The Awakening_Book 1 of Valkyrie's Curse series Read online

  “ I can get something for Scott too. You can wake him up after I leave. I’d prefer you were dressed when I bring it back.”

  “Yeah. OK. Sorry.”

  “No prob, sis.” She slipped her shoes back on. “Oh, and Lena?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Better choice than the cook. He’s fine, but a bit old. And that one” she nodded towards Scott. “Has it bad for you.” She ducked her head back in the tent. “Now get dressed!”

  Lena yawned and stretched. “Scott” She spoke softly.

  He stirred only slightly.

  “Hey” She shook his shoulder. “Scott”

  His eyes opened slowly a crack.

  “We need to get dressed before Gabby gets back.”

  “What time is it?” He moved to sit up.

  “A little after nine. Gabby’s going to bring us coffee and whatever food she can pilfer.”

  “My head is pounding.” He reached down for his briefs and shorts. “I’d rather just go back to bed, with you.”

  “So would I but we need to get up.” She stretched, taking in a deep breath then blowing it out slowly. “Let’s get some coffee in us and you can help me make a new plan.”

  “Slave driver.”

  “You have no idea!” She leaned over kissing his cheek then jumped up. “Gotta hit the latrine, be back in a few.” She jogged the length of the pathway to the latrine.

  The latrines were a row of port-a-potties along the back edge of the camp. As she was coming back, she passed Scott. He grabbed her, pulling her close and kissed her deeply.

  “I didn’t say a proper good morning.” He released her and continued towards the latrines.

  Just a few minutes later, he popped back into her tent. Gabby sat on her bed grinning widely at him.

  “I see you managed to get her out of the funk. I have bacon if you tell me what you said.”

  “She’s holding the food hostage until we talk.” Lena motioned for him to sit.

  “Simple. I plied her with my nerdy wiles.” He reached for the coffee.

  “Not so fast.” Gabby shifted the box partially behind her.

  “Oh, you want details?” Scott leaned forward his elbows on his knees.

  “You betcha”

  “I don’t know if I have the strength without coffee.”

  “Fine. You can have coffee.” She handed Lena and Scott the two cups.

  Scott took a sip before he began “I came bearing gifts. Rule number one to winning a girl’s heart, ply her with gifts.”

  “Jack and cola were gifts?” Gabby asked incredulously. “I saw what you had in your hands when you came in.”

  “Yes. I didn’t have access to fine wine or roses, so Jack and cola it was.” He took another sip. “Plus, after the day Lena had yesterday, I thought it was a good choice.”

  Lena nodded in agreement.

  Gabby crossed her arms waiting for more as Scott drank his coffee.

  “Then I regaled her with archaeological tales.”

  Gabby looked incredulously between Scott and Lena. “So he bored you into submission?”

  Lena chuckled. “No. He told me about a dig he went on with Dr. Sem, the old codger in the department that is dry as the Sahara?”

  Gabby nodded, remembering her sister talk about him.

  “Told me about a dig that he didn’t give up on, despite the obstacles. But then,” she grabbed his hand squeezing it.

  “Scott reminded me that archaeology is not dependent on modern equipment.”

  Lena was smiling. No, not smiling, beaming!

  “So you got jiggy with him because he talked archaeology?”

  “More or less. The Jack may have influenced me, some.”

  “Ugh. You two are so weird.” She stood and carried the box over to them. “I’ll leave you to it unless you are going to need me in the next hour or so.”

  “Hey, don’t go too far. We are going to work up our plans. I’d like for you to do the photography.”

  “Sure. Just buzz me.”

  Gabby left, Lena and Scott dove into the bacon and egg sandwiches that Andre had put together for them.

  Lena took the trash to the dumpster then they brushed their teeth and decided to meet in the Ops tent where they would both be more work minded.

  Chapter 17: Second Wind

  Stubbornness brings either greater humiliation or greater honor.

  -the saga of Hrafnkel Freysgothi, C.10

  Lena was a whirlwind of activity. Her mind raced with information and ideas. In a sense, it was exhilarating for Scott watching her work, but on the other hand, it was exhausting. He’d popped yet another couple Excedrin for the pounding in his head and was trying his best to stay focused on what Lena was saying.

  She only allowed him to interject a couple of times as she was on a roll.

  After a couple of hours, they emerged from the tent ready to get back to work.

  Lena tackled the site with a renewed vigor. She broke the teams up into three teams per shift instead of two. Fewer people in one location would mean more ground to cover per person, but their chances of hitting the pay load tripled.

  Scott’s biggest contribution was charting the site and drawing in what he remembered from the visual display on his equipment. The alpha team was concentrating on the area where they calculated the main lodge would be located.

  The beta team concentrated on the exterior walls of the village.

  Gamma team would focus on where they figured the king’s home would be.

  Without the equipment, the crew made twice the progress as they had previously.

  Part of it could have been the inspirational speech Lena gave them when presenting her new plan. Part of it may also have been that they didn’t have anything else to occupy their time.

  Sometimes, electronics were more of a hindrance than a help.

