Chapter 3

Voices filled with excitement ring out loudly as the men in our boat look out to the left. Anders looks up and over the side of the boat from where we sit, still huddled together for warmth. He turns back to me, smiling, before he stands and retakes his seat, preparing to row. I move over to the side where he was seated and look to see what everyone is so excited about. Land. It’s not JUST land, though. There are houses, buildings, and people moving about. Of course, they’re all happy. They are ready to raid this poor village, too. As we get closer, I can see people coming out towards the water, seemingly unafraid. I want so badly to yell out for them to run, to hide. Have these people not heard the tales of the Norsemen? They’re infamous, with their fleets of ships that come at night, flags flying, full of men unafraid of death. I finally realize it's home. They aren’t afraid of them because they are them. I look up at Anders as he continues to row, and while everyone else seems unable to contain their excitement, he looks nervous. They steer the boats into the dock and quickly jump out, unloading their treasures and embracing what I assume are loved ones. These men have seemed so terrifying to me, but now, seeing them hug women and children seems so strange—all except for Anders. He doesn’t leap from the boat, nor does he even look around for anyone to hug. He lifts his heavy bag and gathers my things, offering his hand to me. He steps from the boat, helping me with so much care that it stops me in my tracks momentarily. This man kidnapped me, took me from my home, but he’s so careful with me and so kind. It just doesn’t make any sense. The excitement grows as they all head towards a large building in the center of their village, carrying all the treasures with them. Anders speaks with a man, and we follow him as he holds my hand tightly. He stops outside the door, pulling me to the side. He says something, but I don’t understand, so I just shake my head. He says something else, but I still don’t understand. Finally, he gently places his hands on my shoulders and leans down, kissing my forehead. He straightens himself to his full height, a scowl now on his face as he looks above me at the building. Roughly, his hand moves to my upper arm, and he drags me into the building with everyone else. There are more people here than I expected, and I suspect everyone from the village is packed here. Long tables with benches adorn the sides of the building, and what seems to be food is being prepared in the center over a large fire pit. Flags hang on the walls with some kind of swirl design, the same on the ships. It would honestly be amazing if I weren’t being pulled along so forcefully. There’s a man seated at the end of the room before everyone. He says something and holds his hand out, causing silence to come over the room. He must be the leader, as everyone seems to be hanging on his every word. A few different men speak to him and hand him items of great value. He smiles, taking them and placing them next to his seat. Multiple men approach, all handing items to him before kissing a ring on his hand and stepping back. Everyone has said “Jarl,” leaving me to assume it’s his name, and he holds great power among these people. The man who found me in the loft approaches and speaks, kneeling before him. I’m unsure what is said, but the man turns and points towards Anders and me, the entire room turning to look at us. Anders pulls me forward, roughly tossing me to the floor. The kind man who saved me is gone, now replaced by this. The two men speak, and not one word sounds familiar. The way they are looking at me is terrifying as Anders grabs my arm again and lifts me to my feet with no effort. Jarl stands and takes a step towards me. He smiles at me, not in a comforting way, but in a way that sends fear down my spine. I try to pull away as he gets close, but Anders holds me in place. Jarl reaches out and touches the curls cascading down and over my shoulders in front, pushing them back before running a finger down my breast, trailing it lower. Anders’ hand shoots out and grabs his wrist, and I can see fury on the man's face. Anders says something to him, and whatever it is, causes him to laugh along with the rest of the room. Jarl takes a seat again, smiling as he continues saying something, waving his hand in a dismissive fashion. Anders releases my arm, reaching into his bag and pulling out valuable items to present to him. The man points at his bag, and while hesitant, Anders hands it to him. He rifles through the bag, taking out what he likes before tossing the nearly empty bag back to him. He slings the bag back across him and grabs my arm, though he doesn’t squeeze, as he leads me to the back of the room. I look up at Anders as he looks around the room intently. I don’t know what to make of it. He was so kind to me until he wasn’t. And now, he still holds on to me, but it’s not rough like it was moments ago. His fingers move to gently rub the place on my arm where he had just squeezed painfully. Something inside me tells me that he’s still my safest bet. After some time, the people all disperse, going about their evening, speaking to one another, laughing, hugging. There’s even some singing, though I don’t recognize any of it. A woman hands us each a plate. Anders reaches out to the platters before us and puts some on his plate, motioning for me to do the same. I’m unsure what any of this is, so I pick up some bread, which is the only thing familiar to me. Anders takes a few bites but when he sees that I’ve only taken some bread, he offers a bite of his food. I take it, trying it timidly. It’s warm and mushy- with some meat and maybe a potato. I nod, trying to indicate that I like it. He must understand because he reaches forward and places some on my plate with a small smile. Jarl takes a seat next to Anders. He tenses a bit and places his hand on my leg under the table. He doesn’t grab it roughly and I find it to be some amount of comfort. The men stand, and Anders grabs my arm again, leading me out as he carries our things. We follow him to a barn. Opening the door, he leads us in and waves his arm around while speaking with Anders. He nods and leaves us there, closing the door behind him. Anders puts everything down against the far wall, and suddenly, he looks so tired, like he’s been hiding it all evening, and can finally relax. He looks at me like he’s trying to figure something out but takes my hand and leads me to a pile of hay. He sits, tugging my hand gently for me to sit next to him, and as I do, he reaches over and removes my boots. After removing his shoes, he crawls back and lies down, motioning for me to lay beside him. I guess this is where we’re sleeping. I swallow. Hard. I’ve never slept this close to a man before until on the boat, but it’s so cold here. I finally climb into the hay beside him, and he holds his arm out for me to lie beside him. He pauses, sitting up and unhooking the fur he keeps over his shoulders. He lays it on the hay beside him, across his arm, almost like a pillow, and gives me an unsure grin. As I lay down next to him, he holds me close to him, pulling anything we have over us to keep warm. I feel a sense that no matter how strange or odd, this is where I am supposed to be. Editing for grammar