The Viking Slave

Chapter 14: Burial of the Dead

The next morning, Astrid rousted herself up, letting out a long groan of pain as she sat up by the steaming pile of ashes. She rubbed the side of her face with her left hand as she adjusted her bloodshot eyes to the bright morning sun. Dead bodies of Northmen and French were strewn across the land, staining the once bright green shore red. Astrid quickly closed her eyes hoping that the horrific sight was all a bad dream. Opening her eyes once again, the bodies were still there. It was not a dream, it was a brutal reality. She looked down at her sore hip that was covered with her blood and placed her grimy fingers on the closed, yet bloody, wound where the arrow had been. She let out a small yelp as she touched it, causing a stinging pain to run through her nerves. Astrid laid her back once again on the hard ground, rubbing her hand on her pounding forehead as she closed her eyes.

"How do you feel?" Bard said, approaching the sprawled out Astrid.

Astrid removed her hand and squinted up at Bard, who hovered over her like a cloud.

"I feel just fine." Astrid grumbled putting her hand over her face once agin. "You do not have to sit with me. I am alright."

Bard sat down beside her and took her free hand into his.

"You do not seem alright." He mumbled.

Astrid pulled her hand away from his.

"I shall get up when I am ready. Do you not have anywhere else to be? There is a whole bank of dead men you should be concerned with, not me!" Astrid scolded annoyed, rolling over to her side. "Please leave me alone."

Bard let out a sigh and patted her on the back, arising without another word spoken. She laid motionless on her side waiting him to leave her presence. Her mind wondered back to the dead people on the banks, wondering who had been caught in the brutal slaughter.

"Get up Astrid!" Erick shouted, stepping inside of the tent where Astrid lay. "I need your help."

Astrid pushed herself up from the ground, sighing silently to herself, and walked towards Erick, who was distraught.

"What is it?" Astrid asked worriedly, looking beyond Erick at the pile of deceased bodies.

Erick shook his head and hung it ashamed.

"Gustavo, my war chieftain, has been killed." Erick shared, glancing up at Astrid who was shocked. "Your friend Iona has been critically injured and they do not know if she will live another day."

"What about Knute?" Astrid blurted out quickly and frantically, looking at Erick.

"He has a head injury and that is all." Erick shared. "A sword nicked him on the back of the head. We found him this morning in the pile of mangled up Frenchmen covered in blood. We did not even know if he was alive. Luckily he was breathing, but barely. He is laying in a tent with the rest of the wounded warriors." He looked over his shoulder watching a bearded man throw the body of a woman onto the pile. "We cannot enter into further into France. There will be none of us left alive. The French are more powerful than I ever imagined."

"Plan to raid another time." Astrid suggested. "We cannot risk anymore men. Evreux can wait."

"They killed my friend!" Erick yelled angrily before bursting into tears. "Why did it have to be Gustavo? I loved him dearly."

Astrid wrapped her arms around Erick's neck and began rubbing his back comfortingly.

"He is in Valhalla now. You will meet again." Astrid reassured, releasing her embrace. "Everything will be alright, sire. Bard is sure to understand your decision."

Erick shook his head violently. "Bard is selfish. He will never back down, no matter what the costs are." He stated, looking around for his son. "You should go and check on your friend. I am sure she is need of someone."