Complete Story - Lost in the Dark

This was the final chapter :)
Now here comes the whole story for all of you, thank you for being so patient!


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Prologue

When I opened my eyes very carefully there was nothing but darkness around me for a few brief moments. Suddenly there were voices not too far away and I flinched. I tried my best to sit up on the cold floor, throwing a gaze around the almost black room. My hands were tied together and I felt bile rising in my throat.

How long had I been here? It seemed that every bone inside my body was hurting and my head was spinning. Carefully I turned into the direction of the voices and pricked up my ears but the language was definitely foreign. Listening closer I even shut my eyes again to catch only a few more words. It was men speaking, three, maybe four. They kept the sound of their voices very low but after another few intense seconds I suddenly realised that the language was not as unfamiliar as I had thought at first. They spoke Norwegian, at least it sounded similar.

To my relieve I heard one of them say something that sounded like “no harm to be done” and I was praying that he was talking about me. Another man laughed and I heard heavy steps moving further away. “Father will decide.” Then a door was closed and the room fell silent again. Even though the language sounded familiar, I didn’t get every word. I had learned Swedish and Norwegian as a child and later even took Finnish-lessons. By now I made a living of it by being a tour guide for Scandinavians that came to Ireland and explore the country their ancestors had once invaded so brutally in the ninth and tenth century.

A weighty item was suddenly pulled over the floor behind the thin wall of my prison. I heard another man sigh lowly. He mumbled something that sounded as if he was mocking the man that had just left.

Father will decide.

Whose father?

Cold and scared to the centre of my very soul, I simply remained sitting. I put my forehead to my knees, thankful that I was still wearing my warm rain overall because I was shaking like a leaf.

My heart was beating in my ears by now and if I had not been too scared to even make a sound, I would have cried and maybe screamed at the top of my lounges. Frightened out of my wits I stayed where I was, almost jumping out of my skin when the door was yanked open. As quickly as I could I crawled backwards when a man approached.

He carried a plate and a candle and I felt blinded by the sudden light, however small it was.

Squinting I stared into his face that was weirdly illuminated by the candle, somehow expecting the worst already. He was young, maybe in his mid-twenties. The small beard on his chin was thin even though he had decorated it with three wooden pearls. There was blood on his face and his lip was chapped.

Putting down the plate in the middle of the little cell, he raised his hands in my direction, mumbling soothingly. If I had not already been at the peak of my fear, I would have felt like a shy horse or a fearful little child by the way he spoke to me. He didn’t come any closer, only put down the candle next to the plate on the floor. His blood-caked fingers pointed at me again and he made a gesture towards his mouth.

“Share my food.” He repeated over and over again and even took a piece of bread and started eating. Maybe to show me that it wasn’t poisoned.

“Eat, eat!” he insisted, cocking his head to watch me closely. The small smile he gave me showed two missing front teeth.

But right at this second I was too distracted by the leather cuirass he wore, the axe he carried on his back, and the black tattoo of a raven that covered his entire forehead.

Chapter 1

“Mate, tell me you’re kidding!” exhaling in annoyance, Sami took the mobile from Raul’s hand. They had installed this stupid app only this morning but it seemed to lose the GPS signal every few minutes.

“Sorry, mate, maybe that shitty fog is simply too thick!” Raul put down his backpack and fetched a few maps from its front pocket. “Let’s do this the old fashioned way, okay? Nah!” quickly he shook his head and lowered the map Riku was reaching out for. “You got the sense of direction of a boiled sausage, give this to Osala!”

Grumpily Riku did as he was told, sipping his water bottle.

The four of them had been hiking for over ten hours by now and they were all tired and in desperate need of some rest. But somehow they had gotten lost in the fog.

It was the 30^th of April and the weather forecast had been excellent. But right now they were running around like a bunch of headless chickens because soon the night would start falling and they hadn’t found their meeting point yet.

“Maybe you should call Samu again.” Riku suggested while Raul and Sami were busy fighting over the best way to continue and pointing in opposite directions.

“His cell is still off.” Raul grunted back. “That bastard is taking his week off quite seriously.”

“How ‘bout a tent then?” Riku suggested carefully, knowing Raul and his temper. “Here and now. We wait for the morning and hopefully the fog to disappear.”

Sami gave him an affirmative look, nodding at Raul. “Maybe it’s for the best. Come on, mate. We have been lost for hours and I am tired. Let’s rest for a bit and see ‘bout that meeting point tomorrow.”

Raul nodded defeated, carefully folding his maps. “There was an accumulation of rocks only a few steps away.” He pointed into the fog. “Let’s go there, it should be a protected place for a tent.”

Lying on his back in his sleeping bag, Riku listened to the sounds of their surroundings. Slowly he sat up between his two friends after a while, listening closer.

There was nothing. No wind in the trees and bushes, no rustling or cries of animals. There was nothing.

It felt like a pressure in his head, a vacuum.

He knew that he didn’t have the best sense of direction, but he had always had something his mother used to call his “special sense”. And right now this sense told him that there was something fishy about their situation. Something was very wrong here. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was there.

Very carefully he crawled over to the zipper of the small tent, pulling it open. Still there was no wind outside, not even a breeze, but somehow it felt cold. Shivering he slipped into his hiking boots and his bright blue outdoor jacket. What the hell was wrong with this place?

His flashlight didn’t seem to illuminate the surroundings, but he left it on even so, trying to be courageous. Most probably there was nothing, only thick and annoying fog that would be cleared tomorrow morning. Still listening to the almost unbearable silence, he kept walking forward carefully.

The fog seemed to become even thicker and Riku felt like he could almost taste it with every breath. He had to get back into the tent, this simply didn’t make sense. What was he looking for in the dark?

“Riku?” he suddenly heard Raul’s voice somewhere close by and turned around.

“Over here!” he didn’t dare yelling, but Raul had seemed nearby already. “Sorry, mate I didn’t mean to wake the two of you up as well.”

“Waking us up?” Raul sounded angry and grabbed the other man’s arm. “We have been looking for you for almost two hours now! Sami!” he yelled into the fog, still pulling a completely puzzled Riku along.

Two hours? He had not left the tent for more than two minutes, that was something Riku was completely sure of.

“Raul, calm down!” he tried, but his friend turned around to face him with a frown.

“Calm?” he whispered in a harsh tone. “Being out here alone in the dark is life-threatening! There are rocks, steep slopes and maybe also a few wolves around so don’t you dare telling me to calm down!”

A little guilt-ridden Riku lowered his head. Of course Raul was right as usual.

But Riku was sure that he had not left the tent for more than a few minutes, so this time Raul was completely overreacting. He didn’t mean to upset his friend even more and simply shut up, following the cursing and grumbling Raul through the wet heathland.

“Thank God, you’re here!” Sami’s voice was heard suddenly and he came running through the darkness with his own flashlight. “This place seriously gives me the creeps, maybe we should leave.”

“Leave where?” Raul tried to be reasonable. “We don’t see fuck and by now it can only be a few hours until the break of dawn. I say we stay and wait. All of us!” he emphasized, grabbing Riku’s arm again. “Let’s rest and wait for the morning!”

Back inside the tent and listening to the low snoring from Sami, Riku closed his eyes. Suddenly he felt Raul moving next to him. “Where the hell have you been, mate?” he whispered, obviously sleepless as well.

“I have no idea!” apologetically Riku shrugged. “To me it seemed that I had only left for a few minutes.”

“Get some sleep.” Raul patted his arm. “We’ll see about the rest tomorrow.”

He awoke with a start. Obviously he had actually fallen asleep. The tent lay in dim light and Riku breathed a sigh of relief. It was morning, hopefully the fog had cleared and they would soon be able to leave this place.

Shaking his head he tried to dispel the last few pictures of his dream. Disturbing pictures of large fires and fighting warriors. Maybe his subconscious mind was now playing wild and providing him with some imagines, their tour guide would soon tell them about on their planned Viking-tour around Dublin. They had made plans to go on this trip for many years but they had never found the time. Now everything was booked and they were supposed to meet up with Samu and their tour guide in Dublin today.

Excitedly Riku sat up and rubbed his tired face. Vikings had always been a passion of his since he had been a little boy. Their ships, strong warriors, fearless and fierce. He was excited about the tour that the woman from the travel agency had suggested for them. Their guide had sounded nice on the phone. Very enthusiastic and definitely well informed. Well, she should be. Besides being half Norwegian herself, she had spent the last eight years studying the influence of the Vikings on different cultures. When he had asked her why she had become a tour guide she had laughed bitterly.

“You can’t make a living with a passion like this. I work, study and write books. But to pay my rent I also teach Viking fighting techniques to children and work as a private tour guide. But since it is my passion, I don’t mind at all.”

Now he was finally here and he couldn’t wait to meet her. Elida Alvarsdottjer. What a name that was!

Full of excitement and impatience he crawled outside again. The fog had cleared, at least that. Breathing a sigh of relief, Riku stretched his back. He looked around the wild and moist heathland and the tiny groups of trees that stood between rocks and bushes.

How lost were they? Putting his hand on his forehead, he walked a few steps towards the edge of the rock face. There should have been a sign of Dublin from here, maybe it lay in the other direction. To his surprise he didn’t see any streets, turning around when Raul came over to him.

“What a view!” the other man exclaimed and rubbed his cold hands.

“Where the hell are we?” Sami hat left the tent as well and walked along the rim of the rock. “Where are the streets for Christ’s sake?”

Riku threw another look around and shook his head. “Not only the streets are missing, look around.” He pointed ahead into the green and grey wasteland. “Where are the electricity pylons?”

Something in Sami’s face changed, when he gazed along the landscape. “You are right!” in bewilderment he turned around. “This part of the country should be well provided with electricity.”

Always the voice of reason, Raul walked back into the direction of their tent. “Underground cables maybe.” He suspected, waving at his two friends. “Now come on, I checked the maps and from here I see a few mountains. Since we are hiking in Wicklow Mountains National Park, I assume that I found the right direction, so let’s get going!”

Chapter 2

“Xxxss.” Someone tapped my forehead and I flinched.

“Up.” My tooth-missing-guard gave me a smile and tied the end of my rope together with another one that he had brought.

Had I fallen asleep throughout this long afternoon? I had not slept during the last night with all the bad thoughts and fears on my mind. Everything was back within a split second. I was still here, this wasn’t some kind of a bad dream. Only yesterday I had been out on a little hike because I was expecting clients for a 10 day tour around Dublin and Wicklow. But somehow I had gotten lost in the fog, something that had never happened to me before. I knew the woods and heathlands like the back of my hand, but nevertheless I ended up stumbling across murky paths without any sense of direction. I remembered falling down from some rock. I had not seen it coming.

Where was I now? The young man with the tattoo didn’t look like an actor or some kind of fantasy role player. He was dirty, his axe definitely real and he smelled so bad that I felt like covering my nose when he moved closer to tie the knot on my bonds.

Again he made his little xxxs sound through the gap between his teeth und pulled me into an upright position. “Come, come.” He gestured towards the door and pulled me along when my stiff limbs did not react fast enough.

There was obviously a fight going on outside, I heard loud voices and bellowing. Maybe there was also a song or orders in between, I couldn’t tell. Someone was complaining, others laughing. My guard suddenly stopped and raised his hand for me to remain still. I saw his fingers gliding towards the axe on his back and he cocked his head. With another xxxss and a tug he pulled me along to the backdoor of the room and away from the voices and yells.

Carefully he opened the door and grabbed my neck, his index finger in his lips. Then he nodded and guided me outside into the light rain, still holding me by the neck.

I smelled smoke and for a reason I didn’t understand I also smelled all kinds of garbage, rotten foods and dead animals. The small street between the tiniest wooden homes was covered in mud and dirt, the houses destroyed. When my guard forced me around another corner, I almost stumbled across the slaughtered body of a man. In complete shock I let out a piercing shriek, but the young man by my side was quick to react and pressed his dirty hand on my mouth.

“Stay silent!” he whispered close to my ear and I felt his warm breath on my neck. “Silent! Shsht!” he hushed me down and shoved me ahead.

There was a town square at the end of the little street we were walking along and I tried not to look too closely at all the bodies that lined the former homes, workshops and stables. It was horrifying. My eyes were by now half shut and I stared down into the mud underneath my feet, letting my guard guide me.

All of a sudden I heard someone barking something and looked up carefully when my guard stopped. Two men walked in our direction. I saw one of them pointing at me with an axe but my guard simply grabbed my neck again and drew his own weapon. He said something but my heart was beating so loud that all I understood were the words “Mine” and “Father”. The tall blond man lowered his axe and grunted something before he turned away and left, soon followed by his friend that still threw interested gazes at me.

My guard tied me to the metal rim of an old well and pulled a bucket of water up to wash his face and hands. “Drink.” He simply said and took another handful of water to drink it himself before he offered his hand to me.

My guts churned at the smell of it but I was too thirsty to refuse. Even though he had just washed his blood caked hands in that bucket I grabbed hold of his long sleeve and drank as if my life would depend on it. God, I was so thirsty.

Breathing heavily, I lowered my gaze again, feeling the young man patting my arm.

“Yorick.” He suddenly said, squirting water into his face again. Carefully he touched the crack in his lip and ran his wet hands over his long hair and to the back of his neck where I spotted another minor injury. Plaiting his hair, he cocked his head, looking at me questioningly. “Yorick.” He repeated slowly. “Yorick Havarsson.”

It took me another second to understand that he was telling me his name and I managed to croak: “Elida.”, after clearing my throat a couple of times.

He nodded again and started to roll up his sleeves to wash the blood from his forearms and neck.

From the corner of my eye I suddenly saw a woman leaving one of the houses. She had a round shield fastened to her back and dragged a group of very young children along that were tied together with a rope.

“Litli!” she yelled and broke into laughter. The young man by my side blushed when she approached. He bowed his head in her direction and signalized me that I had to wait where I was. Well, where else would I go, tied to the well and completely terrified from the events of the last few hours?

The woman was obviously in a good mood, despite being covered in blood and bleeding herself from a wound on her leg that even made her limp a little.

Yorick gestured towards the children and asked something and she nodded immediately, patting a little girl’s hair. “For the one I lost last year.” She told him, without taking her eyes of me. Her strong chin pointed towards me and she said a few things I didn’t need to understand because she was gesturing quite obviously and obscenely.

Yorick shook his head and pulled me closer by the rope around my wrists. Pointing at me he started whispering to her and obviously gave a vivid account I barely understood. He sounded thrilled and the woman’s brows furrowed.

She had called him Litli and if I wasn’t mistaking, it meant something like “my little one”. Maybe she was his sister?

It had taken me a bit of effort, but I realized after a few sentences they spoke to each other, just how similar their language was to the Norwegian I knew. It relieved me to understand them at least, even though it wasn’t easy.

Again and again I let my eyes travel over the unfamiliar sight of the woman with an axe and a short sword with dark leather around the handle and a shiny white gemstone at its handhold. Her hair was blond and plaited wildly across her whole head with small ribbons to hold them back together with a brown hair band.

She was a warrior.

This woman, standing right in front of me, talking to my toothless guard and making fun of him for not screwing me and keeping others from doing so, was a real Viking warrior. Every instinct of a scientist inside of me wanted to grab her, talk to her, take pictures and write an article about her life. But the look she suddenly gave me, made me shiver and I lowered my gaze, realizing that I had been starring at her quite inappropriately.

“Make sure father won’t give her to Aevarr, my husband doesn’t need an Irish whore.” She said, stepping closer to watch me with narrowed eyes. “What’s all that stuff she’s wearing? You sure there’s a woman underneath, Litli?”

He laughed in surprise. “She has the face of a woman and since I found here I fought seven men that insisted to hump her right there and then, so I am pretty sure.”

The woman giggled. “How brave little Yori is!” she patted his cheek, suddenly grabbing his chin to lift his upper lip. “Lost some teeth in battle, Yori?” she sounded teasingly and he turned away with a low harrumph.

“Fighting Hjalkarr and Eyolfr about the lady.” He answered grumpily. “But I still got them in my pocket, maybe Oddgeir can put them back in place.”

When had all of this happened? I looked at my young guard that had obviously defended and protected me for hours. What had happened, when and most importantly why?

The woman only nodded, examining his mouth again. “You were always the ugly brother, doesn’t make any difference.” She stated and dodged a blow with a giggle.

Then her gaze travelled over me again. “Does she understand you?” she suddenly asked and I felt an ice cold lump somewhere deep down in the pits of my stomach.

Almost half of the night I had weighed up the pros and cons of my linguistic advantages. Yorick had not even tried to talk to me properly, simply assuming that I was a local woman he had somehow captured.

This woman now asked the right questions.

But if I now told them that I understood almost every word they spoke, they would stop speaking openly in front of me and I would never manage to find out where the hell I was, who they were beside the obvious, and how I had gotten here. Swallowing hard, I quickly made up my mind. If I told them the truth, but only admitted that I spoke and understood the fundamentals of their language, I could ask them questions at least.

Scared stiff I managed to look at Yorick that was scrutinizing my face astounded.

“I… I don’t know.” He said after a few seconds of silence that was only broken by the low sobbing of a little boy next to the warrior woman.

Without removing her eyes from my face, she patted his head, softly ruffling his hair. “All’s good, all’s good.” She mumbled in the direction of the kid, nodding at Yorick. “Go ask her.” Her chin pointed at me again and he cocked his head, pulling me closer.

“Do you understand me?” he asked very slowly and held me at arm’s length, still scrutinizing my face.

I swallowed and nodded. “Little bit.” I answered carefully and his eyes widened in surprise.

“You do?” suddenly his nose was almost touching mine and I started back.

“My father… my father was from Norway.”

The woman let out another giggle. “The bastard of a Northman!”

Surprised I looked at her. Of course! This was the easiest explanation for it. Now they would assume that my father had just been another Northman, plundering and raping his ways through the coastlines of Ireland. And the fact that my father might one day live and not give a hoot in hell for me, well, that was a different story.

“Not a bastard.” Yorick grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. “He liked the girl well enough to teach her some words.”

“Where’s your father now, girl?”

Girl? A little puzzled I looked at the other woman, surprised to be called a girl at the age of almost 28. From what I had assumed she was about my age, maybe even younger.

“Dead.” I said and looked straight into her eyes. It was true. If this wasn’t some sort of role play or theatre – and I was pretty sure of that because of the dead bodies and the smell around us – he was at least not alive the present day.

“What was his name?” the woman insisted and I held her stare, knowing that she was testing me.

“Alvar.”

“Alvar what? Where was he from?” she insisted even more firmly and I threw in the name of the only town that came to my mind and that was perhaps old enough to exist.

“Skirringssal-kaupangen.”

“Kaupang.” The two of the exchanged a quick gaze, then the woman nodded.

“Jarl Styrbjörn.” Yorick nodded and started playing around his lip, cursing lowly. “I need to find Oddgeir, take care of her. She’s mine until my father decides otherwise!”

“What am I, your servant?” indignant about his request she folded her arms over her chest.

He was quick to grab her forearm and bowed lightly. “I’ll be back in no time, lady Idun.” He promised, handing my rope to her as well.

“Nah!” she pushed him away. “Go, you little fool, I gotta pick up some of the goats and take them to the ships. Meet me there. And don’t be afraid, I will not let anyone harm your precious bastard lady.” Clicking her tongue she pulled all of us away from the large town square and into smaller alleys.

I followed her slowly, after a few steps taking one of the little girls up on my arm because the kid was stumbling across its own feet.

The warrior woman gave me a strange look but then she sighed, untying my hands. “If you try to run I will break your back with my axe and kill all of them.” She warned me quite convincingly and I simply nodded, holding the kid on my arm as close as possible.

“Where do you take them?” I asked carefully and the woman – Idun, I reminded myself – turned around.

“Home.” She plainly stated. “They’ll all be siblings and cousins to our children, taking the places of the stillborn or lost if their fathers and the Jarls accept them. As to the rest, we always need a helping hand in the stables or with the household duties.”

I nodded slowly, softly rubbing the little girl’s back. I knew that this practice had been common, but seeing those tiny children all tied up, dirty and scared to their bones made my guts churn even more than the sight of the dead alongside the alleys.

In silence I followed Idun and a small herd of cattle to the border of the little town. There were horsemen waiting and also a few very simple and open carriages. With the help of a few men, Idun put the sheep and goats into one of the carts and waved at another woman that drove some horses into our direction with a sword and a whip.

Then she reached out her hands and it almost broke my heart when she pulled the little girl from my arm. “Take them to the ships and set sail for Wales.” She told one of the other warriors. “I hold you responsible for the children, Arnufr Guthrimsson! If a hair on one of their heads is touched the wrong way, I will personally kill you.”

The man gritted his teeth and bowed, before he yelled her orders at his men.

“How ‘bout the woman, Lady Idun? We would only harm her a little bit.” He asked with a broad grin and reached out his hands towards me.

Idun sighed in annoyance. “She’s Yorick’s swag until Havar decides otherwise, stay away from her.” Still grinning Guthrimsson took another bow. “Let’s hope Jarl Havar shows generosity with his men.”

Grabbing my arm, Idun only grunted something vulgar and pulled me along. “Don’t dawdle!” she grumbled. “I need to find some food, you come with me.”

She took me to the house of the villages elder, a flat house that reminded me of an African rondavel with its flat conical roof thatched with straw. It was warm and almost dry inside and I let Idun pull me through the crowd of men and women that were sitting or standing around, drinking and eating.

The atmosphere was quite relaxed, at least for a gathering of warriors. They were sitting together by different fireplaces, talking, laughing, some of them fighting or at least discussing heatedly. Estimate based on their behaviour told me that they had taken over this place about two days ago. Most wounds were bandaged and there was almost no sign of the original occupants of the homes. Well, maybe a handful of women the Vikings had kept as slaves or servants. I lowered my eyes when we passed by a few scenes I wanted erased from my memories right away.

Idun didn’t seem to care. Smiling and greeting she made her way through the crowd and headed straight for a blond man with a half shaven skull and the fur of what appeared to be a boar around his shoulders.

“Mylady!” The man toasted in her direction and grabbed her neck to pull her in for a kiss. “Finally you are joining us.” He said in a very deep voice, offering his drink to her.

She took it with a low sound of annoyance, pointing at me. “Had to take care of Yori’s latest and most precious toy.” She stated ironically and the blue gaze of the remarkably tall man ran over me again.

“Yori took a woman to keep her?” he asked astounded. “She’s not even… did he…” his blond brows furrowed. “What kind of dress is that?” he asked lowly and pointed at my rain suit in confusion. “What is she, woman? A servant to their Gods?”

Idun shrugged, chucking him under the chin. “Your little brother might not be the strongest but he is intelligent for all that. He defended her and he…”

Suddenly Yorick stood between us, taking Idun by her arm. “You brought her here?” he hissed and threw a look around but nobody seemed to have noticed my presence.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Yorick put his arm around my shoulders and nodded at the older man. “Aevarr.”

His brother cocked his eyebrow in amusement. “A serf, for you only?”

“She’s no such thing!” Yorick shot back but he lowered his voice immediately. “I’ll find her some normal dress to wear, when will father be back?”

“He’s only been gone for a few hours, not even a day. Get your weird looking slave dressed properly and then come wait with us and have a drink.”

With a nod, Yorick pulled me away from the main fireplace and to the wall in the back of the house. There was a narrow staircase that led upstairs to something that appeared to be a gallery. I saw rumpled up beds and hurled around furniture between curtains and woven room dividers. Single-mindedly, Yorick grabbed two large wooden crates and threw them both open.

“Here you go.” He handed me a few pieces of cloth that appeared to be some kind of full length dress and a waistcoat. With his axe drawn and put on his knees, he sat down on one of the beds, throwing careful gazes around and at the people on the ground floor. “You might wanna stand over there rather than where you’re standing right now, Elida Alvarsdottjer.” He pointed at the wall to his right and grinned.

He looked different with his teeth complete again. Younger. And in some way sympathetic.

“Aren’t they lose anymore?” I pointed at his face and he flashed another purposely toothy grin at me, shrugging slightly.

“Oddgeir told me the Gods liked me and pushed them back up like he wanted them to get stuck in my brains. Maybe they’ll stay. I like ‘em.” Feeling over his jawline, he nodded at the clothes in my hands. “Get dressed so we can mingle.”

“You wanna watch?” I tried to sound confident despite my still shaking knees. This was the weirdest nightmare I had ever had. And for some reason it had become reality.

Yorick chuckled. “I’ve seen women naked, girl.” With a worldly-wise wink he started sharpening his axe.

Completely out of words I stared down at him and he blew out his cheeks. “Little Alfur, I need to have an eye on the stairs and the pathways. I will mind my own business, get dressed behind my back if it suits you but stay close!”

Of course. I felt a blush creeping over my face. He and his kind had other ways to get what they wanted and it was obvious that he only wanted to keep me safe. Throwing a look around me, I opened the fastener of my overall. Yorick’s head spun around and he looked at the zipper downright fascinated.

“I have been wondering all night how this black suit would open.” He said without taking his eyes of my overall. “But I was too scared to touch it.”

I laughed in surprise, cocking my head. “You were too scared to touch it?”

“It could have been sacred!” he retorted, reaching out his hands towards me. “Is it?”

I slipped the overall down my woollen tights and over my feet, handing it to Yorick. “It is not. It is called a zipper and it closes tight and keeps warm and dry. Quite convenient for a long hike.”

He seemed completely baffled, running his still disgustingly dirty hands over the surface of my outdoor suit. “It’s no leather.” He detected and I shook my head, stepping into the grey linen dress.

“It is not as heavy as leather. And it protects better against the rain.” I pulled the dress up that still had the smell of its previous owner.

Watching me closely while I tried to find the right hooks and eyes for the dark brown leather waistcoat, he suddenly chuckled.

“You made a fool of me, girl. Why didn’t you talk to me last night?”

“You didn’t ask anything.” I defended myself carefully but he didn’t even listen. Instead he got up from the bed and stood right before me, cautiously running his fingers through my long hair.

“I’m asking now.”

“What else do you want to know?”

“Did the Gods send you?”

Completely taken by surprise I stared back at him. I had expected many questions but not something like that. Was he joking? Maybe mocking me?

“The… the Gods?” I repeated, not really knowing what to answer, but he nodded affirmatively.

“I was out in the woods and suddenly you fell down from the foggy skies above my head. Oddgeir told all of us to stay away from the fog, but it was so thick and different from everything I had ever seen that I had to see it again. But what I found there was you, you in this … this gown or zipper or whatever you might call it. I don’t need to have the third eye to put two and two together.”

All of a sudden there was a short tumult below us and Yorick instantly turned around and lifted his axe. But only to put it away with a smile.

“My father’s back.” He said and waved at me. “Come on, let’s go downstairs and hear what he’s got to tell us. I’m hungry and I definitely need some Ale before I present you to him.”

“Present me?” I wanted to free my arm, but he was a lot stronger and pulled me along excitedly.

“Don’t be afraid, I won’t give up on you so easily.” He tried to calm me down a little, but I could clearly see that he was immersed in his thoughts and completely distracted.   

My eyes followed his gaze and everything inside of me turned to stone. The Jarl had returned from his gory business and with him and his men more goods and prey.

Yorick was tall and his brother Aevarr had been even taller, maybe around six foot and three inches. The man that now entered wasn’t simply tall; he also had broad shoulders and was definitely well-fed. He wore a dark breast plate and a fur around his shoulders that was similar to Aevarr’s.

Yelling something triumphant in an exceptionally deep voice, he lifted his arm and presented four decapitated heads to the crowd. He got cheers and applause for it and walked over to the biggest fireplace. Handing the bloody heads to one of his comrades, he sat down in a large chair, waving at one of the servants, bellowing for Ale.

If Yorick’s hands had not held me in an upright position, I would have fainted right there and then. Breathing heavily, I felt my head spinning and held onto Yorick’s leather cuirass. He smiled down at me, still pulling me through the crowd.

“Drink up, girl.” He suddenly said, offering a large wooden mug to me. His arm slipped around my waist to support my weight when I almost stumbled.

Still my eyes were fixed on his father. The mere sight of him nauseated me. He laughed and joked with his men, washing his bloody hands and face in a bowl, one of the servants had brought for him.

After emptying a large drinking horn he got up again, raising his hands. His voice filled the whole room and I tried to hide behind Yorick’s arm, when the Jarl let his gaze run over his men. His speech was short, his words were as dark as his hair and most probably his soul, but his retinue seemed thrilled.

“Any news?” Jarl Havar nodded at his men and I felt Yorick’s fingers tighten around my neck.

“Come with me and be silent.” He whispered into my ear over the now following speech of his brother, that informed the Jarl about the further plans and the shipments to Wales that had already taken place that very morning.

Tentatively I let the young man lead me over to the few seats around the fire. A very old man that had been sitting next to the Jarl listening quietly suddenly lifted his head and looked directly at me through the flames. His gaze was curious, concerned maybe and he nodded at Yorick, quickly waving at one of the men guarding the large doors of the house. Then his watery blue eyes were fixed on me again almost motionlessly. In a weird way I found him smiling at me but I was almost certain that it had been an illusion caused by the fire.

What I couldn’t shake off was the creepy feeling of his eyes, somehow searching my core being for answers. Was he a shaman? A sorcerer of some kind?

He wore a white fur coat and a hat that had been made from the same animal skin and decorated with small pearls and bones. On his wrinkled face I spotted runes, three on his forehead and at least four symmetrically under his eyes. The lines were faded, but visible. When we approached him, he leaned a long and colourfully ornamented walking stick aside and fetched a brown leather pouch from the pocket of his coat.

Next to him, Yorick got down on his knee, whispering to the old man, before he took his very frail hand and put it on my shoulder.

