“The truth is, I have nowhere else to go,” Inger said quietly. “I have been a slave for a long time and I have no family to care for me. I am happy to stay and serve you however I am able.”
Erik sighed. Slavery of the mind was not as easily fixed as slavery of the body, it seemed. “I do not require you to serve me, Inger,” he said gently. “You are free to go or stay, to work or not work. But I would appreciate your help around the house in exchange for your keep. I have a servant at the moment, Alvilda, but she will be leaving to live with Einar and his bride.”
“Then that is what I shall do,” the old woman declared.
Erik turned to Brendan. “While we are on this topic, what do you think you would like to do?” he asked.
“I did not expect to receive my freedom,” Brendan answered. “I am so very grateful and I owe you a debt. I think I would like to stay close to here and perhaps find work as hired help. That is if people in this area ever hire help instead of owning slaves.”
“You might be fortunate,” Erik replied. “Merilant is a Christian village and they do not own slaves. You might find work there.”
“Then I shall ask,” Brendan declared. “If I can find work, I will save enough to repay the debt I owe you. And after that, I think I would like to return to my homeland. Perhaps my wife and child will still be alive and waiting for me.”
Erik thought that was unlikely but he didn’t want to destroy the fragile hope that freedom had kindled in Brendan’s heart. “That is a good plan,” he said. “I am happy for you to live here while you bring it to pass.”
“Oh, look at him,” Leopolda crooned as Kappi explored the interior of her house, sniffing at all the unfamiliar scents. “He is beautiful!”
It was true. Kappi had grown into a regal beast, with long, dense, fur and a majestic head. His tail was thick and fluffy and his eyes were a vibrant green. The tiny, lost kitten had turned into a young cat with the promise of true magnificence. Tara was relieved; it seemed that Leopolda would be happy to have Kappi as a member of the household.
“I think he will be happy to make this place his new home,” she said with a smile.
Leopolda went to fetch a saucer of milk. “I have never had a cat before,” she said. “But I like animals.” She placed the milk in front of Kappi and he sniffed it with disdain before continuing to explore his new surroundings.
Tara laughed. “He has a mind of his own,” she said. “He will drink it when he is ready but he will not do anything according to our timetable.”
Leopolda looked at her curiously. “It is odd for a young man to buy a slave to set her free,” she said tentatively.
Tara decided to trust the woman who had so far been kind to her. “It is,” she agreed. “But I am not complaining!”
“I think perhaps young Erik has love on his mind,” the older woman said slyly.
Tara blushed. “Well, he has said nothing to me,” she said. “I thought at first that he would wish me to be a bed-slave or work for him. It took quite some time for me to realize that he did intend to set me free.”
Leopolda sighed. “In this land, you are never truly free once you have been a slave,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“Former slaves do not have the same rights as freeborn people,” Leopolda said sadly. “It takes four generations for a family to enjoy full freedom.”
Tara’s heart sank. Even though Erik had set her free, it seemed she would still be tainted by the curse of slavery.
“What does that mean for me?” she asked cautiously.
“You will have more limited opportunities than a freeborn woman,” Leopolda said, trying to be as kind as she could. “Of course, here in our village, things are a little different as our people do not follow the same beliefs concerning these matters. But we are still bound by the laws of the land.”
Tara’s elation at being set free began to fade as the implications of Leopolda’s words sank in. Although she was not sure what it meant, she realized that it could be more difficult than she’d thought to live in this land as a freed slave. As for her desire to return to her own people, how could she possibly achieve that? Not only would it be costly, but she would need at least one or two men to go with her to protect her from being taken into slavery again. She did not believe for one moment that she would be safe from further exploitation if she were to venture out alone. So for now, she would have to be content to accept the lodging that Leopolda offered and her desires to return to her family would have to remain tucked away in her heart. Perhaps in time, she might find a way to return to the land of her birth and those who loved her.
CHAPTER 11
“Heill, friend!” Halvar greeted Erik. He stopped the oxen as they neared the edge of his farm with a log he’d felled in the forest. “What brings you to my farm?”
“I am going on another journey soon,” Erik replied. “I wished to inform you of a matter that arose on my last big journey.”
“What is that?”
“I found Taft.”
Halvar’s eyes grew wide. “Taft? Did you take him?”
“No. I had no need. He is crippled and unable to fight or defend himself.”
“You mean, you let him go free?”
“Not entirely. I bought a slave from his wife so I did not see Taft himself. But I know where he lives.”
“This is a strange tale you tell,” muttered Halvar. “You had better tell me all of it.”
Erik told him about seeing Tara at the markets and how Taft had outbid him to buy her. When he related how he had found out where Taft’s farm was located, Halvar grinned.
“That was clever thinking,” he said. “Enticing the woman with some trinkets was a good idea.”
“So I ended up buying three slaves instead of one,” Erik admitted. “And we brought a forest cat back with us also.”
Halvar burst out laughing. “You were tricked, my friend,” he chuckled. “This woman must be very special to convince you to buy her friends and her cat!”
