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Whirling around, the girl saw her danger. Fingers spread wide, she held out her hands to stop him. His eyes focused on her, the goat kept coming. When Gna sidestepped to the right, he moved with her. When she leaped to the left, he followed.
"Help!" Gna cried, but to Bree's surprise, Mikkel stood as still as a rock.
Gna whirled on him. "Get that goat!" she commanded. In the moment she turned her back, the billy lowered his head and ran straight for Gna's behind. With one good butt, he sent her sprawling.
Trying to swallow her laughter, Bree choked. Instead, a giggle slipped out. Mikkel slapped his leg, echoing her glee. When Gna looked their way, both of them grew instantly quiet.
"Uh-oh," Mikkel said softly. "We've done it now."
"Is she the girl you're going to marry?" Bree whispered, suddenly curious.
When Mikkel didn't answer, Bree hurried forward, offering her hand to Gna. "Can I help you up?" she said, her voice as sweet as honey in the comb.
But Gna shoved Bree's arm aside. Slowly, gracefully, Gna rose from the shore, brushed off her skirt, and whirled on Bree.
"I will never forget that!" Gna eyes sparkled with anger. "You are my enemy from this day forward. You will be my enemy forever!"
"Ah, Gna," Mikkel said. "Don't take yourself so seriously."
"Seriously? You aren't the one knocked to the ground by this—this—" Gna had no words for him. "This outlaw goat, that's what he is!"
As Gna started after him, Bree's gaze followed hers. A short distance away, the billy goat had stopped. Looking at Gna, the goat seemed to roll his eyes. Then with all the dignity he could bring to the occasion, he started munching grass.
"Yes, he's an outlaw goat, all right," Mikkel answered in his most solemn voice. "I can see how dangerous he is."
As the billy set off again, the other goats followed. Zigzagging their way between the people on shore, they hurried toward green pasture near the longhouse.
"Where did they come from?" Bree asked.
"The out-farm—the summer pasture." Mikkel pointed across the fjord to where they had loaded the animals. "They've had good green grass all summer, but at the end of September we bring them down. If there was snow or ice on the mountain, we wouldn't be able to get them home."
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Mikkel pointed to the steep side of a mountain farther along the fjord. "See that slanted line? There's a path for the animals to go up. That's where they come down when summer is over."
As Mikkel talked, sheep followed the goats. Then a cow, swinging her head from side to side, followed the sheep, still bawling her complaint. Bree looked after the cow and the billy now far up in the pasture. Remembering Gna, Bree giggled.
Gna whirled around. With one glimpse into her eyes, Bree knew. No doubt about it. Gna was her enemy.
Bree gritted her teeth. All her life people had treated her nicely. She didn't know how to handle someone like Gna. But I'm going to learn. Somehow I'll get along with her. Maybe we'll even become friends.
Then Bree remembered. Being a slave would no doubt set her apart from Gna.
With his sea chest on his shoulder, Mikkel started up the slope toward the longhouse and farm buildings. When he turned to speak to Bree, she sensed the change in him.
"Come," he said, his voice impatient now.
So, am I supposed to walk behind you? Bree almost flung out the words. The idea made her angry. More than once Mikkel had told her his father was the mighty chieftain of the Aurland Fjord. More than once, Bree had wanted to spit back, "And I am a chieftain's daughter!" So far she had managed to hold her tongue.
Now she wondered about it. If her brother Devin managed to raise ransom money, what would happen?
Bree's thoughts scurried on. If these terrible Vikings know I'm a chieftain's daughter, will they raise the price of letting me go? Will they demand so much that Dev can't pay what they ask?
Ahead of Bree, Mikkel suddenly stopped.
If you've read the first two books, you know that the next chapter is from Mikkel's point of view. What does he think about all of this?
Take a look at all the books in the Viking Quest series . . .
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