purse and got out of the car. She double-checked the doors, making sure they were all locked, then set off along the stretch of highway she had so recently traveled. Candy tried not to think of all the things in the desert that were nocturnal. She wished there were more cars on the road. Even if she couldn't get a ride, and she wasn't too sure about accepting one from a stranger, she wouldn't feel so desolately alone. She pushed the button on the side of her wristwatch that turned on the little light inside. The tiny glow barely illuminated the LED display. What did she expect at 4 AM, rush-hour traffic? Oh, why hadn't she waited until morning to set off on this foolish trek? She started talking to herself again. "Because I couldn't wait to get away from that place, that's why. If I'd had to look at that pig's face one more time, I'd be in jail for murder right now!" The 'pig' to which she referred had been her fianc up until two days ago when she'd caught him in bed with her best friend. Now she had an ex-fianc and an ex-best friend. In her cooler moments driving through the desert, she had realized that she wasn't as devastated as she should be. If she were honest with herself, she had to admit that she was more upset over the loss of her friend than her fianc. That boded ill for what would have been her married life. She sighed. Maybe they'd done her a favor, kept her from making the worst mistake of her life. But she still wasn't about to forgive them. She had waited until the next day to confront Brett because she knew she would have tried to do him serious bodily injury if she had talked to him too soon. Turned out, anytime was too soon. Candy's thoughts drifted back to that confrontation. She and Brett stood in the kitchen of his apartment, a room in which she had spent many happy hours preparing meals for that slime. He was trying to rationalize his actions. "Honey, I wanted you so bad and you wanted to wait till our wedding night. That is so old-fashioned. I was hurtin', ya know, and Jenny came over to ask me something about your bachelorette party. It was no big thing, Candy, really it wasn't. And I was thinkin' about you the whole time, baby." Trying to hold back her tears, she wasn't about to let this cow turd make her cry, Candy glared daggers at him. Her voice was deceptively calm and rational. "Let me get this straight. It's my fault that you slept with my best friend because I wouldn't sleep with you before we got married. So you made believe she was me. Is that about right?" Brett smiled that seductive smile of his that had always made Candy's knees go weak. It didn't even cause a tingle this time. He stepped toward her as he spoke. "That's right, baby. You make me so crazy, I just had to have something. It won't happen again, I 1

promise." The carafe from his coffee maker flew through the air, narrowly missing Brett's head, and smashed on the opposite wall. Candy screamed at him. "I don't give a damn if it does happen again!" A glass followed the carafe. Brett put up his hands to protect his face. "I'm out of here, you low-life slime!" His toaster smashed to the floor. "You can have Jenny, or any other bimbo you can get your slimy hands on. I couldn't care less!" Seeing his apartment under fire sparked Brett's anger. He yelled at the termagant before him. "Great, that's just fine with me! If you weren't such an ice maiden, maybe you could have kept me. I'm better off without you, you frigid bitch!" Candy froze in the act of throwing a glass canister. The rage inside of her turned cold, freezing her heart mid-beat. She carefully returned the canister to its place on the counter. As she slowly turned back to face Brett, she spoke softly. "Frigid? How dare you!" Her foot caught Brett so unexpectedly, he didn't have time to protect himself. Her toe slid smoothly between his legs and connected sharply with his family jewels. Brett's knees buckled and he hit the floor like a rock. Candy stood over him, shaking with anger. "I hope I broke it! Did it ever occur to you, Mr. Lady's Man, that you don't turn me on? I didn't think so. Goodbye, you worm, and good riddance!" As she left his apartment, Candy spotted Brett's most prized possession, a black tooled-leather case full of the baseball cards he had been collecting since childhood, sitting in its place on a bookshelf. Without a second thought, she grabbed the case and carried it outside with her. As she passed the swimming pool, Candy opened the case, letting the contents spill into the pale blue chlorinated water. When it was empty, she tossed the open case into the pool and watched it as it sank to the bottom. Then she went to her car, drove to the nearest pawn shop, and pawned her engagement ring. Candy had cried herself to sleep the night she had found them in bed together. Now, her tears, like her relationship with Jenny and Brett, were through. She had to get on with her life, not let the sense of betrayal weigh her down until she wouldn't trust anyone ever again. Candy smiled, trying to ignore the pain in her feet. She would have liked to do more to Jenny than tell her boyfriend about her boob job, but Candy had seen an ad in the Las Vegas Sun at the library. It said that the Excalibur Hotel and Casino needed waitress help. She had decided the timing was providential. She'd thrown all her stuff into her little car and headed for Las Vegas before she could chicken out. She figured she'd let her family and friends know where she was when she got settled. Frowning worriedly, Candy realized that no one knew where she was, no one would be looking for her in the Nevada desert. If she expired by the side of the road, she could be carried off by nocturnal predators and... "Stop that," Candy admonished herself, "you're just scaring yourself!" She started humming a tune she had learned in Sunday School, hoping it might get the attention of somebody up there. "Don't be frightened." A masculine baritone came from the darkness at the side of the road. Candy believed she had truly jumped out of her skin, expecting to see an empty shell of herself fall to the road beside her. In truth, she had jumped several feet into the road away from the voice. She turned toward it and saw the outline of what appeared to be a tall man. She couldn't make out his features in the darkness. He had a nice shape - broad shoulders, slim hips, long legs. Candy looked around for his car, but as far as she could see, and that had to be miles in each direction, there was no sign of it. She instantly became wary. "Who are you?" Seeming to sense her wariness, he didn't attempt to come any closer. She could see his teeth flash white in a smile. "You may call me Dolph. What is your name?" "Candy, uh, Candace Swenson. Where did you come from?" He laughed - a deep, pleasant sound. Candy thought she must be going crazy because she could swear that 2

masculinity oozed from this man's pores. She caught herself before she could start primping. "That really wouldn't mean anything to you. I suppose you mean where is my transportation. Are you in need of it?" The hair on the back of Candy's neck was beginning to stand on end. Something was not quite right about this guy. Suddenly, all she wanted was to get away from him. "No, that's okay. I'm enjoying the walk. It's been nice meeting you, but I really have to get going, my boyfriend worries so much when I'm late. He's been known to bring the whole football team out just to look for me. See you." There was a chuckle in his voice. "If he's waiting for you back there," he pointed in the direction she had been headed, "why is your car pointed the other way?" Candy turned toward her car. She could barely make it out, let alone tell in which direction it was pointed. She fought the urge to run from this strange man. She had the feeling she wouldn't get very far, anyway. Dolph spoke a little louder, as if not speaking to her. "I need some light, I can't see her well enough to decide." Suddenly, bright white light flooded the road from the sky like a midnight sun. Candy was temporarily blinded. She gave a little gasp and covered her eyes with her hands to shut out the almost painful light. "I want to see her, not blind her. Tone it down!" His angry words were closer to her. Candy uncovered her eyes and looked up to see the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. He was taller than any non-basketball-player she had ever seen, at least six-foot-five. His long golden blonde hair fell below his shoulders, with a small braid framing one side of his face. He wore a close-cropped beard of the same golden blonde. His attire was strange, but then so was he. His shoulders and chest strained the confines of his dove grey jumpsuit, as did the rest of his perfectly proportioned body. His silver leather boots had designs that Candy didn't recognize carved in black down the front. From his ear hung a very large earring in the shape of a tiny Siamese cat reclining on a hoop. Candy looked into the eyes of this guy who called himself 'Dolph' and her breath caught in her throat. His eyes were green. Not 'blah' green like Jenny's, but dark emerald green. She'd never seen eyes that color, not even in the 'you can make your eyes this wonderful color with these contact lenses' ads. They seemed to suck her into their depths and hold her prisoner there. As Candy studied him, Dolph examined his beautiful prize. She was tall, five-foot-nine or -ten. She possessed the most stunning hair he had ever seen. It was the color of a white-hot rocket flame. Thick as a down comforter, it rippled about her shoulders and hips like a live thing. Though she tossed it back often, it seemed to have a mind of its own and it wanted to frame her high, taut breasts. Her bright, curious eyes were a soft grey-blue, her face pale and very feminine. She wore tight black jeans and a form-fitting red shirt that emphasized her perfect curves. Her body seemed made to form to a male's, her long legs perfect for wrapping around his hips and guiding him to ecstasy. Feeling a tightening in his loins, Dolph straightened and, clearing his throat, looked up and spoke into the light. "She'll do nicely. Transport us, then see to her vehicle. Continue on course and do not disturb me unless it is an emergency." Fear, emotional trauma and exhaustion were all catching up with Candy, dulling her senses. She spoke slowly, finding she needed to think about each word. Her voice took on a high, childlike quality that made her seem very vulnerable. "Where is that light coming from, and who are you talking to?" Dolph stepped forward and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. He spoke down to her as though she were a frightened child. His voice was soft and soothing. "The light is coming from my ship and I'm talking to my second-in-command, Felix, who is still on board. He is going to transport us aboard, where we may get better acquainted. All your questions will be answered eventually, when you are ready to accept the answers." A buzzing started inside Candy's head and quickly grew to a roar. She covered her ears in a futile attempt to shut it out. Strong arms came around her and pulled her against a hard body. A deep masculine whisper sounded in her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine. 3

"Don't be afraid and don't fight it. Trust me." She looked into those beautiful green eyes and although she knew it was crazy, she had just met this man, she did trust him. When she relaxed against him, the buzzing quieted to a soft, pleasant hum. A lethargic warmth spread through her body, starting at her skin and moving inward until it filled her. Turning her head away from the solid wall of chest in front of her, Candy watched as the Nevada desert that had so recently imperiled her shimmered and disappeared.

Chapter 2 The next few minutes were a whirl of activity that made Candy wonder if she had lost her mind. Out of fear and a sense of impending insanity she had turned her head back into Dolph's chest as the hum inside her head grew a bit louder, then softened and disappeared completely. Dolph put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away from him. She looked up at him and his soft smile and sparkling green eyes were very comforting. Extending his hand to her, he spoke quietly. "Come with me." Still too dazed to find her voice, Candy took his hand. That seemed like the safest thing to do. He lead her through a strangely painted hallway. The basic wall was white but there were paintings all along the way. Some looked like primitive cave drawings, others looked as though they had been painted by professional artists. Candy stared open mouthed as the blonde giant pulled her along. Feeling her slow to study a particularly well-done painting, Dolph chuckled as he gave her a gentle tug. "Sagas of life and dreams, my lady, painted by crew-members, past and present." A door whooshed open in front of them, drawing Candy's attention to the room they were entering. "That door," he pointed behind her, "leads to the bathroom. I think you will find anything that you might need in there. If not, just yell and I will assist you." As he stepped away, Candy looked around the room. It looked like a fairly normal man's bedroom, not that she had been in that many men's bedrooms. The walls were a pale tan, the carpet brown. The bed, rather large by her standards, was covered by some sort of dark brown fur. There was what she assumed to be a closet, although she couldn't find a handle to open it by; a chest of drawers, ditto no handles and it seemed to grow out of the wall, and even a mirror on the wall next to the closet. As she completed her perusal of the room, she came full circle to find Dolph in the process of undressing. He was sitting in the dark brown chair that stood against one wall, pulling his boots off. His earring was lying on top of the chest of drawers; his belt, she hadn't even noticed that he had been wearing a belt, lying beside it. As he stood and touched the top of his jumpsuit, panic gripped Candy. She had to find out what was going on before it rolled over her like a Mac truck. She stepped forward, put her hands in the center of Dolph's chest, causing him to arch a curious eyebrow, and pushed. It was like trying to push a boulder. He engulfed her cold hands in his warm palms. His voice held that chuckle she remembered so well. "What is it that you want, little one?" She pulled her hands from his grasp and tried to keep the fear from her voice. "Things are going a little fast for me. I have a few questions and I would much rather talk to you with your clothes on. I'd also like it if you wouldn't tower over me like some conquering giant." His quizzical brow arched higher. Nearly at the end of her rope, the loss of her ever volatile temper just around the next bend, Candy pointed at the chair he had just vacated and raised her voice slightly. "Sit down!" Dolph's chin slowly raised and his golden blonde brows drew together ominously, making it quite clear that he did not care for being ordered. Candy lowered her voice. "Please. I'm sorry if I sound a little authoritarian. It's just that if I don't figure out what's going on soon, I think I'm going to lose it." She sat down on the bed, her shoulders slumping slightly. She wanted to take her head in her hands and let her jumbled feelings have their way, but she realized that she couldn't learn anything that way. Right now, she had his full attention and she planned to make use of it. Dolph nodded, letting his body relax back to normal, the anger at the woman's sharp tone draining away. She was rather saucy, this wench. He had better watch himself with her or they might both be spending some time in the Med unit. "As I told you, all of your questions..." "Yeah, I know, will be answered when I can handle it. Well, I'm ready now. I want to know what is going on. Who are you? Where do you come from? What are you going to do with me? And why are you taking your clothes off?" Dolph had frowned again when Candy interrupted him, shaking his head in frustration, the movement causing flashes of light to glint off of his long blonde mane. By the time she had reached the middle of her list of

questions he was standing, his hand sliding smoothly down the front of his jumpsuit. The zipper, or whatever it was, started at one shoulder and ran all the way to the foot of the opposite leg. The grey material parted to reveal a chest liberally covered in golden fur. As he shrugged out of one sleeve of the suit, Candy stood, bringing her hands up in front of her body as if to ward off some attacker. Jumbled emotions caused each word to climb higher on the scale. "Stop it! We're having a conversation here. I don't want..." The big man took a quick step toward her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted until her feet dangled nearly a foot from the ground and she was eye level with him. His eyes looked like twin emeralds, sparkling even darker in anger. His voice was a deep, angry hiss. "Understand this, woman! I don't care what you want. You are to concern yourself with my wants, my needs. I have said that I will answer your questions and I will, in my own good time. Until then, you will suffer your ignorance in silence." He lowered her feet to the floor and pushed her toward the bathroom. "You have five minutes to prepare yourself for my bed. Do not waste them!" Candy stood staring at him, her mouth hanging open like a dead fish. He raised one hand as if he might strike her and yelled, "Go!" Candy jumped, turning in midair, and hit the ground running. When she reached the door, she realized that there was no knob. She was about to turn and voice a complaint when a large paw, she refused to think of anything about that man in human terms any longer, pressed a button at the side of the door that she hadn't noticed before. Without a sound, the door slid smoothly open. Candy quickly jumped inside and the door closed behind her. In the second before the door closed she could have sworn he growled. Again, this seemed like a normal, if somewhat small, bathroom. A basin hung on the wall to her left, the toilet next to it. There was a glass enclosed shower stall on the opposite wall. Candy sat on the toilet and stared morosely around the room. On second glance, a few important details were missing. There were no towels in sight, and no toilet paper. She thought Dolph was just a shoddy housekeeper until she noticed that there were no towel racks and no holder for the paper. Candy let her head rest in her hands, the picture of dejection. "Great, I can't even go to the bathroom. I'll probably die of blood poisoning. After I'm raped and mangled by that...that man! To heck with it, I'll drip dry." Candy was about to lift the toilet seat when the loud boom of fist hitting metal echoed in the room. Her head flew up, frightened eyes flying to the door. Dolph's voice rumbled through the door. "Are you about ready, girl?" "That's it!" Teeth grinding, eyes flashing blue death, Candy stood and headed toward the door like a bull charging a matador. When she reached it, her Irish temper burst its restraints, exploding to the surface. She hit the button that she assumed would release her from this paperless prison. As the door slid open, she was already yelling. "No, I'm not ready, boy! I can't even use the can since you don't have anything as civilized as toilet paper in sight. I couldn't take a shower if I wanted to, ditto no towels. And I don't appreciate being intimidated on top of being kidnapped. I suggest you just shut up! You'll get me when I'm good and ready!" She was glaring up at him, ignoring the straining of her neck muscles. Dolph glared back, his senses keenly aware of how beautiful the little witch looked at this moment. Her face was flushed in her anger and her eyes had darkened to a near-sapphire blue. Her hands on her hips had captured several strands of the silver hair that framed her body. Lust and anger possessed Dolph as surely as any evil spirit might. Growling deep in his throat, he grabbed the girl by her shoulders. Lifting her into the air, he turned and tossed her to the bed. Her screams went unnoticed as he tore her clothes from her body, paying no heed to how many pieces they were in when they hit the floor. While waiting for her to emerge from the bathroom, he had finished removing his clothes. Now, no barrier stood between their bodies. She writhed, screaming and trying to claw the skin from his back, but he was feeling no pain. Even her fists beating against him couldn't cool the flaming lust in his loins. Wrenching her knees apart with his large hands, Dolph positioned his body to claim her. He raised her legs till her knees nearly touched her chest. His shaft unerringly found its mark, her sheath hot and wet, waiting for him. With another growl, nearly a roar, he plunged deeply into her sweet body. The slight resistance as her maidenhead gave way sent Dolph into a fiery spiral of passion unlike any he had ever known before. He was claiming this woman for his own, no other would ever know her sweet flesh as he did. Grinding his teeth in an attempt to maintain his precarious control over his body, he attempted to release

Candy's legs, but as soon as he slacked off his pressure on them, she tried to drop them to the bed. He didn't want that, he could not thrust so deeply into her if her legs were down. He reclaimed her legs and leaned his weight on them. No words known to Dolph in any of his many languages could ever adequately explain the pleasure he felt building inside his body. His shaft was on fire, the girl's attempts to fight him adding fuel to the flame. Each thrust brought soul-jarring pleasure, each withdrawal sweet agony. The tension, heightened by anger and conquest, was quickly growing. Like a youth, his staying power was almost nonexistent. With a deep groan, Dolph threw back his head and gave a last, violent thrust into her tight sheath of pleasure. He cried out in triumph as he felt the release of his seed into her womb. Every muscle in his great body seemed to contract at once, then release, then contract again. Finally, his passion released him and he fell limply onto her body, completely spent. Candy lay very still beneath Dolph's sweat-drenched body, wondering if it were over. In her anger, the pain of losing her virginity had been just one more annoyance. Candy had always believed that true love would dull the pain. An ironic little smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. In this case, it would seem that anger worked as well as true love. Besides, it hadn't hurt nearly as much as her mother had warned her it would. One more man-woman myth shattered. Candy didn't know whether to scream, cry, shake or just contemplate the many ways available to kill a man. Since the others might disturb the hulk atop her, she settled on the last. Besides, she had already done all of the others while the brute was having his way with her and none of them had helped. Getting all worked up again wasn't a good idea because when she got mad, she breathed hard. At the moment, any kind of breathing was a little difficult since she had what she was certain was a ton of man laying on top of her. She wondered if he might suffocate her. No, he wasn't done with her yet. Once was never enough for a man. Unless they fell asleep. Candy sneered. They only fell asleep when you didn't want them to fall asleep. In an attempt to strengthen her tentative grip on sanity, Candy tried to put the events of the last few hours into perspective. She laughed, a little sound that brought a slight grunt from Dolph. It was useless. Nothing made sense. She didn't even believe in UFO's, close encounters and all that mumbo-jumbo. She had always thought the people who claimed to have been taken aboard alien spacecraft were either nuts or very clever businessmen. Now here she was, imprisoned on some sort of ship on her way to...where? She had no idea. And even if somebody were nice enough to tell her where they were headed, she was pretty sure she wouldn't be any wiser. She hadn't studied a road map of outer space recently. Another giggle tried to sneak out. She stifled it, not willing to give in to hysteria. The bulk above her shifted, rolling to his back. His arm snaked possessively around her waist and pulled her against his side. She had little choice but to lay her head on his arm. Fine, if you liked a rock for a pillow. Candy put her hand under her face to pad it. Even though she was naked, the barbarian had seen to that, it was comfortably warm. There were so many thoughts dancing around in Candy's head she felt like a disco. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't come up with any answers. She just didn't know enough. She would have started to cry, but she was still too angry. And she wasn't certain how bad this situation was. Maybe it had an up side. She just had to gain more information. Candy shook her head in confusion. She needed sleep, but she was certain that she could never close her eyes with this brute nearby. Five minutes later, the 'brute's' even breathing had lulled her into a deep slumber.

Chapter 3 Candy awoke to find herself alone in the large bed. There was a warm spot underneath her hand where the barbarian had been when she had fallen asleep. She could not believe she had just gone to sleep like that, with the enemy within raping distance. Maybe she was losing her mind! As she laid there castigating herself for having let down her guard enough to close her eyes, she suddenly got the creepy feeling that she was being watched. She grimaced. "Oh, good, now I'm getting paranoid. There's nobody here." As she spoke, Candy looked around the room to be sure she wasn't lying to herself. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a movement on top of the chest of drawers. Clutching the light brown sheet to her chest, she got to her feet and began to make her way slowly and carefully in that direction. Once there, all she saw was Dolph's earring. He must have decided not to wear it today. It was a beautiful piece. About 3 inches long, it was a perfect miniature of a Siamese cat. Around its chest and front legs, it wore a tiny black harness, studded with what looked like diamonds. That seemed to be where the cat was attached to the earring wire. The deep blue feline eyes stared at her. They seemed so real. Candy couldn't imagine what medium had been used to make such real-looking fur. She decided to pick it up and examine it more closely. As she reached toward the beautiful piece of jewelry, it moved from its sitting position to an all fours warning stance. The tiny beast arched its back and hissed at her! Candy was so shocked, she took several steps backward. That seemed to please the little cat because he stretched in that languorous way that only cats can and walked to what looked like a bottle cap that sat near him. Turning his back to Candy, but keeping one ear facing in her direction at all times, he dipped his head to lick up the white liquid inside the cap. Candy loved cats, all animals really. The smallest cat she had ever seen had been a newborn kitten and it had been four times the size of this little guy. She stepped closer. Mid-slurp, the Siamese turned his head toward her and growled deep in his throat. Considering his size, it was not a very terrifying sound, but Candy didn't want to upset him. After several minutes of a strange dance between cat and woman, it seemed that they had come to an understanding. As long as she made no move to touch him, Candy would be allowed to admire the haughty little feline. She could see the back of the cat's harness. It had some kind of connection in the center. The earring was a round silver hoop, the kind that slips inside of itself to close. How the cat and the earring went together was definitely a mystery. Candy guessed that the substance in the tiny bowl was milk. It looked like milk, and the kitty was definitely devouring it like milk. After several minutes of lapping and preening, the cat came toward her, eyeing her as though she were a great curiosity. Very slowly, Candy laid her hand, palm up, on the top of the chest of drawers. The cat arched a little, more show than true anger, then warily sidled up to sniff her skin. His whiskers tickled and Candy giggled. The Siamese perked up his ears at the sound, tipping his head to one side and then the other. He must have decided that he liked the sound. Without warning, he jumped into her palm. With his front paws, claws semi-retracted, he kneaded the tender skin there. Then he laid down, tucking his curled front feet under his body and wrapping his tail around himself. Candy moved to sit in the chair, being careful to keep her hand steady. The cat didn't seem the least bit worried. He watched the scenery of the room move by with that lack-of-concern look cats have perfected over the ages. Once settled, Candy brought her other hand slowly within the cat's vision. He paid it no heed. She was accepted now. Candy ran her index finger down the tiny cat's back. He raised his hind end into the air and began to purr. With a sound akin to a vacuum-packed seal breaking, the main door disappeared inside the wall and Dolph strode into the room. He was dressed in the same sort of jumpsuit, only this one was black. He quickly scanned the room, then gave Candy a wary smile. He noticed her burden. One golden brow arched in question. "Is Silky behaving himself?" Upon hearing the deep baritone, the cat jumped to his feet, his ears and tail shooting straight into the air. He started jumping, making that sound that Siamese cats call a meow. As soon as Dolph was close enough, the tiny feline leaped. He clung to Dolph's jumpsuit, climbing slowly upward until he was hidden beneath the golden hair at Dolph's shoulder. Dolph tossed back his head and laughed, a deep, and surprisingly loud, sound. "Silky is a bit of a slut. He will let just about anyone pet him, unless I happen to be present. Then he

pretends that he has been forced to suffer through another's attention while he waited for me. Forgive his rudeness." 'That's rich,' Candy thought, 'forgive his rudeness. The cat didn't rape me.' She decided to hold her tongue. She needed information and she wasn't going to get it by irritating the big brute. She put on her best Ilike-you-in-spite-of-what-you-did-to-me smile and looked up at him. "He's very beautiful. What is he?" Dolph grimaced down at her, then nodded. He reached into the belt that seemed to appear only when he removed it or retrieved an object from it and pulled out something that looked like a large ballpoint pen. As he leaned toward Candy, she pulled back into the chair. Dolph gave a deep, exaggerated sigh. He gazed into her eyes as he spoke. "This is a Universal translator. It is implanted behind the ear." He moved his hair so that she could see behind his ear. As far as she could see, there was nothing there. He continued his explanation. "Once it is implanted, you will be able to understand all of the known languages in terms that are familiar to you. I would rather it be implanted before I begin attempting to explain things to you. Although English is my second language, there may be some terms for which it is difficult to find an English word. This will save me that irritation." Candy didn't miss the stress he placed on 'that', as though he had to bear so many irritations. With a little inward smile, she granted that he was probably dealing with a few more annoyances than he was used to. But she hadn't asked to be kidnapped by aliens so she wasn't about to apologize for her less than friendly behavior. Holding the pen toward her and gritting his teeth, Dolph paid her the supreme complement of asking her permission, "May I?" Feeling defeated by circumstances beyond her control, and admittedly quite curious, Candy nodded. She pushed her silky hair away from her left ear and turned her head so that he could better see what he was doing. Dolph placed the tip of the 'pen' against the bone behind her ear. He gently laid his palm against the other side of her face. His palm went from Candy's temple to her jawline. A great illustration, she realized with apprehension, of how truly massive this man was. There was a 'pop', a sharp sting, then he stepped away from her and returned the 'pen' to his belt. Candy spoke in a slightly accusatory tone. "You didn't mention that it would hurt." Dolph tilted his head, a look of surprise on his face. "Did it? I've never had anyone complain of pain before." "I thought you said you had one." Dolph smiled. "I said nothing of the kind, little one. I merely showed you where it would be implanted. You assumed. A dangerous habit." At Candy's narrowed eye glare, Dolph chuckled. He explained with pride. "I have no need of a translator. Any language that I must understand, I must also speak." With a sly glance at Candy, he continued. "One more thing. It is also a homing device. I will be able to locate you wherever you might foolishly choose to go." Irish blood began to simmer. Candy stood, tossing her hair behind her shoulders. "You tricked me! I don't appreciate 'Oh, by the ways' when they have to do with my body, you low-life!" Dolph looked surprised again, then his brows started to draw together in anger. He pointed to the chair and nearly shattered her eardrums with his command. "Sit down!" Candy was so startled by the force of his voice, she almost fell into the chair. She glared at him and yelled. "You don't have to yell, I'm not deaf!" "Neither am I!" Dolph stepped to the chest of drawers so that Silky, agitated by all the yelling, could jump to the surface. The small feline turned and hissed at Dolph, shook as though he had been defiled, then curled up inside the hoop of the earring and covered his face with his tail. Smiling in spite of himself at the little beast's show of disdain, Dolph felt the anger drain from him. He turned back to the girl, his words much calmer now.

"If you will try to control your temper, woman, I will do the same. If we both make the attempt, we may be able to converse for several minutes without yelling. Now, ask your questions, one at a time."

Chapter 4 Candy's mind was so full of questions, she hardly knew where to start. She wondered if she could trust him, if he would tell her the truth. Since he was the only port in her storm of ignorance, she didn't have much choice but to ask and take her chances. Where to start? Dolph sat on the edge of the bed and arched his brow at Candy in question. Her eyes were drawn to Silky, sleeping soundly in his safe little circle of silver. She returned her eyes to Dolph, deciding that looking into his eyes would help her determine if he were lying. His eyes were so beautiful. Shaking her head to get her mind back to the subject at hand, she started her questioning. "Even the things that seem obvious around here, aren't. Like, I can see that Silky is a cat. I mean, he looks like a cat. But he must have gone on one heck of a diet." Dolph grinned, making him look boyish and very handsome. He obviously loved the little critter. "Silky comes from a planet several galaxies away from your home. The gravity on his home world is very heavy, the land masses quite small. Things do not grow so large there. Other than his size, he is physically the same as your domestic cat. The natives of his planet harness his species as pets. As you have seen, they are very entertaining. When his owner was killed, I took him." It was Candy's turn to arch a brow. "Did you kill him?" "Nooo." Dolph shifted his gaze to Silky's perch. His answer had the sound of avoidance. Candy leaned forward in her chair, wanting the truth. "Convince me." Dolph brought flaring green eyes back to join with light blue. He was not used to having his word questioned! He tossed his golden blonde mane like an angry stallion. "I did not kill him. He was killed by one of my men, Bjorn One-eye, in a raid. When Silky attempted to claw out Bjorn's one good eye, I intervened and kept my friend from killing him. After all, the little beast was merely trying to defend himself. I admired that." His affectionate gaze found Silky, who seemed to sense that he was being talked about. He sat up and gave them both a disgruntled look, then started bathing himself. Dolph laughed and winked at Candy. She couldn't imagine why, but she felt herself instantly blush, the warmth spreading all the way to her toes. "I guess we're being too noisy for his highness, poor little fellow can't get a decent day's sleep. When taken from their natural habitat and brought into that of larger creatures such as man, they become very vulnerable," he dropped his voice in mock conspiracy, "not that he would appreciate that term." Candy's open smile warmed him like a ray of sunshine. "I take him along with me when I leave the ship so that I will know where he is. He tends to get into mischief." Candy giggled. Dolph relaxed with the soft, feminine sound. He liked to watch the light dance about on her fiery hair. When friendly, as now, this woman made him feel comfortable. He liked that, liked her. He had made a good choice. Her words, full of laughter, were a balm for his heavy heart. "I'll bet he does. Cats can be a real pain, but I love them. They're so soft and cuddly. Petting them makes me feel like all is right with the world, you know?" Dolph nodded, thinking that laying with her now would surely make him feel that way. But he had said that he would answer her questions and he would honor his word, no matter how much pain it caused him. "Where are you from?" Candy sighed and looked at her feet. "I ask that like you're going to say Cleveland or something. I know you're not from Earth, that much is obvious, but," a sudden thought brought her eyes back to his, "you said that English was your second language." Dolph nodded again and smiled. "My mother was American. She came from Arizona. She liked to take long drives in the desert. My father found her on one of her outings and liked what he saw. She taught me to speak English as my father taught me Norse. I guess I really learned them simultaneously." He laughed. "I believe it was somewhat of a contest between them which I would speak. I didn't wish to hurt either of them so I learned both. "As for where I come from, if you mean where was I born--on a ship much like this one. My father was a

raider, as am I. I believe you would call us 'Vikings'." Candy stared at him with wide eyes. Now she realized what he reminded her of. She had read stories of Vikings, the great blonde raiders from the North that had descended upon Europe in the first century. They had been ruthless, stealing anything, and anyone, that caught their eye, destroying almost everything in their path. Looking at Dolph, she could easily believe that he was descended from those thundering hordes, but how could that be? "How? I mean, Vikings come from Earth, from a long time ago. They used wooden ships. They surely didn't have the technology to fly, let alone get to space. And nobody else was that developed, so they couldn't even have stolen it." Dolph grinned. Candy narrowed her eyes, her expression one of trying to understand a great dilemma. "How could you be a Viking?" Dolph smiled somewhat apologetically and shrugged. "I can only tell you the story that has been handed down among my people. I can't vouch for its truthfulness, since the old ones sometimes tend to exaggerate a bit, but I'm sure it's basically true." Dolph leaned back on his hands, enjoying the tale. All Vikings loved a good story, especially if they were the ones telling it. "A very long time ago, as you mentioned, my people were sea raiders from Earth. We were proud and strong, the greatest race ever to grace that beautiful planet. We preyed on all who were weaker than us, respected those who could outsmart us, few as they were." Candy gave him an exasperated look, a grin lifting the corners of her mouth. He returned her smile. "Anyway, so the story goes, a fleet of Viking ships was on its way to drop in on our old friends the English and see what gifts they might have for us. Suddenly, the sky was bright with strange lights. A man appeared on one of the Dragon ships. The Captain of that ship asked him what he wanted. The man from the sky said that his people had been looking for specimens good enough to take as slaves. They found us to be the best this planet had to offer so they were going to enslave the whole fleet. The Viking Captain, my distant relative," Candy gave him a dubious look. Dolph shrugged, "Tis true! We're all related in some way." Candy's eyes flashed mischief. "Inbred, huh?" Dolph straightened indignantly, then relaxed as he realized that she was joking with him. He laughed. "Perhaps, but we try to avoid that by taking beautiful captives to marry and breed with. Of course, since we are so perfect, they fall in love with us and eventually thank us for rescuing them from their hum-drum existence." He looked sideways at Candy, a comical, somewhat hopeful expression lighting his face. Candy felt that damnable blush start again. "Do they indeed?" Under her breath she mumbled, "I'll bet none of them were Irish." To him, she said, "So what did your 'distant relative' do?" Dolph was pleased that she had accepted the fact that he was related to the Viking hero, and that she was interested in his story. Storytelling was one of his people's greatest joys. "The Viking Captain, Victor the Red, asked the man from the sky if he would be so kind as to have a drink with him. There was mead on board, of course." Candy snorted. "Of course." Dolph ignored her interruption. This was his favorite part of the story. "Victor asked what their duties would be, where they would live, anything to keep the man drinking. He found out that there were women on board the flying machines, that they were equal with their men, helping them to run the ships." The incredulity with which he said this brought a sarcastic sound from Candy. "Will wonders never cease? Women actually using their brains, running machinery. What is this galaxy coming to?" Dolph frowned at her. She smiled and narrowed her eyes, making sure he knew her opinion of his chauvinism. He continued. "Once his victim was near senseless with drink, Victor the Red told him that his men would be honored to be the slaves of these great men from the sky. However, he said that to his great embarrassment, he could not

trust his men near women of any kind. They would go mad with lust. He suggested to his very inebriated guest that he move all of the women to one ship so that there would be no difficulties. Using his wrist radio, the sky man did so. "After a few more drinks, the man from the sky passed out, as Victor had known he would. He took the skyman's radio, he had watched carefully how it was operated, and, imitating the spaceman, ordered that the Vikings be taken to the women's ship. Once there, they had little difficulty convincing the women to do as they wanted. No woman can resist a Viking." Another snort from Candy. "They had the women instruct them in the basics of running the ships, then they sent raiding parties to the other ships to take over. There was a great battle, many lives were lost, but in the end the Vikings triumphed. They took the spacecraft that had survived home, gathered their families, and headed out to find new places to raid. "As had always been Viking custom, they settled their families wherever they took a liking to the area. There are few planets today that do not have at least one Viking settlement." Dolph tossed his golden mane, his chest puffing with pride. "We are considered the most fierce warriors in existence, feared and respected throughout the Universe. We go wherever we please, take whatever or," he glanced slyly at her, "whoever we desire. Those who would make war hire us if they wish to win. And women secretly hope that a great Viking warrior will take them and make them his own. As I have done with you." Candy stiffened. Tiny flecks of dark blue appeared in her eyes as her temper started to rear its ugly, and pretty much uncontrollable, head. Her tone was polite, her attitude icy. "Please, forgive me. I guess I didn't realize what a great honor you have bestowed upon me." She stood, her fists clenching at her side. Always the proud, and cautious, warrior, Dolph stood to face her, not caring to give her the advantage of height. Her growing anger was reflected in the slow raising of her voice as she spoke. "Excuse me if I don't consider being wrenched from my home and family to be a great honor, you low-life Viking! And if you really expect me to fall in love with you, you must be severely inbred. I wouldn't fall in love with you if you were the last man on Earth. Or anywhere else, for that matter! I think you have an extremely elevated opinion of yourself. Vikings are nothing but thieves who steal from others because they're too lazy or stupid to..." His hand lashed out, the palm catching Candy painfully across the left cheek and sending her crashing into the chair. He stood glowering at her, his whole body shaking with barely restrained fury. Candy raised her hand to her injured cheek, anger, fear and hurt warring for space in her mind and eyes. He shoved his index finger toward her face, causing her to strain back against the chair so as not to be touched by him. His anger hissed in his words. "You are the stupid one, bitch! You haven't the intelligence not to anger the man who holds your very life in his hands. You speak of things of which you know nothing. You dare to insult my people? We were sailing the seas, masters of all we came upon, while your ancestors were still crawling out of caves!" Candy made a move to speak. His yell was truly terrifying, she could actually feel the chair beneath her vibrate with it. "Hold your tongue or I swear to the gods that I will remove it! Your best course of action if you wish to remain alive and unbroken is to keep your legs open and your mouth shut!" He looked at the sheet that she had kept wrapped about her body through their conversation. Grabbing the ends of the sheet where they came together in front of her, he lifted her to her feet, then leaned over to speak directly into her face. "You are mine, I have chosen you to be my bride. I care not if you approve. I promised my father as he lay dying in my arms that I would produce a son to carry on his name within the year, and by all the gods, I will keep my word! Hate me if you want, girl, but understand this. I am master here, and you will do as I say or suffer the consequences!" He tossed her onto the bed. Fearing a repeat of his earlier performance, Candy tried desperately to get herself untangled from the sheet so that she could fight him. When she was finally free she came to her knees in the middle of the bed, ready to battle to the death rather than be ravaged again. He was gone, the aura of his fierce anger the only remnant of his presence in the room.

Candy threw back her head and screamed at the ceiling, tossing the pillows from the bed to the floor, then tearing the bottom sheet off of the bed in her anger. Jumping from the bed, she tripped on one of the pillows and fell headlong to the floor. She lay panting, her silver hair wrapped around her pale body, looking for something else to decimate. A small sound came from the floor beside her. Turning, she saw Silky cautiously approaching her. Deciding her temporary insanity had past, he wriggled under a piece of her hair, then peeked out to see if she were still watching him. Candy laughed at his cute little face, then laid her head next to his furry body as her tears started. Sobs tore through her young body as though her heart were surely breaking. With quiet meows, purrs, and the rubbing of his body against her face, Silky tried to comfort Candy. Having no luck, he curled up under a piece of her soft hair and waited for Dolph. He knew Dolph would know what to do with this wailing woman. Till then, Silky would conserve his strength and rest.