“You stay here.” He ordered and I nodded hesitantly, sitting down by the feet of the shaman that was now carefully shaking the pouch in his hand. The small clicking sounds sent shivers down my spine and I tried my best to focus on Yorick. The young man was waiting by his father’s side for his brother to finish summarizing the latest news, but the Jarl had obviously seen his son with me in his towline and he beckoned him over without taking his eyes off me.

Yorick bowed his head, speaking to his father’s ear. The Jarl let out a chuckle, signalizing his older son to continue.

I averted my gaze, staring down at the floor I was sitting on, but the low voice of the old shaman by my side made me look up again.

“He waited for you.” The sorcerer stated and gave me a smile.

Completely taken aback, I looked up at him. “Who … what d’you mean, he waited for me?” I managed to enunciate after a second of shock without even thinking about hiding the fact that I spoke his language. For some reason, this man knew me already. He had seen me and looked right through me without asking one question. My heart was racing in my chest and the old shaman softly rubbed my back.

“They both have been waiting.” He simply continued without answering my question and I felt my hands getting wet.

Aevarr was still talking and praising the men for their victory, the land and the silver they had taken and the atmosphere around us became more and more boisterous and cheerful.

When the sorcerer spoke again, his words were almost drowned out by the bellowing of so many men.

“Your way has not revealed itself to me completely but your destiny has for some unknown reason been bound to both of them, that’s what I’m sure of.”

I was still staring at him in disbelieve, not sure whether I should start crying or simply die laughing, when suddenly Aevarr nodded at his younger brother with a smile.

“Get yourself another Ale, my friends!” the tall warrior roared into the crowd. “Looks like my little brother has also got some news to share.”

Yorick exchanged another look with his father before he stepped forward and emptied his own drink. “My brothers and friends!” he shouted, whipping his mouth. “This country has been rich and full of life and opportunities so far. But it is also a home of deep spirituals and beliefs we don’t quite understand yet. Since we came to the coasts of this island I have been waiting for a sign and I prayed to Odin for guidance and wisdom.” He pointed at his forehead and suddenly I understood the meaning of his tattoo. Obviously Yorick had hoped for a revelation from Odin, the Godfather and raven master that had even sacrificed one of his eyes to attain wisdom.

“Three days ago we came to this place. We rode through the thickest fog any of us had ever seen in our lives and only by the guidance of bestefar Oddgeir and the Gods by our sides, we managed to cross those fields and leave the intermediate world that had almost captured all of us.”

Bestefar? The shaman was his grandfather? Or was it some symbolic name, was he maybe grandfather to all of them because they worshiped him? I was so captivated by his speech that it startled me when Yorick suddenly pointed across the room.

“And what did we find by the roots of an old ash tree? Him.”

My head spun around and I felt like all my blood was suddenly leaving my limbs. The old sorcerer clutched my arm when I almost fell to the ground.

I knew this man, but … This was simply impossible!

From afar I still heard Yorick’s passionate voice. “And only two days later, she falls from the foggy skies right above my head!”

To my surprise I was grabbed and pulled on my feet. But still all I could see was his face. He was pale. One of his eyes was black and swollen but he carried himself straight despite the tied up hands on his back and the rope around his neck. His eyes were locked with mine, when Yorick suddenly put his hand in my hair to pull my head back and in the direction of the fire for everyone to see me.

“I have asked and prayed for a sign of the Gods, I have waited, fought well to make them see my effort and make them proud. And now see what they send us!” Enthusiastically he beckoned the other soldier over to bring his prisoner forth. “A man by the roots of an ash tree and a woman as beautiful and full of secrets as can be. I asked Oddgeir to cast the runes and he has been meditating and praying for the whole last night. And when I came to him today, his answer filled my heart with sheer pleasure. This is the sign we have all been waiting for. The sign for us to finally settle down.” By the rope around his neck he pulled the man closer and stood between us. “I give you Ask and Embla!”

A murmur went to the crowd. Then suddenly someone started cheering, soon followed by the deafening sound of the rest of their voices.

I was dumbstruck, looking up into Yorick’s eyes that were sparkling with enthusiasm.

Had he just said Ask and Embla?

Ask and Embla, the first human beings in the oldest Nordic stories of the Creation of mankind. The first humans, made by the Gods Odin, Hönir and Lodur, carved and formed from trees they had found by the sea. Yorick seriously meant what he said. That was why he had kept me safe, protected me and had not dared to touch me himself.

Did the Gods send you?

Now all of this made sense, but then again, it simply didn’t!

I was lost, lost in time maybe. But I wasn’t Godsend!

Embla.

Jesus Christ!

In a state of shock I felt Yorick’s arm around my waist.

“This is our sign! Our unmistakable sign to finally stay, settle and start over!” he shouted, pulling me closer.

“So what now?” one of the older men stepped forward and pointed at me with his drinking horn, when the first wave of jubilance had subsided. “Will we now all take her and create a new dynasty? Or shall we just watch them creating it?”

A surge of laughter went through all of them, and it was the shaman that slowly got on his feet and raised his walking stick to silence the gathering.

“I cast the runes many times but they did only reveal small parts of our future.” He said in a shaky voice and pointed at me. “But right now they are both here and I will ask you all to be quiet for I need to see them together and feel their spiritual kinship. If Yorick Havarsson is right, this might be the greatest sign the Gods have ever sent us! Be silent and listen.” He nodded at Yorick that stepped away from me, carefully loosening the ties around the wrists of the man that was now standing right in front of me.

The old sorcerer handed me a small bottle. “Drink this, my child, Embla, mother to us all.” He gave me a toothless smile. “He does not seem to understand us, make him drink this potion as well, he will trust you.” Encouragingly he patted my arm. The whole room had fallen completely silent and I heard my own voice that suddenly seemed far too loud.

“He told us to drink this.” I offered the little bottle to him but he only shook his head, his full lips pressed together firmly.

“I won’t!” he only stated with the deep and husky voice I knew so well.

“Samu.” I said softly and he stared at me surprised. Then within a split second he was overcome with realization.

“You’re the guide!” he whispered, licking his dry lips. “Riku, he … he sent me a picture and told me to meet you in Dublin!”

Stepping forward he touched my arm. He seemed surprised, relieved maybe. And I saw a flicker of hope inside his blue eyes.

“Do you know this man?” Oddgeir addressed me directly and I slowly shook my head.

“I … I …” thinking about it, I looked at the shaman, knowing that he would see the truth behind everything I said.

“I heard of him. But we never met. I never talked to him before.” I answered truthfully and Oddgeir nodded.

“He seems to have recognized you as well.”

“He did.” I confirmed, not really knowing how to explain it to him or any other person.

I knew him because he and his friends were supposed to be my clients for a guided tour around the old Viking-towns of the western coast of Ireland. I knew him because he was Samu Haber from the Rockband Sunrise Avenue and I had most probably known this man for the last seven years because I had always had a little crush on him.

Not knowing what to do or say, I simply took a sip of the potion the sorcerer had given me.

“We should drink.” I handed the bottle to Samu. “Right now we are in a good place, try not to act stupid.” I said warningly, waving at Yorick. “Ale please?” I asked, trying to sound humble and he was quick to hand me his drinking horn. He smiled at me almost admiringly and I could tell from the look in his grey eyes that he truly believed every word he had said before. To him I was Godsend. Even sacred.

Still looking at him I forgot to sip his drink, feeling the world around me spin slightly.

Had his eyes always been so grey?

I couldn’t tell.

Samu’s eyes were fascinatingly blue but I didn’t manage to look at him again.

Yorick suddenly cocked his head and stepped forward to support me with his arm.

“Talk to him.” He whispered into my ear and I had the weird feeling that his mellifluous voice was echoing somewhere inside my head. I nodded slowly, taking another gulp of his Ale.

“How did you get here?” Yorick’s warm breath was close to my ear and I tried to shake off the dizziness. “Where did you come from and what is your message for us, Embla?”

Chapter 3

“How can we still be lost?” even Raul was by now missing his mellow moods from the first few hours. The hills were there and so was the wide park they had camped in. But other than that, nothing seemed right.

Riku had fallen silent after a short fight with the three others and simply followed them now. He was abstracted, looking around again and again. Only about an hour ago he had been so sure that he had seen men on horseback, but his friends had disagreed and now all of them were tired, hungry and grumpy.

Since they had not found a village, a town or even a real street, they had decided to climb up the mountain nearby to have a better look around. There should be a river somewhere close to the path they now took up the hill. Maybe it would lead them back to civilization.

Raul was turning the map around, staring at it in confusion before he looked back down the hill and into the peaceful green valley that lay between hills and fields.

There were no house, no roads, nothing. Sighing Riku sat down on his backpack, starring into nowhere.

Sami was still trying to cheer them up and keep his hopes. With his hands on his forehead he walked along the rim of the plateau of the hill. “Let’s see.” He tried to sound cheerful. “I see the river, that is a good sign, isn’t it?” he smiled at the others, turning back at Raul and his maps.

While they were placing the maps on the half dry ground, studying them, Riku slowly got up as well. He wasn’t in the mood to make an idiot of him again, so he only stood still without saying a word until he was 100% that he wasn’t dreaming.

“Guys?” he cleared his throat and got down on his knees to fetch his binoculars from the front pocket of his backpack. “Do you see what I see?”

Raul got up with an annoyed look on his face but his harsh answer was caught in his throat when he looked into the direction Riku was pointing.

“Ships?” Sami narrowed his eyes. “Are these… are these seriously…”

“Drakes.” Excitedly Riku nodded, handing his binoculars over to Raul. “These are dragon boats, my friends.”

“What are they doing here?” Raul shook his head in disbelieve. “Is there a parade or something? It is… There are nine, eleven… fifteen boats?”

“They are heading up river, for the open sea.” Sami had to sit down. “Seriously, guys, what is happening?”

All of a sudden any trace of good mood had left all of them. Raul kept looking around, abruptly sagging to his knees with a low sound.

“Horsemen.” He whispered alarmed, crawling over to the rim of the hill with the binoculars. “There… Riku, I’m afraid you were right before.” Handing the spyglasses over to his friend, he pointed ahead. “Five men on horseback. What the hell…”

Slowly Riku moved forward. “Over there, between the trees, do you see that little glen over there?” gesturing to their right he adjusted the sharpness once more. “This is where they came from. Do you see the roof tops and the smoke?”

“Maybe we should go there and ask for directions.” Sami suggested carefully, but Riku shook his head and continued to follow the five horses that rode through the glen.

“This is definitely not the kind of person I would ask for directions.” He handed the binoculars to Sami and his friend let out a surprised gasp.  

“Seriously?” he whispered. “Guys… Drakes and Vikings? Are you fucking kidding me? These men carry weapons and shields!”

“They do.” Riku buried his face in his hands. He didn’t dare thinking their whole situation through completely. They had definitely lost more than just their path.

“Maybe that is why you couldn’t reach Samu for the last days.” The thought had simply escaped his mouth and Raul looked at him as if he was clean gone. His lips opened but he didn’t retort as sharply as he had intended.

“What d’you mean, Rajamaa?” he asked instead, sitting down next to his friend. “No, don’t say it.” He rubbed his face. “You think that we travelled back in time and now we are at some point where there are brutal and armed bands of Vikings marauding their ways through the countryside. And that is why we couldn’t call Samu for the last days. Because we are lost in time.” Lying down on the wet grass, Raul covered his face with his arm.

“I meant, maybe we didn’t reach his cell because he was here already.” Riku suggested in a very low voice. “Maybe… maybe he’s here and we can find him.”

“And then what?” Raul shot back, sounding disgruntled. “Rajamaa, let this thought sink in for a moment: We might be lost in time with no chance of ever returning to our homes!” he fell silent, starring at the grey skies above their heads.

“So what is your plan?” Riku felt anger boiling in his stomach. Raul had to stop treating all of them like little children!

“I don’t have a plan!” Raul grunted angrily. “But I am definitely not in the mood to get my head cut off by some sadistic Northman!”

“But what IF Samu was here.” Sami threw in carefully. “If he was here, he has been here for at least two days. And where else would he be than in this… well over there. We have to… well we have to find out whether he’s here or not, that’s the least we can do.”

“Jesus Christ, you seriously consider walking into a village that has most probably been overrun by Vikings to find someone we can’t even be sure is there?” Raul shook his head in disbelief.

“I wasn’t talking about jumping in with a stick, hitting some heads! We could sneak in and just thrown a few looks around!”

Riku nodded immediately. “Those ships that left, they took goods and men away from this place, maybe there are only a few more left.”

“What makes you so sure that Samu is still here? They could have taken him away with one of the boats or worse…”

“Raul!” Riku interrupted and grabbed his friends arm. “If it was you or only the slightest chance of you being in danger, Samu would be first to come to your rescue.”

Raul lowered his head and sighed. “You are right.” He whispered. “So what do we do?”

“By nightfall we sneak down the hill and cross the forest.” Riku nodded at his two friends. “We check out the village and try to find out if they hold hostages or prisoners somewhere.”

“And until then?” Sami looked up into the foggy afternoon.

“We keep watching them.” Riku got back on his knees and crawled over to the edge of the plateau.

                                                                                  

Chapter 4

My senses seemed to wake up separately. It started with hearing. The low sound of a drum. Far away and very slowly. Snoring. The creaking of wood and the wind in the trees outside. Then all of a sudden my sense of smell arrived and if I wasn’t mistaking, there was a hint of fading cologne or aftershave close to my nose. It was mixed with the smell of the cold fire, sweat and hide.

After what felt like hours, I managed to move slightly. There were other smells now, many of them. And also a lot of sounds.

But the low sound of the drum I had heard first was still there. Closer now. It took me another few minutes to realize that it was in fact a heartbeat.

Suddenly I was pulled into a tight embrace and felt a hand running over my cheek.

“Are you alright?” a voice whispered and I looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen.

Carefully I nodded, still looking up at him with disbelief. Samu. He was here. I raised my hand to cautiously touch the stubbles on his chin. He was here and he was real. For a reason I did not understand I felt relieved. At least I wasn’t alone in this terrifying and unfamiliar world. With Samu by my side it felt like having a piece of home with me.

Sighing I rested my face to his chest again, feeling his hand running over my upper arm.

“It’s good to have you here.” He whispered into my hair and I snuggled tightly into his embrace.

“Likewise.” I murmured back, wrapping my arm around him.

We stayed like this for a long time, simply holding each other. I was almost certain that he was as overtaxed with the whole situation as I was. I didn’t expect a hero. It was comforting to simply close my eyes and cuddle my face to his neck. We weren’t alone anymore. That was all that counted for now.

“I wish we had a chance to talk properly.” He mumbled suddenly and lifted his head. “But as far as I can see, they won’t grant us the gift of a minute alone.”

“We are alive.” I whispered almost inaudibly. “That is as good as it gets for us, trust me.” At a glance around I found myself in one of the beds in the gallery where Yorick had brought me yesterday to get dressed. There was deep snoring behind the curtains to our left and right and I was surprised to feel another body moving next to mine.

“Right.” Samu lay back and pulled me closer to extend the distance between me and the man that sat up next to us.

Yorick.

He had taken off his leather breastplate and it suddenly seemed as if he was only half the size he had been yesterday wearing it. He gave me a smile and rubbed his tired face, before yawning deeply.

“Are you alright?” he asked as well and I nodded, watching him throwing quick gazes around before he locked eyes with me again. “He refused to let go of you.” He suddenly stated and pointed at Samu with a grin. “A very disobedient captive.”

I couldn’t help smiling as well and patted Samu’s arm. “What now?” I asked Yorick. The young man had left the bed and pulled a woollen pullover over his head before he took his cuirass and closed the belt with his dagger.

“Now, Mylady?” he bowed half in earnest, half in jest, and winked at me. “Now you will have to excuse me for reasons I do not intend to discuss with a lady. Then I might go and find a servant and some breakfast and we talk.” Quickly he sneaked behind the curtain to our right, putting his finger on his lips. “Try not to wake my father before I come back, will you?”

I nodded immediately. “Of course!” I whispered almost noiselessly, making Yorick chuckle and point at Samu again.

“He only wants to hug you and doesn’t seem to have the intention to hump you, silent or not, so I’m gonna leave you now.” On his tiptoes he made his way over in the direction of the stairs, but he returned only seconds later with a thoughtful look on his face. “Another thing: My brother is sleeping on the other side of this curtain. You do not want to wake him now, believe me.” Grinning he nodded at us and left again.

I felt Samu moving another impossible inch closer on the narrow bed and turned back at him with an insecure smile. “Seems like they are giving us a minute after all.” Carefully I ran my fingers through his hair. “But we have to be quiet, there are many people still sleeping around us.”

Samu nodded immediately, taking my hand to put it on his face.

“God, I seriously have no idea why, but it feels good to have you here.” He said again, looking at me closely. “You speak their language?”

“I do.” I confirmed. “It took a bit of listening, but it is definitely Norwegian and my father is from Norway.”

“How did we end up here?” Samu’s nose almost touched mine and he wrapped his arm around my waist. “Do you have any idea? I was supposed to meet you but I wanted to go for a little hike myself and maybe impress you by a few paths I had discovered already.” He grimaced. “Turned out to be a very stupid idea. Retrospectively.”

“I can’t even remember. I … I was in the woods and there was this very thick fog around one of the hills in the National Park. For the first time in my life I got lost and it seems that I feel off a rock or something. Yorick found me and took me here, he’s been keeping me safe for the last 24 hours.”

Again Samu nodded slowly, absorbing the things I had told him. “It seems that we are only alive because of the old man, isn’t that right?”

“Oddgeir.” I shrugged slightly. “In my case it was Yorick, but they have a similar belief.”

“And what would that be?”

“To them we are Ask and Embla, the first human beings created by three very powerful Gods. Oddgeir seems to sense that we are different, when he talked to me, it felt as if he was looking right through me. Somehow Yorick feels it too.”

“So they think we are Gods? That’s insane!”

“Not Gods, but Godsend.” I thought about the night before, realising in surprise that I didn’t remember much of it. “Yorick and some of the others want to settle. They have been waiting for a sign from the Gods to tell them where to finally stop and settle down. And now we turned up out of the blue, obviously different and their shaman-grandfather believes that the Gods have chosen us to be their miracle.” Helplessly I shrugged. “I don’t remember much of last night.” Looking up into Samu’s eyes I suddenly found him smiling.

“Well, Mylady, if I had not been scared shitless, it would have been amusing to be very honest.”

I cocked my eyebrow. “What d’you mean, amusing?”

“Do you remember this potion you drank? It made you quite talkative.”

“And what did I say?” carefully I shifted my weight to my elbow.

“You simply started talking and walking around the fire, addressing different people in the crowd. They were all looking at you with big eyes, especially your friend Yorick. You stopped right in front of me every few moments and told me stuff about the Danes in Northumbria and Mercia and a king that was called Alfred and that was supposed to start fighting the Danes because they were about to enter Wessex.” He rubbed his cheek. “And I guess you told them not to stay in Wales but to settle here for now. Their leader seemed quite impressed and there was a lot of talking and shouting going on. Then you suddenly started to dance and sing.”  Another smile flashed over his face. “Alanis Morisette, I believe it was Unset. And after that you suddenly flaked out and I caught you and refused to let go of you because I was scared that they would take you away from me. So we ended up in this bed with Yorick next to us because he insisted on not letting you out of his sight. What the hell is going on with him and that dark bird on his forehead anyway?”

“It’s a raven.” I corrected, still completely puzzled about the revelations of the yesterevening. “They are a symbol of Odin and Yorick has been desperate for answers, that is why he had it made.” Shaking my head slowly, I looked at Samu again. “So it seems that I offered them a glimpse at their future, right? And now they want to stay and settle?”

He shrugged apologetically. “Most of the talk was in their native tongue, I can only tell you what you told me. But they were quite excited.” He fell silent. “D’you think that we will get out of this alive?” he suddenly asked, looking at me very seriously.

All I could do was shrug myself and rest me face to his chest again. “I have no idea.” I mumble into his shirting. “Right now I believe they will keep us alive, they still show great interest in us.”

“In you.” He corrected in a very low voice. “You have the knowledge they want, I am only a weird coincident.”

“Not if we make them believe that we are bound to be together and that I need you to see and answer their questions.” I put a hand on his face and lifted it carefully. “Hey!” I tried to smile. “I had a crush on you for the last seven years, you think I’m gonna sell you off to some nasty Northmen?”

The left corner of his mouth lifted and he gave me the smile I had always adored. “I hope I won’t disappoint you. Right at this moment there is not much of a brave man inside of me. But thank you for the crush, I really appreciate it.” He tried to joke, succeeding in making me giggle slightly and wrap my arm around him firmly.

“We are in this together, maybe we will also find a way out.”

When he bent over me, there was a sudden sound nearby and I looked up appalled. To my surprise and shock it was Yorick’s older brother. Aevarr, I reminded myself, trying to focus on his face, because he was stark-naked with his strong arms folded over his broad chest.

“Did he manage to bring it up or did my little brother satisfy you, Mylady?” he asked with a grin and I furrowed my brows.

“Well, ahem …” Confused I looked at Samu that still had his arms wrapped around me.

“Does he wanna hurt you?” he whispered and I shook my head slightly, rubbing his hand.

“There was no need for anything other than sleep.” I managed to answer the naked warrior with a lot more dignity than I had expected. “I had passed out and it seems that no one took advantage of that fact.”

Aevarr broke into laughter. “They should have!” he simply stated, pointing at Samu. “I offered him to join me and my wife last night, but he was too afraid to let go of you and leave you with Yorick.”

My head spun around alarmed. “They offered you to join them last night?” I asked soundlessly and he shrugged.

“Maybe, I guess so.” He answered evasively. “I wasn’t sure. Beside the fact that I wouldn’t want a threesome with the beef cake over there, I would in my position never dare fucking one of their wives! Above it all leave you alone in bed with another one of them!”

I hushed him down, cutting him a look. Of course he had no idea. He didn’t know the rules, didn’t know the habits of the Northmen, but we had to iron this out right away if he wanted to live to see the next day.

“He is very sorry about that!” I told Aevarr with my most humble voice and a bow. “He was too scared to leave me!" I added submissively, quickly pulling Samu into an upright position. “Bow deeply and tell him that you are sorry!”

His eyes became round. “I have to tell him that I’m sorry because I didn’t fuck his woman?”

“Do it!” I insisted with my teeth gritted and a smile that was almost painful. “Trust me and do it. Tell him that she’s more than beautiful and that you are very sorry for not sharing their bed. Tell him!”

“But he doesn’t understand me anyway.”

“It’s not what you say but how you say it and now talk, you fool or d’you want him to cut your throat for your restiveness?”

Samu swallowed hard and finally nodded, bowing deeply. “I can’t say how sorry I am, Sir!” he stuttered. “I wish I could have joined you but … I was too scared to leave Elida with Yorick and … your wife is beautiful and it would have been the greatest pleasure …”

“Enough.” I whispered, nodding at Aevarr. “He is more than sorry and tells you that you have the most beautiful wife any man could ask for but he was afraid and needed to stay with me.”

Aevarr nodded, being content with the explanation and the apology. With a yawn he scratched his crotch and left, grunting: “Next time. If Idun still wants him.”

Samu was pale when I looked at him and I wrapped my arms around him, resting his face to my neck.

“Have I … Did I seriously just tell this guy I’m sorry for NOT fucking his wife?” he whispered breathlessly, shoving me away slightly to look into my eyes.

I nodded and grabbed his chin. “And you will also apologize to his wife as soon as we see her!”

“For not fucking her.” Completely confused he stared at me and I nodded affirmatively.

“Samu. Look at me and listen!” I demanded, still holding his chin. “The two of us are special to them. We have been sent by their Gods and we are kind of sacred. If you would have accepted their offer last night and she would have conceived, either from you or her husband, this child would have been blessed, even sacred as well. That is why they wanted you to spend the night with them. A Godsend man fathering one of their new-borns, that means a lot to these people.”

He looked at me without saying a word. Then he suddenly nodded with a thoughtful look on his face. “So if he asks me again …”

“If we don’t find an excuse or their shaman forbids it, you might have to …”

“But what about you?” suddenly alarmed he put his hands on my cheeks. “What if one of them wants a sacred child with you and …”

“I think they won’t dare.” I tried to calm him, even though I wasn’t quite sure about it. “You would only participate and kind of donor some sperm, in my case I would be carrying and the man who did it would most probably be accused of violating a sanctuary. But don’t be afraid, I believe that we can convince them that we are here on earth to be exclusive to each other.” I smiled bleakly, resting my forehead to his chin. “Promise me not to leave my side.” I suddenly heard myself say and he pulled me closer, kissing my hair.

“I promise.” He whispered hoarsely.

We found Idun on our way downstairs and I made Samu kneel in front of her and apologize. At first she had been reserved but the she nodded, brushing her hair.

“Maybe I will come for you next month.” She said, waving at us to leave her alone to get dressed properly.

The ground-floor was already filled with people that sat around the fires where they had most probably spent the night. A murmur went through the crowd when Samu and I made our way over the compacted mud floor.

My eyes found Yorick on a small bench by the biggest fireplace in the middle of the house. He was dipping bread into a mug, chewing cautiously. When he saw us, he yelled something after a woman that was cleaning plates and mugs in a big water vat.

She looked up at him in distress and I was quick to stand between them, putting a hand on her arm.

“Can you get us some food?” I asked and she nodded immediately.

Sitting down next to Yorick, I leaned towards the warmth of the fire and gave him a grin. “Be friendly!” I said, wondering a little just how teasingly I sounded. Luckily he only raised his eyebrows.

“Friendly?” he repeated amused. “I didn’t hit her and I have neither humped her or her sister, that is pretty decent for a Norwegian Warrior, don’t you think, Mylady?”

“Well, if that is your way of being decent and friendly, I must really wonder how you expect one of them to become a wife one day.”

He shook his head back and laughed, but it suddenly sounded bitter. “There is no chance for anything other than the daughter of a Northman to be my wife. If I ever try and find another one again.” He added, emptying his mug. With that he got up, leaving me perplexed and with an apology caught in my throat.

From my other side Samu handed me mug as well. “Warm Ale, seriously?” he whispered, nodding thankfully at the woman that brought us bread and a wooden plate with a few pieces of cheese and two apples.

“Is there a knife somewhere?” I asked him, my mind still far away with Yorick. I had to tell him that I was sorry, I had never meant to be rude and disrespectful, especially towards something like his family or a late wife. Looking after him, I was waiting for him to return with a bad gut feeling, but the door that had closed behind him remained shut.

“You don’t need a knife, see?” Samu took one of the apples between his hands and broke it in two, handing me one half. “Well, look at that! I actually found something I can contribute! Apple breaking. Now I have meaning.”

Giggling I took a bite of the fruit and sipped the cup. It was indeed Ale again. Sweeter this time and warm, but nevertheless Ale. I shuddered with disgust. “I would pay a lot of money for a triple espresso macchiato.”

Samu rolled his eyes, chewing on his apple. “I’d sell my Porsche for a full breakfast at my favourite restaurant in Helsinki!”

I rested my head to his shoulder. “What would you order?” I asked to distract me.

He sighed and took a piece of cheese. “A lot of eggs and bacon, some salmon, fruit salad and chocolate spread with coconut and marshmallows.” He answered without even thinking about it.

“Good choice.” I agreed, watching Aevarr that had returned from the rain outside.

He took off his coat and signalized at one of the women that he wanted a drink.

“Morning, father!” he yelled through the enormous hall and clapped his hands. “Where’s Yori?”

With a drinking horn he sat down on the trunk of a tree that had been carved into a bench without a lot of skill and effort.

“He only left a minute ago.” I answered, bowing my head in the direction of the Jarl that made his way down the stairs to join us. He wore a simple robe over his woollen pants. It almost made him look like an ordinary old man. If there hadn’t been this distinctive glint in his eyes and the armful of weapons he carried with him.

“Clean them.” He simply stated, grabbing the drinking horn that was offered to him and threw the whole set of armaments – including an axe, a speer, two daggers and a breastplate – down on the floor.

Massaging his neck, he walked around the fire to take the place he had already occupied the night before. “Find Yori!” he grunted into the small crowd around us. Not at anyone in particular, but somehow two men jumped up right away and rushed outside.

“We need time to think.” The Jarl emptied his drinking horn and wiped his mouth with a sigh. Looking directly at me, he scratched his beard and leaned back.

“We have found a cloister of their Gods by the sea yesterday, but it is only a small accumulation of houses, not adequate as a fortress to stay longer than a few days.” Still rubbing his bearded chin, he nodded at me. “What d’you say, Seeress?” he rested his elbows on his knees, almost piercing through me with his dark eyes.

“I’d say you’re right.” I answered carefully. “If you won’t go back to Wales anytime soon, you should consider finding a safer place than this to stay. “ Sipping my Ale again, I wracked my brains about the possible outcomes of the decision that the Jarl had devolved on me. In any case it was for the best if they all settled somewhere safe for the time being. They could still change their minds, leave the country and go back to Wales or to Wessex to support the Danes that would soon start invading the whole of Britain. Or they could stay and build a life here. As far as I remembered, there were many cities on this coastline founded by the Vikings. Wicklow came to my mind. A county where historians were still discussing whether the name was traceable back to Norwegian or Viking origins or not.

I looked at Havar, trying to swallow down my fear. “Wicklow. The Black Castle, it would make sense.”

He eyed me up, eagerly interested. “A castle you say?”

“Surrounded by broad acres.” I looked at Samu again that had been listening to our conversation silently. “The Black Castle in Wicklow, have you ever been there?” I asked him and he nodded immediately.

