by Quinn Loftis
I didn’t feel sorry for the maimed Vikings. They had terrorized a sixteen-year-old girl. If performing such a grisly act helped my sister begin to heal from their assault, then I would support her.
When it was done, Calder took the axe from Dayna and glanced over our heads. “Take them to the temporary tent. Don’t tie them up, but station two guards at the entrance.”
I took Dayna’s hand in mine and walked beside her, with Hilda on my right side. We followed the guard in silence, and I wondered if she felt any sort of relief. There was no indication on her face, and her rigid posture betrayed nothing.
When we entered the tent, Hilda stopped and turned to the two warriors assigned guard duty.
“Could you please get one of your women to bring us a wash basin so the girl can clean up? And a new garment would also be most welcome.” They stared back at her, uncertainty obvious in their eyes. “Imagine if it was your daughter or wife that had been hurt. Would you want her to have to stay in the clothes that had been torn apart by wicked men?” Still they didn’t move.
Hilda sighed. “Calder obviously values these women. You’ve seen what happens when someone violates them. Don’t you think it might go well for you to see they are taken care of?” That seemed to decide things for them, and they both nodded at her. She thanked them and closed the flaps.
“How are you?” Hilda asked Dayna, who had taken a seat at a small table on the far-right side of the dwelling. It wasn’t a large tent, but it was adequate for three people and didn’t feel cramped. There were three bedrolls set up on the left side and some furs stacked to the right of them. Those were the only creature comforts, but it beat being tied to a tree any day.
Dayna took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she answered. “I’ll be a bit better when I get out of these clothes and get cleaned up.” She gave Hilda a small smile. “Thank you for requesting those things.”
Hilda waved her off as if it weren’t a big deal. “You just chopped off two hands, it’s not like you’re thinking clearly enough to worry about trivial things like clean clothes.”
Dayna turned to me and shook her head. “Stop worrying, sister mine. I can see the wheels spinning in your mind, and smoke is practically coming out of your ears. I’m going to be all right. I’m shaken up a bit and I feel like a whore on discount day, but it’s nothing that time won’t heal.”
I turned my head, my mouth pinching together. “Is there a discount day for whores? And if so, how do you know about it?”
“I can’t reveal my sources. That would make me a snitch, and while I may be many things, a snitch is not one of them.”
Hilda chuckled and, as the guards returned to their posts outside, moved away from the door, taking a seat across from Dayna at the table. “You’re a princess obsessed with acts of the flesh, a hand slayer, and a jumble of other things all rolled into one, but you draw the line at snitching?”
“One has to have standards,” Dayna said in her most haughty voice.
“May I come in?” a female voice asked through the tent flap.
“You may,” Hilda answered.
A woman of average height pushed through the flap. She had big, brown eyes, a small, bow-shaped mouth, a head of deep brown hair, and a kind face. In her hands was a round washbasin, and a folded cloth lay across her arm.
“I’m Gretchen,” she said, making her way over to the table where Dayna and Hilda were seated. She placed the basin down, laid the cloth next to it, and then stuck her hand in a pocket of her dress and pulled out a bar of soap. After placing the soap on the cloth, Gretchen walked back to the flap and leaned out, taking something in her arms from the guards. When she turned back around, I saw she was holding two garments.
“These probably aren’t as well-tailored as you are accustomed to, but they’re clean,” she said, placing them on one of the bedrolls.
“We don’t require fancy things,” I said. “We appreciate your generosity.”
“If there is anything else you need, the jarl has commanded it be provided, so long as it doesn’t aid in any escape attempt or require you to leave the tent. The only exception, of course, is the need to relieve yourselves. Myself and one of the shieldmaidens will accompany you when nature calls.”
“Thank you,” I said simply, not really sure what else to say. Should one be grateful to their captors? After all, we were prisoners whether tied to a tree or confined to a tent. Regardless, it just felt like the right thing to say since the guards helped us instead of telling Hilda to go climb a tree or something. It was always good to be thankful for small mercies.