Chapter 5 Dolph stood at the large window, watching the stars stream by wrapped in the velvet blackness of space. The silver chalice filled with mead that he held in his hand went unnoticed. He didn't really feel like drinking. Dolph snarled, one side of his lip raising to reveal perfect white teeth. What he truly felt like doing was strangling the life from the contrary bitch in his room! The gall of the woman, calling Vikings stupid. Thieves, perhaps, but never stupid. Lazy? Every man was lazy on occasion. Vikings no more than most. The woman was daft. Easing into a deeply padded chair, Dolph took a swallow of the warm mead. It went down smooth and easy, sending its warmth to caress his tense muscles and bring him a bit of relief from the strain of dealing with that woman. Perhaps he should just take her again. Dolph smiled at that idea, thinking that it definitely had merit. She was a nice piece to bed. He took several deep swallows of mead, letting his head drop back into the chair so he could better see the stars. His eyes took on a dreamy faraway glaze as the mead worked its magic, his loins beginning to stir lazily. How much better might their lovemaking be if she were willing? He remembered the fire in her eyes when she was angry. The flare of her nostrils, the silver veil of her fine hair flying about her body as she punctuated her words with her hands. Ah, yes, she would be a wanton hellion in bed. Dolph frowned. If he could ever get her there of her own free will. Suddenly, Dolph slammed the chalice down on the table beside his chair. Was he not a Viking, master of all? How could one little American girl resist him if he set his mind to winning her? Dolph made a sound of contempt. Never had a woman been able to resist him for long. If he wanted a wench, he took her, pleasured her, and she would want him again and again. He dropped his shame-filled gaze to his own booted feet. 'Not when you take them like some rutting animal,' he mentally chastised himself. True, he had not been at his best. But the woman had provoked him, sending him into a rage so that he had lost all control. She should have known better than to defy him when he had told her that he planned to have her. His lust had already been stirred, his anger easily fueling it to explosion. He remembered his mother telling him how different things were where she came from. How women told men when they would make love. How men kept their emotions inside, letting them out only rarely. She had also admitted that those same pent-up emotions often made men ill in their body and mind. How men who had never raised their voice suddenly started shooting strangers on the street. Even as a child, Dolph could see the foolishness of their customs. Anger, lust, love, even grief--these were things a man felt. Why should he hide them as though they were something of which to be ashamed? When he was ten he had felt that he was old enough to start thinking about taking a bride. His mother had smiled, then warned him that if he chose an American bride, as he had said he might, there would be many things that she would have to learn. They would both have to make many adjustments to be happy. With a child's pride, Dolph had puffed his chest and, resting his hands on his slim hips, told his mother that the woman would have adjustments to make. He was a Viking and Vikings did not make adjustments for women. His mother had just shaken her head the way she always did when Dolph acted like his father. She knew it was useless to try to argue the matter. She had laid her soft palm along one of his cheeks and kissed the other. She told him that he would see when the time came. Dolph smiled a slightly sad smile. He wished his lovely mother were here to see his bride. Perhaps she would have some useful suggestions as to how to make the girl see reason. He didn't wish to terrify her into submission. Remembering the fire of her anger, Dolph's smile widened and his face glowed with pride. His woman wouldn't terrify easily, if at all. So how was he to make her submit? He could make her his prisoner forever, but by Viking law, she had to agree to be his wife. At this moment the likelihood of that was nonexistent. Tossing back his head, Dolph drained the last of the mead in one long swallow, then stood and strode toward his room. His stride was confident and full of purpose. Whatever was necessary to make her desire him, within reason, he would do. He had chosen the silver haired beauty and, by all the gods, he would have her for his own! Candy sat in the bedroom chair, mentally reviewing the last week of her life. Talk about rotten! She'd lost her best friend, fianc, and possibly her mind, all in one short week. Not to mention being kidnapped and raped. It just wasn't fair! After several minutes of feeling sorry for herself, she shook her head in disgust, determined to clear those

thoughts from her mind. Becoming increasingly depressed wasn't going to help her. She needed to do something, find a way out of this predicament. She stood and surveyed the room for about the hundredth time. Nothing had changed since the last time, no escape route had magically appeared. As much as she hated to admit it, she was stuck. At least temporarily. She would just have to make the most of it. With that in mind, she faced the door as it whooshed open. Dolph stood in the doorway, his large frame bathed in the soft, warm glow of the hall lights. He took up most of the space usually reserved for the door. Candy looked into his face and was again struck by his handsome features. His golden mane was slightly disheveled, a stray lock having fallen forward to brush his forehead. His expression was one of determination, his square chin held high, his lips slightly pursed. The look in his eyes was carefully guarded, nearly blank. He had opened his black jumpsuit nearly to the waist, exposing the thick golden fur and smooth skin of his chest. He stood with his legs braced apart, as though he hadn't been too sure of his welcome. He remained in the doorway for several seconds, gauging the temper of the woman before him. Candy's gaze brazenly roamed over his body, taking in the taut muscles rippling beneath the smooth black material. Against her will, her eyes were drawn to the bulge at the junction of his legs. He was in a very good mood, judging by the extra strain on the material in that area. His thighs were as large as small tree trunks, tapering nicely to equally powerful calves. His boots, starting just below the knee, fit nearly as tightly as his jumpsuit. His feet were as big as one would expect, considering his height. Candy smiled and blushed a little as she remembered seeing him naked. If this Viking were any indication, that old wives' tale about the size of certain other parts of the anatomy being reflected in the size of a man's feet had some truth to it. Raising her eyes to meet his, Candy realized that he hadn't taken a breath since she had started her perusal of his physique. Now he inhaled deeply, expanding his chest to its full magnificent proportions. He was one hunk of a man! Dolph stepped into the room and the door closed behind him. Candy decided that now would be as good a time as any to try to get on better footing with this barbarian. She kept her voice level, businesslike. "I'm sorry I lost my temper and insulted you. I really want answers to my questions." She did her best to look into his eyes as she spoke, although it became increasingly difficult as his eyes darkened, his blinking slowing sensually, and his face lost its tension. "If you would be so kind as to supply them, I will try to hold my comments down. Please." She motioned for him to sit in the chair. He smilingly obligingly, intrigued by this new mood of hers. Guessing at this woman's next move could become a full-time hobby, one he didn't think he'd mind pursuing. Candy sat on the bed, keeping her back straight, her arms at her sides and her hands clasped together in her lap. She intended to get her answers, all of them, before she lost her temper again even if she had to tear her own hands off. She dropped her gaze to her lap and asked quietly, "what is going to happen to me?" Dolph was surprised by the tug he felt on his heart. Her words were soft, tinged with the sound of fear. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her. Since Vikings do as they please, he stood, moved to the bed and sat beside her. In one smooth, easy move, he lifted her and pulled her onto his lap before she could voice a protest. Candy raised startled eyes to his. He smiled and wrapped his strong arms around her back, gently encouraging her to lean against his chest. She wasn't at all sure what he expected of her, what was going on in his mind now, but she found the warmth of his skin against her cheek pleasant. And the sound of his heart steadily beating in her ear was strangely comforting. Unconsciously, she snuggled into his embrace. His deep voice seemed to come from within his great chest. With his chin resting lightly on the top of her head, she could feel his breath softly caressing her hair as he spoke. "You needn't fear me, little one. Granted, I am fierce when angered. I know of few Viking warriors who are sweet-tempered. But I have no desire to hurt you. Just the opposite, sweetling. I wish to make you my wife, to give you many strong children to raise." His voice became softer, taking on a husky, sexy quality. "I want to give you pleasure, beautiful lady. I want to hear you scream my name in ecstasy." Candy felt a shiver run down her spine and settle somewhere south of her belly button. His hands were caressing her bare back above the sheet. She could feel his chest expand as his breathing became more labored with his building passion. With slight apprehension she realized that the hard lump that was pressing against the back of her thigh had begun to throb. She sensed that she had better steer the conversation back to answering her

questions or it was going to become more physical and less informative. A tiny part of her thought that she wouldn't really mind that so much, but her logical self wanted to keep him talking while he was in the mood. She leaned back a little so that she could look at his face. "Why me?" Dolph smiled somewhat sheepishly and shrugged. "I wanted someone from the area my mother came from. I had allotted five days to this quest. Today was the fifth day. I examined several others, but none stirred my blood as you do. I'm glad the gods chose to smile on me today." A smart aleck comment about God frowning on her came to Candy's mind, but she held her tongue. "What did you do, just wait for damsels in distress to come into your range, or what?" Dolph pulled her soft cheek to rest against his chest once again. He didn't want her to get angry, he was so enjoying her softer mood. But he had said that he would answer her questions. Maybe being held against his body would affect her mind enough to keep her from losing her temper. After all, she should be feeling the effect of having him so near by now. "Your cars are easily disabled from our ship." He felt her stiffen, then, with a sigh, relax. "When we spotted your car, we took readings as to what was inside. Your readings were in the desirable range, so we stopped your car and I watched you as you walked down the road. I liked what I saw. After a closer look, I chose you." As before, he sounded as though he were honoring her. Candy sighed and gave her head a little shake. Holding her temper was becoming easier. She was starting to see things from his point of view, Heaven help her. He had been raised to see himself as an all-powerful being. Taught that stealing, even people, was a respectable thing to do. His own mother had probably been booty, for Heaven's sake! Telling him how wrong he was would be a waste of time, he would never see it her way. She needed to understand his culture if she were ever going to get back home. If she were going to survive. Dolph felt her sigh and his expression turned smug. She was finally realizing what a great honor he had bestowed upon her. There were many women throughout the universe that would gladly have given up all they had to become his bride. He was considered very desirable as a Viking husband. There would no doubt be many broken hearts when news of his marriage spread. Ah, well. They would recover. Besides, Viking custom permitted more than one wife, should the need arise. Looking down at the silver-veiled beauty in his arms, Dolph shook his head slightly. He knew that he would never want another. He let his hands slide beneath the sheet on her back, feeling the smooth curve of alabaster skin at her hip. She held tightly to the front of the sheet, keeping it covering her breasts. Dolph was glad of that. He knew if he caught a glimpse of those pink-tipped mounds, his control would become very difficult to maintain. Even now, he was throbbing as though he'd not had a woman for days. This wench stirred him as no other. "What will happen to my car? Am I going to end up one of those mysteries? 'Abandoned car found by roadside, owner wanders off into desert to be eaten by rabid wolves.'" Dolph chuckled. "Vikings are thieves, remember? We brought your car on board. It has been torn apart for scrap by now. To your world, you have disappeared without a trace." His voice took on a concerned quality that surprised Candy. "Do you have a family, someone who will be worried?" Candy thought about her father. She hadn't seen or spoken to him for seven years, not since her mother's funeral. He hadn't come, hadn't even sent flowers. They had been divorced since Candy was twelve, but she didn't think that absolved him of the duty of coming to her funeral. He should have come if only to comfort Candy. She had called him and told him that if he couldn't have the common decency to say goodbye to the woman who had given him fifteen years of her life, he was not a man she cared to call 'father'. Then she had hung up the phone and cried for hours. She gave a proud little shake of her head. Her voice raised and she became more animated as she explained. "I disowned my father because he's an uncaring, insensitive slime-ball. My best friend isn't anymore. And I hope my fianc, who isn't my fianc anymore because my best friend is my ex-best friend, steps on some long-forgotten land mine in Europe, where we were going for our honeymoon, but he'll probably take her now

'cause he had to pay in advance and he's a cheapskate, and gets his precious dick blown off!" Dolph's voice reflected his perplexed state. "Does that mean no?" Dolph's confused expression was priceless. Candy burst into laughter. "Yes, that means no. So, do you guys have some kind of wedding ceremony, or do you just say 'You wife, me husband', and be done with it?" Dolph narrowed his eyes in mock irritation, then smiled. "We have a bonding ceremony. You and I shall have ours as soon as this battle is won." Candy sat forward and gaped at him. "Battle, what battle?" Dolph tried not to notice how the sheet was sinking, the top of one rosy nipple peeking out. His voice showed the strain. "The battle we are on our way to fight. We have been hired by one side of a civil war. The other side has only their own soldiers. It will be a quick victory." "And what happens to me if you don't come back?" Dolph's lips rose in a soft sensuous smile. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip, sending little shivers throughout her body. "I am pleased to see that you are concerned for me." "I don't want to be left in this little room to starve to death and be eaten by a mini-Siamese!" Dolph laughed, realizing that she was very proud and not yet willing to admit her affection for him, though he was certain that her heart was already his. "I will be back, little one, have no fear." She arched a brow in consternation. He chuckled. "If I do not return, one of my men will take care of you. I will see that you are safe, my beautiful lady of starfire. Candy..." He was leaning toward her, his hand on the back of her head, holding her captive to his desire. Prisoner or not, barbarian or not, at this moment Candy didn't care, she wanted him to kiss her, wanted to feel his lips crushing hers. He stopped within a breath of her lips, his whisper caressing her face and making her want more. "You are ill-named, kitten. You are no bit of sugar to satisfy a man's appetite for but a moment. You are a being of fire. You set a man's soul ablaze with your temper and your perfect body, like the lights of the gods set the night afire. Star. That is what I will call you. That is what I will whisper in your ear as I take you to heights the likes of which you have only dreamed. That is what I will yell when I find my release inside your beautiful body. Star." The way he said it made it sound like the most beautiful word in the English language. His hand wrapped tightly in her silken hair as he brought his lips down upon hers in a kiss filled with passion, a kiss like no other Candy had ever experienced. His lips caressed, demanded, possessed--and yet they also gave. So much passion came to her in that one kiss that Candy felt over whelmed. And afraid. Afraid that she was losing herself, giving herself to this Viking. Afraid that was exactly what she wanted to do. He ran his tongue along her lips, encouraging her to allow him entrance. Candy knew that once she willingly let him inside of her in any way, she would be lost. Sighing with pleasure, she parted her lips. An incessant beeping sounded somewhere. Candy thought it might have been an alarm going off in her mind until Dolph pulled his lips from hers with a muttered curse. He pulled her to him and held her against his chest for a minute, breathing deeply of her hair, memorizing her scent. Then he lifted her off of his lap and sat her back on the bed. She raised lust-brightened eyes to his in question. "I must go. Have no fear, my Star, I will return." He caressed her cheek with one fingertip. Then, before she could get her head back together enough to say anything, he was gone.

Chapter 6 When Dolph returned to the room, Candy could tell by the look in his eyes that he was in a fine temper. He practically stormed through the door, the force of his anger making the room seem smaller. His arms were full and he tossed his burden onto the bed in disgust. Candy had just stepped out of the bathroom, where, with a little experimenting, she had managed to use the facilities. She gave him a questioning look as he strode past her to the closet. He pointed to the bed. "Find something there that pleases you and get dressed. We must hurry!" Candy stood dumbstruck, staring blankly at the clothes on the bed as she tried to make sense of this latest turn of events. Rummaging in his closet, Dolph assumed that she would obey his order. When he stepped out of the closet and saw that she was still standing there, his temper threatened, putting great force behind his words. "Why are you not doing as I said, woman? Move!" Candy straightened, anger flaming into her eyes like quicksilver. She had figured out a way to tie the sheet so that it would stay up and she could have her hands free. She now placed them on her hips, as she took a step toward the Viking. "Don't you give me orders! I am not your servant, you know. I don't intend to do a thing until you tell me what's going on!" She realized rather suddenly that he was naked, having taken off his jumpsuit inside the closet. His state of dress, or undress, didn't seem to bother him in the least. He tossed his hair, narrowing his eyes and flaring his nostrils in a very threatening gesture. Candy tossed her own hair behind her shoulders and glared right back at him. The moment of silent battle between wills seemed to last an eternity. Ending the senseless glare match, Dolph raised his eyes and hands to the ceiling in a gesture of supplication. "By the gods, why did I have to choose such a disagreeable wench?" Candy was indignant. "I am not disagreeable! I merely want to know what is going on around me. Is that so much to ask?" Dolph exhaled a sigh, and gave one sharp nod of his leonine head. "Very well. If I explain while I dress, will you dress also?" That seemed reasonable enough. Candy nodded, her anger still hot, but under control. Dolph snorted as he began digging in the chest of drawers for his battle clothing. Candy couldn't help admiring the lovely view of his naked back. Although there were several scars scattered across the muscular surface, they didn't mar him. Rather, they added to his attractiveness by illustrating what an experienced fighter he was. All of him spoke of strength and determination. "Though I do appreciate your interest, now is not the time." His words startled Candy, who had been caught staring quite openly at his taut buttocks. Blushing profusely at his smug smile, she took a sudden interest in the clothes on the bed. The pile consisted of: Two jumpsuits like the ones Dolph wore, one red, the other black. A transparent white peasant blouse. A full skirt of some shimmery red material. A long, hooded cape of indeterminate black fur. And a pair of black knee-high boots with silver designs down the front. Finding no undergarments, Candy assumed that Vikings didn't wear them. 'Figures,' she thought to herself, 'less to get in the way.' As she selected the black jumpsuit, Dolph explained the change in plans. "The other side has hired Vikings to fight their war. A battle that would have lasted a few days at most, and cost few Viking lives, has now become a dangerous endeavor that may last months." He sounded sad. "And cost many good Viking warriors their lives." His voice turned brisk. "I cannot leave you and Silky in this small room for that long," a slight grin flashed across his lips, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared, "one of you would surely cause some mischief. But the ship must stay in orbit in case one of my men is hurt badly enough to need its Med unit. Dammit!" The explosive curse made Candy jump and drop the boot she had been about to pull on. From her position sitting on the side of the bed, she turned to look at Dolph, thinking she might give him a piece of her mind for scaring her. The sight that greeted her stilled her breath, making it impossible for any words to escape her lips. The first thing that caught her eye was the broadsword that hung at his hip. It seemed so out of place on this spaceship. But taking in the rest of his attire transported Candy back in time and made the ship seem out of place. Before her stood a true Viking warrior. He wore an intricately carved silver helmet that held his hair in place behind his shoulders. With its nose

protector, the helmet framed his beautiful green eyes, glowing now with the beginnings of blood lust. Silver snakes encircled his massive upper arms, making the bulges there even more obvious. From wrist to mid-arm he wore carved black leather braces, laced to form to his arms. His chest and abdomen were covered in silver armor, perfectly molded to his powerful body. A carved dragon with ruby eyes glared at the enemy from the center of his chest. A black suede loincloth peeked from beneath the armor, a loop of leather holding his sword attached to the side of the skimpy garment. His boots came to just above the knee. Made of panels of silver, they resembled the scales of a snake. In an amazingly quick move, Dolph stepped forward and pulled her off the bed and into his arms. He hugged her tightly against him. "I do not want to endanger you, my lady, but I have no choice. You must come with me to the planet and stay in our camp." He held her at arm's length, looking deeply into her eyes. "By my life, I swear that no harm shall come to you!" He pulled her back against him in a fierce hug, then brusquely released her and returned to the chest of drawers. From the top drawer, he pulled a small box made of silver mesh with a braided black leather handle. He sat it on top of the chest and opened the front panel. Inside, Candy could see a tiny pillow of black velvet, a small bowl and a tube, all of which seemed attached to the box so that they didn't move. Silky appeared at the side of the box, rubbing the side of his face against the mesh and making little meowy noises. Dolph chuckled. "Yes, you also get to come along. But you had better behave yourself or I'll feed you to whatever predators might be found on this planet. If they would even bother with such a measly snack." Silky leaped into the box and settled himself on the pillow. Dolph closed the front panel and secured it. He turned and held it out to Candy, his face reflecting his concern. "I entrust him to you. I may be in the battle for days at a time. I would have someone caring for him that appreciates his," he arched one eyebrow, "unique personality." When she took the box from him, he caught her eyes in his crystal green gaze. His voice was deep and sincere. "I want my two most prized possessions together where I can appreciate them after a long battle." He looked at Candy's feet, one booted, the other bare, and his eyebrow went even higher. "An Earth custom?" Candy smiled and playfully slapped his chest, causing a loud clang. Carefully sitting Silky's home on the bed beside her, she retrieved her other boot and put it on. Dolph pulled a large leather sack from the closet and shoved the rest of her clothes into it. He walked to the bedroom door and turned to her. "Can you think of anything else that you might need?" Candy gave a sarcastic "Ha!" as she stood and lifted Silky's little box to cradle it against her body. "A few things. Food, water, a nice, warm bed, some underwear, maybe a book or two; you know, something to occupy my time while you're out slaughtering thousands to make the world a safer place for democracy. Other than that, I'm fine." Dolph smiled wryly. Had he expected a less complicated answer from his Star? "I assure you, neither of you will starve or go thirsty. I will be sure that such needs are seen to." Dropping the bag, he took her face in his large hands and gazed down at her, making her feel like a little girl, a very loved little girl. "As for your other requests, you will have no need for underwear. They would only get in my way." Candy grimaced, mumbling under her breath, "Have I got you figured out or what!" Dolph heard her and chuckled. His voice was a deep purr. "I will supply the warmth for your bed, my lady, and I shall endeavor to get you exhausted enough when I am present that you shall welcome the rest when I must leave you to 'slaughter thousands'. And I'm sure that Silky will supply a great deal of entertainment." Candy laughed softly. Dolph dropped his hands to her shoulders and gripped them tightly enough to cause her pain. He meant to hurt her to emphasize his next words, but her wince made him quickly ease up. His eyes blazed with inner fire as he spoke, his words hard and unyielding. "You must do as I say, when I say it. I will always have your best interests at heart. You must trust me, Star, your very life may depend on it. Do you understand?" Candy searched his eyes, finding concern, and something else that she couldn't quite define, glowing in

those emerald depths. She nodded, wondering if she would regret it in the future. He returned his hands to her face. As he caressed her skin with his rough fingers, he leaned down and claimed her lips with his own. This kiss was different, softer, speaking more of love than lust, of protection than possession. The hands that held her face captive began to shake slightly. Candy's knees were about to desert her when, with a ragged sigh, he pulled away. His voice was strained. "God, I hope they have the tents up by the time we arrive. Come, Star." He grabbed the leather bag in one hand and, taking her hand in the other, left the room and entered the same strangely painted hall that Candy remembered. As they walked, they were joined by other Viking warriors. They all wore armor of one kind or another, and wore or carried weapons. Swords, double-edged axes, knives, all were in sight. The Vikings jived each other good-naturedly, bragging of achievements in prior battles, anticipating the coming fray. Candy was all but forgotten as Dolph joined in the raucous bull-session. As the crowd grew, the feel of battle lust began to crackle in the air like static electricity. When they entered the large warehouse-like room that Candy recognized as the first place she had ever been on Dolph's ship, Dolph dropped her hand, drew his sword and raised it into the air. An ear-shattering warcry rose to the roof as the Vikings roared in unison, "For the glory of Odin, to the battle!"

Chapter 7 The Viking camp was like nothing Candy had ever seen. The closest thing she could think of was the pictures she'd seen of Woodstock, the hippie music-fest of the seventies. But Woodstock had been peaceful. Everything about this camp spoke of war. The rays of the setting sun shone off hundreds of weapons. There were tents of every color and texture scattered about the field where the Vikings had chosen to make their camp. For as far as the eye could see, men prepared for war, sharpening their weapons, polishing their armor, testing the laces and buckles on their gear. The warriors from Dolph's ship joined with others who had arrived earlier, and began transforming before her eyes into a formidable war machine. Candy's curiosity would have taken her exploring the camp, examining all the different weapons and other equipment of war, had Dolph not had other ideas. After issuing several quick orders to one of his men, he took a firm hold on her arm and steered her toward a black tent with red markings above the door. He leaned down and stepped inside, pulling Candy in behind him. She didn't need to lean over to clear the doorway. Once inside, Candy had a scant minute to take in the furnishings before she was pulled tightly against a steel-encased rock-hard body. In that minute, she saw that it was quite a large tent. In the center lay something that resembled the black velvet pillow in Silky's cage, only this one was on steroids. It must have been seven feet square. Against one wall of the tent sat a large black box of unknown purpose. It was probably some sort of storage chest. Candy wasn't sure, and Dolph didn't seem to be in a talking mood. After lowering the tent flap to protect their privacy, and tossing his helmet and sword to the ground near the door, Dolph wrapped his arms around her back and, lowering his golden-maned head, brought his lips down on hers in a kiss that clearly spoke of his plans for the near future. Candy's head was still spinning from seeing all those men and weapons. She wished that he would just slow down a little and let her get her bearings. Silky came to her rescue. Hearing a disgruntled growl, Dolph straightened and smiled, though his eyes remained passion-fired. He took the mesh cage from Candy's hand, brushing her palm with his fingers as he gripped the leather handle, sending a jolt of pure electricity up her arm and down her back. He set Silky's traveling home atop the black box. This put Dolph far enough away from Candy for her to feel like she could breathe. His closeness seemed to take her breath away. "What is that thing?" Dolph opened the tiny cage to let Silky stretch his legs. The little cat immediately jumped from his small velvet pillow and began exploring the top of the box. He walked to the edge and considered jumping to the ground. At Dolph's low warning, "Silky!", he arched his back and cat-stretched, walking away as though jumping had been the furthest thing from his mind. Dolph turned to Candy. "This is my war-chest. It contains my shield, extra weapons & clothes, should I need them, and Silky's battle rations. You open it by..." He had turned back to the chest to demonstrate. Instead, he looked sideways at Candy, then faced her, looking stern. "Can I trust you to know better than to try to raise a weapon against me? You would only get hurt and damage my trust in you." Candy hadn't even considered that she could take a weapon from the chest. What would she do with it anyway, try to kill him? The vision of Dolph lying on the ground bleeding flashed in her mind, sending a stinging pain through her stomach. No, she didn't want his death. She still wasn't certain what exactly she did want from him--except to take her home, of course--but she knew that she didn't want to cause him any pain. "I don't want to hurt you, Dolph." She didn't realize how gently her words had come forth until she saw his eyes soften, the wary hardness replaced by a deep warmth. His lips slowly spread into a smile that lit his face like the sun. His voice was husky with some as yet unidentified, at least in Candy's mind, emotion. "Then come to me, my lady, and I will show you how to gain entrance." He lifted his hand, palm up, toward her, beckoning her to his side. Candy realized how natural it was to take his hand. It was scary. Feeling her small hand slip into his, Dolph glanced sideways at Star and said in a playful tone, "Perhaps you would do the same for me?" It took her a minute to catch the meaning of his lewd remark. When she did, she muttered, "In your dreams, Viking!" Dolph smiled and whispered, "Aye, lady, I am certain it would be a dream

come true." The tent was becoming uncomfortably hot to Candy. She grimaced at him. "Are you going to show me or not?" Her words were much softer than she had intended. Dolph placed her hand on the top of the chest at the middle. She could feel the slightest dip in the smooth surface. He looked into her eyes as he spoke, his breath fanning her cheeks. "Feel the catch? When you press it, the top will open." His eyes turned mischievous. Moving quietly, he slipped Silky's mesh box to the floor. The cat didn't notice, since he was looking off the back of the chest, considering jumping again. Dolph grinned and pushed on Star's finger. She gasped as the top of the chest sprang open. She was sure the whole camp heard the yowl of fright as Silky was dumped to the floor. Dolph tossed back his head and roared with laughter. Candy smacked him on the shoulder. "Oh, you mean man!" She was starting to smile as she hurried to the back of the box to make sure that Silky was all right. When she suddenly appeared at the side of the treacherous chest, Silky jumped into the air and turned to face her, landing on his toes, back hunched, tail fluffy. He hissed at her before he realized who she was. Trying desperately not to laugh, Candy murmured, "You poor thing, come here," and reached for him. He shook himself as though he had been defiled, then turned away from her and walked around the box and into his cage with the dignity of an English aristocrat. Dolph's laughter increased with the little feline's display of pride, forcing a giggle from Candy that grew to a full-fledged laugh. Through her laughter, she chastised the Viking. "You are so mean to him! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, picking on a helpless little kitten!" Still laughing, Dolph pulled her off of her feet and into his embrace, twirling her around and around. His happiness was so real, so innocent. It filled the air like the smell of fresh-baked bread. In his arms, Candy's heart seemed to take flight along with her body, making her feel younger and more free than she had since she was a child. If asked when she fell in love with her magnificent Viking, Candy would site that moment as the time her heart opened and let him in. Dolph's foot hit the corner of the pillow, tripping him and sending them both crashing to the velvet surface. He turned their bodies in midair so that she landed on top of him, then immediately rolled her beneath him. His hand was beneath her head, cupping it firmly. His other arm held her waist against his own. They were both smiling as their eyes met and locked. Laughter turned to passion as naturally as caterpillar to butterfly. Gazing down into her beautiful blue eyes, Dolph brought his hands to her face. He marveled at the smooth softness of her skin. His hands completely engulfed the sides of her face, emphasizing how small she was compared to him. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe forever. And to love her until the sun tired of climbing the sky. Her eyes held by Dolph's, Candy felt as though she had fallen into a deep green pool. It was warm and safe there, and she never wanted to leave. His large hands caressed her face, holding her still so that his lips could find hers. This time, she parted her lips instantly, wanting him inside her, claiming her completely. He thrust his tongue into her warm mouth, boldly exploring the tender flesh there. He withdrew, bringing a whimper from Candy, only to thrust again. Responding to a rhythm and desire as old as time, Candy arched her hips as he withdrew his tongue from her mouth once again. Dolph growled deep in his throat, sending a shiver running down Candy's spine. She couldn't believe all that she was feeling. Had she been asleep all of her life? With the other men in her life, sex had been a pleasant enough experience. But even with Brett, whom she had thought she loved, she had never felt such total abandon threatening to overcome her. At this moment, she thought--no, she knew--that if this powerful man took her, thrust his wonderful body into hers as he was thrusting his tongue into her mouth, she would explode in an ecstasy the likes of which few had ever known. In a moment of blinding clarity, Candy knew that she would never want another man. She was losing something to this Viking, something that was of no use to her. And gaining something so precious that she wondered if she were worthy to possess it. Whatever complications the future might hold, Candy didn't care. She wanted the paradise that Dolph was offering her with his kisses. She wanted to touch him, to feel his hot skin beneath her hands. His armor was

a definite problem. As she laid her hands against cold metal, a small moan of frustration escaped her. Dolph raised his upper body to look into her eyes. He sounded out of breath and there was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. "I want to love you, Star. I want to feel your sweet skin touching my own, to pierce you with my shaft and feel your spasms of ecstasy. I took you in uncontrolled anger before, which I sorely regret. I would know that you want this. That you wish to open your heart and body to me for eternity. Say it, Star, tell me that you are mine!" Candy looked into his eyes, shining now with a combination of fire and yearning. Although everything was happening at breakneck speed, she felt in her heart that this was it, this was the one she had been waiting for her entire life. She had always been afraid that love meant giving up your independence. Now she realized that it meant something much more important than that. It meant giving your heart. And you had absolutely nothing to say about it, because it went where it pleased, when it pleased, no matter how much logic was against it. Love didn't care about logic. It only cared about hearts. And hers and Dolph's were bound together as surely as the sun rises. Giving him a crooked smile, Candy tried to keep the quiver out of her voice. "This is all crazy, you know. I feel like I've stepped into the Twilight Zone." Dolph tipped his head in curiosity. Candy reached up and gently touched his cheek. "Never mind, it was a TV show. It doesn't make any sense, but I think I love you. Or at least I feel something for you that I've never felt before." Candy sighed, frustrated with her inability to understand her own feelings, let alone speak them. "Yes, Dolph, I want you. You drive me crazy, the way you talk dirty, the way you touch me. I think I could have an orgasm just kissing you. But I'm so confused." Dolph leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose, her forehead, her eyelids, and her confusion began to fade like dew in the morning sun. He was her man. They might be worlds apart, almost literally, but they could overcome the obstacles before them if they truly loved each other. Candy was certain of it. "Why do you call talk of lovemaking 'dirty'?" Candy shrugged. "I don't know. I guess that's just how people" She just couldn't bring herself to say 'from my planet'. "where I come from think of it. It's something to be done behind closed doors, you know?" Dolph shook his head, the ends of his long hair tickling her neck. He wore a curious expression, half disbelief, half sorrow. "You have some of the strangest customs. I'm glad that my ancestors were wise enough to leave when they did. The joining of a man and a woman is nothing to be ashamed of, to hide away as though you were committing some crime. The sounds of love tell all who hear them of your love for each other. Of your great pleasure in each other's bodies. You think of this as dirty?" Suddenly it didn't make sense to Candy either. "Okay, so we've got a lot of hang-ups about sex. I get the idea that isn't a problem around here." She shifted beneath him, rubbing her leg against his upper thigh. Dolph groaned and closed his eyes, savoring the nearly painful sensations her touch evoked. Her voice was a sensual purr. "Do you want to talk about it, or do it?" Dolph pushed his body up and off the field-bed. He ran his eyes over her lovely body, tightly outlined by the black jumpsuit that he had known would look so good on her. He quickly unbuckled his armor and let it drop to the floor. Standing with the perfect balance of a warrior, he lifted his foot and pulled off one boot, then the other. With a jerk on the laces at his side, his loincloth joined the rest of his clothes on the floor. Standing proudly naked before her, Dolph offered his hand to help his lady to her feet. Face to chest with the tall warrior, Candy let her eyes drop to his feet, then slowly caressed each part of his body with her gaze. From his feet to his neck, lust-tensed muscles pulsed with energy. The fine golden hair on his chest glistened with the sweat she knew she had caused. And lower, his rigid erection reached out to her for release. Enjoying the near-pain of waiting, and reveling in Star's attention to his body, Dolph dropped her hand and inhaled deeply, throwing back his shoulders, expanding his chest and further tensing his arm and neck muscles. Candy felt a strange fluttering in her stomach, something she had never before felt without at least being in physical contact with a man. Lord, this Viking was dangerous, making her this hot just by breathing! Dolph brought his hand forward, slipping his finger into the closure of the jumpsuit and slowly sliding it downward. His body ached with need as he let the back of his finger brush Star's soft flesh, revealing more and

more of it to his eyes. He felt her shiver when his finger came into contact with the semi-coarse hair on her lower abdomen. Testing his control to its limit, he continued until the hair became thicker and began to part. He knew that the suit could be opened all the way to the back collar, but he had gone as far as he could without losing his mind. Looking into her soft blue eyes, he raised his hands to her shoulders and gently pushed the material from her upper body to her hips. Dropping to one knee, he placed her hand on his shoulder for balance, and lifted each foot in turn to remove her boots. The feel of his steel-hard flesh beneath her palm made Candy's breath catch in her throat. She brought her other hand to his back and, leaning over him, slowly ran both palms down to his waist, loving the feel of rippling muscle beneath her flesh. Dolph groaned and stood, raising her on his shoulder; then, gripping her bottom in his strong hands as she arched her back, he let her slide down his body. He ran his lips and tongue over her stomach, nipping, licking, driving her crazy. He lifted his leg until his knee brushed the silver hair between her legs, put his foot on her jumpsuit and stepped down, pulling it from her. Looking into her eyes, his own flashing dark green fire, Dolph spoke in a voice filled with passion and desire. "Wrap your legs around me, Star. Consume me in your fire. Let us burn together!" Twining her fingers in his glorious silky hair, Candy did as he asked, leaning down to kiss him. Even though it would seem she had the upper hand, it was he that took her lips, he that controlled the kiss, teasing her lips, laving her teeth and tongue with his own. Before she was even aware of what was happening, he had pulled her body tightly against his rigid flesh, sliding easily into her excited body. Lifting her body with his strong arms, muscles bulging with each stroke, Dolph made love to Candy slowly, exquisitely. Each thrust seemed to take a lifetime. He would allow his body to almost leave hers, then slowly lower her to fill her completely. He kissed her everywhere he could reach, her lips, breasts, the valley between. As she ran her hands over his face, neck, back, tangling her fingers in his hair, then combing them through, he held her, loved her, possessed her. His tongue trailed a path from her right ear to her left breast that continued to burn with his touch even after he had gone on to torture another part of her helpless body. And she was indeed helpless. Helpless to stop him, helpless to escape the volcano building inside of her, even had that been her wish. Candy had never felt anything like it. As much as she wanted to fight it, the realization that this man was different than any she had ever known forced itself into her consciousness. He was making her feel more than she had ever felt before, physically and emotionally. Maybe one sparked the other, she didn't know. Maybe when you started to feel something in your heart for a lover, you naturally felt more in your body. Whatever the cause, Candy was rising so high, it was almost frightening. And just when she thought she couldn't get any higher, he started to talk in that baritone purr, and she was lost. "My beautiful Star, I burn within you as though I were ablaze. I feel you squeeze me in your passion and it is as though I have been touched by the gods themselves. Give yourself to me completely, Star. Give me your heart and I will set your soul afire. Yes, Star, oh, yes, my lady, lose yourself in me and you will be found." In that second between fearing she was going to die, and exploding in ecstasy, Candy looked into his eyes and saw the universe waiting for her there. She whispered his name, then something inside her body snapped, and coherent thought escaped her. She dropped her head back and screamed his name. Her muscles clenched so tightly about his body that she was certain she would break his ribs. Great shudders racked her body as she cried out again and again, releasing all the pain and loneliness of her life, replacing it with the security and warmth of Dolph's powerful arms. Spent, she fell limply against his shoulder. Upon hearing Star's whispered plea for release, his name falling like honey from his lady's lips, Dolph knew that she was his. In bliss and triumph, he let his control disintegrate, his thrusts gaining in speed as Star's muscles spasmed and caressed him with her release. He was growling, then yelling, the berserker of legend claiming his mate, declaring to the world that she was his and his alone. Letting his great body have its way, he dropped his head back and roared, surprised by the sheer force of his climax. Star was still in the midst of her pleasure when Dolph thrust deeply into her body and filled her with his hot seed. Dolph's legs were betraying him, the muscles shaking and threatening to give way. Star had gone limp, her legs hanging loose, her arms limp at her sides. Holding her close to his body, Dolph sank to the velvet pillow, pulling her atop him. Her hair of silver satin spread around him, brushing his shoulders, sides, even his back. He was wrapped in it, like a silken cocoon. Feeling his chest swell with pride, he thought how the beautiful butterfly within was his. Dolph looked down at the porcelain cheek pressed against his chest. She was barely conscious. He chuckled - the deep, soft sound causing her to snuggle against him. She placed one small hand beside her cheek,

her palm resting on his chest, and sighed with pleasure. He wasn't much more awake than she. Still, he wanted to tell her his feelings now, before the morning light forced his mind to thoughts of battle. Placing his finger under her chin, he tilted her face upward. "Star?" Her eyelids fluttered, then a tiny bit of blue peeked from beneath them. "Umm?" Even though she was nearly asleep, Dolph knew that Star, being a woman, would remember his words. "Star, you are my love. I pledge you my heart and my body, now and forever. Should I someday fall in battle, as all Vikings desire, it is your face that I will see as I leave this life, your name that will touch my lips with my final breath. I will love you, my Star, till death claims me, and beyond." Dolph kissed her on the forehead, the only part of her he could reach without disturbing her. She smiled and snuggled. Her voice was that of a sleepy child. "I love you, too, Dolph." Smiling, Dolph placed one hand on the side of her face, the other around her waist. Thus protecting her from any enemy, he allowed himself to fall into a light slumber.

