"And what is this gift, child?" an old woman asked, limping through the crowd.
Many of the villagers made way for her, and even Hella backed away.
"Uh..." Eira paused for a while. She didn't know if telling the truth would offer her any chance but she also knew she had to try. "I can sense things,” she said, deciding that honesty would be the best policy. “I am a healer, too. I use herbs of the forest to heal illness."
"What is your name, child?" the old woman asked.
"I am Eira, daughter of Bjarni, the leader of the Ottarsung clan of Thvengr."
"She's the daughter of the chief!" Canute shouted to the others. "You all know what will happen if we do anything to hurt the daughter of a clan leader, especially you, Hella!"
"Silence, Canute," Hella snapped. "You do not banish the daughter of a clan chief for no reason, either, do you?"
Eira moved towards the old woman. "I just want to see my mother's brother, Taft."
The woman looked surprised by what she had just said. "Did you say, Taft? You're Astrid's daughter?"
Eira nodded.
At the mention of Astrid’s name, there was a commotion. Many of the villagers wanted her gone before she could pollute their village with her evil witchcraft but others, Canute among them, insisted that she be treated fairly. There was no need to provoke a war with another clan.
Conflict broke out and several people tried to grab Eira, leading Canute and several other men to form a line of defense in front of her. Eira was scared for her life. She had always been at the receiving end of things like this but it seemed far more sinister when she was a long way from home and had no friends or allies in this alien village. She looked around for someone to take her side and met the gaze of the man she’d met at the edge of the village. He gave her a wry smile but did not attempt to come to her aid.
As the crowd pushed forwards, the men guarding her were in danger of losing their feet. They stood shoulder to shoulder, leaning forward against the weight of the crowd. Then the crowd abruptly surged away from them when someone called for help to set up gallows. The men stumbled forwards and she was again left exposed.
“She deserves to be hung!” one of the women shouted, pointing at her.
“We do not want armr women in our village!” yelled someone else. “If she will not leave then we shall get rid of her!”
As the men again stood in front of her, Eira was convinced that she was about to die and terror shook her from head to toe. She longed for the safety of her father’s arms. This was more awful than she could ever have imagined. She doubted that he would have allowed her to be sent away if he’d known that this would happen.
"Enough of this madness!" a voice thundered. “Stop this instant!”
The guilty crowd sprang back at the command of their clan leader. No one wanted to be singled out when he was angered like this. The men guarding Eira heaved a sigh of relief; surely now they would get some sense out of this situation. The villagers stood undecided, wanting to pursue their murderous intentions and unwilling to let the matter go. Some of them began to mutter accusations again.
"I said, enough!" the leader roared and this time, his axe was drawn.
Quietly, the crowd began to disperse, creating a path for him to walk through as he jumped down from his horse.
"What is this nonsense, Canute?" he asked, walking up to Canute and his men. "I leave for a hunt and this is what happens when I place you in charge?"
Canute knew he had to play it cool while Halvar was angry. "I respect your decision to place me in charge in your absence. I am grateful for the trust you have in me. But this is not as it seems."
"Well, then. Explain the reason for this display of madness to me."
Canute knew that Halvar’s anger had cooled a little. He signaled to the men to break the line they had formed around Eira. "She is the cause of it all, Chief."
Halvar sucked in a deep breath of shock as the men moved aside to reveal Eira. He hadn’t expected the cause of the ruckus to be a woman, much less one as beautiful as this. Her long hair hung in silky golden strands down her back. Her green eyes were mesmerizing and her skin was smooth and even. Her delicate features revealed a frightened expression even though she was trying her best to appear unemotional. He judged her to be older than the average marrying age. But then again, so was he. Regaining his composure, he faced Canute.
"Now, tell me what she has done that would warrant the entire village screaming like animals? And who set up the gallows?" He waved a hand at the hasty construction behind him.
Those responsible tried to sidle away unnoticed.
“She says she's the daughter of Bjarni, chief of the Ottarsung clan of Thvengr. She came here to seek her uncle."
"Bjarni? Did you say Bjarni?" he asked.
Canute nodded.
"He is a good man. A fierce warrior, too. I have had the occasion of meeting him several times at various events that concern our people. Go on."
"Well, she told us that she has been banished from her village because they assumed she is an evil witch,” Canute replied.
Halvar looked from Canute to the girl and back to the crowd. Then he turned to the girl.
"This uncle of yours, have you met him yet?" he asked her, taking in her beauty again. Her full, rosy lips framed perfect white teeth and her green eyes shone from her smooth oval face as she spoke. He struggled to concentrate on her words.
"No, Sir," she answered. "I have been here for less than two hours and this is the farthest I have come into the village. I met a man along the way who advised that I turn back."
Halvar sighed deeply. Leading the village was hard work sometimes. He wondered why anyone would accuse this beautiful girl of being an evil witch. Weren’t witches supposed to be old hags with warts and crooked noses?
"I see,” he replied, realizing that she was waiting for an answer. “And what is his name, this uncle of yours?"
"Taft Havardr."
The chief's eyes widened in surprise. "What is your mother's name?" he asked.
"Astrid."
