Chapter 2

The man carries me towards the center of the village, the looting all but done now, as he stops in the center and places me on the ground. I look around, waiting for what’s to come next when he reaches under his shirt and lifts a necklace over his head with a hammer and a red jewel in the center. It’s so beautiful that I want to reach out and touch it, but he places it on the ground and draws something in the dirt next to it with a stick before lifting me again. I look around and see neighbors and friends lying dead on the ground. It’s so quiet I just know that everyone else ran or is hiding, and I pray that they made it somewhere safe and weren’t followed. We reach the edge of the sea, and I find boats lined up where my father used to take me fishing. “Eleanor,” he’d say seriously, “You’re a lovely girl, but you need to know how to feed yourself. I don’t want you to have to depend on a man for everything. What if something happens and you’re left alone?” I hated fishing, mostly because I hated touching the fish, but I CAN catch a fish and cook it if needed. I was hoping that would help me attract a husband soon. Father had told me he’d take my opinion into consideration when selecting, but I know my dowry isn’t as big as others, and after today, it’s gone. Now, I have no options. No father. No dowry. Nothing. The man carries me onto one of the boats, places me on the ground next to a small bench, and hands me the blanket tied around my clothes. I nod in thanks and pull the fur blanket around me for comfort. I had always dreamed of seeing something outside my village someday, but this was not what I had hoped for. There’s some yelling as more men and women load into the boats before they start rowing, taking me from my home. An older man comes to me and grasps my arm, pulling me to my feet as he says something. His voice is harsh and I am scared. The blond man stands and grasps his arm, squeezing tightly until he finally releases me. They talk for a moment, the blond man never leaving my side, before he helps me sit back down. He gently inspects my arm, his fingers gently grazing my reddening skin before he takes his seat and begins to row. Later, he sits beside me on the ground, reaching into his bag and holding a piece of salted meat. “Thank you,” I tell him, and he wrinkles his forehead but smiles a comforting smile. He reaches his hand up to his chest. “Anders.” Reaching out, he places his hand on my chest, a questioning look on his face. “Eleanor,” I say softly. “El-nor,” he says, trying to pronounce it correctly as he raises his hand and twists one of my curls around a long, calloused finger. “El-a-nor,” I say again, trying to emphasize the syllable he’s missing. “El-nor,” he says again, a look of frustration on his face, like he just CAN’T say it right. I smile at him. It’s so nice that he’s trying. I take his hand and place it on my chest as he had when he asked my name. “Ellie.” “Ellie,” he says, returning my smile as his blue eyes glisten. Something about how he says my name makes me feel comforted, like I know he’s going to protect me wherever he takes me. He turns beside him and reaches into his bag, pulling out a loaf of bread. It’s still warm, and I realize that while his friends were taking everything of value, he must have decided to grab food. Did he kill someone for this? Does it even matter if he did? The boat seems to be loaded with many items of value. They couldn’t have come just from my small village. How many people did he kill to get all of this? Anders holds the bread out to me again and breaks off a piece, attempting to hand that to me instead. Timidly, I reach up and take it, unsure what it means for me. I knew the person who made this, whoever it was, but I need to survive. I take a bite, looking up at his piercing blue eyes. The wind from being out in the open water causes me to shiver. I’ve never been on a boat, not really. From time to time, I would go out on a small one to help my father fish, but I never really left the shore. It was small, with barely enough room for the two of us. This boat, though, is enormous, and there’s water for as far as I can see in any direction. The deer hide blanket I grabbed when leaving is pulled back from me, and Anders places the old blanket around me before pulling the hide back over me and shoving my belongings behind me. A large wave crashes and shakes the boat, startling me. I gasp, but Anders puts his arm around me to steady me, pulling me close against him. I can feel his fingers playing with my hair as he keeps me close to him, and while I should fear being with a strange man in choppy waters, I just feel comfort in his arms. ----------------------- It’s been Five days. Five days on the boat. Five days since I left my home. I’m not sure what I expected. I have no clue where exactly these Northmen are from, but I didn’t think it was this far. Most nights, Anders sat beside me, leaning his head back to look at the stars above in the clear sky as he dozed off. Tonight, it is much colder and cloudy. Tonight, Anders seems concerned, but I’m not sure why. He pulled my belongings together and tied them into a dress instead of the blanket. He had me place another dress over the nightgown I’ve been wearing and tightly wrapped the blankets around me as it has become colder along our voyage. I shiver, and he tries his best to tuck me in tightly to the blankets, but as my shivers continue, he lifts me into his lap and wraps his arms around me. His hand gently rubs my back as he glances up at the moon. I’ve never been this close to a man, but he’s so warm, and it’s so cold, so I relax into his chest as he situates the hide over us and leans his head on the top of mine. I know this is improper, but I’m finally warm, and he’s been so kind to me. Finally, I lean into him and fall asleep to the sound of his heart beating and his raspy voice saying, “Minn.” I wake to the sound of waves crashing against the ship and thunder in the air. Anders still has his arms tightly around me, though he seems very tense. Water splashes over the side of the boat, hitting me in the face. He brings his hand up to wipe the salty water from my eyes, and when I blink them open, meeting his, I can see just how scared he is. He wraps his arms back around me, pulling me to his chest, and leans his chin on top of my head as the storm continues. I know I’m probably wrong, and it’s just rocking from the storm, but I swear I feel him inhale and press against my hair.