Viking, me.

Chapter 15- watching over me.

I had calmed myself enough to breath heavy. My eyes stung and my throat was raw. I sat up and leaned against the wall- cool to the touch. I forced myself to stay still, listening to the silence.
I knew if I had started thinking of home in that moment I would have burst into tears... Again. I roused myself, preparing to stoke the dying fire. The one comforting thing about this place, the fire. Flickering and smoking but never faltering, all it needs is the wood. In an indirect way it's like my life, it just needs one event to keep tumbling down hill. I slid to the floor with my knees up against my chest. The fire poker in my hand and it was heavy too, I held it between my knees. I had my dress hitched up over my thighs, the warmth of the fire, the hearth of the house, tingled my flesh.
The crushing news numbed my mind and I had stayed still, up until Sven had come in and I had gone unnoticed.
His entrance sparked the thought of 'thorsday'

"Thorsday twice from now" I keep hearing it ringing through my ears! I grip my ears, mentally threatening myself to tear them off. Maybe, just maybe if I do the voice will dissipate?
"Faith will take a different fate" still the voice continues. I let out an agitated, irritated growl at myself. I nearly send Sven into the roof as he jumps in fright.

"I'm sorry" I usher my apology quickly.
Something is different here, the atmosphere is kinder- I wonder for how long this will last. He crouched my my side as lifts me by my elbows. I let drop, the fire poker. It clatters on the floor. Sven looks into my eyes. I can't focus enough to look into his eyes and see my reflection - Is there even one. He has a firm but gentle grip on my wrist. I look up slowly fearing the look in his eyes. His searching eyes bore into my skull, conquering every thought I had. I slumped a little and as if second nature he caught me.

"There is a voice in my head- why won't he go away?" I say more to myself than anybody else. My knees are knocked out from under neath me and I'm swept up into the cradling arms of Sven. His brows furrowed.

"Get some rest" he says, but my vision is blurred and my hearing is becoming fuzzy and patchy. I can't be sure if that in fact is what he said. I nod, a little discombobulated. A warmth presses sweetly against my forehead for the swiftest moment. I was laid down and as I was, my eyes fluttered shut. Out cold for most of the night with brief intervals of coolness across my fore head and blurry dreams of being given cool water. In one such dream, I woke from a buring inferno to be relieved by a brown fuzzy figure, a splash of cool liquid would pass my lips but I'd be thrown back in but to what felt like a frozen hell. My chest felt heavy and the pain consistent and unbeatable the taste of blood was present. Raspy sounds floated in and out of these dreams.

At some point in the night perhaps early morn I felt wet, as if I had been submerged into water and held for a long time. I was calmly left in the dark, until sweet light crossed my path and I was slowly roused into the land of living. My mouth dry and tasted like sand. I lay quietly and wait, for sound, for something. I rise up to lean on my hand. I rub my eyes and let the light flood my eyes, there was a warm bright light that eluminated the room.

I yawn and slid my feet over the side of my bed. I tipped my feet off an empty wooden bucket that had a ladle and wash cloth draped over the side. There was a throne chair from the kitchen sitting beside the head of my bed. Was someone watching over me last night? What was wrong with me?
I become light headed as I stand and I lean against the wall. I'm still dressed in the grey servants dress. Picking at the fabric in discontent. I feel that sickly warmth that makes one feel dirty. I stumble forward to reach the fire pit, its out, the ashes a soft grey flakiness under my probing fingers. Why do I still feel so warm!?

I wandered out to the door, the sun was beating down and the air was light and fragrant with flowers and the smell of cut earth. I shielded my eyes from the sun, the warmth heated my skin uncomfortably.
Not thinking- I walk out onto the grass, the green erect blades feel good under the soles of my feet. I breath a deep, long refreshing breath and then slowly release. Reaching a hand out to stabilise myself against the wooden building- I faintly see a figure swing something over their head. The thump on impact sounds and the figure is still. I take feeble steps forward until I'm wrapped in the arms of the figure.

"What are you doing out here in your condition?" He asks lowly, his breath whispering over my skin.
There is a faint feeling of burning, stinging and sizzling. A stinging in my back that ran the length of it, the deepest pain penetrated my shoulder and branched out through my veins.... Or so it felt.  It came to my attention that the structured yet gentle pricks of grass tingled my finger tips and the sensitive flesh of my legs. I had been propped up, on the now kneeling knee of who now dabbed at my skin. The voice commented on my temperature and sweat slick skin.
I didn't feel warm now, as I was being told I was. I felt cold as I were shivering.

"Let's get you back inside, you need to rest"