“I visited the ruins once. It has a beautiful landscape and the remains of the fortress are still on this headland, it is bizarre.” Chewing on a piece of bread he slowly shook his head. “On the other hand, right now it might be standing on that rocky ridge right in front of the old harbour. Most probably there are people living there at the moment.” He looked at me closely. “You wanna take them there.” he didn’t even sound surprised and I nodded ponderingly.

“It would be a lot safer than here and it has a harbour for their ships and fields around it, hasn’t it?”

He nodded again, rubbing his face with a disbelieving look in his eyes. “Are we now planning the wars for the gentlemen?” he asked me directly and I saw refusal when he held my stare.

“I mean no harm to anyone.” I straightened my back. “If the Jarl lets me, I will go in as a negotiator and I will try to have all the residents spared.”

Samu chuckled dryly. “No one will listen to you.” He stated with a bitter undertone in his voice. “No one except those fools who believe that we are sacred.” He lowered his gaze and shook his head. “Have you ever considered, that it was the fog, this weird and scary and thick fog that seems to mess with reality and causes spatiotemporal anomalies? Has it ever occurred to you that we should leg it and run as fast as we can back into that forest and into that white shit and pray for it to take us back home?” his eyes were burning when he looked at me again. “How far is Wicklow? 40 miles? We’d be 40 miles away from here, 40 miles away from hope or any chance of return. Now tell me again, you wanna go to Wicklow and watch them slaughter their nasty ways through the county. I intend to stay.”

Completely dumbfounded I held his gaze. Jesus Christ, he was right! Had I been completely blockheaded? Grabbing his hand for support, I nodded. I rested my face to his shoulder for a few deep breaths, then I turned back at the Jarl. “It is a good 40 miles south, down the coast.” I told him in a shaky voice. “You’d be in a very good position there.”

The Jarl threw a gaze around the room. Most of his closest henchmen had been listening and I saw Yorick talking to his brother.

“When do we ride and see it for ourselves?” Aevarr got up from his bench by the fire. He seemed exalted and rubbed his wife’s back.

“I’d say, we ride now.” Havar laughed and clapped his hands. “Oddgeir!” he yelled through the room. “Cast your runes for our plans! Are the Gods with us?”

With the help of one of the warriors, the old shaman walked around the fire. To my surprise he handed his leather pouch to me and signalized me to get up.

“You do it.” He demanded and drew a circle onto the floor with his walking stick. “Right here.”

I looked up at him with a bad feeling in my guts. Samu’s arm was suddenly around my waist and he held me close. “I’m here.” He whispered into my hair. “I have no idea if this is of any assistance for you, but I am here.”

Flutteringly I took hold of his arm and closed my eyes for a second. Then I slipped my fingers into the pouch and reached for the small pieces of bone that had been smoothed by age and frequent use. I held my breath and threw the runes down onto the floor in one swift move.

The whole room had fallen silent and I watched the shaman walk around the runes on the floor, watching them closely form different angles. Then he suddenly laughed and looked at me.

“Thor is with you, child.” He stated and I cocked my head in confusion.

The old man pointed at the pouch in my hand. “His rune is missing, the ᚦ. He decided to stay with you and so shall all of us.” He stepped closer, signalizing at me to get up. “When you cast the runes, Thor as well as Tyr decided to stay in your hand.”

Again there was a low murmur of excitement around us and I found Samu looking up at me.

Something in his eyes had changed when his gaze travelled over my face. I saw his mouth open but he remained silent.

“The ᚦ and the ᛏ!“ the shaman yelled enthusiastically and touched my forehead with his richly ornamented stick. “I can feel them inside of you.” Suddenly his walking stick was removed from my forehead and the old man laughed shakily. “You shall ride to wherever she is guiding you.” He insisted and I heard a low: “Are you fucking kidding me?” escape Samu’s mouth.

With big eyes he looked up at me, covering his lips with his hands. Then he suddenly got up, reaching out his hands towards me.

“I need to have a word with her.” He said in a very serious voice and even though he didn’t understand a word, Oddgeir nodded at him, giving way for us to walk around the fire.

“Let them discuss.” He hushed down a few complaints from the crowd. “Get yourself ready and saddle the horses, you will be riding before long!”

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.”

Chapter 6

“They are leaving.” With his head down, Sami rushed over to the place between the bushes, where his friends were sitting. He gesticulated agitatedly with his free hand, passing the binoculars to Riku. “At least 50 horses, after the ships that left, I assume that the rest of them are now decamping.

Riku and Raul were on their feet at once, exchanging a gaze. Maybe this was the chance they had been waiting for during the last 24 hours in their new hiding place up the hill right behind the village.

“In which direction are they heading?” Raul got down on his knees, putting the binoculars on his eyes.

“Nowhere just yet. I only saw them gathering with what I presumed to be saddled and packed horses.” Sami rubbed his cold hands that were stiff from holding the spyglasses for at least an hour in the light rain.

“You’re definitely right.” Raul turned his head, pointing at the village again. “They have women with them.” He stated in surprise, making Riku laugh silently.

“Of course. Some of them are warriors as well, some might be wives, servants or slaves.” He took the spyglasses from Raul. “In Viking-groups there are … holly mother!” he fell silent and adjusted the acuity again.

“What?” alarmed Raul wanted to grab the binoculars again, but Riku hushed him down.

“That is impossible!” still watching the group, Riku shook his head. “That is Elida Alvarsdottjer! She was supposed to be our travel guide.”

He handed the glasses back, rubbing his eyes. “She looks like she was one of them! Look at that dress! And look at the warrior by her side! She is not tied up or hurt and he is talking to her like there was nothing wrong!”

“What the hell …?” Raul shook his head. “Here they are, I see them. Are you sure it is her?”

“Absolutely.” Riku answered promptly. “Maybe she … maybe she also stranded here!” he couldn’t refrain from a little smile, watching the girl and the Viking warrior from afar. He couldn’t see their faces properly, but from the way Elida touched the tall man’s arm he could tell for sure that she wasn’t afraid of him.

“So we have quite a good chance of finding Samu here, is that what you’re implying?” Sami crawled forward on all fours. He looked at Riku excitedly. “And now that they are leaving, we might have a chance to check out the village properly!”

Riku nodded in agreement. “We might.” He said, throwing long gazes around. “They have more or less all slept in that one big town house. Maybe we can sneak over at nightfall and find something to disguise in one of the houses. But I guess, if Samu is here, he is held in …”

“Riku!” Raul’s voice was high-pitched all of a sudden. “IF is no longer the issue.” He pointed ahead, handing the spyglasses to his friend. “Ruffled, unshaved and with a black eye, but not seriously harmed or pinioned.”

“Thank God!” Riku watched his friend walk over to Elida and the dark haired soldier with the weird tattoo on his forehead. She was standing with her back against Samu, her face still close to the Viking’s while she was talking to him.

Samu himself was only accompanied by a very old man with a white fur-coat. Riku saw the facial expression of his friend changing, when Elida turned around and said something to him. Surprised he put a hand on her face, pulling her closer by her outreached arm. He seemed relieved, nodding at the man with the tattoo, that was by now sitting on the dark horse he had held by the bridle reins before. The man on horseback bent down in Elida’s direction again and Riku saw him winking at her when he said something before he turned the horse around and followed the rest of the men.

“That is insane.” Riku whispered, watching a blond woman with a dark brown breastplate walk over to Samu and Elida. The woman tapped Samu’s arm, beckoning the two of them over to follow her into the small village. Elida put her hand in Samu’s and started walking after the woman, making Riku shake his head in disbelief. “What is this, some kind of Stockholm syndrome? It’s almost as if they belonged here!”

“Well, think about it.” Raul had opened his backpack and handed each of them one of his protein bars. “They came here out of the blue, were found by a group of Viking warriors on the warpath and now they are stranded here. What would you do? Tell them to leave you alone because you are from the 21^st century?”

“You’re right.” Riku started biting his nails. “But right now, they are here, we are here and maybe we all get the chance to return home. So I’d say we wait until sundown and keep watching them.”

“Well, well, Rajamaa, you seem to have staying power.” Grinning Sami took a last bite from his cereal and fruit bar.

“We need the element of surprise and we need to see how many of their warriors are still around.” Riku put the spyglasses on his eyes again. “Don’t forget to also count the women!” He enjoined his friends to remain vigilant. “It would be our biggest mistake to underestimate the younger men and the women.”

Chapter 7

“Come, come, you two.” Idun pointed ahead, trudging through the mud. “We are short in working men, but I assume you are of good use for some house works too. The rest of the men are gonna get rid of the remaining bodies, but since the two of you are almost inseparable… well, if Mylady doesn’t choose to sit on Yori’s lap for a bit and get herself some good old Norwegian hump.” Grinning she raised her eyebrows, miming a few very obscene gestures. Even though she knew that he didn’t understand her, she gloated over the look on Samu’s face. When I looked up at him he almost had his emotions under control again, but the muscles on his neck were visible when he gritted his teeth. “You know what you’re doing.” He said, and I could tell that he had a hard time sounding careless. “If it takes a shag, then that’s the way things are.”

“She loves to tease you.” I grabbed hold of his hand again. “Don’t give her the pleasure and react to it.”

He nodded with a small grin. “From saint to whore in less than an hour.” He observed and put his arm around me.

Idun was obviously irritated by the gesture and turned away from us with a short mumble. “You two go check the houses for anything eatable.” She commanded, handing me a sack made of linen and a huge basket. “We are short in supply and there is not much to pick or crop at the moment, so we need everything you find, any stored food is good. I anticipate that the men will be back within a few days or at least send a messenger for us to join them at the fortress.” She nodded at the houses around the small heart of the town. “Valgaror will have an eye on you. Bring everything over to the hall, the women there shall sort it and pack it all for our journey.” Idun grabbed one of the younger men by the scruff of his neck. “Watch them.” She demanded before she stormed of.

“This woman has serious anger management issues.” Samu lifted the large basket and pointed at the houses. “Where shall we start?”

The limping and obviously grumpy soldier that had been left behind to take care of us, simply sat down on a small bench outside the first house we entered. He was huge-grown but young, maybe only 18 and I saw the blood on his left leg, where his pants were torn. It looked severe and I couldn’t refrain from asking: “You want me to have a look at your leg?”

But he only fobbed me off with another grunt. “Come again when you have finished this house or maybe as soon as you are willing to give me a little look between your legs.”

I frowned in disgust, giving him a wide berth to follow Samu over the still blood-spilled threshold of the tiny house.

We had finished four of the former homes and I could by now feel every muscle in my body. Even though I was well trained, the whole climbing, ducking, handing over and collecting seemed to be exercises I wasn’t used to.

There had been stored grain, sacks and boxes of carrots, cabbage and white turnip. We even found dried meat and bread in some of the storage rooms under the kitchen floors. Samu didn’t talk much, but it gave me relief to have him with me, because whenever I was alone for more than a minute I felt just how much this whole situation got under my skin. Seeing a crib or baby’s clothing somewhere almost broke my heart. Only thinking about the brutal ways these poor people had been robbed, raped and murdered made me wanna throw up right there and then.

Being with Samu somehow soothed me and gave me comfort even in this dark place.

I was standing on a kitchen cabinet, checking a few shelves on the wall, when I heard his steps return. “There are some more dried herbs.” I informed him, reaching out for the small pouches.

Suddenly there was a hand on my back and I felt the room spinning when I was pulled down from the cupboard.

“Finally he’s occupied elsewhere.” Valgaror had taken off his coat and breastplate and grinned at me. With relish he pushed up my dress, slipping his fingers into the waistband of my tights while pressing me to the cupboard in my back. “I thought he’d never leave.”

My outcry was muffled by his other hand that was pressed to my mouth. I grabbed his arm to remove his fingers from under my dress but he only chuckled, groaning with pleasure when he found access.

“You must indeed be sacred, little Alfur. No mortal woman I ever touched felt thus smooth and soft.” He whispered and turned me over with one swift movement. Instantaneously his arm was wrapped around me again and he shut me up by putting a dirty cloth from the sideboard into my mouth. It made me gag and I felt tears burning in my eyes when he positioned himself right behind me. This was definitely not the first time this bastard was raping a woman. Furiously I started kicking and tried to squirm free of his strong arms. He laughed at my efforts, grabbing my hair with his free hand.

“The more you fight the more I will enjoy it.”

I felt his lips on the back of my neck, his teeth grazing along my skin before he widened my legs with his knee.

Gritting my teeth and biting down on the disgusting cloth in my mouth, I put my head against the wall, trying to brace myself and accept the fact, that this bastard would now rape me. I had no chance of escape, he was too strong and he held me down so professionally that it made my guts churn. This was it. I closed my eyes and tried not to vomit when I felt his arousal on my lower back.

Suddenly there were hurried steps behind us and Valgaror was pushed against me.

“Let go of her!” I heard Samu’s voice. It sounded deep and dark and his accent had become quite strong. “Let go of her right now or I will dash your brains out!”

Again Valgaror was hit by something and finally he let go of me, pushing me aside with an angry bellow. Gasping and gaging I fell to the floor and crawled away from the two men that were now circling each other slowly.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Valgaror pulled up his pants and grinned breathlessly.

“Leave her alone!” Samu bawled at him, swinging a broken chair from his left hand to his right. “Elida, go!” his eyes narrowed and he nodded at me but Valgaror was quick to bent down and grab my hair to pull me in an upright position.

“I believe he wants to watch.” He said mockingly, his large hand grasping my neck. “Maybe he wants to see how it’s done properly.” Grinning he pushed me up against a nearby table and bent over me. “I’ll have you begging for more in less than a minute, little Alfur.” His hand grabbed the upper part of my dress and he simply tore it apart.

When he spread my legs once more and shoved up my dress, I suddenly saw Samu moving from the corner of my eye. I couldn’t even say how he was doing it so quickly, but in the fraction of a second he jumped on the table, raising the broken chair. It hit Valgaror fair in the face and I heard the abominable noise of breaking bones. The huge Viking was thrusted aside forcefully. He fell to the floor and remained on his back motionlessly.

Samu circled the table and grabbed my arms to pull me along and into the middle of the room. I was shaking like a leaf. His voice only came through in distorted waves and he shook me slightly before he simply lifted me up and carried me outside.

In complete shock I stared up at him, feeling his hand on my face. I sat on the rim of the well in the middle of the little town square. Suddenly Idun was there as well. She yelled at me and yelled at Samu, shaking my arm. With an angry scream she stormed off and yelled at another man nearby. It felt like a mist in front of my eyes, when I watched them dragging Valgaror’s unmoving body out of the little house. The sight of him made me physically sick and I turned my head, throwing up everything I had inside of me.

Samu held me steady, taking me up on his arm again. As far as I could tell he was talking sweet nonsense to soothe me while he carried me over to the main hut. Inside the house he yelled something at the working women and climbed the stairs without stopping.

Soon I was sat down by the open fireplace in our upstairs bedroom. Samu wrapped a blanket around my shivering body and fanned the flame after putting a few logs into the dying embers.

Then he suddenly kneeled down right in front of me, putting his hands on my face. “It’s fine, you’re fine!” I heard him whisper over and over again.

I tried to nod, tried to move my arms because I wanted to pat his cheek and tell him that I wasn’t hurt but I was still completely paralyzed with horror.

Almost. This young man, this boy, had almost succeeded in raping me. Shivering I stared into Samu's eyes. He had almost succeeded!

Fighting down the acid that was rising in my throat, I closed my eyes. Suddenly there was a hand on my back and I squirmed with shock.

Idun had a scrutinizing look on her face. She even looked conscious-stricken when she rubbed my arm. “Did he hurt you badly? Are you injured?” she asked carefully, softly shoving Samu aside to kneel down in front of me. “I can bring you some herbal ointment, it helps the healing.” Unexpectedly her hands had my dress pushed up again and she motioned at Samu. “Hold her. Go over there and hold her so I can have a look.” He gestured a few times and he was quick on the uptake, sitting down on the small bench with me on his lap.

“Idun!” I managed to enunciate and tried to close my legs. “I… It’s fine, he… he didn’t…”

Surprised she lifted her head and gave Samu a look. “So he was fast enough then?”

I nodded, holding on to Samu’s arms. “He was.” I mumbled and closed my eyes, cuddling closer to Samu’s warm chest.

Idun got up with a smile, patting Samu’s shoulder. “Good man.” She said, leaving us as quietly as she had turned up.

“How bad is it?” he suddenly whispered after holding me for a few minutes by the warm fire.

I had a hard time opening my eyes, feeling tired like never before in my life. “It’s fine.” I heard myself croak. “He didn’t … he didn’t manage to …”

With a sigh of relief, Samu wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to my forehead. “Thank God.” He whispered and I could feel his heart beating against his ribs. “When I found you with him I thought… God, I prayed that I wasn’t late already.” Running his hand through my messy hair, he suddenly grabbed my neck and kissed my lips very softly. “I will never again let you out of my sight for more than a second.” He promised earnestly with his lips still rested on mine.

I felt tears welling up, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him closer. With our lips locked and my body engulfed in his embrace, we simply remained sitting.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered after a while and lifted his head.

“Don’t be.” I put my hand on his cheek and sat up, to kiss him on my part. “You saved me.”

The last light of the dull afternoon sun shone though the curtains when a woman entered our room with a heavy bucket in both hands.

“You asked for water before?” carefully she put the steaming bucket down.

Samu nodded. “Can you get a small tub for us?” he rubbed my back. “We might as well heat some more water over the fire up here, if you help us.”

She nodded immediately, slowly stepping back without taking her eyes of him. “How come that you don’t speak their tongue but ours?” she asked cautiously.

Samu exchanged a quick look with me and I sat up on his lap, rubbing my eyes. “We still don’t know.” I answered in his stead and gave the servant a small smile. “Thank you for the water.”

The woman bowed her head in my direction but I could tell from the look on her face that she wasn’t satisfied with my answer.

Slowly I got up from Samu’s lap, reluctantly letting go of his hand as well. How long had we been sitting like this? One hour, maybe two? With a low sigh, Samu got up, stretching his back.

I watched him walking over to the bucket of water, carrying it to the open fireplace.

“You asked for this?” Idun had returned with a wooden tub up on her arm. Samu took it from her and put it down on the floor to fill it with the hot water from the huge bucket.

“Thank you.” He hunkered down by the tub, quickly washing his hands and face. “Come on.” Waving at me he got up, drying his face on his shirt. “Get cleaned up, refresh a little. I’ll stay close.” Pointing at the curtain that separated our room from the one Idun shared with her husband, he touched my arm before turning around to leave me alone by the fire.

Idun suddenly clicked her tongue. “He shouldn’t leave you now.” She stated in a very low voice. “You stay.” She addressed Samu directly, gesturing with her hands.

“She tells you to stay.” I translated with a throaty voice and he let his eyes travel between the two of us.

Idun nodded insistently. “He has to stay and you have to let him into your bed as soon as possible.” She urged and I let out a shaky laughter.

“Of course! I am dying to have a good shag now!”

“You should!” she shot back. “It is the only way to stay sane. When you fall off a horse and don’t climb right up again, you are gonna lose it forever. Trust me!” she nodded emphatically. “I have been there and if Aevarr had not been with me right afterwards, it would have broken my soul. Ask him for it and let him help you out of this. I will make sure you won’t be disturbed for the rest of the night. We will hold trial right away, the punishment will be hard.” Patting Samu’s back, she shoved him in my direction before she left us alone again, closing the thick curtains between the two rooms.

Samu looked doubtfully at me without coming any closer. “Are you sure you want me to stay?” he asked carefully and I nodded with a lump in my throat. I had vanquished the first wave of complete shock in his arms, maybe Idun was right after all.

“I want you to stay.” I answered truthfully, needing to hear it in my own voice. It felt right and I even managed to give him a smile.

“You don’t have to wash me, but it would be nice to have you near.” I tried to joke and he chuckled nervously.

“She told you to sleep with me, didn’t she?” he asked straightforwardly and I merely nodded.

“She said it was the best way to get over it. Some kind of PTSD-turbo-triumph.”

Again he chuckled lightly, shoving his hands into his messy hair. Then he looked at me with his gorgeous eyes and suddenly stepped around the tub to take me in his arms.

“Anything you want.” He whispered in my hair and fell silent for a few moments. Then he suddenly ran his fingertips over my naked shoulder. “It is more than fascinating to observe the changes I underwent since you came into my life.” Looking down at me, he touched my lips and slowly shook his head. “If I had met you back home, I would have tried to get to know you, I’d asked you out, tried everything to get your attention. I would have used my status to impress you, but here …” again he shook his head and rested his chin on my forehead. “Everything is different in this place. From the first second I saw you, I didn’t want to get you in my bed, I wanted to keep you safe, be there for you. Everything else felt profane all of a sudden. Irrelevant. Everything but you.” Softly he kissed my hair and I cuddled closer to his warm chest again. “I’d do anything for you, Elida. Anything to keep you safe. From the first moment I saw your face, I knew that I would kill for you if necessary.” He paused and drew a deep breath, shivering all of a sudden. “I guess, I might need you as well as you need me tonight.” He whispered hoarsely. “It had never crossed my mind that I was actually capable of killing another man.”

“You didn’t kill him.” I tried to talk him down a little, but he simply shook his head.

“I have no idea. It sounded horrifying but I didn’t even care.” He ran his thumb over my lips again. “You were the only thing on my mind.” Sighing he closed his eyes. “This place changed me drastically. You did.” Very carefully he let his hand travel down my back. “I am scared spitless but I think that this woman has a point.” He watched me thoughtfully and I only nodded, putting my hands on his face.

“Thank you.” I whispered and got up on my tiptoes to meet his lips in a soft kiss. Without even thinking about it, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

He was out of breath when we broke the kiss and scrutinized my face once more. Without breaking eye contact, he pulled down the remains of my torn up dress and I didn’t hesitate to step out of it and grab the bottoms of his previously light blue outdoor shirt to pull it over his head. Running my fingers over the smooth skin of his chest I tilted my head back and came up to meet his lips again.

Carefully he picked me up all of a sudden, carrying me over to our rumpled bed. He put me down on the blankets and furs and bent over me without taking his lips off mine.

Even though I had only met him, I could relate to every word he had told me just before. Somehow we were both captives of unsettling circumstances. But we were together. We belonged together.

And it didn’t feel awkward or wrong when Samu slipped off his pants and crawled over to me on all fours. He kissed me once more, deeper this time, and I felt his hips carefully spreading my legs apart. When he hesitated for a second, I softly wrapped my thighs around him. With my hand I guided him, silencing him with a kiss. We needed each other.

Feeling him slowly entering me, I ran my fingers through his hair and tugged him down playfully to meet his lips.

I had never in my life been in more need of a man and I had never felt a connection like the one that had all of a sudden been there between me and Samu. I wanted him. Needed him. Without any second thought. I couldn’t stop letting my gaze and my hands travel over his body, couldn’t look my fill. Having him on top of me, moving deep inside of me and with his lips on mine, I knew one thing for sure: Even if it weren’t the Gods that had sent us, we were meant to be together. Maybe we would have met in our time as well. We would have met, would have fallen for each other.

And in this unfamiliar and strange world we even depended on each other, but it didn’t feel odd.

Looking deep into his dazzlingly beautiful eyes, I felt his body shiver. Breathlessly he slowed down his pace, gazing at me questioningly. Without waiting for me to actually answer, he pulled out of me, slowly kissing his way down between my now trembling legs. A low moan escaped my lips and I grabbed his hair when I felt his skilful tongue playing around my most private parts quite expertly. I didn’t even think about asking him to stop because I hadn’t showered. I didn’t think about the curtain that separated our room from the others insufficiently. I didn’t think about all the people that were gathered under the same roof. And I didn’t waste another thought on the young man that had almost succeeded in raping me. I didn’t even care anymore whether he was alive or dead. Everything but Samu and I and the moment we shared became less important.

Pulling him up to lie on top of me again, I wrapped my arms and legs around Samu. I guided him back inside of me and moved my hips against his. His grip tightened. Burying his face to my neck, he moaned lowly, trying to slow down my pace but I couldn’t wait any longer. I slipped my fingers between our bodies and helped him to push me over the edge as well with his last few thrusts.

Without letting go of him, I only cuddled my face to his chest again and fell asleep almost instantly. He pulled up a blanket and I felt his lips still placing little kisses all over my face. Then he sighed and his warm body moved closer to me.

I was safe. Safe with him.

Chapter 8

“Dude! Why didn’t you wake me?” rubbing his cold fingers, Raul hunkered down next to Sami.

“Sssh!” Sami grabbed his arm. “Everything has been quiet so far.” He informed his friend without taking his eyes off the huge round house in the middle of the square. “Same as last night: Two guards by the door, but they seem drunk and asleep.”

“So what’s the big deal then?” Raul let his gaze travel around the house. The guards were indeed asleep, but there was still light inside and from what he could tell also voices and movement.

“There’s someone on the roof.” Excitedly Sami pointed ahead. “He came out from something that appears to be a window on the head of the house and now he sits there and… wait!” he put the binoculars back on his eyes. “He’s walking back and … Jeez, Raul, is that Samu up there? And is he helping Elida out of the window?”

Raul grabbed the binoculars, sucking in a breath. “It is! And he … look at that, they found a way out! But …” he fell silent, staring at the two persons on the roof of the freshly conquered and occupied house. “Are they naked?” he then asked, raising his eyebrows in disbelief.

Sami took the binoculars and nodded perplexed. “They are.” He confirmed. “What on earth are they thinking? Escaping in the nude? Isn’t that a bit cold? Oh.” His eyes widened. “They don’t seem in a hurry for an escape actually. More like… Oh!” he lowered the binoculars, handing them over to Raul to rub his eyes.

“Is she … are they now? Jesus Christ on the ROOF?” Raul shook his head, still watching to two supposed captives in a tight embrace on the thatched roof.

“Well it’s quite flat and… it’s Samu, come on.” Sami jabbed Raul’s ribs. “Are you really surprised that they ended up together?”

“After what, like less than 48 hours? I am to be honest!” Raul shot back with his teeth gritted. “We need to find a way out of this and now they are… they adapt themselves to the Vikings, they live with them, live like them. We need to make a move really soon and tell them to join us! Otherwise I intend to leave without them!”

“Raul!”

“What?” looking around again, Raul squared his shoulders. “We watched them the whole day, they have been working with them, talking to them. Maybe this is brainwash! Maybe they are brainwashed and plan to stay!”

“You’re talking nonsense and you know it!” Sami interrupted. “Like Riku said before: They adapt, of course, they stick together as close as they can because they depend on each other. They are captives, whether you see it or not. And they are trying to make the best of it and survive because they have no idea that we are here and that we want to find our way back.” Again Sami jabbed his friend softly. “And by the way, Mister: You wouldn’t say no to that lass on your lap, admit it!”

Raul rubbed his face. “Maybe.” He answered evasively. “So what are we gonna do now?”

“I will right now go over there and…”

“Wait!” Raul grabbed his friends arm and pulled him down again. “There is something else going on!”

Suddenly the main door of the house was opened and someone was dragged outside in the shaft of light from within.

Two women with torches followed and held the door for the old man in the white fur coat.

“Another captive?” Sami whispered, but Raul hushed him down and kept watching the bizarre scene. The young man that had been dragged outside, was now on his knees. He was almost completely naked and his head hung low. The old man lifted his walking stick and intonated a few sentences, before he stepped back and nodded at the blond woman by his side. She gritted her teeth and Raul saw her grim face in the bickering torchlight. Without another word, she shouldered a huge axe and walked behind the young man that was still on his knees motionlessly.

Raul felt his blood freezing in his veins when she lifted the axe over her head with some effort and simply smashed the large blade into the spine of the man on the ground. No beheading, no clean cut but a forceful strike. The man let out a piercing cry and fell over with the axe still between his shoulder blades. Without batting an eyelid, the blond woman grabbed the handle of the axe and pulled it out, handing it over to another man. She said a few words to the people that had by now gathered around them. Then she bent down and started cutting around on the young man’s back.

Feeling nauseous all of a sudden, Raul lowered the binoculars, flinching when unexpectedly Riku sat next to him, grabbing them from his hand.

“A Blutaar!” he whispered, still watching the blond woman that was by now chopping the ribs of her captive with a smaller axe.

“Blut-what?” Sami shivered in disgust.

“It is called Blutaar. A Viking execution. They are cutting the back open and break the ribs to unfold them like the wings of an eagle. This man must have committed a serious crime!”

“Thank God we brought you along, you little gobshite!” Raul snorted sarcastically, trying his best to hide his feelings. “I seriously have no idea how we are ever supposed to get through to Samu. I mean, look at that! They are doing this to their own people, what will they do to us if they catch us?”

Completely dispirited he wrapped his arms around his knees and shook his head.

“Hey!” Sami glared at him furiously. “Stop it right now! We will manage to get him out, we will get the hell away from those crazy people and I will be dammed if we don’t manage to find our way home! Now go to sleep, Riku and I will stay and keep watch.”

Chapter 9

We were still sitting on the roof top when everything around us was silent again. Samu held me close to his chest and I was surprised, just how warm he still was despite the cold air. Without wanting it we had only minutes ago witnessed the carrying out of a death sentence. We had been so involved with each other at first but then all of a sudden the doors below us had opened and we had been stuck because they could have easily spotted us. And so we had stayed, wordlessly holding each other until it was finally over.

Then suddenly Samu helped me up. “Come on, love.” He whispered, pulling my shivering body along. With a lot of effort he managed to climb down to the small window again, giving me a hand and in the end even his arm and torso to scramble back.

I felt his hand on my back. “Go to bed.” He whispered into my ear, but I turned around to wrap my arms around him and cuddle my face to his upper body.

