Viking, me.

Chapter - 33 "what say you"

The forest turned into a blurry mass of green, black and the night sky. My usually firm stride was now reduced to that of a stumbling drunkard. My heart was racing at a new speed and I staggered and stumbled. I was completely disjointed from life my mind dizzied. The noises of life were gone and all I could hear was a white noise buzzing and my heavy breath and panting.

"Hey!" "Sven" my eyes we're finding it hard to focus on the face the was before me. My hands reached out to steady myself on the body of the man. But the hands didn't feel like mine. "Hey my man-"  my head left a if it whipped around and as I did I saw an orange glowing orb with dark black shadows in the shapes of headed blobs surrounding it. "Where are you headed come back to the fire" the voice was reaching my ears after what felt like years and said they were passing through many layers of fabric to enter my head.

"I need to find my axe" I say, the sentence leaves my head normally but from the expression of the face I finally can focus on tells me my lips let the world tumble them out jumbled.
"Ooh I think you've had enough mushrooms and ale for now" the man says my eyes not recognising the face but I have a feeling I know him.

"Come on Sven let's get you back" 
The next thing I know I'm sat between the man who was talking to me and another who clapped me on the shoulder and says I've gone soft. The faces are flickering as the fire splashed light on them. My eyes are failing the darkened creeping in around the sides and soon I'm in complete darkness. I felt as if I was on some sort of tittering table top. Not only my head felt as if I was spinning but I almost felt as if the entire world was shifting.

My eyes opened up onto a green field, the grass lush and damp from a fresh rain fall. There was a great stone door way that stood on a lavishly engraved tri-step stairway. The earth shook suddenly, I could feel the vibrations in my feet. The blindingly bright white light shon from the door way as it opened. A woman who seemed as if she was hovering flying almost appeared from the frame. Her lean and sexual figure took up most of my vision. The giant door way closed slightly.

"A riddle for you; do you leave your most precious treasure behind for safe keeping with those who you find unworthy of trust or do you carry it with you to protect it despite risk or death or damage?" The voice was neither soft and feminine or harsh and masculine. It had a regal tone to it. This giant woman with her tantalising curves that were draped with airy golden fabric and clad in sturdy but gentle leather tongs, extended her two hands out. They were palm to palm. Cupping something firmly but cautiously like one would hold a fledgling bird.
I, minuscule in size compared to this fierce and beautiful maiden, rested my hand on one of her fingers. A sense of aprehensión filled up every corner and hidden crevice of my body.

Her hands opened and allowed me to see what she held. A soft faced and supple skinned girl. I knew her. I smelled a fragrance I was acquainted with . The warmth one feels as a child when you run into your mothers arms comes over me. A safety and security. This girl's hair was a mahogany  hue of brown. The golden glow emmitting from the giant lady's body cast beautiful warming light over the small girl. It was then that I noticed the baby. Small and swaddled in cloths. Sleeping close to the girls chest. She is so young to be a mother. Where is her husband, the baby's father? Worry broke over my face and I glanced around to see if he was here.
To no avail.

The girl's small and dainty hand was extended to her child. They lay sleeping undisturbed. The innocence and sweetness on the young mothers features then disappeared and there was fatigue in place of her radiant glow. The mother was now alone and she lay in a puddle of blood that stained her dress at hip height. The mothers hands blood soaked. A strong trickle of blood had been seen and streamed down her legs at one point, and it was still clear on her legs and left her ill fitting grey socks that were once white, whit a large blood stain at the ankles.

My eyes stung and anger and distress broke over me like a wave and I descended into a drowning depression.

Having sold all of the fire starters in the market I was now compensated for my efforts. Money in the form of gold and silver pieces weighted my purse. With no discernible way of telling how long it had been since Sven left I knew I'd have to find a way to amuse myself.
Surrounded by the activity of the mart I decided I would take a leisurely waltz through the stalls and purchase some of the local goods. I had made a mental note that I should pick up some cows milk, two fish and a loaf of bread. I had to try and keep my self well fed now that I wasn't alone. I tried not to fuss and hold my self as an expecting mother would usually. I feared that people would assume things, but really would their thoughts be too far incorrect? I had slept with my master and fallen so unimaginably in love. Perhaps I am unwed and carrying life of my own outside of wedlock. But I'm sure that once Sven sees me carrying his child he will not hesitate to make our bond whole.

"Wake up man!" I was thrust from the field into the semi darkness, Sopping wet also.  I angrily groaned. There were four of my comrades knelt over me. I grabbed onto Floki's arm. "What happened?"
"You were possessed! Your body shook through tremors of demonic proportions, you seemed to speak in tongues"
"It was Freya, I was at the gates of Valhalla" the two man looked at me and exchanged looks.
"There is something wrong at home, I can feel it. Something is going to happen and it will be bad" I stressed this fact but my two friends couldn't see my logic. They told me that Freya is the goddess of love and battle. But my mind drew instantly to the fact that I had finally made love to saoirse before we left for our raid. And what these men are forgetting is that freya is also the goddess of fertility.
Could this be ?

"Nonsense man! From accounts of her from men in town I believe her to be well amused and satisfied" Bjørn laughed insinuation that saoirse found fancy in other men.
"I ask you to look kindly on her" I hesitated and after a long breath I Spoke "for I have made her my future"
Bjørn looked taken-a-back by my words and apologised for assuming anything untoward of her. He and floki then assured me that things will be fine and that all our great enemies were here in the land of king Agnar.

Later in the week, when the scouts had returned I was in a meeting with my father. Stressed and looking quite dishevelled they began to regale my father of their journey.
"Earl, they have large reserves of food and wood, and their settlement has grown largely in comparison to our expectation." Erik spoke briskly.
"With greater defences and weaponry resources" Espen added. His face gleaming with sweat and muddy with dirt. Erik began to draw a circle on the wooden table top we stood around.
"The town is a large circle like shape with forests on this side and fields farmed here" he drags his fingers in diagonal lines adjacent to the circle.
"The town is separated and protected from the forests and exposed farm land by stones walls. This is a militant town, sir." I furrowed my brow and rubbed my chin harshly in thought. "What says you son" my father spoke after a long moment of silence. What do I say? I question myself. What is there to say? Lie and say I feel confident we can win or worse say we cant ?

"Earl, I believe that if you give me and two others three days to go undercover and find the towns  weaknesses and vantage points I know that we will be far more victorious" I had to word this
response quite carefully as not to let my father see through my false confidence.

He scoffs loudly, "How could I do that! They'd recognise you instantly, you're and earls son! They'd suspect something"

"Father" I grit my teeth at what I'm about to say "you forget that I am not Destin, with no direct connection to you in looks nor history of public venture" it's true, I never accompanied him to meetings, well not since I was young, and I look less and less like him since I turned twenty-one.
He gives my proposition another thought and reluctantly agrees.
"You have proven wit and tact son, make preparations for your quest"

I nod my head and reply "very well".
Taking a turn I leave the table with the brothers looking very impressed and my father slightly bemused yet interested.  Feeling slightly impressed with myself, I headed toward the camp.