Neledh || ONC 2023

Chapter 3 | Eira

Third year of Rouen, 845

Anders said my leg has healed as much as it ever will, the limp isn't bad. I will merely need to be stronger as I'm no longer agile enough to defend myself as I used to. Rollo was elected chief during my first year here, he's a good leader that will take care of us to his best abilities. I live with the captain and Anders in the same house, as none of us has a family of their own. We don't need a lot of space and keeping the house warm is a lot easier when there are three people working on it.

Last winter there were a lot more warriors who stayed behind than was anticipated, only now they have told us why.

Ragnar Lodbrok is planning to sail up the Seine to Paris for a raid, it will be the biggest I've ever heard of. Many of the warriors in town want to join even though they are old.

Gunner is part of the one hundred and twenty ships that are joining, he asked me to be part of the crew again. I don't know what to do, part of me wants to fight. The warrior part of me that joined the raids even though it had seen death far too close already. The other part of me knows better, my leg is bad. What if I get someone else killed because my body can't be a warrior any longer?

The captain and Anders have joined Gunner, there is barely anyone left who can defend the village at this point. Can't they see the hungry stares people have cast at our home? This isn't the north anymore, the town we leave behind is protected by distance from the people we stole from.

Don't they see the ugly way the townspeople look at Nadine, as more and more warriors board the ships? Do they really believe they will have a home to return to if they leave now?

-

"Will you too leave?"

They were sitting in front of the infirmary as they had done on an almost daily base since Eira started living in Rouen. The sun was low in the sky and as it was still too cold outside to be clothed the way Eira and Nadine were, did they cuddle together on the bench to share some body warmth. Both unwilling to shatter the world of peace that would disappear once they would move.

"I don't know."

It was as honest as Eira was willing to be.

Her friendship and slowly building relationship with Nadine had known its difficulties. But now after almost three years of knowing each other was a half word enough to communicate their feelings. There were secrets between them, things they were unwilling or unable to talk about. It was alright though, as Eira trusted Nadine.

Her secrets would stay that way for as long as Nadine would want.

-

Nadine and Eira stood at the quay watching Gunner's ship sail to Paris, accompanied by dozens of others. Few warriors had stayed behind, adding Eira and Nadine to the count there were less than a dozen of them left to keep Rouen save.

"Shall I join you in your home or shall we use mine? It's useless to sleep somewhere else if we're just going to spend the entire day together, apart from the fact that it's easier to heat one house than two."

Nadine was still staring at the ship that had taken Anders and the captain away, when Eira asked her question. After several minutes of silence only broken by the cries of seagulls, did Nadine turn away from the Seine and faced Eira.

"Mine, it's smaller, easier to warm and to defend if push comes to shove."

Together they returned to the small home next to the infirmary, in silence they walked as the leaves rustled in the wind. Unaware of the future that awaited them.

-

Three days later, ships were sighted by the mouth of the river and a message was sent to all the towns that could be their destination.

A farmer soldier arrived by horse four days after Gunner's ship left, only moments before the sails appeared at the horizon. A lone longship that had lost the main group and was now on its own travelling behind them. 

A lone ship in unknown territory severed from its guides was dangerous, and prone to make rash decisions that wouldn't be in favor for whoever came upon them.

Yet Rouen didn't know that, the ship hadn't attacked any of the previous villages and they were a colony of the Danes. Surely they wouldn't be attacked by their own people.

-

Never in her wildest dreams would Eira have imagined that the danger would come to them in their homes. 

Let alone by these people.

 People she didn't recognize in a way that she knew their names, but they were Danes none the less. 

People she was a part of.

People that shouldn't be the reason that burning arrows were sent into the roofs of the houses of Rouen.

Screams filled the air as the old warriors were slain, too old to join the raid and too old to defend themselves against the young people with still agile bodies.

Screams filled the air as the attackers split to raid the surrounding towns and destroy their homes.

Screams filled the air as Eira took up her axe and stood as the last defender of Rouen.

-

[Edited]

February 19, 2023