Claimed By A Viking

by T S Florence

  “It was here,” Hilda said, looking to Ragnar.

  Ragnar dismounted his horse and took Hilda’s hand, assisting her in dismounting. He did not let go of her hand once she was on the ground, but instead led her through the fields. She ran her free hand through the top of the stalks of wheat.

  “Show me where,” Ragnar said.

  “Just here,” Hilda said, walking to a point that was about a twenty yard walk to the nearest tree. “I remember that tree being close to our door,” Hilda said.

  “This is where your house was?” Ragnar said.

  “I think my bed was right about here,” Hilda said, moving to a patch of grass.

  “Did you have any siblings?” Ragnar asked.

  “Ragnar. I don’t want to talk about that with you yet,” Hilda clipped.

  “Will you ever want to talk about anything with me ever again?” Ragnar asked, with his hands out.

  “Maybe. Maybe not,” Hilda said to Ragnar with her arms across her chest. She knew that she wanted to share everything with Ragnar, but she wanted to share with him as his equal. She wanted to share from a point of growing with him. Not while she was still dealing with the hurt from abandonment.

  “Why?” Ragnar asked.

  “Maybe you should think about that, instead of always waiting for me to tell you things,” Hilda said.

  “Answer my question for once,” Ragnar said.

  “Or what?” Hilda asked.

  “I’m not asking. I’m ordering you to tell me,” Ragnar said, firmly.

  “You are bringing this back to me being your slave?” Hilda stepped closer to Ragnar, and looked unflinchingly into his piercing blue eyes.

  “This is nothing to do about being a slave,” Ragnar growled.

  “Everything is about that. I am your slave, Ragnar the Destroyer,” Hilda rolled her eyes.

  Ragnar stepped forwards and grabbed Hilda’s shoulders, causing her to flinch under the firmness of his grip. Memories of Ragnar trying to calm her down when they were younger came flooding back.

  “You are no longer my slave, Hilda. You are free. You can do as you wish. If you want to stay here in Kingston, then stay. But I am going back to Newcastle,” Ragnar turned to walk away.

  “Thank you Ragnar the Destroyer, Earl of Fyrkat, how kind of you. I suppose I will start rebuilding my childhood home now. Unfortunately I don’t have gold to pay for a fare to Newcastle with you, so I must stay,” Hilda said, half sarcastically, not truly believing that Ragnar was setting her free.

  “I can’t do anything right with you, can I?” Ragnar said, raising his palms to the sky.

  “You don’t try to do anything right,” Hilda said, quietly.

  “I want you to be happy. All I have ever wanted is for you to be happy. If I knew how to make you happy then I would do it. You may do as you wish, any anything you wish I will do,” Ragnar gripped her shoulders tight, looking into her eyes, pausing for a moment, “consider yourself my master,” Ragnar said.

  “Well I can’t stay here,” Hilda mumbled, feeling her cheeks flush red at Ragnar’s admission, looking at the ground.

  “Then Newcastle,” Ragnar releasing his grip and turning around.

  “Ragnar,” Hilda said.

  “Yes?” Ragnar said, as he turned around more quickly than any man his size should be able to.

  “Why Newcastle?” Hilda asked.

  “That is where Ivar the Clever is,” Ragnar replied, cocking an eyebrow.

  “Ok Hilda said.

  “What?” Ragnar asked.

  “Nothing,” Hilda said.

  “Stop lying to me,” Ragnar growled.

  “I will tell you in Newcastle,” Hilda said, folding her arms again, knowing that when she told Ragnar the truth, her two lives would be irreconcilably met, whether she wanted it or not. The truth was, she did want Ragnar to know, she just didn’t know how to be vulnerable with him, not after he had already betrayed her once.

  “How long?” Ragnar asked.

  “What do you mean?” Hilda replied, though she already knew what he was asking.

  “You are always angry with me, and you refuse to tell me things,” Ragnar said.

  “I need time, Ragnar,” Hilda said, as she felt the walls around her heart beginning to weaken.

  They walked slowly back towards the boat, bumping into each other lightly as they walked. Hilda caught Ragnar looking at her several times, and she wasn’t sure if his hand was brushing hers on purpose, or if it was accidental, because they were walking so close together on the narrow path.

  “You look at me a lot,” Hilda said.

  “I do?” Ragnar replied, as if surprised by her statement.

  “Yes, you know I catch you,” Hilda smiled.

  “I do,” Ragnar confessed.

  “Why?” Hilda laughed. Hilda knew that she enjoyed Ragnar’s attention. It wasn’t just his rugged handsomeness, but his close attentiveness. Despite the anger he seemed to carry with him these days, she felt safe when he was near. She felt that no matter what happened, she would be safe with him.

  “Well. You look different since I last saw you,” Ragnar said.