“They made an example of him. A warning for all the others.” I whispered into the soft hair on his chest and felt his hand running over my back.

“I know.” He answered in a very low voice and kissed my hair. Silently he held me for a few moments, suddenly stepping back with a sheepish grin. “I’m sorry, I know this is totally inappropriate, but …” softly he kissed my lips, his fingertips finding their way over my naked breasts. “It is extremely inappropriate, but I really need to finish what we started outside.” Looking down at me with a questioning look in his eyes, he cocked his head. “Or should I rather step into the cold water over there and wash?”

I felt a giggle escaping my lips and shook my head. “I really wish you’d continue.”

With a broad smile he pulled me over to the bed and simply made me sit on his lap again. Soon we were once more completely involved with each other and I didn’t give it a second thought, that I was actually capable of having sex with Samu right after watching an execution.

Suddenly someone patted my arm. “Hold this.” Idun offered a large drinking horn to me and simply walked over to the fireplace to pull her leather cuirass over her head.

Completely stunned I looked down at Samu. He had lifted his head, watching the other woman taking off her clothes. Then he looked at me again. “What is she doing here?” he whispered, slowly moving under me.

I tried to supress a little moan, turning my head to watch her as well. She looked tired, almost exhausted when she stepped into the small tub and sat down in the cold water, washing her blood spilled face with a cloth.

“Drink.” She suddenly said and a smile flashed over her face. “And also continue, there are a few unpleasant pictures on my mind right now and I would love to replace them.” Nodding at us, she poured water over her head.

Putting the horn on my lips, I gulped down a large mouthful of what tasted like whisky. I coughed and drank again before I handed the horn over to Samu, slowly moving my hips. “She tells us to drink and she wants to watch.” I said and his eyes became round.

“What weird place is this?” he whispered back, drinking from the cold liquor again. “She wants to watch us having sex?”

I nodded, still moving on top of him. “She’s the daughter in law of the Jarl and he rules those men with a rod of iron. As long as he or her husband is not around, it is her duty to carry out.” Sipping the horn again, I managed to give Samu a smirk. “I don’t mind her watching, there is a little bit of an exhibitionist inside of me anyway. And be honest, even though she scares you, you wouldn’t mind letting her join us, would you?”

He suddenly sat up, taking me in his arms. Kissing me fervently, he held me and ran his fingertips down my naked back, before looking at me closely.

“Actually, she scares the crap out of me.” He whispered against my lips. “And I also had my share of threesomes during our wild youth with Sunrise Avenue. But I guess when she tells us to dance, we dance, right?”

“Pretty much.” I let my fingers travel through his tousled hair, feeling his hands on my hips, slowly moving me up and down on his lap.

“Are you sure? At the risk of … well… you will never look at me the same again when you have watched me sleeping with her. What if…”

I silenced him with a kiss. “We belong to each other and we depend on each other.” I whispered close to his soft mouth. “Nothing will ever change that.”

He nodded slowly, taking another deep gulp from the horn before he handed it back to me. “Then I’d suggest we drink up. Many things happen to become a lot more easy and of less consequence when you’re drunk.” He grinned sheepishly. “So many things that I have learned during the last years in a Rockband!”

I chuckled and took a hit myself. Feeling my head spinning already I got up from Samu’s lap, carefully making my way over to Idun. She gave me an interested look from head to toe and back before she reached out her hand to take the drinking horn.

“You are almost scarless.” Getting out of the water she emptied the horn and started to towel herself off without taking her eyes off me. “The Gods must love you, girl.” Carefully she stepped closer, reaching out her hand to run her fingertips over my neck. “The colour of your skin is …” fascinated she touched my tanned belly before cupping my breast that was white from wearing a bikini most of the time. “You are different from any woman I have ever seen.”

Her fingers left a trail of goosebumps on my skin. I had never been touched by another woman even though I would have never categorized myself as pure straight. Drawing a deep breath, I reached out my hand towards Idun. The alcohol had given me Dutch courage and I couldn’t resist touching her messy chignon hairstyle. She didn’t shy away, simply kept watching me closely. Then she suddenly cocked her head and scrutinized Samu over my shoulder. “Does he like to watch?” she asked me with a cheeky grin and I turned around, looking at the naked man that was still sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I am not sure yet.” I admitted. “He doesn’t like to be interrupted and as far as I can tell he might still be ready to go.”

Idun laughed in surprise and for the first time since we had met, I caught a glimpse of the woman she actually was. Under layers and layers of warrior and duties. Buried deep below responsibilities and the pressure of representing the Jarl in his absence. The execution had gotten close to her. The burden of ruling and representing had given her a hard shell, but there was still a young woman inside, that was most certainly younger than I was myself.

With another small giggle, she stepped aside. “Unfortunately Oddgeir decided for you to be untouchable for any man.”

Moving closer, I wrapped my arm around her hips. “Any man maybe.” Gently I pulled her along. “Suit yourself, you might as well just watch.”

Looking at Samu, I still saw tentativeness in his beautiful eyes. He got up from the bed, looking down at both of us.

“You sure that this is a good idea?” he asked cautiously and I let go of Idun, wrapping my arms around him instead.

“More than one reason.” Softly I kissed his lips. “She wanted you before and she will get you, whenever she asks. Tonight is your chance of having her without sharing her bed with the hulk. Other than that, she should not be alone after carrying out an execution.”

I felt him shiver in my arms and he shook his head slowly.

“She scares me. Maybe that is also a little turn on, but she scares the crap out of me. Ah!” he flinched and I suddenly felt Idun’s hand between our bodies, running down Samu’s chest.

“No scars!” she whispered in my direction. “Goodness, they created you so perfectly.” Throwing a little gaze at me, she pointed at Samu. “May I?” she asked and I nodded, putting my own hand to the nape of Samu’s neck to pull him down and softly kiss him.

“Lay down.” I whispered to his lips and he swallowed hard. Doing as I told him, he lay down on the bed, watching us sitting down next to him. I could tell for sure that the thought of being with both of us aroused him, but I also saw fear in his eyes. Comfortably I lay down by his side, kissing him again until I felt him relaxing in my arms. He didn’t flinch anymore, when Idun started touching him and I felt his grip around me tighten, when she suddenly bent down to take him in her mouth. Looking down at the blond woman that kneeled between his thighs, he suddenly grabbed me and pulled me up to sit on his face. Hungrily he started licking me and I could feel him bucking his hips in the direction of the other woman. Suddenly her hands were on my back and she turned me around to face her. She had straddled Samu’s hips and softly massaged my breasts, watching me with a cautious look in her eyes.

All of a sudden Samu moved below her. He grabbed Idun’s hips and turned her on all fours before he took hold of my foot and pulled me down to lie under both of them. Breathlessly he grasped my hair to kiss me, before he got up on his knees as well, placing himself behind the blond woman. She moaned in surprise when he entered her again with a few deep thrusts. At first it felt weird to lie below them with Idun’s small breasts in my face and the feeling of their thighs around me. But suddenly I felt Samu’s fingers. He definitely knew what he was doing when he plugged two fingers inside of me, almost instantly hitting my g-spot. Grabbing Idun’s arms for support, I felt a moan escaping my parted lips. To my surprise the fingers were removed abruptly and Samu pushed Idun away slightly to lie down on top of me instead. Groaning in frustration, Idun took his hand to put it between her legs again and he was quick to turn on his back with me on top of him this time to have better access to her wet slit.

Feeling him moving deep inside of me and listening to the soft and wet sounds of his fingers right next to me, put me over the edge quicker than I had ever climaxed in my whole life. Samu smiled down at me completely out of breath, kissing me deeply, before he sat up and pulled Idun closer to make her sit on his lap again. Suddenly her hand was on my arm and she bent down to kiss me fervently. Her fingers travelled over my body and I felt a shiver, when she touched the still pulsating spot between my legs. Spontaneously I returned her kiss and widened my thigs when she slipped her finger inside of me. Samu obviously tried to suppress a groan and sat up, to pull me in his arms and kiss me. “I can’t …” he whispered breathlessly, sucking in a breath when Idun stared to move faster. She was close to the edge as well, but I didn’t want Samu to come before her. Crawling around them, I kneeled down right behind the other woman, wrapping my arms around her. She rested her head on my shoulder and gave a loud groan when I stared rubbing her clit. Only a few seconds later she climaxed as well and her head sunk down on Samu’s heaving chest.

“My turn.” He whispered and wiped a few drops of sweat from his forehead before he kissed me. There was a glint in his eyes, when he sat up again, taking me by the hips. “I want you from behind and I want to grab your hair.” His teeth grazed along the skin of my back and I let out a little shriek of surprise, when he simply pressed me down into the blankets. I felt his hot breath on my neck and his hand that was grasping my hair, pulling hard. “I only want to come inside your tight little pussy.” He rumbled huskily and I could feel his dick becoming harder and hotter inside of me with every thrust. “You are mine.” With a loud groan he pressed himself inside me as deep as possible and I felt his strong body sinking down on me.

Feeling sticky, sweaty and exhausted I turned around, pantingly taking him in my arms.

He bent down to kiss me with his salty lips, smiling and softly shoving my hair out of my forehead. “You’re mine.” He repeated with his deep voice and I couldn’t refrain from a little smile.

“Sounds a bit archaic for my taste, but right now, I don’t mind.” I whispered back, making him chuckle.

Suddenly he lifted his head. “Where did she go?” he asked surprised and I pointed at the curtain that still swung a little.

“I think she feels better and went to bed.” Cuddling closer to him, I rested my head in my hand.

He nodded thoughtfully and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. “We should get some rest as well. I seriously have no idea what tomorrow will bring for us.”

Pulling up the largest blanket, I lay down again. “I don’t care as long as I am with you.” I smiled up at him and rubbed his cheek.

Chapter 10

The next morning started far too early for us. Completely her old self again, Idun stood by our bed only a few hours after we had finally closed our eyes. She repeatedly kicked the bed with the heavy wooden sole of her leather shoe. “Up, up, lovebirds. Ask, outside with me, Embla, downstairs, Oddgeir wants to talk to you.” She threw an armful of clothes down on us and stormed off again.

I was almost too tired to open my eyes. When would somebody finally invent coffee?

Samu grunted something vulgar and turned around to wrap his arm around my waist. “It’s not even dawn yet!” he mumbled and yawned deeply. “What did she say?”

“I have to go talk to Oddgeir and she wants to meet you outside.”

“What on earth am I to do outside right now?” again he yawned, but from the tone of his voice I could tell that he was alarmed.

With a lot of effort I sat up. “Let’s go and find out, shall we?”

“We shall not.” He pulled me back into the bed and simply rolled over to lie on top of me.

“Get off her!” Idun sounded angry but also a little amused. Throwing a leather breastplate down next to the open fireplace, she gestured between Samu and the cuirass. “Get dressed, for the love of all Gods! You’ll be back on your woman when the sun sets!”

Impatiently she remained standing in the doorway. With a shirt and a pair of pants in his hands, Samu got up. He threw a look at her and back at me, pointing at the clothes. “I might sound stupid, but can you tell me what they are wearing under this?”

Sitting up as well I rummaged around the pile of clothes, finally bringing a linen under-short to light. “That one might fit you.”

Grumbling he took the piece of cloth and slipped it over his legs. “What next?”

I couldn’t help chuckling. He looked ridiculous and he knew it as well as I did. Grinning he grabbed my hair and pulled me in for a kiss.

“So?”

“This.” I handed some vest-like garment over to him and helped him pulling it over his head. “Now the pants and the shirt and you’ll be fine.” Carefully I picked up the leather breastplate from the wooden floor, turning back at Idun. “I might need your help with that.”

She nodded with a smirk on her lips. “Let’s get the sacred man dressed like a proper Northman.” She joked and winked at me.

With her help I managed to close all the small leather straps around Samu’s waist and shoulders. I had to admit, he looked terrific in almost full Viking armour.

“Put your hand on my shoulder.” Idun pointed at his arm. “Your hand, man!” impatiently she grabbed his wrist, lacing a leather arm protector around his lower arm. “You have to learn how to speak our tongue, Ask!” she stated insistently before patting his cheek. “Now come with me.” Turning on her heels, she waved at him, stopping halfway as usual.

“Does he have any skills?” she asked, giving Samu an appraising look.

Astounded I broke into laughter, pulling my underskirt over my head. “You might by now be a reliable witness of his skills.” I answered, making her snort with laughter as well.

“Beside those. They are not too helpful in combat or battle, trust me!” she gave Samu another long look from head to toe. “Axe, speer, maybe horse riding?”

“Martial arts?” I stepped into some woollen pants. “Samu? Do you have any fighting skills?”

“You are gonna laugh your asses off when I now tell you that I once attended Capoeira-classes.” Slowly he shook his head and put some strands of hair behind his ears. “The usual, I guess. Fighting with wooden swords. I am pretty good with bow and arrow though. Darts and air gun at the fun fair if that counts.”

“I’m afraid, it doesn’t.” Pinning my hair back, I shook my head in Idun’s direction. “Give him a short axe and a shield that is not too heavy.” I told her. “He needs the basic techniques. Our weapons are different from yours. He is by all means good with swords, but you don’t use them, do you?”

The other woman slowly shook her head. “A short one maybe, more of a long dagger. He seems fit and strong, I think we should start with an axe and see about the rest.”

“Would you mind returning him in one piece?”

“Of course not, Oddgeir will have me skinned if I lay a finger on him!” grinning she winked at me again before she gestured towards Samu. “Come, come.” She said. “Time for a little fighting lesson.”

I held him back when he started walking after her.

“Listen to me. She will get an axe for you to practice with it. The shields in the movies often appear very small, trust me, they’re not. And they are heavy as fuck. An axe is also not the lightest of arms and it is an impact weapon. Try not to get hit too hard, draw back if you can and lower your shield arm whenever you get the chance to relax it, alright? The fight with axes differs from sword fights. Blades are not as heavy, you have a guard for your hand and you are quicker. Fighting with an axe is like fighting with a sledgehammer, so don’t take this too easy, alright?” Quickly I pecked his lips. “Look after yourself, promise?”

He stared at me with a puzzled expression. “I will.” He then said, kissing me back. “They won’t kill me, you know it is forbidden.” Jokingly he cocked his eyebrow.

“Maybe they won’t kill you but the will sure as hell test you and it will be their greatest pleasure to bruise you as good as they can.” I kissed him again and nodded at Idun. “Don’t be too hard on him.”

“Go talk to Oddgeir, I’ll do my best.” She grabbed Samu’s arm and pulled him along.

Only a few minutes later I made my way downstairs. Oddgeir and a handful of others sat around the big fireplace in the middle of the room. I was beckoned over and someone handed me the usual mug of warm Ale. Sipping it, I wondered whether I would ever get used to drinking it without shivering in disgust.

“Embla.” The old shaman bowed his head in my direction. “Idun tells me that you and Ask are quite fond of each other.”

Someone chuckled before I could say something and I felt my cheeks blushing. Oddgeir threw a deprecating stare around the fire.

“I have meditated over you and your connection last night. It seems deep and strong. But there is also a deep connection between you and Tyr.” With his walking stick he pointed at me. “He is strong inside of you, I can almost feel him. He makes his influence felt and I am by now pretty sure that you are unable to conceive.”

Completely taken off guard, I stared at the old man. What the hell was he talking about?

“What d’you mean?” I asked carefully, trying my best to hide behind the mug in my hands.

Again the seer pointed at me. “Tyr is blocking you. I can feel him, almost see him inside of you. He blocks your womb from conceiving.”

Still out of words I tried to make up my mind. This man saw Tyr in me. Tyr, the God of war. Tyr or ᛏ.

Was there a possibility that this man could actually see something inside of me? Something no one in this time could have ever seen or heard of, because it had not been invented until the 21^st century? I was unable to conceive, but it wasn’t because of Tyr or any other God. The simple reason was my intrauterine device. It was indeed shaped like the rune for Tyr but it had as sure as hell nothing to do with him. But how was I supposed to explain this to him?

“His … the ᛏ was placed inside of me.” I tried carefully.

“Did he do it himself?” Oddgeir bent forward in my direction. “Who did it?”

“Healers?” I answered evasively and he nodded as if he had known it all along.

“It needs to get out. If the God has not placed it inside of you himself, we have to remove it.”

“Excuse me, I don’t think it would…”

“You may keep the rune itself, make a necklace with it.” He nodded encouragingly and gave me a smile. “We just have to remove it because you are meant to conceive the first child of the new era. Our era in this country. And you, Embla, are gonna be the mother of our first and symbolic child.” Ceremoniously he smiled at me again and I was about to get sick.

Remove it? They seriously had no idea! The whole equipment, surgical tools and left alone cleanliness! No one in this fucking time would remove my loop as long as I had air in my lounges to protest against it!

“We only have to wait for another week, your bleeding will start and it should be possible to find a midwife to remove it from your womb.” The shaman simply continued enthusiastically and I sat up straight.

“There is a good chance that my uterus or my cervix will be destroyed during the procedure.” I objected but the old man only smiled.

“You have the God of war to protect you. And Thor himself will hold a protecting hand over you as well, Embla.” He insisted. “They sent you and they sent a suitable man for you. They will keep you safe and you will conceive a summer child within the next weeks. It shall be born one year from now in our new home, the new safe place of this clan.”

Entirely out of words I felt my blood racing in my veins. I had to talk to Samu right now. The risk was too high. This procedure would most probably cost my uterus, if not my life. And I didn’t intend to let anyone manipulate my inner organs. Slowly I got up, feeling the world around me spin.

“I shall meditate about the removal. If God… if the Gods decide in favour of it, I shall obey their orders.” I heard myself say, wondering how crystal clear I sounded.

Oddgeir seemed pleased with my answer. He gave me a warm smile and got up as well, to touch my forehead with the handhold of his stick. “You bestow honour on your life and your clan.” He said in a solemn tone and bowed again. The others around us mumbled something similar and I made my exit, leaving them piously silent.

With a few large gulps I emptied my mug on the way outside. This was insane. I had to get away from this place within a week. We had to find a way to escape. Now that they trusted us and left us alone without any guard, the chances for a successful escape had increased. We could easily pick a horse from one of the stables, pack a few things to eat without anyone noticing and then ride off into the proverbial sunset. Taking a deep breath, I opened a small side door of the house. From what Oddgeir had planned for me, we had a week. It was definitely possible to plan and carry out our getaway within the next two or three days. Maybe we didn’t even need a horse. If we had actually perambulated time, I was almost certain that it had something to do with the fog. The forest wasn’t far, maybe a few kilometres through the glen and up the hill. We would travel light and I was sure that I would find the right path for us even through the woodlands of those bad times.

The cracking of wood and another loud thump interrupted my thoughts.

“Shield up!” I heard Idun’s voice, followed be another loud crack.

“I fucking give you shield up!” Samu sounded winded when he imitated her sentence. “Come here, you bastard and I will fucking shield up your arse!”

Idun laughed and applauded, and I caught the sound of breaking wood. Quickly I made my way around the house and found Samu with a broken shield, completely covered in sweat and beating up one of the other men with the residues of his formerly round shield. Suddenly the Northman he was fighting fell backwards, laughing his head off.

“Enough, sacred man!” he gasped and rolled over to sit on his knees. “Well done, you didn’t back down!” reaching out his hand to a red faced and completely enraged Samu, the other man smiled and gave him thumbs up.

Confused Samu grabbed the arm that was presented to him and helped the bigger man back on his feet.

“Get him another shield!” yelled Idun over her shoulder and clapped her hands. “Good.” She patted Samu’s chest. “Good, good. You understand good, right?”

Breathlessly he nodded, wiping his face before he put the residues of his shield down and massaged his arm.

“Embla!” Idun smiled and gestured towards Samu. “There are some skills, but he is not as strong as I had hoped.” She took his upper arm between her hands and massaged it a little. “He looks strong but there are no strong muscles in his arms and legs.”

Samu’s gaze flashed over me and he cocked his eyebrow questioningly. “Am I doing alright?”

“Seems like the muscle factory has not built up the right muscles.” I teased, walking around him to take the small axe from his hand.

“Well, I have been trained to dance for the last eight or nine years.” He defended himself, obviously a little huffy. “I could dance them into flight or maybe sing!”

“At least it gave you stamina, didn’t it?” I handed his axe back to him when one of the other women brought him a new shield. “Go ahead.” I squeezed his tensed upper arm. “Let the axe do the work, don’t wind up too high. Dance around him and draw back when he tries to hit your shield. You have endurance for a long dance. And remember to always lower your shield arm right away as soon as you take a step back!”

Idun had listened to our conversation with interest, even though she didn’t understand a word. Suddenly she tilted her head, grabbing another axe from the ground. “Show me what you got, Embla.” She simply stated, handing me a small round shield.

Staring down at the weapon in my hand, I shook my head. “Not without protection.” I protested and she was quick to hand me a breastplate. It was heavy and it took me a lot of effort to pull it over my shoulders correctly. With my heart beating in my throat I watched Idun closing the clasps.

The axe she had handed me was well balanced and I weighed it in my hand, carefully swinging it a few times before I stepped back, raising the shield.

Idun gave me a mischievous smile and jumped right on me without warning. I managed to draw back just in time, parrying off her first attack, but she didn’t waste a second before she raised her axe again. Fending off another series of blows, I felt my arm hurting. Idun’s smile grew wider. She took pleasure in my weak attempts, gloating over me when I stumbled.

Gritting my teeth, I stepped back once more, regaining my balance. Her biggest mistake was that she seemed too certain of her victory. I was no worthy adversary in her eyes. Maybe this was my advantage over her. Hiding behind my shield, I faked another stumble and she screamed with glee, lifting her axe.

This was my chance. With two quick steppes I managed to close the gap between us, ducking my head. Her strong blow dashed into nowhere and I ran right into her unprotected side, blowing her off her feet with her own power.

She landed face down in the mud and rolled over to her back with a surprised yelp.

“Again?” I asked and bowed in her direction with a grin.

She struggled to her feet and spit out a mouthful of dirt. Returning my grin, she raised her shield. “Of course!”

For another few rounds we were the main attraction on the village square. We were hard on each other, no mercy, no breathing pause.

And when I finally lowered my shield and put my axe down to show my surrender, she took me in her arms and patted my back. Grabbing my hand, she lifted my arm. “The Godsend daughter of a Northman!” she yelled enthusiastically and laughed. “You’d be a bride worthy of the mighty Thor himself!”

Chuckling I returned her hug. “As well as you, sister.” I heard myself say, wondering for a second how close I felt to her all of a sudden. Even closer than during the night before.

She rested her forehead on mine, putting her sweaty hand on my cheek. “Yorick should consider espousing you, Embla. You are worthy of a Northman, a Jarl even.” With that she wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “A drink for my sister and me!” she yelled jubilantly.

When we shared Ale from a large drinking horn, Samu suddenly touched my shoulder. He seemed surprised. With an amazed expression on his face he wiped a few strands of wet hair out of my forehead.

“That was remarkable!” he stated and massaged a few swollen spots on the palm of my right hand. “Where did you learn to fight like this?”

“As you know, I studied the Vikings and I also studied their ways of fighting. I am a teacher for kids and also give intensive training for adults with sword and shield. The axe is my weak spot, but I never stopped trying my best to improve.”

“You are doing great!” slowly he shook his head. “Mylady, I have to admit that I am really turned on right now.”

I broke into laughter, kissing him passionately. “We could surely have a few private lessons later on.”

He grinned broadly, winking at me before he lifted his own shield again. “I really wish I could promise you another great night, but I’m afraid I might fall asleep in my own dinner after a few more rounds with …?” he looked at the broad shouldered warrior he had fought before. The other man gave him a grin. “Thorbjorn.” He said slowly, pointing at Samu with his axe. “Ready to go, Ask?” he yelled jovially and Samu nodded, limbering up his shoulders.

“Ready to go.” He repeated the Viking’s words and winked at me before he stepped closer to his opponent.

Chapter 11

He had fallen asleep completely dressed on a blanket by the fire in the early afternoon. Stirring my stew I watched the light of the flames dancing on his relaxed face.

It had been a hard and exhausting lesson and I spotted countless red bruises on his forearms and hands. But he had done well. Smiling I ran my fingers through his hair, wondering again how weirdly normal it felt to be so close to him. Samu Haber. I would have never imagined ending up with him. God, he looked gorgeous, even better now with the breastplate and the small axe on his baldric.

Completely worn out myself, I leaned back against the wooden bench behind me and closed my eyes. Today had been a turning point for both of us. There had been a trial and an execution on our behalf. And all of a sudden we were accepted. We were no longer captives and the change in all of their behaviour felt like a change of room temperature. Suddenly we were welcome. Idun had given a small dagger to me for my own protection. Even though she remained grumpy and loud most of the time, she also seemed relaxed in our presence. And she had allowed Samu to carry weapons for his own safety as well as mine.

Suddenly Samu moved beside me and opened his eyes with an astounded sound. Rubbing his face, he sat up, trying to rearrange his inflexible brown breastplate. Then he yawned deeply, nodding at the large bowl in my hands. “Would you mind sharing?” he asked, moving closer to me on the warm floor in front of the fireplace.

I nodded immediately, handing the bowl and my spoon over to him. Hungrily he scoffed half of my stew, smiling apologetically. “Sorry.” He mumbled, offering the bowl to me again but I shook my head and patted his leg. “Eat up, I’ve had enough.”

With a sigh he leaned back again, gobbling down the rest of my lunch extremely fast. Accepting a drinking horn with a nod and a smile, he sat up straight again. “I wanna shower.” He simply stated, grinning wearily. “At my place I got one on those big rain-showerheads. I could stand or even sit there for hours and simply enjoy the hot water on my skin.” His sigh came straight from his heart when he took my hand. “You should have seen it.” He gave me a faint smile. “God, I will dream about this for the rest of my life. Having you in this shower, in my apartment, in my life.”

Moving closer I rested my head to his shoulder. “I am in your life.” I said with a very low voice, feeling his arm around my shoulders and his lips on my forehead.

“At least that.” He whispered back and lifted my face to meet my lips in a gentle kiss. Then he suddenly broke away, lowering his arm. “I’m sorry, I… I got carried away, I really wish that I could take a shower right now.” Carefully lifting his arm, he sniffed around his armpit, frowning in disgust. “God, I smell like a well fucked boar that has been dragged through shit for a few days!”

Giggling I cuddled closer to him again, ignoring his comments. “You smell fine.” I objected. “But if you insist, you could ask Idun if we are allowed to take a walk down to the river and wash.” Slowly I ran my hand over the leather of his breastplate. “There are a few things I need to talk to you about anyway.”

He nodded immediately, cautiously getting back on his feet. Giving a short whimper of pain, he grimaced and moved his head slowly from side to side. Thorbjorn was sitting on a chair right next to us and started to laugh. Raising his horn in Samu’s direction he yelled: “Hail Thor!”

Grimacing again, Samu did the same. “Hail Thor.” He repeated and emptied his drink. “You killed me!” he pointed at his new friend, making the huge warrior break into laughter and playfully pat Samu’s back at his attempt of speaking Norwegian.

We found Idun in deep conversation with two men of the Jarls household guard. She gave us a quick gesture with her hand, ordering us to stand aside and wait.

It was fascinating for me as an ethnologist to observe the way she took matters in her hands. For the last days I had almost kept her under review, sometimes wishing for a pen and some paper to make notes at least. The thought of asking her about it crossed my mind, but I scrapped it right away. As far as I knew, paper was a more than limited good. Maybe I could ask her when we moved to the Black Castle in Wicklow. There was a monastery and the church had always been well supplied with writing materials.

My thoughts came to an abrupt halt and I had to force myself to remember that I didn’t intend to stay here. This wasn’t my place. Neither my place, nor my time. And in no more than a week they would all gather and most probably kill me by trying to get my intrauterine device removed.

Rubbing my upper arms from the sudden chill, I threw a look around. As much as this whole place fascinated me, I couldn’t stay.

Idun waved us closer and nodded at Samu. “Alive?” she joked and I chuckled.

“He is.” I answered in his stead. “Are we allowed to go down to the river before nightfall and wash?”

“Of course.” She nodded at the door. “Feel free to take a walk, but return before the sun sets.”

I nodded thankfully, bowing my head in her direction. “We won’t be long.”

Samu’s steps were still a little stiff when he followed me. “Aren’t we gonna take some fresh clothes or towels or soap with us?” he asked a little puzzled and I couldn’t help chuckling.

“You brought your sponge bag with you then?” I teased, breaking into laughter when he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“They are on a foray in a distant country. D’you think that their most important task is soap boiling right now?”

“But they…” Samu fell silent, looking around the hall. “They are not as dirty as I expected. They change their clothes regularly and they also clean their teeth. I expected some kind of curd soap at least.”

In the end he had been right after all and to my surprise I was actually carrying a piece of brown soap to the river. We had decided not to bring fresh clothing because we didn’t want anyone to allege an attempted escape. There was still warm sunlight around us and from what I calculated it was May already. Taking a deep breath from the fresh air, I took Samu’s hand in mine.

He smiled down at me and bent forward to kiss me. “Don’t look right away, but I think we are being followed.”

I nodded and kissed him back. “Of course we are.” I whispered in response, slowly swaying our hands. “Idun needs to make sure that we are safe and also that we are returning to the village. I think she still expects us to run.”

“She should.” Smiling he closed his eyes, taking a long breath himself. “The question is only when.”

“Soon.” Lifting my dress a little, I walked around a large puddle of mud. “Oddgeir talked to me this morning and he has plans for me that make it impossible to stay any longer.”

Samu lifted his eyebrows. “Continue?”

“He … this man somehow knows that I have an intrauterine device and he wants to remove it so that the two of us can start a new dynasty with a symbolic child.”

