Every snow-laden tree and every jagged stone was familiar, as was the path he was walking on. He’d made the same trek countless times before.
Gudbrand was the eldest son of the Skilfing clan’s chieftain and his successor, and he was on his way to visit Ania, chieftain Bogen’s adopted daughter, the holy woman of her clan, and the earthly embodiment of the goddess Frella.
Ania’s beauty had no equal, and many had sought her favors, which as a priestess of Frella she provided quite freely but discriminately.
She wouldn’t take just anyone to her bed, and any man who hoped for the honor had to scrub himself clean, wash his hair, and put on clean clothes. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be allowed to even enter her tent, let alone petition for her favors.
Frella demanded cleanliness, and so did her priestesses.
Most were lucky to gain Ania’s favors for one night, and some were luckier and were summoned again. But ever since she’d chosen Gudbrand, Ania had summoned him every night and had not taken another into her furs.
Like all chosen of Frella, Ania was barren and forbidden to marry or even keep the same lover for more than one moon rotation. The only exception was the man who would be blessed by Frella and impregnate Ania. That lucky guy would then become her husband for one year. Gudbrand was determined to make the most of what time he had left with her, or at least that was his official stance. Secretly, he hoped to be the one chosen by Frella to impregnate Ania and own the magnificent priestess for an entire year. Given Ania’s incredible sexual prowess, he might not live to see the end of that year, but he would die a happy and revered man.
Not a bad way to go.
Except, Herleif was wasting his time.
“We have a peace treaty with Bogen’s clan. Besides, Ania’s lovers are granted divine protection. You know that.”
“I do. The question is whether the bears and the wolves know that as well.”
Gudbrand snorted and looked down at his much shorter friend. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle a bear. I’m not a maiden in need of protection.”
He was a big man and a fierce warrior and hunter. Still, he wasn’t as reckless as Herleif was making him out to be. The animals shied away from humans, and as long as he stayed on the path, he had nothing to fear.
Herleif was just using him as an excuse to be free of his wife for a couple of hours, or maybe he hoped for a glimpse of Ania.
She didn’t show herself to just anyone. Only those whose petition was accepted got to see her face. Everyone else saw her with a veil made of a sacred fabric that the goddess gifted her priestesses with.
The mystery only made Ania more desirable, especially given the rumors her petitioners were spreading about her unparalleled beauty.
Gudbrand had thought the men had been exaggerating, but everything they had said was true. Ania’s beauty would make goddesses envious.
“What if a pack of wolves attacks you? How many can you kill before they get to you?”
“They won’t. Frella’s protection of Ania’s lovers is not limited to just humans. The goddess will keep me safe from animals as well.”
“And you believe all that nonsense? Ania is just a girl. A very beautiful one, but she is not the embodiment of Frella.”
“Show some respect, Herleif. It’s not wise to anger the gods.”
Strangely, even though Ania looked no older than eighteen summers, Gudbrand never thought of her as a girl but as a mature woman.
He was twenty-four and a seasoned warrior, but sometimes he felt many years younger than Ania. Perhaps as a priestess of Frella she’d had access to knowledge that had aged her beyond her years.
Wondering whether Ania was a witch, a cold shiver ran down his back that had nothing to do with the freezing wind. What if she was hundreds of years old and kept herself young by stealing the life energy from the men she bedded?
Perhaps that was the real reason behind her refusing to take the same lover for more than one moon rotation. She was showing them mercy by sparing their lives.
As he’d discovered, the mystery of Ania was much more involved than the beauty she hid under her veil.
Ever since she had accepted his petition, he’d been spending every night with her, but other than the lovemaking, he couldn’t remember what they’d talked about or any other details from his stay. He left her each morning in a daze, barely making it to his furs and sleeping like a dead man for long hours.
Ania’s other lovers had reported the same thing.
Then again, Ania’s lovemaking had the power to fry a man’s brain, so it was no wonder he couldn’t remember anything but that.
“It’s a great honor to be accepted by Ania, and an even greater honor for her to call on you every night. But you shouldn’t let it get into your head.”
He shrugged. “I won’t. Ania granted me an entire month, and I intend to make the most of it.”
His reputation as an exceptional lover would reach a fever pitch. He would get propositioned by every unattached female from every clan in the area, and probably some of the married ones as well.
Herleif chuckled. “Since it seems that you believe all the crap Ania is feeding everyone, you probably hope to be the one to get her pregnant so you can have her for a whole year.”
“Many have tried, but Ania has never conceived.”
“Yeah, but each of her lovers hopes to be the winner of the ultimate prize.”
“I’m not a fool, and I’m not hoping for that. Once my month is up, I will find myself a pretty girl to marry like my father wants me to.”
There were several clans in the area that he could negotiate a treaty with and cement it with a marriage. After all, that was what his grandfather had done. He’d married the sister of Bogen’s grandfather.
Olek had taken a wife from the Elrin clan, but since his younger brother was the second in the line of succession, his marriage hadn’t produced a treaty as strong as the one their grandfather had secured with Bogen’s clan.
That job was left to Gudbrand, and the pressure was mounting for him to secure another alliance and produce an heir.
“Guard your heart, Gudbrand. Ania might steal it and never give it back.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not in love with her. She is my last adventure before I settle down. It’s an honor to be chosen as her lover.” He cast his friend a sidelong glance. “Are you jealous, Herleif?”
Married men were not eligible for Ania’s favors.
Herleif burst out laughing. “Of course, I am jealous. Every man who can still get it up, and even those who can’t, lusts after her. But Ania is a dream, a temporary distraction. I much prefer my wife’s warm bosom, which is mine to enjoy every night.”
There was something to be said for Girta’s bosom. She had been generously endowed by the gods, and Ania’s girly figure lacked such soft cushioning. But there was no comparison between her and Girta, not in looks and not in skill.
Gudbrand had been with many women, and none had ever satisfied him as thoroughly as Ania. She left him almost dead with exhaustion and drained of the last drop of vitality.
Some said that she was a demoness disguising as a priestess of Frella, and that she drained the life force out of men. But since none of her lovers had died, Gudbrand was willing to take the risk and enjoy what she offered in exchange for his male vitality.