As Dayna cleaned herself up, I paced. Hilda sat staring at the ground as if it would suddenly open up and offer us an escape route. Before I could ask her what she was thinking, Dayna spoke.
“What happened?” she asked as she rinsed off her face. “What did Calder say after he took you into the tent?”
So, she didn’t want to talk about what had happened to her. That was all right. She would talk when she was ready. Or, she might never want to talk about it. Whichever she decided, I needed to be okay with it, no matter how badly I wanted to help her.
“The brothers are bosom buddies now,” I said, finally.
“What?” Dayna asked. “Just a little while ago, Calder was like ‘I’m going to kill you, and give me your healers and your worthless English princess.’” She mimicked his growling, deep voice, which caused me to cover my mouth to keep from laughing. “Now he’s decided Magnus is a trusted friend?”
“Magnus offered Calder some things that he couldn’t turn away,” Hilda said. “Gold and power.”
“Power?” Dayna asked.
“Yes, Calder agreed to let Magnus and his warriors join this clan as long as Magnus steps aside and recognizes Calder as jarl. And Magnus offered him gold to go along with the additional warriors—and, of course, access to one of two seers and healers.”
“Merge the clans?” Dayna asked, as if saying it out loud would help her understand.
“If Magnus has his way, Clan Hakon will become part of Clan Thornag—Calder’s clan,” Hilda said.
“Thornag? Are you serious? We were captured by Clan Thornag? That’s just—”
“Never mind the name,” I interrupted. “Don’t you see what this means? Now Hilda and I will be forced to use our powers on two madmen instead of one. And the combined clan will be much stronger. How will Torben rescue us if he has to fight the joined forces of both clans? It’s impossible.”
Hilda shook her head. “You assume too much, my child. The members back at Ravenscar will not agree to the merger. Magnus will look like a fool.”
“But what about this gold he claims to have?” I asked.
Hilda shrugged. “I have never seen evidence of it, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been doing exactly what he says. It wouldn’t surprise me. If Clan Hakon finds out about it, though, they will string him up before he has a chance to take it to Calder. Then again, he’s going to die anyway if he returns to the clan. Torben will kill him there.”
I noted the satisfaction in her voice, and I couldn’t say I blamed her. Magnus was the worst sort—willing to throw his clan to the wolves to save his own skin. That was not leadership.
“So, what’s going on now?” Dayna asked.
“They’re having a celebration,” Hilda said. “That’s the only good thing that has come out of this so-called merger.”
“How is that a good thing?” I asked.
“Because it means they’re going to be guzzling mead and getting three sheets to the wind. Warriors aren’t much use when they can’t see or stand straight,” she said with a sly grin. “Ladies, our opportunity is almost upon us. Be ready.”
“Um,” Dayna said, “what about the guards and Gretchen and shieldmaidens?”
“Minor details,” Hilda said, waving her off.
“Last time I checked, details were usually sort of important,” Dayna pointed out.
“Key word is ‘usually.’”
“Okay, say we do manage to escape despite these unimportant little details. Then what?”
“Then we will join in the revelry, of course,” Hilda said, sounding much too eager.
“Really?”
“No, you chowderhead,” she rasped. “We’re going to make a run for it. What do you think we’re going to do, offer to serve them mead?”
Dayna frowned. “No need to be testy. I’m hungry. I don’t think clearly when I’m hungry.”
“Well suck it up, Princess. You need your wits about you tonight. We’re going to be running in the dark, and men aren’t the only enemy we’ll have to worry about. There are animals out there in the forest that would love a nice, royal snack.”
I was glad Hilda wasn’t treating Dayna like a gentle foal, which would have been easy to do after what she’d been through. Treating her like damaged goods would only upset her. Hilda was right—we needed to give her the support to thrive, not just survive.
“You’re kind of sucking the joy out of the whole getting-to-escape thing,” I said.
“I’m an Oracle, Allete. It’s what I do. I suck the joy out of the future. You’ll get used to it.”