  “Since before you left me in Fyrkat?” Hilda asked, knowing the wound was still sore.

  “Yes. Since before I left you,” Ragnar mumbled.

  “Different how?” Hilda asked.

  “You look like a princess,” Ragnar said, looking at the sky.

  “How many princesses do you know?” Hilda asked, cocking her eyebrow.

  “Just one,” Ragnar replied, bumping her shoulder.

  “Ok, Earl Ragnar, Ragnar the Destroyer,” Hilda said, in a mocking tone.

  “I missed you,” Ragnar said, taking her hand.

  “Ok, Ragnar,” Hilda replied.

  “I did,” he said, frowning.

  “Not enough to come home at all in the four years you were gone,” Hilda replied.

  “I didn’t have boats or men,” Ragnar said.

  “Ok, Ragnar,” Hilda said.

  “Stop it, Hilda,” Ragnar laughed.

  “I thought I wasn’t your slave anymore,” Hilda said.

  “You’re not,” Ragnar said, quietly.

  “I don’t know what to do,” Hilda said.

  “You don’t need to know straight away. You can stay with me and figure it out,” Ragnar said.

  “Thank you, Raggie,” Hilda said, smirking at him.

  “That’s my father’s pet name, not mine,” Ragnar said.

  “Ok, Ragnar the Destroyer,” Hilda sighed.

  “We go to Newcastle now,” Ragnar said.

  “Ok,” Hilda said in a quiet voice.

  “What?” Ragnar asked.

  “Nothing,” Hilda said, thinking of the cottage that her father left her mother and brother in, back in Newcastle. She knew she wouldn’t be able to find it now, for the way to its front door was lost to her memory from years of neglect.

  “You can trust me, Hilly,” Ragnar said.

  “Hilly?” Hilda laughed.

  “Yes, Hilly.” Ragnar said.

  “Ok, Raggie,” Hilda said, wrapping her arm around Ragnar’s, and resting her head against his arm as they walked towards the boat.

  Ragnar

  The rest of the crew were lounging on the boat as they returned and Brenna and Torsten were hanging their heads over the side of the boat, laughing and pointing at the fish eating algae from the edge of the boat. Ragnar looked up at the sky, and noticed dark grey clouds coming from the South.

  A large boat was coming in fast, due to the strong winds that were being pushed towards them from the storm. Ragnar looked at the bow of the incoming boat, which was headed directly for the side of his boat.

  “Get off the boat,” Ragnar ordered his men.

  “What?” One man said, looking at Ragnar.

  “Off,” Ragnar ordered again, pointing to the incoming boat.

  “Slow down,” A man called to the boat from the wharf.

  The boat did not slow down. Ragna
r grabbed the hands of his men, hauling them one by one onto the safety of the wharf, just managing to take the last man from the boat before the incoming boat struck theirs.

  The sound of wood cracking filled the air, with splinters being flung in all directions. The yelling of men from the wharf did nothing to help the situation.

  “I’ll kill this bastard,” Ragnar growled, putting his hand on the handle of his axe.

  “You absolutely will not kill anyone,” Hilda said, putting her hand on Ragnar’s forearm.

  “He will pay,” Ragnar said.

  “It was an accident, he could do nothing against that storm,” Hilda said.

  “Any good captain could have avoided that,” Ragnar said, turning to Hilda.

  “Well this man is clearly not a good captain, but he shouldn’t die for that,” Hilda said.

  “I will owe Ivar the Clever a boat,” Ragnar said, lowering his voice.

  “I’m sure the riches you took from the men you killed will more than pay for the boat. Why don’t you just give him one of your many rings or arm bands,” Hilda rolled her eyes.

  Ragnar looked back at his men, who had drawn their swords and axes and maces. A smirk crept across his face.

  “I will leave and never speak to you again if you let your men harm these people,” Hilda said.

  Ragnar let out a long, slow sigh. “Sheath your weapons,” he said to the vikings.

  “We cannot let them-” a man began to say, before Ragnar cut him off, “sheath your goddamn weapon or I’ll chop of the arm that holds it,” Ragnar said.

  “Yes Ragnar,” the man replied, submissively.

  “Help them, Raggie,” Hilda said to Ragnar.

  “Don’t call me that in front of the men,” Ragnar said.

  Hilda raised her voice, for all the men to hear, “Oh, Ragnar the Destroyer, great Earl of Fyrkat, would you be so fearless as to help these poor men,” She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  Torsten laughed.

  “Shut your mouth,” Ragnar said to Torsten.

  “You’re so grumpy all the time,” Hilda said to Ragnar.

  “You’re always criticising me,” Ragnar said.

  “You’re very easy to criticise,” Hilda replied.

