Odin's Shadow (Sons Of Odin Book 1) (9th Century Viking Romance) by Erin S. Riley Page B

as he took in the sight of his comrade, but she wasn't fooled. She had discovered his sense of humor early on, quite by accident, when he had made a quiet reference to Rodrek Sialfson as ‘Rodrek the Fragrant.’ Rodrek was one of the few men on the ship who didn't bathe on a regular basis. The smell of his crusty boots caused her eyes to water whenever he walked past.
    Selia was in awe of Ulfrik's ability to keep his face expressionless when he wanted to, and it took her several seconds to grasp he was joking. She had bitten her lip to keep from laughing out loud, but a strangled snort escaped anyway. He did smile at her then, and since then they had been secretly making up silly nicknames for the men. He was better at it than she was. Somehow the fact he could keep his face completely straight while saying something ridiculous made it even funnier.
    "You can do better than that, Selia Wool-Gatherer," Ulfrik said now, without taking his eyes from Mani. "Try again."
    She thought hard. It was unfair to do this in Norse. She could do better if she wasn't trying to make jokes in a foreign language. Selia broke the rules by speaking in Irish.
    "Mani Cavern-Explorer." She leveled him with a smug smile, and it was Ulfrik's turn to laugh so hard he nearly choked. Triumph at last.
    The evening was clear and mild. After their nightly sojourn into the woods, Selia and Alrik returned to the beach. They lay on his cloak under the stars, a good distance away from the rest of the group as the men drank and prepared supper. She heard their disembodied voices as they spoke to each other, but it was too dark to see anyone clearly.
    Alrik was in a foul temper which even the use of her body had not dissipated. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. She had hoped to return to the group but he refused, grumbling he was not in the mood to be sociable.
    Gazing up into the inky darkness, she nudged him as she saw a shooting star. "Look!" She pointed, hoping to distract him.
    He rose up on his elbow but looked at her instead of the night sky. "Selia. What were you and Ulfrik laughing about today?"
    So that was it; he was jealous. She should have known better than to make Ulfrik laugh so hard. She had taken his unflappability as a personal challenge, and had been so pleased with herself when he had broken. Now she would pay for it, it seemed.
    "Nicknames," she told Alrik, too afraid to lie to him.
    "Nicknames?"
    "Yes. I saw Mani pick his nose, and I called him 'Mani Nose-Picker," she whispered.
    Alrik gave her a look of disdain. "Did anyone else hear you?"
    "No."
    "Mani is one of my best warriors. He has brought great honor to my war band. You disrespect him with your laughter."
    She swallowed. "I'm sorry."
    "I should have known better than to think Ulfrik Child Lover could be trusted to teach a child anything but jokes."
    Selia felt a hot flush creep over her face. It was several seconds before she was able to speak. "I'm sorry," she said again. "It is . . . my fault."
    His face still looked stony, so she stroked his hand until he met her gaze.
    Alrik's expression didn't soften as expected. "Your Norse is much improved, Selia, and Ulfrik is needed on the ship—"
    She cut him off quickly with a kiss. "Forgive me, Alrik. Do not be angry. I cannot stand it." She smiled at him, slow and sweet.
    "Selia—"
    "Why do they call Ulfrik 'Child Lover?' Does he have childs?"
    "Children," he corrected her. She had used the incorrect word on purpose in an attempt to distract him. She nodded in innocence as he continued. "He doesn't have children. He just likes them too much."
    Selia's jaw dropped. A man who lived on the outskirts of Baile Átha Cliath had been burned alive inside his house because it was rumored he had a sinful attraction to young boys.
    Surely not Ulfrik—?
    Alrik burst into laughter. "No, not that. He's just squeamish about killing them. In battle."
    Selia blinked in confusion. She sat up with her heart hammering in her chest, unable