Chapter 8 Candy awoke to a delicious aroma wafting past her nose. She stretched like a happy cat, bringing a deep chuckle from the body lying next to her. Smiling lazily, she opened her eyes and gazed into the deep green pools that were looking at her with gentle amusement. Dolph's tender words warmed her like a caress. "Are you finally awake, my sweet?" Candy replied in a voice still soft from sleep. "I like the smell of breakfast to be my alarm clock. What's cooking? It smells great!" Candy ran her hands over the soft fur throw that covered their naked bodies and blushed, remembering all that had come before their night's sleep. Then her smile returned. Dolph had told her that he loved her, told her in a way that would have made any romance writer proud. His eyes, his voice, his actions - they all said that he spoke the truth. He was such a strange man, her Viking. One minute, a fierce and frightening warrior; the next, a warm and tender lover. Just before the warm afterglow of their lovemaking had seduced her into a deep sleep, she had said that she loved him, too. Had she meant it? Could love happen that quickly? Looking at his handsome face in the light of day, she didn't regret one word or action of the night before. She knew she had spoken the truth from her heart. Still, there were so many unanswered questions. Candy figured now was as good a time as any to start asking. "Why are your eyes such a strange color? I've never seen anyone with eyes that shade of green." Dolph stood and walked to the door of the tent as he answered her, totally oblivious to his nakedness. "My great-grandmother was not human. She came from a planet on the outskirts of the known galaxy. My grandfather was," he smiled at her, his teeth shining white in his deeply tanned face, "'exploring' the outer planets. He caught her away from her people and took her." His voice lowered, his look making Candy flush with warmth. "Much as I took you." He turned, threw open the tent-flap and yelled out the door. "Felix!" Candy barely had time to make sure the fur was covering all the parts of her that she didn't want seen when another Viking appeared in the doorway. He was several inches shorter than Dolph, with dark hair that fell to a bob at his shoulders. He reminded her of Prince Valiant. He was yelling at someone out of her vision. "I don't care if he spent the night with twenty wenches, I want it done now. Tell him if he keeps me waiting much longer, the wenches will have nothing to play with tonight!" He turned his attention to Dolph. "I know, where's your breakfast? The same place as mine, still being prepared. It seems that the men caught a couple of local wenches too close to the camp last night and Belan took part in the party. He overslept and was late getting breakfast started. It should be ready by the time you," he looked pointedly behind Dolph at Candy, his handsome face breaking into an appreciative, if slightly leering, smile, "and your lady are ready to begin the day." "Tell Belan that I will expect my breakfast to be waiting when I am dressed. If it is not, he will answer to me." Hearing the hint of anger in Dolph's voice, Felix frowned, his brown eyes showing concern. Though he lowered his voice, Candy could still hear his words. "I didn't think that you would be so quick to anger this morning, my friend. After the sounds we heard coming from your tent last night, I thought that you would be lazy as an old horse, barely able to climb from your bed. Does something trouble you?" Dolph motioned Felix into the tent, dropping the flap behind him. Candy had the definite feeling that she had been totally forgotten. Dolph's voice was thick with concern. "I don't like this, Felix, something feels wrong. When I took this job, there were no other Vikings involved. Now, as soon as word of my involvement could be known, a Viking force joins the other side." Felix nodded. "You think it's Vierig the Merciless that we battle?" Dolph seemed to stiffen at the mention of that name. Candy made a mental note to ask about it later, then decided she'd had enough of being ignored.

"Who's 'Vierig the Merciless'?" Both men turned to look at her like she'd suddenly sprung from the earth beneath their feet. Candy gritted her teeth, trying not to get angry. "I've been here all along, you know. I don't disappear when you're through with me like a well-trained dog! If you don't want me listening in on your conversations, have them somewhere else!" Both men looked stunned by her outburst. Dolph's expression was leaning toward anger when Felix suddenly threw back his head and let out a loud guffaw of laughter. Dolph glared at him for a minute, then caught the contagion of his mirth and started laughing himself. Candy was quickly progressing from trying to keep a lid on her anger to thinking of possible ways to kill two Vikings at once. She wrapped the fur around herself and stood, giving the warriors a look that was supposed to send them searching for shelter from her wrath. Their laughter increased. Felix actually had tears running down his cheeks! Candy wondered if they realized how close they were to death at this moment. She gritted through clenched teeth, each word carefully pronounced, "What is so damn funny?!" Finally getting his laughter under control, Felix smacked Dolph on the shoulder in a manly gesture of friendship. "You are either a very lucky man, or a very unlucky one, my friend. I know you like wenches with spunk, but are you certain that this one isn't too much even for you?" He wiped the back of his hand across his face, then, giving Candy a very obvious up-and-down look, flipped his eyebrows at Dolph. "If you wish any assistance, I would be more than happy to lend a hand." Dolph growled, "I'm sure you would. Now go see about breakfast. You've reminded me how hard I worked last night." Dolph turned his green glare Candy's way and she wished she were back on Earth, maybe under the earth. His voice lowered ominously. "And I believe I need to instruct Star on the manners of a Viking's woman." Candy was scared, and since she didn't like being scared, it made her angry. And stupid. Using her free hand to toss her hair behind her shoulders, she raised her chin proudly. "My name is Candy. You don't get to change it just 'cause you adopted me from the pound." Felix slowly shook his head, sighing heavily. "I hope you know what you're doing, Dolph. Pride like that in a woman may be desirable in bed, but it will surely prove difficult to deal with at any other time. Still..." Felix smiled at Candy, a slightly off-color smile that she didn't like one bit. He turned to Dolph. "I wouldn't mind a piece of the wench if you ever decide to give her up." He nodded to Candy and said, "Pleased to meet you, Star," placing an emphasis on the name that spoke volumes. Then he left the tent, pulling the flap closed behind him. Dolph had not taken his eyes off Star since his declaration of a need for her instruction in manners. Though the heat of his glare nearly seared her flesh, she was still angry. She hadn't done anything wrong as far as she was concerned. She just wanted to be included in their conversation. Even though she was innocent, she decided to defend herself. "I don't know why you're glaring at me like that, all I did was ask a question." Her voice was rising with her growing distress and frustration. That blonde lug just kept glaring at her! "It's not like I was spying on you or anything. I have every right to be included...What are you doing?" Her question echoed suspicion, and a bit of fear. Dolph was slowly walking toward her, shaking his head. Candy caught herself starting to back away and forced herself to freeze in her tracks, albeit with some difficulty. She absolutely refused to appear frightened, even though she was becoming increasingly so the closer he came. 'Never show fear to a vicious animal,' she thought with a shudder. Dolph stopped in front of her and placed his hands, fairly gently, on her shoulders. He looked intently into her eyes and spoke in a firm tone. "Understand me well, girl. I will not stand for disobedience from anyone. You are no longer on Earth. Here, you have only the rights I give to you. You are my property, to do with as I wish. No one would come to your assistance if I chose to take you out into the middle of this camp and run you through with my sword. Since my lack of instruction is the cause of your ignorance, I will not punish you for your outburst. I am trying to be

patient with you, Star, but..." Her flaring temper sparking her eyes, Candy tried to wrest herself from Dolph's grip. He tightened his hold till she thought she'd surely hear the crack of breaking bones. Candy opened her mouth to speak but never got out a word. Dolph yelled, "Silence," then tossed her to the floor where she landed hard on her bottom and elbows. He towered over her, his seething anger so apparent that for once Candy was smart enough to be scared speechless. He stood with his legs apart, straddling her knees, his hands on his hips. His hair had fallen forward, forming a curtain on either side of his face that cast parts of it into semi-shadow. He was breathing quickly, the sound of each breath hissing through his clenched teeth. His lips were pulled back in the semblance of a snarl. And his eyes. If eyes are the mirrors of the soul, Dolph's soul was a blazing inferno at this moment. He looked like a rabid wolf standing over his prey. Though he kept his voice low, the strain of controlling his temper was very clear in his clipped speech. "The first thing for you to learn is that you are to hold your tongue whenever a warrior, any warrior, is speaking. And you are never to interfere in matters of battle. They do not concern you. If there is anything that you need to know, I will see that you are told. If you want to ask something of me, ask it in private. Do you understand?" As he spoke Dolph's anger cooled, leaving him only mildly terrifying. His breathing slowed to normal and he relaxed enough to let his arms fall to his sides. At Candy's nod, he stepped to the side and offered her his hand. Candy ignored it, preferring to gather her bruised pride along with her fur blanket and climb to her feet unassisted. She didn't want him to see the tears that had come to her eyes, so she turned her back to him and set about looking for her clothes. She sensed him moving - getting dressed, she guessed. She didn't care, she just wanted him to leave so that she could have a nice long cry. "As soon as you are dressed, I will show you to the bathroom. Then, while we eat, I will explain your duties in this camp." He stood watching as she began climbing into the black jumpsuit she had worn the day before. "Should you wish to wear something different, the rest of your clothes are in my war-chest." Candy cast a vicious glare over her shoulder as she closed the front of the jumpsuit and pulled on her boots. Dolph looked at the ground and shook his head, unsure which he felt more like at the moment: laughing or throttling the little wench. "Come." Again, he held out his hand to her; again, she ignored it, looking at it as though it were some slimy creature that had just wandered into her path. Head held high, she walked out of the tent ahead of Dolph. Frowning his annoyance, he quick-stepped to her side and placed his hand in the small of her back, using semigentle pressure to guide her where he wished her to go. Stopping before a small tent, he motioned toward it. "This is the toilet. When you have finished here, return to my tent. I will see to our food." Candy ignored him, stepping into the tent in sullen silence. The bathroom was a strange place. A boxlike contraption, which she assumed to be the toilet, stood in the middle of the tent. Opening the lid, she expected to see a dark hole in the ground. Instead, she was met with a sparkling white surface that resembled porcelain. On the ship she had discovered, quite by accident, that toilet paper was one of the things that the crew of the USS Viking had replaced. She had to admit that their way was an improvement. When you were finished with whatever necessity had brought you to this place, you just pushed a button on the side of the toilet and some sort of air flow cleaned and dried you. 'Just like one of those automatic car washes,' she thought with a grin. She hadn't expected a camp bathroom to be quite so clean. It even smelled clean. Cleanliness was one thing that seemed very important to these warriors. She had yet to see one of them with dirty hair or clothes. Not that they wore much in the way of clothes, but what little they deemed necessary to wear was always clean. They all had hair that she would call long, none shorter than shoulder-length. Dirty hair was such a turn-off, but these guys locks were always shiny. Candy shook her head. She knew she was keeping her mind on inconsequential things like cleanliness to keep from thinking about Dolph's words. He had made it very clear that she was little more than a slave to him. A sex slave, at that. Well, she had no intention of being some man's geisha for the rest of her life. Of course, she didn't know what she was going to do about it. But she wasn't going to lay down and take it, no pun intended. She finished with the toilet and left the tent, planning to give Dolph a piece of her mind.

Near Dolph's tent there was quite a commotion, men yelling and cheering, jostling each other. Candy pushed her way to the front of the crowd and saw that Dolph was in the middle of a loose circle of men, fighting with another warrior who was unknown to her. Wanting to get a better look at how badly Dolph might have been hurt, she started to step into the center of the circle. A large arm was flung across her chest, barring her path. She looked up to find its owner, a great red-haired bear of a man, leering down at her. He sounded like he was belching when he talked. "Keep out of it, girl. They'll decide who claims ye." Between the leer and the implication of his words, Candy decided on the spot that she didn't like this guy. Glaring up at him, she pushed on his arm. When it didn't budge, she did the sensible thing. She bit him. Howling with rage, the Viking bear grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back, which made her scream and let go. Dolph raised his head, the sound of his lady's distress bringing pure fire to his eyes - and took his opponent's fist in the stomach. It knocked the air from his lungs, and the sense from his mind. An inhuman scream of anger rent the air, known to all present, except Candy, as the war-cry of the Viking berserker. Dolph started delivering punches to his opponent's face and body in a blur of motion. Within seconds, the man fell to the ground, nearly unconscious. It didn't register to Dolph. He wanted more - more blood, another battle. He was about to pounce on his prone opponent when a yell of, "Grab him if you want Belan to see another battle" brought several hands to hold him. Dolph raged, trying to free himself. He had no idea it was his friends that held him. "Dolph, it's Felix. The fight is won, the victory yours." Dolph shook his head, a sense of his surroundings slowly making its way into his mind. He flexed his shoulders, realizing that the hands holding him did so only to restrain, not to damage. Gritting his teeth, he inhaled deeply, then blew the air out through open lips. At his nod his friends released him. Looking down at the man on the ground before him, Dolph spoke with contempt. "Belan, you are a fool. We prepare for battle and you insult me? Have you no wish to live?" He raised his voice, addressing the gathering. "Are there any others who think that I was wrong to bring the woman?" No one spoke, some shaking their heads to punctuate their lack of disagreement with Dolph. He nodded. "Good." Returning his attention to Belan, Dolph softened his tone to one of friendship. "Do you still fight by my side, Belan?" Dolph offered his hand to the man on the ground. Belan took it and Dolph pulled him to his feet, smiling. "Maybe you should stick with using only one woman at a time, Belan. More than that seems to addle your wits." Belan laughed, "Aye, maybe you're right. But the one with all that red hair was just too juicy to resist. And then there was the blonde. Her breasts were mountains of firm flesh. I couldn't miss out on her." Dolph slapped him on the back, laughing. Belan started moving through the crowd, getting back to whatever it was he'd been doing before the fight began. Dolph turned to the man who had tried to restrain Candy. His tone was slightly ominous. "Ulrich, why did you touch her?" The big red-haired bear pointed to his arm, where teethmarks were clearly visible. "I didn't think you'd want her helping you with the fight, so I meant to keep her here. She tried to take a piece out of my arm with those sharp little teeth of hers. She's worse than Silky." Dolph turned to Candy. She was opening her mouth to tell her version of the story when his palm connected soundly with her cheek. It didn't really hurt, more of a sting, but she was so stunned and startled that she let out a little squeak. Dolph glared at her. "You were warned. You never disobey a warrior! Now get in there!" He pointed toward the tent. Candy didn't need any more encouragement. She ran into the tent and flung herself onto the bed to cry her heart out. Dolph came in behind her and closed the tent. He had meant to chastise her further, but when he heard her sobs, he lost the heart for it. She didn't understand that these things could mean her life in the future. 'No, she doesn't understand,' he mentally admonished himself, 'because you have not done a very good job of making it clear to her.' He lowered himself to the bed beside her and, ignoring her token resistance, pulled her onto his lap and

into his arms. Her sobs increased in strength and volume, tugging at his heart. He rocked her in his arms, whispering soothing words that she couldn't possibly hear over her own wailing. Still, his comfort must have started getting through because her sobbing slowly quieted. When he thought she might have calmed down enough to understand him, he continued speaking softly. "My heart, I am sorry. I have failed you. I should have taught you everything that you needed to know before you were ever thrown into such danger. Belan's right. I should not have brought you here, but my choices were limited. I know I have been too harsh with you, my love, but I have no time to be gentle. This battle has forced my hand. Know this, my Star," he lifted her chin so she would look at him. Her eyes were still drowning in her sorrow, and his heart tightened at the pain and betrayal he saw there, "I love you. Everything I said last night was true," his lips curled slightly in a sheepish smile, "though I suppose you find that a little difficult to believe after the events of this morning. You are my heart and I would die to protect you." He touched her cheek where he had struck her. Candy winced, more from memory than pain. Leaning over her, Dolph placed a gentle kiss on the slightly pink spot. His breath fanning her brows, he spoke his heart. "I have finally found my mate, the one that can make my life complete, and I must leave you. My heart cries out at the injustice, but my duty awaits. You must heed my words, love. Though our ways seem harsh, they will keep you safe while I am not here to protect you. You must always obey a warrior. We are all there is between you and the enemy. And believe me, my sweet Star, you do not want to be taken by this enemy." He pulled her head against his chest and rocked her as he spoke. His voice was soft and slightly wistful. "Vierig the Merciless was my friend. We went on our first raid together," a slight chuckle, "had our first women together." His tone darkened. "And we were captured together. The enemy tortured us both - beatings, no food or water, but neither of us would tell them anything. As the battle came nearer their camp, they grew desperate for any bit of information that might help them turn the tide in their favor." Dolph nearly spit the words. "In their desperation, they lost their honor." Hearing the pain in his voice, Candy forgot her anger and wrapped her arms around Dolph's chest. He tightened his hold on her body and, with a sigh that wiped all emotion from his voice, continued. "They decided to remove our manhood a piece at a time. Forcing me to watch, they removed half of the sack that holds his seed, all the time saying that I could stop it just by telling them anything that might prove useful to them in battle. Vierig was a strong warrior, a man I had called brother. He never cried out, just watched as the hot knife cut through his flesh. They were about to turn the blade on me when our forces broke through and we were freed." Dolph shook his head, the dark memory shadowing his face. "Even as we took up our swords to take our vengeance, I could see that something in Vierig had changed." He gave a small snort of humorless laughter. "We won the war and gained great wealth from it, but Vierig was never the same. He became vicious, earning the name 'Merciless'. I could no longer fight by his side. He is not a berserker like me, the battle lust does not overpower his senses. He knows exactly what he's doing at all times. Yet he kills everything that crosses his path. Women, children, everything." Disgust, then sarcasm, tinged his words. "I have seen him savagely rape a young girl repeatedly until her blood ran freely, then cast her aside and look for more prey. Many of his victims have bled to death from his tender lovemaking. It is not the Viking way to interfere in such things, but we came to blows many times before I left." He paused, then continued in the soft tone of memory. "When I told him I was going to fight with another raiding party, he said that I saw him as only half a man and could no longer stand to fight beside my creation. That if I had been half the warrior I thought I was, I would have found a way to beat the enemy before they had destroyed him." Softer still, echoing his pain and surprise, Dolph's words reached the center of Candy's heart. "That was when I realized that he blamed me." Candy raised her hand, meaning to place it on his cheek, but he stiffened, his pride giving him the need to appear unaffected. She let her hand drop casually to his shoulder. He spoke with anger. "He tried to stop me, drew steel and tried his best to kill me. He failed, but we both nearly died from our wounds. Before I left, he vowed that he would do everything in his power to make my life a living Hell, as I had made his." Candy had to say something, to offer him some comfort that he would accept. Words would have to do, since he had made it quite clear that he didn't want to be touched at the moment. "You couldn't have stopped them, Dolph. They probably would have killed you both if you'd talked. I'll bet he wouldn't have talked to save you. It was just the luck of the draw that they did it to him first."

He spoke in an emotion-choked whisper. "I would gladly have changed places with him to save him. He was my friend, I loved him as a brother. I would have laid down my life for him. Now he commands a force against me. The time for ending this is close at hand." He leaned back and lifted Candy's face, silently commanding her gaze to meet his own. His eyes shone with anger, fear, and love. His words were a passionate plea. "If he were to capture you, my love, he might learn that you are mine. He would take great pleasure in using you to take out his vengeance on me. You must be very careful. If anything happened to you..." He hugged her so fiercely that the breath left her lungs. Candy understood a little better his motives for being such an autocratic bastard. He didn't want her to get hurt. Okay, she didn't want her to get hurt either. Maybe knowing all the rules would be a good idea. Though her words were muffled by his chest, Dolph heard them and smiled. "Okay, my Viking warrior, how about a crash course in the etiquette of a Viking's woman?"

Chapter 9 "You've got to be kidding!" Candy was pacing back and forth in front of Dolph, who lounged on the field-bed, smiling at her anger. He had known that she wouldn't like the rules, but she would have to accept them anyway. Ah, she was so beautiful, with her hair flowing down to the sweet curve of her backside, her eyes flashing blue fire in her anger. He would have to try harder to keep his mind on the conversation, or he would lose control and pull her beneath him. "I warned you that our rules might seem harsh." She spun toward him, her hair a silver cape flying about her shoulders, and took several steps in his direction. "'Harsh?' Is that your word for it? You obviously have a penchant for understatement. 'Slavery' is more like it! Dogs have more rights!" "Dogs are better armed and able to protect themselves." Candy narrowed her eyes, gracing him with her 'glare of death.' His answering grin showed that he was not suitably impressed. Pushing aside the urge to strangle him, she continued. "Let me see if I've got this straight." She held her hands in front of her, counting off the rules on her fingers. "I obey," this through gritted teeth, "any warrior in this camp. I do so without question because, of course, he knows more about everything than little ol' me." Dolph started to speak, but Candy wasn't finished and she was not in the mood to be interrupted. "Second, I'm supposed to keep this tent spotless, making sure that all of your gear is ready at a moment's notice. Third, I take care of Silky - feed him, see that he has water. Fourth, unspoken, but definitely implied, I should be available for your entertainment any time of the day or night that you choose to stop playing warrior and come home for a little R & R. And last, but not least, if I disobey or if I don't do any of the things that I'm supposed to, I get 'punished', whatever that means. Did I forget anything?" Dolph shook his head, trying to keep the smile from his face. Candy's voice had risen with her ire. She started pacing again. She was nearly yelling at him now. "You're completely out of your mind! I think you picked up the wrong species, you wanted a Cocker Spaniel. I am an intelligent woman of the nineties. I graduated high school, I can read, I can even walk and chew gum at the same time. You're treating me like a two-year-old!" Dolph stood and grabbed hold of her shoulders, effectively stopping her pacing. She glowered up at him. He kept his voice level, trying not to anger her further. "None of your independent woman trappings matter here. You are as a child in this camp. You know next to nothing. You must do as I say to keep safe." Candy slapped his hand from her shoulder, her hair brushing the length of him as she spun away. With her back to him, she took several steps, then turned and threw her hands into the air. "Right, so the big, bad Vikings, as opposed to the good Vikings, now there's a mind-boggling concept, can't get me. It sounds like a typical male plan to keep the little woman barefoot and pregnant, if you ask me." Dolph raised his hand, pointing at her face. His eyes flashed green ice. "Do not take this lightly, woman!" Candy glared right back at him. Exasperated, he walked to his war-chest, opened it and removed several items, which he placed on the bed. Then he tossed something to her. Surprised, she caught it. It looked like a book. Opening it, she saw pictures, paintings and something that might have been words. Dolph's irritated tone brought her attention back to his face. "Woman of the nineties, read that to me. Tell me what it says." Candy frowned at him and threw the book onto the bed. "That's not fair and you know it. I'll bet you couldn't read Cosmopolitan either." He raised another book, this one bound in fine leather, from the bed and began reading. "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." With a superior smile, he tossed the Bible to her. She caught it, glaring at him. "My mother taught me to read and speak English, French, Spanish and a little German. If 'Cosmopolitan'

can be found in any of those, I assure you I would have no difficulty reading it." Candy raised her chin, tossing her hair and, if possible, deepening her glare. "I'm sure that I could learn to read your language. Besides, I don't think this is exactly the kind of situation that will require much reading. I doubt the enemy is going to demand that I compete in a spelling bee. I think I can handle the practical stuff." She threw the Bible back on the bed. Dolph walked to the door of the tent and turned toward her. "Very well, a practical situation. I am an enemy warrior. We have taken the camp and I have a gun. What do you do?" Candy arched an eyebrow sarcastically. "I thought you guys were strictly in to sharp metal material." Dolph shook his head. "Vikings generally fight with blades because we prefer the personal touch. However, if the people we fight use other weapons, we will take them as booty and use them if we desire." Dolph's expression changed from that of instructor to that of antagonist. "I am the enemy, I have a laser weapon. What would you do?" Candy looked at the bed. On it were the books that they had dealt with earlier, Dolph's shield, and a small dagger. Looking sly, she jumped to the bed and pulled the dagger. Quickly regaining her feet, she held the small blade in front of her. Dolph was shaking his head, looking exasperated. Candy sighed. "What? What did I do wrong?" "You must never pull steel on a Viking warrior. An unarmed woman will be taken and put to good use, but an armed woman will be hurt, and might be killed, depending on the patience of the warrior. Besides, what good would that be against a gun?" Candy grinned. "You Viking warriors are all cocky as hell. You wouldn't shoot me. You'd have to prove your manhood by taking this little knife away from me. When you tried, I'd let you have it with my knee. That'd make you sit up and take notice." "Then you would have a very angry warrior, armed with blade and gun, desiring nothing more than to hurt you. Not a very clever battle strategy." He had her there. Candy hung her head dejectedly, tossing the dagger back on the bed. She looked up when Dolph moved. He came to the bed and held up the shield. "Lasers cannot penetrate a Viking shield. And a Viking will not see it as a threat, only as an attempt to protect yourself." He put the shield back on the bed and pulled her into his arms. "You see, my love, you are a great deal like a two-year-old. You know very little of the world you find yourself in. I and my men will protect you while you learn the ways of your new home and people. You must obey the rules." Candy stamped her foot, narrowly missing his. She felt very much the child, and she didn't like it. "I hate rules! Especially your rules." Dolph stepped back a little so that he could see her face. His smile was very humoring. She realized how childish she sounded right about the time he started to chuckle. With a mumbled, "Oh!" she balled her hand into a fist and hit him softly in the chest, enjoying the hard thud her knuckles made against the steely muscle. Giving in to the urge to giggle at herself, she placed her forehead against his chest. He was so warm, so hard, so very sexy. And here in his arms, she felt safe, wanted, loved. Was it worth obeying all his stupid rules, performing all his mundane tasks to have this feeling? Maybe. The jury was still out on that one. His hands were beginning to make little circles on her back, sending the most delicious chills down her spine. Candy shivered and, wrapping her arms around his back, raised her face to his. He took the hint, slowly caressing her lips with his own, coaxing her with his tongue until she parted her lips, allowing him entrance. The tip of his tongue flitted over her teeth; then, when she parted her teeth, did sensual battle with her own. This was one war that Candy didn't mind losing. She felt herself being lowered to the bed, Dolph's strong arms holding her safe and secure. Heaven was just around the corner. The tent flap was suddenly thrown open and Felix appeared in the entrance. He paused, realizing what was taking place inside, then continued into the tent. Candy decided at that moment that some day, when he least expected it, she was going to kill Felix. Or at least maim him!

Dolph raised his head and scowled at the intruder. Seeing Felix, he quickly stood and faced his friend. Once again, Candy was a nonentity. Dolph sounded alarmed. "What is it?" Felix's tone was equally grave. "One of our scouts has just returned. He is in his tent." "What news does he bring?" Felix held out his hand to Dolph. There was some sort of pouch resting in his palm. Dolph took it, opened the pull string and poured the contents into his hand. Candy could see the gleam of silver. Dolph raised his eyes to his second in command, a quizzical expression on his face. "Has this some meaning?" Felix sighed heavily, running his hand through his deep brown hair, his discomfort apparent. "The scout was captured. He was given a message to give to you, tortured and released." Dolph stepped forward, grabbing Felix's arm. "Tortured? What information did they seek?" Felix's complexion grew darker with his anger. He raised his head and looked Dolph in the eye. "Vierig is their leader. He told the scout that the thirty pieces of silver are in honor of your Christian mother. The message was, 'By tomorrow's sunrise, one of us will pay for their crimes.' They wanted no information, the torture was part of the message. Vierig said that he would send his most prized possession to you and replace it with one from your man." Dolph looked at the small leather pouch that he still held in his hand. A look of horror spread slowly across his face. He cast eyes filled with agony to Felix, wanting the denial that he knew would not come. Felix dropped his eyes to the ground and gave one sharp nod of his head. Dolph threw back his head and roared, throwing the pouch, and the small pieces of silver, so hard against the side of the tent that the whole structure shook. He began pulling on his armor, gathering his weapons. When he spoke again, his voice boomed like thunder, his anger building with each passing moment. "Will the man live?" Felix shrugged. "The wound was closed, he lost very little blood. But his pride...," he shook his head, "I don't know." "I will speak to him. He will fight by my side and claim his vengeance from the enemy tenfold! What is their troop strength?" "As far as we can tell, equal to ours." Dolph had claimed all of his armor and weapons. He was every inch the fierce Viking warrior. Slipping his left arm through the leather strap of his shield, he turned to Candy, who had risen to stand next to the bed. His tone softened the tiniest bit. "You know the rules, Star. Obey them!" In two great strides he came across the tent and pulled her hard against his armor-plated chest. She could feel the edge of his shield against her back, pinning her in the metal cage of her warrior's arms. "I swear he will never touch you. Never!" His lips came down on hers in a kiss that, though anything but gentle, still told of all the love and devotion he pledged to her. She returned it with equal passion, wanting him to know that she would be waiting for him, even if she had to wait forever. How she wished she could tell him how she felt. Say all those mushy things like he did. He was so open with his words. He hadn't grown up learning to be diplomatic, worrying about sounding stupid or being rejected. Candy looked up into his face and was suddenly struck with the realization that she might be seeing him for the last time. How she looked to anyone but him didn't matter a damn. "I love you, Dolph. I will love you forever. If you get yourself killed, I swear I'll follow you to Hell and fight the devil to get you back!" For just a minute, his warrior's eyes softened and a gentle smile tugged at his lips. His whispered words touched her heart as his breath touched her lips. "I never believed in Hell, my love, until I thought of life without you. And it is I who go to fight the devil. Your love will help Odin to guide my sword. I will return to you, sweet Star. I swear it!" He kissed her once more, then released her. As he turned to leave, she could see his eyes grow cold and his back stiffen. Felix bowed his head to her.

"I will guard his back, milady Candy, as you guard his heart." He followed in Dolph's footsteps out the door. Candy ran to the door and yelled, "Star!" Dolph was still within hearing distance. He and Felix both turned. Candy smiled, trying to ignore the pain of unshed tears tearing at her throat. "My name is Star, Viking, and don't you forget it!" Dolph seemed to stand a little taller, a smile on his lips that didn't quite meet his battle-ready eyes. Felix bowed his head again, his smile reflecting his respect for his friend's woman. "Milady Star, I stand corrected." Star nodded and, taking one last look at her Viking warrior, stepped back into the tent so that he wouldn't see her cry.

Chapter 10 After lying on the bed crying her eyes out for an indeterminate amount of time, Candy decided she was not going to wallow in her misery. Dwelling on the strange turn her life had taken in the space of a couple days would only make her crazy. And wondering where Dolph might be at this moment and what danger he might be facing only brought to her very imaginative mind visions of his body, broken and bleeding, lying in a ditch somewhere. If this place even had ditches. Enough! Maybe she could find comfort in order and normality. That brought a smile to her lips. Normal, around here? Perish the thought. Sniffling, she wondered if there were any Kleenex to be found around here. The logical place would be in Dolph's war-chest. Candy chided herself out loud. "Dummy, the only place would be in the war-chest." Since it had reached critical mass, Candy disgustedly wiped her nose on the sleeve of her jumpsuit, rose from the bed and walked to the chest. The memory of Dolph teaching her to open it almost brought on another bout of waterworks, but she managed to get herself under control by imagining how her face looked when she cried. She knew she looked awful at this minute, and was determined to be looking her best when Dolph returned. Whenever that would be. Another round of clenching fists, holding breath, gritting teeth - crying jag abated. The inside of Dolph's war-chest was very orderly. The top shelf contained Silky's rations, several doodads the function of which Candy had no idea, some empty spaces, and what looked to be a stack of handkerchiefs. Candy sighed, surprised that a Viking, and a man at that, would have something so logical as a handkerchief. She pulled one from the top of the pile and quickly blew her nose before it could drip on anything important. Then she folded the handkerchief and put it in her pocket so that she could examine one of the others. The jet-black cloth felt like silk and resembled very finely woven cotton. Those weird symbols that Candy assumed was the Vikings' writing were scattered in red on its surface. It was actually quite pretty. She would have to remember to complement Dolph on his taste in accessories. She returned the unsoiled handkerchief to its place on the top shelf. Noticing the empty spaces, Candy remembered Dolph's dagger and books. She took them from the bed and replaced them in the chest, proud of herself for performing one of her primary functions in this camp keeping his tent neat and tidy. Shaking her head, Candy wondered if she had already lost her mind. Maid service was not one of the things she had planned to do with her life. By pressing the button on the side of the top shelf, she made the shelf raise and shift backward over the open lid to reveal the large compartment below. At the moment there wasn't much there since Dolph had been wearing his armor and carrying his shield. Just a couple extra jumpsuits, a spare loin cloth, and the rest of the clothes that Dolph had given her. Candy touched the button and watched as the top shelf slid quietly into place. Looking around, Candy noticed the gleam of silver against one wall. She smiled and threw her hands into the air in a gesture of mock frustration. "Typical man. He has a woman to pick up after him, he figures he can do anything he wants and let her repair the damage. Men!" She knelt by the side of the tent that Dolph had assaulted with the leather pouch. It lay where he had thrown it, the tiny pieces of silver scattered all around it like guards that had fallen in the act of protecting it. Candy wondered what the little silver discs were. They looked like sterling silver BB's that had been flattened by a car running over them. There was some kind of symbol carved or stamped in the center of each, but she had no idea what it meant. "Big surprise. I'd be worried if I did recognize it." Candy's eyes were drawn back to the discs' original container. Remembering what had been implied by Vierig, she gingerly picked up the small pouch. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he had been telling the truth. The leather was soft and supple, a very light pinkish-tan in color. It fit in the palm of her hand with room to spare. Holes had been cut near the top and a leather drawstring threaded through to close it. The top edge was jagged and looked like it had been burned. Just holding it made Candy feel slightly queasy. She quickly gathered the silver pieces together, all thirty of them, and dropped them into the pouch. Quickly pulling the drawstring tight, she dropped the pouch into the chest, nestled next to the pile of handkerchiefs. She couldn't keep from shuddering as the smooth leather slid from her hand. What kind of person would keep his own body part as some kind of change purse? She didn't want to think about it. Feeling somehow defiled, Candy pulled Dolph's handkerchief from her pocket, wiped her hands with it, then returned it to her

pocket. She must have been a little spooked because she jumped when the tent flap wiggled and someone spoke to her from the other side. "Star?" It sounded like a young boy. Candy didn't recognize the voice, but she was happy just to have someone to talk to. And if the kid was calling her Star, he must know Dolph. That might mean a chance to get to know more about the man she loved. Candy ran to the tent entrance and threw up the flap. Realizing about two seconds too late that that was not a great idea, Candy could do nothing but watch as the flap hit the boy in the face, knocking him backwards into the dirt. She stepped forward and offered the boy her hand as she stammered an apology. "Oh, gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't think..." The boy ignored her outstretched hand. He regained his footing quickly, blushing a deep red. Looking more closely, Candy decided some of that color was caused by anger. He smacked his legs and backside with his hands, knocking the dirt from his sleeveless forest green jumpsuit. He looked at her with eyes, narrowed now in anger, that nearly matched his suit. Candy knew instantly from the color, and the look, that this boy was related to Dolph. Though his voice still had the high timbre of youth, his words were adult enough. "Do you ever think, woman? Can't you even leave my brother's tent without causing someone damage?" Candy smiled and gave the kid the once-over. He looked about thirteen, though his attitude was thirteen going on forty. His shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair was tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck. He wore an earring in one ear, a small silver dragon, and silver armbands on both arms. His black boots had green symbols down the front. His insolent stance reeked of male pride and arrogance. Candy smiled. Oh, yes, he was Dolph's little brother all right. "You have a lot in common with your brother, little boy, lack of manners being the first thing that comes to mind." A typical boy approaching manhood, he drew himself to his full height, an inch or two taller than Candy, crossed his arms over his chest and deepened his glare. "I am not a little boy! And there is nothing lacking in my brother. Except perhaps the sense to find a good woman to fulfill his promise to our father, instead of some nearly useless bit of fluff." There went the Irish again. Candy stepped forward and angrily pointed her finger at him, periodically punctuating her words with a poke to his chest. "You listen to me, you Viking runt, I may have to take that crap from 'warriors', but I sure as hell do not have to take it from an undropped, too-young-to-shave little pimple like you! I am neither 'useless' nor 'a bit of fluff'. I'll have you know that I just finished cleaning your brother's tent; and, before you interrupted me, I was on my way to explore this camp so I'll know where things are in case he needs something." She cast her eyes heavenward, and raised her flexed palms to the sky. "Oh, Lord, I sound like Suzy Homemaker." Attempting to step around the boy, Candy snarled, "Get out of my way, twerp." Candy's temper having already been tweaked, the boy's arrogant smile nearly cost him a bloody nose. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you smiling at?" He shrugged. "I now understand what Dolph sees in you. You are a fiery woman, full of passion. You will please him in bed and give him strong children." He nodded as though he had just solved some great dilemma. "My brother chose wisely." Candy could not believe what this little boy had just said to her. Exasperation rang in her tone. "And what do you know about passion, or women, for that matter? I bet you're not even old enough to see R-rated movies without your mommy." She held her hands out in front of her, as though to ward him off. "I know, I know, you haven't the foggiest notion what I'm talking about. Well, that's about how much you know about passion, kid. What is your name, anyway?" "My name is Kirk." Candy rolled her eyes heavenward. "As in James T.?"

A blush spreading across his fair cheeks, he looked at the ground. His voice softened, a combination of embarrassment and affection coloring his words. "A new television series had begun the year my father took my mother. She thought it was ironic timing and she liked the name, so she called me Kirk." "So who's Dolph named after, Adolph Hitler?" Kirk looked up at her with narrowed eyes. "No. Dolph is named for my mother's father." "You guys only have one name?" Kirk placed his hands on his hips and his tone became humoring, as though he were talking to an unschooled child. Candy gritted her teeth, realizing if she really wanted to know these things she would have to put up with Kirk's patronizing attitude. "Our father's name was Roarke Thorson, Roarke 'The Tamer'. Dolph's full name is Randolph Roarkeson, mine is Kirk Roarkeson." He raised both eyebrows. "Satisfied?" "Why 'The Tamer'?" Kirk smiled, looking very proud. "Father earned that name after he captured my mother. She did not wish to be taken. She gave him many scars, which he displayed proudly." Pain softened his voice, and his eyes took on a faraway look. "Mother was a great lady." Candy spoke in a near whisper, not wanting to increase his obvious pain. "Was?" Kirk lowered his eyes to the ground. For a minute he said nothing. Candy knew he'd heard her, assumed that he just didn't want to answer. He sniffed and looked up. His beautiful green eyes were swimming in tears. Candy wanted to reach out and hold him, but she figured if she tried he'd get embarrassed and bite her head off. His young voice was quiet, choked with emotion. "She bled to death in our father's arms while trying to give birth to our little sister." Anger, hurt and confusion gave his words more strength. "The doctor's told her that she was too old. She'd already had seven children, and they had all been difficult for her. But she insisted on one more try to give my father a daughter. Foolish woman, she didn't have to take that chance. He was more than content with the seven sons she had given him." He shook his head, then looked back at the ground. "After mother drew her last breath, father took the little one, held her close, trying to give her the strength from his own body. It was just too early. She was dead by morning." He kicked some imaginary rock. With a heavy sigh, he continued his story. "Father was never the same after that. His eyes had lost the fire of life. Dolph tried to interest him in raiding, hunting, anything. He said Dolph was worse than an old woman. The only thing Father showed an interest in was returning to Earth. He wanted his sons to see their mother's homeland. Dolph was so happy to find something that father wanted that he quickly arranged the trip. On the way, Dolph heard news of someone wanting to hire Vikings to settle some little disagreement. Father joined in the battle, but he no longer had the spirit. He fell on the field. Dolph pulled him from the battle and guarded him as he died." He looked at her with calculating eyes. "Father's dying wish was that Dolph would find a woman to give him the years of pleasure that our mother had given our father. Dolph gave his word, and father went to Valhalla in peace. You are to be that woman." He clenched his fists at his side, sadness fighting with anger for space in his eyes. "Why did she have to try again? We were all content with the family we had." Sadness won. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, then flooded over to streak down his cheeks. "I miss her." He sounded so forlorn. Though he tried hard to be a great Viking warrior, he was really just a little boy who had lost so much. Without thinking, just acting on instinct, Candy pulled him into her arms and held him. She could feel his chest heaving with great sobs, yet no sound came out. Men, even very young men, were such strange creatures, letting their pride tell them exactly how much emotion was allowable.

