The Viking and the Witch [Halfdan The Black]

Chapter 4: Her

Mary woke up on a sunny day. She could hear the birds chirping, which immediately lifted her mood and motivated her to start her day. As she walked into the kitchen she heated up some water and fixed herself some tea. Today she wanted to bake a few bread for the elder. She took all the needed ingredients and put them on her kitchen table as she waited for her tea. It was strangely warm in her house so Mary opened her windows. She started making a dough, kneading it into shape. She pushed a few fruits here and there and brought them outside her home to her big oven, her father built her when they discovered her talent to bake.

"Look at this. Isn't that a sight every man would want?", she heard an obnoxious voice say and turned around.

"And what would that be?", Mary asked Edward, Anne's oldest son.

"A beautiful woman baking, doing her duty as a woman."

Mary stayed silent and walked back into her small house. She closed the door behind her and grabbed a cloth to clean up her kitchen table as she heard her front door open and someone stepped into her house.

"What do you want?", she asked Edward as she looked at him, annoyed at his very presence.

"I have come to ask you to be my wife and to look at the house. Estimating for how much I will be able to sell it when you said yes." He answered confidently as he looked around the wooden house. He looked at her kitchen and the bookshelf. He walked towards it not as secretly as his mother did a few days prior

"My answer is no. Get out of my house." She looked at him.

He looked back to her their eyes locking. Her voice was harsh and denying but her face, he thought, said yes to his proposal. Edward walked towards her, kissing her on the lips until he felt a sting on his right cheek.

Mary slapped him and struggled to get away from him looking at him with scared eyes. She pointed to the door.

"Get out and don't come back."

Edward looked angry at the woman. He wanted her to be his intended and couldn't stand her refusal.

"My mother said you need a man in your life. Every woman needs a man in her life. I will be able to take care of you, you ungrateful brat."

"I do not need anyone to take care of me!"

The wind picked up, howling loudly outside of her house.

"I will leave now and when I am back you will be gone!"

Edward left the house angrily. His mother told him she would say yes. That she would be willing, yet here she was refusing to marry him. But why? All the other maidens were begging for his attention, but she ignored him. It irritated him beyond anything.

Mary picked out a few herbs putting them into thin fabric, tying it up with a small cord. She had six small bundles and put them in a basket. Afterwards she walked outside to the small oven, taking out the bread, placing it in the basket.

She walked to the first house. It was old, looking as if it was going to break any seconds. The owners of the house, an old couple built it when they were young, before they had kids. They would tell Mary stories about how all of their children ran around their house. Seven sons and one daughter. Sadly they had to give up two sons and their only daughter to the same sickness that took Mary's parents away. By now the three of the five men were married and had children of their own. Two of the brothers went away to live their life for God. Since all of them moved too far away to take care of their parents, Mary felt responsible to take care of the old couple.

She knocked on the door and quickly heard a voice, telling her to come in. They sat at their table smiling at the young woman who came with bread and herbs to ease their pain. For people like them Mary was a gift from God, an angel sent to earth.

"I have brought you some bread and something to prevent your pain." She told them. Elizabeth smiled gratefully and her husband, Henry, nodded thankfully. He was a house builder and had worked on every house in the village. Wether he actually built it himself or fixed it at least one time. He was a gifted man but the labour was hard on his body and soon he wasn't able to work and soon he couldn't even move anymore until Mary brought those strange herbs from the woods. Both him and his wife were very happy with Mary's help.

As much as she wanted to stay Mary could not for too long, since she had other people waiting for her. Each one was delighted that a young woman would help them, but not the last one. The last person she would visit today was a grumpy old goat, who couldn't say thank you to save his life. He never let Mary enter, so she left everything at his door, only to see him take it minutes after she left

Mary shook her head at his stubbornness. She just wanted to help! She walked back to her home and placed the basket away, when her doors were kicked open and four men came into her home.

"Mary, you are arrested for using witchcraft!"

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