The man by my side stopped short, looking at me completely perplexed. “Come again?”

“They want us to…”

“I understood what you said!” he interrupted in agitation. “But how does he plan on removing it? I mean, it… it is in your uterus!”

“That is the point.” Shivering slightly, I interlaced our fingers. “There is a … well some kind of a return string. It is palpable and can be taken hold of with pliers I guess. But the T-like shape it the real point of fear for me. I have no idea if it can actually be removed that simply. My cervix is not wide enough, it needs… well, … a lot of things they don’t have around here. Point is: I might lose my reproductive organs and most probably my life if we wait for them to carry out this procedure. So this means for me that I have to leg it within the next days.”

Samu nodded slowly, absorbing the news. Then he looked at me again. “Wherever you go, I will be with you.” He said hoarsely and gave me a tight hug. “God, with all the fun and the fighting today I almost forgot that we have to find a way out of here!”

Letting out a shaky laughter, I stared walking again. “Well, we should.” I took another deep breath, making my way over the small wooden landing stake.

It was still pretty cold, not more than 18 degrees Celsius, and the wind was chilly, but I needed to wash so baldy, that I simply pulled my dress over my head. Samu was quick to do the same, but he remained standing on the stake naked and with his dagger in his hand. Thoughtfully weighing it a little, he threw a look around. Then he grabbed his baldric and attached the blade to it, before wrapping it around his upper thigh. “Better safe than sorry.” He simply stated, putting his hand on the back of my neck before throwing another gaze around. “Come on, let’s wash.”

My teeth were chattering when I climbed out of the icy water with Samu’s help. Quickly I slipped into my clothes again, wrapping my underskirt around my wet hair.

“A fire, a fire, my kingdom for a fire.” Samu gave a citation of Shakespeare and I giggled.

“Are you aware that William Shakespeare won’t be born for another… well, 800 years?”

Samu looked at me confused, then realization flashed over his face visibly and he shook his head. “I tend to forget that we are stranded in the ninth century.” Pulling up his pants, he took his baldric between his teeth. “So what are we gonna do next?” he mumbled.

“We’re going back, we play nice and one night we run. Through the window and into the forest.”

He gave me a long look, slowly shaking his head. “Think it through.” He said and wrapped his waistcoat around his upper body. “We run away but we don’t find our way back. Maybe we are stranded here for good. And as soon as they realize that we have escaped they will hunt us down and we will no longer be their sacred guests.”

I hadn’t even given this possibility a thought and started playing with my lower lip. “What d’you suggest instead? We can’t stay and we can’t run. So one way or the other, I die?”

“Would you please let me think about this, woman?” he hissed at me, grabbing my arm to pull me along. “We will figure something out and no one has to die, alright?”

For the rest of the evening Samu remained close mouthed. With a mug of Ale he walked around the room, leaving me pondering over our situation alone by one of the smaller fireplaces.

I was almost ready to go to bed on my own, when he suddenly sat down next to me with a fresh mug. Mutely he offered it to me and starred into the flames.

“Maybe I got an idea.”

Looking up astounded, I sipped his drink. “What did you come up with?”

“We can’t leave this place in a hush-hush operation. But we are still sacred, aren’t we?”

I nodded confirmatively, moving a little closer to him.

“So we might need a place to pray or exchange some words with the Gods that created us, right?”

Looking at him again, I suddenly saw his idea and nodded eagerly. “Indeed. We need a place to meditate, we need to speak with our creators and offer up a sacrifice.” Thoughtfully I sipped his Ale again. “But they won’t let us go alone.”

“They won’t have to.” Samu grinned. “Do you remember the fog? It was so thick I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. If we managed to reach this bewitched forest and the fog, we might have a chance to run and hide. If we actually find our way back, we will be gone and on our way home. If we don’t we can still simply tell them that we got lost.”

Slowly I nodded again, thinking about the idea. It sounded simple, but there was one variable he had not taken into account. “What about the shaman?” My eyes were scanning the room, finding the old man by the biggest fire with a blanket on his frail legs. “He will know.”

“Don’t let him see it.” Samu squeezed my fingers. “The only thing on our minds should be their weird Gods right now. Tell him that you want to offer them a sacrifice and he will be pleased and allow us to leave. We won’t raise suspicion if we don’t take anything with us but the sacrifice and a blanket, don’t you think?” He got up and winked at me. “And now come along, lass.” He reached out his hands towards me. “The bath has cleared my head given me some strength that I would love to spend on top of you.”

“Always in for a little plunder and a hump, hum, Northman?” giggling I put a strand of his hair out of his forehead and he bent down to meet my lips in a passionate kiss.

“I could put on my cuirass again, if it turns you on, Mylady!” he offered teasingly and I grabbed his shirt to pull him down again.

“I’d love that!” grinning I took his hand and guided him through the rest of the Vikings. “Maybe your axe could come to use in some way as well.”

Chapter 12

“Damn, we have been so close!” frustrated Riku started pacing up and down in front of their hidden camp.

“They were still under surveillance.” Sami opened the last pack of his favourite nut mix, offering a handful to his friends. “Are you sure that he will find it and also see the message?”

“Well, I was wading through the mud for it and I put it right into the pocket of his pants while their two guards were too busy watching Elida washing her hair.” Grumpily Riku sat down and started eating the nuts piece by piece. He was in a bad mood, tired and hungry. It should have been their chance to finally talk to Samu after not finding a single possibility for days. After a quick discussion, Riku had taken matters in his own hands and had wrestled through almost eight feet high reeds in the swamplands by the river.

He had not expected the two guards to be that persisting though. Eventually he managed to sneak close enough to leave a message at least. But what if Samu never found it? What if he had lost it somewhere along the way? Biting his nails Riku stared down at two single almonds. The night started falling. It was day four of insecurity, fear and tension. They were almost out of food by now and demoralized to a point where each of them felt the urge to simply run away about once every hour.

But Riku knew one thing for sure: If Samu got his message he would understand it and they would all leave this place together.

Chapter 13

The first rays of the morning sun shone through the curtains when I woke up. Carefully I removed Samu’s arm from my waist and got out of bed.

On my tiptoes I made my way over to the window and took a deep breath from the fresh and crystal clear air outside. Was it day five today? I asked myself, wondering just how quickly I had adapted and lost track of time. It was the third day without the Jarl and his men and I couldn’t help thinking about Yorick. Thoughtfully I touched my shoulder. ‘I have a bad feeling right here.’ His voice suddenly echoed in my head and I felt a chill running down my spine. Was he alright?

My thoughts were interrupted by steps and a low moan. As naked as mother bore him, Samu stepped around the room divider and stretched his back. Screwing up his face, he massaged his shoulders, slowly swinging his arms. Then suddenly a grin spread over his features.

“Mylady has anyone ever told you just how magically beautiful you are in the light of the morning sun?” he asked and bowed slightly.

A little embarrassed I turned around to face the sun again. “No, that is new to me.” I managed to mumble back, feeling ridiculous.

Samu Haber actually had the hots for me. From the corner of my eye I watched his perfectly shaped body while he kept stretching his arms. This was by far the weirdest and most surreal experience of my life. Somehow it even felt more surreal than being stranded in a completely different time and place.

Turning back to watch the foggy streets around the main hut, I took a deep breath. We had to set up an escape plan. A good one. One shot was all we got at this.

Slowly I rubbed my face with my hands, running my fingertips along Samu’s arm that was suddenly wrapped around my waist. Jesus, he was bruised! Carefully I lifted his arm by the wrist to kiss the completely discoloured skin right above his elbow.

Suddenly there was a loud yell from somewhere inside the house and I gave a start despite the warm body that held me so comfortably.

“Elida Alvarsdottjer!” It was Idun and she stood right behind us only seconds later in a night-dress, her axe over her shoulder.

“You have to come, Elida!” she simply snarled, obviously agitated. Grabbing my arm, she nodded at Samu. “Get dressed and come downstairs, we might need your opinion as well!”

With that she pulled me along and into her own bedroom where she simply threw a shirt and a dress over my head without halting.

Still fighting with the two layers and a few cords and knobs, I almost stumbled across my naked feet on our way downstairs. But all my thoughts came to a dead still when the main door was suddenly yanked open and I saw Aevarr limping inside in the half light of the breaking day. There was a flesh wound on his forehead and he was barely able to stand. My heart sped up its pace. Was he alone? What on earth had happened to all the others? It had been a large group of over a hundred men!

Yorick! Where was he?

Like a sleepwalker I fought my way through the people that came to gather around Aevarr.

‘I have a bad feeling right here.‘ Yorick’s words came to my mind and I swallowed hard. Jesus Christ, don’t let him be dead! I was nearly unable to breathe all of a sudden. It had been my idea! I had send them to the Black Castle and now they were defeated or dead and I … It was my fault! I had killed them.

Hands grabbed me when I was almost ready to sag to my knees. Idun’s eyes were sparkling with furry. Of course, I was the one that had most probably killed the greater part of her clan! Staring at her, I couldn’t help wiping a few stains of her husband’s blood from her face. She was talking to me, but there was a loud rushing noise in my ears and I gazed at her in complete shock.

I had killed them all!

The resounding slap came out of the blue and I blinked a few tears away, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.

“You have healing skills, don’t you?” she urged, still shaking my slightly.

I blinked again, trying to give a nod. I had to renew my first aid course every six months to keep my certificate, of course I had a few healing skills and also a good deal of knowledge compared to the rest of them.

“D’you want me to try and stitch up his wound?” I heard myself croak and nodded in the direction of her husband.

She furrowed her white brows, pushing me towards the still open door.

“He will heal, the Gods have always been with him. Follow me!” Waving any other comment aside, she started walking. “Oddgeir!” she shrieked across the room before she stormed off.

Without knowing what to say or do, I stumbled and hurried after her. The cold wind outside hit me like another slap in the face. My feet almost instantly turned to ice in the cold mud of the small street we crossed. Idun was still stomping ahead with her axe over her shoulder and her long hair fluttering in the rainstorm that was about to break lose any minute.

With her foot she kicked the doors of one of the stables open, pushing two tired horses aside. My heart almost skipped a beat, when I spotted feet on the floor behind a haystack. Looking around, I realised, that this was actually the stable where Yorick and I had had our first real and friendly talk only a few days ago. The mere thought hurt me somewhere deep inside and I tried not to think about the young man that had somehow saved me. Quickly I followed Idun that was by now kneeling behind the haystack. The sight hit me out of clear sight and I felt my knees giving in.

Yorick.

God, he was pale! His face was covered in sweat and blood, a broken arrow stuck out precisely between two marginal notches of his cuirass. Bad memories started to surface from the deepest depths of my subconscious mind. The accident long ago, Matias. His hand reaching for mine. The look in his eyes and the unexpected landslide that tore us apart. His sudden scream, fading away. The sight of Matias’ shattered body at the bottom of the hill.

“He lost too much blood, most probably he won’t make it.” Idun said in a very calm and emotionless voice but I could tell from the look in her eyes that she was mourning. “If there is something you can do for him, do it. I will be back with Aevarr to plan the funeral. Odin awaits him.”

With that she got back on her feet. “Oddgeir will bring his medical devices for you and prepare him for the cremation if you fail. He’ll be with you for the warrior’s terminal breath.” She patted my back. “From the first moment he worshiped you, sacred woman. And I am sure he would have liked to die close to you. You were special to him, even though your time together was rather short.” Again she nodded at me. “Odin is as proud of him as we all are.”

She left me with my breath caught in my throat. I hadn’t even realised that I had actually started to cry. Only when the sight of his motionless body on its cold bed of straw became blurry all of a sudden, I tried to brace myself and quickly wiped my tearstained face. He was alive, Matias had been dead when I had finally reached him during the big storm that had interrupted our hike so many years ago. I had been no older than 16 and it had changed my life forever and taken me years to get back out into the field and hiking. But this was a different situation. I was here to help and maybe this time I stood a chance.

Kneeling down by Yorick’s side, I made a quick examination. He didn’t give a sound or even a little flinch when I opened the leather knots of the breastplate. Maybe Idun was right after all and he was at the brink of death already. But not on my watch. I wouldn’t let him die and if keeping him alive was the last thing I would do on this earth. Stubbornly I rubbed my cold hands.

I knew pretty well that they actually were proud of him, of his dignified and painful death. Soon they would start preparing him, dress him according to his status and burn him. They would drink and celebrate his death more that they had most probably celebrated and embraced his birth. Carefully I ran my hand over the dark raven on his forehead. Christ damn it, let Odin wait!

Lowering my face to his chest I tried to concentrate on his low and unsteady heartbeat. It was there, at least that. His shirt and pullover were soaked with fresh and clotted blood and when I carefully cut the few layers of cloth open, I saw the infected and raw skin around the entry wound of the arrow. Taking a deep breath, I examined the wound itself and the dark wood that stung out, thick and almost grotesquely deep.

I had to dab the wound, maybe cauterize it. But first of all I had to remove the arrow and that worried me beyond measure. With a lot of effort I managed to lift Yorick’s upper body a few inches. I shovelled hay underneath his back and grabbed a blanket to keep him in this position and examine the young man’s back. There was no exit wound and I rubbed my face flutteringly, before I put another horse blanket over Yorick’s ice cold limbs. With my eyes closed I felt my way over his shoulder and around the place where there would have been an exit wound if the arrow had penetrated through his complete upper body. I felt nothing, maybe the wound wasn’t as deep after all? Carefully I grabbed the broken wood, moving it the tiniest bit.

A low whimper escaped the unconscious man’s lips and I let go immediately. He didn’t wake up, but it was obvious that the injury caused him a lot of pain.

“He asked me not to remove it.” I almost jumped out of my skin when I suddenly heard Aevarr’s deep voice behind me.

“You could have burned it out after removing the arrow!” I stared up at the tall man that approached me slowly and still limping.

Aevarr shook his head and offered something to me that he had fetched from the small bag on his belt.

“He would have died right away.” He stated lowly and nodded at the iron arrow head in my hand. “We removed a few of them from other men’s body parts, but none of them survived. They’re huge and fired from large ballisters. See those spikes? Four spikes, these things are toothed. I have never seen something like this in my life.”

With horror I turned the four-spiked arrow head in my hand. The head itself was almost as long as my middle finger and it wasn’t shaped like a triangle but in a weird way like a pyramid with four strong spikes at its bottom. If I dared to remove this horrifying weapon from his shoulder, I would send him to his beloved Odin at an instant.

Considering my possibilities from all angles, I tried to make up my mind.

Pulling it out would – in the best case – destroy most of his muscles, almost his complete pectoralis major and minor. But I was even more concerned about his blood vessels. I looked up at Aevarr that had fallen silent and simply returned my gaze.

“He made me proud and I will see him in Valhalla.” He gave me a smile and I felt the sudden urge to jump back on my feet and hit the tall warrior with all the force I could find.

“I’d rather prolong his earthy life if it is my power.” I growled back and stared down at Yorick’s shoulder.

If. There were too many If’s.

If I wasn’t mistaken, the wound lay below the subclavian artery. Carefully I felt around his collar bone. If that was the case, the worst of the inner bleedings would come from the smaller branches of the vena cephelica and the vena thoracica.

But even in the best case I would cut the muscles and this would cause his arm to become unusable. If – before he eventually drew his last breath - I had the chance to stop all the bleedings, cauterize the wound and cure the infection of course.

Helplessly I turned the awful arrow head in my hand. Then suddenly an idea formed in my mind and I looked back up at Yorick’s brother.

“Bring him inside, I need boiled water, a fire and the sharpest and smallest knife you can find.”

Aevarr raised his eyebrow at me in amusement.

“Are you making me a servant?” he asked and grinned. “Don’t let this reach Idun’s ears, you insolent God-sent little thing.” With that he turned around. “I’ll get a few more hands to carry him.”

Still rubbing my own hands, I remained on my knees next to Yorick.

Maybe I was here for a reason. Maybe because he didn’t only need me to convince the rest of his clan to settle in Ireland but also to save his life. If that was my purpose and fate, I would accept it.

Oddgeir gave me a strange glare when I returned to the great hall with four men carrying Yorick’s lifeless body. He waved Aevarr closer.

“He will be with the Ancestors soon, why don’t you let him go?” he asked reproachfully even though he knew that I could hear him. Aevarr shrugged and gave me a close look.

“You said it yourself, Oddgeir, in her and the man we found Embla and Ask.” He answered pensively. “When he was hit, Yorick told me to take him back here and let her take care of him. He even made me swear to trust every word she says and support whatever she might decide. That woman is sacred to my brother and even though he is longing for Valhalla just as much as any of us, I will respect his wish and trust her.”

The face of the old man had turned completely emotionless. Then he nodded at me and sat down close to the table where the other warriors had placed Yorick.

“Get her everything she needs.” He yelled in a coarse voice without taking his eyes off me.

Suddenly Samu approached. He paved his way through the audience around the table with his gaze fixed on my face and didn’t even give Yorick a second look.

“Something came up.” He whispered close to my ear and grabbed my arm to pull me away from the crowd.

I struggled against his grasp, looking up at him furiously. Didn’t he realize that I was about to carry out a surgical intervention that would most probably kill one of the few men that actually believed in our value to this people?

He obviously didn’t, I could see the sparkling in his eyes.

“What is it?” I hissed, following his constant tugging.

Suddenly he stopped, bending down in my direction. “I found this.” He handed something over to me covertly, smiling all of a sudden.

I raised my eyebrows in confusion, staring at the tiny piece of reed. There were letters carved in it, but I didn’t understand the meaning.

S A W M SA.

Sawmsa? Asmwas? Confused I looked up at Samu. “What is that?” I whispered and he grabbed it from my hand, crumpling it in his own.

“That’s a code.” Excitedly he kissed my lips. “Sail Away With Me by Sunrise Avenue! The lads are here as well! And they are trying to contact us!”

My heart sped up its pace. “You think so?” I whispered, grabbing his shoulders.

He nodded and smiled broadly. “They are here.” He repeated in total conviction.

“How do we get in contact with them?”

Throwing a gaze around the crowded room, Samu winked at me. “You got tons of saving and praying to do, I assume. Maybe we should ask some of them to take me back to that weird place where they found me. I could meditate and try to talk to Tim and Thor. And leave a message for my friends on the way.”

“Tyr and Thor.” I corrected absent-mindedly, nervously kneading my fingers. “Can you please take good care of yourself? Don’t act stupid and promise me that you will come back to me.”

He put his hands on my face and pulled me in for a kiss.

“Promise.” Smiling he kissed me again before he took my hand and walked over to Aevarr, Idun and Oddgeir.

I grabbed his fingers tightly, trying to think about the best possible way to convey this idea to them. Looking over at Yorick, I suddenly realized that I didn’t have time to think. He needed help and he needed it now. I had to be quick and bold.

“I will try and help Yorick, but Samu and I agreed that we also need divine concourse.” I held Idun’s stare. “Guide him back to the place where you found him and let him meditate. Let me take care of Yorick’s body and the wounds, but let Samu fulfil his duty as well. We need the Gods’ assertion.”

Maybe she had not realized it herself, but Idun’s head gave a nod unwittingly and she exchanged a gaze with her husband before she turned to Oddgeir.

“What is your opinion?” she asked the old shaman and he waved Samu closer with his walking stick.

“I will agree.” He answered, touching Samu’s forehead with the stick. “You shall return to us before sundown. Send three men with him.” The shaman nodded at Aevarr before he looked at me. “And now, my child Embla, godly companion of Tyr, take a knife and proceed.” His frail hand pointed in Yorick’s direction and I looked up at Samu, shivering all of a sudden.

“You’ll do your best.” He assured and kissed me again. “And even if he dies, didn’t you tell me that it is their deepest wish to die in battle?”

“It is.” I sighed and buried myself in his embrace. “But I can’t let him die.”

To look on Samu’s face changed for a second and he looked at me intently. Then he nodded and stepped back with a smile.

“Your heart is far too big, woman.” He whispered tenderly, before he followed Aevarr and three of his men to the big entrance doors.

Chapter 14

“Shut up, binoculars!” Raul lay on his front, covered by wet bushes of broom. “Something’s up.”

Sami crawled over to lie down beside him. “What happened?” he whispered, watching the narrow clearing behind the large main hut.

“Riku watched two of them return injured this morning.” Raul whispered back almost inaudibly. “The one with the raven on his head seems to have died, at least he didn’t move, when the tall one took him off his horse. And now there is some sort of gathering going on. Maybe there’ll be a funeral or something alike soon and Samu gets a chance to escape.”

“What about Elida?” Riku wiped some raindrops from his face. With a low snort Raul looked up at him.

“He fucked her on the roof, you think he’s gonna leave her here or what?”

Without saying another word, Riku got up and backed off to retire inside the tiny den they had occupied the day before. Even though they had found shelter and even some eatable food – thanks to him – Raul was in a bad mood. He seemed scared, angry and somehow Riku felt that he had given up already. Well, they all had no idea about the future. About the “what happens next”. 

Maybe Samu had not found the message, it was possible. But it had been worth a try, hadn’t it? 

Staring over to the big hut, Riku tightened his scarf. Inside he was praying for a reaction.

All of a sudden four armoured men left the house. They carried shields, axes on their backs or speers in their hands. Automatically Riku ducked his head, realizing in surprise that one of the warriors was actually Samu. What was he up to?

Quickly he made his way over to Raul again, gesturing towards the group.

“I will follow them in a safe distance and return to you.” He whispered, covering his hair with the hood of his dark jacket.

Without waiting for his friends’ response, he started walking after the small group very carefully, never taking his eyes off the four Vikings – pardon, three Vikings and one look-alike that had adapted perfectly. Riku heard them talk to each other in a joking tone; they even nudged Samu from time to time, engaging him in a conversation the other man obviously didn’t quite follow. The mood seemed quite relaxed. All of a sudden Riku stopped short. Samu had been looking around again and again during the last minutes of their hike. Only seconds ago he had waited to let the group pass by, pretending to close one of the clasps of his shoe. When he got up again, he threw another intent look around, suddenly staring to sing.

There's a hundred love boats
All around me
And they all make the waves too high
There's a heavy burden
On my shoulders
And it slowly pulls me down

I just have no one to sail with me
I just have no one to sail with me

His eyes travelled through the woodlands and over the rain soaked rocks nearby where Riku was hiding with his heart pounding in his ears and a huge smile on his lips.

Samu had gotten the message! And he was up to something. Still smiling broadly, Riku threw a quick look over the moss-grown stone. Samu walked on, his deep voice picking up the next lines of the song.

Would you sail away with me
Could you leave it all behind and float away
And to lie beside me
When the sun goes down
Would you take me as I am
I would hold you all the way I'd understand
We will break the strongest waves to see the land

There's some in the water
Close to drowning
And I'm always a stroke behind
The taken sailors
Don't realize
How they'd need to respect their wives

I just have no one to sail with me
I just have no one ...

Would you sail away with me
Could you leave it all behind and float away
And to lie beside me
When the sun goes down
Would you take me as I am
I would hold you all the way I'd understand
We will break the strongest waves to see the land

One of the Vikings yelled something at him and waved with a roar of laughter, pointing ahead at a huge ash tree. Samu approached and nodded slowly, walking around the tree. He put his hand on the stem, looking up into the green canopy of leaves. With an attentive look on his face he circumambulated the tree once more, before he kneeled down in the wet grass by its roots.

The other men stayed close by, scanning the surroundings and simply talking to each other. Samu didn’t move for what felt like an eternity. Riku couldn’t quite see his face, but his friend’s head was bowed and his hands placed on the ground.

It was a surreal scene and Riku had no clue what his friend was up to. His feet were cold and after a while they even fell asleep and Riku sat down with a low grumble, rubbing his prickling toes through the fabric of his hiking shoes.

What on earth was his mate doing?

At least an hour later, Samu suddenly waved at one of the other men that by now sat together over a game played with sticks and stones of different sizes. The man got up right away, handing a linen sack over to Samu. Riku watched his friend opening the sack before placing it at the roots of the tree. Then he whipped out a large knife and Riku sucked in a breath when he saw Samu cutting his own arm and waiting for a few drops of blood to disperse around the roots.

Again Samu nodded and the man handed him a small lifeless bundle of fur. Without hesitating Samu took his knife again, cutting the dead animal in half before lifting it up and placing next to the linen sack.

Then he got up with apparently stiff limbs, waiting for one of the others to wrap a bandage around his still bleeding arm. To his surprise, Riku saw all of them patting Samu’s shoulder. A huge red-head even pulled him in for a hug and laughed.

They disappeared into the fog and their mood had even improved. Riku waited for a few minutes before he left his watching post, carefully examining the place of the ritual he had just witnessed.

He found blood and the dead body of a rabbit. Gingerly he picked up the heavy linen sack. To his surprise it was filled with hard bread, bundles of dried meat, carrots and cabbage. Provisions for at least a week if they rationed wisely.

Riku’s spirits lifted even more when he removed a small piece of cloth from one of the meat portions. ‘Setting up a plan, need to get away within a week, stay put’ the letters were written with charcoal and blurred but visible.

Maybe everything would turn out to be alright again …

Chapter 15

The knife between my fingers felt surreal. It was far too big and heavy, its grind almost the size of my whole hand. I was quivering with emotions, feeling frequent shudders running through my body at the sight of Yorick’s lifeless body on the table.

Looking around the huge crowd, I drew a deep breath. They had done and arranged everything I had asked for. Yorick was tied to the top of one of the large tables. Torches had been lit because the house had no real windows on its ground floor. Oddgeir had given a good set of clean and sharp knives to me but I still felt my guts churn at the mere idea of carrying out my plan. Aevarr suddenly nodded at me and placed himself behind his brother’s head with a thick piece of leather. Very carefully he put the leather into Yorick’s mouth and checked on the band that held down the younger man’s head.

I let my gaze travel around.

Water and fresh and lint-free cloths.

Two spears with their heads red-glowing in the nearby fire.

Me and a knife.

Yorick and his fatal injury.

Drawing another deep breath I pulled myself together, quickly wiping the wound around the wood of the arrow. Then I nodded at three of the men that were at my command. The room had fallen silent and I looked at them seriously.

“Take his arm and cross it over his chest. Then turn his upper body and hold him down. I need you to give me access to his shoulder from the back and I need you to hold him at any cost. If he struggles or moves, this arrow might be the end of him, you understand?”

They almost nodded in unison, their faces stout and resolute.

“Do it, Seeress!” Aevarr stood at the other side of the table with his face towards me. He put his hand around the wooden residues of the arrow below his brother’s collar bone, nodding at me firmly. “Do it and be quick.”

I had instructed all of them well, suddenly feeling uninstructed myself when I felt my way over Yorick’s shoulder. The angle was perfect when he remained on his side like this. Most probably his shoulder blade was out of the way and there was a slight chance of actually pushing the horrible cross bow arrow through the opening I was supposed to cut as soon as my hands would stop shaking.

I gritted my teeth, grabbing the knife tightly. Without even thinking about it, I grazed the top side of my own arm. The cut wasn’t deep but the pain helped me to sharpen my senses. Even though the knife wasn’t as small as I had hoped, it was razor-sharp.

“Hold him.” I heard my own voice. It sounded calm and somehow dark. Then I simply grasped the knife firmly and cut a deep cross into the flesh of the young man on the table.

Even though he was completely unconscious, his body reacted with a small jerk and I exchanged a gaze with Aevarr.

“Go ahead!” he yelled at me, bending over the man on the table to use his body weight to push the arrow through the narrow opening.

Jesus, Yorick was bleeding! Had I actually hit important blood vessels?  

“Aevarr! Now!” I croaked, watching the tall warrior pressing his hand against the thin wood with all his force. The tip of the arrow head was suddenly visible and I grabbed it, pulling as hard as I could.

“Spear!” my voice sounded distorted in my own ears, but I grabbed the hot wooden handhold of one of the spears right away when it was handed over to me. The arrow head fell to the floor and I closed my eyes, ramming the red glowing spear into Yorick’s wound from behind.

“Turn him.”

My knees almost gave in, when I grabbed the other lance and climbed on the table to find a good angle. God, he was so pale and helpless! Starring down at Yorick’s face, I had to close my eyes again. Death by Odin’s weapon, it came to my mind. Even if he didn’t survive this, it would take him straight to Valhalla and everybody would be happy. Well. Everybody except me. I held my breath and cauterized the wound, feeling my stomach turn at the weird smell of blood and barbecue.

When I woke up again, I felt a hand on my head. Cautiously I opened my eyes, finding Aevarr standing next to me. I lay on one of the beds in the upper part of the house, sitting up with a whimper.

“Yorick!” I managed to say.

Aevarr pointed at the place next to me and gave me a smile.

“Idun bandaged his arm.” He said in a low voice. “Get some rest now, you did well, Embla.” Again his large hand touched my hair. “I can see now why he chose to return to you.”

With that he left me and I sank back into the furs, closing my eyes. God, I felt exhausted.

Turning over to my side, I tried to find a pulse on Yorick’s neck, breathing a sigh of relief when I finally found it on his cold and damp skin.

“Don’t you dare dying on me, you Viking-bastard!” I whispered, pulling a blanket over him. “I told you to let Odin wait and I will personally work your balls off if you don’t do as you are told!”

Completely shattered I rested my forehead to his bandaged shoulder and fell asleep before another thought crossed my mind.

I was softly awoken by fingertips that ran along my temple and down to my chin. Slowly I opened my eyes, blinking in confusion when I suddenly sensed lips on mine, kissing me very carefully. My dreams were still far too close and I felt my heart racing in my chest, pulling away. Matias. God knew that I had never forgiven myself for letting go of his hand, unable to hold on to it any longer without slipping over the edge of the rock as well.

“Elida?”