I sighed. “Lucky me.”
* * *
By the time the sun had set and the stars had lit up the sky, the Vikings’ celebration was in full swing. We took turns peering out a gap in the tent flap, watching as men stumbled about, dropping their cups and pawing at their women. Apparently, some of the men and women in the clan didn’t need complete privacy to show their affection to one another. A few had given us quite a show. I certainly wasn’t as pure as the driven snow, but I saw some things I’d never even imagined before, and I was pretty sure I would need to wash my eyeballs out with lye soap to erase those images. I had whispered to Dayna to shut her eyes, but she’d looked at me like I was crazy and then went back to watching intently.
“Just because I had one horrible experience doesn’t mean I’ve lost my sense of curiosity,” she said.
“At least all the couples have moved on,” I said, truly thankful for it once the pairs had stumbled off to their huts or found a shadowy spot in the bushes.
“That was not only entertaining, but educational as well,” Dayna grumbled. “The only thing I learned about a man and a woman being together came from Cook, and she didn’t even give me the good details.”
My eyes widened. “Cook has talked to you about the marriage bed?”
Dayna laughed and shook her head. “No, I’m not sure if marriage was ever mentioned. But she did tell me how a man takes a woman if he knows what he’s doing.”
Hilda laughed, and I sat there opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. My shock was soon replaced with jealousy. I was beginning to think that my sister might actually know more about what goes on between a man and a woman than I did. I understood the mechanics of it, of course, but it sounded like Cook’s information was a lot more interesting than what I’d learned from the midwife’s quick lesson during school.
I opened my mouth to say… something—I wasn’t wholly sure what—when Hilda interrupted me. It was her turn at the flap, and she’d been watching for nearly half an hour. “Before you go giving her a hard time, let’s get out of here. You can find out what she knows later.”
“It’s time?” Dayna asked like an excited child on Christmas morning.
Hilda’s head swiveled around to confirm that no one was paying attention to us. The two guards had abandoned their posts, unable to resist the invitation of libation and female companionship. Everyone was well and truly drunk, passed out or off doing things that we could hear but not see, thank goodness. Hilda motioned us to follow, and we headed out after her. As we crouched low and snuck out of the tent, I was thankful I’d changed out of the fancy dress I’d been wearing and into one of the more utilitarian garments that Gretchen had brought. It was much easier to maneuver now.
The old woman moved as silent as a shadow, and we stalked behind her toward a small building at the edge of the village. She pushed the door open and peered inside. “Just as I thought.”
“What?” I asked. “What is it?”
“Weapons,” she whispered as she slipped inside. When she came back out, she handed both Dayna and I sheathed daggers hanging from belts. We quickly put them on and watched as Hilda strapped a small sword to her back.
“Do you know how to use that, or are you going to cut your finger off if you have to pull it out?” Dayna asked her. I shared my sister’s concern.
“I was a shieldmaiden myself, once upon a time. Women of the North train for battle just like the men. We don’t expect to be coddled.”
“That’s it,” Dayna sighed as we started off after Hilda, who was moving surprisingly quick for a woman of her age. “I was born in the wrong country to the wrong people. I was supposed to be a Northman.”
“You mean a Northwoman,” I corrected, “and no, you weren’t.”
“Yes, I was. I want to be one of these shieldmaiden things. In England, a man would fall over if a woman asked to be trained for battle. They’d laugh her off the field.”
That was true. I couldn’t argue that point.
“You’ll get your chance to learn,” Hilda called over her shoulder. “Brant has laid claim to you. And before you ask how I know, remember I’m an Oracle; I know stuff. He’ll make sure you’re properly trained. He’s the type of man who thinks swordplay is foreplay.”
“Nice rhyme,” Dayna laughed.
“Please stop encouraging her. She doesn’t need to be playing with swords—Brant’s or anyone else’s,” I said dryly and a little breathlessly.
“No more talking,” Hilda said. “Let’s move.” The old woman picked up the pace.
“Bloody hell,” Dayna whispered to me. “I thought we were moving.”