Tears were running down her own face. Candy saw a younger Dolph in Kirk, and she wondered if there had been anyone there to hold him while he cried out his grief for his lost parents. She didn't think so, and that made her cry harder. Kirk straightened and pulled away from her, wiping the back of his hand across his face. Candy reached into her pocket and produced Dolph's handkerchief. As she reached forward to wipe Kirk's face he grabbed her hand, staring at the handkerchief in horror. He looked thunderstruck as his eyes met hers. His voice was full of amazement. "What are you doing?" Candy gave him a questioning look. "I thought you might need a handkerchief. I know I do." She brought the cloth to her nose, intending to blow into it. Kirk quickly tore the 'handkerchief' from her hand and, holding two corners, shook the cloth in the air, trying to straighten it. Where it was still wet, it stuck together. He moaned and turned to Candy, a regretful smile touching the corners of his mouth. "And I was starting to like you a little." He held the handkerchief in front of Candy's nose. His tone returned to that of a Viking warrior. "Do you know what this is, woman?" Candy shrugged, a feeling of dread beginning to creep into her heart. Her voice was unnaturally high, imploring him to confirm her supposition. "A handkerchief?" Kirk slowly shook his head. He spoke softly. 'Like at a funeral,' Candy thought morosely. "When a Viking warrior becomes the commander of a ship, he is given the flag of that ship to signify that she is his. The flags are small so that he can keep them with him always, usually in his war-chest." Candy's eyes slowly dropped to the black cloth, then lifted to meet Kirk's stern stare. In a whisper, she asked, "You mean, I blew my nose on one of Dolph's ships?" Kirk nodded, unable to keep from smiling at her choice of words. "Oh, no!" She grabbed the front of Kirk's jumpsuit, her eyes taking on a slightly wild appearance. "Where's a washing machine? I'll toss it in the gentle cycle...Oh, crap, you guys don't have a gentle cycle, right? You don't even have a damn washing machine." She thought for half a second, then the light of a thought flashed across her face. "Where's the nearest stream, riverbed, ocean, whatever you use to wash things? You must wash, you're all so damn clean." She looked down, nodding as she made her plans. "I'll wash it, hang it on a tent pole or something to dry," she looked up, "he'll never know. Why are you shaking your head?" Kirk pried Candy's hands from his suit and took them in his own. This woman might be a bit headstrong, and quite unknowledgeable about their ways, but, as he had said, he was beginning to like her. He spoke in a gentle voice. "You must tell Dolph what you have done, little one. I don't think he'll be angry with you." He thought about that for a minute, then, to Candy's discomfort, amended his words. "Not very angry. You must always be honest with Dolph. Never try to hide anything from him. He'll always find out, believe me. And he'll get angrier about the deception than about anything you might have done." He rubbed his jaw, a disgruntled frown on his face. "I speak from experience. The flag must be tended in a special way. You cannot do it. We will return to the tent and replace it in Dolph's war-chest. When he returns from battle, you must tell him what happened." He placed his hand in the small of Candy's back and turned her toward Dolph's tent. They walked in silence. All Candy could think about was Dolph's face when he saw his flag. He was not going to be happy. Her temper began to assert itself. How was she supposed to know it wasn't a handkerchief? It looked like a handkerchief. Nobody had told her it wasn't a handkerchief. If it looked like a duck, and waddled like a duck...Was she supposed to just know these things? Candy's chin began to rise with her spirits. She wasn't psychic, she didn't know everything. Heck, around here, she didn't know more than she did know. And who's fault was that? Not hers. Let him get mad! Yeah, just let that Viking say one angry word to her and she would give him a piece of her mind that he would not soon

forget! Candy was in a fine temper when Kirk escorted her into Dolph's tent. She walked to the war-chest, opened it and tossed the flag in on top of its mates. She was about to slam the lid when curiosity got the better of her and she quickly counted the neatly folded flags. There were six in all. She turned a surprised look on Kirk. "Dolph commands six ships?" Glowing with pride, Kirk nodded. "My brother commands the most formidable Viking armada in the universe." Candy's look turned hopeful. "More formidable than Vierig's" With a heavy sigh, Kirk shrugged. "The last time we crossed swords with Vierig the Merciless, he was in command of five ships. We have not been able to obtain information on his current armada. It may have increased." His manner and voice brightened. "But his men are not as well-trained as Dolph's, nor do they have my brother as their leader. The battle will be ours, Star, have no fear." His youthful enthusiasm buoyed Candy's heavy heart. Of course Dolph would win. But she was so used to being a worrywart she couldn't very well rid herself of a lifelong habit in a day's time. And Dolph meant so much to her. She didn't want to go back to her life before him, a life filled with dating, dead-end jobs and loneliness. Giving herself a mental shake to rid her mind of all those negative thoughts, Candy was starting to close the war-chest when she noticed Silky's rations and decided she'd better check on the little guy. She knelt and spoke toward the little cage that still sat on the floor next to the war-chest. "Hey, Silky, would you like to come out and see our visitor?" Whenever Dolph had spoken to him, Silky had either come out of his cage to see who sought an audience with him, or meowed his displeasure at being disturbed. He did neither now. Wondering at his lack of response, Candy pulled the door of the little cage all the way open - it had been about halfway open because Dolph said that Silky hated being locked in and could raise a heck of a ruckus - and leaned down to peer into the cage. It was empty. The sharp edge of fear began to cut into her consciousness. "Kirk, did you see Silky when we came in?" Hearing the concern in her voice, Kirk stepped closer and gazed around the tent. He saw no little furry body scampering about. "No. That's strange. Silky usually comes running when he hears my voice 'cause I bring him treats. Dolph says Silky knows a sucker when he sees one. Maybe he got into the chest?" With visions of squashed mini-cat flashing in her mind, Candy riffled through the top shelf of the chest, desperate to see a furry paw. Nothing. She pushed the button and both she and Kirk watched with dread as the top shelf lifted and slid back. No angry meow met their hopeful ears. Kirk fell to his knees beside her. Pointing toward the bed, he said, "you take the rear sector, I'll take the front." Never had he sounded more like Dolph. On hands and knees, they searched the tent inch by inch, their dread growing as each space was revealed to be empty. Finally, Candy rose to her feet and spoke in a voice that resembled a funeral dirge. "He's not here." She began wringing her hands. "Oh, Kirk, what am I going to do? Dolph trusted me to take care of his sweet little kitty, and I lost him. He'll never forgive me. And poor little Silky, all alone in a strange place. Oh...!" She sat on the side of the bed and dropped her head into her hands. She had thought all her tears had been shed when Dolph left. No such luck. As she imagined Silky out there all alone and vulnerable, a whole new motherlode broke the damn. Listening to the woman sob, Kirk wasn't certain what he should do. She looked so small and pitiful, and she was trying so hard to be brave and swallow her sobs. His male instinct overtook his embarrassment, sending him to sit beside her and wrap his arms around her quivering body. He wasn't sure that he had done the right thing though because, as she turned into his embrace, her sobs increased. He was trying to come up with a better course of action when she began to quiet. She raised swimming blue eyes to his, and he could see the silent plea shining there. Her voice shook.

"What are we going to do?" Kirk shook his head. "There is nothing that we can do. I will let Dolph know..." Candy's grip on the front of his jumpsuit cut him short, her eyes filling with fear. "No, don't. If he's worried about Silky, he might not fight as well. Something awful might happen. Please, Kirk, please don't tell him until he gets back." Once again, Kirk gently pried her fingers from his clothes and held her hands in his. "You truly care for my brother, don't you?" Candy nodded, but the look in her eyes spoke more clearly to Kirk than any words or gesture ever could. She loved Dolph as he did. She might be right. Dolph was very protective of Silky. His concern for his pet might shadow his judgement. Upon his return would be soon enough to tell him about Silky. "Very well, I will not call him. Maybe we can find Silky in camp somewhere. He may have just taken a stroll to annoy us. I will enlist the aid of the other camp-tenders and we will search the whole camp." Her questioning look reminded him of her newly arrived status. "Men," he emphasized the word, "who have yet to gain the muscle and skill for battle tend the camp while the warriors fight." He set her from him and stood, smiling, his eyes and voice full of youthful confidence. "Don't worry, Star, with such little legs, how far could he get?" A sad attempt at a smile was all she could manage. Kirk turned to leave. "Kirk?" He looked at her with brows arched in question. "I want to help." He shook his head. "Dolph left you in my care. Though we have no reason to believe that the enemy is anywhere near our camp, I don't want to take any chances. You will remain here until I return. Should you require anything before that, open the tent and tell whoever you might see to find me." "But..." Kirk held up his hand and spoke with that authoritarian tone that Candy was quickly beginning to hate. "No argument, woman! You are my responsibility and Vikings do not take their responsibilities lightly. You will stay here until I return." Candy could see that it was no use arguing so she sat quietly until Kirk had exited the tent. Then she stood and clenched her fists at her sides. She knew Kirk hadn't meant to make her angry, he was just being a typical Viking man, but his parting words had made her good and mad. She spoke to the air as she went to the war-chest to get Dolph's dagger. "We Americans take our responsibilities very seriously, too, Viking! Silky was entrusted to me, and I am going to find him if I have to crawl on my hands and knees across this whole damn planet!" Securing the dagger in one of the invisible-until-you-need-them pockets of her jumpsuit, Candy carefully lifted the tent flap. The sun was setting, darkness quickly approaching. She guessed that the days were a bit shorter here than on Earth. There were a few Vikings milling about. Typical men, they were all too involved in whatever they were doing to pay much attention to a woman. She walked right by them without incident. Candy could smell food cooking. She figured if she were a cat, she'd head in the direction of the kitchen. Scanning the ground from side-to-side, she slowly walked where her nose led. Candy felt as though she'd gone at least a mile when she walked headlong into a hard body blocking her path. The man stood as tall as Dolph so Candy had to strain her neck to look him in the eye. When she did, she found herself gazing into the blackest eyes she'd ever seen. Not just black in color, but black to the core. He was quite handsome, his square jaw covered by a close-cropped black beard. Sleek black hair feathered about his shoulders to the middle of his massive torso. He wore shiny black body armor that made him look like a giant roach. Even his boots were black metal. He wore no jewelry and no helmet. The gold sword that hung at his side was the only bright thing about him. That, and his perfect white teeth, which he showed now as he looked down and smiled. Inexplicably, Candy felt like a bug under a microscope. When he spoke, his voice flowed like warm honey. "You are much too beautiful to be wandering about camp unprotected. Have the gods smiled upon me and made you available to any warrior who wishes to claim you?"

In spite of herself, Candy blushed. He was positively magnetic, and he reeked of man and sex and...she shook her head. Though she meant to sound strong and unafraid, her voice betrayed her, coming out weak and almost sorrowful. "No, I'm not available." Candy blinked, momentarily breaking the spell this mysterious man had cast over her. Her words were stronger. "I mean, I'm with someone. I'm sorry I bumped into you." His smile widened. He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and goose bumps instantly answered his touch. "I'm not. I only regret that another has claimed you before I had the pleasure of driving you wild with desire. What is your name, little one? And who is the lucky man that holds such a treasure?" This man was hypnotizing, like a king cobra in full hood. Something inside Candy warned her that he could be just as deadly. "My name is Candy, but Dolph calls me Star." There was the slightest tightening of the man's dark features. It happened so quickly that Candy thought she might have imagined it. Then he nodded. A trace of sorrow tingeing his words, he said, "Dolph has always been a very lucky man. I see his luck continues. Still, I'm sure he would forgive his old friend a taste of forbidden fruit." Before she even realized what was happening, his hands slid over her shoulders, down her arms, and around her back to pull her into his embrace. His lips descended to caress hers ever so lightly. Candy knew she should pull away, but the shock of the sudden unexpected action held her still long enough for her to realize that this man was a great kisser. As the pressure on her lips increased, she found herself responding, parting her lips. Warning bells were going off in her head, her sixth sense telling her that this man was dangerous. Candy was planning to heed them. In a minute. Suddenly, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth and bit down hard. Candy yelped and wrenched herself from his grasp as she tasted blood. She raised her hand to slap him, but he stepped back out of her reach. He chuckled deep in his throat, his smile predatory. "Dolph had better keep a closer eye on you, Beauty, or he will be questioning the parentage of his children. Perhaps his luck has run out after all." He narrowed his eyes at her, and Candy felt true fear. Who was this Viking? "When you explain the damage to your lip, give Dolph my regards, Star." He started backing away from her. Candy sincerely wished she had the nerve to follow him and give him a piece of her mind, but every warning signal she had developed in her young life was blaring inside her head. She raised her chin proudly and yelled contemptuously at the retreating Viking. "And just who the hell are you, anyway?" Though his body had melted into the darkness, his silky-steel voice found its way to her shocked ears. "Vierig, my sweet little prize, I am Vierig the Merciless!"

Chapter 11 Candy stood in stunned silence as the echo of Vierig's words in her brain slowly died down. Vierig! A million questions jumbled about in her mind: How had he gotten into camp? Were they under attack? If so, where was Dolph? The last question frightened her the most for she was certain that Dolph would never let Vierig near her if he were still alive to prevent it. Candy shook her head. She was not going to let that terrible thought take root in her mind. Dolph was all right. He had to be. Sudden panic gripped Candy so hard she nearly doubled over. Had Vierig taken Silky? That had to be it! Where else could the little rascal have gone? Determination stiffening her almost non-existent resolve, Candy started off into the darkness the way Vierig had gone. Maybe she could reason with him. Silky was just an innocent little kitten. Surely Vierig would...She didn't want to bet much on what Vierig would do. But she sure as heck wasn't going to sit back and watch as he walked out of Dolph's camp with Silky in his villainous clutches. The darkness quickly closed in around Candy. She hadn't realized just how dark it would be once she left the illumination of the camp. Even though the ground was flat, with nothing to hide an approaching intruder, she was certain that she was being watched. That the bad guys were waiting just out of her sight for the right moment, or the order, to pounce on her. She began to hear weird noises, rustling, screeching, hooting. Candy laughed and spoke softly to herself, uncomfortable with the edge of terror she heard in her own voice. "How do you know they're weird noises. Maybe they're perfectly normal noises around here. Then again, maybe not." She looked around, but the darkness kept her from seeing more than three or four feet in any direction. Candy decided she had better run a little if she were going to have any chance of catching up with Vierig. That lasted about two minutes. 'Call me crazy,' she thought to herself as she once again slowed her pace, 'but I have this aversion to breaking my neck on some distant planet while running after the enemy of a space Viking to beg him for the return of a cat that fits on an earring.' Candy giggled at the picture her thoughts had just painted. Looking behind her, just in case something were trying to sneak up on her, she tripped over something in her path, and fell onto a hard, lumpy surface. Rolling slightly so she could see what had tripped her, Candy brought her hand to her mouth just in time to muffle the scream that escaped. She had tripped over a Viking. She didn't need any medical training to know that he was dead since she had actually tripped over his head and fallen on his body and the two were no longer attached. Slipping and sliding on the Viking's wet armor, Candy tried desperately not to think about all the moisture, to concentrate on getting up. She kicked out and felt the sickening thud as her foot came into contact with the severed head, sending it rolling away from the body. After what seemed like hours, her feet found solid ground. In a blind panic, Candy ran. Straight into a wall of unyielding steel, bands of which closed around her, trapping her arms against her sides. Hysterical, Candy screamed and tried to get loose. She just knew that it was the fallen warrior, angry at her for disturbing his resting place. She writhed in this unknown embrace, kicking and screaming, until whoever held her placed a foot behind her legs and lowered them both none too gently to the ground. As soon as his lips covered hers, Candy knew this was no undead warrior. It had to be Dolph that held her, she'd know that kiss anywhere. She stopped fighting and surrendered to the rush of safety and lust that his embrace brought to her being. She started to put her arms around his neck, but he pulled back from her. As close as he was, even in this darkness she could see his eyes shooting green sparks. His teeth bared in a snarl of rage, Dolph spoke so quietly that she could barely hear him even though she could feel his breath on her cheeks. Each word was carefully pronounced. "What are you doing here?" Candy knew she was in trouble, but she was so glad to see him that she couldn't care less. She brought her arms up around his neck and tried to pull him down to kiss her again. It was like trying to move a brick wall. The muscles in his neck were tightened to the breaking point. His hands gripped her shoulders and squeezed. "Ow!" "Quiet," he hissed into her face, "or by the gods I'll silence you permanently! Answer my question!" Candy glared at him, but the way his body stiffened told her it might be better to keep her temper in check this time and just answer his question. Quietly, she explained. "Vierig got into the camp and I think he took Silky. I was going after him to try to reason with him." As she said the words out loud, Candy realized how lame, and stupid, her explanation sounded. As usual,

she hadn't given her plan a lot of thought. It had sounded good at the time, so she'd plunged right in. Her mother had always told her that if she acted in haste, she would regret at leisure. The look on Dolph's face gave Candy the uncomfortable feeling that regretting time had arrived. "You are a foolish bitch! I told you if you disobeyed a warrior you would be punished and I meant it! Get up!" Dolph stood and walked away from her, issuing quiet orders to the men who waited nearby. Candy sat glaring at his back for a second. 'He could at least help me up,' she thought as she got to her feet. Thinking over all that had happened since he left her in camp, she had to admit that maybe she should have given a little more thought to her actions. She had been so worried about Silky that she had let her emotions be her guide. Maybe she had acted a little rashly, but it was for a good cause. She really wanted Dolph to understand. She started toward him but Felix blocked her path. When she raised questioning eyes to him, he shook his head. Leaning down, Felix spoke almost into her ear. "He is best left alone right now, Star." Keeping her voice equally quiet, Candy defended her purpose. "I want to explain." Felix lips curved in a slight, ironic smile. "Look at him, girl, does he look to be in an understanding mood?" Candy looked at Dolph. He stood with his back to her. His shoulders were straight, his back and neck stiff as a ruler. He held his sword in one hand, his shield in the other. He was watching as his men gathered the body of their fallen comrade into some sort of tarpaulin. As she watched, he raised his sword to the sky. His whole body shook with anger, yet he made no sound. Turning back to Felix, she smiled sheepishly. "Maybe not. I'll wait till we get back to camp and we can talk alone." The walk to camp was solemn. No one spoke. Four men carried the body of the fallen guard. Dolph led the way, Candy and Felix walked behind the body and two men brought up the rear. When they entered the camp, Kirk came running. He started to speak to Dolph, but Dolph cut him off with a voice of unarguable authority. "Take Star to my tent. Stay there with her. Should she try to leave you have my permission to restrain her in any way you feel necessary." Dolph then proceeded to speak with several warriors who had come with Kirk. Kirk stepped past him, casting a wary glance in his direction and giving him a wide berth, and took hold of Candy's arm. He led her toward Dolph's tent. Once more, Candy bit back her temper. The way Dolph had dismissed her without even a sideways look in her direction had almost done it. But she knew that he was in no mood to take getting yelled at right now. She'd keep track of all his infractions and speak to him later. Kirk held the tent-flap for her. She went straight to the bed and sat down disgustedly. Dolph was being totally unreasonable. She would probably have had more luck trying to talk to Vierig! Kirk stood in front of her, a look of censure on his young face. Candy glared up at him. "So what's your problem, kid?" "I am not a kid, and you are my problem. Because of you, I have failed my brother. Dolph instructed me to care for you and I let you get away. He is very angry." Candy snorted. "No kidding. Don't look so glum, kid, so you might get KP for a week or two. I think you can handle it. Besides, I intend to tell Dolph that it was all my fault. You told me to stay here. I didn't listen. Maybe he'll go easier on you." Kirk straightened, glaring down his nose at her. "I don't need you to defend me, woman. I made the mistake of trusting you. I will make no excuses and take my punishment like a Viking." Candy rolled her eyes, tossed her hair behind her shoulders and stood to face the arrogant teen. "You are unbelievable. You make it sound like I lied to you. I didn't. You gave me an order and expected me to follow it. Wrong! I never said I would and I didn't. I'm not some dog that you can tell to 'stay', you know!" Kirk's voice raised to match hers. "No, at least a dog is smart enough to follow commands. You have yet to be properly trained. My brother

was crazy to bring you here in the first place. And after that stunt you pulled with Ulrich you should have been beaten!" "Why you little..." "Silence!" The two combatants had been so totally involved in their argument that they hadn't noticed Dolph quietly enter the tent. His yell shook the canvas walls and made them both jump. He stood to his full height and pointed at Candy. "You will sit," he emphasized the word, "on the bed and stay," again that annoying emphasis, "there while I deal with my brother." Candy took one look into those pools of green ice and sat on the bed, fuming. Now Dolph turned to point at Kirk, who was looking slightly apprehensive. "Kirk, report!" Candy had to admire the young man's courage. He looked up into Dolph's eyes, never flinching, even when telling him about getting knocked to the ground by the tent-flap. His report of the day's activities was very succinct and to the point, with no embellishments. Candy watched the fascinating play of emotions across Dolph's face, starting with humor at the tent-flap story, shifting to exasperation for the flags and finally ending with anger, and concern, when hearing of Silky's disappearance. When Kirk finished his 'report', he nodded to his big brother. After a moment, Dolph spoke. "And what punishment do you feel is justified by your lack of success in carrying out your duties to your commander?" Kirk stiffened. Candy felt sorry for him. He was trying to be so mature, but beneath it all he was still a scared little boy. His next words shocked her. "If I were in command, I would give five lashes to someone who failed as I have." Candy started to come to her feet, but Kirk pushed her back down onto the bed. His look was pleading, but his words were tough. "Do as you're told, woman!" From the corner of her eye, Candy thought she saw a tiny smile steal across Dolph's lips. When she looked, it was gone, his face all business again. "Very well. You will receive five lashes first thing in the morning. Continue with your duties for the rest of the evening." Kirk gave a sharp nod, then turned and left the tent. Candy stared up at Dolph in stunned disbelief. He had taken on a somewhat businesslike tone for his last words to Kirk. He maintained that tone now. "I believe that you were truly not aware of your folly with my ships' flags. As for Silky, he can be very difficult to keep track of, and I shouldn't have set you such a task. Therefore, I will be lenient in those matters. However, your blatant disregard for orders to remain in this tent are another matter." "Wait a minute. You never ordered me to remain in this tent. You said that I was to obey warriors. You can't tell me that little boy is a warrior." Candy allowed a little smugness to enter her voice. "So, I didn't actually disobey a warrior. And as for..." Dolph interrupted her, moving to stand before her. He towered over her. She would have liked to stand so she wouldn't feel quite so much like a bug under a microscope, but he was too close to the bed to allow it. His voice lowered, which Candy had learned meant trouble, and he leaned over her until she had to lean back to see him clearly. "Don't waste my time with games, woman, you were well aware of the danger, yet you went out of this camp to follow Vierig. Are you a complete fool? Would you give him such a weapon to use against me? I had thought you intelligent enough to be left unguarded. I was mistaken." He straightened and turned his back to her. She thought this odd, since he usually spoke directly to her face. "The boy is correct. You must be taught the consequences of your actions." His voice dropped to a near-whisper. "Before you learn them from someone who cares nothing for you." Candy was riding the line between frightened and furious. How dare he threaten her, and with what was

he threatening her? Her Irish bravado came to the fore. "So what are you gonna do, Viking, give me a hundred lashes at sunrise?" Dolph turned back to face her and the tender look in his eyes caught her by surprise. His voice matched his eyes. "You really don't understand what it would do to me to have Vierig get his hands on you, do you? I would gladly trade my life for yours, but he would never allow me to make that sacrifice. If you had learned the consequences of your foolishness at his hands, it would have been the last lesson you were ever given. Vierig would have destroyed my soul in your body and won the battle he has waged for so long." His voice returned to that businesslike tone she was learning to hate. "Vikings believe that a lesson is best learned when accompanied by pain." He smiled an ironic smile. "At the very least, it gets your attention. I will allow you to choose when your punishment will take place, now or in the morning." Now Candy did stand, her eyes blazing sapphire flames as she stalked toward the Viking warrior. "Wait just a minute, you archaic chauvinistic ass! If you think for one minute that I'm just going to stand by while you beat me, you've got another think coming." Dolph's hands came down on her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. She glared up at him, and he did likewise down at her. "You will do whatever I say, whenever I say it, Star. Never doubt that." His lips descended onto hers, bruising, yet lovingly claiming at the same time. Then he set her from him and looked down at her with his jaw set. "Choose." Candy's mouth dropped open in amazement. "You have got to be kidding. I don't believe you. You treat me like you love me dearly one minute; the next, you're the Marquis DeSade, asking me to pick my torture. Oh, no, I forget myself. I don't get to suggest my own 'punishment', I guess women are too stupid to even do that. I get to choose when I get it. As if that matters a darn!" Dolph started to speak, but Candy threw her hands into the air, palms toward his face. They were both surprised at what a good imitation of him she managed. "Silence!" Dolph arched one eyebrow, tilting his head to the side, and a slight smile touched the corner of his mouth. He kept quiet as Star continued her tirade. He was enjoying the view, drinking in her beauty, a beauty that had almost been lost to him because of her own foolishness. He had no intention of causing her, or his brother for that matter, any real pain. Just enough to make it clear to them that he meant what he said, that obedience and duties were all-important to a Viking, sometimes meaning the difference between life and death. How the light played off her long, silver-touched hair as she stalked back and forth in front of him, retelling the story of the horrible day from her point of view. The black jumpsuit clung to the splendid curves of her body like a second skin. He remembered how those curves felt as they undulated beneath him, and his loins began to fire with lust. He knew he had little time before he would have to take her, to quench his thirst for the fiery vixen. With great effort, he shifted his attention to her face to listen to what she was saying. "...just a little boy, really. You can't have him beaten, he's your brother. He tried to keep track of me, but I was determined to find Silky. Okay, okay, so it wasn't the most brilliant thing I've ever done in my life, but it made sense at the time. I made a mistake, I admit it, but haven't you great Viking warriors got better things to do than beat women and children? That's barbaric, Dolph! Back home, they put people in jail for that kind of thing. They..." "This is your home." Dolph had spoken quietly, but the look of love in his eyes made Candy shut-up so she could hear him. Placing his fist over his heart, Dolph continued in the same gentle voice. "Here, in my heart. I wish that I could close you safe within its walls forever, so that I could protect you with my life. But I cannot." He stepped forward and stood in front of her, looking down into her eyes as he brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face. At the touch of his fingers on the sensitive skin of her cheek, Candy felt a rush of emotion fill her heart as a flood of arousal drowned out her resistance. Without thinking, she let her head fall back so that

his fingers would trail on down her neck. That sensuous show of surrender was Dolph's undoing. His hand slipped around her neck to pull her forward into his arms. As the fire of the day's battle still burning within his body combined with the heat he felt for Star, he thought they might both be consumed by the flames. He brought his lips down on her soft, yielding mouth and plunged his tongue into the welcoming sweetness. Her moan as she wrapped her arms around his neck drove him to even greater heights. His body had never flooded with the blood of passion as quickly, or as firmly, as it did with this woman. She was a temptress, a sorceress who had surely taken his soul. Dolph smiled as he quickly pulled her clothes from her body. Star returned ten-fold what she had taken from him, and that was the kind of bargain Vikings liked. He laid her on the bed, then stood to remove his battle gear. At this moment, Candy wished the lighting were a little worse in the tent. This was the first good look at Dolph that she had managed since he'd found her outside of the camp. He was a truly frightening sight. From the top of his helmet to the toes of his boots he was caked with a near-black powder that Candy was certain was dried blood. 'He must have killed a hundred men to get that much blood on him,' she thought as she watched him undress. As he dropped each piece of clothing to the floor, the blond hair and pale skin revealed emphasized the ugliness of the blood. Candy looked away as she felt her stomach threaten to become her enemy. Dolph saw Star turn from him in disgust and his anger returned. He stepped forward, wrapped his fingers around the lower half of her face, and pulled until she looked at him. His anger showed in his steely green eyes and quiet, intense voice. "You had better learn to tolerate the sights and smells of battle, Star. If the gods are willing, you shall see me covered in other men's blood many times in the future. You should exult in it, lady, for it means that your warrior has returned victorious and his enemies lie slain on the battlefield." It was fascinating to watch as the sultry dark-blue of passion turned to the ice-blue of anger in Star's eyes. It happened in about three blinks. Dolph felt a smile enter his mind, but never let it touch his lips. One of the things he loved about Star was her fiery, if a little quick, temper. She raised her hand to pry Dolph's fingers from her chin. He held firm. Glaring up at him, she spoke as quietly as he had, barely controlled anger evident in the shaking of her body. "Let go of me!" Dolph released her and turned, planning to place his armor outside the tent to be cleaned. Candy stood, grabbed his shoulder and pulled as hard as she could until he turned back to face her, a rather startled look on his face. "Don't you dare walk away from me! I don't know who you think you are, Viking...oh, yes, I do, you think you're God's gift to women, and we mustn't forget the greatest killer to ever walk a battlefield. Well, I am not impressed! Which is probably fine with you since you're so damn impressed with yourself. Has anyone ever told you you're the most conceited man that ever breathed? I don't suppose they have, at least not and lived. But that's beside the point. You are not my husband or my father. No matter how uneducated I am about your ways, you have no right to treat me like a child. You give me a lecture on how I should be glad that you went out and killed a bunch of guys and came back victorious. Big deal! So you can whack parts off faster than any other man out there. I think that's horrible! Those men may have wives and families. Heck, some of them are probably even your cousins since according to you all Vikings are related. But all they are to you is another notch on your sword! Well I refuse to be happy that they're dead just so you can be alive. I think the whole thing is just a typical example of men doing stupid things to prove how macho they are. And another thing..." If she had not been so beautiful in her naked anger, Dolph would have silenced Star long ago. She paid no mind to her nakedness, standing proudly before him, tossing her hair and glaring up at him. The view was very enjoyable, and she might feel better if she got some of her anger out. "...I will not be 'punished' like a two-year-old, or left to stew about it all night so in the morning you can tell me you've forgiven me." At Dolph's raised eyebrow, Candy smiled smugly. "Hey, I know a little bit about psychology. You're not really going to beat Kirk in the morning, you just want him to spend a terrible night thinking you will so he won't do it again. Well, I'm not a kid. I can see through your plan. You knew I wouldn't choose to get 'punished' now - anyone in their right mind would put it off as long as possible - so I get to worry about it all night. Meanwhile, you get to have your jollies. Well, forget it, superViking, I'm not interested. I feel a terrible headache coming on. And you're it!" Dolph shook his head slowly, exasperation clearly evident on his handsome features. He wondered if his

spirited Star would ever understand that she had been thrust into a new world where the rules she had lived by all of her life no longer applied. He doubted it. She was so stubborn, she would fight for her 'rights' for years. Dolph smiled. That battle would surely be the best he would ever fight. He wondered who would eventually think themselves the winner. Dolph slowly and deliberately untied his loincloth, the last bit of clothing he wore, and let it fall to the ground. The look in his eyes was unmistakable. Candy straightened her shoulders defiantly, though a tiny spark of apprehension showed in her eyes. She took a couple of steps away from the Viking warrior, which brought her up against the edge of the bed. Dolph advanced on her. Obviously, she had not made her position clear enough. "I said no, Viking." In answer, Dolph reached out a hand to cup one firm, round breast. Anger and lust warred in Candy's body. This time anger won. She was not going to be treated like some kind of plaything by this arrogant man! She slapped him firmly across the face, causing some of the dried blood to come off and leave an imprint where her hand connected. The sting in her palm had just begun to register in her brain when, with a howl of pure rage, Dolph grabbed her and tossed her face down on the bed. Before she could even get her wits about her enough to move, his weight came down on top of her, forcing the air from her lungs. Startled, Candy gave a little scream. Dolph's voice sounded in her ear as he grabbed hold of her hips and lifted the lower half of her body into the air. "You never," he dug his fingers into the tender flesh of her inner hip, causing Candy to suck a sharp breath of pain through her teeth, "never strike a warrior. And 'no' is a word that I never wish to hear from your lips again." Candy tried to raise her head but Dolph put his hand in the middle of her back and shoved, forcing her face and chest down to the bed. Holding her firm with one hand between her shoulder blades, he used his powerful legs to force her knees apart and keep them where he wanted them. Candy screamed in rage as she felt his hand slide between her legs. She struck backwards as hard as she could, striking him on the side. He grunted but didn't really seem to notice. Candy continued to try to stop him, hitting and trying to raise her head until she felt a familiar hardness begin to fill her. She screamed, "No!" and tried to twist her body sideways. Dolph's bellow of "Hold!" made her stop. He made no further movement as he spoke to her. "Fight me no more, Star. I have no wish to hurt you, love, but I will not be denied. You are my woman, you will do as I tell you." He withdrew from her body, inserted a very wet finger to prepare the way, then slowly eased his shaft of steel into her tight sheath. Candy gritted her teeth, not against the pain - there was no real pain, just pressure - but against the pleasure that his invasion of her body brought. He held her firmly, his slow strokes beginning to break down her body's resistance. Candy, the intellectual, was still seething with anger; but Candy, the woman, was responding to her lover's caresses with increasing passion. When his hand left her back to cup her breast, Candy gave a brief thought to continuing the fight, but she was honest enough with herself to admit that this battle was over, and the victor was Dolph. Sensing no more resistance, Dolph groaned and slid his hand across Star's sensitive upper thigh, then down to lightly brush the tender bud of pleasure between her legs. Star arched, crying out, and her sheath squeezed him so tightly he thought he might scream from the near-painful pleasure. He leaned forward to place hungry kisses across her shoulders. Her hair had parted and fallen forward to reveal the back of her neck. He brushed his teeth over the sensitive skin, a soft bite of animal possession. She moaned with pleasure. Star slid her hand along the bed, then reached upward until she came into contact with Dolph. As he moved in and out of her body, she caressed him with her palm and fingertips. She cupped his sac in her hand and squeezed gently, enjoying the feel of the soft skin and hard contents. Dolph was losing himself in Star's beautiful body. Her bud had become slick with their juices so his finger slid easily. He caressed her with quick firm strokes, as his thrusts became more rapid. "Star," his voice was more animal growl than human word, "you bewitch me. I have never climbed so high. I feel I am touching the very walls of Valhalla. Yes, my love, squeeze me, join with my soul as our bodies soar. Come to me, my shining Star. Oh, gods!" Dolph arched, throwing his head back and yelling as he reached a pinnacle of pleasure the likes of which he had never before experienced. He thrust into Star, releasing an explosion of seed deep within her womb. Candy felt Dolph's sac tighten as he climaxed, the warm liquid filling her. Her body was on fire, her mind no longer running on human thought, but rather animal instinct. Dolph's finger continued stroking her, his caresses almost rough now. She didn't care how rough he was at this moment. She wanted his caresses any way

she could get them. Even though he was beginning to grow soft within her body, Dolph continued thrusting, his shaft caressing the inside of her body as his finger caressed the outside. Suddenly, all of Candy's muscles seemed to contract at once and for one blinding second she hung over the precipice of complete pleasure. Dolph's teeth grazed the back of her neck and she fell, screaming, into the abyss. Tiny sparks flared behind her closed lids as her body spasmed again and again until she thought it would never cease. Dolph covered her body with his own, protecting her as she surrendered to her body's needs. He whispered words of love as he released her legs and let her sink to the bed, where she lay on her stomach panting. Candy had no idea how long she had been laying there. It could have been days for all she knew, or cared in her exhausted state. She was completely limp as Dolph pulled her onto her back and into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and refused to think about anything other than how good she felt. She'd remember what they had been fighting about later. Right now, she was too tired, and felt too wonderful, for anything to matter. Dolph kissed her forehead, tucked his other hand behind his head and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 12 Candy woke to Dolph gently shaking her shoulder. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and tried to remember the night before, he spoke to her in a soft, yet stern, voice. "Do you wish to eat before your punishment is carried out?" The day before, the good and the bad, came back in a rush. Candy sat up in the bed, pushed her blonde mane behind her shoulders and glared at the man who in the last 24 hours had become her nemesis. Dolph raised a hand as if to ward off her expected outburst. "There is no psychology in Viking punishment, Star. When you deliberately defy me, you are punished. I offered you the choice of time because I felt that you had had a difficult day and might not be strong enough to bear it last night. You have had a good night's rest," he smiled knowingly and Candy wanted to kill him on the spot, "and I feel you are capable of enduring it now. Since I know not how you react to pain, I do not wish to have you eat if it will be wasting the food." Candy threw the cover off and stood, relishing Dolph's audible intake of breath at the sight of her naked body. She started to dress in her black jumpsuit, but Dolph pulled it from her hands and instead gave her the red skirt and white peasant blouse that he had brought from the ship. She narrowed her eyes at him, but his crossed arms and the firm set of his jaw warned her that arguing would be fruitless. Mumbling to herself about 'dressing for the Neanderthal' Candy pulled on her clothes with all the grace of an angry woman, yanking the neckline of the blouse this way and that until it laid across her shoulders in a way that was almost acceptable to her. As she reached for her boots, Dolph stepped in front of her. "You will not need those. Since you are not a Viking and will doubtless not take your punishment with the proper attitude, I think I might fare better if you are barefoot." His hand closed around her upper arm as he said with an authoritarian tone, "Come with me." Candy tried to pull away, she could lead herself to the guillotine, but Dolph held fast, giving her a stern look. Realizing the futility of fighting with a man the size of Mt. Everest, Candy muttered, "Fine, be that way!" and stopped struggling. Dolph led Star to a spot in the center of camp which had been cleared of all debris. A circle had been formed by a hundred or so Viking warriors. They stood talking amongst themselves, obviously waiting for something, most of them in full battle armor and carrying their weapons. This was a Viking 'punishment circle'. Any disciplinary action necessary was carried out in this way so that all who wished could view Viking justice. It gave the person who had committed the error the opportunity to partially atone for his mistake by taking his punishment well. Viking justice was heavily based on pride, honor and atonement. Candy graced several of the men milling about with a contemptuous look, which most greeted with a smile, then she said to Dolph, "most people read the newspaper before they go to work. Trust you to come up with something more interesting." Dolph allowed one corner of his mouth to rise slightly, then his face became the warrior's mask as he released Star and stepped to the center of the punishment circle where Kirk stood, his upper body bare. Dolph's deep voice projected easily to the back of the ranks of Vikings as he pronounced judgement. "Kirk Roarkeson failed in his duties to his commander. He is sentenced to five lashes. Star disobeyed a warrior. They will receive their punishment at the hand of their commander." Dolph held out his hand and Felix stepped forward and placed the handle of a wicked-looking whip in his palm. Dolph uncoiled the lash, then snapped it, startling Candy into jumping and biting her tongue. Kirk turned his back to Dolph and two men stepped to either side of the young Viking. He straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath, pride evident in his stance. Their brotherhood obvious, Dolph did the same, gritting his teeth and flexing his hand on the finely tooled leather handle of the whip. Not sure whether she wanted to run to Kirk's rescue, which she didn't think the boy would appreciate, or quietly make her escape, which she doubted she could manage, Candy stood spellbound. Nothing in her life could have prepared her for the drama that was unfolding before her. She had come from a world that considered not giving convicts a television set to be inhumane punishment. Now she watched as a man prepared to snap a whip across the back of a boy. And the kid stood his ground ready to take it! This was too much! As soon as Candy tried to take a step toward Dolph, she found that there were two men guarding her, waiting for just such a move. They took a firm hold on each of her arms, and one of them looked down at her and shook his head. She could do nothing but watch.

