Chapter 5 - Lost in the Dark

Chapter 5

Meanwhile Samu pulled me along and upstairs into the room where we had spent the night. Without saying a word he sat me down on the bed, grabbing hold of my arms.

“I have no idea if this is only some weird interpretation, but what the freaking hell was going on down there?” he asked sternly and I suddenly felt tears burning in my eyes. Shrugging and sobbing, I buried my face in the palms of my hands.

“How am I to know?” I managed to say after a few seconds and snuffled. “These stupid bones or stones meant nothing to me and when I cast them… God, I hate this place and I hate their Gods! Can’t they see that I am completely useless?” utterly lost I stared down at my hands. “Thor and Tyr, the protector of Asgard and the God of war! Them of all Gods!”

“What if we tell them that you are sick or exhausted?” Samu suggested and I could see that he had his anger under control again, knowing as well as I did that we were nothing but helpless background actors in a very dark play.

“To what end?” I asked, taking spontaneous refuge in his warm embrace when he lay down next to me on the smelly furs.

“So we can stay.” He ran his fingertips over my cheek. “We could use the time of their absence and walk the forest, maybe we find… maybe we manage to find this gate back into our dimension, our time.” He fell silent, resting his chin to my forehead. “Maybe you could tell them to ride with only a few warriors to sound out the situation. That would give us a few days to sort out our own.”

I nodded slowly. “I will try everything.” I promised, looking up into his beautiful eyes. “We won’t leave this place and we won’t be separated.”

“Come along, jente!” Yorick broke in on us, silencing my protest right away. “You are coming with me.” He rode roughshod over me. “If your dearie is able to handle a horse, I might consider taking him along as well.” He stated coldly.

“Why don’t you ride with a reconnaissance troop first and we follow you when everything is safe?” I tried again. “You don’t wanna put us in danger, right?”

Yorick grimaced. “I have direct orders and I will hold your hand in battle if it is necessary to keep you safe.” He grunted and it sounded short-tempered. Waving at me to get up from the bed he pointed at Samu. “Quite obviously you can’t handle a woman properly, what about a horse?” he snapped at him and Samu flashed a careful gaze at me.

“Can you ride?” I asked in a very low voice, removing my hand from his arm even though I felt the desperate need to touch him.

He nodded immediately, sitting up next to me. “The matter seems to be settled once and for all, so let’s grasp the nettle and do as he says.”

Looking up at Yorick I made one last attempt: “I should stay.” I stated cautiously. “At least until you have settled at Wicklow. You know that he will keep me safe. The Gods will keep me safe. Don’t make me go there.”

The grim face changed when he looked down at me but he controlled himself quickly. “The Jarl says we are riding, so we ride.” He closed the subject, nodding at Samu again. “So does your dry-humper have any kind of riding-skill?”

I shot a stern look at him and furrowed my brows. “He has.” I retorted stiffly. “The Gods wouldn’t send a useless creature, don’t you think?”

He muttered something I didn’t quite understand and simply turned around.

“Seems like your bond is broken.” Samu got up from the bed and offered his hand to me.

“I said something stupid and didn’t have the chance to apologize just jet.” Sighing I rubbed my face, feeling indeed very stupid and insensitive all of a sudden. Being in a fight with Yorick was a luxury we definitely couldn’t afford. Sensitivities aside, he had found me, saved me and apart from Samu he was definitely the only person in this world that had been on my side completely. We needed him.

Holding on to Samu’s hands I looked up at him. “I have to fix this.” I said lowly. “Will you be alright on your own for a while?”

He gave me a small grin, squeezing my fingers. “I’m gonna be fine, I’m a big boy. But promise me to be careful, will you? I don’t trust any of them.”

“I will.” Smiling I patted his cheek. “Wait here for me, big boy, I’ll be back.”

It took me quite some time to find Yorick. He sat in one of the half-open stables, drinking. When I approached he lowered the brown flask and I saw his eyes darken in the dim light of the room.

“What?” he snapped at me, swallowing down another few gulps.

“I come to apologize.” Carefully I sat down on the haystack next to him, but he only gave me a weird look.

“You don’t have to apologize for the Gods’ odd plans.” He replied, sipping his drink again. “They created and sent both of you but…” he broke off and I returned his look in surprise.

“Actually I was gonna tell you that I am truly sorry for my stupid remarks before.” Reaching out my hand I pointed at the liquor and he handed me the bottle with an astounded cock of his head.

“Your wife.” I put my hair back behind my ears. “I wanna tell you that I am sorry for…”

“Don’t be.” He interrupted, sounding softer all of a sudden. “It has been five years by now and… we… we hadn’t even been married yet. She was promised to me and we… we…” he fell silent. “She died of the fever a few weeks before the wedding, so …”

“I never meant to be rude or insensitive, Yorick.” Handing the liquor back, I put my hand on his arm. “I’m sorry.”

