The Viking's Baby Boy

Chapter Four

I moved my damp hair out of my face and glanced around to see the condition of everyone else, they seemed to be struggling to hold themselves together also and I guess that was okay because I was too. The Vikings on the other hand, were used to this type of environment and sought communication with one another as if it was normal, but it wasn't and I knew that for sure. Twelve was across the ship completely and was striking a conversation with another Viking as they both took their time to patiently wait on the sharpening station, and it seemed like the others were slowly putting on gear. The sky coiled heavily, dark clouds continued to roar and cry above our heads, I wasn't sure if we were going to deal with another storm before we made it to the rightful destination, which seemed to be a raid from the way all the Vikings were rushing to sharpen anything metal, including helmets.

I sighed and glanced at Ammie as she slept with a bear hide thrown over her to keep the rain chill at bay, I bit my lip as we hit a hard wave and everyone tittered, the necklace on my neck tapped against my chest, reminding me it's there. I looked down at it just as we hit yet another resistant wave, I glanced over at Twelve just as we made eye contact and a blush came over my face, how ironic that we were making sure one another was okay. I averted my eyes as I noticed the smug smirk came over his mostly hidden lips, I stared into the vast of water as it seemed to stretch past the horizon, if that was possible but many miles ago, we were looking at the same horizon at a different viewpoint. Where we're we going? I kept asking myself as the longship rocked excessively now, I guess we were nearing some land, if I was to be asked, I wasn't to sure because it was my first time being on a ship before, it was my first time even leaving my sacred home island.

"Alrighty boys! Gettin' her close!" The captain yelled in excitement as I saw the land coming closer, I stared in awe at the sight of greenery as we slowly but surly approached.

Twelve moved close to me and I felt a wave of calmness come over me like the ocean when it hit the side of the longship and caused it to rock from the force, I nibbled on my lip and casually glanced at him as he took the time to strap on his leather bracers while sneakily glancing my way. What was all these signs meaning: the constant looks, the concern he felt whenever he thought I was in trouble, the way he would stare at me so openly as if I was the only thing that interested him on this planet... him giving me his mother's necklace. I'd dare to say it was more than Twelve was giving off, but who'd dare say someone as innocent and pure as me could love someone so deadly and so hazardous. He wasn't meant for me, at least that's what my Mother would of told me if I was to tell her my dilemma at the moment, he wasn't the one God put on Earth for me. 

Here it was, my internal battle, and I don't even know much about this man other than where the necklace on my neck originates, from his mother: no one loves anyone more than they love their mother. And Twelve gave me something so close to her, something she probably wore everyday, something that meant the world to him. I could accept him... eventually, but murder was a large no in my tribe and we'd rather ban someone than slice their throat open, or make them take a knife to the back. We weren't terrible people like the people before me, they were terrible people that didn't deserve a will to live, because they killed people. They hurt people, they burned innocent people's homes, they split families without caring... and there were numerous times when a Viking couldn't keep his composure and rape one of the tribe women. 

I had the decency to look away, it was too disgusting to watch a man take it upon himself to deflower a woman without the care of her screams and grunts of pain, too disgust. No one would move to stop the men that did such things, no one would tell them to stop doing such things, no one did anything to show them how doing these things were wrong in a sense. Where was the humanity in a Viking, did they even have a sense of humanity? There, they did... Twelve was their humanity, he was the human of the group that saw wrong and didn't speak out on it, so who was worse? Me or him? Who was worse... me.... or him?