Dolph pulled his arm back and let the lash fly. Kirk jumped as it struck, but held his ground. The loud 'crack' echoed through the air as a red welt appeared on Kirk's back. The lash returned quickly to do its damage, raising five neat welts down the boy's back, yet never breaking the skin. Dolph handed the whip back to Felix, who had stood by his side the whole time, then walked to stand in front of Kirk. He placed his hands on his young brother's shoulders, careful not to touch any of the welts, and pulled him against his chest. Again, he spoke to the crowd. "Kirk has taken his lashes like a true Viking. I am proud to have him in my command, and as my brother." The Vikings cheered, some raising their swords or their shields into the air in a salute. At this point Candy was certain that they were all crazy. And yet, she couldn't help admiring the Vikings. They admitted their failure, took their punishment, and it was done. Could she do the same? Kirk stepped to the side of the clearing. The two men holding Candy started to pull her, but she resisted, saying, "I can walk by myself." They released her, watching warily to see what this strange Earth woman would do. Candy walked to stand before Dolph. As she looked into his eyes, she saw concern mixing with determination. She turned and walked to the place that Kirk had stood to take his lashes. Taking a deep breath, she was starting to lower her blouse when she felt Dolph's hands on her shoulders. Looking over her shoulder, she was a bit incensed to see that he was smiling at her. She also heard several chuckles from the crowd. Dolph spoke in a soft voice. "I would never scar such a beautiful body, Star. And I would never expect a woman to take the punishment of a warrior. But I am proud that you would submit to it." She turned to face him. Felix had come up behind him and was placing something on the ground. Dolph sat, reaching up and pulling Star over his lap before she had time to figure out what he had in mind, let alone react. As the cool morning breeze brushed over her bare backside, Candy realized that Dolph had thrown up her skirt. She screamed as his palm came into sharp contact with her tender skin, the 'smack' almost as loud as the whip had been. Stinging pain brought tears to her eyes as her posterior was assaulted again and again. After striking Star five times, Dolph lowered her skirt and stood, pulling her to her feet. He placed his arm around her waist to steady her, but she pulled away from him. She looked at him with eyes full of liquid blue fire. Stepping forward, she slapped his chest in embarrassed frustration. "How could you?!" Dolph smiled as several warriors roared with laughter. Good-natured comments of, "She's a handful" and "You've got yourself a fine woman, Dolph" resounded in the air as the crowd broke up and the Vikings headed off to their duties. The show was over. Candy headed toward the tent, not wanting to see or speak to anyone. However, when someone yelled, "Commander, a message from Vierig," she quickly forgot her anger. She returned to Dolph's side as the man who had spoken handed him a small black box with strange markings drawn on the side. As Dolph examined the box, Candy knew something was wrong. His body stiffened and, after a grimace of pain fleeted across his features, he carefully schooled his face to reveal nothing of his feelings. "What is it, Dolph?" Candy tried to give him her support with the soft empathy of her voice. His answering tone was hard, all warrior. "It claims to be Silky's coffin." As Candy exclaimed, "Oh, no!" Dolph opened the box and looked inside. Candy caught only a glimpse of bloody tan fur before the box slammed shut again. As her eyes and throat filled with tears, she placed her hand on Dolph's arm, trying to comfort him. The muscles in his arm were flexing, the tension building and pumping till his arm resembled the Rocky Mountains. He looked at the man that had handed him the box and asked in a quiet voice, "How was this message delivered?" The man was a full-fledged Viking warrior, no camp-tender, yet the look in his commander's eyes made him stiffen and swallow hard. "It was discovered by the guard near where you found your lady last evening, Commander, just outside the perimeter of our camp." He held up a piece of parchment. "This was covering the box." Dolph took the parchment and, nodding sharply to the man, said, "Return to your duties." The warrior

walked away quickly, happy to no longer be the center of his commander's attention. Dolph read the letter, keeping the sorrow from his face. He could not let his men see how much the death of his little pet had hurt him, would not risk his pain being related back to his enemy. He unconsciously rubbed the tiny black box with his thumb as Vierig's words ate at his gut. "Dolph, I found this bit of fluff lying about when I visited your camp this evening. My, what a brave fight he put up. It was almost a shame to end his worthless little life. With such a small voice, it wasn't even much fun to silence him. But, never fear, old friend, I made sure that Odin heard his cries before I killed him. While I was in your camp, I sampled your most beautiful lady, Star. With her full cooperation, I assure you. She has lips that were surely designed by the gods to make a man mad. I will enjoy my conquest of her almost as much as I will savor piercing your coward's heart with my sword. Almost. Till we meet on the battlefield, old friend. Vierig" Dolph handed the box and letter to Star. His words were as sepulchral as his face. "Take these and return to my tent. I will be there soon." With that, he turned and walked away from her. Tears running down her face, gripping the box and letter so tightly that the page formed to the shape of the box, Candy ran to the tent. Once there, she quickly read the letter, immediately wishing she hadn't. She couldn't bring herself to open that horrible black box and look at the mangled body of Dolph's poor little kitty. Candy sat on the bed with the coffin in her lap. She nearly sprang up off of the bed when she felt the pain in her very tender backside. That was the last straw in a day that had been an emotional roller-coaster ride. And it wasn't even half over yet! Candy dropped her head into her hands and cried. That was how Dolph found Star. He stepped silently into the tent, sat beside her and, taking the coffin from her shaking fingers, gathered her into his arms and held her to him. Her sobs conspired with the gruesome treasure he held in his hand to break his heart. Sitting the box on the bed, he pulled Star onto his lap, holding her tightly against his chest so she would know that she was safe. He held her thus until her deep sobs ceased. Once Candy was over her own emotional cleansing, she became aware of the broad, muscular chest beneath her cheek. It was rising and falling irregularly. Like a vise squeezing her heart, the realization that Dolph was crying hit her. Instinctively she knew that trying to console him with words would only offend his pride, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to rest on her shoulder. The fact that he gave no resistance told her that he wanted comforting, even if only in the manner that he would allow. He spoke in a choked voice, his words muffled by her shoulder. "This is foolish. Silky was just an animal. A nuisance. But he was a good friend, a valiant warrior in his own way. He did not deserve such a vile death." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I shall miss him." He raised his head and Star looked up into his face. There were trails down his cheeks and neck where his tears had run once released from the prison of his eyes. He took a deep breath, regaining control, and smiled a sad little smile of remembrance. "He gave me a great deal of trouble during our time together. Once, I got a little too involved in drinking and wenching and I forgot to feed him on time. He disappeared for two days. I thought him lost to me until I tried to put his earring into my pocket. He came out of nowhere and landed on my hand, dug in with all four feet and sunk his teeth into my flesh as far as he could." Star laughed, the sound lifting some of the pain from Dolph's heart so that he could release a small chuckle. "I'll bet you never forgot to feed him after that!" "Nay, I value my skin too much." His face grew solemn again. "I will burn the box, as is befitting a warrior." Dolph sat Star back on the bed and reached for the coffin. "Dolph, will you wait till I change. I just don't feel like this is the proper thing to wear for a funeral. I mean, I know he was just a cat, but he was your friend and"

Unable to put into words exactly how she felt, Star shrugged and let her voice trail off. Dolph's face lit slightly with a humor-the-little-woman grin and he nodded. Star opened the war-chest where her clothes were stored along with Dolph's. As soon as the lid lifted, the tent was filled with the most eerie wail. Jumping back, Star stared at the trunk as if it had bitten her. With a shout of, "That's Silky!", Dolph flew up off the bed and began pulling things from the chest and throwing them to the floor. As he lifted the bag that contained Vierig's silver, the wailing changed pitch, from the angry yowl of being ignored to a high-pitched shriek of fear. Carefully, Dolph pulled the drawstring that held the bag closed. The crying ceased abruptly. With a deep frown, Dolph peered into the depths of the small pouch. Seeing nothing, he shook his head bemusedly and tipped the bag, emptying the contents into his hand. The silver pieces spilled over onto the bed as a sleek tan body fell to his palm. Silky looked up, spied who held him, and promptly sank his teeth into Dolph's hand. Laughing with pure delight, Dolph yelled, "Ow! You rotten little beast!" Silky jumped to the bed, shook himself as if he had been defiled, then proceeded to jump to the floor. He walked sedately to his cage, which had remained on the floor next to the war-chest through this whole ordeal, stuck his head inside to examine his food dish, then glared back and forth between the two humans. Dolph graced Star with a smile she would never forget, one which she felt transfer itself to her face. Seeming to think as one, they moved toward each other and met in the middle of the tent in a joy-filled embrace. Star raised her face as Dolph lifted her into his arms. Their kiss was deep, warm, soft. Something more than it had ever been before. The passion that fired their minds and bodies was that of pure love untinged by lust. The captive and the captor became one, imprisoned in each other's heart.

Chapter 13 Days passed, some in a flurry of activity, some so slow and dull Candy thought she'd go out of her mind by the time Dolph returned from the battlefield. All day she worried that he might not come back alive, all night she tried to show him how glad she was that he had. On the battlefield, things were not going nearly as well as Dolph had hoped. Vierig's forces were welltrained and quite capable. Casualties on either side were few, but serious wounds were abundant. One day, Dolph's men would push Vierig's troops back several miles; the next, Vierig's troops would gain back the ground, with a few feet thrown in for good measure. And so it went. Dolph made good on his threat to post a guard on Star. She thought it was ridiculous and wasted no time telling him her opinion of his protective gesture. He was on his way out of the tent and heading to battle when she caught his arm. "Dolph, I don't need a baby-sitter. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." He stopped and turned, giving Star one of his humoring looks, the kind that never failed to make her grind her teeth. "So you think." With that, he smiled and kissed her forehead. Boom! She pushed on his chest hard enough to send him back a step. He arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Why don't you pat me on the head while you're at it?" Ever the agreeable lover, Dolph reached out and patted her on the top of her head, his smile clearly stating that he knew exactly how annoying he was being. Candy sincerely believed that if he had stayed in that tent one more second, she would have committed first-degree murder! From that day forward, every time Candy left their tent, a camp-tender, or sometimes even a slightly wounded warrior, followed closely behind her. She knew it made no sense getting angry at them, they were just doing as ordered. After all, it wasn't their fault that they had the most obstinate, cantankerous commander in all the known universe! With that attitude, Candy decided to do her best to ignore whatever poor man had to follow her around today. After all, she thought, it must be considered the most boring duty possible. Little did she know that the men wagered for the opportunity to help Dolph control his little firebrand. They didn't know what mischief she might get into, but each of the hardened soldiers wanted to be the first to find out. And being near her womanly beauty made them all feel their oats mightily. After some initial reluctance, calmed by the Viking's gold, the local women started visiting camp regularly. Dolph knew that this was a security risk, but he was all too aware of how the gentle touch of a woman could relieve the pain and frustration of battle. His men needed that relief. Since Vierig's visit to camp, Dolph had doubled the perimeter guard. Though there had been no further incidents, Dolph didn't credit that to the increased security. He knew that Vierig had left his message, made his attempt at damaging morale. Vierig was not one to use the same tactic twice. During the daylight hours Dolph saw very little of Star. He knew that she spent a great deal of her time bored, searching for something interesting to do, but she would just have to get used to it. That was the life of a Viking's woman. Still, he worried about her. She had so much energy and vitality, it was difficult to envision her sitting quietly and waiting for him to return from battle for the rest of her life. Dolph thought she was much too likely to find something to occupy her time and, knowing Star's luck, the thought made him cringe. The gods only knew what his woman might get herself into in an attempt to stave off boredom. Perhaps he should try to find something useful for her to do before her natural curiosity brought trouble. Dolph shook his head, smiling down at the sleeping woman by his side. Now he understood all the warnings his father had given him about American women. "They're not good at being idle, boy," he'd said during one of their many conversations about women like Dolph's mother, "they think they should be doing something to help their man. Can't get it through their fool heads that sheathing our manhood and bearing our children is all the purpose they need in life. I guess the gods made it our job to set them straight." Roarke had chuckled then. "To tell you the truth, Dolph, I think I have failed in that duty. It seems your mother is always into something or other. But she has always been there when I needed her." And as Dolph thought about it now, he realized that his mother had indeed always been involved in some

village activity. She had traveled with Roarke to a battle only once when Dolph was five years old. Roarke had decided that the boy was old enough to be left with Roarke's mother. Though Dolph's mother Madelyn, or Maddy, as her family called her, had protested vehemently, Roarke had won the battle. He had also won several new scars. Dolph could remember how his mother had cried the day they left. Dolph himself had felt more jealousy than grief. His mother got to go a-viking with 'The Tamer', and he had to stay at home with his grandmother. He had thought his mother crazy for putting up such a fuss and not wanting to go. When they returned, Maddy had made it very clear that Roarke would be a dead man if he ever tried to make her go with him again. In her opinion it had been a bloody, noisy, nauseating ordeal. Roarke had replied that that sounded like childbirth to him and she seemed to want to do that. Maddy had pulled Dolph to her quite ample bosom, turned a death-glare on Roarke and replied, "You're right, that's a good comparison. But at least I get a wonderful baby out of the whole ordeal. You get gold - you already have more than you could use in three lifetimes, unwilling women - if you ever touch one hair on any of their heads you are a dead man, and several chances to bleed on alien soil because everybody seems to want you dead!" Roarke had thrown his head back and roared with laughter. Dolph could tell by the look on Maddy's face that she intended to have the last laugh. "It's a good thing I like my version of the Viking ordeal, since I'm about to do it again." Roarke's great laugh cut mid-stream and he had looked at her in open-mouthed surprise. As Maddy enjoyed her own laughter Roarke had come to her, lifting her off the ground and swinging her around. Quickly moving out of the way of his mother's swirling body, Dolph saw his father's expression, a mixture of pride, love and apprehension. The same look Dolph had seen him wear every time Maddy became pregnant. That look had been one of the things that had told Dolph how much his father loved his mother. A Viking warrior wanted children, they were the greatest treasure, a continuation of yourself. If your wife couldn't give you children, you might keep her for companionship, but you took another wife for children. Not Roarke. He had found his one and only love, even if it meant having less children than he would've liked. Unfortunately, Maddy had insisted on continuing to try for a daughter. That had been her end. Dolph tightened his arm across Star's bare back and she snuggled deeper into his armpit, unwilling to wake just yet. Dolph grinned. He knew now how his father had felt. So many feelings ran together in his heart. Possessiveness, protectiveness, annoyance, anger, and, above all, love. He would love Star until Odin called him to fight by his side. Even then, he would watch over her, and if she needed him, he would battle Odin himself to reach her side. Nothing would ever hurt his Star if it were within his power to prevent it! "Dolph?" His thoughts of doom joined with his warrior's reflexes to make Dolph start and reach for his sword before he realized that it was Star who had spoken. He relaxed as she raised her body onto one elbow and arched an eyebrow at him. "A little jumpy, aren't you?" Dolph gave her a self-deprecating grin and shrugged both his eyebrows and his shoulders, pulling her to rest on top of him. Worry crept into her voice. "There isn't anything you haven't told me so I wouldn't worry my little woman's head over it, is there? You know, unimportant stuff like the enemy is making regular trips to our bathroom because it's closer than theirs?" Dolph chuckled and shook his head, his great disheveled mane brushing his shoulders. "No, nothing like that. I was just thinking that you need something to do so that you won't get into trouble. At least until you are big with my child," a darker expression fleeted across his eyes, "may the gods see us far from this place by then." As quickly as it had disappeared, his good humor returned. "Perhaps you could assist with the cooking. I'm sure you could learn some of the simpler tasks in a short time. Yes," Dolph nodded, blissfully unaware that Star was building an angry head of steam, "as long as it didn't interfere with your duties to me, I think that would be a good idea. Star, where are you going?" Star rose and stalked to stand at the foot of the bed, her arms crossed under her breasts, her blue eyes blazing hellfire. "You arrogant, conceited piece of Viking pigflesh! I do not need you to find me something to do with my time. I am perfectly capable of filling my days, and nights, for that matter, without your assistance. For your information, I have been helping with the cooking for two weeks. When you complimented that bread we had the

other night, why did you think I said 'thank you'?!" Dolph started to defend himself, but Star wasn't finished. "And, oh great observant Viking warrior, you might have noticed that your latrines have been moved into the shade. Less odor, more pleasant visit. My idea. Your war-chest has been completely emptied, cleaned and reorganized. Before you throw a fit, I got Kirk to help so that things would be where you needed them. I suppose 'thank you' would be out of the question, but it's a moot point since you didn't even notice. I've organized an hour during the day for the camptenders to work on their schooling. And believe me that was no easy task. I never thought of myself as a schoolteacher, especially not to a bunch of teenage boys who'd rather be killing somebody, but we made a deal that they would study for an hour, and then I would watch them try to kill each other for an hour. Seems they do that better if there's a woman nearby. True Vikings. In short, you Viking oaf, I haven't been sitting on my butt while you went off to save the day. And if your fighting skills depend on your powers of observation, you better find a new line of work!" Dolph fought the urge to hang his head. She was right, of course, he had missed most of the things she had mentioned. He had noticed that she had done something with his war-chest but had been too interested in her lovely little body at the time to say anything. Later, it had slipped his mind. He knew the food had been exceptional for the last couple of weeks, but it had never occurred to him that Star had had anything to do with it. He had been a fool. Star stood tapping her foot, waiting for him to say something. God, she was beautiful, with her silver hair spread out over her firm breasts and torso, allowing the pewter triangle of coarser hair to just peak from its nest at her thighs. His manhood responded instantly, a fact difficult to hide with just the covering of the thin sheet. Star glared daggers at the tented sheet, then looked back at Dolph's face. "Oh, no, you don't. Every time I get mad at you, that thing rises to the challenge and I end up flat on my back wondering how I got that way. Ok, ok, I might enjoy it at the time, but a woman wants to know that her guy thinks more of her than just a place to get a little, you know? I mean, are 'please' and 'thank you' in your vocabulary?" Ignoring the throbbing in his loins, Dolph stood and walked to stand in front of Star. Taking her hands in his, he dropped to one knee before her. After kissing each of her palms, he looked up into her eyes and spoke in a quiet, sincere voice. "Please forgive me, lady, for my callous indifference to your efforts to care for me and my men. And thank you for those efforts and any others that I in my ignorance may have to have pointed out to me in the future. I assure you, I will endeavor to notice them on my own." He placed her palms on his chest, over his heart. "I have had many women in my life, my Star, and they have given me many nights of pleasure. But none has ever come close to you. One night spent in your arms, just your arms, my love, is better than a thousand nights of the best wenching, may Odin forgive me. What you have done for me is to help me find my own heart. Though it beats in my chest beneath your hand, I am only its keeper, for it belongs to you. Should you ever be taken from me, that beating would surely cease, for having nothing of value left to fight for, I would no longer wish to live." He stood and pulled her into his arms. Wondering at the tears filling her eyes, he quickly decided that they were only to be understood by a woman. He brought his lips gently to hers, feeling all the acceptance of the gods as she dropped her head back to receive him. After a long, slow kiss, Star pulled back with a look of wonder. She was aglow with the look of a well-loved woman. "Boy, you sure know how to say 'I love you'. I guess I'll let you off the hook." A smile crept into her words. "Just don't let it happen again. Now, let me go. I promised I'd show Magnus how to make pancakes that don't have to be smacked on a rock to be eaten." With a heartfelt sigh, Dolph released her. Star grinned impishly as she practically bounced into her red jumpsuit. Dolph was leaning over to pull on his loincloth when he felt her soft, warm hand reach through his legs from behind to cup his manhood. He gasped, straightened and turned all at once. Star, completely dressed, stood poised to run in the open flap of the tent, her look devilish. "Pain helps you remember your mistakes so you won't repeat them, right, Viking? See you at breakfast." As Star's light, tinkling giggle echoed throughout the camp, Dolph threw back his head and roared with laughter.

Chapter 14 Vierig watched from his perch high in the hills above Dolph's camp as the silver-haired beauty leaned over to speak to the old warrior cooking breakfast. His field glasses gave him a close-up view of anything he wished to see, and right now he very much wanted to observe Dolph's little Star. When she threw back her head and laughed, the open collar of her jumpsuit revealing a great deal of her firm assets, Vierig felt the blood explode into his loins. A look of surprise fleeted across his hard features. He hadn't been aware that his desire for the wench had grown so fierce. He shifted his position, relieving some of the tension in his loins, and scanned the camp for his old friend. Vierig's lips tightened into a menacing line as Dolph emerged from his tent. Looking about for his lady, the blonde warrior moved to stand beside her, wrapping his muscular arm possessively around her shoulders. They gazed into each other's eyes with a look...Vierig released the field glasses and let them drop to the end of the cord around his neck. So, Dolph had given his heart to the girl. And she appeared to feel the same about him. Vierig snarled. Women were fickle. Their hearts went where the most comforts were to be had. Rubbing his black-bearded chin between his thumb and curled forefinger, he considered this new information. Was there a way to use Dolph's softened heart against him to turn the tide of the battle in Vierig's favor? Perhaps. He chuckled deep in his throat, a sound not unlike a growl. How amusing it would be if the whole course of this battle hinged on the silver-haired vixen. Vierig rubbed a hand over his swollen crotch, sucking a breath through clenched teeth as he squeezed in an attempt to relieve some of the ache in his loins. He had desired the wench since she had blundered into him in Dolph's camp, wanted to taste her, to hear her soft cries of pleasure, or pain, depending on what mood he was in at the time. Now, he wanted her as much to hurt Dolph as to feel her soft body yield to him. And Vierig always got what he wanted. The dark Viking warrior scanned the countryside, looking for inspiration. There had to be a way to get Star away from the protective web that he was certain Dolph would have woven around her. Vierig's perfect teeth gleamed white in the bright morning sun as he spied the answer he was sure the gods had delivered to him, and a devious plan took shape in his mind. He lifted his clenched fist to the sky and silently made his vow to Odin: By nightfall, Star would be his! *** Breakfast was finished, the tent was clean, it was too early for school or starting dinner. Candy sat on the bed and watched Silky preen himself with a total lack of enthusiasm. It was so hot! She had opened her jumpsuit as far as decency - hers not the Vikings', they had none - would allow. Still the sweat trickled down the valley between her breasts and settled beneath them. When she looked down and saw Silky panting she decided she'd had enough. "Come on, little guy, we're gonna get some air." As Candy reached for the handle, Silky obligingly hopped into his little cage. She closed the door for his safety, and, if she were honest, her own piece of mind, and went outside. Sitting in the shade of one of the few trees that dotted the countryside, she watched as the warrior whose job it was to baby-sit her today cleaned and oiled his sword. That was fascinating for about two minutes. Candy sighed and leaned over to speak into the little wire cage. "Oh, Silky, this place is so boring. Lord, isn't anything exciting ever going to happen to me again?" As if in answer to her prayers, her guardian warrior stood, tilting his head and craning his neck toward something, as if he were listening. Candy couldn't hear anything. Wait. There was something. It sounded like a fast, deep heartbeat. Her guard turned to her and pointed his index finger in her direction, the classic you-willobey-me-without-question gesture that never failed to make her grind her teeth. "Return to the tent. I'll go see what's happening." Fully expecting his order to be followed immediately, the warrior headed toward the center of camp. Candy decided she was comfortable right where she was, the idea of returning to that hot stuffy tent nearly nauseating her, so she leaned back on her hands and waited, figuring nothing was really wrong. That notion lasted about two minutes, until the noise grew louder, becoming a pounding beneath her hands. It felt as though the planet had suddenly developed a heartbeat. Silky began mewing nervously. Candy was about to open the cage when Kirk came to a dust-kicking halt in front of her. He grabbed Silky's cage in one hand and her arm in the other and pulled her to her feet. Naturally, Candy resisted such treatment. "What's the matter, what's going on?"

Kirk started running and if she wanted to keep her arm Candy didn't have much choice but to go with him. He yelled to her as he ran. "Something is coming toward camp, fast! We must find some kind of shelter." Candy wasn't exactly clear on what was happening yet. Something coming toward camp? What? Visions of an old western she had seen on TV when she was a kid suddenly entered her head. There had been a cattle stampede and people had run for cover. Some hadn't made it, and her young mind had painted visions of trampled, mashed bodies that had given her nightmares for weeks. She grimaced and poured on more speed. She did not plan to end her days under some rabid spacecow's hooves. It seemed as though they had been running for hours. Candy's legs were about to give out. She had lost track of everything but Kirk. Her driving force was to keep up with him and stay alive. The pounding of unknown hooves was becoming louder and louder. She was certain that if she turned around, she would see the crazed red eyes of some hideous creature. She even imagined that she could feel its hot breath across the backs of her legs. Kirk suddenly jerked her to the side, nearly dislocating her shoulder in the process. He flung her behind a fallen tree and tucked her beneath his body just as the crazed herd of large horse-like animals caught up with them. The beasts jumped over the log, tearing on by in a fear-fueled frenzy, their hooves mere inches from Kirk's head. When Candy thought she couldn't take it any longer, the thunder began to subside. Kirk raised his head to see if the danger had completely passed. The sight that greeted his eyes was the one he had dreaded since Dolph had returned from that last fateful journey with his old friend: Vierig. The black-armored Viking stood on the other side of the log, holding the reins of one of the great beasts that had nearly run them down. Kirk jumped to his feet, prepared to sacrifice his life, if necessary, to protect Star. Vierig arched one jetblack eyebrow and lifted one corner of his mouth in sinister amusement. With a sinking heart, Kirk expanded his vision to include the dozen or more mounted warriors that surrounded them. He clenched his fists and crouched in a fighter's stance over Star. His young voice cracked as he yelled in defiance. "Vierig, you cowardly cur, come and get me, if you think you can!" Vierig smiled and looked around at his men, shaking his head. He stuck one finger in his ear and twisted his hand. "I'm a sword's length from you, boy, there's no need to yell." Candy chose then to stand up. It had taken her a minute to get her wits about her, and another to realize what Kirk had said. She wasn't sure she had heard him correctly until she heard that self-satisfied cat's purr of a voice. She could never forget that voice. Vierig! When Star rose and stood before him, Vierig felt a rush of victory that nearly undid him. By the gods, the vixen was even more beautiful than he remembered. The defiance in her eyes was enough to heat a man's blood. She faced him with no fear in her lovely face, her creamy breasts straining the opening of her jumpsuit, her hands planted on her hips in anger. "Don't you people have any rules? That was our camp you just trashed, and you probably scared several of those poor...whatevers...to death!" Vierig paid close attention to her face as he slowly slid his golden sword from the leather loop at his side. She dropped her gaze to the sword, then her blue eyes flew up to lock with his lethal black orbs. Vierig rolled his shoulders, expanding his chest, and felt his blood sing as he saw fear, the source of all power, finally enter her expressive eyes. Kirk pushed Star behind him, shielding her from Vierig. Candy picked up Silky's cage, the frightened mewing coming from inside reassuring her that the little feline was okay. She pressed the wire cell close to her chest, wondering if the cavalry was going to make it in time to save the damsel in distress. She didn't think so. Candy looked around at the battle-hardened, leering faces of Vierig's men. For the first time since Dolph had appeared on that California road to kidnap her into this insanity, she felt true fear. It was that fear that made her determined to figure a way out of this predicament. As she looked over Kirk's shoulder at the man who held their lives in his hands, a thought struck her. If Vierig had been Dolph's friend once, maybe she could find a tiny thread of that lost friendship and weave their way out of this alive. Vierig stepped forward, his sword pointed at Kirk's chest. The boy hit at the sword with his hand, unwilling to make battle maneuvers so close to Star. Vierig laughed and thrust at Kirk's mid-section, anticipating, correctly, that the boy would use the same defensive move. At the last minute he twisted the sword so that it

slashed the boy's palm. Kirk pulled his wounded hand to his chest and took an involuntary step backward. Star moved around Kirk and jumped over the log so quickly that Vierig had to lower his sword to his side to keep from slicing her. She stood in front of him, her hands up in a supplicating gesture. "Vierig, please don't kill him. It might devastate Dolph, but it wouldn't win you any points with your warriors. I may not know much about you guys, but I do know that you abhor cowards. In my book, a warrior who cuts down a kid without a sword is a coward. Besides, what fun would it be to skewer him." Vierig tilted his head to one side, raising one eyebrow and lifting the corners of his mouth in a smile of sarcasm. Candy continued, using her last weapon. "Please, Vierig, if you ever cared about Dolph, don't kill his little brother." Vierig watched and listened as Star made her impassioned plea for the boy's life. When he felt something dangerously akin to sympathy enter his heart, he brought visions of his own blood on the enemies hands to his mind and quickly squelched it. His features hardening, he realized that achieving his desire where Star was concerned was going to be pitifully easy. "Very well, Star, I will let the boy go..." Candy smiled gratefully, but as Vierig continued, she dropped her gaze to the ground, fear and anger warring inside her mind. "...if you will accompany me to my camp and remain with me for one week. This war will end within that week, Beauty, and it would be a shame for you to be in the enemy camp when it is taken. Lovely as you are, you might be ill-used many times before I could control my men. I would protect you from that." There were several throaty chuckles from the warriors who still held them within a circle of stomping, nervous animals. Candy swallowed hard, unsure what to say. She couldn't let him kill Kirk. But there was no doubt in her mind what would happen to her in Vierig's camp. Her thoughts had her wound so tightly that she started when Vierig touched his fingertip to her chin and raised it so their eyes met. Candy couldn't read what she saw there, and that frightened her even more. What was going on in this man's mind? Shifting his sword so that the sun glinted off its golden surface into Star's sapphire eyes, Vierig pressed. "Well, Star, does the boy live?" Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, Candy nodded. She jumped back as Vierig raised his sword to the sky and yelled, his face the mask of the victorious warrior. With a cry of, "No!" Kirk stepped over the log only to take Vierig's fist square on the jaw. Unconscious, the boy never heard Star call out to him. He slumped to the ground, a tiny trickle of blood coloring one corner of his mouth. Star turned on Vierig, slapping him hard across the face before he could discern her intent. Ebony black met flashing sapphire, warrior's temper clashed with woman's outrage. "Why did you do that? You said you wouldn't hurt him if I went with you." Vierig grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her back, bringing her flush against his hard, black body-armor. He imagined how she would feel pressed so with flesh against flesh. The thought cooled his temper somewhat, even as it fired his lust. Glaring down into her angry face, he spoke quietly. "I said that I would not kill him. A man can lose a great deal without losing his life, Beauty." Star's eyes flew wide open and Vierig knew that Dolph had told her of his torture. His smile was truly evil, lighting the depths of his hard, cold eyes with sinister glee. Star shook her head and tried to pull away but he held her fast, enjoying the feel of her small hands pushing on his chest, gauging her strength. And her weakness. He chuckled deep in his throat. Since the gods had been so kind as to give him the boy, he might as well make use of him one last time. "If you wish me to leave the boy unharmed, Beauty, convince me. Give your lips to me with the passion of your anger and the boy lays as he is. If you refuse, I shall have to amuse myself in some other way." Candy looked at Kirk lying there so helpless, with nothing between him and this madman's torture but her. Narrowing her eyes, she glared viciously into Vierig's face. She slid her hands around his neck, tangling them in the black hair that feathered down his back nearly to his waist, and pulled his face down. Swallowing back the urge to gag, she brought his lips to her own. As soon as their lips met, Star lost control of the kiss. Vierig took her head in his large hands and held her still, grinding his lips against hers. He turned her head so that he could reach any part of her that he wanted. He forcefully pushed his tongue against her teeth until she had no choice but to open her mouth and allow him entry.

He moved his tongue about in her mouth, as he slid his lips back and forth across her lips. When Candy decided she'd had enough, she nipped at his tongue. He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his tongue and into her mouth, then withdrew his tongue. Just as Candy thought the ordeal over, Vierig sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and Candy remembered how he had bitten her the first time he had kissed her in Dolph's camp. She stiffened, waiting for the pain. Vierig's teeth grazed her ever so lightly, sending involuntary shivers down her spine. He raised his head and gazed into her eyes, his expression so ablaze with lust, Candy wondered how he was still standing. "If you ever strike me again, Beauty, be sure to kill me. If you do not, I will make you suffer the tortures of Hell before I allow you to die." Candy gasped as he swung her into his arms and placed her on the back of the horse-beast he had been riding. She wrapped her fingers in the prancing animal's mane, visions of broken bones dancing in her head. Vierig held the reins as he gave orders to his men to return to camp. Candy gave a sigh of relief as she realized that Vierig was going to keep his word and leave Kirk alone. Vierig jumped onto the 'horse', for lack of a better word, behind her and wrapped his arms around her, protecting and caging at the same time. With one last look at the unconscious boy and Silky's little cage lying by the log, Candy took a deep breath and forced herself not to cry. Would she ever see them, or Dolph, again? Disgusted with herself for such weak thoughts, Candy stiffened her back and made a promise to herself: She WAS going to make it out of this and back to Dolph, come Hell or high water!

Chapter 15 The sight that met Dolph when he returned to camp that evening turned his blood cold. Debris from their camp littered the countryside. Of the twenty men that he had left to guard the camp, three were still standing. The bodies of four lay in the center of camp, victims of the stampeding animals that had destroyed everything in their path in their panic to evade Vierig's ground-aimed blasts. The rest had not returned to camp as yet. Who knew how far they might have had to run to get out of harm's way? Dolph went straight to the remnants of his tent. Seeing no blood, nor any sign of a body, gladdened his heart. Still, he had no idea where Star might be, or in what condition. He searched about for Kirk, fearing the worst. He was relieved when he saw his little brother limping into camp. Dolph quickly went to Kirk's side. When Kirk looked into his eyes, Dolph knew something was very wrong. Feeling his heart clench painfully in his chest, he spoke in a stern, calm voice. "Where is Star?" Trying to be brave, Kirk ignored his blurry vision and stood straight to face his commander and brother. "Vierig has her." A blade to the guts could not have devastated Dolph as much as those three words. He stepped back as though he had been struck. Kirk interpreted that movement as censure. He had failed again in his duty to his commander. And he had lost the beautiful Star to a fate that would surely be worse than death. He hung his young head, cursing himself for the tears that came to his eyes. "I am sorry that I failed you again, Dolph. I have dishonored myself and our father's name. I will leave immediately." Through the haze of his sorrow, Dolph heard his brother's words. Dishonored? Leave? What was he talking about? "To go where?" Kirk stood straight, swallowing back his tears and raising his chin proudly. His voice was full of the passion of youth. "I will go to Vierig's camp and reclaim the lady Star from that bastard! I will make you proud of me, Dolph." Dolph dropped his head back to stare at the waning sun. He breathed deeply of the evening scents in an attempt to bring his world back into perspective. Star was not dead. As long as she lived, there was hope. Taking Kirk a little off guard, Dolph pulled him into his arms, squeezing until the boy felt some concern for his ribs. Dolph spoke as he held fast to his brother, glad that he was safe. "You did not fail me, Kirk. If you know that Vierig has Star, then you must have been with her. And I know that you fought valiantly for her." Dolph set the boy from him with a questioning look. "Did you not?" Kirk nodded, but his grimace showed that he thought he should have done better. Dolph placed his hand on his little brother's shoulder. "Vierig is a seasoned warrior. The very fact that you still draw breath shows that you did well." Kirk cast his eyes to the ground and shook his head. His voice was very small. "Star saved me." Looking up, his eyes blazed with remembered anger. "I would have fought Vierig, but I never got the chance. Star stepped between us and begged him for my life. Vierig agreed, with the condition that she go to his camp with him and stay there for a week. I would have fought him still if he hadn't blind-sided me." Again, his eyes sought the ground in shame. "When I came to, they were gone." Half-a-dozen emotions crossed Dolph's face as he listened to Kirk's narrative of his run-in with Vierig: Anger at Star for interfering in a warrior's battle, and for trading herself for Kirk's life; fear for her, alone now with the enemy; curiosity at Vierig's tactics. What did he think to gain by this? Or did he just want Star for his own amusement? Dolph closed his fist around the hilt of his sword until his knuckles whitened. His mind clouded with visions of Star in Vierig's bed, beneath him, crying out in agony as he viciously took her again and again until her

struggles, and breath, ceased. When Kirk touched his shoulder, Dolph nearly slammed the young man to the ground before he could stop himself. His rage was building to near-berserker force. "Dolph, what are you going to do?" When Kirk looked into Dolph's eyes he knew why his brother was a respected and feared commander. The anger of the gods flashed in those green spheres! Dolph's handsome features took on an unnatural glow, as though they had turned to some brilliant stone. His jaw flexed, his lips raised in a fierce snarl, his nostrils flared and he ground his teeth together in animal rage. When he spoke, his voice was soft, yet filled with so much menace that Kirk pulled away from him to be sure it was still his brother talking. "I am going to free Star and see that she is safe. Then I will do as I should have done long ago. Kill Vierig!" *** Candy was a little surprised to find that Vierig's camp was almost a twin of Dolph's. She wasn't sure exactly what she had expected - black tents dripping with the blood of their victims, women's pitiful wails coming from behind their canvas walls. Maybe even a blood-stained altar for sacrifices to their violent gods. Instead, there were neat rows of normal-looking tents, a large bank of cooking fires in the middle, and a lot of average, if there were such a thing, Vikings roaming about the camp. They laughed and joked with each other just like the men in Dolph's camp. Still holding tightly to the mane of the horse-critter, Candy shook her head in mild disgust at herself. Sure, it was easy to imagine the enemy as some sort of monsters, feeding on the flesh of innocent babies. Seeing them as human would make it a little more difficult to cheer Dolph on each day as he sallied forth to murder them. Oh, well, she had hardly joined an exclusive club. Women had been justifying their men's actions for as long as there had been men and women. Her musings were cut short as strong hands wrapped around her waist and she was pulled from the horse and set on her feet. She looked up into Vierig's smiling face and, for about the thousandth time, wondered what insanity had invaded her mind and caused her to promise him a week. The memory of her last sight of Kirk, his young face so peaceful, and vulnerable, in enforced sleep, reminded her why she had given away her freedom. Candy gave a soft giggle, remembering how Dolph had stolen her from her home and dragged her off to sciencefiction land. She hadn't exactly had her freedom to give away, had she? The thought of Dolph caused a slight lump to form in Candy's throat. Was he alright? Had he returned to camp? Was he furious with her for going with Vierig? No, he would understand that she had done it to protect Kirk. Wouldn't he? Men thought in such strange, distorted ways. Never logically like women. "What troubles you, Beauty?" Vierig raised his large hand and brushed Candy's forehead with his fingertips before she could pull away. "A brow as beautiful as yours should never know such furrows." Candy did pull away now, scowling up at him. Vierig gave her an indulgent grin and held his hands, palms toward her, in front of his chest. "I mean you no harm, Beauty. No matter what lies Dolph may have fed you, hurting you is the farthest thing from my mind." His voice dropped to a seductive purr. "I wish to give you pleasure as only a man can. Dolph is soft. What he has shown you is only a teasing taste of ecstasy. I will give you a full meal." As he spoke, he closed the distance between them. Candy started to take another step away from him, but his hard-as-steel arms wrapped around her like a hungry boa constrictor who's just found lunch. Once again, as before in Dolph's camp, she was pulled up hard against Vierig's black armored chest, the same seduced-intosubmission lethargy trying to settle over her. 'Why fight', her mind asked, 'you know he'll win. He's bigger, meaner, and much better armed than you.' As usual, her little voice was right, and as usual, Candy didn't listen. This time, as Vierig's lips descended to engulf hers, Candy pretended to submit just long enough for him to think he had won, that she was totally in his power. As he forced his tongue between her slightly resisting lips, Candy bit down as hard as she could. Vierig made a strangling sound and shoved her away from him so hard she stumbled and nearly fell. The horse was not very happy with the fact that she grabbed his tail to steady herself. The beast screamed in protest and raised his front legs into the air. Since Vierig was rather close to those flailing limbs, he had to step out of the way quickly or risk getting his head busted.

