☾
"Tell me again," Henrick demanded of the priest whimpering at his feet, "I still do not understand."
The priest sniffed harshly, "What is there to not understand? We have one God."
I ate the salted fish across from Saga, tearing off bits of it to pass to Hild and Edwin's six year old daughter who had joined us for breakfast in the hall.
We had been in Coccham three days now, and it was a calm place, steady and built on strong roots; I liked it here.
Olav had had to build a pit in the forest behind the fortress, and he had sacrificed birds, fish, and a rabbit he had found continuously for half a day before I was able to wake. It turned out that more than the displeasure of the Gods, I was suffering from an infection of the lungs, from the cold.
According to Saga, Hild had prayed over me for two nights and burned herbs in my room to help me recover. I was weak still in body, but my mind was once again sharp now, and the words of the Gods were no longer fragmented when they spoke.
"Henrick," Hild called out to the warrior, making him look to her, "I will explain it to you later. For now, eat with us and let the priest go and pray."
"Will you strike me down if I don't?" Henrick taunted, pushing the priest away and turning back to the table, taking a cooked fish to eat.
"Perhaps," Hild smiled thinly, "I am crafty with a sword. You should be careful."
Saga burst out laughing, her voice bouncing off the walls, "I like this one! She has a sharp tongue."
"I like you too," Hild mused, her face amused, "and I will continue to like you as long as you help to recover our winter stock."
"You are using us," Saga grinned, her smile razor sharp and wide. She looked menacing, with her hair freshly washed and braided, her armour cleaned and polished. "I admire that."
"You are using us too," Hild shrugged, "it is a fair exchange."
I covered my smile behind my fingers as I rested my chin into palm, watching them talk.
Olav was by the back wall, prodding the 'King's army', as Edwin had called them, with a stick and making mocking pig snorts.
The three of them alone had managed to subdue the soldiers present and force the priests back into a small church. Not everyone had been obedient, so Derya and Arya had been allowed to eat at last, but no one protested. The locals were happy for our skills and our protection.
"I understand," Hild caught my attention, "that you are gifted."
I lowered my hand, taking some berries off my plate, "Yes. I have the gift of sight."
Hild nodded slowly, "I knew of someone like you once, a long time ago. Her name was Iseult. She was very gifted... and kind."
I lowered my gaze to my food, "What happened to her?"
Hild sighed heavily, picking at her own food, "What happens to many people these days. She was killed."
A pang of sympathy for the abbess shot through me, and I placed the berries I was holding onto her plate wordlessly.
"Thank you," Hild smiled, "could you tell me more abou—"
"If a Dane owned these lands, why is there a cross on the ceiling?" Olav's curious voice called out.
Hild sucked in a short breath before clearing her throat and smoothing out her dress, "I put it there."
Olav turned to her grinning widely, "Why?"
"Olav," I sighed, meeting his taunting gaze, "these are Christian lands. This is Wessex. Their holy people can do as they like."
"But this is Uhtred's land," Olav snorted, raising his hands up and gesturing to the hall, "this is all Daneland!"
"This is the King Alfred's land," one of the priests on the floor mumbled, "this land belongs to—"
"What was that?" Olav crouched down to the priests height mockingly, "I could not hear you."
"Olav," I warned lowly, "do not do anything foolish."
"This is King Alfred's land," the priest spoke louder, "Danes do not belong he—"
Olav struck the priest with his boot, knocking him down.
Hild grabbed my arm, "Lady, please, Bishop Erkenwald is a Godly man. Let him leave for the church."
I groaned softly, trying to catch Olav's eye, "Olav, leave him."
"He is just playing," Henrick scoffed, stuffing his face with bread, " the man is just a Christian."
I sighed, rubbing my hand down my face, "Olav, please. Leave the man, go back to the soldiers."
"Olav," Saga's voice was coy as she tossed her feet up onto the table, biting into an apple, "you will leave the priest as the Lady asks." Some of the fruit juice ran down her chin, and she wiped it away, black paint from the runes on her face smearing onto her hand. "Or, I will cut off your cock and serve it for dinner."
Olav scoffed, stepping back from the priest but before he could speak, commotion outside interrupted us.
A moment later the doors to the hall burst open and men stepped inside.
"Who are you?" Uhtred boomed, eyeing Olav and Henrick who were closest to him.
"Lord," Saga dropped her boots to the floor, the sound echoing as she stood up, her axe glinting on her back with the new light in the room.
Uhtred frowned, squinting at her, "Saga? Jarl Brynjar's warrior?"
Saga nodded curtly, "We rode here to find you." She motioned to the tied up soldiers and the priests, "I hope you don't mind our work. We wished to be useful."
I rose slowly as well, alongside Hild, "Lord Uhtred."
Uhtred's eyes snapped to me, as did Sihtric's and the woman beside Uhtred, Skade. "Lady Gyda?"
I sighed heavily, walking around Henrick, stopping at the end of the table, bowing my head slightly. "I am so... so sorry... about Ragnar."
Uhtred stiffened, his eyes sharpening, "How do you know of his death?"
Saga crossed around the table, standing beside me, "She had a vision. She tried to warn him, Ragnar, I mean."
Uhtred's face flared to life and he reached for his sword. "Not only do I arrive to you invading my home but you also now tell me you knew my brother would die and you did nothing!"
The bench screeched as Henrick rose, pulling his own sword out and Olav approached as well.
"You misunderstand, Lord," I lowered my voice, holding my hands out to calm my warriors, "I flew to him. I was intercepted."
