Viking, me.

Chapter 18 - Princess

We stood out side the door, I was fiddling with my bandage. Who was Freyja? I wanted to ask but by the look on Sven's face I thought other wise.

"Go home" he says. His voice abrasive and cold. He had ran his hand though his hair, I'm surprised that it didn't catch on a knot once, but that is beside the point. I protesting by questioning 'why?' But he wouldn't give me a straight answer.

"Go!" He ordered. I have to give in, something about him told me I shouldn't be disobeying him. I left muttering to myself in my mother tongue. I shook my head and fiddled with my bandage.

"Remember I do understand Irish!" He growls. I look over my shoulder.

"Unfortunately" I say glaring at him. He steps forward pointing a broad shoulder my way.
"Watch it girl! I could have you chained if I wished" he pointed a finger at me.
I huff and walk off.
"I'll know if you get home or not!" He calls after me as I'm half way down the road. I look over my shoulder and see him re-enter the seers house.

I sigh, he's mad again. He had stiffened up straight away when the name Freyja was said. I can't figure out why. I walk, until I reached the roadway out side the long house. I stand with one hand resting on the gate. I gaze across the grassland that surrounds the building.

"What am I doing?" I say lowly. I think back to my home and I breath slow and long. I fought for my village and I was rewarded with Internment. Would I fight here? Could I rase a hand against a brutish, corse, stag deer of a man.
He wore a ora of pride and furrowed brow of prejudice. But something, something was stinging me. A feeling of more, more to him. I can't see what it is pointing out so I shrug it away.

I look down to my right, trees covered the land and between lay individual houses with animals kept outside. I spoke two sentences in Irish, "Mo tír" my land. "Mo bhaile" my home. Things I missed. I push off the gate and take two independent steps. I stop and wait.
I'm sure 'he' could have somebody follow me, that I am aware and still I feel I can defy him. I have a feeling that I have been treated marginally better than a respected servant.

I decide to walk towards the village. I keep my cloak around my shoulders with the hood at the ready, to hide who I am. I gather my hair and fling it over my shoulder from my back.

The trees have the light of the sun streaming through, letting shafts of light fall and touch the earth. You can see houses with in the lightly wooded area. People walked too and froe, going about their business.

I walk a loping, slow walk, carefully counting my steps. My clothing swishing and my hair curling in the wind around my head. I tap my index finger with my thumb every time I take a step with my left foot.

I walk casually humming to myself after I lost interest in counting my steps after one hundred. I wasn't receiving such abnormal looks as I used too, I assume they have seen me before. I hadn't been allowed out of the house every evening, and some nights Sven would go out and then come back in the wee hours in the morn. I'd had pretend to be asleep every time he passed through the room.

I look up from the sandy dusty ground, the sky was a beautiful blue, the clouds a fluffy cotton-y texture. I wish I could reach out and grab them, wrap my arms around it and feel warm and comfortable. Things I had not felt since I arrived.

My feet had hardened and my hands had calluses and I, when I brushed my skin gently I felt like I was running corse sand against me skin. I had a spoken list of things to do everyday.

My thoughts were my only company when I was stopped dead in my tracks, I hadn't been paying attention. When I looked up to see who I had 'disrespected' my blood ran cold. There was an audible inhaling of air from the bystanders.

I bowed my head and issued an apology. Even in my Irish language my tone of voice was pure sorrow. I awaited an physical response,violence.
A hand came close to my face. He gilded my head up and then wrapped his hand around my throat. He looked at me like a prized animal.

I felt as if my skin crawled under his touch. He disgusted me. His fingers caressed my cheek, then slipping into my hair and around my neck. I grab his clothes as he tugs my head up. I try pushing him away, failing miserably.

"Let go!" I squirm in his grip. I am powerless to his political stature, his strength in society. Not to mention his sheer size. My ears begin to ring and I feel a buzzing in my body.

"Sven always got what I wanted most" I was startled by his words, why was I able to understand him. I was paralysed by my surprise and he noticed. He took his chance and he pressed me up against the closest wall. I knew I couldn't just stand here in shock, he was going to do anything he liked if I didn't move. I kicked myself into gear and tried forcibly to remove him. I frantically looked down each road way to see if there was anybody I could ask for help from.

He grabbed my jaw and held my head straight. "I'll take you from him, you'll be mine, I won't treat you like a slave, you shall be my princess" he spoke lowly and I presume this was his attempt to allure me to him.

He kissed me. Biting my lip and trying to win me. I could taste that unwanted metallic taste in my mouth when he had won over me. I detested him. A fury rose in me. I stomped on his foot and when he looked at me in irritation, I kneed him in the gut.

He groaned and knelt over a little he loosened his grip on me and I slipped away from him and darted down the road. I knew he would bring pain down on me for this, but I just felt so disgusting around him.

I rushed down the road and panicked I found myself rushing into the crowd that usually gathered outside the earls hall. I could suddenly understand all the conversations around me. I was so overwhelmed. Had I lost my Irish? I tested myself by describing myself.

"Saoirse is anim dom, is calín mé!" I sigh in relief, I haven't lost my language. I try to weave in and out of the crowd and find Siggy.

I push through the crowd and make my way around the building to the servants entrance.

After walking into the earls hall and finding it empty. I walk out and down to the back where the animals were kept. I suddenly stop when I see her wrapped in the arms of the cart man-Sven's friend.

I step backward, if they see me that man will bring me back to the long house and I will surly be in trouble.

Upon stepping back I snap a twig.