With a curse, Vierig grabbed for the beast's reins. However, the horse was no longer in the mood for human companionship. It promptly bit Vierig's hand, whipped its head and neck around to glare at Candy, who wasted no time in giving the angry beast some space, then loudly snorted its disgust with these creatures that had invaded its turf. Kicking up its heals, the furious animal ran off in the direction they had just come. Candy was recovering from the shock of the whole display and thinking about laughing when she realized with a shock of horror that Vierig had pulled a gun from somewhere and was leveling it at the horse. Without thinking, Candy jumped in front of the angry Viking. She held her hands before her in supplication and yelled, "No!" Vierig stared at her, his narrowed eyes blazing Hell's fire. He looked as though he might shoot her and then the horse. Candy didn't care. She was not going to stand by and watch an innocent animal murdered by this madman. Not if she could help it. Silence had never been one of Candy's strong points, and this tense, dangerous situation was no different. "Vierig, don't you dare shoot that horse! He was just upset because I pulled his tail. Besides," Candy lowered her voice, temporarily reining in her anger and softening her tone to better defend the horse, "you can get another one." Vierig's black eyes still watched the retreating back of the beast that had defied him. He wanted its blood, to hear its screams of agony as it died! The fire of vengeance that burned in his blood was a pain that he welcomed as an old friend. A visitor that Vierig knew would leave only when the scales of justice had been balanced blood for blood. The pounding of his heart in his ears was building to a crescendo. His blazing eyes zeroed in on Candy. Did the woman have no sense? She dared to interfere? The hand that held the gun shot out with a life nearly of its own to connect soundly with Candy's jaw. As she flew to the ground, Vierig drew the weapon back up to eye level to regain his shot. He cursed vehemently as he realized that the horse had made good its escape, turning in its flight and putting the row of tents between Vierig and his intended target. Furious, he threw the gun at the ground, barely missing Candy, who now caught his full attention. "Very well, Beauty," Vierig spoke to the dazed girl lying at his feet, as the lust of battle and vengeance shifted from his mind to his loins, "you will now learn the fate of one who defies me!" Candy had never been hit so hard in her life. She realized that the slap Dolph had given her the day she had bitten Ulrich had been barely a tap. She was mentally questioning the soundness of her jaw when Vierig loomed over her. Trying to think of something witty and gritty to say, some remark that would bring him to his knees, she jumped when he reached down and grabbed her shoulders. With what could only be described as a snarl, the huge black-clad Viking warrior pulled her quickly to her feet. That sudden shift in altitude, coupled with the blow to the head that she had just sustained, was all that her body was willing to tolerate at the moment. Vierig's glowering countenance was the last thing Candy saw before she slipped from consciousness.

Chapter 16 Candy awoke to find herself lying on a field-bed. She might have convinced herself that the whole nightmare with Vierig had been just that, a dream of adventure gone bad, except that one side of her jaw was very sore and there was no little wire cage full of curled-up Silky in the corner. Other than that, Vierig's tent was the same as Dolph's. His closed war-chest sat in one corner, his field-bed taking up most of the rest of the tent. Candy remembered reading a magazine article that had hypothesized how the atmosphere in a house was heavily influenced by the person or people who lived there. Lying here in this tent that was physically almost identical to Dolph's but felt so very different, so much more hostile, she was now a believer in that theory. This place scared her. "Okay, now you know you're being stupid. This is just a tent, like any other tent around here." "Not quite, Beauty. This is my tent." Candy jumped as Vierig ducked through the tent door, letting the heavy flap fall to the ground behind him. The room suddenly seemed to shrink as she realized that she was alone with Dolph's enemy. Not just alone, but lying on a bed, like a turkey waiting to be stuffed! She started to sit up but the pounding in her head made her think better of that move. She laid back against the pillows, giving the dark Viking a glare meant to melt steel. Vierig noticed her wince of pain and gave an answering grimace. He had not meant to strike her so hard, but the stupid chit had made him lose his temper. 'Not such a difficult task,' Vierig thought, smiling to himself. Placing his hands on his hips, he allowed his gaze to peruse the girl from her glorious hair to her pretty little feet, with a short pause at her breasts and the juncture of her lovely thighs. By the gods, she was a prize a man could be proud to possess! Since the first time he had seen her in Dolph's camp, he had been unable to rid his mind of her image. He compared the camp-women to her and found them all lacking. He heard her voice in his sleep. The heights to which she had taken him in his dreams were awe-inspiring. He had never envied another as much as he had Dolph. He had vowed that he would have the beautiful blonde wench, had plotted her delivery into his hands, and could now bask in his triumph. Vierig raised an eyebrow in response to Candy's glare. "Are you angry with me, Beauty?" Candy's mouth dropped open and she shook her head in disbelief. "Good guess!" As he headed to the bed, he unfastened his armor and tossed it toward the war-chest, paying no heed when the heavy black gear missed the mark and fell to the floor. He wore no shirt beneath the breast-plate. Candy's eyes widened as the wide expanse of coarse jet-black hair on his chest was revealed. Vierig's smile was predatory. Wearing only black leather pants and boots, he strode to the bed and sat beside her. Like a mongoose staring at a cobra, she narrowed her eyes and looked ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. "Why do you fear me, Beauty? I have no desire to hurt you." Pointing to the side of her face that he had struck, she gave him a withering smile. "That hurt." Vierig surprised her with the richness of his laugh. "Aye, I suppose it did." Slowly, as though he were taming a wild filly, he brushed the back of his hand over her sore jaw. Since she was already pressed as far into the pillows as she could get, Candy didn't have any choice but to let him fondle her. At least, that was what she told herself. If she were to be honest with herself, she would have to admit that she was terribly curious about this man who had once been Dolph's friend and was now his most hated enemy. Was he some kind of an ogre who would turn on her if she let down her guard even a little? Or was he just a man who had let a violent, traumatic incident warp the rest of his life? His hand was warm and surprisingly gentle. He followed her jawline down, sending shivers through her spine as he lightly caressed the side of her neck. Finally his palm came to rest on her shoulder. As it started to slide downward, Candy decided her period of bed rest was at an end. She sat up, glad that her head didn't spin quite as badly as it had a few minutes ago. That either meant she was healing quickly, or she was too scared to feel the pain. The eternal optimist, she voted for quick healing. She was in the process of swinging her feet over the side of the bed when Vierig's hands on her shoulders stopped her. "Where do you think you're going?"

Candy met his ebony eyes with blue fire. "Away from you." He chuckled. "I don't think you're ready to be up and about just yet. You might fall and injure yourself." "Excuse me. The only thing that's attacked me around here is sitting on this bed. It's only logical that I would want to get away from it, don't you think?" She pushed at his hands but he held fast. His eyes darkened from their usual deep brown to the shade of black that Candy remembered from Dolph's camp. Giving her a little shake that made her stomach think about mutiny, his voice held an edge of steel. "I said stay!" For once swallowing the smart remark that came to her lips, Candy narrowed her eyes and scooted up the bed to a sitting position. Vierig nodded his approval. As though it were the most natural thing in the world, he reached for the front of Candy's jumpsuit. She slapped his hand away. In a blur of motion, he grabbed the offending hand and twisted just enough to let her know he meant business. "Ow!" "I warned you never to strike me, Beauty." "If you stay out of my reach, and quit trying to feel me up, I won't be so tempted to smack you!" With a snort of disgust, he released her and stood. Did the little fool have no sense? He knew he must put some distance between himself and the defiant woman or he would surely start breaking bones! Turning back to her, he snapped, "Did Dolph teach you nothing? What purpose do you think you serve in this camp, Beauty, how do you earn your food and lodging?" He could see that his pause for effect was ineffective in her continued glare. Obviously, he would have to educate her. "You are my woman now, as you were Dolph's. Your duty is to see to my needs. If you fight me..." The threat was very clear. She knew she was supposed to bow down and do his bidding, but he didn't have Kirk to hold over her now. She didn't bow to anyone! "Look, Vierig, I might have agreed to stay with you for a week, but I never agreed to be your whore." His eyes were truly blazing now. He looked as if he wanted to kill her. Throwing caution to the wind, Candy decided to take the chance she might not get again. "You're just doing this to get back at Dolph for something he didn't even do. He had no control over the situation, Vierig. He was a prisoner just like you. You're not going to prove what a great man you are by abusing me, someone you see as his property, anymore than you proved it by mutilating one of his men." Taking heart from the fact that he hadn't ripped off her head yet, Candy reasoned that he might just want to hear what she had to say. Maybe she could appeal to the old Vierig, Dolph's friend. Yeah, she might even be able to get them back together. Bolstered by that thought, Candy was on a roll. "You must have been a nice guy once, or Dolph wouldn't have been your friend. You could be again, you know. I mean, you seem to have recovered from your wound just fine. You're a good-looking guy, well built, nice hair. If you weren't so mean, I bet women would..." His angry roar shook the tent walls as Vierig launched himself at the bed. Candy had no chance to move, to get out of his way. He landed with his full weight on her, knocking all the air from her lungs and making her wonder if she were going to pass out again. Before she could recover, he rose to his knees, straddling her, with his knees on her hands. She was helpless to do anything more than squirm beneath his weight. Snarling, he pulled her jumpsuit open to the waist. As he gripped her breasts in his calloused hands, squeezing hard, Candy screamed in spite of herself. "Women?" His voice was low, almost a whisper. "Women ran from me in horror. What worthy woman wants a warrior who cannot give her children? And whores laughed," His voice became more husky, "until I shut them up." His grip was not so punishing now. He caressed her breasts almost absent-mindedly as he examined his memories aloud. "Do I blame Dolph? No, he was right not to talk. I would have done the same." His eyes met hers, the raw pain revealed in their depths sending shivers down her spine. "They tore off my pants while six of them held me. They made sure that Dolph had an unobstructed view.

Then their leader ordered them all to silence so he could better enjoy my screams." His voice lost its hard edge for a heartbeat. He looked away, to a place that existed only in his mind. "Just before the hot blade found its mark, Dolph whispered, 'Brother'. I held his eyes, not looking away even when the pain made his image blur before me." The edge returned to his words. "I did not make a sound." The pain in her hands was intense, and breathing was in danger of becoming just a memory, but Candy didn't want to stop him. She wanted to hear, to know why he had gone bad. She gritted her teeth and decided she could stand it a while longer. Like she had a choice. "When our men broke in and freed us, I grabbed the first sword I found and fought till the blood loss from several minor wounds claimed me and I fell to the ground. His features looked as though they had been carved from granite, his eyes ebony stones, his voice hard as diamonds. "That was when Dolph, my friend, came to me. He stood over me, defending our ground until the battle was over. Then he knelt down beside me. When I opened my eyes, he realized that I had not reached Valhalla. His eyes were filled with pity!" He nearly spit the word. "And from that day forward, every time he looked at me I saw that same wretched emotion, mixed with guilt, rotting in his eyes. It was the same with any warrior who knew of my loss." If possible, the muscles in his chest and arms tensed even more. He like a statue carved from human suffering. "I showed the fools that I was stronger than all of them. I became 'The Merciless', and found a way to inspire the respect of all. I destroy anything that stands in the way of my desires. Anyone with any sense fears my wrath. Except Dolph." He smiled slightly and Candy caught a glimpse of the friendship he had once felt for Dolph. "He disapproved of my actions, loudly & often. We pounded on each other until the inevitable clash of steel ended our association. I called it good riddance. But Dolph was a good fighter." His voice dropped to an introspective whisper and Candy realized that he had all but forgotten her presence. "And a good friend." He seemed to focus on the present once again as he looked into Candy's eyes. Shifting easily, he released her hands and gave her a little more breathing space. He brought one fingertip to his mouth, licked it, then traced her nipple with the wet tip. All the while, his eyes dared her to resist. He wanted an excuse to hurt her and Candy wasn't feeling stupid enough to give him one. He chuckled as her nipple responded, hardening to a nub beneath his finger. "I will have you, Beauty, it is foolish to resist. No woman denies me. I will take you gently," he grinned, reminding Candy that he was truly a handsome man, "as gently as my lust will allow, or, if you choose to fight me," the smile turned hard and Candy felt her throat tighten as he continued in a hard voice, "I will use your body in ways that you can barely imagine. Very painful ways. It is your choice." He stood and stepped back from the bed so quickly that Candy thought she was imagining things. Was this some kind of temporary reprieve, or was it a trick? "All this talking has given me a powerful thirst, Beauty. I will give you some time to prepare yourself." He gave her a look of steel. "When I return, I will have you." With that, he turned and left the tent as quietly as he had entered it. Pulling her jumpsuit closed, Candy tried to control her breathing. She didn't know which she was more angry, relieved he was gone, or terrified that he would get back before she figured a way out of this. She took a deep, calming breath. "I'm mad, mad as hell!" Hearing her own voice was reassuring. It got her mind away from the fear and back to the problem at hand - how to get out of here. Dejectedly, Candy reminded herself of her promise. "I said I would stay in this horrible place for a week. Didn't I?" Candy sat up, ignoring her aching jaw and head. Raising her fist with the index finger extended, her face

lit with an I-just-had-a-great-idea look as she exclaimed, "Wait a minute!" Concentrating with all her might, she tried to remember exactly what had transpired when Vierig had taken her from Kirk. Had she ever made that promise, or had Vierig just assumed she had? The light went back on behind Candy's eyes. In his typical male fashion, Vierig had decided that because he told her that was the way it was going to be, she would just meekly accept her fate. Candy hit the bed with her palm, a triumphant smile splitting her face. "Ha! I never agreed to his stupid deal. I'm outta here!" Even in her excitement to leave, Candy was no fool. She realized that it was easier said than done, leaving a Viking camp without the knowledge of the Vikings. But she had done it successfully once before, when she snuck out of Dolph's camp to go in search of Silky. She had every confidence in her ability to do it again...maybe. *** For Dolph, time moved as slowly as an old warrior fighting the ghosts of his past. Holding his temper in check while he made the necessary preparations to retrieve Star from Vierig's camp was difficult, to put it mildly. He wanted to charge into the camp, his sword raised, his war-cry striking fear into the hearts of all who heard it. But he knew he couldn't allow his temper to rein at the price of harm to Star. If they launched an all-out attack on the camp, she might be hurt before he could reach her. Dolph's jaw clenched. He felt that if Vierig ever thought he might be going to lose his prize, he would kill her rather than let Dolph win. No, Dolph had to keep his head. To that end, he sent his best scouts to reconnoiter Vierig's camp. This would have to be a covert mission, one that none of the enemy knew was taking place until it was successfully completed. Military intelligence was the key to such a mission. They had to know exactly where Star was being kept, how many guards were watching over her, anything that related to Star. Still, sitting and waiting for such information to be gathered had never been one of Dolph's strong points. Finally, night fell. They had gleaned everything they could from the scouts. Final preparations for the rescue began. Star's life would depend on the stealth of Dolph and his men. As he and his warriors sat around the campfire, darkening their hair and faces with ash, Dolph could see in the solemn expressions around him that his men knew this and, having gotten to know his lady Star, welcomed the honor of being included in her rescue. "There is barely enough sun left to light our way to Vierig's camp, Dolph." Dolph turned to Ulrich and nodded. The seasoned, grizzled warrior had requested his inclusion in this mission. A slight smile curved one corner of Dolph's mouth as he wondered if Star would ever understand that her bite had brought on Ulrich's respect. Her strength and resilience, along with her ever-sunny smile and sweet words, at least for his men, had endeared her to many of his warriors. Choosing only five to go with him had been difficult, as almost all had requested the honor. Felix, Garth the Strong, Victor, and Rain completed his squad. Dolph felt they were the best men he had. Still, he wondered if there were some detail he might have overlooked, some important bit of information he hadn't found yet. Shaking his head in anger, he cast the poisonous doubts from his mind. One of the first lessons Dolph had ever learned as a warrior was that you must always believe in yourself, never let doubt weigh on your mind or you would be doomed before you ever began. He stood, his black long-sleeved jump suit, black boots, and ash-blackened hair blending into the cloak of the darkening sky. Raising his sword high above his head, Dolph saw that all of the warriors in the camp, even those who were not to be involved in this raid, now stood with their swords raised in salute. With the absolute knowledge that they would succeed in tonight's endeavor fueling his words, he yelled in defiance, "Odin, hear me. Star is mine! Tonight, she will be returned to me. For the glory of Odin, and Star, to battle!" A chorus of "To Star!" rent the air with such force, Dolph feared it might be heard in the enemy camp. The gods would surely hear and lead their way. As the six warriors set out into the dark surrounding the camp, Dolph, just to cover his bases, said a silent prayer to Jesus, the god of his mother, to protect Star and keep her safe until he could free her from the threat of Vierig's vengeance.

Chapter 17 The first thing Candy decided she should do in her plan of escape was to find out what was at her disposal that could be used as a weapon. She carefully climbed from the bed, thankful that her clothes had not been taken while she was unconscious. She figured Vierig would want the pleasure of doing that while she was awake to suffer through it. She shivered with the notion, then quickly kicked her thoughts back to her imminent escape. Boy was Vierig going to get a surprise! Opening his war-chest, Candy first spied a square of colored silk. Vierig's ships. Pulling them out, she counted five, as Kirk has said. Not willing to waste any time at the moment, Candy was still not going to miss this opportunity to take a little revenge on Vierig. She stuffed the flags into her pocket for later mutilation. On the tip shelf of the war-chest was a dagger, its sheath a heavily jeweled masterpiece of overdone, if you asked Candy. Still, the knife was sharp. In an escape, sharp was useful. She was about to shove the dagger into another pocket when Dolph's wards from the past came to her loud and clear: "You must never pull steel on a Viking warrior." Candy dropped the dagger as if it had bitten her. However, her stubborn pride recovered quickly and, retrieving the blade from the floor, she put it into her pocket. "I don't consider Vierig much of a warrior. And even if I did, I'm not about to take on a whole camp of Vikings unarmed. Besides..." Candy gave a little giggle as she realized she was arguing with herself. Her decision made about the dagger, she turned her attention to the bottom of the war chest. There she found what she had hoped to find Vierig's shield. It took nearly all her strength just to pull it out of the deep chest. As heavy as it was, she wondered how she was ever going to pull off her plan. Remembering Vierig's face as he slapped her - the anger, the promise of worse to come - she decided she would find a way. Candy wore an expression of fear mixed exactly fifty-fifty with determination. "I can do this." She didn't sound convinced even to herself. She remembered how Dolph looked when he went into battle, his eyes on fire with the sure knowledge that he would return triumphant. Candy raised her head, her jaw set with stubborn pride. Her voice growing stronger with each word, she repeated, "I can do this! I'm a Viking's woman. Dolph's woman. I'm Star!" With that, Candy fell back onto the bed with a heavy sigh. "I'm gonna die!" *** The six warriors crept stealthily across the dark countryside, seeking the cover of the sparse trees and bushes whenever possible. Dolph was at his most alert and lethal, focusing his acute senses on any sound or movement, identifying the source, then quietly moving on. As they neared the perimeter of Vierig's camp, they dropped to the ground and, using their knees and elbows, began crawling toward the tents. When a sentry neared their position, they all stopped as if of one mind. Dolph moved ever so slowly toward the man. He never knew his fate was so near at hand until Dolph's fist crashed into the back of his knee, knocking him to the ground. Instantly, Felix pounced on him from the other side, slicing his throat from ear to ear before the man could make a sound. Felix rolled the man face down on the ground and they all awaited the few tense seconds that seemed an eternity to see if anyone in the camp had heard or seen anything. No alarm was raised. With a slight move of his hand, Dolph signaled the others to fan out and continue the plan which he had outlined earlier in the day while waiting for sundown: Vierig's camp was in a prime location, the north boundary being a mountain and thus pretty much impregnable from that direction. Garth the Strong and Ulrich would move to the west end of the enemy camp. Once there, they would cause a distraction. Dolph and Felix would come into the camp from the south and spirit Star away to the east, as that was where Vierig's tent was located. Victor and Rain would take up positions on the east side of the camp, to guard their backs as they retreated. They would regroup at a spot about 2 miles south of Vierig's camp, a small pond, partially hidden by bushes, that Dolph had chosen as their rendezvous point. From there they would return to their own camp. Once they had given the others enough time to find their position, Dolph and Felix stood, threw their arms around each other's shoulders and let their heads droop together. Singing, loudly and off-key, a bawdy drinking song any Viking warrior would recognize, they boldly walked right into the camp of Vierig the Merciless.

*** Candy had been listening in disgust to the Vikings outside the tent. They were getting very drunk. She recognized Vierig's voice among them. His words were not quite as slurred as the others. She hoped he's keep drinking, like the Viking pig he was, so he wouldn't be too together when he decided to come to bed. She had heard him boasting about what he intended to do to her when he retired for the evening. "I'll have that white-haired beauty howling before the night ends, on that you can bet your lives. She looks well ready to be ridden miles without rest, don't you think?" This was met with guffaws and encouragement that let Candy know she wouldn't find any help in this camp, not that she had held any delusions that she might. Fine! She could handle this on her own. As she sat on the bed, willing herself to relax so that she would be ready when the time came, she thought about Dolph, hoping he wasn't too worried about her. Candy tossed her beautiful mane and snorted, reminding herself of a horse. "Poppycock! I hope he's worried sick about me. You only worry about people you really care about. I'm worried sick about him, and he isn't even in trouble. Oh, how much can one man, even a Viking, drink?!" Candy sat up suddenly as she heard footsteps near the front of the tent. This was it, she was on! She stood beside the tent door. Using every ounce of strength she possessed, she lifted Vierig's battle-shield above her head. As that loathsome man stepped foot inside the darkened tent, she brought the heavy metal weapon down on his head as hard as she could. The large black-clad body slumped to the ground at her feet. Candy let out a soft squeal of delight. She hoped she had broken his rotten skull, she really did! She wasted no time waiting for Vierig to come around. She planned to sneak out of the tent by crawling out the front door and around to the back where she hoped no one would see her, or pay any attention if they did. Then she could get out of this camp and head back to Dolph's. She wasn't exactly positive in which direction Dolph's camp lay, but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. 'Or drowned under it,' Candy thought with a worried frown. She was just about out the door when the big lump on the floor groaned. She cursed herself, wishing she were meaner, more ruthless. But she wasn't. She was just certain that she was a failure as a Viking's woman. Sighing, Candy tried to comfort herself. "Ok, so I happen to be a nice person. This is a sin? I just have to be sure the big oaf isn't going to bleed to death before somebody finds him. Then, I'm outta here." She knelt by his side and rolled the heavy man over from his stomach onto his back, no small task. "I mean, it's not like I hate the guy or anything. He and Dolph just have this little disa...Oh, no!" She was sure the sight that met her eyes would haunt her for the rest of her life - which was not a big threat considering the fact that she figured at this point if she didn't die in Vierig's camp, she would certainly be murdered when she got back to Dolph's. She recognized the face before her, even though it was covered in some kind of black stuff - not to mention a small trickle of blood on the forehead - as not that of Vierig the Merciless, her vicious enemy, but that of her beloved Viking warrior, Dolph. *** Dolph woke to find his enemy rolling him onto his back, no doubt to expose his heart or throat for a killing blow. Dolph reacted with his warrior's training even as his berserker instincts took over. He brought his knee up onto the enemy's midsection and lifted, throwing him over his head. With a roar of near-animal rage, he raised his back off the ground, kicked out his legs and sprang into the air, drawing his sword as he landed on the balls of his feet ready to battle the Hounds of Hell. Candy wasn't quite sure what had just happened. One minute she had been leaning over Dolph's prone, and unconscious, she thought, body; the next, she was gasping for breath and playing flying nun over the floor of the tent, landing face down on the field-bed. She whispered a quick "Thank you, Lord!" for the placement of the bed, then turned onto her back just in time to be scared out of her wits. Not only was Dolph roaring like a wounded bear, but he was standing in the middle of the tent with his sword drawn, looking at her as though he had just discovered she was pregnant by his best friend and was determined to remedy that situation with a quick slice and dice. His eyes were wide open, blazing with some inner hatred, his beautiful lips pulled back in a snarl. Candy gasped at the sudden realization that he wasn't seeing her at all, that he was doing his Viking berserker thing. She knew she had to do something. She clearly remembered that it had taken several strong men to pull Dolph off of Belan the last time she'd seen him like this. As Dolph bore down on her, his sword arm rising, Candy used the only weapon at her disposal.

"Dolph, it's me, CanI mean, Star." 'It isn't working, he's still coming.' Candy was not happy to hear her mind's voice becoming distressed. Panic was not good. 'Try again, louder this time.' "Dolph, please don't kill me!" Through the haze of rage brought on by the throbbing pain in his head, Dolph heard his enemy pleading for his worthless life. The demon warrior coursing through his blood reveled in the destruction of the enemy. And yet...Dolph shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. Candy took heart at that motion. She must be getting through. Still, he hadn't lowered that razor-sharp weapon of his yet. She better keep talking. Not that shutting up was much of an option, as scared as she was. She lowered her voice, trying to sooth him. "Dolph, I'm sorry I hit you, I thought you were Vierig. You have to admit, you didn't give me any warning. How was I supposed to know it was you?" The big blonde warrior tilted his head from side to side, calmed by her soft tone. His lovely emerald eyes closed in a long, slow blink. When he opened them again, Candy saw loving recognition glowing in their depths. Dolph stepped forward, sheathing his sword at his hip, and swept her into his arms. His lips descended onto hers, gently at first. Then he released all of the pent-up anger and fear that had gathered in his heart and soul since he first discovered his Star had been captured. His mouth ground against her tender lips, though he maintained enough control to keep from hurting her...barely. Candy had never felt so completely possessed and - Damn the feminists! - fulfilled in her life. She had just been rescued from certain death and her Viking warrior, her warrior, was crushing her ribs and bruising her lips with his passionate kisses. This had to be Heaven. She returned Dolph's ardor with equal intensity, trying to tell him with her body what she was feeling. When he raised his head to look deeply into her eyes, his voice was rough with emotion. "Thank the gods you are safe! My life would surely have ended if you had been taken from me." "You life, old friend, is most surely near its end."

Chapter 18 Dolph quickly turned to face the tent door, none too gently pushing Star behind him. Vierig stood in the doorway, sword in hand. Measuring the space between them, Dolph knew he could not draw his sword before Vierig would be upon him. If he tried, Star might be hurt. He doubted Vierig would have much of a care as to what happened to her now that he had accomplished his goal of capturing his most hated foe. Dolph's gut clenched as he realized that Star may have now become expendable to Vierig. His eyes never leaving Vierig's, Dolph slid his arm between himself and Star and shoved her back away from him. Then he pulled himself to his full height and glared at his old friend. His voice sliced the air, vibrating with anger and scorn. "And will it be you that ends it? Vierig, the Merciless, who makes war on women and children because he fears meeting a man," he gave Vierig a scathing up-and-down look, "aye, a whole man, on the battlefield." Candy had been none to happy with being unceremoniously shoved away from Dolph. She had realized that perhaps now was not the ideal time to chastise him for that treatment. However, as she listened to his speech to Vierig, she thought her Viking lover desperately needed to be apprised of the situation. Obviously he was going off on his macho trip without a clue about their predicament. To that end, she took a step toward him and tugged on the back of his jumpsuit. In a quiet voice so Vierig would not hear, she said, "Ah, Dolph, could I have a word with you?" Dolph heard Star's softly spoken request. Resisting the urge to sigh in frustration, he put his hand behind his back and motioned for her to back away from him. Even as he did it, his mind smiled with the certain knowledge that Star would have her word with him, one way or another. Still, he was surprised at her next move. "Vierig," her sweet voice seemed to lesson the tension in the tent somewhat, "may Dolph and I have a minute alone?" Candy peeked around Dolph's broad back to see the leader of the enemy camp raise an eyebrow and tilt his head to the side, a comical confused-man expression on his handsome face. Dolph's eyes never left Vierig's face but his stern words were directed at the obstinate female that stood far too close to his back. "Star, be still! You have no part in this, it is between two warriors." Someday, Candy would figure out how to control that temper of hers. Someday, she promised herself, but not today. She jabbed the tip of her finger into the center of Dolph's back. "Well, excuse me, but I think I have a big part in this. Take a look around us, Dolph. This is a small tent. If you two great warriors start swinging those overgrown Ginzu knives around in here, I'm likely to sustain big time injuries!" In her anger, Candy forgot all about Vierig. She stepped in front of Dolph, completely ignoring his look of surprise mixed with anger. "And while we're at it, I hate it when you tell me to shut up without first hearing what it is I have to say. I'm not an idiot, you know. Believe it or not, I have intelligent thoughts," sarcasm tinged her voice, "sometimes twothree a day. If you'd pay a little attention once in a while, you might learn something." Dolph listened to Star's tirade in total amazement. He couldn't believe the little fool was giving him a lecture now. Other than a quick glare into her face when she stepped in front of him, he kept his eyes on Vierig, not trusting the cagey Viking not to use any distraction to his benefit. The thought flared in his mind that as soon as he removed Star from the lethal clutches of Vierig, he just might kill her himself! Vierig spared a glance at the beautiful silver veil of hair that cascaded down Candy's back. Quickly raising his eyes to clash once again with Dolph's green scowl, he felt the corners of his mouth lift in the slightest of smiles. He shook his head in masculine sympathy for his one-time friend. This beauty was a handful. Candy noticed none of this, being much too involved in venting her spleen. She did notice, however, that Dolph was not paying attention to her. She poked him in the chest. "Hey, I'm down here." Dolph took a deep breath to quell the urge to strangle Star right here and now. Keeping his inner warrior's sense tuned to Vierig, he crossed his arms over his broad chest and brought his eyes down to Star's face. She seemed temporarily placated by that. She lowered her voice, which had risen to a near shout. "Thank you." She cast a glance behind her at Vierig, then moved closer to Dolph. She lowered her voice to a near

whisper, forcing Dolph to lean down a bit to hear her. "Dolph, do you really think now is the time to pick on this guy? I mean, really Dolph, 'a whole man'?" She tipped her head to the side, censure clear in every plane of her lovely face. "That was very rude. Why can't you guys talk about this. You know, you both have a lot of unresolved anger and hurt over that prisoner-of-war thing. I think if you two would just sit down, without weapons, and talk, you could probably be friends again. This is the perfect opportunity. You just have to make the first move." Candy moved to Dolph's side and, placing her hand on his elbow, gave him a little push toward Vierig. He didn't budge. She tilted her head and raised her eyes to his face to find him gazing down at her with a look that clearly stated he thought she had lost her mind. Candy stepped away from him and threw her hands in the air in disgust. "Okay, fine, so kill each other, see if I care. Just don't do it in this tiny, enclosed space where you'll inevitably cut up the tent, the furniture," her voice was rising again, "and the little woman! Is that so much to ask?" With an angry toss of her head and the back of her hand, Candy sent her hair flying to its place behind her shoulders. She stomped to the bed and flouncing down, placed her elbows on her knees and her chin on her fists. From that position she treated the men to her sullen glare - directed first at Dolph; then, just for good measure, at Vierig. The latter tossed back his head and uttered a loud shout of laughter. Lowering his eyes to once again clash with Dolph's, Vierig spoke with the remnants of that laugh still coloring his voice. "If I thought you had many more years to live, Dolph, I would pity you. You would surely spend whatever time the gods allowed you chasing that wench from one disaster to the next." His eyes hardened and the very air around him seemed to grow thick with his hatred. "Once I have stopped the breath in your throat, old friend, I will use your bitch till I am sated. Perhaps I will even teach her some manners, though I doubt her capable of learning much. When I no longer have a use for her, my men may take their turns inside her lovely body. That should silence her wicked tongue, along with the rest of her, for eternity." Candy gasped. She had never seen such hostility in a person's face. To have it directed at her was one of the most terrifying feelings she had ever experienced. This man hated her. And he wasn't just blowing smoke. He really intended to do all those awful things, she could see it written in his eyes. To her utter disgust, she started to shake, just a little, but she was definitely shivering and it wasn't at all cold in that tent. Beholding that glaring visage words, for once, failed her. All she wanted to do was get closer to Dolph. She stood and stepped to Dolph's side. Though he kept his eyes on Vierig, who he knew was zeroing in on his prey, Dolph gently wrapped Star in his arms. He hoped she would forgive him some day. Then Dolph did the one thing Vierig would not expect. Gauging his strength to avoid excessive injury to his beloved, he flung Star toward the black-armored warrior. Candy only had time to squeak a protest before she found herself flat on her back on the ground, tossed there by a back-sweep of Vierig's arm. In the next instant the clang of sword against sword sounded above her head. Dolph yelled, "Star, run!" Hearing the unmistakable whoosh of air being cut inches from her head, Candy didn't need further encouragement. However, she had no intention of standing up. That did not seem prudent at this time. Remembering the old war movies her father had watched when she was a child, Candy rolled to her stomach and, using her knees and elbows, began crawling for the tent door. She heard Vierig's voice, much too close for her liking. "Oh, no, Beauty, I am not finished with you." Dolph's yell of "Star, roll!" brought an immediate reaction from Candy as she did as she was told, trusting Dolph. She felt a searing pain across her back, but kept rolling until she hit the tent wall. Once there, she turned to face the combatants, trying her best to ignore the moisture pooling on the ground at her side. She was pretty sure Vierig had sliced her back, but now didn't seem the best time to give it too much thought. With her back against the side of the tent, Candy watched in awe and fear as the two Viking warriors fought. The clang of metal on metal, the grunt of men straining their muscles and skills trying desperately to end each other's lives, these were the sounds that met her ears. She could smell sweat, blood and damp earth. She could feel the vibrations beneath her body as their feet hit the ground. And the hatred in the air was a palpable force, a force that no human could hope to stop. Only the death of one of the combatants, Candy realized with a tightening in her throat, would end what had begun so long ago with Vierig's mutilation at the hands of the enemy.