  For two weeks, they worked diligently. Everyone seemed in good spirits. The day that they found the corner post of the main lodge, they threw a celebratory party.

  Lena and her staff didn’t share the information that part of their equipment had been restored. They didn’t advertise that their hotspot was back, only that the generator was restored for lights and the cooler for the mess.

  After dark, the lead team would enter data into the restored computers.

  Lena was able to forward the imagery of the blonde man who resembled Hulk Hogan to Detective Olsen.

  They identified the victim as Tanya Garrison, an undergraduate student from Iowa. She was on the flight over, then checked in at the airport, but failed to get on the bus to take them to the camp.

  It was a black eye for the project, for both Universities involved, as well as for Denmark.

  The ban for travel was lifted allowing the crew some R & R, but Olsen kept two patrols in camp at all times. They had yet to find out who the saboteurs were.

  Scott and Lena grew closer. They never showed outward affection while on the site, but they sat together for meals, held hands when the movies were shown, danced on Saturday nights when they would go into town.

  Scott surprised her with an overnight stay at a bed and breakfast a few blocks from the campus in the town of Roskilde. He ordered the wine, cheese platters, and a rich apple strudel with ice cream for when they arrived.

  “Oh Scott! This is so nice!” She saw the spread on the table as they entered their room. Lena glanced around at the eloquently decorated room. The king sized bed sat at the back, the ensuite was off to the right. She immediately ran to the ensuite. “Oh my gosh, running water and real toilets.”

  She tugged him into the bathroom. “Shower first!”

  Without question they both stripped and jumped in the spacious shower together.

  “This is so much better than the make shift showers in camp in the dark.” Lena said as she languished under the running hot water.

  “There’s room to move around in here!” Scott thought out loud as he lathered up with the small bar of soap.

 
He rinsed off, then moved behind Lena. He kissed her shoulders, caressing down her ribs while he nuzzled his chin into her neck, kissing just below her ears. He was hard in an instant when she eased back against him.

  Scott reached around her, caressing her breasts as he languished kisses on her neck before she turned her head towards him.

  She could feel that he was hard pressed between her cheeks as she leaned back against him. Lena reached down, stroking his shaft. She turned and dropped to her knees taking him in her mouth.

  She licked his bulbous head, down his shaft to his balls taking each one in her mouth separately, then back up, flicking at the tendon on the underside of his head before taking him in her mouth. She bobbed slowly up and down on him upping his balls in her hand.

  She continued pleasuring him until he urged her up on her feet and turned her around. He pressed her against the shower wall, lifting one foot to the little bench built into the shower.

  Scott rubbed against her clit a couple of times before entering her. A few slow deep strokes at first, while they kissed, then Scott placed his hands on her hips, holding onto her while he thrust repeatedly.

  Lena moaned each time as she neared her peak. Scott pushed her head downward, so that she was leaning down at a slight angle, so he didn’t have to bend his knees quite as much.

  “Aaaahhhhhh!”

  The angle was perfect! He continued to thrust as her moans escalated. Lena rocked her hips back towards him, swiveling faster and faster as he thrust.

  He thrust hard, driving deep and she started to cum.

  “Oh Scott. Oh, mmm.”

  “Oh yeah babe. God you feel so good.” Her contractions on him pushed him over the edge and he convulsed in unison with her.

  When they were both sated and breathing hard, he pulled out, turning her around facing him. He pressed her back against the shower wall, kissing her deeply.

  “So much better than the showers at camp.”

  She reached up to turn the shower head off. “So much better.”

  They stepped out and grabbed the fluffy white towels to dry off with before donning the matching white fluffy robes.

  “I believe I saw ice cream on the table. We better eat it before it melts.” She did a quick walk jog towards the small table.

  The ice cream had melted a little, but not completely.

  They sat on the loveseat by the window while enjoying their dessert.

  “This is lovely Scott. Thank you so much.” She took another spoonful of the apple strudel with a bit of ice cream.

  “I get so wrapped up in camp life, I don’t realize how grimy we get until I get back to a civilized place like home or like this. She leaned over kissing him lightly.

  “Same here. I just thought, you deserved a night out and to be treated like the treasure that you are.”

  He offered her a loving smile.

  “I wish I could do more, but we have to get back to camp in the morning.”

  “Maybe once we are back in the states, we can plan a short vacation together.”

  “I’d like that. Maybe we could do something during fall break.” Scott was already calculating how he would plan something for them.

  Chapter 18: Burgers and Beer

  Ill it is to abandon honor and integrity in exchange for injustice and greed.

  -Bandamanna saga, C10

  Lena worked diligently to prepare her presentation to the board members. Working late into the night, she put together a power point along with the bound report for each member.

  She was greatly pleased with the progress that they had made despite the setback of the sabotage. In her report, she mentioned the sabotage and delays in two paragraphs, summarizing that it was incentive to get back to the roots of archaeology.

  Joe and Erik had cleaned a few pieces that were recovered at the site along with the remains of a leather pouch that held gold coins. She couldn’t wait to show them off for the board. Surely these cursory artifacts would appease the board.

