The Seeress

Chapter Seventeen

Erik thought of the men that had died during their escape. Seeing how he had fought with them for a decade, he grimace at how he could not even bury their bodies, since they have died at that fort. He looked away from the distant fort that is Broncaster, that name would only bring pain to him.

He looked then at the mercenaries. He did not know why they were still alive, or rather why the gods have chosen this way. He felt a rather brutish thought in his mind, seeing Harold snorting there by himself.  He then looked at Agnetha, her body lay curled and tired. Her eyes indicated that she still felt the trauma of what happened that night.

"My lady?" Erik said, inquiring her attention to him. "Is there something wrong?"

Agnetha breathed heavily in each span. She slowly tilted her eyes to Erik, her hands stopping themselves from shivering. "I heard him," Agnetha said to Erik. 

"Heard who?" Erik asked slowly, but impatiently.

"The Allfather," Agnetha said to him. Erik picked up what she has said, seeing as her eyes were too wide and her voice was too straight to be lying. "The Allfather, my lady?" Erik asked again. 

Agnetha looked at him again. Her eyes did not shake or tremble as she nodded at him. "I saw his face, he looked exactly as the seeresses of old described him." She said with a stern clarity, her fear eroded away even though her energy is largely spent. Erik felt a sudden shock to his heart, as he himself could not believe it. 

"And then... what happened?" Erik asked as another figure interrupted them without caution.

"Are you alright?" he heard another voice addressing Agnetha. It was Edwin no less, who looked beaten and weary. Somehow, part of his anger goes away, seeing his posture of him rather meek and small. He then saw Agnetha having her head laid down. The ashes and the smell of the fires still lingered in their vicinity, even after they left rather a great many paces given their speed. 

"I am alright, thank you," Agnetha said, as Erik was taken aback at her casual answer to the Westerner. Edwin saw how Erik felt agitated at his response, as his blue eyes blared at him. "Well, that is good to hear," Edwin said, as he walked back to his group.

"Erik, is there something wrong?" Agnetha asked him. Erik looked back at her again, as she went to his side. Erik could only prevent himself from blushing by realizing that those Western mercenaries are still with them. 

"I killed them all, Erik..." Agnetha said weakly. "All those men, burnt to ashes. By my hand..."

"They tried to burn you, did you not remember?" Erik said, imploring her to ignore the ashes surrounding them. "If you had not used your powers, it would be you. These people, have no sympathy for you."

"Have they treated you well?" Erik said, politely and sternly. 

Agnetha looked at them, seeing Harold seemingly scolding Edwin again. She does not feel a sense of distrust or thievery from them. Rather, they proved themselves to be competent companions for her.  But then she also realised that they were mercenaries, Western mercenaries at that. 

"I do not trust either of them at all," Erik admitted to her, his eyes focused entirely on Harold especially. Agnetha saw his eyes blinking rapidly, as he gave off a frustrated sigh.

"Just say the word, my lady, and I will make quick work of them," Erik said to her. 

"No," Agnetha said, soft enough for them not to hear, but loud enough for Erik to reconsider. "They have brought me this far, at least I can give them a level of trust. It's only fair..."

"Forgive me, but have the likes of them ever being fair," Erik replied to her. "A great many of them I know, all are nothing but murderers and thugs for hire. What do they do that makes them different?"