Viking Fur Blanket
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The Norsemen of Frankia were hardy folk. It had taken us the best part of three days to reach our destination, but we had endured storms and high winds that would have daunted more experienced sailors; it was only luck or divine intervention that had kept us from sinking.
Now the sun shone brightly in a clear sky, sending beams through gaps between the clouds, as it rose over the western horizon like some fiery ball that heralded another beautiful day on this northern land.
The sea was calm now, it’s surface glassy smooth where before it had been choppy and ruffled by the wind. We made good time under oar and sail, arriving at our destination early on the second day out of the bay.
I was exhausted from being tossed around like a leaf in a hurricane all night long. But I’d slept well once we’d anchored for the evening, safe beneath my warm fur blanket and surrounded by the warmth of other bodies. As if sensing my discomposure, Ragnar’s arm snaked across me as he lay next to me with his back against the mast. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Fine,” I assured him; though I wasn’t so sure. My body ached all over. When I woke up in the morning the ship had been rocked by two more waves, the second one nearly capsizing us and throwing half of us into the freezing water.
I’d managed to stay afloat until I was swept overboard again when Ragnar’s strong arms hauled me back aboard. That was how I’d spent most of the day, shivering, unable even to get my hands above water to wipe away the salt stinging my eyes and the burning sting of the cold searing every inch of my body.
When Ragnar returned with me in tow, I thought we were sunk; he looked like death. His eyes were red-rimmed, his hair matted with seawater, and his clothes ripped and torn. He looked as though he’d just been dragged from the bottom of the ocean. If not for his quick thinking in getting our ship upright and back on course, I doubt we could have survived.
Now he smiled and leaned closer to whisper in my ear. “Did you sleep well last night? I did.” His voice sounded hoarse and rough.
I nodded and turned toward him, smiling despite the ache in my neck. Even though I didn’t feel great myself, I felt better than I had since we’d left Frankia, thanks to his strength and courage. “We’ve got a long ride ahead of us. Are you sure you’re okay to do this today?”
“As much as I am going to be able to move without making us both fall down on top of each other.” He laughed then winced. “But you know what they say: no pain, no gain.”
He was right. And if I was lucky, maybe I’d soon have enough of both.
“Come on then, my dear lord,” Ragnar said, helping me from the deck. He held out his hand for me to take mine, but I hesitated, looking out over the water, hoping for the sight of some sign of the dragon we’d come here to slay.
It wasn’t long before we saw something. A dark shadow loomed out of the haze, like a ghost coming to haunt us. “That must be it!” I said, my heart pounding so loud in my ears I was certain everyone else in the crew could hear. But there was nothing I could do except keep walking forward as Ragnar’s strong arms encircled me and pulled me up onto the rocky beach below.
We walked up onto the shore and stood gazing at the massive black beast that seemed to stand taller than the cliff behind it, towering over me even though I stood on solid ground. It was as large as a house.
“You can see why I wanted to bring you back here,” Ragnar said. “This is a fine place for hunting dragons. They seem drawn to the area around this point.”
A low rumbling sound came from within the dragon’s belly and Ragnar took off running, leaping across rocks and boulders toward the creature, leaving me alone with our ship, which sat on the beach not far from where we stood.
I followed after Ragnar and found him atop the beast’s head as it roared. His face was inches from its snarling mouth and his blade flashed as he drove it through its eye. The moment the sword struck home, the dragon went limp. Its wings fell open like those of an enormous bat and its long tail thumped down on the rocks behind it.
Ragnar stepped down from the dragon’s skull and turned to me with a smile. “Well, aren’t you impressed, little brother?”
I shook my head. “What happened to your fancy plan to sneak up on that thing from above? And how did you manage to land on its head while wearing armor?”
“Don’t you worry about details,” he said, grinning like a fool. “Let’s just say you’ll understand once you’ve seen my magic.”
My stomach twisted. I didn’t care what he called it. Magic was dangerous and I knew he was playing with fire. “No. I won’t see it.”
“Yes you will,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Or else you’re dead meat. You heard what they said; we’re going to be outnumbered as hell.”