  Brad had worked on deciphering the runes of the monolithic stones as well as the runes on the part of the wall that was exposed. He didn’t have a complete picture yet, but there were some interesting things which signified that this site had been an important village. Her hypotheses was that they were a center for trade for others in the region.

  She had Erik proofread over her report before printing up the twelve copies. While he was doing that, she packed the artifacts carefully in a padded case. She took out the travel sized iron that Gabby had made fun of her for packing to press her dress. She wanted to look her best for the board.

  It had simple lines with a waist length jacket. The jacket had lace inserts on the side panels and silk edging on the pockets. The skirt had a tulip flare with a silk lining with a lace panel around the bottom of the hem and edged in the silk just like on the jacket. The modest neckline looked professional with her pearls, she just needed to crisp it up with the iron.

  A dig site was far from a fashion mecca, but there were times that professional attire were required. As she ironed the dress on a folding table that she had pilfered from the supply tent, Scott came in.

  He moved behind her kissing her on the neck. “Oh we’re getting dressed up for this?”

  “I want to look my best, not give them any reason to question whether we are following proper protocol.”

  “Good plan.” He moved to her cot, sitting down on the end. “ I was wondering if you’d like for me to accompany you. Maybe afterwards we can stop at a pub and get something like a burger or something.”

  “Sure. That would be nice but you have to go change into something nice.”

  “The best I packed was a polo and khakis.”

  “That’s fine. You don’t have to actually go before the board so that’s ok.” She turned the iron off. “Help me with the zipper please?”

  He moved towards her, Kissing her bare back before zipping the dress. “Yowza!”

  He turned her around facing him. “You’re beautiful Lena. I said it before, but in this.” His eyes scanned her up and down. “Mmm in this you are absolutely gorgeous.”

  “Thank you. Now go get dressed and be back here in five. Scoot!”

  Lena spent that time dabbing on a bit of makeup and putting her hair in an updo.

  When Scott met her at the jeep, she was ready for this presentation. Conversation on the drive there was minimal as she rehearsed her speech in her head.

  After the second question, Scott realized how nervous she was and was reciting her speech over and over when he saw her mouthing the words but not speaking aloud. He resigned to watching the scenery on the way there.

  When she pulled up in front of Academic Hall on the main campus, she let out a huge sigh and closed her eyes.

  “It’s like, I know what to say, but I keep losing my train of thought. I keep thinking about the sabotage, and what could have happened.”

  “Relax. You’ve bounced back remarkably after that setback. You’ve got this Lena. Now go show them how smart you are.”

  They walked the short distance holding hands. Scott opened the door for her as they entered.

  “Alright, you’ll have to wait here.” She rocked up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you Scott for coming with me and encouraging me.”

  She grabbed the case and her briefcase holding the reports, took a big breath then pushed the large wooden door open.

  It was the same set up as it had been, the board and benefactor sat around tables set up in a U-shaped pattern with her the sole occupant of the center chair. Nothing like being in the hotspot!

  She had asked for a student desk to set her stuff on, but it was set off to the side of the room.

  “Excuse me for one moment please.” She set her things down by the chair and pulled the desk, screeching across the floor to where the chair was.

  Lifting the case to the desk, she pulled out the various artifacts and the pouch with coins inside a clear acrylic tray. After distrib
uting a report to each of the board members, she sat in her chair.

  For the first several minutes each member looked over their reports. She sat perfectly still breathing deeply to calm her nerves.

  “You may begin your presentation, Miss Eskildson.” Dr. Montgomery lowered his glasses down the bridge of his nose to address her.

  She stood, taking the small remote from the desk in front of her and clicked on the first slide.

  Outside the door Scott listened intently. Sounds carried in this old building, as if he were right in the room with her, without the benefit of seeing her in action. He’d seen her give presentations in class though and it was impressive.

  Scott leaned over, turning the knob of the door as quietly as he could to open it just a crack. He sat on the end of the bench leaning forward with his ear right by the door.

  ~~~~~~

  Once she came out Scott congratulated her for a job well done. He walked beside her down the hall without offering to carry her things, which was unusual for him.

  Was he jealous? Lena glanced over at his expression. He was definitely out of sorts. “Sorry it took so long. I’m looking forward to that burger and a drink!”

  “Yeah. Me too.” It was flat without any emotion.

  Hmmm, something was up with him. Maybe he got a call during her presentation. “Have you heard from your family?”

  “No. I skyped my parents last week. My little brother was away at camp. I’ll call him this weekend.”

  “Oh, OK.” She put her things in the back seat of the jeep as they climbed in.

  Scott drove the few blocks to the pub without a word.

  “You pick a table, I’ll be right back.” He walked past the bar towards the restrooms.

  Lena chose the same table they had been seated at the last time. The waitress brought menus over asking if she could get them a drink.

  Lena ordered them both a beer. As she looked over the menu, she went over things in her mind since before the presentation began. Yes, he was definitely on edge or upset about something.

  He returned to the table, thanked her for the beer, gave the menu a cursory glance then folded it. Scott was looking all around the room, but not at her.