Life was simple, easy, safe despite the nagging of others demanding to know what Y/n wanted to do with her life she had little to complain about.
Still she wished the sea would take her, she didn't want to worry about where her life was headed, she...
The man was obsessed with me, a desire to ruin me and take me by force hidden beneath the gaze in his eyes.
"You could come with me, into the warmth, be my woman for the rest of the winter. It would be far better than sleeping in here with the animals, warmer, comfier, all you have to do is say 'Yes Master Sverri.'" He whispered leaning into my ear.
I nearly moved a muscle, everything within my body stiffening like a log as his hand trailed down.
In an attempt to display anything other than dead numbness I furrowed my brow in defiance as he pulled back to seek my reaction.
He laughed at the attempt.
"Perhaps if you come with me now I will bring more blankets out for you and your friends, won't you consider saving some poor man his toes." He bargained.
And for a moment,
A single fleeting moment,
My gaze downcast in consideration.
The smile in Sverris face at my contemplation bore into me excitment radiating off the man who knew I was almost in his clutches.
But a hand clasped over my covered ones squeezing tightly. I could tell there were no Sverri for they felt exactly like my own rough, calloused, peeling hands.
'Finan.' I looked up to my right at the man subtly eating away at some bread.
Angered, Sverri drew my attention back to him by tightly grabbing the back of my head bundling a fair chunk of my mattered hair in his hands and pulling it.
One hand flew out of the blanket to grip Sverris hand on my head while the other tightly held on to Finan's.
"I will have you girl, whether by force or not you will be mine." The man seethed, dribble dripping from his bottom lip making my stomach churn in disgust.
"I would rather spend the next ten years as a slave than lay with you." I spat.
"Glad to see you still have your tongue woman." Sverri laughed throwing me away from him, my head hitting the wall behind me making me wince. "You'll come around soon enough." And with that he finally got up and left.
Curling up under the blanket as the man left I wished more than anything to be able to cry, my tears had dried up long ago. These months had broken me to the harsh reality of this time period. My once quick witted self torn down to the numb empty shelf I was now.
The feeling of Finan pulling me into his chest and Uhtred placing something in my hand caused my gaze to flicker towards each man. They had only gotten worse in appearance since I met them, we barely looked at each other anymore.
I looked at the objects in my hands, bread and half an apple. I looked up to Uhtred again who smiled through our hardship at me.
But I couldn't even muster a smile. I could just about barely nod my head these days.
Still though he could see the gratitude I held towards him deep inside as I slowly brought the apple to my lips. As I slowly are Finan stroked my hair, something he did often after Sverri harassed me.
We sat silently eating, shivering and never had I been more thankful for the bond this hardship had brought us. Uhtred, who spoke of our bond, took me under his wing as a little sister, much like he did Halig as a brother.
Finan was always one to bring forth my smile after days of nothing but numbing responses. His tender hands stroking my hair bringing me comfort.
He was different.
I couldn't explain the connection we had but it was his side I always felt the most comfortable at, his shoulder which offered me the most solace for my rest.
It was like an invisible force drew me nearer to him each time I faced a new challenge.
After I ate my fill I shared the last of my bread, a good portion too, due on my small stomach, out between the men who I knew were plotting an escape and needed their strength.
Truthfully ever since they first spoke of escape after the storm, I'd cut down my rations to share with them. I could handle the starvation, I thought, I didn't need the strength they, needed just enough to run.
With three thirds of a loaf of bread left I split it into equal portions in my lap and reached out to Halig, Uhtred and Finan all who protested at first but accepted after my hand refused to move.
Even though my stomach wasn't as full as it had liked to have been, I curled back up under the blanket, legs drawn to my torso as I fell asleep on Finan's shoulder.
~~~
To Be Continued
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