The Seeress

Chapter Fourteen

The fortress was filled with guards and torches, intimidating enough for Edwin. He knew its name, Broncaster Castle, being the eye that oversees all of Nordlund for the crown. He would want to free Harold, but even then, he knew that the chances were very slim. He then saw Erik, silently brooding there and had his eyes looking at every detail of the fortress. His calm demeanor clashed with Edwin hugging himself for warmth.

He, his father and Erik all peeked at the castle far away, as they themselves were mostly covered in snow. For all of their lack of manpower, the men in the fortress would certainly seem that they were well protected. Well clothed too, in contrast to Edwin's hastily worn linen cloth. 

"It seems our luck has run out today," Erik said, as he himself could not find anywhere to sneak. Edwin tsked, cursing away as he lacked any means to penetrate it. Those wooden walls were sturdy, all of them were probably strong as stones themselves. And those guards were well-armed, having spears slightly taller than them and helms that covered their entire face, save for their mouths.

"No... Harold is still there," Edwin said, his hands turned to a fist as he touched the snow angrily. John could not abandon his nephew as well, but he was all the more just as dumbfounded as he was. There really was nowhere to sneak into. Of course, unlike all the other towns and castles, this one was filled with guards. The odds were truly stacked against them.

"Every corner has guards, they must have Agnetha no doubt," Edwin said, seeing them patrolling the castle. "Father... father," Edwin kept asking John, but the latter did not answer. Edwin wasn't in the mood to wait, as he was infuriated just seeing him looking at them.

"Father!" Edwin whispered angrily.

"Look son," John said, as he pointed to the gate opening, as carriages were pouring into them. Edwin peeked closer, perhaps a bit too much to nearly get himself spotted. But he realized what his father meant.

"You think we could get inside one of those?" Edwin looked at Erik, who could only look at him weirdly. As if he was a red guard himself. Erik could only shake his head, but not in a way that looked terribly pessimistic to Edwin.

"We'll have to make do, Edwin," Erik said looking at the fortress. His gut told him that he would be mad to even consider breaching the fortress. But the mistress he was sent to protect is in danger, and he had no desire to break his word. 

...

"Open the door,"

Cuthbert had two of his men go inside the room first. Even as someone who fought in the War when we barely reached adulthood, he had the common fear of the Seeress. He should know that they were all dead, burnt on the eve of the War. But he could not help but prepare for the worse.

"She is there, lord thegn," the sergeant said, as Cuthbert saw the golden-haired lady kneeling to the ground. The room looked quite comfortable for a prisoner. With a warm, cotton bed and candles lit to keep her warm. Even then, she chose to kneel far away in the right corner. Facing away from Cuthbert, she looked as if she was chanting, or at least talking to herself. Either that or praying to her gods. Cuthbert was none the wiser. 

"Is she always like this?" Cuthbert asked.

" I'm afraid so," the sergeant said. "Whenever we give her meals or announce, she would always look at the wall, saying something in her language," Cuthbert nodded, seeing the lady suddenly shivering. He knew that she could withstand such cold weather, therefore it wasn't the winds, but rather Cuthbert himself that Agnetha was shivering at. 

"Shall we accompany you, lord thegn?" the sergeant asked.

"No need," Cuthbert said, as he ordered them to leave. As the door went shut, Cuthbert saw the lady with much fright. Cuthbert touched his longsword that hangs on his waist. He knew much about those witches, and that they were too powerful to be kept alive. His mind was clouded with memories of what they did to his friends. Such that he could not bring it out of his mind with such memories. 

And within a few moments, he was left alone with her. With no one knowing who is the one who takes control of the other. 

"My lady, it is good to see you alive," Cuthbert said politely. She was still, after all, the princess of the Jarl. He still has to address formalities. "Please don't take this wrongly, we had to make sure that you are completely safe,"

Agnetha did not say anything to him, still muttering phrases that he do not know. Her hands were shivering, as Cuthbert could only guess her true feelings. Even then, Cuthbert did not wish to be brash to the princess, and could only bow his head. 

"A lot of people thought that you were dead," Cuthbert said, as Agnetha did not turn to him. She was still entranced, as her lips move but Cuthbert did not know what she says.

"It was a good thing, that those bandits did not kill you. I am sure that Jarl Kjartarn would be more than glad to see you safe," Cuthbert said, playing the narrative that he has no part in it. The idea of Westerners trying to kill the princess would be more than heretical. But Agnetha still chose to not talk to him. Cuthbert, his patience running thin, went in closer to make sure she listened to his words. "But before I send you to your father, I must conduct something with you," Cuthbert continued.

Agnetha still faced at her side, not paying attention to Cuthbert in any way. She still continues to speak on her own, ignoring him no matter how loud he was.

"I am the only one who could set you free, why won't you listen," Cuthbert said, in a slightly louder tone. "Your 'friends' are merely bandits, I have the power you release you back. Why won't you listen?" 

"Help me, Freyja, this is a path I cannot follow," Agnetha said, in her own tongue. Cuthbert approached her slowly, his fingers itching to grab his sword. He slowly saw her face as she looked as if she was praying.

"No... this can't be my path..."

Cuthbert went in closer, as Agnetha still did not acknowledge his presence. Agnetha then breathed heavily, her hands trembling as Cuthbert heard her teeth grit. Then, he could see a tear trickling down her cheek. She is crying? Cuthbert thought. 

"Is this my fate?" Agnetha said under her breath, as Cuthbert moved his hand to her shoulder. He did not know what she said, but he could see her fear and anger protruding from her.  "No... you can't... thrust me in this path," Agnetha said again. Her breath grows shorter as she pants longer. 

"I can't!"

Cuthbert turned her around, seeing her frightened face and looking at the general. Cuthbert then saw her eyes, as there was a silver ring on each of them. Cuthbert knew those kinds of eyes. Almost immediately, Cuthbert knew what she was doing, something that a seeress would do. He pulled the sword, almost certain that he was correct, that she should have died in the south weeks ago.

"Guards!" Cuthbert yelled as they poured in immediately. Agnetha blinked as the silver rings in her eyes were gone. But by then, Cuthbert knew of her secret. There was no point in hiding it. 

"I should have known," Cuthbert said, seeing the helpless girl as she shrinks to her corner. Having nothing to protect herself, she could only do nothing as the guards all cornered her. She saw the men in red, all unsheathing their swords as they prepare to kill her.

"No! Stand down!" Cuthbert yelled as they all put down their swords. Cuthbert then saw Agnetha, as the latter did not parley or pray in any way. "No... I am not who you think I am," Agnetha said in defence, muttering words to save herself. "I am not a seeress, seidr is a myth..."

"You are one of them," Cuthbert said, this time he was very affirmative of what he had to do. "She is a seeress, swords and arrows can't harm her," Cuthbert turned to his own men as he said that, saying from his own experience.

"What shall be done?" the sergeant asked.

"Tie her up, she must be burnt alive," Cuthbert said, as he swiftly turned his back on her. He could hear her screams as she was taken away, cursing at them as two men dragged her out. The memories flow back to him, he could hear their so-called demonic chants and spells at his men. Dozens of men are burnt alive or have their souls sucked. He of all Westerners in Nordlund would want her dead. 

The seidr, those women said to be tied to their gods. He wished that their deaths, it would become a myth and that they would be forgotten forever. That those Nords would lose their knowledge which would lead to his people's demise. 

And thus, death must take her.