“How many does it look like you killed already, Ragnar?” I asked, turning on my heel and walking back to our boat. “And now we don’t even have the time or the resources to go back and retrieve any of them.”
“You are no fun.”
I shrugged and climbed back up into the rigging. “If you need me to kill anything for you, Ragnar, all you have to do is ask.” I started to climb down, but he caught hold of my ankle and yanked me back up.
“Not that easy, my pretty boy,” he said, his fingers digging into my flesh so hard I cried out. I looked up at him and tried to shake free of his grasp, but he tightened his grip until I could barely breathe.
I felt the blood rushing to my face as my body heated up under his touch. He’d always been good with women and even when I’d fought against him in Frankia, there was a part of me that had enjoyed the attention.
I was stronger now and I’d learned how to fight. There was nothing he could do to me here on this island that would make me feel fear or weakness. “Why did you leave me, Ewald? We were together, you and I. For years.”
“Leave you? That’s nonsense.”
“Is it? What about when we met that first time?” He grinned at me, his eyes glinting with pride and arrogance. “You didn’t even know who I was. I was no one. I was the poor bastard son of a farmer. And yet you listened to what I had to say and agreed to sail with me as we traveled through Frankia, slaying the men who had taken our family’s lands from us.
Then suddenly we were fighting the Franks themselves! And we won.”
He leaned closer so that his lips brushed mine and the scent of leather and sweat filled my nose. My stomach turned to ice when he kissed me and for a moment I thought I might vomit. When we broke apart, my heart pounded as if it were trying to beat its way out of my chest.
I was furious beyond words as I grabbed hold of his shoulders and shoved him away so hard that he stumbled backward. His breath whistled out of his lungs and he stared at me like I’d done something strange.
“You think I’m some girl who needs you to protect her from the rough-and-tumble life?” I yelled in his face. “You’re a man, Ragnar, not some kid playing with toys.”
Ragnar frowned and then smiled again. “Oh, now you sound like Jarl Sigvard! You’re a fool, boy. I’ve known you since you were a child and I can still smell your mother on you, despite how you try to deny it. Your father wasn’t much better. But I love you as much as my own sons. Why else would you follow me?”
“Because you’re the biggest bully and coward I ever saw!” I shouted as I pushed him back. “I’m no longer interested in being your lapdog and I never want to hear the word loyalty from your lips again. Now get out of my sight before I lose my temper and do worse than knock you unconscious.”
“That’s my baby, always ready to play dirty.” He laughed, reaching up to grab my arm again. This time, though, he held firm and I had to use all my strength to pull myself free. He reached down and caught hold of me and pulled me close to him, whispering, “Remember what you’re really doing here, Ewald.
You’re saving your people from certain death. All of them, even those who may not deserve it.”
His voice sent a chill up my spine. As angry as I was, I wanted to believe him. But as soon as I looked into his eyes, I knew it wasn’t true. He didn’t care about us. Not really. I was an asset, nothing more. A tool he used to further his ambitions. The same as the others.
As soon as we landed on this island, he’d made sure to tell me that my presence was only for show. That we had come so far and risked so much because of our need for revenge against King Magnus. And once we arrived on this island, I realized that he meant exactly what he’d said.
We needed to capture these slaves to win their help for our war with the Franks. So when one of them had gotten in our way, Ragnar had ordered him to be slain.
But I’d heard the whispers among the slaves. They knew what would happen when they fell out of favor with the Jarl. It wasn’t long before Ragnar’s men came for me and I was forced to take part in the hunt. I hadn’t been able to stop Ragnar from killing those two, but maybe…just maybe, if we were lucky enough to survive this fight, I might have a chance to change his mind and let us go.
A shout went up in a language I didn’t recognize, followed by screams of agony and terror. I turned around just in time to see a wave of arrows flying over our heads, striking the wall surrounding the courtyard below. I glanced up at the ramparts where I could see Viking warriors rushing upward, spears raised high and shields locked tight against enemy attacks.
We’d lost.
The End