The Viking and the Witch [Halfdan The Black]

Chapter 8: Her

They dragged her outside the house. Men were already dragging the other women out of the cells.
Mary could barely walk as they pushed her up the stairs. She was still naked and doubted anyone having enough compassion towards her to give her a cloak, something to hide herself from the evil stares of the men surrounding her. The tears on her face were drying slowly as she and the other women were pushed into a wooden cage. Drops of rain dropped onto Mary's face, wetting it again. The wind was howling through the village, making doors open and close loudly. The storm ripped trees out of the soil, pushing them on top of houses, making the inhabitants scream in fear. But the fear didn't compare to the fear the five branded women felt when they were pushed together in the cage and the cage was lifted above the water.

"We just want to make sure that the two, who didn't confess are witches." A man laughed as he slowly pushed the cage into water making the women scream in fear. It was a cruel fate, Mary didn't wish upon any of the women. She took the hand of the woman closest to her holding her hand tightly.

"Close your eyes. You will feel no pain."

Mary tried to speak warmly, wanting to take the fear from the woman. She recognised her from the market but couldn't remember her name. The woman did as Mary told her, mainly because she was going to die and had nothing to loose. The moment the woman went completely under water she was gone. Dead, without any pain or suffering just as Mary promised.

The other women were struggling, crying and screaming for air. Mary tried to grab them, to give them a peaceful death, instead of the pain filled one they had to go through if they drowned or if they would be burned which was going to happen to Mary the moment they would lift the cage and would see her alive.

Mary wanted to stay the good person she was until the end of her time and help those women so they wouldn't have to suffer.

The cage lifted and the man first thought all women had died. But when he realised the storm didn't cease he was sure the Witches were still alive. He quickly opened the cage looking for the evil witch but found the bodies of the women first. He called other men over who carefully carried the wrongly accused women away until the man found Mary. She was still breathing. Now that the blood on her was washed away they could see her already healed skin. But the terror of her torture was still visible in her hollow eyes, looking into nothing.

"We found the witch!", they yelled in victory, completely forgetting about the four innocent women they just murdered.

Mary was angry. She had never done anything bad. She dedicated her whole being to do good and to help but now she was angry and only wished death and destruction upon the village she once called home. As she did so the darkness faded away, the storm settled and the sun shined. The people laughed happily and immediately built the stake for Mary to burn on. But they didn't know that Mary's wish came walking silently towards them.

They already bound Mary to the stake as they collected anything burn-able to create the biggest fire. To show god they killed another Witch, another person who didn't belong to him.

They were so focused, they didnt even hear the battle cry until the men and women were storming into the village. They didn't had any time to run as the first savages were already slicing through the men in their village. Everyone who tried to fight them was slaughtered on the spot. The old people were killed and so were the ones who were too young. The rest was pushed together and tied together.

Mary watched as the village was taken over by the pagans within a short time. She thanked who ever she could thank.

It didn't take long for a man to notice the naked woman tied to a stake. He seemed to be their leader and called to someone in their language. The woman arrived shortly after the call with a blanket from a house giving it to the man. He climbed up towards Mary and undid the ropes. She fell against him as he put the blanket around her.

Mary was unable to stand on her own and leant against the blue eyed man.

"Thank you."

She thought they didn't speak their language but didn't want to just be silent. He nodded as if he understood her and carefully carried her down towards the other prisoners who immediately flinched away from her. All of the pagans saw their reaction as they led the new slaves towards their boats. Mary tried to stay closer to the savages rather than her own people.