  Ragnar decided not to reply, for he knew that when it came to arguing with words against Hilda, he was poorly equipped. He imagined it to be like a small child trying to fight against him with a wooden sword. Instead, he leaped down onto his slowly sinking boat, and climbed onto the offending boat.

  “Who is the captain here?” Ragnar boomed.

  “I am,” a stout man said, stepping forwards, swaying on his legs.

  “You’re drunk,” Ragnar growled, stepping forwards.

  “Please sir, don’t harm him,” A younger man, without any hair on his cheeks stepped forward.

  “Tell me why I shouldn’t,” Ragnar said.

  “His wife and daughter were killed,” The young man said.

  “It doesn’t matter,” The stout man dribbled, staggering backwards.

  “Killed by whom?” Ragnar asked.

  “Welsh,” the young man replied.

  “You were in Wales?” Ragnar asked.

  “We tried to settle there, sir, but they fought us out of their lands,” He said.

  “The Welsh are even more mad than Scots, what did you expect?” Ragnar said.

  “We thought god would be on our side,” the young man said.

  “The Welsh also worship your god with the thorned crown,” Ragnar said, dismissing him, as he began to climb from the boat. “You’re a fool for thinking he would take your side,” Ragnar said.

  Ragnar leaped onto the wharf, “We’re going to Newcastle by horseback,” he said.

  “What happened?” Hilda asked.

  “They were betrayed by their foolish god,” Ragnar said, mildly.

  “Our god is not foolish,” Hilda said, hotly.

  “Ok, Hilly,” Ragnar said.

  “And don’t be condescending,” Hilda continued.

  “Of course not,” Ragnar said.

  They went to several stables around the kingdom and bought a horse for each man. The stablemen were shocked at the amount of gold that these men carried so freely, for often men were targets when carrying wealth so openly, but no men had the courage to face Ragnar and his band of 30 men.

  “How long to Newcastle,” Brenna asked Torsten.

  “I’m not sure,” Torsten said.

  “Three days,” Hilda interrupted.

  “How do you know that?” Brenna asked Hilda.

  “I used to make his trip quite often,” Hilda replied.

  “You’re full of surprises,” Brenna giggled.

  Ragnar frowned at Hilda, surprised by this piece of information. He knew that there was something about Newcastle that she was not telling him.

  “You do not trust me,” Ragnar said to Hilda, as they travelled along a path that went parallel to a thick wooded area.

  “Do you think you’ve earned my trust in the past four years?” Hilda responded to Ragnar.

  “I think I’ve earned it in the years before that and in this past week,” Ragnar responded.

  “Then you’re more stupid than I thought,” Hilda said.

  “You thought I was stupid?” Ragnar asked Hilda, feeling his cheeks grow red.

  “You’re a typical man, and most men are quite stupid,” Hilda replied, kicking her horse in an attempt to speed ahead, but her lack of experience in horse riding was evident when her horse did not speed up.

  “Father didn’t teach you to ride, did he,” Ragnar said.

  “We didn’t have time, it was just us doing all of the work,” Hilda replied.

  “Of course,” Ragnar said, not wanting to start another argument from his absence over the last years.

  “And slaves aren’t taught to ride horses,” Hilda said, quietly.

  “You weren’t a slave,” Ragnar said.

  “I still am,” Hilda replied.

  “I told you that you are free,” Ragnar said.

  “Free? And how am I free? What shall I do if I leave you? I have no money and no family. I would be homeless,” Hilda shot back.

  “But you have a choice,” Ragnar said.

  “It’s not a choice, Ragnar,” Hilda said.

  Ragnar looked at Hilda’s rosy cheeks, heated from their argument. He felt an intense urge to take her in his arms and calm her down. He wanted to tell her that she would never need to worry about those things again if she just stayed with him. But he knew that’s not what she wanted. She was with him only because she had no other choice; she said it herself.

  “I will help you with your freedom,” Ragnar said.

  Ragnar was beginning to realise that when Hilda was angry, then his anger was also there, following him like a dark cloud, greying his days. He knew that when she was happy, the clouds began to clear, and he could see a glimpse of his old self. He knew that his happiness was tied to her happiness and safety.

  “Of course, unless you decide to disappear for another four years,” Hilda said.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Hilly,” Ragnar said.

  “Actions speak louder than words, Earl Ragnar the Destroyer,” Hilda replied.

  “Don’t call me that,” Ragnar said.

  “Everybody calls you that,” Hilda replied.

  “You are not everybody. I don’t want you to call me that,” Ragnar said.

  “Then what do I call you?” Hilda asked.

  “Anything but that,” Ragnar said.

  “Raggie?” Hilda smiled.

  “Hilda,” Ragnar groaned.

  “Just Ragnar,” Hilda said.

  “That would be nice,” Ragnar said.

  “I cannot promise you that is what I will call you always,” Hilda smiled.

  5

  Hilda