He drew back from her and turned to the crowd. "Have you all lost your minds?! This girl is one of us! Her mother left this village many years ago to marry Bjarni of the Ottarsung clan. There have been strong ties between our clans for years. What were you all thinking? Has Loki entered into your brains?”
The murmuring started again, much to the chief's disgust.
"You treat one who is weak and defenseless as though she were an animal! Whatever happened to your sense of reasoning? Have we descended so low that we can no longer show any sympathy or concern for one of our own?" He glared at them, trying to keep his anger in check. "Was it not her cousin who laid down his life that this village may continue to enjoy the peace you all enjoy today? Or have you forgotten how he led the men against the invaders who took your sons and daughters as slaves? For years, we have thrived because he made the sacrifice to ensure we have peace. And yet, when you have the opportunity to show kindness, you are instead ready to kill because you are afraid!”
He turned back to the girl and looked into her luminous green eyes. "Eira, my name is Halvar. I am the leader of this clan and as long as I live, no harm will come to you here. Now, come. You will tell me about this uncle of yours and the reason people think you're an evil witch."
Eira stepped forward hesitantly and thanked him. The old woman who had been beside her smiled as she limped away. There was something uncanny about the way the amma had looked at her and Eira wondered how much she knew. But she didn’t have time to think about it. She was just deeply grateful for the chief’s intervention on her behalf. She sensed the hatred in the minds of the people around her and the stench was almost overwhelming.
CHAPTER 4
T he sun was sinking slowly as Halvar and his men made their way to his longhouse at the center of the village, leading Eira between them. Outside, there was a large cooking spit like those that Eira had seen in her own village. Eira kn
ew that most of the cooking took place in the center of the longhouse and the firepit outdoors was used for roasting large game. She looked around for the woman of the house but couldn’t see one. Instead, thralls prepared the food, hurrying to make up for time lost after the tumult erupted. These slaves had so much freedom that they were more like hired servants. She had never seen thralls treated this way before. It seemed that the chief was a kindly man.
Halvar invited her into the smaller pit-house beside the longhouse and asked one of the servants to provide her with water and a bowl of food from the cooking pot. Then he went back outside to supervise the preparation of the meat from the hunt. When it was ready, he cut a large, juicy portion and sent it inside for her. She was ravenously hungry and appreciated his thoughtfulness. It had been more than a day since she’d eaten. She devoured every delicious morsel of the food he sent inside.
When she’d finished eating, she washed her face and hands in the water he’d provided and peeked out the door to see if she could catch a glimpse of her rescuer. She saw him sitting near the fire with his men and was able to observe him unnoticed. She saw that he had shoulder-length blonde hair and a short, neat, gingery beard. Blonde hair was regarded as highly desirable among her people and all the young girls dreamed of marrying a handsome, blonde man. Dark-haired men were considered less fortunate and many bleached their hair and beards. Halvar’s lips were perfectly formed and rosy-red and his eyes were a piercing blue. His skin was clear and smooth and he was tall and broad-shouldered. He was a handsome man indeed and she found herself wondering why there appeared to be no woman in charge of his household. At his age, he should have been married with children. She quickly ducked inside the doorway when she saw him rise and move toward the house. It would do no good to be caught spying on the men and their conversation.
Halvar ducked through the door and sat down next to Eira in the flickering torchlight.
"So, why were you really banished?" he asked, mindful of scaring her. The poor girl had endured two terrifying ordeals in two different villages in the past few days.
Eira studied her interlocked fingers. She was still uncertain how he would treat her after the day’s events. Did he come to her rescue simply to restore peace to the village? Did he do it out of kindness? Whatever the reason, she was now safe because of him and she decided that he deserved the truth.
"Honestly, I don't know where to start,” she said. "It began when I was seven. I don’t know how, but I can read the emotions of people around me. I can tell what their moods are and that helps me to know what they are thinking. At first, people thought it was a good thing and it was expected that I would become a Wise Woman. But as I grew older, my skill became more intense and focused. I found myself warning people about bad things that I sensed others were about to do to them. Of course, that made me unpopular when I spoiled bad plans and it wasn’t long before they began to accuse me of being an evil witch. The rumours came from those whose plans I foiled.” She paused and her eyes had a faraway look.
Halvar sat still, his eyes on her face, listening to her with keen attention.
"My father's position as leader of the clan began to come under scrutiny because he protected me. The other men were not brave enough to stand up to him and his loyal men. He is a feared warrior.”
Halvar laughed. "Typical Bjarni," he said.
Eira smiled at the compliment. "He has always had the knack of being there right when I needed him. I’ve escaped beatings and death because he was there to rescue me. He did not wish to force me to leave the village. But he found himself in a position where he had to make a choice. Either he banished me or the villagers killed me. So, my parents sent me here.”
Halvar placed a hand in her shoulder in a bid to console her. He felt a sense of warmth and wellbeing steal over him and his heart skipped a beat.