He sighed and got up, emptying the flask. “Don’t be.” He stretched his arms out and sighed again. Looking at me closely he cocked his head once more. “So this was it?” he asked and I nodded in surprise, getting up as well to brush the straw from my dress.

With a thoughtful gaze he rubbed the back of his neck. “Where’s your other half?” he suddenly asked, turning around to fasten a few blankets and other luggage on his horse.

I decided to ignore his little sideswipe and walked around the black horse to rub its nose. “Why do I have to come with you?”

“Because the Jarl said so.” He avoided my eyes, bustling about.

“Do you agree?”

“Doesn’t matter obviously.”

Aha. Weak spot. I nodded slowly, running my hands over the soft and glossy skin of the horse.

Suddenly Yorick turned to me and stepped closer. “Gimme your hand.” He said and I obeyed in surprise, watching him putting my hand on his heart without breaking eye contact. “I have a very bad feeling right here, Seeress.” Still holding my gaze he moved my hand upwards. “Actually the bad feeling is more up here, but nevertheless I have the feeling that there is something bad waiting for us. That is why I don’t want you to join us. What if…” gently he removed my hand, running his thumb over my palm. “What if I don’t manage to keep you save? What if something happens to you? The Gods would never forgive me.” He looked closely at me. “You knew quite well that we would take you along, so I don’t expect an ambush of any kind, but still …” shaking his head, he suddenly interlaced our fingers. “What d’you see? Do you feel the same?”

Confused I looked down at our hands, but before I could answer, the door of the stable was pushed open.

“THERE you are!” Idun was obviously in a bad mood. Groaning in annoyance she stood between us all of a sudden, shoving Yorick away from me. “I imagine that you have finished your little goodbye-hump, I gotta take the girl inside, Oddgeir wants to talk to her. He decided that she and the other Godsend miracle should stay and that you and Aevarr are to leave with your father.” Grumpily she grabbed the little bottle from the bag behind the saddle, throwing it to the floor in frustration when she found it empty. “Come along, Embla.” She waved at me. “I was chosen to be your personal protection for as long as the men are away from us. Come now!”

A hand was suddenly wrapped around my arm and I was pulled back. “We weren’t finished.” Yorick’s voice was low, but it was obvious that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “You can go first.” He nodded insistently. “Give us a minute and I will bring her to Oddgeir myself.”

Turning away in anger, Idun stormed off, stopping by the stable door. “Shouldn’t you be touching your chosen one and receive some more messages from the Gods?” she asked me sarcastically and pointed at Yorick. “Or did he promise you some visions? Oh, what a bad boy! Did he show you the magic stick already? Aah!” she nodded knowingly. “Many girls have ridden that little stick, hoping for revelations. Let’s see what you find beside some lice between your legs when you climb out of that haystack.” With that she smashed the door and huffed off.

It took me a few seconds to absorb her tantrum. “Wow.” I looked at Yorick and let him pull me over to the just mentioned haystack where he simply sat down, resting his back against the wall.

“She loves me like a brother.” He folded his arms behind his head, making me giggle. “And she is pissed off because she doesn’t want to stay here. She’s always been a fighter and as my brother’s wife she’ll never be short of fights, wars and captures.”

I leaned against the cold stone wall as well, wrapping my scarf tighter around my neck and shoulders. “You wanted to know what I see.” I picked up where we had been interrupted after a while.

He nodded, leaning in my direction. “Considering the bad feeling in my guts, I actually don’t want to know what you see.” He admitted and rubbed the raven on his forehead.

A shiver ran down my spine and I looked up into his eyes that seemed to turn darker again when he watched me closely.

“So I guess Odin is awaiting me.” He then said, pinning his long hair back with something that looked like a leather broche. I saw him gritting his teeth, but then he suddenly smiled. “And I shall greet him with honour.”

His words made me flinch. My mouth opened to protest against them, but I closed it without making a sound. Of course. Dying in battle was the highest honour a man could achieve, their greatest concern.

“I’d say, make sure it is a speer that kills you. Dead by Odin’s weapon will guarantee your place in the great halls of Walhalla.” I looked up at him. “But for all I care you don’t have to rush it, he will wait for a few more years.”

Yorick laughed in surprise, tightening a few clasps on his cuirass. “Unfortunately the dry-humper is waiting for your return. But if you weren’t sacred and spoken for, I’d ask you to lie with me for the last minutes of my earthy life. And of course you’d say yes, a girl never rejects a warrior on his way to Walhalla.”

Chuckling I shook my head and got up. “Be safe.” I reached out my hand and touched the raven on his forehead. “We shall be expecting you.” Earnestly I nodded at him. “And even if I am sacred and spoken for, let Odin wait.”