She could only hope and pray that Dolph would win this pivotal battle. Knowing that Star was nearby, Dolph would not allow his senses to leave so the demon berserker could enter his mind. Still, he was a great warrior without the madness. He matched Vierig parry for parry, their great bodies straining equally. Then fate reared its head. As Dolph stepped back to avoid the thrust of his enemy's sword his heel hit Vierig's bed. He shifted his balance to stop the fall, but not soon enough. He fell full-length across the field-bed, his sword knocked from his hand as it hit Vierig's war-chest. Even as Dolph rolled to attempt a retrieval, his opponent raised his sword for what would surely have been a killing blow...If Vierig's leg had not collapsed beneath him, his own dagger protruding from the thigh. With a roar of fury, Vierig sprang to his feet and turned to see Candy kneeling a few feet from him, looking smugly pleased with herself. Shifting his sword to his left hand, he pulled the dagger from its seat with his right and tossed it into the air. Catching it by the blade, he prepared to throw the razor-sharp knife and put an end to the bothersome interference of Dolph's little bitch once and for all. The smile that tilted Vierig's lips at the thought of Candy's death froze on his face as Dolph's sword pierced his back. He dropped the dagger and grabbed his chest, his hand barely covering the gaping wound there. His sword fell from numb fingers. He tried to take a step but his injured leg betrayed him, sending him to his knees. All present realized that the battle was at an end. Gasping for breath that would not come, Vierig turned to Dolph and extended his hand as though reaching for something. With the understanding of a fellow warrior, Dolph took his old friend's sword by the blade and placed the hilt in his outstretched hand. As blood trickled from his lips, Vierig smiled and raised his sword to the sky. His voice was barely a whisper. "To Odin!" Dolph raised his own sword, dripping with the blood of the man he now used it to salute, above his head and echoed Vierig's words. "To Odin," Dolph lowered his eyes to meet Vierig's dulling gaze, "Valhalla awaits you...Brother." With the last of his life's force Vierig roared his defiant battle cry, then pitched forward onto the ground. It took Candy a minute to grasp all that had just happened. She had realized that Vierig had Dolph in a bad position, maybe even a lethal one. Then she remembered Vierig's dagger in her pocket. With no thought for any danger to herself, only Dolph's impending death or dismemberment, Candy forced her aching body up onto her knees. She decided she didn't want to stand up, not with swords still in action. She took a couple of kneesteps forward and, with all her might, jabbed the knife into Vierig's muscular thigh. She had anticipated his falling. She was quickly moving away when he seemed to levitate to his feet, howling like a wounded bear. Candy was amazed. She certainly hadn't expected the man to be able to regain his feet so quickly. But then when had these Vikings ever done what she expected? And then the crazy guy ripped the dagger out of his leg like it was nothing! Candy made a mental note to herself to find out what these Vikings were fed as they were growing up. Iron filings, maybe? When Vierig threw the knife into the air, she figured he meant to toss it aside out of her reach. Surely he wouldn't actually use it on her. Would he? The back of her neck suddenly tingled, her little voice screaming that she was in trouble. The look in his eyes confirmed her suspicion. When the vicious warrior's fingers closed around the blade, Candy realized his intent. She was gathering her muscles to make what she knew would be a futile attempt to throw her body out of the path of the deadly missile, when a blood-drenched silver blade-tip sprung from Vierig's chest. Dolph's sword retreated as quickly as it had appeared, making her wonder if she had imagined it. One look into Vierig's eyes told her she hadn't. He was dying. And for a fleeting second she would have sworn she saw sadness, regret enter those cold, black eyes. Then he was turning away from her, back to Dolph. She winced when she saw the bloody wound on his back. Tiny bubbles dotted the surface of the wound, giving testimony to the fact that his lung had been punctured. Candy moved slightly so that she could see Dolph's face. She saw the anger drain away as the realization that Vierig was dying made its way into his battle-fogged brain. In its place was a strange mixture of emotions triumph, confusion, sorrow. When he stood and handed Vierig his sword, she thought he had lost his mind for sure. What if Vierig decided he wanted to greet Death with an honor guard? But when he made no violent move toward Dolph, Candy realized that this was one of those warrior things. And, though she questioned her mental stability, she understood. She knew from her many conversations with Dolph's warriors that these men believed if they died with their swords in their hands, their great god Odin would take them directly to Valhalla, their version

of Heaven. A place teaming with the three B's that seemed to rule these men's - who was she kidding, most men's - lives: battles, booze and broads. In their last minutes together, Dolph had absolved Vierig, forgiving any animosity between them, and saluted him as a fellow warrior, a brother. When Vierig fell forward, all Candy could do was stare. She realized with a sick feeling that she was waiting for him to get up; to make some disgusting comment, raise his sword, and continue the fight with Dolph. But he just laid there, his body completely still. Tears welled in her eyes but she didn't notice. Shock held her immobile in it's grip. Like most people from twentieth century America, Candy had never actually seen someone die. The closest she had ever come to death was when she was eight years old and her grandmother had died. But that had just been words - 'Grandmother has passed away, Candy' - from her mother. Candy had cried for hours. She had known Gram was gone, that she would never see her again. Death had seemed like a plane that quietly took your loved one away and never brought them back. Now the reality of death was staring her in the face. Blood soaked the ground beneath Vierig's body, seeping out as if from some underground spring. It smelled like rusty steel. For just a second after Vierig fell forward, the air in the tent seemed warmer, then a chill descended. Candy knew it must have been her imagination. Lord knew she had a very active one. Still, she chose to believe that the fierce, hot essence that had been Vierig had left his body and headed for whatever death held for him. She had no more time for thought as Dolph pulled her into his strong arms. She took a deep breath in an effort not to scream, then said through gritted teeth, "Dolph, I love you, I really do, but if you don't take your arm off my back, I won't be responsible for my actions!" In his haste to reassure himself that Star was alright, Dolph had forgotten seeing Vierig's sword draw her blood. Fear gripped his heart. Had he saved his love just to have her die in his arms? Gently, carefully, he turned her in his arms till her back was in his view. A wicked, but, thank the gods!, shallow slice ran from Star's shoulder nearly to her waist. Dolph's lips drew into a narrow frown. A quick return to camp would be necessary to leave Star's beautiful body unscarred; however, there was still the retreat from the enemy camp to consider. Haste was never a warrior's first choice, it led to many a speedy demise. He wondered why no one had yet entered the tent to take him prisoner. He wasn't about to wait around for anyone to realize their folly. Shifting Star to his shoulder like a bag of grain, Dolph prepared to stand. He should have known that wouldn't fly. An outraged "Hey!" preceded a knee to his solar plexus. Dolph smacked Star on her rump and whispered toward her head, "Be still!" Candy could feel the blood rushing to her head, and she didn't think it was entirely the fault of her position. This man was unbelievable! She decided, against her better judgement, to try logic. It had never worked before, not with this barbarian, but there was always a first time. "Dolph," she kept her voice low to placate him, "don't you think if a thundering horde were going to come running in here because they heard a little noise, they might have noticed you and Vierig howling like wounded bulls and come to check it out? And don't you think it might make more sense for you to take the lead, ready to do battle with your trusty sword if any dragon's cross our path, while I slink along three paces behind you like a proper woman." An unwilling smile raised the corners of Dolph's mouth. Though the scorn in Star's voice spoke more clearly of her opinion of him than her opinion of the situation, he had to admit - to himself at least - she did have a point. He gently lowered her to the ground, wondering how quickly he would regret that action. Candy blinked, letting her head get used to right-side-up for a minute. Then she looked up at Dolph, frustration furrowing her brow. "I probably shouldn't ask, but why did you do that?" Dolph smiled down at his lady. He reached out and brushed a lock of silver from where it had fallen over her right eyebrow. Star started to pull away, but as soon as his flesh touched hers she leaned into his caress. "I feared that loss of blood might have dulled your senses, making it difficult for you to walk." His smile widened, warning Candy that she was about to be annoyed. "But I see from your quick response to my effrontery that you have not been overly affected." Candy tilted her head to one side to cast a squint-eyed questioning glare on the big man. Her tone was somewhere between accusing and worried. "And just how much blood have I lost, anyway?" She twisted her head to try to get a look at her back, but it was useless. Besides, Dolph's finger under her

chin brought her attention quickly back to his face. "It's not that bad, love, but we must return quickly to camp so that it won't scar. You must follow closely behind me and keep very quiet. Do whatever I tell you immediately, do you understand?" He had grown serious, almost fierce, as he spoke. Candy decided now was not the time to make the witty, liberated woman response that had come to her mind. Still, it just wasn't her way to lie down without a little fight. "Okay, but this is not setting any kind of precedent, Viking! Other than in extreme situations, I don't do 'Me-Tarzan, You-Jane.' Understood?" Dolph's nostrils flared, but this was not the time to correct Star, not when she was still in danger from someone other than himself. He frowned down at her in an effort to make her aware of his displeasure. She just arched an eyebrow as if to say, 'Yeah, so!' Dolph closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds to let pass the urge to strangle the woman he loved. When he opened them once again, the no-nonsense warrior shone once again in their depths. Candy leaned down to retrieve Vierig's dagger from the floor of the tent. As she started to put it back into her pocket, Dolph's fingers closed around her wrist and he pulled the dagger from her grasp. He asked in an incredulous tone, "What do you think you're doing?" Candy glowered at him and reached for the dagger, but he held it above his shoulder out of her reach. "I thought I'd take that along so I could protect myself if I have to." "You need no weapons. I will protect you." "Of course, how foolish of me. The great, omnipotent, invincible, impossible-to-wound, impervious..." Dolph cut in on her tirade with a dramatic, world-weary sigh. "Is this going somewhere?" Candy pulled herself to her full five-foot-four-inch height and glared into his face. "Yes, this is going somewhere, you brute, and if I like taking the scenic route, you can just wait for me!" She was working herself into a good Irish temper at this point and she really didn't care who heard her. "Even if you are a pretty good warrior..." Dolph raised an eyebrow as if insulted. Candy sighed. "...okay, a great warrior, I still might have occasion to protect myself. You can't be everywhere at once, you know, and I might get into a situation when you are otherwise occupied. I just thought that dagger might come in handy." Dolph waved in the direction of Vierig's prone body. "As it did with Vierig? You could have been killed, you little fool! You should never have interfered." As he realized that she could indeed have been killed, Dolph's voice raised with his emotions. He grabbed Star by the shoulders and gently shook her, mindful of her injury. "You are never to put yourself in danger, do you hear me, never!" Candy threw her arms into the air in front of Dolph's face to make him release her. She took a step back from him so that she could yell into his face. "Put myself in danger? The most danger I've ever put myself in was driving to Las Vegas in the middle of the night. You're the one who brought me to Tatooine South and expected me to sit and stay until you had some time for me. Just because I decided to explore my surroundings, you talk like I walked up to Vierig and asked him for a tour of his camp. At least he might have given me one himself, instead of turning me over to his little brother, and then beating the poor kid because he couldn't handle me. I am not a shrinking violet, Dolph. I have a healthy curiosity and if I have to live in this weird world of yours, I'm going to explore and have fun, with or without you. I'm not going to sit around and wait for you to come to my rescue for the rest of my life, Dolph, I'd get bored out of my mind. I can take care of myself." As Star took a breath, Dolph opened his mouth to speak, but she wasn't done yet. She poked her finger into his chest to punctuate her next statement. "And by the way, I guess it would be too much to ask that you thank me for saving your life. Oh, I'm sure you had the whole situation under control. You didn't need the distraction I provided by sticking said dagger into Vierig's leg. But I would love to hear your explanation for how you could've beaten Vierig lying flat on your back, unarmed, with his sword headed for your chest. It seems to me you needed my interference, Viking, and you're just too damned proud to admit it! Now give me that stupid dagger!" They stood so close together that Candy could feel Dolph's hot breath on her face. His eyes were shards of emerald-green ice; hers, sapphire-blue fire. Their faces flushed with the same hue of anger. Those of his warriors who heard it swore that Dolph's shout of 'No!' loosened the hold of several stars on the sky; and when Star's scream of 'You stubborn ass!" followed, the unlucky celestial bodies were knocked from

the heavens. It was at this point that those of Vierig's men who were not too sotted to do so started to stir in response to all the noise, and Felix felt it necessary to intrude on the lover's quarrel. In telling the story later, he would shamelessly admit he would rather have taken on ten men with nothing but a dagger than stepped into that tent. But, being the brave warrior, and loyal friend, that he was, Felix gently pushed the flap aside and eased his face through the opening. "Dolph." Dolph grabbed Star by the shoulders and pushed her behind him, at the same time bringing his sword to bear on the as yet unknown intruder. His warrior's instincts quickly identified Felix, and he lowered his sword and gave his friend what he thought was a welcoming smile. What Felix saw was anything but welcoming. It looked more like the snarl of an angry animal. Felix had seen Star trip over Vierig's body as Dolph put himself between her and the unknown danger. After a bit of flailing, she regained her balance, and Felix wondered if Dolph realized what peril he faced from his back. But, he thought with a smile, this was one battle his friend would have to fight alone. Candy had recognized Felix's voice, and even if she hadn't, she didn't figure Vierig's men would be calling Dolph by his name. Therefore, she decided Dolph had used the opportunity to manhandle her. After all, he had been losing the argument. Once she was sure she wasn't going to take a header onto the field-bed, she turned back toward Dolph, carefully stepping over Vierig, and slapped that great Viking warrior soundly between the shoulder blades. The crack sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet tent. If the situation had not called for haste and silence, Felix would have laughed out loud at the look on his friend's face. As his lady made her displeasure with him known in her ever-gentle manner, Dolph closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. He looked at Felix with a comical, almost pleading expression. Then his eyebrow slowly arched, his lips rising to match, and he shrugged his shoulders. "Dolph, Vierig's men stir. We had best be off." A mumbled, "If you ask me, which nobody ever does, you're already off. Way off!" told them that Star's temper was simmering down. Dolph spoke to his second-in-command in a quiet, authoritative voice. "I'll take the lead. Keep Star between us. We follow the original plan." Felix gave one crisp nod of his head. After a quick glance outside to see that all was clear, he held the flap open so Dolph and Star could pass. As she walked past him, Star gave Felix a slight smile and whispered, "Hi, Felix." He responded with a smile, "Hello, Star." Star was immediately surprised by the fact that Dolph was walking right through the middle of the enemy camp as if he owned it. Had he forgotten where he was? She was about to ask about 'the plan' when three obviously drunken Vikings came staggering toward them. Before she knew what was happening, Felix had come up behind her and slipped his hands around to cup her breasts. Before she could emit more than a squeak of protest, Dolph was kissing her, manhandling her buttocks and pulling her tight against his hard crotch. Candy was so outraged, not to mention confused, that she just went with her instincts and brought up her knee. Dolph side-stepped and laughed, which brought an answering chuckle from one of the warriors passing by. "Need any help with that wench? She looks to be a bit feisty." Dolph laughed again, a lewd, drunken laugh and grabbed his crotch. His words were slightly slurred. "I've the cure for her spirit right here. Come on, wench, you need a good ride to calm you." Crazy as it was, Candy thought she understood Dolph's plan now. He was relying on the theory of 'hide in plain sight'. It seemed to be working. The three enemy warriors staggered off, mumbling obscene comments and suggestions for how Dolph should handle her. As soon as they were gone, Felix took his position on her flank. Walking as though she were a little perturbed, which, in fact, she was, Candy looked up at Dolph. "You could have filled me in on the plan beforehand, you know. And you," she turned on Felix, "was that really necessary?" Felix grinned impishly. "Probably not." She felt Dolph's strong arm wrap possessively around her shoulders, drawing her attention back to his slightly scratchy square jaw, and beautifully formed lips. "You'll have to forgive him, Star," he gave Felix a frown that held little malice, "he is a Viking, unable to

resist the opportunity to fondle a woman." Dolph shrugged and smiled down at her. "It's a genetic thing. One which, should he ever give in to it again where you are concerned," he glared at his friend over her head, a not altogether jesting look, "will surely cost him his life." Felix smiled and shrugged. The rest of the plan went picture perfect. Garth the Strong and Ulrich started a fire near the horses which caused a lot of snorting and rearing and made most of the camp that could still walk come to their rescue. Victor and Rain were waiting at the east edge of Vierig's camp to cover their backs as they left, although there was really no need. They all regrouped at the pond. By that time, Candy was dog-tired. She didn't think she could walk another step and she told Dolph so. He just smiled with that indulgent look that made her want to slap him and lifted her into his arms like a baby. She was going to protest, she really was, but she fell asleep before she could think of the right words. As Dolph looked down at the beautiful woman sleeping so innocently in his arms, her small hand resting on his chest, he knew that he had a decision to make. His chest clenched, even as he pulled Star closer to the heart she surely owned. Deep in that heart, he felt a fissure beginning to form, for he knew what he must do.

Chapter 19 Candy awoke tucked cozily in Dolph's bed on board the ship. She was a bit confused as to how she had gotten there. She remembered snuggling into Dolph's arms after he played He-man when she complained about being forced to walk across half a planet while she was wounded and probably getting infected by some alien fungus. She had a vague memory of that light-headed feeling she always got when they beamed aboard the ship. Oh, well. She knew she was safe here, so she turned over and thought about going back to sleep. Dolph came into the room with a determined stride and a rather sour, maybe even angry, expression. Candy immediately wondered if she had done something to make him mad that she couldn't even remember. She decided to test the waters carefully. "Hi, honey. What's going on?" Dolph's eyes snapped to her face as soon as she uttered a sound. She wasn't sure what it was that she glimpsed in that unguarded moment before the veil of manly pride slammed shut over his eyes. Sorrow? Pain? Whatever it was, it made her slightly uneasy. He came to her and sat on the edge of the bed. Taking her hand in his, he tried not to look too concerned as he asked, "How do you feel?" "I'm fine. How are you?" "Your back healed well," he was so matter-of-fact Candy was really starting to worry. As he continued, his business-like attitude gave way to a quiet, brooding one. "There will be no scar, no lasting effects of your adventure. This time." Star squinted at him as though she were trying to see something far away. Dolph correctly guessed that she was trying to peer into his mind and figure out exactly what was going on in there. He made the decision to come out and tell her rather than endure her merciless questioning. Dolph stood and stepped away from the bed. He took a deep breath, then turned and looked down at her with such a detached expression that Candy sat up in the bed, her beautiful face reflecting her concern. "Dolph, what is it, what happened while I was asleep? Did they attack? Is Kirk alright? Why are we...? Dolph held his palm toward her in an unspoken request for silence. Even though that was one of the autocratic things he did that made her crazy, Candy decided to shut-up and give him his way this time. "Star, be quiet and listen. The doctor informed me that if Vierig's blade had gone an inch deeper, it would have severed your spine, either killing you instantly or crippling you for the rest of your life. You lost so much blood that you slept for 16 hours." He looked at the ground and spoke as if to himself. "I should never have taken you on this campaign." He lifted his eyes back to hers and once again she saw that indescribable look that he had worn when he first realized that she was awake. This time, he couldn't completely blank it out. "My father took my mother from a time on Earth when women were just beginning to feel their independence. Most, like Maddy, were still content to stay at home, caring for their husbands and children. Though mother had spirit, she had no desire for adventure." The ghost of a smile touched his lips. "In my arrogance, I thought that I would be enough adventure for you, Star. Being my woman, bearing and raising my children, that would be all the life you would need. I was wrong." His eyes glowed now with so much love that Candy felt a lump forming in her throat. "You thirst for excitement like a warrior thirsts for battle. You've shown courage, cunning, even a bit of bloodthirstiness. If you were a man, I would be happy to have you fight by my side. Here," he spread his hand to indicate the bed in which Candy lay, "you are all a man could wish for. And here," he brought his clenched fist to his chest, "you are a conqueror. My heart will be your trophy till the day I draw my last breath." Suddenly Dolph spun away from the bed. Pulling both fists to his chest and throwing back his head, he yelled at the ceiling, a wordless sound of anguish. He turned back to her, unshed tears of emotional torture shining in his eyes. Candy started to get out of bed. Whatever was hurting him, she was sure she could help, even if she just put her arms around him and told him it would be okay. As soon as her hand touched his chest, Dolph pulled her into his arms so hard she heard the smack of her chest hitting his. Those bands of steel that passed for arms tightened and he lifted her off the ground. Before she knew it, his lips were devouring her. It could barely be called a kiss. Dolph seemed to be trying to take her into himself; to smell, taste, touch

every inch of her body. Candy knew what the romance novels meant when they said the hero worshipped the heroine. Dolph held her molded to his body, her feet dangling inches above the floor, while he kissed her lips, her neck, her breasts, everything he could reach. When he got frustrated because he couldn't reach any lower, he fell back onto the bed, taking her with him. He quickly rolled her beneath him, never letting the contact of their bodies be broken. His knees pushed her legs apart as his hands caressed her breasts in a just-this-side-of-rough fashion. Then he raised himself onto his knees above her and, grasping the neck of his jumpsuit, tore the interfering material from his body. Candy barely noticed. She reached for him, trying at the same time to think, to catch her breath. But as his lips descended to her breasts and his tongue laved the distended tips, each in turn, she decided that thinking, and breathing for that matter, was highly overrated. Sensation was all that mattered. Feeling Dolph's massive chest expand against her fingertips, his lips moving lower on her torso, each flick of his tongue Heaven and Hell combined, this was all that existed in the universe at the moment. Candy gasped as his hands gripped her thighs and thrust them apart. She didn't have time to even try to get herself under control before his tongue plunged into the dense fur between her legs and she was arching her back to give him better access. A scream of surprised pleasure escaped her throat. Before she met Dolph, she might have been embarrassed by that show of abandon, but she knew he would find it exciting, that it would increase his pleasure to know that she was losing control. Knowing that, Candy didn't try to remain civilized, she just let go. With that release of control came an explosion of pleasure that released a liquid fire where his lips and tongue were coaxing her to life. Moaning in ecstasy, she reached blindly for him. His glorious hair filtered through her fingers, the silky strands fluttering against her palms and giving her one more sensation to add to all the others that were threatening to overload her system. She could feel the pressure beginning to build inside her, but she didn't want to experience it alone. At this minute, she wanted more than anything to be connected to Dolph, to feel him losing his mind while she lost her own. When Star grasped his head between her palms and pulled, a sound that vaguely resembled his name slipping from between her lips, Dolph couldn't resist any longer. His throbbing erection had long ago reached the point of pain, but he still wanted to prolong this moment, to listen to Star's moans and screams of ecstasy just a little while longer. He wanted to memorize every inch of her, every smell, every taste. He couldn't get enough of her. His slid his finger into her wet warmth and felt the spasms that drove her ever closer to her climax. His warrior's control snapped. He thrust himself up her body, raising his chest on his elbows to keep from crushing her. Star's beautiful legs wrapped around his hips, her back arched. Dolph closed his eyes and held his breath as his shaft slid easily into her welcoming body. Focused as he was, he felt every inch of himself being consumed and ignited by his magnificent lover. Her muscles tightened around him and he exhaled in a growl. Dolph flattened his palms on the bed and lifted his upper body into the air. From here he could watch Star. As he thrust deeply into her, Star arched and dropped back her head. She was so beautiful, so responsive, matching his every move with one of her own until he thought he could see the gates of Valhalla opening before him. He heard her breath catch, felt the strong spasms of her climax begin. Star lifted her head and their eyes locked and held, sapphire blue and emerald green clashing in aqua pleasure. She grabbed his hips, her nails digging into the hard flesh, her legs seizing him in a nearly painful grip. A scream of pure pleasure started deep in her throat and eased its way upward until it filled the air with sound, shattering his control. For the first time in his life, Dolph felt the demon berserker enter his mind and body when he was not on the battlefield. And he welcomed it, somehow knowing that it presented no danger to Star, perhaps because she was possessed by one of her own. She was surely a Valkyrie sent to take him to Valhalla. As he wrapped his arms around her and plunged his last into her yielding body, he released all control. Nothing touched his mind but the pleasure. His massive body shook with the power of his climax, and his seed exploded into Star like molten lava. Keeping her wrapped securely in his arms, Dolph rolled to his side. Other than tightening her arms around his back, Star was as limp as a rag doll. They lay like that for an untold time. A beeping forced Dolph to untangle himself from Star so that he could answer the intercom. She let him go with a little mew of displeasure, her smile radiant. "Commander, we're orbiting Earth." Dolph felt as though he had just been punched in the gut. He took a deep painful breath.

"Maintain orbit until further notice." Star gave a lazy, quizzical tilt of her head. She sounded a little sleepy. "Earth? My Earth?" Dolph smiled. "Yes, love, your Earth." She turned onto her back and stretched like a contented cat. "Um. What are we doing here? Don't tell me, I made such a great impression on your guys that there's gonna be a run on Earth women." Dolph wondered how much truth there might be to that. His men did like Star. Her spirit and way with words would be the stuff of many songs, he was sure. Pulling on another jumpsuit, he prepared to leave. At the door, he turned and drank what he knew would be his last of her smiling face. "Star, I can't leave you at my home and make a prison of my love. I can't take you with me to have curiosity and boredom lead you to die in my arms on some godforsaken planet. You were right, the time might come when I was not there to rescue you. I love you too much to see you hate me, or to see you hurt or killed because of me." Sudden terror gripped Candy in its steely jaws. She sat up. "Dolph..." Dolph shook his head. His tone brooked no opposition. "My decision is made. The clothes you came with have been repaired. They are in the closet. Put them on and I will return for you shortly." With that, he turned away from her and left the room. *** Candy sat and stared at the closed door for several minutes, too stunned to move. Her thoughts were a jumble of emotions - pain, anger, confusion. Dolph was throwing her back, like some fish that he had suddenly decided was too small to keep. He said he loved her; then, in the same sentence, said goodbye. Did men have any feelings, any real heart? Or were they just rutting machines that used women until they got in the way of their future plans? Though tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, anger was actually winning in her heart. Candy would be damned if she were going to be tossed out of Dolph's life like yesterday's garbage! Not without a fight that he'd remember for the rest of his miserable life! She found her clothes in the closet, just as he'd said she would. Candy couldn't find any evidence that they had ever been torn. They looked good as new. With the beginnings of a downhill slide into melancholy, Candy remembered how Dolph had torn them from her body the first time they had had sex. Though not a particularly pleasant memory in itself, it led to other, more agreeable memories which Candy didn't wish to ponder right now. Her anger returned and a growl escaped her when she saw that those were the only clothes available to her in said closet, unless she wanted to wear his. Dolph wasn't taking any chances that she might dare to disobey him. Which, of course, she would have done if the circumstances had been different. But since she didn't want to face him naked, she dressed in her black jeans and red shirt and waited for him to return. Dolph stood on the bridge, his black mood clearly visible in his deeply furrowed brow and tight-lipped frown. None of his men wished to cross him while his temper simmered so close to the surface. They all knew why they were here and most of them were unhappy themselves. They had enjoyed Star's presence, they didn't wish to see her go. Most were puzzled by Dolph's actions, they wondered why he didn't just take Star home and give her children. Surely that would settle her down. Only the few warriors whose women had claimed their hearts could come close to understanding. They knew that Star had a wild, untamed spirit, one that might not take well to life as a homebound warrior's wife. Whatever Dolph's reasons, his crew would be sad to say goodbye to his beautiful, laughing Star. "Commander, we're over Las Vegas." Dolph's tone was hollow, empty. "Hold our position. Notify Oleg that we will be dropping Star in ten minutes." Dolph inhaled deeply, rolling his shoulders and squaring his jaw. He left the bridge as though he were going to the toughest battle of his life. In his heart, he knew that he was going to lose this one. She was waiting for him when he opened the door, not teary eyed and pleading, as he had feared, but

pacing with fury. He was barely through the door when she turned on him like a bull charging the matador's cape. "You know, you men make me so angry I can understand genocide. You are definitely another species, the rough draft. Women are the improved model. You don't make any sense. One minute you love me, the next you never want to see me again. You do realize that doesn't make a lot of sense?" As she stopped for a breath, Dolph took the opportunity to speak. "I have explained myself as thoroughly as I intend to, Star. Perhaps someday, when you are less emotional, you will understand." Fire blazed anew in her sapphire eyes. Her voice rose as she spoke. "Don't you dare pull that 'is it PMS, dear' bull on me! I am not emotional!" At his arched eyebrow, Candy took a deep breath and used both hands to place her hair behind her shoulders. Continuing to glare at him, she exhaled slowly, trying to let some of the anger drain out with the breath. It must have worked. She spoke in a more controlled, and quieter, tone. "Okay, I am a little upset. But I am not emotional. I'm not crying. Do you see a tear on this face?" She touched her cheek with her fingertip, then turned the same finger to the sky in a 'see' gesture. "No, you do not. And do you know why?" Dolph knew by this point that he was not supposed to answer these questions, so he didn't try. "Because, for once in this interesting relationship, I'm going to try to have a civilized discussion. Please, sit down. You know how I hate it when you tower over me like some gargoyle." She sat on the bed near the headboard and motioned for him to take a seat near the foot. With a sigh of frustration, Dolph sat. Star was going to try to talk him out of sending her home. It would be very difficult to deny her, especially when his heart wasn't in it. He silently asked the gods for the strength to do what his mind knew was best, but his heart fought at every turn. Candy decided she was going to keep her calm if it killed her. She was fighting for the most important thing in her life, and she didn't want to lose because her temper got the best of her and led her to try to brain the arrogant man before her. She was pleased with the calm, reasonable tone of her voice. "Dolph, I never thought I'd say this, but I have absolutely no desire to go home. I mean, back to Earth. My home is with you now. I know I've had one or two adjustment problems, but I'm working on it. It isn't easy, you know. I have to drop back several centuries in women's thinking, and forward who knows how far in science. It's like 'Star Trek' meets 'Leave it to Beaver'." The corners of his mouth tipped upward the tiniest bit. Candy smiled inwardly, thinking maybe she had him on the run. "Your men like me. And, if you think about it, I didn't really cause any trouble, I was just there when it came to visit," she held up her hands, "I know, I know, that's what worries you. But, Dolph, everything came out okay. I didn't get killed, not even by you in a bad mood. We beat Vierig. And, aside from a few minor problems, it was fun." "You could have been killed, or worse." Candy rolled her eyes and flipped her hands toward the ceiling. "That is such a man thing to say. Whenever another man gets near your woman there is suddenly something worse than dying. Personally, I always figured as long as I'm alive, I'm ahead of the game. But, that's beside the point. Dolph," she moved closer to him, taking his hand in her own and gazing into his eyes. Her voice was a low caress that Dolph found difficult to resist, "I love you. And you say you love me. If we've got that we can handle anything." She was so beautiful, her silver tresses shining like the stars he had named her for. Unbidden, a vision of her magnificent mane coated in blood from the wound given to her by Vierig's sword came to his mind. The doctor's words, 'another inch would have plucked this Star from the sky', roared in his head. And the memory of his mother - his loving, vibrant mother - cold and dead because she had wanted so much to please her husband, closed his heart to Star's pleading. He would not see her dead because he was not strong enough to let her go. Dolph pulled his hand from her grip and stood so suddenly that Candy wondered if something had bitten him. She didn't like the determined look on his face. She didn't think it boded well for her. "You have not proven to be acceptable as my wife." His voice was cold, cruel. "I have decided that I am not ready to take a bride as yet." Candy stood and faced him. She prayed to find the right thing to say, but she could feel him slipping

away. Desperation colored her words. "What about your promise to your father? You promised him that you'd find a wife, Kirk told me." Dolph looked down at her with an imperious frown. "I will keep my word to Roarke in my own good time. When I do, I will find a woman who will be content to be my wife and the mother of my children without quarrel. Argue no longer, woman, you begin to get on my nerves. Come." He reached for her hand, but Candy stepped away from him. "No! I think you're full of it, Dolph! I think you're trying to hurt me so it will be easier for me to forget you, or some such crap that your male mind has come up with. Well, it's not going to work, do you hear me?" She was screaming now, near hysteria, her heart breaking, her chest near to exploding with the pain. "If you make me leave you, I'll never forgive you. I'll go to my death-bed cursing your name!" She raised her hands, clenched tightly into fists, and slammed them against his chest. He stood like a marble statue, making no move to stop her abuse, no emotion showing on his face. "I'll hate you, you bastard, I'll hate you till the day I die!" Sobs wracked her body as she collapsed against him. He wrapped his arms around her just tightly enough to keep her from falling to the floor. Though his heart had shattered into a million pieces when the first tear had coursed down her cheek, he allowed none of his pain to show. In a voice of soft command, he spoke to the air above her head. "So be it."

Chapter 20 Candy couldn't remember when she had ever been this exhausted. She felt like she had been put through an old wringer washer, her body and mind squashed out flat like some unfortunate cartoon character. She hung limply in Dolph's arms for what seemed like an eternity, her broken heart spilling tears down her face until the front of his jumpsuit was drenched. When the torrent had finally subsided, Dolph gently lowered her to the bed and handed her a handkerchief. Candy blew her nose and dabbed at her eyes, her mind working feverishly, trying to come up with some way to make Dolph keep her here. Looking down at the piece of cloth she held in her hand brought a sudden idea. Star's eyes shone with more than tears when she suddenly lifted her face to look into Dolph's eyes. He hoped that she had accepted her fate. The expectant note in her voice dispelled that hope. "Dolph, how important are those flag things you guys lug around with you?" Dolph's eyebrows arched in surprise at this seemingly left-field question. He knew Star was upset, but he didn't want to believe her mind was slipping in her distress. Still, she rarely made sense to him even when she was making sense to herself, so he decided to humor her. "Very important. The warrior who holds the flags commands the ships." Star smiled cautiously. "Even if he got the flags in a less than honest manner?" She extended the word in a sly manner that piqued Dolph's curiosity. What was the little minx up to now? "Any warrior can challenge his commander to battle. The victor commands the ship. Why? What is this about, Star?" She raised her hands. "Just give me a minute, it'll make sense." Though he doubted that would ever happen, Dolph remained patient. "You Vikings are greedy, right? Never mind, plead the fifth, I already know the answer. What if I could offer you a bribe to let me stay with you, something you would really like?" Dolph started to shake his head. "Star..." Star jumped to her feet, animation lighting the eyes that had so recently lost their warm glow. "Hear me out, Dolph. You don't want me getting killed on some battlefield because I was tagging along with you 'cause I'm your woman. Right?" Dolph crossed his arms over his chest and gave a curt nod. Candy shook her head at his show of stubbornness and continued. "If you ask me, that's a kind-of dumb way to think. If I get killed it'll be because it's my time to die." He opened his mouth to defend his belief but she raised her voice to avoid the interruption she had anticipated. "But, since you don't see it that way, we'll play by your rules for the moment. Just suppose that I had something to offer you in return for another week in your illustrious presence. Not as your woman, just as a guest in your camp, an observer." Star's excitement showed as she warmed to her subject. "You wouldn't have to worry about me, I'd be on my best behavior. And I'd take care of Silky. Kirk has a lot of other things to do, and Silky needs a full-time babysitter." 'Like someone else I know,' Dolph thought with a slight smile. "Come on, Dolph, one week, surely you could stand an unacceptable woman," the hurt that comment had caused closed her throat for the briefest of seconds, causing her to swallow hard before going on, "for that long in order to profit big-time, right?" Dolph sighed. "Star, you have nothing to offer me. Even if you did, what would stop me taking it from you?" A triumphant grin lit her pretty lips as she placed her hands on her hips. Her tone was smug enough to make Dolph narrow his eyes. "Because you don't know where it is." Dolph wondered if he were merely stalling, avoiding the moment when he would send her away, even as he continued to pursue this elusive prey.

"Very well. For the moment, let us say that you know the whereabouts of something that I would like very much to get my hands on, and you would trade this knowledge for another week with me. Why? At the end of the week, the result would be the same. I would return you to Earth." Star's eyelids lowered seductively as she reached up and stroked his neck, trailing her fingers through the exposed hair on his chest. Dolph felt his loins begin to tighten in response to the promise held in that touch. The silken caress of her voice heated his blood even further. "I intend to make it absolutely impossible for you to let me go. To prove to you that no other woman will ever do it for you like I can. Do we have a deal?" Dolph's voice lowered to match hers as other parts of him raised in response to her closeness. "That depends. What do you offer?" Candy stretched up onto her toes and pressed her lips to his. She ran her tongue lightly over his lips, feeling quite pleased with herself when he shivered slightly. Her self-congratulations were short-lived however. He pushed her back so that he could look down at her. "What do you offer," his voice took on an edge of steel, "that I cannot take?" Between his arrogant tone and the implication behind the question, Candy had to fight the urge to slap his face. She stepped away from him and narrowed her eyes. So much for seduction. Right now, greed was the way to this man's heart. Fine, if she could pull this off, she could work on seduction later. For now, she would be all business. "What happened to your battle with Vierig's men?" Once again, Star's train of thought escaped him. Dolph sighed, thinking he would need more than one lifetime to understand the workings of her mind. "I left Felix in charge. Vierig's men will follow his second-in-command. As soon as we finish here, I will return, resume command and finish it." "Does this second-in-command get Vierig's flags, a.k.a. his ships? Is that why Vierig's men will follow him?" Dolph gave a sharp nod, his brow furrowing with curiosity. "That's right." Candy took a deep breath, zeroing in for the kill. "What if he couldn't? What if you had the flags? Wouldn't that end the fight?" Dolph allowed his eyes to momentarily lower to the ground as comprehension dawned. He knew what his lady was up to. And he knew how to send her away hating him. That was the only way to keep her from suffering the pain of their separation, to make her glad that he had returned her to Earth and left her there alone. With a determined mind, and a heavy heart, he lifted his eyes to once again meet her hopeful countenance. "If no challenge were issued, I would assume command of his warriors without further bloodshed." Dolph kept to the basics, figuring a more detailed answer would keep him tied up in her questions till the stars burned out. Raising her finger toward the ceiling, she said with a flourish, "that is what I'm offering - Vierig's flags!" Now that he had decided on a course of action, Dolph could play the game as a Viking warrior. He arched one eyebrow, his tone sly. "And where might these flags be?" Candy shook her head. "Oh, no, you don't. Do we have a deal?" "A week?" She bobbed her head, her countenance growing steadily happier. Dolph had never felt less of a man than he did at this moment, but his expression showed nothing. He sighed exaggeratedly. "If you would cause me no difficulty, do as I say and stay out of my way, I could endure another week." He extended his hand, palm up. With his imperiously cocked eyebrow, he demanded his due. Candy grimaced, wondering why she felt as though she were not getting the good end of this deal. Her eyes dropped to Dolph's feet and slowly lifted, drinking in every inch of him. The tight crotch of his jumpsuit revealed that her seduction hadn't gone unnoticed. Or, she thought with an inner growl, was it the prospect of adding Vierig's ships to his roster that caused him to strain the material? His massive chest, covered in blonde fur, expanded with a deep breath in response to her perusal. Broad shoulders that looked like they could easily hold the weight of the world sculpted up to the heavily corded neck, shadowed by long golden hair, that held his

head at a proud, arrogant slant. His soft-peach lips were pulled thin with determination. And his eyes, those beautiful dark green pools, glowed with an inner fire, daring her to refuse him. Looking into those eyes, Candy smiled. No deal in history had ever been so sweet. She extended her hand to Dolph. "It's a deal." His mouth raised in a smile that did not reach his eyes. He took her hand in his, his palm warm against her skin. After one firm shake, he dropped her hand and placed his own on his hips. His patience was obviously reaching its end. "Where are the flags?" "In the pocket of the jumpsuit I was wearing in Vierig's camp." Dolph stepped to his chest of drawers and pressed a small indentation on the front panel. A drawer slid silently into the room. He retrieved Star's tattered jumpsuit and held it out to her. She looked at the drawer, surprise clearly evident in her slack-jawed expression. Dolph grinned. "Oh, did I forget to show you how to open your drawer?" The glare that Dolph actually found rather endearing slitted her eyes and compressed her mouth. She snatched the suit from his hand. "I guess you forgot that little bit of information." Noting the wretched condition of the garment, Candy raised a questioning brow. "Why'd you keep this thing? It's seen better days." "I thought you might be nostalgic." Dolph shrugged, not wishing to examine his reasons too closely in the fear that he would find himself the sentimental fool. Candy looked at the rend that Vierig's sword had made in the material. 'Not to mention my back,' she thought with a grimace. In response to Dolph's supposition that she might be nostalgic she mumbled, "not bloody likely." Reaching into the pocket, she pulled out a bundle of crushed cloth. With a look of rebellious triumph, she handed it to Dolph. He recognized the material as that used in the flags of Viking ships. After what had happened the last time, he couldn't help but wonder why she would ever touch another flag. "What are you doing with these?" "Like another arrogant Viking I know, Vierig assumed that I would be too frightened of him to dare touch anything. So, when he left me alone in his tent, I immediately checked out his war chest for weapons, of course." "Of course," Dolph mumbled under his breath. The crinkling of her nose told him she'd heard. "I took those because I wanted to dunk them in mud or something but I was too busy planning my escape. I figured I'd do it when I got a minute. When you showed up, things got a little hectic and I forgot all about them." Candy pushed the drawer shut, then pressed the magic button and smiled like a happy child as the drawer did its automatic thing. She laid her folded jumpsuit inside, then pushed the drawer closed with a satisfied grin. Dolph laid the flags out on the bed, running his hand over them in an effort to remove some of the wrinkles. He sighed and frowned, a look that didn't concern her in the least because by now she knew his real frowns and this wasn't one of them. This was one of those man expressions that meant he really thought she was cute, but knew he should be mad so he was frowning. He gathered the flags together, then, directing another glare in Star's direction, folded them and pushed them into his pocket. She shrugged. "Well I couldn't exactly bring along their carrying case, you know. Besides, they belonged to Vierig, and he was not on my 'A' list. I didn't really care if they got so wrinkled they looked like raisins. So, are we going back to the battle now?" For one weak moment, Dolph considered changing his mind, keeping her and letting the fates fall as they may. One quick flash of memory, blood stained silver strands, chased that thought from his mind. He knew he must play this to the hilt, even if it tore his soul from his body. Straightening, he raised his chin, his attitude and tone that of the triumphant warrior. "I am returning to the battle." He wrapped his hand in a grip of steel around her upper arm, nearly lifting her off the floor as he propelled her toward the door. She was too stunned to even stand her ground. They were out the door before she protested. "Hey, where are we going? And do you mind if I arrive with my arm intact?" Dolph lessened the pressure on her arm the slightest bit. She was trying to plant her feet, but against his persistence it was like an ant trying to stop a tiger. He almost smiled as he realized that her feet were sliding along the corridor.