His warm breath was on my face and I shook my head quickly to dispel the weird emotions that seemed to weigh heavy on me. Samu. Sighing lowly I cuddled closer to him, taking his hand in mine.

“Successful?” I whispered with a hoarse voice, clearing my throat.

He nodded and gave me a smile, stooping down by my side.

“I am almost certain that Riku followed me. He’s one brave boy-scout. My guards seemed impressed by my performance of meditation and talking to Gods I don’t quite know. Even so, I …” he fell silent and looked down, playing with the palm of my hand. “To my surprise it was a lot more sincere than I had expected. I don’t have much experience when it comes to… well talking to Gods, taking-the-inward-turn, whatever you might call it. But I tried.” He fell silent again, still staring down at my fingers. “I sound stupid.” He suddenly said, standing up. But I grabbed his arm and pulled him back to sit next to me on the bed.

“You don’t!” I assured, running my fingers over the stubbles on his cheek. “Trust me, you really don’t. Sometimes I feel that we actually have been sent here by some greater power.”

“To what end?” he whispered back, resting his forehead on mine.

I shrugged a little unsure. “Without us, these people would have returned to Wales. They wouldn’t have settled here. Maybe … maybe we are here because …”

“Are you talking about altering history? Influencing the text books?” he looked at me astounded and I was quick to shrug.

“I have no idea! Maybe.” I answered evasively. “It somehow makes me feel better to have a purpose.”

“You’ve certainly had yours today!” Samu’s gaze wandered over the man that lay by my side. Asleep or still unconscious, I couldn’t tell. Yawning deeply, I nodded.

“I have no idea why, but this operation took all my strength.” I rubbed my face. “I think I passed out.”

“You did well.” Carefully Samu let his fingertips travel along my cheek. “Is there anything I can do to help you? D’you maybe wanna take a break? I could take the next watch.”

I nodded slowly and got up, rearranging my blood-spilled dress. “Let me fresh up a little, I could use a drink and some food! D’you have any idea what time it is?”

“I’d guess around 9 maybe?” shrugging Samu threw a look outside into the misty dark outside the window. “I can’t really tell anymore.”

Following his gaze, I rubbed my eyes again, still feeling exhausted like never in my life. Cautiously I put my hand on Yorick’s forehead, breathing a sigh of relief when I found it damp, but cold. I removed the blanket from his bandaged shoulder, considering turning him around and checking on the wound on his back. Pondering about it for a few seconds, I decided otherwise. He needed rest and I would be back within an hour at the most.

“Come eat with me.” I ran the palm of my hand over Samu’s arm, playing with the rolled up sleeves of his shirt. Following the trace of my hand with my eyes, I caressed his collarbone with my fingertips, all of a sudden relieved that he had returned from his own mission unharmed.

Obviously he the look on my face spoke volumes, because he bent forward abruptly, capturing my lips in a fervent kiss.

“You perform the miracles, I will do anything in my power to keep us together, alive and get us away from this place.” He whispered with a husky voice, his lips still touching mine.

“I know you will.” Raking my fingers through his hair, I smiled up at him even though I was 100% sure about the seriousness of the promise he had just made to me.

I had barely eaten more than a few bites, when the slave girl I had instructed to stay with Yorick suddenly came rushing down the stairs.

“Mylady!” she whispered, making a low bow. “Seeress, I’m afraid the wounded is running a temperature.”

The man by my side  - Gunjorn if I wasn’t again mistaking him for his brother Gundulfr – grabbed the girls hair and snarled: “Are you little elf not in charge of the wounded son of the Jarl?”

Without thinking it through completely, I jumped up and got between them, looking the warrior square in the eyes. He was frustrated because he himself had been wounded two weeks ago, saving his brother’s life. Because of his now grievously wounded arm he had not been one of the men to be taken along to the Black Castle’s capture. And that fact annoyed and disgruntled him beyond any measure.

“And she is reporting back to me.” I said as softly as I could. With my hand still on his shoulder, I intensified my gaze, nodding at him. “Let go of her and let her speak.”

He grunted something and spat out, releasing the servant. She was trembling like a leaf, clasping her hands.

“Fever, I’m afraid he’s got a fever.” Secretly crossing herself, she gave me a pleading look. “I don’t wanna be the one in there with him if he falls sick and dies, Seeress! They will kill me right away, I know it.”

“Nobody’s gonna kill you.” I tried to assure her, exchanging a quick look with Samu.

He nodded immediately. “What do you need? Movie-style? Hot water, clean towels? Any idea?”

“I will check on him and let you know.” With that I started for the stairs, right away followed and stopped by Idun.

“It was a brave attempt, sister, and I expected nothing less from you.” She said in a very low voice, looking at me with her intense eyes. “But he’s in the hands of the Gods now, so let him be.” The hand around my upper arm grabbed me harder when I tried to ignore her and walk by.

“Seeress!” she hissed, moving closer and blocking my way. “Be prepared to let him go, he is in the hands of Odin now, at His will and mercy!”

Getting hold of the collar of her dress, I pulled her even closer, my nose almost touching hers. “He’s in the hands of Odin, fair enough.” I heard myself say and I knew from the imminent change in her gaze, that my own eyes were most probably dark and glittering with furry. For the first time she was indeed scared of me. And she should. Gritting my teeth, I shook my head.

“Odin gave me my hands to use them for the ones he favours!” I said, still holding her piercing stare. “And I shall be damned if I lose Yorick.”

She held me for another few seconds, then she suddenly stepped back and I saw again a little flicker of fear in her mesmerizing eyes.

“So be it.” She whispered, raising her hands and letting go of me completely.

I rushed by without looking back, making my way through the curtains that separated the upstairs roosts of the Jarl’s family. Samu and I had not dared moving over to Havar’s bedroom at the end of the room. Conform to the customs of the clan, Aevarr had now granted his brother the honour of sleeping in their father’s space. Yorick himself couldn’t care less, but I was glad, because the room actually had a window so I had the required light for my examinations and also the chance to air the room from time to time by simply removing the thick pelt that covered the small window frame.

Nervously I tried to plait my hair and put them under the stiff bandeau I wore. Yorick wasn’t awake when I circled the bed, but his sleep was obviously fitful and his skin covered in sweat.

Dear Lord, Jesus Christ, Odin even, please don’t leave me now! With a wet cloth I wiped the young man’s face, trying to calm him down with my hand placed on his chest. Whispering soft words to sooth him, I even started to sing the first songs that came to my mind.

A sudden cry escaped his dry lips and he sat up before I managed to hold him down. His eyes were red and he was scanning the room feverishly and panting heavily.

“Please, lay down again!” I whispered, bending over him when he didn’t react.

His eyelashes fluttered and he stared at me completely thunderstruck.

“Embla!” he then croaked, his chest heaving painfully with a deep sigh.

I nodded, cautiously putting my hands to the back of his neck and shoulders to put him down into the sweaty pillow again.

“I’m not going anywhere.” I whispered, whipping his face once more before I took a wooden mug and filled it with water from the pitcher on the commode nearby. One drop at a time I put the cold water on his lips and he allowed me to help him back into an upright position for a short moment to assist him drink.

“Is the pain durable?” I asked when I had the mug aside and bent over Yorick to examine his naked chest.

He nodded with his eyes closed, wincing under my hands. Carefully I peeped under the bandage, finding the gash weeping. The smell of barbecue was almost too much to bare right at this moment and I had to close my eyes and breathe lowly through my gritted teeth. I wasn’t a doctor, but I had to be in this place. A doctor and so much more, at least until Yorick was on the road to recovery.

“It is bad, isn’t it?” he whispered again and his pale face and lifeless voice hurt me a lot more that I would have ever admitted.

“We prayed and made sacrifices to the Gods for you.” I returned instead of really answering his question. “The wound will heal and I will be here to demand your soul back from the good father himself if necessary.”

The right corner of his mouth quirked slightly. “Sorry to have disappointed you, Seeress.” He whispered almost inaudible and closed his eyes again.

“You didn’t.” I whispered back, placing my hand on his sweaty cheek. “You made the Gods proud and you would have died a warrior’s death. But I can’t allow it.”

He gazed at me astounded but now that the first shock of still being alive had subsided, he suddenly grimaced with pain, his healthy hand grabbing his shoulder. I removed his hand from the bandage, making him lay down again. In my head I went over my given opportunities and the medication I could get for him. Meadow sweet, maybe rampion. But did it actually grow around somewhere? The biggest chance was to go for willow bark.

As if he had sensed my thoughts, Samu suddenly entered the sick room, handing me a small leather bag.

“They gave me this for you.” He said, looking down at Yorick’s convulsed body on the bed with a mixture of worry and reservedness.

Grabbing the bag, I went through its contents, breathing a sigh of relief. Obviously Oddgeir knew what he was doing, because I actually found the willow bark I had hoped for. I got up right away, filling a large pot of soapstone with a good handful of the bark.

“Can you get some more water?” I emptied the jug from the commode into the iron pot over the fireplace before handing it over to Samu.

“Anything else?” he bent down by my side when I put another few logs into the fire to start it again. I shook my head, wrapping my arms around his hips for a few brief seconds.

“I owe him my life.” I whispered, looking up into Samu’s eyes. “This *let him die and finally return to Odin*-crap is not gonna convince me.”

He nodded slowly, breaking away when the low whimpering on the bed suddenly changed to pained moaning.

“Go help him.” Samu’s lips found mine and he kissed me possessively. “I’ll be back.”

With that he left and I bolt into my new responsibility head over heels, the picture of Matias terrified face and only seconds later his shattered and blood spilled body on my mind’s eye. This was my chance to make it up to him, fight me demons and defeat them once and for all. For myself, my inward peace. And for Matias, the brother I had lost so many years ago because I had been unable to rescue him.

Chapter 16

A mug with warm Ale was suddenly handed over to me and to my surprise I found Samu, wrapping a blanket around my shoulders. Yorick’s state had worsened. Whatever I did or tried, nothing seemed to work and I was by now dead tired and had lost track of time completely.

Samu’s hand was on my neck. “It has been two days, Elida!” he whispered considerate but concerned.

Looking up at him with my hair in my face and my fingers clutched around Yorick’s wrist, I suddenly felt like waking up from a bad dream. I had not really slept or eaten for a time that was too long to remain sane for much longer. Slowly I let go of my patient’s arm and rubbed my face. I would lose him. Lose him because I wasn’t strong enough, not trying hard enough. He would slip through my fingers like my older brother. And I would never be able to forgive me.

Almost slumping down again when I tried to get up from the sickbed, I felt Samu’s arms under my armpits. He helped me back on my feet and picked me up when my stiff limbs weren’t carrying the weight of my body.

Downstairs he simply placed me close to the big fire in the middle of the room and yelled at one of the slaves to bring Mead and food for me. To my surprise the woman handed me a bowl of delicious stew that contained fresh venison. Samu sat down next to me on the floor, sipping his own mug of sweet Mead with a grin. “We went hunting.” He simply stated, giving me another cheeky grin. “I’m not that bad at it surprisingly.”

Then he suddenly fell silent again, staring into the flames. “You scared me.” He stated after a few minutes of silence without looking at me. “How long are you gonna try and rescue him? He’s been down with fever for two days, his screams keeping the whole house awake at night.”

“So now you are also telling me to let him die?” I snapped at him with my mouth still full of cabbage.

“What I am telling you,” he bent over in my direction. “Is that you are my responsibility and that we might not even have three days to go through with our plan before someone will try and remove your loop and kill you in the process.” He stated drily and shrugged. “But please, be my guest and play the nurse for your beloved dying warrior. I’m afraid if he was alive and well, he’d only be one of the spectators of your surgical intervention, conducted by a crazy old and almost blind shaman.”

His words were like a slap on the head and I stared at him, totally overtired and dumbfounded. Holding my stare, he gritted his teeth.

“I didn’t think so.” He growled and nodded at my bowl. “Eat up, You’ll get some rest and I will watch over your Viking-sweetheart.” To stop me from arguing right away, he raised his hands. “Or I will bring you a mattress and put it down on the floor of the sickroom. You will right now get some rest!”

A word and a blow. Not more than ten minutes later, I got undressed in front of the fire and washed my over fatigued body, before I let one of the serfs help me into a fresh linen underdress. Samu had indeed brought our own mattress and put it on the floor. Standing by the window, he watched me getting dressed and urged me over to my new sleeping place.

“Sleep, Elida!” he whispered, sitting down next to me with his back rested against the wall.

And so I did, my mind still completely occupied and unable to let go of Yorick until I finally slumbered away with Samu’s hand tenderly placed on top of the troubled thoughts in my head.

I awoke in the middle of the night, finding the place next to me empty. Sitting up right away, I felt my heart racing in my chest. Was Yorick still alive? My memories had been haunting me for the past few days and I felt my heart burning at the mere thought of losing him.

Feeling my way through the halflight of the room, I sat down on the bed next to Yorick, checking his pulse and temperature. To my surprise there was no heat, no sweat and for the first time since he had returned, he was breathing calm and steadily. Breathing a sigh of relief myself, I lay down next to him, resting my face to his arm. Maybe I had succeeded and he was indeed over the worst. Yawning deeply I wrapped my arm around his chest in a protective manner. Not on my watch! Not again. Gigantically relieved I dozed off, starting up from my light sleep when I heard steps approaching the bed. Shaking off my reoccurring nightmares, I sat up, finding Samu in the first light of day that shone through the small gap between the two pelts that covered the window. He had his arms folded over his chest, looking down at me with a strange expression.

“So.” He said, sounding even more tensed. “Comfortable?”

Wrapping the blanked around my patient, I put my feet to the ground, rubbing my eyes. “I think he’s out of the woods.” I whispered because I didn’t know what else to say. What was wrong with Samu these days? Even without knowing the whole story he should at least realize that saving Yorick was immensely important! He was the one that had assured our safety, the first one to believe in our importance and if he died, maybe the rest of them would soon turn against us. Didn’t he see that or was I simply a little thin-skinned because of my sleep deficiency? Maybe I needed to tell him about Matias, he’d surely understand that I had to soldier on, regardless of the consequences, relentlessly focused on one goal: keeping this man alive in the stead of the brother I had lost.

“What’s bitten you?” I asked lowly, getting up from the bed and walking over to the place near the open fire, where he had bent down, putting a few logs in the dying embers. His head spun around and the gaze of his beautiful eyes shot daggers at me.

“Me?” he hissed back, getting up from the floor with his hands buried in his hair. “Seriously?”

Completely taken aback, I returned his stare. “What are you talking about?”

“God, Elida!!!” he shook his head in disbelief. “You don’t see it, do you? You don’t see them for what they are anymore and it scares the crap out of me, finding you so close to this ruthless and cold-blooded son of a nightmare! How can you cuddle with a blood thirsty monster like that? Only a minute ago I have been downstairs to get some logs for the fire and I witnessed one of them raping one of the slave girls. He even stopped when he saw me, offering that poor woman to me as well! They simply do stuff like that. Maybe they won’t hurt you for the time being or as long as the Jarl’s devilish son is around, but I wouldn’t lay my life on the line for it.”

I had not seen him upset like that since we had first met. He was scared. Shocked. Terrified. Because of what he had seen and experienced here. Because of me. And to be honest, he had every right to be.

“Samu!” not sure what to do or say, I reached out my hands towards him. Gladly he took them right away, pulling me in a tight embrace.

“This place is crazy and we need to leave before it breaks or even kills us!” he whispered in my hair and I felt a little shudder. God, he was so right! Maybe it was my DNA, those Norwegian roots I had and that somehow made me feel like home with those people that shared them with me. In a weird way I had started to believe that they actually were my people. But that was nonsense. I was right now with the only person that in fact came close to being “my people”. Hugging Samu tightly, I rested my face to his chest.

“So what do we do now?” I managed to whisper, feeling him pulling me even closer to sit on his lap by the fire.

Looking at me intensely, he grabbed my hair and kissed me. “Right now,” he whispered, “right now I will make sure that you are mine. And two nights from now, I will grab you and take you away from this God forsaken place!” again he kissed me and I felt his hands fumbling with my thin underskirt. Effortlessly he lifted me up, pulling the dress over my head. Getting up on his knees, he nestled around on his belt before he pushed me up against a small chair by the fireplace. A small cry escaped my lips when the chair suddenly toppled over and I fell to the ground with Samu on top of me.

He didn’t stop, but simply grabbed my hair again, making me look up into his eyes.

“You’re mine.” He gasped out, his heavy body holding me down and his lips silencing any further sound I could have made.

Struggling under his weight, I panted for air, feeling the remains of the chair painfully pressing into my back. “Samu!” I managed to croak out and what I saw in his eyes startled me: He would not be able to stop himself. The last days, his own fear, maybe even something like jealousy together with his worries about me, had built up so much tension that he simply held me down, his mouth capturing my lips again. When he started moving again he even pushed my head against the stone mounting of the fireplace and I let out a whimper.

Suddenly and only for a second, a shadow cast over us. Samu was hit by something and abruptly torn away from me.

“Get… off her!” grimacing with pain, Yorick towered between us, his healthy arm raised. He threw a quick gaze at me on the floor and I tried my best to get back on my feet.

Completely out of words, Samu remained on his knees, staring up at the other man. His mouth opened, but he didn’t make a sound. I knew, he wanted to yell back, maybe even punch his opponent, but the moment his infuriated gaze met my eyes, something in his face changed. Instantly he lowered his own eyes, staring down at his hands that only seconds ago had grabbed me so hard that I still felt them around my upper arms.

“It’s alright.” I managed to enunciate and put my shivering hand on Yorick’s naked shoulder, but he shook it off immediately and pulled me away from the fireplace without taking his eyes off Samu.

“Alright you say?” he fumed, putting me behind his back to shield me from Samu, even though he was almost unable to stand upright. “That’s what you call alright?”

“Yorick, please… I… he… he didn’t mean…”

Silencing me with a short gesture he made me take a few steps towards the bed, grabbing his dagger from under his pillow.

“This wasn’t a mutual encounter.” His eyes travelled over my naked body and back to Samu that stood by the fire like a helpless figure in his own nightmare. “I have been on the warpath long enough to know the difference!”

“Yorick!” my voice sounded thin and I touched his back. “Please, he didn’t …”

“I saw and heard what he did to you, Elida!” he interrupted harshly, obviously getting ready to bring his dagger to good use, but I grabbed his arm.

“Yorick!” I whispered pleadingly and he threw another look at me through his narrowed eyes.

“Are you kidding me?” he snarled. “You come to his defence? After … after what he did to you against your will?”

“He didn’t…” I tried again but he cut me short with a low hissing.

“I have seen women defending their abusive husbands but I never…” suddenly he broke off, lowering his hand astounded. Obviously he had gotten the point. “So you and…?” he looked to and fro between us. “So you want him to proceed then?” his brows furrowed when he looked closely at me again.

Slowly I shook my head, avoiding his gaze and wrapping my arms around my naked body.

“You want me to throw him out instead?”

Again I shook my head, squaring my shoulders before I walked by, grabbing my underdress from the floor.

Samu still stood in the corner by the window without saying a single word. The shock was written all over his face and I saw blood on his lip. When I approached him, he stepped back, raising his hands defensively.

“Elida, I’m so sorry!” he whispered with a shaky voice. “I never meant… I didn’t… God!” pale as a corps, he clasped his hands. “Elida, please, you know how I feel about you… you… you are everything to me… I…”

“Luckily I convinced Yorick to believe just that.” I retorted in a whisper. “But I will promise you that I will personally cut your throat if you ever dare touching me this way again.”

He nodded immediately and I saw him swallowing hard. He hated himself right now, I could clearly see that. He had crossed a line, driven by fear and despair. But we couldn’t afford a fight, couldn’t show them just how weak and human we actually were.

“Leave now.” I insisted and his eyes became round.

“But you… You want me to leave you with him?”

“I am as safe with him as I am with you, I assume. At least he won’t try anything because he would commit a sacrilege.”

My words hurt him deeply. I saw him gritting his teeth, his pain and confusion plainly visible.

He was right after all. This place was gonna destroy us eventually. And if we weren’t extremely careful it would rather be sooner than later.

“Samu.” My voice was feeble and he looked directly at me again, unsure whether he should step closer or simply stay where he was.

“Do you have to punish me for what I did?” I asked in a toneless voice, obviously remembering the execution of Valgaror, the young man that had dared to believe that he stood above the law.

Slowly I shook my head no.

“I have an idea to turn this around and use your behaviour for our advantage but I need you to kneel down, kiss my fucking feet and leave this place right now! Go outside, pray, meditate, whatever, but leave!” My own voice sounded harsh and he nodded immediately, doing exactly as I told him.

When he approached and kneeled down in front of me, Yorick was by my side within a split second, eying the other man suspiciously with his dagger at the ready.

“I’ll find you.” I simply said, pointing at the curtain that served as our door.

His gaze was full of remorse and regret when he got back on his feet. “Forgive me.” He whispered pleadingly, but I didn’t answer him. That would have been too easy on him.  Samu lowered his head again before leaving me alone with Yorick.

Still staring into nowhere, Yorick remained standing a little unsteadily.

“You are bleeding.” He then said calmly, putting his hand on my face.

Carefully I touched the little spot where my head had actually made acquaintance with the cobble stones of the fireplace, rubbing my bloody fingers.

“Lie down.” I demanded softly instead of reacting to his words and sat down on the bed next to him. “Please!” Putting my hand on his naked chest, I gently compelled him to rest on his straw filled pillow again.

He had fallen silent, watching me closely while I examined his wound. Without a single sound he let me remove the bandage and clean the area around the lesion. It had healed well and I even managed to give him a smile.

“You’ll be fine again.” I whispered, leaning back against the headrest of our wretched bed.

He had not taken his eyes off me and the piercing stare of his grey eyes started to make me nervous. I knew he didn’t approve my protective and excusatory reaction towards Samu. But in his defence: The last couple of days had been hard on him, especially without me. This place had changed both of us drastically and I knew for sure, that it would break Samu if he had to stay.

With my hand on his chest, I remained sitting next to Yorick. His strong heartbeat was vibrating through my fingertips and I felt a sudden and quiet called-for relief.

“Why?” he asked, interrupting my troubled thoughts abruptly.

I returned his gaze, moving closer to understand him properly.

“Why what?” I replied gently, whipping the last few stains of blood from his shoulder.

“Everything.” He simply stated, his grey eyes piercing through me. He gave the slightest shrug, rubbing his eyes that were still red and sunken in.

I started to feel ill at ease, softly putting my hand on his forehead. Was he maybe delirious with fever again? But his skin still felt normal and there was no smelly sweat anymore.

As if he had sensed my thoughts, he took my hand in his, holding it close to his heart again.

“Why did you try so hard to save me?”

I felt a shy smile flashing over my face.

“I only returned the favour, Yorick. You saved my life, you brought me here and you protected me. I owed you one.”

“You convinced my brother and Idun and above it all Bestefar Oddgeir.” Slowly he shook his head. “You put yourself in danger by fighting against everything the ancestors and the Gods stand for, everything my kind holds dear. Why would you put yourself in that position?”

I remained silent, thoughtfully caressing his skin with my thumb until I realised, what I was doing. Removing my hand from his chest, I gave a shrug myself.

“Maybe this was one of the reasons I came to this place.” Forthrightly I tilted my head. “Why of all times and places would I be sent here? Other than to maybe make a difference with every step I take? Maybe it is my… well, call it duty or mission to make you stay in Ireland and prevent you from traveling back to Wales and right into war with the king of Wessex and the Danes. Maybe I came here to show you a better place and a better life. A place to settle down, built a home and farms, start trading goods.” I shrugged. “I know I don’t belong here, not really. But I know that I can make a difference. For you and your clan. And by saving you I made sure that they wouldn’t only have a strong war chief, but someone with the ability to see beyond.” I couldn’t resist placing my fingertips on the raven on his forehead. “Your clan might one day need a strong heart and mind.”

He watched me silently, his tired eyes wide open and taking in every inch of my face and every word from my lips. Then he suddenly smiled.

“Woman, you are indeed most special.” Putting his hand over mine on his forehead, he looked up at me in an almost admiring way.

Diffidently I lowered my gaze. “Come on now, you need some rest.” I pulled up the blanket and got up. “Stay here, go back to sleep, I will check on Samu and be back for you, alright?”

Grabbing my arm, he made me sit down by his side again and shook his head. “You’re not going alone!” he insisted and pulled me closer. “That would have been my next why. Why him? Why do you allow him to hurt you?” shaking his head, he squeezed my fingers. “Of course I know why you chose him. You are akin, spiritually and also… I believe that you were sent here from another time, another world. Maybe you came straight from Asgard. But what I don’t understand is the way he treats you. He is supposed to worship you, guard and protect you from harm. And only a few minutes ago, he tried to force you…”

“Yorick.” Softly I silenced him by putting my hand on his lips. “We are very much alike, Samu and I. We came here from the same time and place – you might as well call it Asgard, I don’t have another explanation for you. When we met for the first time, we both knew that we were meant to be together. But the last days, our time here, among your kind, it changed us. We adapted, became more like your kind. But we are also scared, insecure and we long for our place of origin even though we seem to have stranded here for good. Deep down Samu has never been violent but this place changed him. It changed both of us. And I’m afraid we won’t survive in your world.” Caressing Yorick’s cheek with my fingertips, I suddenly realised that this wasn’t pure invention. I had just given tongue to my deepest fears and worries.

Yorick nodded thoughtfully, taking my hand between the rough palms of his own. “Do you believe that there is a chance for you to return?” he asked after a few minutes of silence and I shrugged.

“Maybe there is.” I answered evasively. “Maybe the Bifröst will open again as soon as our task in this world is complete.”

He chuckled at my attempt to make a joke, carefully running his fingers through my hair. “Maybe it already is.” He suggested, but I shook my head no.

“Oddgeir wants us to have a symbolic child.” I felt my voice quaver. “But there is a problem that cannot be solved.”

He lifted my chin to make me look into his eyes. “You don’t want it.” He assumed but I shook my head, whipping my cheeks when I suddenly felt tears rolling down from my eyes.

“Elida.” Gently he pulled me down to lie next to him, my face buried to his neck. The sudden urge to shrink back faded within a second, when I felt his hand rubbing my back.

“It’s not just that I don’t want it.” I whispered back, taking spontaneous refuge in his warm embrace. “It is impossible.”

The hand on my back suddenly lay still. “You can’t have a child of your own?” Yorick moved his head a little, his nose and warm breath touching my cheek.

“There… Yorick, there is a device inside of me that prevents pregnancy. I told Oddgeir about it and he wants to remove it within the next days so that I might conceive and have this symbolic child. But…”

“The procedure might endanger your life.” Suddenly Yorick seemed fully awake and lifted his weight to his elbow to look down at me.

I nodded. “Kill me or make me infertile for the rest of my life.”

“And Oddgeir knows about that?”

“He does, but since the device is shaped like a ᛏ, he believes that Tyr will hold a protective hand over me.”

“Maybe he is right after all.” Smiling down at me, Yorick put his hand on my lower belly. “Tyr is your protector and the Gods of Asgard will always keep you safe until your mission is fulfilled according to their will.”

Feeling a lump in my throat, I simply nodded. Yorick had been my last best hope. But of course he wasn’t different than the rest of them. It was his believe as well that I was Godsend. And of course he believed in the protective strength of his Gods. Closing my eyes, I buried my face to his neck once more but I didn’t find any comfort. Sighing I sat up and put my feet down to the ground.

“I need to find Samu.” I whispered, wiping my eyes again.

Yorick’s hand was on my back and he rubbed it tenderly. “Promise me to be careful.” He whispered back, reaching under his pillow to retrieve his dagger. “Take this with you and bring it to use, you understand?” lifting the knife, he put the blade on his lips before handing it over to me.

I nodded, dropping by the wayside. “Sleep now, will you?” Squeezing his arm, I got up completely. “I’ll be back to check on you.”

With that I left and made my way downstairs on my tiptoes. The hall was deserted. When I looked around closely, I found a few men sleeping in corners under blankets.

Gundulfr was keeping guard by the main door with his axe on his lap and a large fur around his shoulders. He barely looked up when I exited the house.

Pointing in the direction of the woods, he nodded at me. “Said he needed to pray.” He simply stated, continuing to sharpen his axe.

I followed the small path into the underbrushes, which surrounded the back of the main hut. From afar I saw Samu sitting by the roots of an old tree, his arms wrapped around his knees. He didn’t look up when I approached him, his head rested on his forearms.

“Samu?” carefully I touched the back of his head and he flinched.

“Elida.” He whispered and put his face on his arms again with a sigh.

“I need to talk to you.” Kneeling down in front of him, I placed Yorick’s dagger in my lap and waited for Samu to look up again.

It took him a few seconds to bring himself to lifting his gaze. He looked guilty. Guilty and scared to the centre of his soul.

“I hope that you know that I never meant to hurt you in any way.” He said with a husky voice and I nodded, my mind still far away, trying to figure out our next steps.

“I just talked to Yorick, but it seems…” I fell silent, my hands automatically playing with the dagger they held. “I had hoped that…”

“You hoped that he would help us.” Samu gritted his teeth and grimaced. “Did you… did you tell him, that we have to leave?”

Slowly I shook my head. “I told him almost everything but I can’t tell him to his face that we are gonna run. He is very grateful and to be honest he was surprised that I actually tried so hard to safe him.”

“So what is he gonna do? What are we gonna do?”

“Nothing for now. He won’t do anything. From his point of view, Tyr will save me and shield me from any harm.”

Samu chuckled humourlessly. “The only person in this world that is supposed to shield you from anything is me.” He whispered in a dark voice and gave another chuckle. “But I don’t even manage to protect you from myself!” clutching his hands, he shook his head from side to side. “Will you now try and find shelter with him? Shelter from me? After you saved him, I think he owes you.”