"Well, rest now. You can sleep here tonight and I will sleep in the longhouse with my men. This pit-house is used for storage and making repairs during the winter months, but for now, we don’t need it, so you can have it all to yourself. I would invite you to sleep in the longhouse but there are no women apart from the thralls, so I believe you would be more comfortable here. Tomorrow, I shall send for your uncle and you can go stay with him. I assure you, as long as I am here, no harm will come to you." He rose and walked out the door, leaving her with the pit-house to herself.
Eira slept soundly after the exhausting events of the previous few days. She finally felt safe knowing that Halvar and his men were asleep right next door. No one would dare harm her while they were there. Morning came all too quickly and she yawned and stretched luxuriously under the woollen blankets as the village began to stir.
A servant knocked on the door. “Miss Eira, I’m here to tell you that there’s a fire going in the bath house. You can have a warm bath when you’re ready. The food will be ready when you’ve had your bath.”
“Thank you kindly,” she replied. She was looking forward to having a warm bath and changing into her other set of clothes. Perhaps she could go to the stream to wash the ones she was wearing later in the day.
After she took her turn in the bath house, Halvar came to see her while she was eating breakfast.
“I’ve sent for Taft,” he told her.
Joy sprang up in her heart. “Oh, thank you!” she exclaimed. Surely her troubles would be over once her mother’s brother took her into his care.
Halvar smiled. “It is a privilege to be of assistance,” he said. “As clan leader, it is one of my duties. But I would gladly do it for you anyway.”
Eira blushed and dropped her gaze. “You are so kind,” she murmured. “I am fortunate to be in this village with you as clan leader.”
Halvar felt his own cheeks go hot and he didn’t know what to say. Fortunately, he was saved from the embarrassment of trying to hide his feelings.
"Taft is here, Chief," called one of his men.
"Let him in," Halvar replied, relieved at the intrusion.
The man who walked in looked like someone Eira had seen before. There was a familiarity about him that she found unsettling because at first, she couldn’t figure out why he seemed familiar. Then it dawned on her; this was the man she had met at the edge of the village. This was the one who had told her to go back to where she’d come from! She felt instantly wary. Things might not go well for her, after all.
"Taft!" Halvar greeted him cordially. "Please, take a seat."
Taft sat down carefully opposite Eira. He was trying to avoid eye contact and it made her feel even more alarmed.
"This is your niece, Eira. The daughter of Astrid, your sister." Halvar seemed to be oblivious to the tension in the room. "She has travelled a long way to find you."
Taft shifted in his seat. "Astrid never mentioned this to me. Neither the girl nor her journey to find me."
Halvar looked directly at him. "Well, she left her village in haste. It was not possible to send you a message. I would like to believe that you have no objections to taking her into your household as your sister wished?”
Yes. Abuse your power, you fool. Force me to do things I don’t want to because you’re the leader and you can! Taft fumed inwardly. Ever since the day that Halvar had been chosen as clan leader instead of him, Taft had harbored deep resentment and anger at the injustice of the decision.
"As you please, Chief. I have no reason to object." His answer was cool and detached. He had learned to channel his anger elsewhere over the years.
Eira didn't know what to make of the situation. Taft was acting as if they had never met when he was the first person she’d met from the village. She tried to read his emotions to gauge how he felt towards her but they were blank, hidden behind something dark. Was it grief? Was it anger or resentment? She couldn’t work it out and felt a shiver of foreboding.
"If you would excuse me, I must prepare for Eira to live in my home,” Taft said as he rose.
Halvar nodded. “Of course. Do what you must.”
Halvar turned to Eira. “Be assured that you're protected here,” he said. "No one can hurt you while I am around."
Eira sensed the warmth of his words. They were sincere and she felt more at ease than she had ever since she’d met Taft. Maybe things wouldn't turn out too badly after all.
Halvar rose to his feet. "You must excuse me, I have to go oversee the sharing of the hunt," he said.
"Thank you so much," she replied. "I hope that someday I can repay your kindness."
He smiled at her. “I hope so too,” he said, wanting to say more but unable to find the words.
As he stepped outside, he felt angry with himself. He had tried to make conversation with Eira but couldn’t get the words out.
"You fool!" he told himself. "Is this how to get to know a pretty woman?"
Later in the day, Eira moved in with Taft. He said nothing to welcome her, instead leading her to a dingy corner at the end of his longhouse. He gestured at a pile of folded bedding and she understood that she was meant to sleep there. Then he turned and left the building. She knew then that he wasn’t pleased to have her come to live with him. For a brief moment, she could sense his resentment as he walked past her. She sat on the pile of bedding, finally alone, and cried as she thought of the events of the past few days. She felt as if the whole world was against her, waiting to destroy her forever. Every time it seemed that she had a chance at happiness, something snatched it away. She had nothing and no one left in her life who cared about her or what became of her.
She was so engrossed in her misery that she didn’t notice when a girl around her own age walked in.
"Hello!" a voice said.
Eira jumped, startled, and tried to clean the tears off her face. But it was too late.
"Greetings," she replied, sniffing.
"You have been crying,” said the auburn-haired girl. Her blue eyes were concerned.
Eira forced a smile. "Everything has been a bit overwhelming."
The girl came to sit beside her. "I admire your courage to face your troubles."
Eira: Banished (Viking Guardians Book 1) Page 3