Candy didn't understand what was going on. One minute they were making a deal, the next she was shoeskating down the hall. Had she missed something? She wasn't sure whether to panic or get mad. "Excuse me. Would you mind cutting the 'silent tough-guy' routine long enough to tell me what's going on?" Dolph stopped and released her so suddenly that she almost fell down. She felt she recovered well, though, placing her palm against the wall to steady herself. She glared up into his face, indignant. "Thank you very much!" Dolph crossed his arms over his chest. "I have wasted enough time with you, woman. You are a nuisance that I am about to be rid of." Candy felt the fear returning full-force. "Wait a minute. We had a deal!" Dolph's lips spread in a predatory smile she had never seen before. His voice was a low, angry hiss. "You little fool! Vikings don't make deals with women. We take whatever we want, by fair means or foul, it doesn't matter. Women are the most double-dealing creatures in the universe! You are to be used when the need arises, then cast aside if you become too troublesome." He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her onto her toes to bring her face closer to his. "You are too troublesome by half! Your performance in bed is passably pleasant, but I can easily find another to replace you. One who will be a proper woman." He pushed her away from his body, insuring that she hit the wall with just enough force to let her know he was serious. The pain in her tear-shimmered eyes brought an answering agony from somewhere deep inside him the likes of which he had never felt. Her soft, emotion-choked whisper held all that she was feeling: confusion, shock, fear and, most of all, pain. "But I love you, Dolph. Please!" The great Viking warrior clenched his jaw, an outer reflection of the tightening of his inner control. If he didn't get her out of his sight soon, he knew he would never be able to let her go. He took her arm again, more gently this time, and turned her toward the transporter room. She offered no resistance. She walked as if in a daze, staring straight ahead as they entered the room and he placed her in position to return to her home. As he started to step away from her, she grabbed the sleeve of his jumpsuit. He had to strain to hear her whispered question. "Will you ever come back?" Dolph marveled at her indomitable spirit and optimism. Even after all the horrible things he had said to her, her voice was still woven with a tiny thread of hope. As he pried her fingers from the cloth, he did his best to tell her he was through with her. "No, Candy, I will not." Hearing her given name from his lips, she flinched as if he had struck her. Taking a deep breath, she straightened, her eyes clearing and regaining their focus. Her voice was a little stronger, as she tried desperately to regain her dignity. "Fine. I won't bother putting you on my Christmas card list then. It was great playing Star Trek with you, Randolph. Give everyone my best wishes." Her eyes suddenly flared with sapphire flames, and her voice rose several decibels. "You lying, treacherous son-of-a-bitch! I hope you die in some horrible dark place with just your warrior's pride for company! And I hope your sword is so far away you can't get to it. You're gonna miss me, Dolph!" Tears streamed down her face, but she just brushed them away with a quick move of her hand. The strain of holding back sobs showed in every line, every move of her face and body. She glared at Dolph when he gave the order to drop her. As the light-headedness of the drop began, he could see her control break, and he knew that she would enter her world sobbing her heart out from the pain he had caused her. Dolph was only vaguely aware of the transporter shutting down and Olaf leaving the room. Star's tearstreaked face remained in his vision long after she was gone. As his own tears finally escaped his hold, he reached out to the specter in his mind and moaned as it disappeared. His hand fell limply to his side. Dropping his head back, he closed his eyes, his whisper for his ears only. "Goodbye, Star. My lady. My love."

Chapter 21 Candy wasn't sure where she was. It was very dark, and she felt as though she were inside the stomach of some beast. She reached out and her fingertips hit something hard and damp. She squinted, trying to narrow her vision but it did no good. She still couldn't see far beyond the tip of her nose. Keeping her hand against the unknown surface, she took several cautious steps forward. Whatever path she was following twisted and turned, confusing her even more, if that were possible. The last thing she remembered was...Dolph! That slime, that bottom-dwelling cretin! She never wanted to see him again, never! Oh, who was she kidding? If he were standing in front of her right now she would probably... "Kick him, that's what I'd do." The sound of her own voice was as comforting as ever. She never had been able to make her mother understand that talking to herself wasn't a sign of mental illness, as her mom had feared; though, at this point, Candy was not at all certain of her own mental stability. Carrying on a conversation with the air was just a way to keep from getting too lonely. And right now, she desperately needed to feel as though she had a friend beside her. She rounded a corner and entered a room that was filled with light. Candy grimaced with annoyed confusion as she realized she was inside some kind of cave. Was this a ship malfunction or had Dolph sent her to a cave? Why? Had he really been so thoroughly finished with her that he wanted her to rot in some desolate cavern? Stepping into the large room, Candy marveled at the light that seemed to be coming from the walls. She had heard of caves being lit by phosphorescent deposits on the walls. She guessed that explained the light here. If the situation had been different, she might have found it beautiful. As it was, her annoyance and threatening fear made her a tad indifferent to the splendor of nature. "Star?" Candy's breath caught in her throat as that familiar voice shocked her immobile. The paralysis only lasted a heartbeat. Then she was whirling around to confront the bastard who had broken her heart. "You son-of-a..." The condemnation died on her tongue as she saw Dolph lying on the floor of the cave, blood spilling through the fingers of the hand he had pressed to his abdomen. Feeling her world narrow to the small patch of dirt and rock where he lay, Candy took a faltering step toward her love. "Star, I'm sorry." His voice, once so strong and vibrant, was now barely a breath. Candy's throat constricted as sobs and words fought for superiority. "Dolph...?" He coughed in answer, blood slipping from one corner of his mouth. As she began to kneel beside him, he held up his hand to stop her. "Star, my sword. Please, love." Candy followed his pointing finger to where his sword lay on the ground several feet away. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. As she bent to retrieve it, a black-gauntleted fist closed around the hilt and lifted. Candy raised her head to find Vierig standing within inches of her. She gasped and stepped backward. The only logical explanation came quickly to her mind. "A dream, this must be a dream." She pointed an accusing finger at the black-clad Viking warrior. "You're dead!" Vierig's long black hair flew as he dropped back his head and laughed. His ebony eyes trapped hers in their vengeful gaze. "A dream? Or dead? Which is it, Beauty?" He brought Dolph's sword slicing across Candy's forearm, the all-to-real stinging pain bringing renewed clarity to her foggy brain. "Viking medicine is beyond your meager understanding, Beauty. Did you think I would allow this," he pointed the sword at Dolph and sneered, "weakling to kill me?" His hate-filled glare returned to her. His voice lowered to a hiss. "You thought to steal from me? Vierig, the greatest Viking warrior that ever lived? You sought to dishonor me and take from me the symbols of my leadership. For that, I brought you to watch the disgrace of this worm you took to your thighs."

Like a cobra, Vierig's arm snaked out to grab Candy around the waist and drag her up against his body. All along her back, she felt the painful impact with his rigid body-armor. Holding her secure with one massive arm, he pointed again with Dolph's sword. "See him there, Beauty? See his blood spilling out onto the already soaked ground?" Dolph stretched out his hand to Vierig. His neck and shoulder were stained with the blood that ran from his mouth. Candy knew deep in her heart that no one could bleed that much and still have a long life expectancy. She struggled with all her might but to no avail. Vierig was so strong! In answer to her screamed, "Let me go!" his laughter filled the cavern. "Watch, Beauty, watch as your great Viking lover dies like the coward he is. No sword, no glory." As Candy stood helplessly in Vierig's grip, Dolph's hand fell slowly to the ground. His beautiful green eyes, dull now with impending death, pleaded with her, for what she wasn't sure. He smiled, a weak gesture. "You got your wish, Star." An obviously painful cough interrupted him. "Look away, love." Suddenly, Candy remembered her wish that Dolph die in some cold, dark place without his sword. An anguished scream tore its way from her throat and, with a strength she hadn't known she possessed, she pulled herself out of Vierig's hold. Throwing herself to the ground next to Dolph, she screamed, "I didn't mean it, Dolph. I love you." She stared down into lifeless pools of the deepest green. He hadn't heard her. Grabbing his shoulders, she started shaking him, her screams echoing off the cave walls. "Dolph...Dolph, please come back. Dolph!" Candy awoke clutching her tear-soaked pillow, her screams filling the empty apartment. Anger-at herself for continuing to have the same stupid nightmares for weeks; at Dolph for destroying what they had, or what she thought they had, without even a backward glance-flared inside her brain. With a shouted, "damn it!" she flung the pillow across the room. The clock on the bedside table said 6 AM. Rolling onto her stomach, Candy pulled the covers over her head and willed herself not to think about Dolph. Her thoughts obediently flowed to the memory of her return to her home. As the lightheadedness of transport left her, she realized that she was standing on the side of a freeway in bright sunshine. The pain of Dolph's betrayal swelled inside her chest and quickly spread to the rest of her body, sending her into a collapsed heap on the side of the road. She vaguely remembered the Nevada Highway Patrolman finding her there. Unable to get much of an intelligible response from her, he called an ambulance. Candy spent two days-or daze, as she thought of them now-in the hospital, trying to explain what had happened to her. At first, she had tried the truth. Big mistake! Most of those two days had been spent trying to convince the doctors that she wasn't having a psychotic episode. Finally, frustration getting the better of her, she told them that she had been abducted by a roving gang of bikers, and was just too embarrassed to admit it. That they accepted with ease, spouting a textbook full of psycho-babble about not blaming herself and extending all the offers of therapy that she could use in two lifetimes. She had never before appreciated the sunshine as much as she had the morning she stepped onto the sidewalk in front of that hospital. Still, the harsh light of day quickly drained her spirits and left Candy feeling lost and abandoned, like a runt-of-the-litter kitten dumped by the side of the road. Wondering what she was going to do now, Candy shoved her hands into her jeans pockets and found a folded bundle. Pulling it out, she saw that it was cash. Lots of cash. A bitter laugh escaped her. "Stolen, no doubt." Counting it, she found $5,000 in tens, twenties & fifties. "Five thousand. Not bad wages for a few weeks work. Especially with travel and room and board thrown in." Resisting the angry urge to throw the money into the nearest garbage can, she shoved it into her pocket and began the long climb back to a normal way of life. With a lie about experience and a short dress that she bought at the thrift store, she got a job as a cocktail waitress at The Excalibur. Using what she thought of as her 'ill-gotten gains'-the money from the Vikings (she refused to think of it as having come from Dolph)-she rented a small apartment in West Las Vegas. She bought a used car that was a disgrace to the word 'automobile', but it got her where she needed to go. Which wasn't much of anywhere, other than to work and back, and an occasional trip to the grocery store. There didn't seem to be much of anywhere she wanted to go. No matter how hard she tried, Candy just couldn't forget Dolph. Everything she saw reminded her of him. The dragons that decorated the hotel brought sharp-edged memories of Dolph decked out in his ruby-eyed-

dragon-adorned chestplate. Day and night, children ran through the casino carrying play swords won in carnivallike area in the basement. As they parried in play, Candy remembered Dolph and Vierig engaged in the real thing. Sometimes she wanted to shake those children, to tell them that it wasn't a game. Thankfully, she kept herself under control. Then there were the men, a seemingly endless stream of them propositioning her. Candy's temper was often just a whisper away. After a particularly obnoxious guy had hounded her half the night, she finally turned on him. "Look, I've been out of the country for a while. Did the word 'no' change meanings while I was gone? I can see by the stupid look on your face that it didn't. Or is that just the way you always look?" Though that had taken care of him, he had lots and lots of like-minded brethren. Candy compared each to Dolph. Of course, they all came up lacking. She knew she wasn't being fair, to them or herself, but she just couldn't help it. Not yet. 'Someday,' she promised herself, 'someday, I'll be over him.' It had been six weeks since her vision of rock-hard muscles wrapped in a golden mane had been reality and not just in her dreams. 'Someday' showed no signs of arriving.

Chapter 22 Candy groaned as the pain in her feet began to command her attention in earnest. She glanced at her watch. Two in the morning. Grimacing, she realized she still had an hour to go on her shift. She wondered if anyone would notice if she surreptitiously slipped into the nearest 'employees only' hallway and rested her feet for a second. With her luck, her boss, a neanderthal if ever there were one, would throw a surprise hallway inspection tonight. As the fiftieth flatheaded ape of the evening patted her behind, she decided to risk it. 'After all,' she thought with an evil grin, 'that would be better than buying a gun and heading for the top of the convention center.' Candy backed into the shallow indentation that led to the hallway entrance. Looking both ways in an ineffective attempt to be nonchalant, she backed through the doors. With a sigh of relief, she sat down her tray of empty glasses and stretched her hands toward the ceiling, trying, mostly in vain, to force the tension out of her muscles. She shifted from foot to foot, enjoying the respite from pain in each lifted foot, even as she suffered more agony in the doubly-taxed foot remaining on the floor. She grimaced. This was not working. Placing her back flat against the wall and slowly bending her knees, Candy slid to the floor. She put the soles of her feet together and pulled them upward, doing a pretty good imitation of a human frog. That way, she could reach both feet at once to massage the tenderness away. "And just what the hell do you think you're doin'?" The harsh, gravelly voice of her boss brought Candy's head snapping up, causing a sharp pain to generate down her spine. Mr Rizzo was not a particularly attractive man. He was slightly overweight. Who was she kidding? He could take a blue ribbon for ugliest pig at the fair. Even though everyone knew he was married, he was always hinting at the 'ways' a girl could get a raise. He wore an awful toupee that didn't quite match, in color or texture, the wisps of hair peeking out beneath it. He had a dark, oily complexion that tended toward crimson when he was angry. At the moment, he was approaching a nice shade of scarlet. He was not the kind of man you wanted to get caught alone with in a dark hallway. Trying to jump quickly to her feet, Candy forgot that she had slipped off her shoes for her foot massage. The soles of her nylon-stockinged feet slid across the bare floor as she tried to rise, sending her back to her rump like Bambi on the ice. "Get up, you lazy bitch! I ain't payin' ya ta sit there like a lump o' crap!" Mr. Rizzo's ham-hock hands closed around Candy's upper arms and squeezed painfully as he lifted her to her feet and pushed her against the wall. The look in his beady little eyes shifted from anger to lust in one fell swoop. He switched to his version of a sexy purr. Candy thought he sounded like a pig grunting through its swill. "Candy, isn't it? Yeah, Candy. So, you want a raise, Candy? Is that why you're trying to get off alone with me?" He closed the distance between their bodies, what little there had been, in a flash. Candy resisted the urge to retch as his soft belly pressed against her and his garlic-tinged breath cleared out her sinuses. She was trying to control her temper and handle this situation with the aplomb of a lady. But, damn it, her feet were killing her, her butt hurt, her neck had a crick in it, and now this obnoxious lump of jiggling Jello was giving her the mother of all headaches! He actually thought that she would stoop to a quickie in the hall for a lousy fifty-cent-an-hour raise?! His weight effectively pinning her to the wall, he brought his wet lips smashing down onto hers. That was the straw that broke the camel named Candy's back. Not even pausing to let the prospect of unemployment cross her mind, she brought her knee into direct, uncompromising contact with Mr. Rizzo's family jewels. The look on the man's face was priceless as he lunged away from her, grabbing his crotch as though he needed reassurance that it was still there. Candy smiled and narrowed her eyes. "Maybe that will teach you not to try to take advantage of helpless women." Bending to retrieve her shoes and tray, she didn't see Rizzo's huge hand clench into a fist as he pulled it toward his shoulder. She probably wouldn't have known what hit her. But the punch was never thrown. "Hold!" The command reverberated in the small hallway like a sonic boom. Candy was trying to place that familiar voice as she stood and turned toward it. The memory of a whispered 'Dolph' reached her brain at the same time as did the visual reality of Felix standing in the hall. She wondered if this were just another of her masochistic nightmares. "Felix?"

Sure enough, the Viking warrior stood before her in all his Prince Valiant glory. She had seen him cleaner. His dark hair was stringing about his shoulders, too heavy with dirt or sweat to pull itself up into its normal bob. His battle armor gleamed with blood and other substances Candy didn't want to think about. And the look in his eye boded ill for whomever it was turned upon; which, at this moment, was Mr. Rizzo. Resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, Felix gave the loathsome Italian another softly menacing command. "Leave." Only now did Candy see Mr. Rizzo's fist raised into the air where he had dutifully frozen when Felix had arrived. "You were going to hit me?! Why you...you despicable worm!" She spun around, fully meaning to give the man a piece of her mind. She never got the chance. Strong hands closed on her arms and she was firmly pushed behind an unyielding back - a position she had been in too many times in the last few months for her liking. She was about to protest when she noticed several fresh wounds on the warrior's back. One had opened anew with the exertion required to put her into this position of protection. Candy clamped her mouth tightly shut, figuring if the guy were willing to shed blood for her, the least she could do was let him play out his macho game. A quiet, stern 'Go' was followed by the opening, and quick closing, of the hall door. Some of the tension left Felix's shoulders as he turned and grinned down at her. "Forgive me, Star, for interfering in the man's being flayed alive by your tongue but," his smile faltered, "time is short." Candy tried to organize all the questions bouncing off the walls of her mind. She didn't want to open her mouth and have some jumbled nonsense fall out. As it was, the questions all came out sensibly, just at Mach 2 speed. "Felix, why are you here? How did you get here? Can you beam into a building? What's going on? Are you alone?" It suddenly dawned on her that Felix might just be the advance guard. He might not be alone. Her heart leaping into her throat, her eyes shining with hope, Candy quickly scanned the hallway for another large masculine presence. Felix did not wish to see the disappointment that would surely dull her beautiful eyes when she saw that Dolph was not with him. Perhaps shifting her attention to something else would stave off the inevitable. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lady Star, I will answer your questions as best I can while we get on our way." Keeping one hand on her shoulder, he used the other to press a button on the device hanging on his belt. Candy recognized the transporter signal beacon that let the ship know where they were and that they were ready to come aboard. She looked up at Felix. "Did Dolph send for me?" Felix was a seasoned warrior, his heart rarely touched by what went on around him, but the hope in that softly asked question caused a clenching in his chest. He must tell her the truth quickly to avoid causing her senseless pain. He faced her fully and once again placed both hands on her shoulders. "Dolph has been injured, Star. Kiarr, Vierig's second, launched an unexpected attack while we were waiting for their response to Dolph's assuming command of Vierig's ships." His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared angrily at the memory. "The cowards attacked while we slept. Though our perimeter guards saw them coming, we had little time to prepare. The battle was fierce, spreading across the land like wildfire." Regret shone in his deep brown eyes. "I tried to keep Dolph in sight, to cover his back, but...Since he sent you away he has not been himself. The berserker took him quickly and he disappeared into a sea of the enemy." A smile flitted across his features. "The sea quickly dwindled to a few useless drips beneath his sword, but he went looking for another, and another. When the battle was through..." Candy jumped slightly as the transporter tickled her vision and deposited them aboard ship, but Felix didn't miss a beat. "...I began searching for him." His tone became softer as the memories grew more painful. "He had fallen into a cave that opened onto the surface. I found him because his sword was lying on the ground beside the entrance." Star's eyes widened, becoming full moons of cobalt. Felix thought it best to complete the tale quickly. "The space was small, barely big enough to hold Dolph's bulk. He was wedged into it like a babe leaving

its mother, his arms above his head. It took me a few minutes to find another warrior in good enough shape to help me pull him from the ground. Once we had freed him, we saw that he had a leg wound. In that position, he had been unable to staunch the flow of blood. He was barely conscious." Star went pale, her complexion nearly matching her silver-blonde hair. Felix had to strain to hear her whisper. "Felix, please, just tell me he's not dead." Felix sighed and pulled her into his arms to comfort her. He didn't speak much louder than her whisper. "Nay, lady, he is not yet dead. But he is no longer fighting for life. Kirk said that Dolph is suffering from a genetic weakness, that he needed his woman to find the strength to live. It made no sense to me, but I would do anything within my power to keep my friend alive. I came straightaway to find you..." He pushed her gently away from him and tapped his ear, anticipating her curiosity. "...which I did by tracing your translator." That slight smile touched his lips again. "Tis a curious oversight on Dolph's part that it was not removed before you left." Confusion and fear showed on his face as he stared into her eyes. "Do you have any idea what foolishness the boy speaks?" Candy shook her head, her eyes glazed with shock. Dolph dying? No! She shook her head again, tears beginning to blur her vision. No, this couldn't be happening. Felix grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a hard shake. "Star! This is no time to become weak and hide behind your womanly tears! Dolph needs you!" Star blinked up at him and he watched in wonder as the fires of anger were stoked behind her eyes. She shrugged her shoulders out of his grasp and stepped away from him. "Don't yell at me, I'm thinking!" Felix gave a curt nod, not letting his smile show until Star had stepped away from him to begin pacing. Surely a woman with such fire, and such love for him, would bring Dolph back from the threshold of Valhalla! Candy pushed all thoughts of Dolph lying in a pool of blood from her mind and concentrated on what Kirk had said to Felix. A genetic weakness? She ran the story Kirk had told her about the deaths of his mother and father through her mind. What had he said about his father's death? Father...no longer had the spirit. Was that what he meant? Without her, had Dolph lost the spirit to live? Candy spun toward Felix as she snapped her fingers in the air. "That's it! There's a romantic inside that sweet kid. Felix, take me to see Dolph. I'm not about to let him die without giving a him a piece of my mind!" As Star headed toward the door out of the transporter room with Felix hot on her heals, the Viking warrior wondered if he had truly done his friend any favors.

Chapter 23 Candy, caught somewhere between dismay and fury, could not believe the sight that greeted her as she entered Dolph's room. He was lying on his bed, the deep brown fur spread beneath him resembling nothing so much as a funeral shroud. His head propped up on pillows, dressed in full battle armor with his sword by his side and his shield leaning against one hip, he looked ready to fight the Devil himself. 'Wrong religion,' Candy thought wryly, 'Viking version - ready to greet Odin and enter Valhalla.' Her throat tightened as she saw the pallor that tainted his usually beautiful golden skin. He looked nearly dead already. With one quick, deep fortifying breath, Candy strode determinedly into the room ahead of Felix. Flipping the control on the wall beside the door, she adjusted the light in the room to its brightest. Dolph's eyes squeezed more tightly shut and he turned his head to the side as if to get away from the light. He groaned softly, a sound more of disgust than pain. Felix began to protest what seemed the senselessly cruel treatment of an injured warrior, but the look Star gave him made him rethink that move. He had brought her here to help Dolph, who was he to question her methods? Still, he didn't want to watch the torture she would surely put his friend through. With a slight bow to Star, and a worried glance toward the now immobile figure lying on the bed, Felix took his leave. Dolph sensed a presence in his room. When the light flared, he thought perhaps the Valkyries had come for him. He was ready. His fist began to tighten on the hilt of his sword just as it was yanked from his grasp. A fleeting terror seized his bowels and he forced his eyes to open against the bright light. For a moment, he thought it was indeed a Valkyrie that stood before him, eyes flaring, ready for battle. Then he recognized the silverblonde mane and a soft smile touched his lips. "Perhaps the Christians are right about angels. Have you come to take me to your Christian Heaven?" His voice was weak, full of too much air and not enough muscle. Just like he had sounded in her dream right before he died. Anger and determination flared behind sapphire eyes as Candy dropped Dolph's sword to the ground. It was so heavy that was about all she could do with it. She slid her fingers under the edge of Dolph's shield and pushed, sending it crashing to the floor on the other side of the bed. She was happy to see Dolph's eyes narrow. His voice a little stronger, he growled, "What are you doing, woman?!" Candy stood at the side of the bed nearest his face and glared right back at him. "I'm kicking you in the butt, Viking!" Dolph's glare turned to a look of comical confusion, one eyebrow raising, his mouth quirking into a halfgrimace. He gave an exasperated sigh. "Maybe if I ask an easier question, one with a more definitive answer. How did you get here?" "Felix brought me." Her tone said, 'what else, dummy?', and Dolph realized that had been rather obvious. With a curt nod, he opened his mouth to continue his interrogation, but she interrupted him. He should have known that answer had been too succinct for his talkative lady. "Actually, Kirk is the one who asked for me. He seems to be the only member of his family with any brains. Or maybe he's just the only one who refuses to take death lying down!" She stepped away and threw her hands into the air. Sensing the beginning of one of his beloved's speeches Dolph sighed and smiled. "I mean, look at you. I've known you for quite a while, Dolph," Star's voice lowered as she spoke to herself, "well, maybe not, it just seems like forever. Time flies when you're having fun." With a little shake of her head, she returned to lecture pitch. "Anyway, in all the time I've known you, I have never seen you give up. Until now." Dolph's spine stiffened, his shoulders straining back against the pillows, his chin rising. "I have not given up! A warrior welcomes death if he knows he has lived a good life and died fighting." Star turned her angry gaze full upon him. "Am I missing something here? Is there some opponent in this room that I, in my womanly stupidity, can't see?" Her voice began to rise. "I don't think so. I think you just gave up after you got wounded because you knew you had made a mistake in sending me back to Earth. You didn't want to live the rest of your life without me, but you guys are too tough to ever admit you've made a boo-boo so you decided that death would be the easiest way out. If you ask

me, that is the worst kind of cowardice!" Dolph sat up, bracing himself on his arms for a minute as dizziness spun the room inside his head. As soon as he thought he could do so without embarrassing himself, he swung his feet to the floor and stood, ignoring his screaming muscles. His fists clenched at his side, his bellow shook the walls. "You dare call me a coward?!" Candy stood directly in front of him, as close as she could get and still glare up into his face. "Yeah, you bet I dare! There's a difference between accepting death and welcoming it with open arms, you know. Look at this." A sweep of her arm encompassed the room, the bed and the warrior before her. "You practically put out a party banner," she moved her hand in the air as if following some unseen words, "'Welcome home, Death!'" Desperation, fear, love...they all combined to make her shout into his stubborn face, "You're not that sick, Dolph!" She smacked her palm against the breastplate of his armor hard enough to make him take a stumble-step backward. Candy liked that. For the first time in weeks she felt like she might be winning. "You're.." Another smack, another slight back step. "just.." Smack, stumble. His balance had definitely seen better days. "unbelievably.." Whack! Uh-oh. That time he held his ground. "stubborn!" Star pulled back her hand in preparation for another assault on his person, but Dolph had had enough. He grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted, pulling her off the ground till her feet were dangling helplessly in the air and she was eye to eye with him. If he hadn't been so angry, he would have been proud of the way she kept the fear from her eyes, glaring right back at him. In an angry whisper, he chastised her. "I am neither stubborn nor a coward. I made the decision to send you back to Earth to protect you. I didn't want to see you die because I had allowed you into one dangerous situation too many." His voice began to rise as irritation set in. He gave her a little shake. "I couldn't leave you with the poor, unsuspecting people back at my home. The gods themselves couldn't cause as much trouble in a lifetime as you can wreak in one day, woman! If I reneged on that decision, I would be putting your life in danger for my own selfish desires. That is neither stubbornness nor cowardice." His tone softened slightly, holding a hint of wonder - realization, perhaps - as he concluded. "That is love." He lowered her feet to the ground and gently pushed her away from him. "And if you ever again call me a coward I will give you a beating you will not soon forget!" Candy shook her head, ripples of silver punctuating her disbelief. Her voice dripped with incredulous scorn. "You have got to be kidding!" She raised her hands, palms down. "Now let me get this straight. You sent me away because you love me and want to protect me, A.K.A. 'for my own good'?" Dolph crossed his arms over his massive chest and nodded, a look of condescension on his face that made Candy's blood begin to boil! With an angry flip of her hand, platinum strands flew into the air to land behind her shoulders. She turned and walked away from him a few paces, hoping to cool her temper with distance. No good. She spun on her heel to face him, a vision of outraged female. "You stupid..." she squeezed her eyes shut as she searched for just the right word, then glared in triumph as she found it, "man!" That was the worst insult she could think of at the moment. "You call that love? Dying alone and lonely, leaving your lover to do the same, just because she might get killed if she were with you? Mister, you have got one distorted image of love." The memory of long, lonely days and unbearably cold, dark nights suddenly flooded her mind. Dolph felt an inward cringe as her beautiful blue eyes flooded with pain.

"Did you really think that I would just get on with my life as though nothing had happened? Did you really think that I could just forget you, Dolph?" She gave a little self-deprecating laugh so full of pain that Dolph suddenly had the urge to take her in his arms. He knew she would not welcome the interruption. And for some reason he could not yet fathom, he wanted, perhaps even needed, to hear her out. "I had this little ritual. Every night I would tell myself I wasn't going to look into the sky. After all, my logical mind knew there wouldn't be anything there. I'd go to bed, lie there for an hour or so, tossing and turning, then come up with some excuse to get back out of bed. I had to go to the bathroom, I was hungry, had I turned off the oven?, whatever, just so I could get up and look out the window into that empty night sky." Tears began their slow descent down her beautiful cheeks, as she lowered her eyes to the ground and slowly shook her head. Emotion softened her words to barely a whisper. "You were never there." Seeing Star in such pain, Dolph wanted to comfort her, to tell her how much he had wanted, deep down in his soul, to be with her. She seemed so vulnerable. Yet, when he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, she sprang to life like an erupting volcano, pushing him away so hard he stumbled and nearly fell onto the bed. "Where were you?!" Sobs tore at her throat as she struggled to speak. She slammed both fists into the breastplate of Dolph's battle armor as she shrieked at him. "You son-of-a-bitch, where were you?!" She collapsed against him, her palms flat against his armor. She refused to wrap her arms around him. Dolph started to raise his arms, but Star pushed away from him once again. Beautiful pools of sapphire spilled their diamond tears down her cheeks as she raised her confused gaze to meet his eyes. Her tone had become that of an injured child trying to explain some unfathomable, but oh-so-important, thing. "I love you." Strength slowly returned to her words. "I would rather die in your arms on some horrible little rock of a planet tomorrow than live to a ripe old age in my safe little world without you. Don't you understand, Dolph, without you I don't live, I just exist. I go through life like some kind of automaton. It's just not worth the effort." Dolph shook his head. He had to make her understand that his concern was for her safety. Her head was full of the romantic ideas of a woman, not the reality of a warrior's existence. And yet, deep in his heart, her words touched something, something he...what? ...wanted? ...needed? Was she right? Would loving her and taking the chance of losing her in the future be better than the living hell of losing her now to his desire to protect her? Dolph frowned. He needed to think this through. Candy saw the deep thought in his eyes. She was getting to him, his resistance definitely waning. Maybe all he needed was a little shot of her dramatic flair, a little hold-in-your-hands demonstration of her determination to stay or die trying. Yeah, that was what these guys understood best. Something they could see and touch and relate to on a personal level. Besides, she knew she couldn't afford to let him think too much. He might come up with another stupid man's reason for sending her away again. Dolph's warrior instincts made him take a step backward as Star leaned down and grasped the hilt of his sword in her hand. She could raise barely half the length of the blade off the floor. She dragged it the short distance to his side, then held it toward him, making it clear that she wanted him to take it. Dolph arched an eyebrow in question but wrapped his fist around the hilt. How good it felt to hold steel once again! Star dropped to her knees before him. She raised her eyes to his and made a desperate, and very dramatic, plea. "If you don't want me anymore, Dolph, then kill me." She splayed her arms wide, exposing her chest to his sword. Her azure eyes shone bright with...What? Dolph wondered. Was that fear or was it...a dare?! Was she actually daring him to do something other than that which she expected him to do? The little minx had either developed a death wish or she was so sure of herself, she dared to challenge him! Heeding his wicked desire to teach her a lesson, Dolph placed the point of the sword against the flesh of her breast. Her sharp intake of breath and startled, wide-eyed expression were ample reward. Smiling broadly, Dolph lowered the sword tip to the floor as he softly reprimanded her. "Never try to predict what a warrior will do with his sword, sweetling."

Star narrowed her eyes and stood. His soft tone combined with the double entendre' made the hair on her neck rise and other parts of her body begin to sit up and take notice. 'He's smiling,' her heart practically sang in her chest, 'we've got him on the run. Now what? Logic?' Candy smiled to herself. 'Nah, never worked before.' An idea grabbed her. 'He wants to protect me? Okay, let's try a threat!' She placed her hands on her hips and let the fires of determination that shone in her sapphire eyes speak to the stubborn warrior before her. "Whether you'll admit it or not, Dolph, you were laying there waiting to die so that you wouldn't have to live without me. Well, I'm not willing to spend the rest of my life without you. If you try to send me back, I'll go straight to the FBI or CIA or whatever part of the alphabet is interested and tell them I've just spent a few weeks aboard a spaceship. I'm sure they'll poke me and prod me and ask me questions till I'm blue in the face. Then, when I've answered all their questions, they'll probably dissect me!" Dolph smiled at her threat. She was certainly tenacious when she set her mind to it. He pitied the agents of any organization that tried to ask Star questions. She had such a creative way of answering. It would take them years just to decipher her responses. If they waited until all her answers made sense before killing her, she would surely die a very old woman. But she was right about the one thing that really mattered. Dolph realized that he had indeed decided somewhere in his stubborn warrior's subconscious mind that to die would be preferable to living without Star. What the hell had he been thinking, worrying about what might happen, what the future might hold? That was not a warrior's way. A Viking took what he wanted and damn the consequences! Dolph clenched his jaw, stiffened his spine and rolled his shoulders, looking every inch the fearsome warrior. He had temporarily lost sight of his heritage, his inner self. By the gods, he would correct that immediately! Wrapping his arms around Star, he brought her down on top of him on the bed. Star squeaked a protest as he rolled her beneath him. "Wait a minute. Did I just lose track of this conversation?" Remembering all the times he had done just that because of Star's convoluted thinking, Dolph tossed back his golden head and laughed, a sound that was absolute music to Candy's ears. "How does it feel, my lady Star, to have the tables turned?" At her confused scowl, he chuckled and slowly lowered his lips to hers. The nectar of the Gods could not have tasted as sweet as her mouth. In true warrior style, Dolph plundered her, enjoying her slight resistance, reveling in her eventual submission. As his hand slid under her skirt to caress her thigh, Star pushed as hard as she could against his armored chest. Needing a breath anyway, Dolph gave Star her way and raised his upper body onto his elbows, smiling down at her. He marveled once again at her beauty. Her silver hair flowed all about her in complete and glorious disarray. Her eyes had darkened with the beginnings of passion to deepest sapphire. Breathlessly, she asked, "Would you mind explaining what is going on?" Dolph arched an eyebrow, and, smiling seductively, ground his erection against her. Star grimaced. "I know what's actually happening right at this minute. What I mean is, am I staying here, or is this another goodbye lovemaking session? Which, by the way, I did not appreciate." Dolph's expression turned serious. He rolled onto his side, gathering her into his arms. "I swear to you, Star, that I will never leave you again if it is within my power to stay. And the Valkyries themselves will have to pry you from my arms." Star grimaced again and mumbled under her breath, "A pleasant image." Dolph engulfed her face in his hands and gazed deeply into her eyes. "I love you, Star. Your love is my life. As I look into the night sky, I am no longer impressed by the spots of light that pepper the heavens, for I have seen the brightest of all the stars, and she is mine. I shall bathe in my Star's warmth till the fires in the heavens are but a vague memory." Candy sighed and relaxed for the first time in weeks. She ran her hands over his intricately carved breastplate, tracing the fiery dragon with the tip of her finger, then wrapped her arms around Dolph's neck. Her smile was content. "Boy, you sure can weave a spell with your words, Viking." Her eyes clouded slightly. "But did you just say that you're going to keep me here without a fight?" Dolph smiled, amused at her slightly disappointed tone. His Star was such a warrior, enjoying the fight

almost as much as the victory. He kissed the tip of her nose. "Our future will hold many blazes of passion, some fighting," his eyes darkened, the warmth of his words tingling Candy's neck, "some loving. Whether it be your stubborn self, the elements, or the gods themselves, I will always fight to keep you. And I will always win!" His tone full of import, he tightened his arms around her, robbing her of what little breath his seductive words had left her. "Just try to get away from me." Candy couldn't resist, the curiosity would surely kill her. As Dolph lowered his lips to plunder her again he felt a tug on his hair. He pulled back and raised both eyebrows in exasperation. "That is not a handle, woman!" Candy giggled, releasing his hair and smoothing it down the back of his neck. Dolph arched his neck, reveling in her touch. "What exactly did I say that convinced you?" Dolph laughed. "And you call me arrogant?" Star's lips puckered and her eyebrows pulled together in a pout. Dolph knew he had better answer her question quickly before she had time to think up ten more to go with it. They would be talking all night and that was not what he had in mind for the evening's activities. "I fought my love for you as an enemy. I thought that it would make me weak and foolish." His expression became fierce. "Love did not make me weak! My fear of the softness I thought it would bring, and my attempts to deny what I was feeling, made me act stupidly. I was a fool to let you go and I thank the gods for another chance. I am a Viking warrior! Let the gods toss us as they may, I will never deny my love for you again! I will love as I fight--with honor and passion and pride!" Seeing Star's eyes shining with love and pride was all Dolph needed to let him know that she felt he had made the right decision. Her arms tightened around his neck, as she raised her face to his. Dolph could hear his warrior's blood singing in his veins. He felt full of life again, more so than he had felt since Star had faded from his view to return to her world. His loins flooded to a near painful state in seconds. Ah, yes, he was alive! Just as he felt her sweet breath across his lips, a sharp pain in his earlobe brought his head flying back up. A tiny, furry menace jumped from his bleeding ear to the pillow beside Star's head. Silky stared up at him with censure in his Siamese-blue eyes. Dolph swore with a vengeance. He rose from the bed and reached for the little feline. Silky gave a sharp meow, slightly tinged by a hidden purr, and jumped to the floor. He dropped his chest to the floor and raised his butt into the air, his tail swishing back and forth. "Silky," Dolph roared his frustration, "I don't want to play with you right now, you little beast! Can't you see that I have other more pleasant things on my mind? Come here before I feed you to a goldfish!" Candy leaned up on one elbow and enjoyed the view as Dolph stalked around the room, absolutely glorious in his battle armor. As Dolph spied his prey and slowly moved in for the kill, she giggled. "Don't you think you're a little overdressed to do battle with a mini-Siamese?" Dolph stopped and turned a fierce glare on Star. Her eyes took on a sultry heat as she rolled onto her back and stretched like a cat. Speak of the Devil, Silky jumped into her outstretched hand and proceeded to curl up as if he were planning to take a long nap. Star laughed, a sound that both pulled on Dolph's heart and gave a tug on his tightened loins. He reached for the cat but Star sprang from the bed, taking her prize with her. Shaking her head, she strutted to the little wire cage that sat in one corner of the room and placed the cat on his pillow. With a few turns and fluffs he made himself comfortable. "He seems happy to have me back." When she turned to Dolph, the fierce look on his face was almost frightening. He began unfastening the straps that held his armor in place. As his chestplate fell to the floor, he pointed toward the bed. With an imperious nod, and a tone that brooked no opposition, he ordered, "Woman, remove your clothes and get in my bed." Star tossed her hair, defiance etched in every plane of her beautiful face. As she pulled open her blouse, buttons flying about the room, she started slowly toward the bed. Her slinky movements and sultry purr were nearly Dolph's undoing.

"Warrior, prepare for battle." Reveling in the battle of love, a battle he knew he could not lose, Dolph pulled his heavenly blaze of light into his strong arms and held on for dear life. THE END Blaze of Light by Robyn Crane