A little confused I looked at him. “I think we are even now.” I retorted, getting up on my feet again. “Samu, the problem is that he won’t be helping us to get away from here. And that is why I need to know one thing from you right now: Are you with me?”

“You know, there is actually something I need to know from you first.” He suddenly said, getting up as well.

“And what is that.” Clutching the dagger in my hand, I returned his stare.

“Are YOU actually still with ME after saving him?”

Confused I stepped back. “Of course I am! Samu, we saved him! We saved the only person that actually seems to matter to us, because – putting aside his weird Gods and beliefs – he is on our side!”

Closing the gap between us with one single step, Samu bent down in my direction. “Us?” he snarled. “Seriously, US? You mean you, don’t you? He matters to YOU.”

“Of course us, you stupid pet!” starting to feel annoyed by his behaviour, I grabbed the dagger a little tighter. “You and me!”

He shook his head slowly from side to side, holding my stare. “I don’t think so. You are far too involved with him and to be very honest, I don’t see you leaving this place with me anymore. I see you with him and it gives me the creeps. The way you care for him, hold him while you are asleep! It is like you belong here. This place. HIM.” He pointed at the hut in the soft light of the morning.

“You don’t seriously believe that I would consider, even for a second, to stay here!”

“Well…” he shrugged, raising the palms of his hands. “You seem well adapted and pretty comfortable in the arms of your Viking-sweetheart.”

Feeling anger boiling in my stomach, I stared up at him. “Jesus Christ!” I hissed, by now close to slapping his face or actually bringing the dagger to use.

“Don’t tell me I’m on the wrong track! What do you take me for?” throwing his arms into the air, he turned away from me, but I stopped him.

“Samu, I…” I started, but he interrupted me with a short gesture.

“How will your life continue?” he simply asked without listening to me. “Maybe will he will marry you and you will stay in this place, this time. Maybe he will stop the old man from killing you by removing your intrauterine device. But most probably he will not like to have an infertile wife, so he will take others and you will stay here until… well, maybe until you die from some disease or an infection from your loop because it needs changing in a few years. Summing it all up… well, doesn’t look rosy, does it?” he grimaced.

“Are you even listening to yourself?” I exploded, not willing to let him paint a black future for me based on his own fears. “I am not gonna stay here! I told Yorick that Oddgeir wants my loop removed and he simply takes that information in with a smile and a shrug! I will not let anyone stop me from escaping this place! With or without you, I am leaving!” With that I turned on my heels myself and stomped off, but he followed me and grabbed my arm.

“Are you serious?” he whispered, his eyes scrutinizing my face.

I moaned lowly and shook Samu’s hand off, pointing Yorick’s dagger at him. “I don’t belong here, Samu!” I yelled at him. “But I have a safe home, work and friends to return to! If life right now doesn’t give me the opportunity to flee, I will of course stay and carry my destiny with all dignity I can find. I will endure the operation and if it has to happen, I will have a child in this world. A child with you, for Christ’s sake! A godly child, which they will worship. They will honour us, cherish us, but I will never stop trying to escape them and find my way back home!” I stared up at Samu with furry in my eyes. “The question is, can I count on you, rely on you when the going gets rough? I can fend for myself most of the time, but I need you by my side and not on top of me in the violent attempt to make me yours again because you have been jealous of another man!”

Samu’s mouth opened but he didn’t reply. Slowly he nodded all of a sudden, kneeling down in front of me.

“Elida.” His voice was low but firm and he took hold of my hand that still clasped the long dagger. “I am with you. I swear to you that I will do anything in my power to keep you safe. Anything. And if I ever again dare to break this promise,” he put the knife point to his own neck, holding the blade. “You might as well kill me, because I can’t live another second, knowing that I hurt you.”

Gritting my teeth I stared down at him, my hand grabbing the handhold of the dagger.

“Don’t you dare mocking me! This is not some kind of movie and I am dead serious.”

Samu returned my stare without blinking. “As am I.” With a quick movement he ran his palm along the blade and lifted his hand in my direction. “On my blood.”

I removed the dagger from his neck. “I didn’t need a blood oath, a simple and earnest promise would have done.” Cautiously I sat down on one of the large roots of the old oak tree, looking down at Samu that still kneeled on the grass. “Before we talk this through, there is something I need to tell you.” I turned the long blade between my fingers. “My desperate need to save Yorick lies much deeper that the simple urge to help him and keep him on our side of this weird play we stumbled into.” I drew a deep breath, waiting for Samu to look at me again. “My mother died when I was a child, there was nothing I could do about her death. But I once had a brother.” I then started, forcing his eyes not to leave mine. “He was only two years older than me and he died in a hiking-accident. It has been years, but that day still haunts me. I was trying to hold fast onto him, but I didn’t have the strength. He fell off one of the cliffs we used to hike together.” I paused, gritting my teeth. “We had been caught in the rain, stormbound. And he died in my arms because I didn’t manage to carry him, help him, prevent him from dying.” Drawing a laboured breath, I paused again. “So you see,” I looked straight into his eyes again and nodded at him. “I had a score to settle with my own private demons because I swore to myself that I would never again let someone die if I could prevent it.” Exhaling lowly, I folded my shivering hands around the blade they held. “So if you ever again feel unsure about my motivations, most of them originate from this very day. The day I lost Matias.”

Chapter 17

My God, she is even more beautiful, when she’s angry! Riku thought, but wisely chose not to give tongue to his thoughts whilst Raul was lying by his side, nervously kneading his fingers.

Elida and Samu had been out on the small clearing for almost an hour. Raul had taken the last watch of the night, waking Riku to tell him that Samu suddenly sat in the woods all by himself, hugging his knees and shaking to and fro like a mad person. But the dawn was breaking and made it impossible for the rest of them to get any closer to their friend without being spotted.

“She has lowered the dagger now.” Riku whispered, breathing a sigh of relief. Whatever had happened between the two of them, Elida seemed furious. She was a mess and Riku had never seen a woman radiating so much power and rage, despite her tired eyes.

Still looking at her, Riku had to supress the sudden urge to run to her and take her away from this godforsaken place. Quickly he shook his head. Soon they would all leave together and hopefully find their way back through the woods and the fog. Back home, the modern era, the actual and factual present.

He and Sami had found the perfect hidden path back to the place where the weird fog seemed to have its wellspring – if that was the right word for the deep crate only about two miles from their current hiding place. The white nothing seemed to cover the landscape completely, originating from small fissures and joints in the rocks around. It had given both of them the creeps to watch it. Even though Riku would never admit it, he had felt as if the fog had suddenly approached them in slow waves but it had retreated as soon as he had stepped back. Whatever it was, it seemed to know darn well that he and his friends didn’t belong to this place and it would bring them away and hopefully spit them out in their own time and place again.

His hackles still rose at the thought of the swirling and wafting of the misty curtains.

“Alright, looks like they made up.” Raul suddenly interrupted his thoughts rudely, handing the binoculars back to his friend. “We will keep an eye on them at all times.”

Riku nodded absent-minded, watching Samu hug Elida. Through the binoculars he saw tears running down her cheeks and within a few seconds all her strength seemed to fall from her and she sank into Samu’s arms. Her shoulders were shaking and her face buried to his chest. When Riku looked at Samu, he saw his friend gritting his teeth, talking and whispering in her hair.

“Come on, mate!” Raul nudged him softly. “Let’s have some breakfast and try to stick it out for another day. Samu will send us a message as soon as he has set up a plan.”

“Wait!” Riku held Raul back, still watching Elida and Samu. The young woman had taken a step back, nodding at Samu, the dagger still in her hand. Slowly she nodded again, walking around the old oak tree before she put the knife point at the coarse wooden bark. Quite skilfully she carved something into the tree. Impatiently Riku waited for her to step back, feeling an excited shudder at the sight of a number. It was a 2. Maybe this meant two more days?

Samu next to Elida threw a look around, taking a small bough. He hunkered down on the ground in front of the roots of the oak.

When he got up again, he threw another look around before he put his arm around Elida’s shoulders. Together they made their way through the bushes and back to the village.

“Two days.” Riku handed the binoculars over to Raul. “I will check the place, maybe Samu left a few words to explain the plan.”

“Be careful!” Raul warned, throwing haunted gazes around.

Chapter 18

When we returned to the main hut, we found a couple of men bridling horses and carrying large sacks of food.

Idun stood between them, impelling a group of slaves to hurry up.

Surprised I let go of Samu’s hand, walking straight up to the short tempered blond woman. “What is this all about?” I asked and she spun around with a sudden smile.

“We ride.” She simply stated, yelling at a girl that didn’t attach a sack of grain properly. “Yorick is in charge and well, thanks to your godly hands, and the rest of us is gonna ride for the Black Castle to back up the Jarl.” She patted my cheek. “Do not worry, we will leave protection for you. Oddgeir is too old for battle, he will stay as well and take care of everything until we return to pick you up along with the rest of us.”

“Are you sure that…” I started, but stopped short at the sight of Yorick, exiting the house. He was pale and had obviously lost weight, but instead of keeping to his bed he walked around the horses with his shirt only slung oddly around half of his body.

“What the fuck!” I mumbled, letting go of Idun to walk after him.

He smiled brightly at me, squinting when the early sun hit his sensitive eyes.

“Seeress.” He bowed joyously but his smile faded, when he saw the anger in my eyes. Instantaneously he grabbed my arm, his eyes scanning the place for Samu.

“Did he hurt you?” he hissed, pulling me even closer.

I shook my head, completely taken by surprise when I felt his hand in mine, all of a sudden gentle.

“Yorick, you …” my words were caught in my throat and I shook my head again to dispel the weird emotions that came over my so suddenly. God, this day felt like an emotional rollercoaster! Lack of sleep, a sudden assault from Samu, the experience of total and utter helplessness, because I had been unable to convince Yorick, another fight with Samu, Matias and my memories, and now all of a sudden Yorick’s hand and his behaviour, completely unexpected and tender.

“Why are you out of bed?” I asked as sternly as I could and he chuckled slightly.

“What would my men think of me?” he gave back in a joking tone, still holding my hand.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I looked up at him. “Let me at least get you bandaged and dressed properly!” I commanded and he took a playful bow.

“Whatever you demand, little Alfur!” dodging a small blow, he chuckled again, letting me guide him back inside without offering resistance.

I wasn’t dealing gently with him, when I grabbed his shirt by the bottom and pulled it over his head. “You, Monsieur, are to stay in bed until you are better!” I ranted lowly, when I pushed him to sit down at the edge of the bed.

Even though he winced for a second, a little chuckle escaped his lips.

“What did you just call me?” he asked, curiously looking up at me when I stood right in front of him with my hands on my hips and my hair in my face.

“I called you an idiot!” I hissed, removing the bandage that had completely slipped out of position. “Well, not literally, but I meant it!”

“Only a seeress as beautiful as you can show such daringly bold behaviour!”

“I still got your dagger and I am bringing it to use!” I warned him earnestly. “If you don’t hold still right now, little Jarl, I will pin you to your bed by your own ear, trust me!”

Starting over to roll up the strip of linen between my fingers, I examined his wound again. It had healed extremely well but the scar would definitely be permanent and hideous on his beautifully shaped upper body.

“Don’t worry.” He said with a grin, mockingly jabbing my hip. “The daughters of Northmen expect scars on their future husbands. I was far too smooth anyway, so you actually did me a favour by cutting me open and stabbing me with red-hot spears.”

The linen sheaf fell from my hands and right at this second I wanted to yell at Yorick and finally also swear like a trooper. Instead I stared into his still grinning face and something inside of me broke down like the barrier of a dike. At first it was only a giggle that escaped my firmly pressed together lips. But only a second later I was convulsed with laughter and lay on the rumpled bed next to Yorick. I couldn’t help it, wasn’t able to stop to even take a breath. Obviously my laughing was contagious, because after the first moment of surprise, Yorick suddenly joined in. Coughing and panting we lay together until I finally managed to get on all fours again, bending over him.

“Sit up, for Christ’s sake!” I gasped, grabbing his healthy arm to put him in an upright position. But instead of helping me, he simply broke down laughing again, covering his face with his hands.

“Good Father Odin, dearest!” he dissolved into stupid giggles once more, trying to brace himself by pressing his lips together. “Why am I laughing? For the love of all Gods, why can’t I stop?”

“You’re hysterical.” I grabbed the bandage from the floor and took hold of his upper arm, trying hard to contain myself. “It is a medical condition and it can only be healed by getting laid.”

Had those filthy and indecorous words just escaped my mouth? For a split-second I grew stiff. Jesus Christ, what was I thinking? Luckily Yorick burst out into broad laughter. After the laughing fit had subsided, he buried his face in his hands again.

“You are killing me, Seeress!” he mumbled and coughed heartily.

“The contrary is the case!” with a lot of effort, I pulled him up from the bed, trying to find the best angle to work from. “I am saving your life and I won’t stop until you decide to live it!”

Narrowing my eyes, I tried to concentrate on his wounded chest, carefully running my fingers over the still swollen skin around the scab. “You were lucky.” Turning his upper body slightly, I trailed along the backside of the wound. I had marked him for life, marked him with a cross almost the size of my hand. It would heal, of course, but it was indeed a cross to bear.

Sighing lowly, I simply remained standing, putting my hand on the torn up flesh that still felt hot on my skin.

Yorick rested his elbows on his knees and after a while I felt his forehead sinking to my belly. He drew a deep breath, giving me a minute to gingerly examine the burned skin and by that arranging the thoughts on my mind.

“What a day.” I whispered after what felt like an eternity, carefully wrapping a lose strand of his long hair around my index finger.

“You did well.” He assured and looked up at me, his hands still placed on both sides of my waist. “Elida, I… I want to thank you.”

“Yorick.” Smiling I shook my head and started to wrap the new bandage around his upper body. “That goes without saying.”

“It doesn’t!” he disagreed, putting his healthy hand on my face. “You are a miracle. In every meaning of the word. I cannot wait to finally settle down on this island. All credit belongs to you. You came to me at the perfect moment. The perfect opportunity to finally convince my father, convince Aevarr and Bestefar Oddgeir. You changed everything for me, for all of us. And now you even claimed my body and soul back from Odin himself to give me the chance to enjoy the rest of my earthy life.” Still caressing my cheek with his thumb, he gave me the most honest smile I had ever received. “You are my miracle, Elida.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt.” With a grin on her lips and a long coat made of dark fur around her shoulders, Idun suddenly stood in the doorway. “The men are ready.” She nodded at Yorick. “But take your time, looks like you almost got her convinced and talked around into your bed by nearly dying on her.” With that she winked at him and left.

The spell was abruptly broken and I was quick to step back with my heart pounding in my ears.

Being so close to Yorick wasn’t a good idea at all. Suddenly I felt my bad conscious gnawing, looking at the half naked man that still sat on the bed with his elbows on his knees and his head lowered. Maybe Samu had been right after all. I had somehow managed to talk myself out of the attraction I felt, whenever Yorick was close to me. We had been through many extreme situations within such a short amount of time. Of course we somehow had a thing for each other. That’s what I had told me so many times.

Was it more? I flashed another gaze at my patient, my heart almost stopping when my eyes met his. Quickly I looked the other way, turning around to fiddle with one of the blankets that had fallen to the floor.

No, the attraction was only caused by the external circumstances. There was nothing more. He had saved me, he worshiped me. And now I had spent days saving his life, of course there was a connection. But that didn’t mean…

Of course it didn’t, I was about to leave, I didn’t have a future here, but a life to return to…

Well…

God, I needed a moment for myself, think, re-arrange my thoughts.

Stepping over to the window, I drew the pelts away and held my face into the bright sun. To be very honest, I didn’t have a lot to return to. My mother had died when I had only been a child of seven, some dreadful bone-sickness eating her away within a few months. My father had never gotten over losing her. He had been withdrawn and somehow managed to bring up me and Matias without ever being close to us, holding both of us at arms-length. The bond between me and my brother had grown extremely strong during the following years and I knew that his death had been the hardest turning point of my young life. Alvar was once more unable to take the pain and all he could do was abandoning me as well. And ever since I had been fending for myself. Since the young age of sixteen.

Sighing I rubbed my face. But now, if we actually managed to flee, I had Samu by my side. We had only stumbled upon each other here, but my feelings towards him were real. I had always day-dreamed about him, the famous singer. But in this place I had seen every facet of him. His strength and love, braveness and fear, his deepest darks and the warmest and most loving parts of his soul. 

And I loved him for every tiny piece of his personality I had become acquainted with.

Turning around again, I looked at Yorick. Rough mannered but kind. Hard-handed, maybe even cruel at times but nevertheless honest and compassionate.

And, if I was completely honest with myself: The safer choice.

Surprisingly it seemed true, whichever way I looked at it, I was more scared of leaving with Samu than I was about staying here and accepting my fate. I kneaded my fingers agitatedly. Life had never been kind to me and I was by now scared that maybe after our return Samu would simply go back to his own life, his old self, and I would be alone again. Quickly I grabbed one of the mugs that stood around, emptying the water that was inside.

In this world I had meaning and purpose. Back home I had studies to finance, a hard job as a tour guide and bills to pay.

Pressing the palms of my hands to my eyes, I rested my back against the window sill.

But wasn’t it worth a try? Maybe Samu wouldn’t change, he seemed so earnest and completely serious. And one of his arguments was outstandingly right: I was always in danger if I stayed here. What if I got sick? What if I died during childbirth? What if Yorick died in battle?

Again I flashed a gaze at him. He hadn’t moved, simply sat on the bed, staring down at his naked feet. From the way he avoided looking at me and kept still, I could tell that Idun with her blunt manners might have hit the bull’s eye. His silence was telling.

He could have laughed it away, joked about it. But instead he had fallen completely silent.

Absent-mindedly staring at him, I realized why it seemed to be so very tempting for me to stay with him: I simply was a total chicken shit. If I stayed here, all I could do was blame fate for it. Blame God, Odin, the fog, whomever. If I left and took matters in my own hands I was at the potential risk of losing Samu, the risk of us not working out. If I stayed then my life would be clear. Predictable. Foreseeable even. It was taken from me, taken out of my hands and the sudden chance to hand over every responsibility was extremely tempting.

“Elida?”

I was startled when Yorick unexpectedly touched my arm. Fighting with his shirt, he nodded towards the entrance. “We should go down and say our goodbyes.”

Quickly I helped him, closing a few small cords around his neck without looking at him properly. Then I nodded. I definitely needed fresh air.

Chapter 19

We walked down the steep stairs next to each other in complete silence. A couple of times I had the feeling that Yorick was looking at me. But whenever I flashed a small gaze at him, he was simply staring ahead, still fiddling with a wooden button I had not closed.

“Let me get this for you.” I said lowly, taking his arm to make him stop walking. “You want them closed all the way up?”

He nodded and lifted his chin when I fastened up the last button.

“Alright.” I managed to give him a smile. “You’re all set.”

Again he simply nodded, taking a deep breath before he exited the house through the open main doors.

Weirdly enough, it was a lot harder than I had expected to tell them goodbye, especially Idun. The blond woman jabbed me softly, throwing a mocking grin at me.

“So, sister.” Matey she winked at me and gave me a tight hug. “Looks like I might be calling you sister after all, doesn’t it?”

“Idun, it… it is a bit more complicated than that.” I tried to shuffle out of the situation immediately.

“It is indeed.” She nodded knowingly, giving me another tight hug. “You’ll have your sacred man’s baby first, but that is only symbolic. Then you might as well choose otherwise and get married to a proper Northman. Your father would be very proud of you.”

I almost responded: “If he gave a rat’s arse, he maybe would.” But I held my tongue, realizing in surprise that he as a Norwegian and Viking research scientist would most probably in fact be proud of me.

“Get back safely.” I demanded instead, holding the other woman close. “I will personally kick your arse if you get yourself in danger.”

Grinning she patted my arm. “Take good care of Yorick.” She kissed my cheek. “And get pregnant soon so that we can finally celebrate and settle, will you?”

I nodded with a lump in my throat. This was most probably the last time I ever saw her. “Take care and be safe.” I whispered, waving them all goodbye only minutes later.

Suddenly Samu was by my side. We wrapped his arm around my shoulder, turning towards the house.

“What happens now?” he asked in a very low voice and I looked up at him.

“Let’s find out.” I pointed at Oddgeir that stood in the doorway, waving the remaining members of his clan closer. “Looks like Grandpa has a few announcements to make.”

Aevarr and his warriors had left us with a good supply of food, eight slave-women and a dozen of soldiers of which half were still in recovery.

We gathered around the main fire and waited for the serfs to bring Ale and food for us. Oddgeir had taken the Jarls seat, because Yorick had insisted upon it. The old man didn’t look good today. Studying the way he moved carefully and his laboured breathing I could easily tell that his health was declining. Well, for the present period of time he was immemorial. Trying to calculate his current age, I looked at Yorick. He was 27, five years younger than his brother Aevarr. Idun had told me that there had been a few more brothers and sisters in between, but they had all died. Either in early childhood or in battle. Their father Havar was in his late fifties, also an old man already. From the tales they all loved to tell around the fires I had learned that Havar had actually been Oddgeir’s youngest son. The youngest, but the most ambitioned and cruel. He had been ruthless enough to challenge two of his older brothers to a duel after the first born son had fallen in battle. With that he had become Jarl himself at a very young age. And no one had challenged him ever since.

Listening to the little speech the old man gave, I put my hand in Samu’s. He smiled down at me, softly squeezing my fingers. “What does he say?” he whispered, placing a soft kiss on my earlobe that made me shiver.

Safer choice, right choice? Momentary weakness, sudden blaze of Stockholm Syndrome? Jesus Christ, what the freaking hell was wrong with me?

“They will send for us within 6 days.” I whispered back to distract myself, cuddling closer to Samu’s warm body.

“That is good news.” He mumbled back, still resting his lips close to my ear. I felt his head moving slightly, when he scanned the room. “Now we got 11 men, including grampa. Most probably they will always put two men on watch for the night.” Again he let his gaze travel over the few men that were left with us. “At least four of them are still unable to carry any weapon, and we have the old man and the Jarl’s son. So my guess for tonight would be him and him.” Secretly he pointed at two of the warriors and I nodded, quickly trying to remember their names.

“Hjalkarr and Eyolfr.” I whispered back, feeling a shudder running down my spine. “They fought Yorick the day I turned up. We have to be extremely careful with those two!”

“Fought him, you say?” Samu raised one of his eyebrows, watching the blond warriors by the fire closely. “They challenged the son of the Jarl?”

I nodded, playing with the cord on his shirt. “They insisted that I was war loot as well. He saved me.”

Samu’s teeth made a little sound when he clenched them. “So we’d better try nothing on their watch, hum?” he then whispered, pulling me closer. “I remember him, Thorbjorn, he was my trainer with the axe. What about the others?”

I shrugged, running my gaze along the backside of the room. “Asger.” Secretly I pointed at a bulky man that rested his broken leg on a chair. “But don’t underestimate him, he fights like the black knight in monty python and he would still fight without his legs and arms and even kill you.” I pointed ahead with my chin. “I think he is called Bjarte, but I’m not sure. He must be the youngest of them but he has recovered pretty well from the wound on his upper arm.” Nodding, I looked up at Samu again. “I don’t know anything about the other four that are healthy, but these five are already enough to worry about for us.”

“And Yorick.” Samu’s voice sounded dark all of a sudden and I looked at him once more.

“What d’you mean? He’s barely standing.”

“Even in his current state, he overpowered me to save you.” He lowered his head, turning his face away from me. “Not only is he a strong man, he also has feelings for you and he believes that you are sacred. He’d die for you without hesitating for a split-second.” He then whispered without looking at me. “And he will not let you out of his sight after this morning.”

I put my hand on his cheek and forced him to look at me. “Do me a favour and shut up.” Gesturing towards the doors, I moved a little to watch Samu closely. “I wanna go home and I can’t deal with drama! We might only have this one chance, so I say we work together and do this. Remember you promised me that you would be there for me whatever it takes!”

He nodded slowly, still not meeting my eyes. “Whatever it takes.” Drawing a deep breath he suddenly kissed me very carefully. “Anything.”

I lifted his chin with my hand, forcing him to look at me. If I was to leave this place with him, I needed him to look into my eyes without blinking.

“Will you still be with me when we get home?” I asked him in a very low voice, not letting go of his chin. “Will you be with me or will you be off and traveling the world with this band of yours?”

His eyes widened in surprise and he shook his head slowly. “We are taking a break from the band, we haven’t announced it yet, but we are thinking about a farewell-tour in spring and then some time off. So if you still want me despite the missing fame and traveling and money, I’ll be all yours. For the rest of my life if you let me.”

There was no doubt in his eyes, no flicker of insecurity, and I put my hand on his cheek.

“Are you sure?” I insisted. “Don’t you wanna take some time off alone, especially after the band announces a break? Do you really wanna start a relationship without knowing me properly?”

Now his eyes narrowed slightly and he shook his head no.

“What makes you think that I don’t know you?” He then asked, moving a little closer. “You are the most wonderful and amazing woman I ever met!”

“Under pressure and weird circumstances!” I reminded him very seriously, raising my hand to stop him from arguing. “Samu. I am different and I am definitely damaged goods. So if you, Mr Popstar, are telling me right now that there is only 1% of doubt inside of you, I…” I stopped short, facing to fire to get the feelings in my face under control again. God, I sounded stupid! Was I now giving Samu an ultimatum only because I wanted him to tell me that we would be fine back home? That wasn’t fair. I didn’t want him to make my decisions for me. Well, maybe I wanted it, but it definitely was an unrightfully move. Taking a deep breath I shook my head again. Maybe I should get some rest and clear out my head again. “Think about it.” I tried to close the subject I had opened so unmindfully.

Samu suddenly grabbed my arm, his blue eyes piercing through me. “You are seriously thinking about staying here!” he whispered through his gritted teeth. “You… after this morning… Elida! It was a mistake and I am more than sorry! If you give me the chance, I will try everything to make it up to you! But you can’t even consider for a second to stay here!”

“Silence!” Oddgeir abruptly interrupted and glared at us with his watery eyes. “This talk affects you as much as all of us, so be silent and wait!”

“We talk later.” I mumbled, nodding at the old man. In fact I was glad about the interruption. I was glad, because I didn’t know how to explain my weird emotions to anyone, even myself. I had no clue what was right or wrong anymore, good or bad for me. Where did fears end and simple inconvenience start? What did I actually expect from Samu and what was it that seemed to have bound me to Yorick?

This wasn’t my life, these weren’t my people. It simply was a violent kind of stone age that fascinated me and that had actually fascinated me my whole life. But fascination wasn’t enough to simply throw medical care, a life without wars and fights and a long healthy life with showers, books and coffee away, was it?

Burying my face in my hands, I tried to listen to the old shaman. I was more than relieved that Samu had simply assumed that I was still a little mad or shocked about his behaviour. He didn’t seem to suspect deeper feelings and I wouldn’t be the one to really spell it out for him. I had feelings for Yorick. Serious feelings I couldn’t quite explain. They were untamed and free but at the same time intense and deep.

When I looked up again, I caught Yorick’s gaze. His grey eyes were dark and stern, but their look suddenly softened slightly when he gave me the most minuscule smile.

Death, Elida, this place will be the end of you! I reminded myself but I couldn’t help smiling back, hoping that Samu wouldn’t see it. God, I had held a gun to his head, constraining total devotion and he promised it to me while matter-of-factly I was the one with the unanswered questions and commitment phobia. And I wasn’t right in the head.

The fog, these people, this life, it made me all barmy and weird.

Focus, Elida, focus.

Fact one: I didn’t belong here.

Fact two: There was a big part of my heart that told me with absolute clarity that I was in love with Samu.

And fact three: We had to get out of this hut, find the rest of the band and return home together.

And fact four: If I stayed, I would die. As simple as that. The removal of my loop, childbirth, a simple cold would cost me my life.

Four facts. Plausible and convincing.

But why did my heart seem to beat in the wrong rhythm?

Chapter 20

The atmosphere of departure was omnipresent for the rest of the day. Half of the men went hunting when night started to fall and they took Samu along for reasons I couldn’t quite interpret. Maybe it was their way of showing us that we were included. Maybe it was some act to keep us apart and demonstrate us that our chances to leave this place were minimized at all times.

I was tired and felt weak to my bones but the work somehow kept me standing. I carried water all day, worked around the fireplace and in the smokebox beside the main hut and before long I also took care of the wounded.

Young Bjarte removed his bandage himself and ogled me up and down with a curious look in his bright blue eyes.

“So what’s it like?” he suddenly asked and I looked up from his wound, cocking my eyebrow.

“It has healed well.” Carefully I wiped around the cut, throwing a gaze in the direction of the upstairs bedrooms where hopefully Yorick was finally resting again, after almost fainting when I had cleaned out his wound only minutes ago.

Bjarte by my side chuckled. “I mean the place you came from, Embla. What’s it like?”

“Well, we got showers, health insurance and 400 PS cars.” I answered drily, feeling the sudden urge to lay down as well. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to smile into his surprised face.

“It is different.” I corrected softly, sitting down next to him on the bench by the warm fire. “I think almost everything is different.”

“Can you tell me about it?” he moved closer to me, wrapping his hand around his elbow. “I’ve heard so many stories about Asgard, but I never actually heard about a person falling off the Bifröst and right into Midgard.”

I chuckled a little insecure. “Let’s thank the Gods for not dropping us over Joutenheim, don’t you think?”

“Or Niflheim!” he nodded in agreement. “So tell me, what’s it like in Asgard?”

