The Seeress

Chapter Twenty Two

Agnetha quietly sat nearby the dead oaks. She did not know whether her Western friends were dead or not. Slow rustling winds were the only thing that touched her, as she heard sudden steps. She could listen to Erik's footsteps as he paced constantly as he could not make himself unafraid. 

"I can see them," Erik said, as he peered in the distance. The cottage was terribly silent, but he can see that it was Harold dragging the bodies out. Erik himself was rather amused, and also jealous that he did not kill them himself. He mused to himself that he could've taught them a lesson or two and that he would've taken those men down by himself. 

"Should I leave them... to go with her instead..." Erik thought as he saw the Seeress again, sitting there still. No... those men have proven that they were quite able in defending the seeress. And that they would not be spared either way should they betray her.  She was silent, yes, but Erik have not seen someone this silent before. As he went closer, he did not know what to ask. 

"My lady?" 

Agnetha did not reply to Erik. She muttered, but to someone else, a figure whom Erik could not see. Her tongue rolled as her eyes trembled. She shook her head firmly, 'No... not like this,' Agnetha muttered under her breath as Erik went closer. He saw her eyes empty, her blue pupils gone as she raised her hands up to the sky. 'Death and suffering... is that what I would bring to them?' 

Erik did not know what to make of her statement. He saw his lady kneeling down on the snow, as her mouth emitted a light moan. A sudden one that startled him. She still held her arms to the sky, pleading with them as she breathed in heavily. 

'Yes, that's what I want... but not like this...'  Agnetha said again. She was more mournful than the last. 'Does the survival of my people mean the deaths of theirs?'

And suddenly, Agnetha's body flung itself down. Hugging herself, her warm breath melts the snow covering her face, as Erik calmly knelt down to her. Erik could've sworn he saw tears coming out from her cheeks. Erik quickly rushed to her side at once.

"I am right here," Erik said, gently touching her back as she slowly got up. She breathed heavily, and Erik could see her face. Torn and bewildered. Erik knew that she was supposed to connect with the powers of the Aesir. But he did not know it would happen so soon.

"You... saw it... Did you?" Erik asked. Not wanting to disturb her fully. He half-wanted to not ask her what she had seen, but he could not help himself. Agnetha merely nodded as she could not bring himself to look at him.

"Yes... the visions are more intruding to my soul than Mother Frida said," Agnetha finally spoke. "I was... moving everywhere. Seas of blood have drenched me. Then a parade of my people as I saw my father embracing me," 

"It is a good thing, isn't it my lady?" Erik said. Although he was stunned by her mention of blood. "The gods have already promised us victory,"

"I am not finished yet," Agnetha sharply replied, before she took another breath. . Erik was immediately quiet, not by her words, but her tone was scathing to herself. "I was at the rivers of Westhaven, where the Westerners fed their crops. It was bloody, bathed with men and women alike. And it was then renewed." 

Erik stood there, not knowing what to say as he saw her clutching her own body.

"I killed them, they said." Agnetha continued. "Every man, woman and child, will lay dead within Westhaven. And only then shall we rise," 

Erik was confused, bewildered even, that she would see such visions as horrifying. Maybe there was a side that Agnetha had, that he did not know. He only knelt down to her level, as he placed his hands on her shoulder.