I shrugged and took off running after Hilda. The excitement of making an escape must have begun to catch up with me because even after running for over half an hour, I wasn’t all that tired. But then we came to a swiftly running creek and exhaustion began to set in. The water was about knee-deep and flowing swiftly.
“Being in the water will help cover our tracks,” Hilda said as she pushed through the flowing water.
I hesitated, worrying about slipping in the flowing current. Hilda was already on the far side of the creek. Instead of climbing out, she turned and started walking carefully downstream. As silently as we could, Dayna and I followed. Though the water was swift, it was shallow throughout our entire march. But the footing was treacherous. Several times I had to stifle a squeal when my foot slipped on a particularly mossy rock and I narrowly missed taking a seat on my backside in the chilly water. After about an hour of slow, steady hiking, my teeth were beginning to chatter and small pebbles were filling my shoes. I knew staying in the water was probably safer, but it was also miserable. Even so, every time I felt like stopping, I only had to remember two things and my fortitude was restored. The first was Torben. Every step through the icy water was one step closer to seeing him again. The second was Magnus and the other Vikings who’d captured us. I knew that stopping meant being recaptured. And being recaptured meant… well, I didn’t know exactly what it meant, but it certainly wasn’t good.
I’d been helpless back in the Northman village, tied to that post. I’d simply been waiting for some man to come and have his way with me. Whether that meant forcing me to use my magic against my will or something far worse didn’t matter. It wasn’t going to happen again. I’d felt that same sense of helplessness when I’d been betrothed to Cathal. I’d tried to make the best of the situation in order to help my people, but it had been nothing more than a different form of captivity. In some way, it was almost worse than being held captive by the Vikings. At least I didn’t have to pretend I was enjoying myself with Magnus. Regardless, I was no use to my friends and family dead or imprisoned. I needed to escape for my people, for Torben’s people, for our people.
The night grew into early mornin
g, and the sun was just breaking the horizon when Hilda finally climbed out of the creek.
“To all that is holy,” Dayna whispered as she climbed out.
My legs felt like lead weights. My teeth chattered, and I shivered all over. My toes were like shriveled prunes, and the pebbles had rubbed blisters on my feet. But waterlogged and exhausted as I was, I was still very thankful to be free.
“How do you know which direction to go?” I asked Hilda.
“I don’t,” she said as though being lost weren’t really a matter of importance. “I figure we will just ask someone when we come upon the first town or village.”
“So we might be going farther and farther away from your homeland?” Dayna asked.
“The earth is round, you know?” she replied. “So, technically, a step in any direction would eventually bring you back around to Clan Hakon.”
“But the earth isn’t rou—” Dayna began.
“It doesn’t matter,” Hilda cut her off. “Once we do figure out where we are, then we will start moving in the right direction. What matters right now is getting as far away from Calder and Magnus as possible. They won’t let us go without a fight.” She her eyes met mine. “We’re too valuable. I’m actually quite surprised that he didn’t have his witch watching us. Then again, he may be paying her in blood sacrifices. Keeping her around all the time could get expensive and deadly. Our only hope is to keep going. We only rest when we absolutely have to, and then we climb the trees to hide.”
“We’re going to sleep in the trees?” Dayna asked with wide eyes. I was thankful for the excitement on her face, rather than trepidation. She seemed not to realize the gravity of the situation. We were running for our lives, and she was as happy as if she were taking a pleasure cruise across the English Channel.
“It’s the safest place,” Hilda said, and then added, “as long as you don’t roll over in your sleep, of course.”
“Duly noted,” the girl responded.
After squeezing the water out of our clothes as best we could, we started off again. My feet were killing me, but at least I’d had time to empty the rocks out of my shoes. The borrowed garments were a different story. They weren’t drying nearly fast enough, and I was sorely tempted to abandon them and continue running in nothing but my bloomers. “I can do this,” I muttered under my breath. “I put up with Cathal and his teeth and paws; I can handle being wet, cold, and hungry.”