Erik decided not to mention that he’d set them free as well. “She is,” he said.
“Why do you not take her for a concubine?” asked Halvar.
“Because I wanted to set her free,” explained Erik. “She would not be free if I took her as a concubine.”
“So you have lost your money. You gain nothing from this arrangement.”
“It is a satisfying arrangement for me,” Erik replied. “I am happy that I was able to give her the gift of freedom.”
“Where is this woman you set free? Has she disappeared, never to be seen again?”
“No, she is lodging with Leopolda. I am sure you will meet her sooner or later.”
“Why do you not take her for a wife?”
“Perhaps in time, I will. But I wish for her to choose me as I choose her. You know what that is like. You chose Eira and she chose you. It works well for you.”
“It is true. But she will not choose you unless you make it clear that you are available to be chosen.”
“I will tell her,” Erik said. “But I will give her the freedom to say yes or no.” He kicked a clod of dirt with his boot. “But I did not come here to discuss my wife or the lack of one.”
“Why did you come?”
“To tell you about Taft. And to tell you that I stopped in and saw Jerrik on my way back with the woman and the other slaves.”
“What did he say?” Halvar asked eagerly. “And what of Freja and the children?”
“They are well and send their greetings. And I told Jerrik about Taft. He said he would send some of his men to visit Taft. Perhaps there might be justice for the destruction of our village and our people, after all.”
Halvar looked sad. “I wished to pursue justice,” he said. “But the needs of the present were more important than chasing shadows. Taft could not be found.”
“Well, perhaps Jerrik will be able to do something about it. Taft was still very unwell when I left. It is a miracle he is
still alive; the slaves said his injuries were severe and he spent many months between life and death.”
“I am glad that you found him,” Halvar said.
“Jerrik said he would send word if Taft was in a fit condition to go before the Thing,” Erik replied. “It is possible that he will not be able to attend. For all I know, he might have died since we left there.”
“How did you manage to buy his slaves?”
“His wife had no idea who I am and she was glad to be rid of Tara. Taft bought her as a bed-slave and his wife was unhappy about it. And because of Taft’s injuries, their farm has not been as productive this season so Gunilla was happy to have fewer mouths to feed during the winter months.”
“You are a wily and resourceful man,” Halvar said admiringly. “It gives me pleasure to think that you have taken Taft’s slaves from beneath his nose.”
Erik grinned. “It was not only because Tara is a beautiful woman that I wanted to set her free,” he said. “It gave me great satisfaction to take her from Taft.”
“You have done well. I will wait in hope that Jerrik sends word.”
“Come in, young man,” Leopolda greeted Erik as she opened the door. “I am guessing that you are here to see Tara.”
“I am,” he replied. “It is good to see you again, Leopolda. I hope you have been enjoying good health.”
“Oh, I have,” she assured him. “It has been wonderful having Tara and Kappi here for company. It does my old heart good.”
“I am glad,” Erik replied. “I hoped it would work out well for you.”
“It has,” Leopolda said. “But I am guessing that one day, you will take her away to be your wife.”
“Only if she will have me,” Erik replied. “I wish to give her the freedom to choose.”
“She likes you,” Leopolda said. “She was wondering the other day why she hadn’t seen you lately.”
“I went on a short journey down the coast to collect some goods from my customers,” Erik explained.
“Well, she is outside working in the kitchen garden,” Leopolda said. She raised a warning finger and shook it. “Do not let that young woman get away from you,” she said. “She is special and I am sure she would make you a fine wife. She has been working on making cloth to dye and sell at the markets so she can repay you for setting her free.”
“She does not need to do that,” Erik replied. “I told her that it was a gift from me.”
“That may be so but she is concerned about the amount of money it cost you to set her friends free as well. She wishes to repay you for them. She tells me that Inger will never be able to repay you herself.”
“She is old,” Erik agreed. “But she is a fine cook. If she had remained in Taft’s household, he probably would have killed her once she got too old to work.”
“No!” Leopolda gasped. “Surely not.”
Erik shrugged. “It is not uncommon,” he said. “A slave that cannot work is still a mouth that needs to eat. And there is no kindness in Taft’s heart.”
“So you have saved Inger from a horrible death.”
“Thanks to Tara,” Erik replied. “But she has been cooking me wonderful meals and keeping the longhouse neat and clean and the garden well-tended. She has been an asset. Besides, I have enjoyed hearing the tales she has to tell. She reminds me a little of my amma.”
“You have a kind heart,” Leopolda said.
Erik shook his head. “No, it is Tara who is responsible,” he said.
“She is a wonderful young woman,” Leopolda said. “It is sad that she cannot return to her family. I know she misses them.”
Erik hadn’t given a lot of thought to the fact that Tara might wish to return to her homeland. “Why can she not return?” he asked.
“She needs funds to travel. And she needs men to go with her to protect her from being taken as a slave again. It would be very tempting to anyone she meets along the way to simply take her as a captive and make money selling her again.”
