The Seer's Child

The Other Gods

Scottish Border- 804 AD

Crossing and uncrossing her legs, Tualla couldn't get comfortable as the sensation became unbearable. She couldn’t hold it much longer.

"What are you doing?" A sleepy Torsten growled without opening his eyes.

"I— I need to pee."

"Nice try." He made an exaggerated laugh before rolling over. "Go to sleep."

She couldn’t even attempt to sneak away since he'd further restrained her.

Whimpering in desperation, she squirmed beside him. "Please," she squeaked, biting her lip as she squeezed her thighs together. "I'm desperate."

Frustrated, he sat up and squinted at her through tired eyes. Huffing, he shuffled out of his blanket. Like some sort of sack, it wrapped around his body with one opening at the top. 

Tualla gazed at the tattoos on his chest before averting her eyes from his naked body.

He untied the rope which he'd attached to the boat and followed her to the same spot as earlier. "Do not try anything." 

"I won't." She went to pee and didn't even complain when he refused to turn around. 

Feeling much better, they made their way back to camp.

"You should thank me for not making you pee yourself." 

"Thank you for holding me against my will. I really enjoy having to ask for permission to pee."

He chuckled. "Good girl. You are learning." 

Tualla waited patiently for Torsten to re-tie her restraints. "Even if I could escape, I wouldn't." 

He raised a sceptical eyebrow as he finished up. "You tried to kill me." 

"That was before…"

"Before what?" 

"Nevermind," she said, slumping down into her spot. 

Torsten climbed back into his blanket. "Now go to sleep." 

She stared at him for a long time while he slept. Seeing him in a different light, he didn’t seem as scary or intimidating. She could even let herself admire his masculine features. 

With a yawn, she snuggled into the cosy blanket and tomorrow, she would start earning his trust.

***

"Wake up," Torsten's voice pulled Tualla from her sleep. 

Groaning, Tualla stirred and forced her eyes open. They stung from lack of sleep and she found Torsten grinning at her. "Now it is my turn to keep you awake."

Although the sun was barely up, the camp bustled with life. With breakfast cooking, the men spent a lot of time grooming themselves. Even Torsten took a considerable amount of time tidying his russet-tinted beard and styling his hair.

After breakfast, there seemed to be a buzz around the camp. In high spirits, they cleaned and sharpened their weapons. If Tualla didn’t know any better, she'd say they were preparing for a battle.

"Where are you going?" she asked Torsten when he came to check on her. 

He glanced at her but didn't answer. 

"I want to come." 

Although he smirked, he continued to ignore her and it riled Tualla more than she’d admit.