Uhtred's frown deepened, "What do you mean?"
"She means Ragnar was betrayed by one of his own," Saga jumped in again, "our Lady did everything she could to try and help him."
"You are the witch."
I turned to meet the dark eyes of Skade, who smiled wickedly towards me, tilting her head.
"I expected more from a witch blood bound to Freyja."
"You do not have to be whole to be useful, bitch," Saga spat out, pulling out her axe and spinning it in her palm. "I will take your tongue and hang it around your neck."
Skade fixed a glare on her, trying to cast some kind of spell, a hue circling her that only I could see. "I will make sure you—"
"Do not bother with curses," Saga snorted, lowering her axe, "I am protected."
"You—"
"Enough!" Uhtred snapped, running a hand down his face, "Enough. I need to see my children." He turned on his heels, making to go back outside before he glanced at me again. "I wish to speak of this with you again, at another time."
I nodded quickly, "And I will explain everything. In turn, I only ask that you let us ride with you. Freyja has bound my path to yours."
Uhtred nodded non-committally, already walking out, "You are free to follow us, as long as you are useful."
"Lord!" Hild called after him, smiling at us briefly as she walked outside, "Lord Uhtred!"
Silence followed her exit and we stared at each other awkwardly.
"Right, then," Finan clapped his hands together, "I don't know about you lot but we are starving. Is there any food left?"
Olav sheathed his sword, motioning to the table, "Fresh fish, caught this morning."
"Good man," Finan grinned, walking around us to the table, the others following him.
"Lady," Sihtric stopped in front of me, smiling slightly, "it is nice to see you again."
I returned his smile, reaching out to squeeze his arm, "Agreed. Have you been well?"
"As well as can be," he replied, following me as I returned to the table, taking Hild's place beside me.
"I heard Haesten's army was destroyed," Saga grinned over at him, "and here I thought you were not a real Dane."
Sihtric offered her a small smile, "It was... something."
"You should have seen it," Finan jumped in, biting off a chunk of bread, "he went back to Cnut crying like a baby."
I flinched at the mention of the name but thankfully, only Saga noticed. "I'm sure you fought commendably."
"Aye," Finan agreed, "Osferth fought the hardest, we nearly lost him out there."
We all turned to the skinny monk who flushed under our attention.
"He is... skin and bones?" Henrick frowned in confusion, "Does he even have a cock?"
"A bigger one than yours," Saga snorted, taking a sip of her ale and avoiding Henrick's glare teasingly.
I shook my head at them, leaning forward to catch Osferth's eyes, "Boy,"
He jumped slightly, turning to me, his eyes wide.
"Come and see me after you eat. I will give you a tonic, for strength."
Osferth half rose, bowing deeply, "Thank you, Lady, I am most grateful to you."
"Why do you speak like that?" Olav thumped the monk's back, "You speak like a girl."
"You are just a brute," Saga threw out again, busying herself with deboning a fish as Olav glared at her back.
"And you are just a—"
"Olav," I levelled my voice, catching his eye, "my patience with you is wearing thin. Please, be good."
Finan snorted, stealing some of the cleaned fish Saga had set aside and she pretended to be annoyed but her smile was wide.
"These are friends of yours, Lady?" Henrick enquired as Olav took two bowls of scraps from the table and left the hall to hand them to the wolves.
"No," Saga piped up, sucking off her thumb as she finished cleaning the fish, "they are our whores. Can't you see how pretty they are?"
I barked a laugh at the outraged look on Osferth's face, shaking my head, "They are friends, yes. We met them at Dunholm."
"Warriors then," Henrick nodded in approval, "what plans do these warriors have?"
"Let them eat," I rolled my eyes, "they only just got here."
"And she cannot ride yet," Saga motioned to me with her head pointedly, "she is not yet strong enough."
"I am fine," I denied with small smile, pushing a few bowls of food to the two men beside us.
"You are sick, Lady?" Sihtric frowned, pouring some water into my cup and then, into his own.
"I am no longer sick," I sighed, "but I was briefly."
Saga hummed, raising her brow, "You fainted outside the hall only three days ago. Your lies are as weak as your lungs."
I promptly threw a piece of apple peel at her face.
"You should eat some more," Finan suggested, gesturing to my empty plate, "sickness in the winter can be dangerous."
"I am fine, Finan, thank yo—Sihtric, I am not hungry!" I burst out, laughter following my statement as Sihtric refilled my plate with meat.
"We need you, Lady," Sihtric stated simply, "Skade is scary but you are terrifying. She should fear someone and I cannot imagine it would hurt to befriend a seer as powerful as you."
I raised my hand, settling in on his shoulder and smiling up at him, "You are clever, I am growing fond of you."
"I am pleased," Sihtric laughed, "I would rather not be cursed twice."
My smile dimmed slightly and I looked across the room towards Skade who ate further away than the rest of us, muttering to herself. "She has cursed him again?"
"She has," Finan mumbled quietly, "she is trouble."
Anger bubbled inside me, growing slowly; she caused Ragnar's death. She caused Brida pain. She was the reason I did not have a home.
"Gyda," Saga called out to me, her voice slightly nervous, "you do not have the strength to curse her."
I picked up a berry off my plate, running it between my fingers, imagining it was Skade. "I do not intend to curse her."
"Then what will you do, Lady?" Sihtric leaned to look at my face.
I turned to him, raising the berry so he could see it, "I will destroy her." And I squashed the fruit.
☾