“I guess you are right,” Erik said. “It is an impossible journey for her to make. I hope she will become accustomed to living in this land and will consider it her home.”
Leopolda looked at him. “You know as well as I do that she will never have the same rights in this land as a freeborn woman does. She will never escape the taint of slavery. She assures me that she escaped becoming a bed-slave and I believe her. But she is not an eligible match as a wife.”
“She is worthy in my eyes.”
“But if you take her as a wife, you need to be willing to be married to someone who has lesser rights than other women do.”
Erik thought about it. “I am,” he said at last.
“Well, do not waste time, then. Go to the garden to see her.”
Erik rose and went to the back of the house. He could see Tara’s bright head sticking up above a row of cabbages.
“Heill!” he greeted her.
She looked up and a smile spread across her face when she saw him.
“Greetings, Erik,” she said.
“Have you been in good health?” he asked.
“I have. Leopolda has been so very good to me,” she replied. “Oh, thank you, Erik, for setting me free!” She jumped to her feet and hugged him impulsively.
He felt his heart soar. Could it be possible that this beautiful woman would return his feelings? He put his arms around her and hugged her in return. He wanted to hold her close forever, but she stepped away and looked at him.
“What brings you here to the garden?” she asked.
“I have come to tell you that I am leaving to go away on another journey,” he said.
Her face fell. “So soon?”
He nodded. “When the winter comes, I will be home more often,” he said. “It is difficult to travel with the wagon in winter; this will be my last journey until the spring.”
“Will you come to see me again?” she asked.
He nodded. “I actually came today because I wanted to ask you something,” he said.
“What is that?”
“Shall we go for a walk? The trees between here and my village are in their full autumn color. I think you would enjoy seeing them.”
A few minutes later, they entered the forest understory, where the reds and golds of the birch trees blended with the everlasting green of the spruce. Erik inhaled the crisp, clean air, noticing as he did the chill that warned of the cold months ahead.
“It is special,” Tara said softly. “I had not appreciated the forest before today. The colors are so pretty.”
Erik took her by the hand. “I set you free because you are special,” he said.
“What made you think I was special?” she asked, her hand securely in his.
“I know not. I just know that from the moment I saw you, I could not allow you to live a life of slavery.”
“Oh, Erik, I can never thank you enough,” she exclaimed, pressing her cheek against his shoulder.
“But there is a problem,” he said gravely.
“What is that?”
“Because I bought you, I cannot court you. There are many reasons for this.”
“Do you wish to court me?” she asked.
“Yes, I do,” he replied.
“And you cannot because I have been a slave?”
“It is not the custom to court former slaves. But there is something else, too.”
“What is that?”
“For you to be truly free, you must choose me. I cannot choose you and give you no choice in the matter. If I do that, you are still a slave.”
She stopped to consider the matter. “You are right,” she said at last.
He turned to face her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “All I can do is offer you my heart,” he said softly, drawing her gently against him. “It is your choice if you accept my offer or not.”
She fit her head under his chin and he felt her weight settle against him. He held her close and the words that he’d wanted to say spilled out,
unchecked.
“I fell in love with you when I first saw you,” he said, pressing his face against the bright cloud of her hair. “It was when you were chained up with the other slaves on your way to the slave market.”
She drew a deep, sobbing breath as the memory arose, vivid and disturbing.
“I wanted to save you then and make you mine,” he continued. “You deserved to be set free, to be a person of worth. And I could give that to you, at least in part. But as I thought about it, I realized that setting you free meant that I could never have you for myself. Not unless you chose to be with me. Otherwise, you would still be a slave, owned by me, bought by me. I did not wish that for you or me.”
Her fingers curled and uncurled around the brooch that held her cloak in place. He wondered if revisiting her recent past was hard for her to hear. He paused.
“I am listening,” she whispered.
“So, I faced a dilemma,” Erik went on. “I could not love you unless I set you free. Otherwise, it would not be love.”
“So you set me free,” she said softly.
He nodded against her hair. “I love you, Tara. I cannot ask you to love me in return, for that would place you under obligation to return my love in exchange for your freedom.”
She straightened up and looked deeply into his eyes. Then she reached up and drew his face towards hers, her small hands clasping his cheeks. A moment later, their lips touched, the satiny warmth of hers sending a jolt of knowing and connection through his entire body. He responded eagerly, drinking in the scent and taste of her as she pressed her body against his. His hands found her glorious curls, tangling his fingers around them as he cupped the back of her head with his hands, drawing her closer. His breath came quickly, but she was his air, the desire of his entire being. He wanted to stay there with her forever.
At last, she pulled away, her face flushed and her eyes bright. “Does that answer your question?” she asked him, a hint of mischief in her voice.
He pulled her against him again. “Oh, my darling Tara, I love you so much,” he said. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me? Will you choose me?”
Tara: Taken (Viking Guardians Book 5) Page 7