The Way You Look At Me

Chapter 1 - Six Chickens and One Dead Man

~ Chapter 1 - Six Chickens and One Dead Man ~

Four years later...

The man that toke me away from Kattegat four years ago kept me in his home as a slave. He tried to do things but I didn't let him. Even though I was a woman - who was eighteen years old, I was kept with him.

We were in England, which was now ruled by King Ragnar Lothbrok. Hardly anyone spoke my language and everyone believed in one God, he wasn't even one of the Gods. I didn't like this place, I wanted to leave but I couldn't because I had no transportation and I had no clue where I was.

Every time I did something that the man did not like, he would yell at me or punish me. He tried to get into my bed with me but I threatened to kill him in his sleep if he did not leave, each time he left. He never told me his name and I never told him mine; I called him 'master' and he called me 'girl'. I didn't want to call him that, but he said I had to or else he'd kill me.

My master stormed into his house, just coming from outside, and I knew why he was so angry. The day before I forgot to fix the broken fence and that morning half of his chickens were gone and there was blood everywhere. I guessed that a wild animal or a dog snuck in and ate a few.

"What did I tell you to do last night?" my master demanded.

"To fix the fence," I said, quietly. I didn't look at him in the eye because he scared me when he was angry. No, he scared me every moment of every day because I never knew what he was going to do to me.

"And what didn't you do?" His voice was louder than before, he sounded more mad and scarier.

"Fix the fence," I nearly whispered my voice was so quiet.

"And did you see what happened in the chicken coop?" I nodded. "What?"

"Animals ate half the chickens and perhaps some alive chickens got away," I said.

He glared at me. I wasn't sure if he was going to kill me. Even though he was a former Christian Priest, he wasn't acting like one. Was it because someone in his family died? I didn't know and I didn't bother to ask him. "Listen carefully, you will fix that fence and get me some new chickens! Once you return with six chickens, you'll be severely punished!"

I knew by 'severely punished' he meant that he was going to try and get in a bed with me naked. I didn't like thinking about it much, so I told myself that he'd try that and not what he'd actually do. But I could of been wrong, he could of severely hurt me with his steamy knife. I heard that he murdered his former slave with his steak knife and her screams filled England.

I knew that he was going to murder me in a slow and painful way.

But I left quickly and headed to the farm while leaves crunched under my boots. People watched me walk with crates that I'd put the chickens in. Six chickens in two crates, which wasn't impossible. I had put twelve chickens in three crates, that was impossible and the chickens were complaining all the way to my master's home.

As soon as I walked into the farm, the sound of chickens squaking filled my ears. The local farmer came up to me with a smile.

"Hello Maia," he said with a toothy grin. He was missing a few teeth, had dirty beige skin, brown eyes brown hair that was short and frizzy and a few streeks of gray. He was older than my master, but much kinder than him. "What do you need?"

"Six chickens," I answered. "We lost six chickens last night and my master wanted to get their replacement."

"I know what I will give you. Three young chickens and three older ones. Does that sound good?" I nodded and smiled at him. "Good!"

I opened the two crate doors as the farmer pushed in three noisy chickens in each. They were all the same size and I knew that my master would be happy with them. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, but --- "

Horns sounded and that only meant one thing. Vikings. Vikings were here after four years, they were visiting England. I felt a smile creep on to my face --- I could go home. The farmer knew my story and knew that I was a true Viking.

The farmer smiled at me. "Go home."

He didn't mean my master's home. He meant Kattegat, where my parents, sister, niece and nephews were. Where my real people were. I smiled back at him. "I will. But I must give my master his chickens and his good bye gift."

I was going to kill my master. I had an axe under my bed and I could kill him with that. I knew how to axe very well and I could fight very well.

"Be careful. He could kill you without any hesitation," he warned. "He has killed many women, men and children. And you are two out of the three."

"I am not a child," I snapped and glared at him. "I am a woman."

"Yes, you certainly are. Now go before it is too late."

I nodded. I grabbed the chickens in their crates and sped walked to my master's home. If I had ran, everyone in the town may have suspected something. I saw a few men hustling their wives and children into their houses because the vikings were coming. But I wasn't afraid of any of the Vikings or of anyone. A few were by the docks, wanting to greet the warriors... Or die, I wasn't sure.

I arrived at my master's home and released the chickens into their fixed chicken coop. I went into the house right away, ready to kill my master. But I saw something that was shocking yet pleasing. My master was dead on the ground with an axe in the back of his head.

I had six chickens and one dead man.

A/N:

Facts about Maia are above, if you don't see the picture tell me and I'll send it to you.

How was the --- technically --- the first chapter of the book! How was it? Please comment your opinions and suggestions on what should happen next.

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- emilou_fanfics