Viking Girl

Chapter 11

841AD

The journal of Brynhild the Bold

After my despair yesterday, Odin did come to help me. Not long after I finished writing, Leif himself came to find me. Or rather, to congragulate and warn me.

His first expresson when he saw me was again, relief. What is happening? Anyway, after that he took me away from the group and congragulated me warmly. That surprised me very much, as I expected him to be bitter that he had been bested by a girl, yet instead he was very nice and gave me compliments such as,

"I have never seen a girl fight as well as you did. That plan of yours, to fake being hurt was ingenius. I didn't suspect a thing, as I had just hit you in the leg and expected you to fall over. In fact, I felt quite sorry that I had to kill you, as you seem like a nice girl, and one who wasn't afraid to show the world what she had. I am glad that before I die, I have had a chance to meet someone like you. You are special."

For hours after I was dazed, and could barely think straight. His last words to me still echoed in my mind. I was still replaying it over and over when a thought struck me. He said before he dies. As in he would be dying very soon. I couldn't let that happen. I still wasn't sure what it was that made me feel like that towards him, but I knew that I couldn't let him die.

I hurried to where we had been letting our prisoners sleep, and saw the very thing I had been dreading. Leif lay still on the ground, barely breathing. His bonds were so tight, and he lay where he had been thrown at the end of the day, still bound in his chains. Even dying as he was, he still cut an impressive figure, and dwarfed all the other prisoners.

I hurried to his side, and his eyes found me.

"You are so beautiful. Perhaps..." Here he stopped, as a fit of coughing overtook his body. It passed, and he tried again.

"Perhaps if things had been different, you could have felt the same way. Don't ever let go of your beliefs Brynhild. The world needs more people like you. You are special, and I will never forget you. Even beond the grave. Perhaps we will find each other. And now, I must say goodbye. Forever." Then his eyes slid shut, and his grip on my hand loosened and fell away. I knew then what it was that I felt for him.

"Please," I began, my voice choked with tears. "Don't leave me. I love you." A silence fell after my words. It was obvious that something powerful was happening. A wind began to rustle through the leaves on the trees, and far away a mournful howling began. It was so beautiful, and so full of pain that it took my breath away.

Then the wind caught me. It whipped my hair craizily, and stole the air from my lungs. Then Leif moved. His eyelids fluttered open, and his chest heaved with his newfound breath. All I could do was sit and watch as Odin worked his magic, and brought him back to me. I realised what it was that I should have done all along. I would leave the rest of the Vikings. I would free the prisoners, and run away with Leif back to his village, where we would warn them all of the danger they faced. Bit by bit we would win back Ireland, and free all those who had been enslaved against their will. I don't know what the future will hold, but I won't be facing it alone. I would finally have someone by my side.

And now for the last time, I will say goodbye.

Brynhild