The Viking and the Witch [Halfdan The Black]

Chapter 20: Her

Over the course of the the next days the weather hadn't changed and everyone anxiously asked themselves who angered the Gods. And so Floki stood close to the market observing, who dared to come out.

Admittedly, it wasn't really daring to come out. Everyone had to earn their bread and mead. People were busy preparing foe the guests, that were supposed to arrive in Kattegat soon. However, today something, well more like someone caught his eyes.

Hair braided her swung back and forth as she walked towards the Blacksmith's place. Floki had also seen the glow on her young, mostly unmarked skin. He didnt think anything of it and since she didn't cause any trouble he actually forgot about her. Only now that she was more or less in front of him he started to question her.

She did try to adapt to their culture, which was so different from where she was from. Floki taught her a lot about the Gods when they were on their way back to Kattegat and she seemed genuinely interested. He thought it was for survival's sake.

Did she just try to infiltrate them? She did blend in with the pagans now, and it seemed everyone took a liking towards her. By now Olaf, his family, and even part of the royal family liked her. Floki often saw her around Aslaug, and he knew of the late night talks Ragnar and the foreign woman had.

Maybe she was the problem. He had proven to himself, the people around him, and the Gods, that he only wanted the best for everyone, even if this included killing someone loved, just so the Gods would be happy again. With that he made up his mind to get rid of this problem.

This morning Hildegard felt completely healthy and ready to start her everyday work again. The tonics Mary gave her worked just fine and everyone was glad to have the matriarch back, shouting out orders, scolding her sons for eating what they were not supposed to, and complain about the bad weather.

Even though, Mary felt better, she didn't really sleep anymore. She would lay in bed tossing and turning until she would give up and walk around the whole night, waiting for Ragnar to come for their talks and to give him his medicine. Those talks became rare as Ragnar could finally sleep. The medicine killed his headache and healed his aging body.

It seemed the worse Mary was getting, the better everyone else was. Olaf finally accepted Leif completely and the two turned into a perfect working duo. They were like a well oiled machine. Eric was living his dream but he started taking training on the fields more serious than the training in the bedroom. Still, his fellow female and male warriors appreciated his skills in both places.

As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months her body grew weaker. But she still didn't trust anyone enough to tell her about her problems. So she tried to put on a neutral mask, which she wore every day.

There were three people, who knew of her failing health, and none of them could help her. Ragnar didn't know how he could help her. Upon asking her why she didn't take any medicine herself her response was:

"I don't want to. When I sleep my past comes back to haunt me. It will never leave me alone."

Aslaug prayed to the Gods each night to give the foreign girl more strength to survive just another day.

The seer didn't do anything. When he wasn't sucked into a vision he just waited for destiny to be fulfilled.

The preparations were going very well. All the slaves, even the ones in private homes like Mary, were decorating the great hall, cooking food, making empty huts ready for the newcomers.

This was the closest Mary has been to the women of her village since being walked onto the boats to her new home. The other women tried to stay as far away from her as possible. They didn't want to be cursed by this bride of the devil. Mary was more than happy about this. She didn't had to worry about those paranoid people as she continued to work her part in silence.

The great hall did look breath-taking in the end. Mary outdone herself and even added a bit of her own flavour to everything and so the place glowed Faintly, just like she did.

The wind ceased for a bit and as she walked outside she saw the sons of Ragnar with their father on the training ground. Mary was glad Ragnar was healthy again, that he did not had to drag through his day. When she walked towards her home, her owners were just walking inside laughing happily.

She wasn't the only one observing these scenes.

It was late into the night when she walked into the woods again. She stumbled over her feet, she was exhausted but couldn't bring herself to sleep. Mary was so distracted, she didn't realise someone was following her. Someone with the ability to kill her with his own hands.

Mary jumped when a hand closed over her mouth and she turned around. In front of her was Floki looking at her with a mad grin.

"I finally know what you are and why you are here."

Those words made Mary feel sick and panicked. Was he about to do what her old village wanted to do to her?

"You aren't normal. You adapted too quickly, too eager to learn of our Gods, our customs, and our traditions."

He paced around, going back and forth. It made Mary a bit dizzy, although, that could have just been her failing health.

"I asked myself did you just try to infiltrate us? To hurt us? The pagans?" He let out a giggle and turned towards her.

"But what if not? So I asked the Gods again and again and again. Why would someone be so willing to let go of their past? Until i realised it."

Floki walked towards Mary. With every step he took into her direction, she took one back. She looked like a scared rabbit, ready to run away.

"What if you never belonged to them in the first place? You said your parents died young, were they even Christian people?" He sneered the words.

"Or were they pagans all along, and you were given your abilities by the Gods?"

It was too much for her. Floki, his wild thoughts, and her health, it all came crashing down as she collapsed. She was barely conscious, but she could hear Floki walking towards her and picking her up.

"A gift from the Gods to ease the pain of our people. You take care of us, we take care of you."

With this she passed out in his arms as he carried her out of the woods and walked towards the healers cabin, where the cloaked seer was already waiting for them.