Starring into the flames, I rubbed my eyes again, trying to give the boy by my side a smile. “It is bright and beautiful. You won’t believe just how much light there is. The people there, the Aesir, are different. Their way of living, the fighting, the wars. Everything is so much more developed and ahead of this time.”

Looking into his shining eyes, I couldn’t help patting his cheek. “Compared to this place, everything is shiny and advanced.”

“When will you go home? You miss it, don’t you?”

“I do.” I confirmed. “But I won’t go anywhere until all our tasks at this place are fulfilled.”

“The sacred child.” He nodded knowingly, winking at me. “But you like your God-given man, so that should not be a problem, right?”

I gave a surprised chuckle. “Don’t you be so saucy, young man!” Wagging my finger at him I got up from the bench. “I might tell my old companion Thor that you are not well behaved!”

“Are you telling me that Thor is well behaved?” he retorted, making me chuckle again.

“Maybe not.”

“Seeress!” a sudden yell made my head spin around and I gathered my dress when I saw one of the women waving at me from the upstairs storey.

“What is it?” I rushed over to her and she beckoned me closer.

“He has problems breathing!” the woman sounded anxious and I rubbed her upper arm, shooing her downstairs.

“Water and another pillow.” I commanded, shoving the curtains aside to find Yorick on his grandfather’s bed with a worried expression on his face.

“What can we do for him, Seeress?” he asked and I kneeled down next to the old shaman.

His breathing had become more and more laboured and his skin felt damp and cold.

“Bestefar!” I whispered, running my hand along his wrinkled cheek and down to his neck to feel his pulse. The old man didn’t reply and I was quick to open his shirting to put my ear down on his sunken chest.

He didn’t cough and from everything I could tell he didn’t have a fever or another illness. But his torso felt as cold as his hands.

“A blanket.” I demanded softly, squeezing Yorick’s fingers. “Get him another blanket and let one of the women start the fire again. I will have the servants prepare some tea while I stay with him.”

Yorick nodded immediately, getting up to fetch another fur from the bed next door. Very carefully he put it over the old man.

“I will send for my father.” He stated in a very low voice. “Will he last the night, Seeress?”

Tenderly I touched the tousled white hair on the pillow and shrugged. “I don’t know.” I whispered back, feeling a sudden ache in my heart.

“You do, Seeress.” Yorick whispered back and I felt his fingertips running along my forearm. “You have goosebumps, you feel the cold. Death is near.”

Swallowing hard, I lowered my gaze. “Send for the Jarl.” I put my hand on the old man’s heart. “Your grandfather should rest. I’ll stay with him.”

He nodded, giving me a tensed smile. Very softly he ran his hand over the old man’s head. “Where will we be without his guidance?” He whispered almost noiselessly. Then his worried expression changed and he squeezed my shoulder. “I hope that you will guide us as well as he did.” He said. “I put my trust in you and our faith in your hands.”

Totally overstrained and overwhelmed, I felt a shudder going through my whole body. “If your trust in me is that high, tell the messenger to bring Idun back.” I heard myself say. “She shouldn’t be there.” To my surprise it felt nothing but right and I looked Yorick straight in the eyes.

He nodded immediately. “I will see to that.” Without asking any further question he left the room and I saw him walking down the stairs.

As soon as he was out of earshot, the old shaman suddenly drew in a breath.

“You’ll not be here to guide them, Seeress.” He gasped, but I grabbed his hand and shook my head.

“Rest now, I beg you!” I whispered back. “I will be here for as long as it takes.”

His head moved slowly from side to side. “You cannot stay.”

“Please, Bestefar, do not let this trouble you now.”

“I saw the death of many.” The old man completely ignored me and licked his dry lips. “You will leave and you will live, my child Embla. You will go back to Asgard and tell our story. Many will die but it won’t be in vain. Yorick…” is voice suddenly broke and I was about to panic when he abruptly stopped breathing.

“Bestefar!” I shook him slightly, feeling my heartbeat increasing. Oh my God! Holy Lord, please, don’t let him be dead!

Another laboured breath escaped his mouth. “Yorick will be… they will need him when his brother dies… he will…” the old man panted for air and I was quick to sit by his side and lift his upper body. God, he was so thin and frail!

“Yorick will be fine.” I assured him, carefully holding his head. “They will all be fine here. Soon they will settle and start trading, this land will be good to them.”

“You’ll have to bring him back.” The old man coughed. “Promise me that you will bring him back.”

“Bring whom back, Bestefar?” soothingly I rubbed his back.

“Yorick.” Oddgeir’s head unexpectedly dropped back and I held him close, whispering nonsense to calm him as well as myself. All of a sudden Yorick was back. He sat down next to me, taking me in his arms with the old man still resting on my shoulder.

“I am here, Farfar.” He whispered, wrapping the furs tightly around the frail body of his grandfather. “I sent word to my father, everything will be settled and I will be by your side to greet the great Odin.”

The soft glow of the fire was dancing on Yorick’s face when I woke up with a start. Quickly I tried to sit up, feeling his arms around me.

He had an exhausted smile on his lips closed his eyes, resting his back to the wall and his chin on my head.

“He died so peacefully.” Yorick suddenly whispered into the complete silence around us and I bent over, running my fingertips over the runes on Oddgeir’s relaxed face.

“He lived a long and purposeful live.” Carefully I took the old man’s arms and crossed them over his chest. “Walhalla is welcoming him.”

Yorick moved slightly behind me, getting up from the bed to stretch his back. We had during this night switched places very often, holding and comforting the old man on the bed. Oddgeir had insisted to speak to each of us in private without the other one listening. So we had after a while simply put him in the middle of the bed to have one of us sit on each side. Listening to his last words had given me goosebumps the whole night. He had told me things about his life, about things to come and about my return home. And again and again he had asked me to bring Yorick back but he never told me exactly what he meant with it. So now the old Shaman had taken his last steps towards the great hall of Odin. Sighing I put my hand on his still warm neck and lowered my head to say a little prayer myself without actually knowing to whom I was praying.

Yorick suddenly cleared his throat. Hesitantly he started to unbutton his shirt and beckoned me over with a nod. “I am in need of your assistance, Seeress.” He walked through the curtains and I followed him on my tiptoes. The whole house was asleep, almost all fires out and I heard the soft sounds of the storm outside, feeling their draft with a shiver.

Yorick was sitting on one of the free beds, fiddling with his shirt and vest in the soft light of the clear silver moon outside.

“Be careful!” I whispered, quickly helping him to get undressed. “What is it?” My fingers trailed along his shoulder and I bent down to check on his wound in the room that was almost dark despite the moonshine.

“It felt like it was bleeding again.” He whispered back and I had to take a step away from him because his warm breath was suddenly tickling the skin of my neck.

My heart was beating in my throat when I lifted his arm, slightly turning him towards the nearby window. Regardless of his lips that were still far too close to my neck, I tried to focus on his shoulder.

“It looks fine.” I managed to say, feeling goosebumps on his skin when I ran my fingertips over his upper arm.

“Are you cold?” Cautiously I put my hand on his warm chest, watching him shaking his head in the halflight of the glowing embers of our fire place.

“Can you try to reattach the bandage?” his voice sounded hoarse and he cleared his throat.

“Of course.” Trying my best to act professionally, I kneeled down on the bed beside him, rolling up the bandage. “I just need some fresh cloths.”

“No!” he held me back when I got up again. “Just take what’s there it should do.” He insisted, tilting his head. “Can I ask you something?” he suddenly said and I shrugged a little insecure.

“Of course.” I repeated. “Just put your hand forth and I will wrap this thing around you again, alright?”

He nodded slowly, his curious gaze not leaving my face. “Elida?” he then said and I felt his hand on my hip.

“What is it?” I tried to sound reasonable and competent. “Are you in pain?”

Again he only shook his head, watching me silently. “He told me to take care of you.” He whispered after a few minutes of tangible silence, looking up into my eyes. “There is darkness coming and I am to keep you safe.”

I nodded slowly, gritting my teeth when the soft cloth slipped through my trembling fingers and I had to restart for the third time. “I’m sorry!” I breathed out, trying to focus.

“What do you see?” Suddenly the rough palm of his hand was on my face. “Do you see the darkness, Seeress?” He made me look at him and I nodded, not knowing what to respond.

“Your father is so deeply surrounded by darkness, he seems to be darkness himself.” I heard myself say, feeling Yorick pulling me down to catch my eyes.

He nodded slowly, suddenly brushing his lips over my forehead. “I know.” He whispered lowly. “I promise you, I will always stand between you and him. You don’t have to fear him.” Silently he watched me for a few seconds. “Oddgeir told me that I am to take you back to your place.” He then whispered and I felt my eyes widen in surprise.

“He did?” I whispered back, letting go of his arm to simply stand in front of him and absorb the news.

Yorick nodded slowly, looking up into my eyes. “He told me to save you from this place and bring you home so the Gods could watch over you again at Asgard.”

Carefully I reached out my hand and played with the wooden pearls in his beard. “He told me the same.” I said then, watching his eyes widen in surprise now.

“You are to save me? But from what?”

“I have no idea.” My eyes had adjusted to the dark and I started searching his face. “But he also told me to bring you back.”

Yorick tilted his head. Then he suddenly sighed. “Why did he have to be so mysterious about everything?” He rested his forehead to my belly, putting his hands on his face. “What are we supposed to do? What if…”

A sudden yell from the downstairs hall made him look up and he was on his feet at an instant.

“The Jarl has fallen in battle!” a mud covered messenger came rushing in our direction when we quickly climbed down the narrow stairs. “Yorick you have to join us now!”

The man got down on his knees, pleadingly looking at Yorick. “Havar is with the Gods and we received word that Oddgeir will soon meet him at Walhalla.” His gaze found me and he bowed his head. “Your presence is of great importance, Seeress!” he whispered out of breath. “The Lady Idun has also fallen in battle but on her dying bed, she asked for you and she wants you to fire the ships when she goes on her last journey. You have to come, we need you now! Especially…” his gaze found Yorick again and he got up. “Your brother is of course out of his mind about his beloved wife’s death but he will accept his fate and honour your father’s last wishes.”

Trying his best to hold me in an upright position with his healthy arm, Yorick nodded at the messenger. “We shall all come and celebrate the death of our greatest warrior and of course drink to our new Jarl!” his eyes met mine and I saw pain and remorse. “I am sorry, Seeress, you were right after all. Do her the honours, she would be pleased. We shall celebrate their death along with all our warriors!” he waved at a few men. “Saddle the horses, prepare everything. We take the body of Oddgeir and we ride. Let us guide them all to our ancestors and celebrate their death with all the honour they deserve!”

Wrapping his arms around my shivering body, he looked down at me. “Are you alright, Seeress?” he shook me softly, putting his hand on my chin to make me look at him. “Elida?”

She was dead. Idun. Crazy, short-tempered Idun. I had seen it coming but I hadn’t stopped her. As a matter of fact, I was a very bad seeress after all. And I hated to be their guide and prophet already.

“Elida?” again Yorick shook me slightly. “You will ride with me and give them away with honour.”

“You are to bring the seeress to the Jarl. She’s to be with him.” The messenger stated and Yorick looked at him in surprise.

“With Aevarr?”  he asked and the messenger nodded. “Jarl Havar has decided that his oldest son is to marry the seeress. They shall then be the spiritual and the earthy guidance of the clan.”

Yorick’s face had turned pale but he nodded immediately. “I will honour my father’s wishes.” He said firmly, his grip around my arm tightening. “Let us all pack and get moving!” he then yelled into the hall, pulling me along.

“Where is he?” throwing gazes around the place filled with euphorically singing and celebrating warriors, he managed to get me up the stairs again.

Dead. She was dead. And so was the dark Jarl.

In a way I should have been happy, but the picture of the tall and bulky man that had only lost his wife came to my mind.

Was I really to marry him?

I had always felt that in many books and movies the authors had trotted out a hackneyed cliché with women fainting after receiving bad news. But to my surprise everything around me seemed to swirl and I sagged to my knees next to the fireplace.

Yorick was by my side instantly, not hesitating to pick me up again and shake me roughly.

“Where is he?” he asked again.

“With the hunters.” I managed to get out of my mouth with a thin voice. “They should have returned long ago.”

He nodded, grabbing me by the shoulders. The excitement downstairs was almost deafening, but I saw Yorick scanning the room with a thoughtful look in his grey eyes.

“I am to keep you safe.” He then whispered and his gaze was suddenly locked with mine. “I think that Oddgeir might have foreseen exactly this situation.” With a few hurried steps he reached the bed, putting me down. “Elida!” he hunkered down in front of me. “You have to listen very carefully now. We need to get away from this place, but right now I am their leader so I am not in the position to run.” Grabbing my chin he forced me to look at him and blink away my tears. “You are in danger. As well as your man. Since my father has decided to give you to my brother as a wife, your companion might not be of necessity any longer. So this is what we do: We pack, we saddle the horses and I will make the men ride. The hunters return, we prepare everything for their immediate departure but Ask has to get out of sight and slip away the second he gets a chance. Tell him to hide in the forest and hide well. We shall find him and the two of you are gonna leave while I and the last few men prepare my grandfather’s body for the journey. Am I making myself clear? You are to leave this place and find your companion the second I tell you.” His grip around my chin tightened and I let out a gasp of pain. When I nodded, he let go, putting his hands on each side of my face.

“I have no idea how this is going to turn out, but I can’t let my brother marry you and you won’t be happy to see your man get killed because in my father’s eyes he seemed to be a waste of space. I give you my word that I will do anything in my power to distract them and keep you safe, alright?”

Again I nodded slowly, feeling tears welling up once more. It was too much. Too much for one night, for one person to bear. Snivelling I gave another nod, unexpectedly feeling his lips on mine.

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Elida.” He whispered with his mouth still resting on mine and even grabbed me a little harder to pull me closer to his still naked chest. “Go pack a few things.” His thumb ran over my lips. “Try to stay out of sight.”

Completely confused I touched my lips, watching Yorick getting up from the floor. He handed me a coat and something that looked like a belt.

“Wait here for my return. I will arrange everything and speed up the pace.” Taking hold of my arm, he suddenly turned me around to face him again. “What do I tell him?”

A kiss, so many revelations and deaths, what was he talking about now?

“Your companion, Seeress.” His nose almost touched my ear. “What am I to tell him?”

I turned my own head slightly to whisper back. “Run.”

“Run.” He repeated and I nodded nervously.

“As simple as that. He will understand.” Throwing a look around, I found a piece of cloth on the floor and grabbed it. With a bit of effort and a burned stick I wrote “I’m safe, cu soon.”, and handed it to Yorick. “Give him that and tell him “run”.”

He nodded instantly, turning around to make his way downstairs with his long shirt in his hand, but I stopped him.

“Yorick why…”

The young man shook his head and ran his fingers through my hair. “You are not safe here and you are not safe in my father’s plans. My brother is a good man and he will be a better leader than anyone I know, but I am not watching you marry him.” With that he pulled me in for another kiss and this time I felt my arms wrapping themselves around him to hold him close for a few seconds.

“I never meant to come between you and your sacred man but right now everything seems out of control, the Gods are playing with us and I won’t let anything happen to you however insistently they are testing my faith.”

His warm breath was on my face when I lifted it to feel his lips once more. The careful kiss suddenly changed and I felt his arms around my hips, pulling me closer to his strong upper body.

“Please don’t get yourself in danger over me.” I whispered when he broke away breathlessly.

He tried to give me a smile. “My life is yours, Seeress.” Kissing my forehead, he suddenly stepped back. “From the first moment on it was yours and now you own it completely after saving me.”

His fingers squeezed mine and he pointed at the long coat. “Get dressed and wait for my return. I shall find your godly companion and make him leave this place. Then I shall find a way to bring you to safety.”

Chapter 21

Unable to sit still, I started to pack a few things, feeling ridiculous. What kind of play was this?

Standing by the window I tried to breathe in and out as slow and steady as I could.

The Jarl was dead and he had created his own plans that included me and my future.

Oddgeir was dead as well and without him no one would listen to Yorick and believe in our importance to these people.

Samu. My heart jumped in my chest painfully. If Yorick didn’t find him soon, he would be dead as well because for their new idea of a sacred partnership and a leading couple for the clan he was no longer required.

Idun. A sister, maybe a friend. I hadn’t saved her.

Burying my face in the palms of my hands, I confronted myself with everything that had happened and that now needed to be done. I had to try and find my way back home. I was to be with Samu, not with Yorick. I had to leave.

Feeling acid rising in my throat, I sat down on the floor, resting my back to the wooden wall.

The very thought of leaving Yorick hurt me almost as much as the fact that I had lost Idun and that I would most probably never have the chance to start a life with Samu after the exceptional occurrences of the night. It all preyed upon my mind. I was a Viking-scientist, of course I was fascinated by everything that had happened during the last days and that I had until now only read in books! Their lives, their behaviour, beliefs and strategies, it was amazing and…

Stop right here, Elida. Stop trying to find excuses and a way to stay in this godforsaken time!

New facts, as mentioned above, many from our side were dead. The whole clan would expect me to marry Aevarr now and of course they would kill Samu. Two things I wouldn’t let happen even if hell froze overnight.

I wasn’t meant to be a spiritual guide. I wasn’t meant to be with Aevarr.

But it seemed that I wasn’t meant to be with Yorick either.

Listening to the voices that now started to yell orders, I tried to extract Yorick’s voice.

“To the stables, ready the horses.” I suddenly heard him and the mere sound of it gave me goosebumps.

Oh my, I was definitely not quite right in the head. Suddenly there were steps on the stairs and I was quick to sit down on Oddgeir’s bed and start wrapping the furs and blankets around the old shaman’s body.

“We ride, Seeress.”

It was Thorbjorn and he gave me a smile.

I nodded immediately, getting up from the bed with my heart throbbing in my throat.

“Be safe.” I put my hand on his heart and reached out to touch his forehead. “I’ll see you soon.”

He bowed his head and gave me a smile. “The hunters have returned as well, Yorick already sent for your sacred man, the two of you will join us soon.”

I gave him another nod and forced a smile as well. “Be safe, soldier.” I whispered hoarsely, realizing in astonishment, that he had simply sought for the blessing of my hand. How much power they bestowed on me already!

Soon after, I heard the clattering of many horses outside. Someone yelled: “To the Black Castle!” and a long cheer followed before they rode off.

Listening to the sudden silence, I heard a few footsteps downstairs.

“Help me to ready him.” Yorick. I moved back to the headrest of Oddgeir’s bed. Should I hide now? Nervously I took note of approaching steps on the stairs.

“The Seeress will give him a last blessing and you shall ride off to the Castle.” His voice resounded from the next room. “I will stay and set fire to the place.”

Shivering I rubbed my hands. Maybe a good idea. We would let everybody leave the village and then set at least the main hut on fire. It would give us a bit of time. They all were in a hurry anyhow, so no one would ask questions if Yorick took his time.

The curtain was pulled aside and I saw Yorick entering the room with another man.

“Sverre will take the body to the funeral, Seeress.” He nodded at me. “All the others have left this place and are on their way. Give your blessings to the body and prepare for the journey, you ride with me.”

I bowed my head, putting my hand on the old man’s chest as if I had a clear clue what I was doing. Then I exchanged a quick look with Yorick.

The young man picked the slimly built body up from the bed and nodded at his last companion.

“I will bring him downstairs, you ride and take him to the new campgrounds. The ships are waiting.” He turned back at me and gave me a nod as well. “Follow us, get my horse and wait for me on the other side of the house.” His mesmerizing eyes almost pierced through me. “Do as I told you, Seeress.” He slowly said, emphasising every word.

I swallowed hard, hesitantly putting my fingertips on the raven on his forehead. “I will.” I whispered back, fighting the urge to kiss him.

Chapter 22

“We have to leg it right now.” Completely out of breath Samu rested his hands on his knees, bending over. He had not doubted for a second that he and Elida were in danger, after his return to the village. The Jarl was dead and many things were about to change. Run had been the only word from Yorick Havarson’s lips and his eyes had spoken volumes. It was becoming dangerous. Although he had never even for a second thought about leaving without Elida, her small message had given him hope to find her again, all being well in their own world.

“Where’s the woman, where’s Elida?” Riku had grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to the provisory campside in a little den behind bushes.

“She will come as soon as she can.” Samu stated firmly, overlooking his friend’s thunderstruck facial expression. “Yorick will surely not take her along.” He simply continued, now also ignoring Riku’s low gasp for air.

“So I say we bunk then!” Raul closed his jacket and quickly put his hoodie over his head before tapping Samu’s arm. “Good to have you back, mate, now come on, we have a bit of hiking to do!”

“Are you sure that she’s safe?” Sami broached the subject again and Samu spun around furiously.

“I have no idea, you hear me for fuck’s sake?” He hissed. “She fucking wrote me this short line and her loyally trusted personal saviour fucking slaughter-man told me to run, so no, I have no idea and I am praying right now that she is indeed well and that she will be able to follow us home. What else can I do? If I go back and try to find her myself they will kill me right away because I am no longer of use to them. Not only that, I am in the way of the marriage of the new leading couple of the clan, what a pleasant turn of events!”

“So she is to marry this Yorick guy then?” Riku asked silently after giving his friend a moment to throw a tantrum. Samu threw his head back and laughed but it didn’t sound happy.

“No, no! Not creepy raven-in-the-centre-of-his-fucking-face-Yorick but his hulking mega-creepy brother!” he threw a gaze around. “From everything I could gather before he sent me away, I am at least 80% sure that he is on our side. But I wouldn’t hold my breath.” Running his hands over his tired face, Samu looked back at the village and the big main hut. The night was dark but he caught a glimpse of a figure that was running through the dense undergrowth. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to focus. The figure was gone but he had been almost certain that it was Elida. Feeling his heartbeat increasing, he looked at his friends.

“That was her, wasn’t it? Not even 300 yards away.” Sami gestured in the direction of the small clearing where Elida had so suddenly turned up and disappeared.

Samu nodded, his mouth getting dry with excitement. “Let’s go!” he urged. “Let us follow her and try to catch up. Maybe we will all find this godforsaken crack in time and return home!”

Suddenly there wasn’t even a suggestion of fatigue inside of him. “Let’s go!” he pressed and started to run after Elida. But only to be stopped by Raul not more than a few seconds later.

“Stop!” Raul whispered alarmed, still holding his friend by his arm. “Don’t you see that?” he pointed into the forest and Samu felt his guts churn.

The main hut was on fire, the whole place blazing up in flames. And radiant against the burning and roaring flames there was a man on horseback, riding right into the forest at express speed and precisely in the direction Elida had disappeared to.

Samu felt all the air escape his lounges and he sagged to his knees. He didn’t stand a chance. Yorick was after her and she would not manage to escape this devil. His throat felt constricted and he looked up at his friends, finding even Riku’s expression changed completely.

“Maybe we can still save her.” Riku put his hand on Samu’s shoulder but Samu merely shook his head and lowered his gaze.

The devil had her. And he had played him well by making him believe that he was on their side.

Chapter 23

I was in complete shock when there were suddenly hoofbeats close behind me. Trying to gather up the last bit of my strength, I fought my way through the thick underbrushes, suddenly realizing that my name was called out.

Yorick.

Out of breath I stopped, turning around. The horse was approaching rapidly and I swallowed hard when I saw the flames that seemed to shoot into the night air. 

“Your hand!” Yorick suddenly yelled at me and my gaze was fixed on him at an instant.

My hand?

He didn’t stop, simply reached out his own hand towards me when he rode by. I had seen this move in movies, mostly of the romantic kind, but this procedure was everything but romantic. It was sudden. Swift. And painful. He simply grabbed me and pulled me up to sit behind him on his horse. But he almost dislocated my shoulder in the process and I let out a piercing shriek of agony.

“Hold on tight, it’s not far.” He shouted over his shoulder and put my arms tightly around his waist.

My teeth clattered and I bit my tongue when he made the horse jump over a few tree trunks.

Home, I am going home. Closing my eyes, I put my forehead between his shoulder blades. Home. Tightening my grip around the man in front of me, I lifted my face after a while.

“What will you do?” I yelled at him and felt him shrug.

Suddenly he drew in the reins, making the stallion prance. I squealed again, grabbing his shirt to prevent myself from falling.

“Off the horse, Seeress.” Agitatedly he swung his leg over the horses head, pulling me down with him. With a little slap and a low whistle he drove the fully packed and astounded horse away and took my hand.

“This way. Move it, woman!”

Completely out of breath I let him pull me through the dark forest.

“Where?” I managed to get out of my mouth that was as dry as sandpaper.

He turned around, facing me confused. “This is the place I found you in.” He gestured towards the rocks a few yards away. “Whatever happened to you, wherever you came from, this is where I found you.”

Fearfully interlacing fingers with him, I threw a look around. So this was it. I was about to leave. Leave this place. Leave Yorick.

I gritted my teeth and tried to keep step with him.

Unexpectedly he stopped, turning around to face me. “Do you remember anything?”

His warm body was suddenly very close and I felt my own body taking spontaneous refuge right below his collarbone.

“I don’t.” I answered bleakly, feeling the speed of my heartbeat increase, when he put his hand on my back, to pull me even closer.

“Nothing?” he whispered with his lips on my ear and I shook my head, looking up at him.

“I got lost in the fog and I fell. From that moment on everything is blurry and dark.”

His fingers travelled up my back and touched my neck. “Fog.” He repeated and looked around. “There is loads of it between the hills to our left.” Wrapping his arm around my shoulders he pulled me along.

“Yorick, wait!” frightfully I tried to stop him, detain him at least. “I don’t… I can’t…”

“You can and you will!” he interrupted, grabbing my chin to force me to look at him again. “You are not safe here. There is nothing for you in this place, Elida!”

“Isn’t there?” I held his stare, feeling his hand slip around my neck again.

He sighed and tilted his head back to avoid my eyes.

“Elida!” he whispered through his teeth but I softly took hold of his beard and tugged him down.

“Nothing?” I said lowly, running my fingertips over his cheek.

He shook his head very slowly.

“You are not safe.” Tenderly he put his lips on mine. “I can’t keep you safe and as much as I want it, I can’t keep you as my own wife, you are my brother’s. And I won’t let that happen.”

The look in his eyes became stern and authoritarian. “I want you to be mine, but you’ll never be so there is no other way.”

“We could run.” I insisted in a throaty voice but he only shook his head with a sad smile on his lips.

“Where? To what end?” eagerly he kissed me again before he pulled me in the direction of the nearby hills. “Asgard is waiting for you and I will personally make sure that you will find your way back. Oddgeir will haunt me for the rest of my life if I don’t return you.”

Even though I struggled against his grip, he kept pulling me along and right into the misty clouds of dense fog. Refusing to let go of his hand, I felt a shiver running through my whole body.

“Yorick!” I whispered, feeling his fingers trying to loosen my grip.

“Please, Elida, just go.” He pleaded and shook his head. “I can’t lose you. Return to your home and be safe.”

“But I don’t want to go.” I insisted, feeling ridiculous and helpless at the same time.

Again he only shook his head. “The one thing that comforts me right now is to know that you will be safe.” Grabbing my neck he pulled me close one last time and kissed my forehead. “For the love of the great Allfather, will you simply do as you’re told for once, woman?”

I was about to tell him where to stuff it, when there was a sudden light around us. Only for a split second, but I felt a rush of fear. Yorick instinctively wrapped his arm around me and grabbed his dagger.

“Looks like Heimdallr has opened the Bifröst for you.” Sheathing his dagger, Yorick stepped back. “Be safe, Seeress.” He took another step away from me. I wanted to protest, beg him to stay with me or at least let me stay with him. But I was rotten to the spot. Within a few seconds there was thick fog between us. Yorick gave me a gloomy smile and all of a sudden he had disappeared. It was dark around me and there was so much pressure inside my brain that I sagged to my knees, wrapping my arms around my head. Then everything went black and I gasped for air.

It felt like I was being sucked into a whirlpool. A vortex of emotions and darkness.

His name was on my lips before I lost consciousness.

A gentle touch made me flinch.

“Elida?” suddenly there were lips on my cheek.

“Love, wake up.” Still the husky voice was close to my ear and I tried my best to finally open my eyes.

“Elida! Wake up, you’re dreaming again!”

When I finally managed to open my eyes, I flinched.

Samu? What was Samu doing here?

“Yorick?” I croaked, sitting up with my heart pounding in my throat.

My room! I was in my bedroom. Completely confused I looked down on my clean bedsheets and up and down the naked man that lay next to me. We were here, we were alright. Nothing… Baffled I stared at Samu, finding him smiling and pulling me down to rest my face to his naked chest.

“You’ve been dreaming a lot lately, love.” Softly he caressed my neck and started to place little butterfly kisses on my forehead. “It has been yet another night with you tossing and turning, but since you are doing it naked, I am still fine comforting you.”

His broad smile helped my heartbeat to slow down and I put my hand on his face.

“You’re here.” I stated, still puzzled and not sure what else to say. 

He chuckled slightly, kissing the palm of my hand.

“Of course I am, you are my sexy personal guide, remember?” Kissing my lips he bent over me. “But I’d be very thankful if you could stop dreaming about this Yorick-guy for one night, alright?”

Swallowing hard, I nodded. “Of course.” I whispered, quickly closing my eyes when he bent down to kiss me.

The smell of fire was still in my nose. Yorick’s lips on mine. It had been so realistic. Far too real to only turn out to be a dream.

“Stop thinking.” Samu nudged me softly before he bent over, slowly kissing his way down my body. “Let me help you to relax a little. No Vikings for today, alright?”

I nodded with a lump in my throat.

Dream, Elida.

Shutting my eyes firmly, I tried to concentrate on Samu.

Nothing but a dream …