Rhalina

ONE

Beyond the Moors and rivers, orbiting the highlands and peaks of the North, the air was filled with the glorious breath of life.

The deep, elongated breaths were desolate and thumping pulses were obscure. Peace existed amongst many tribes. It had stayed that way for four hundred years.
However, that is not to say that war will not inevitably arise once again in the near future.
Whenever the wind blew from the East, there was always controversy and malice and turmoil among tribes somewhere in the coarse pits of Britain.

Arthur Pendragon, barely yet what one would call a man was, to be truthful, petrified.
Saxons and Vikings would surely invade England soon at every corner no matter the seige or billowing of the thrasing waves or despicable weather conditions. He was not prepared. Neither was his father, the leader of not just his tribe, but also a few others earning his good name a great deal of respect.

The Vikings had already promised that they would one day conquer Britain and rule over. Arthur could only hope that impudent threat wasn't going to occur during his own lifetime. They were renowned for their barbaric, brutal punishments that terrorised the victims, Vikings. Thirsty to spill blood on God's holy ground.

Nobody was ready.
Nobody was safe.
Everybody knew the unpredictability and precariousness of life. Wars were expensive and troubled times.

                  ___________

Gazing longingly across the serene sea, a girl was smiling as mesmerising white jagged cliffs could be seen far into the distance. Behind the mist that was being blown west by the refreshing breeze blowing gracefully at the fine hairs on her arms.

She closed her eyes and sighed heavily, allowing the fine weather to fill her spirit.

"Thank you, Wade," she breathed out happily.

"Aha!" a gnarled hand clasped her roughly on the back of her delicate shoulder, making her jump. "Praying were you?"

"I was merely thanking Wade father. For making this long, four-month voyage a safe one. While I'm here I'll pray to Tiw for peace in Britannia."

Her father chuckled surprisingly softly for a man of his build.
"Rhalina Tshafnyi. Whenever i hear you speak, or pray, or even whenever i glance at you. Everything about you, it's like your mother's spirit never leaves you."

"Where was she from?" the girl named Rhalina asked innocently.

Her father smiled sadly down at his young daughter.
"I first travelled to Brittania seveteen years ago. Met this dazzlingly beautiful woman, fell in love to the point where i was willing to die for 'er. A year later you were pulled from her. There was an attack. There was nothing i could do, i was no leader at the time. She begged me to take you. She was of Roman descent and the Roman's would've killed 'er if they knew."

Rhalina looked at her feet, heavily breathing out a melancholy sigh.
"And you had to leave her behind?"

"Aye, i did. 'Er family needed 'er. It was too risky. Times were dark, and they still are to this day." the beast of a man smiled dolefully. "Alas, I do not know if she is still alive. 'Cwotztov' 'er family name was."

"Cwotztov..." Rhalina repeated softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She stared ahead of her, as though in a deep trance.

Pollockk Tshafnyi was a large man whose hair was a tangled mess of long blond curls, as were most Saxons and Angles and Jutes. Rhalina however, had bright auburn curls and her skin was slightly paler and was built differently. Not stocky or bulky. Dainty and lanky. It left Rhalina puzzled as to why so.

"Well we will find her father. And we'll conquer Britannia! Hark we are thus far from th' shore!"

                    ________

Well! That was fun, writing my first chapter. A bit short for a first chapter but it was more of an introduction really. Anyway, how do you like it so far? Captivating?

Here's a glossary for some words in this chapter you may find confusing:

Wade - the (Pagan) God of the Sea

Tiw - The (Pagan) God of War

Jute - one of three types of Anglo-Saxon tribes.

* Pagan was the Anglo-Saxon religion until they converted to Christianity in the 8th Century AD.