the invisible string. Sihtric Kjartanson

Chapter six: revenge

I was right, as always. We were almost jumped by wild and wretched Danes. We hid in a ridiculous fort. At a lack of warriors I was installed as well. I loved it. I loved being a warrior again and fighting. It made me feel free and completed me as a person. It was the part of my heart I had previously been missing. Even if I slept in a damp barn every night and even if the fort was miserable. We were being besieged which was also miserable  

A few days in we were attacked and Guthreds best guess was to hide in the fort. Don't get me wrong but hiding was the cowardly thing to do. Gisela and I were going to use the chaos to hide away in the hills. There was no way in hell I'd let her be shipped to Aelfric to live a miserable live. I would end up milking cows or some shit. I was readying the horses when I saw a vaguely familiar face in the midst of the starting battle. Uthred. I gasped. There was no way it was actually him. He had come after all. I jumped on the horse without thinking and galloped right at him.

"Uthred!" I called for him and his head turned after he just killed a man. A feisty dark haired man with tan skin was going to kill me with his sword but I parried him with my own sword.

"Finan she's a friend" Uthred called as I rode next to him. I embraced him awkwardly on the horse but I was so glad to see him.

"I knew you weren't dead. I knew you would come for us one day. Gisela has been desperately waiting for you" I told him with great passion. He looked different. He bore new scars and his skin looked dull but there was the same glittering in his eyes. He nodded. 

"I'm glad to see you to Kendra" I smiled before joining him in slaughtering the enemy. It was Kjartans men if I wasn't mistaken. That only brought me more joy when chopping them down. I saw Sihtric on his knees begging for Uthred to spare him. Weak boy that was what he was.

Uthred claimed Gisela in front of the church and her smile told me she agreed. Then the whole fiasco in the church took place. Gisela says she is unmarried, I advocated for her. Uthred of course wanted her, they were meant to be together. The church however wasn't so convinced. It ended in a screaming match between Uthred and a bunch of priest. I enjoyed watching him end Jaenberth. He should've extended his death a little longer but who am I to judge. The night went on with us finishing the rest of our ale as there were few barrels left. I was sat with Rypere, Sihtric and Clapa when Gisela and Uthred returned. I got up quickly and hugged him with great passion. He got skinnier but I still enjoyed the embrace.

"We've missed you" I said looking at Gisela and smiling. Uthred smiled as well but it was weak. He was still in some kind of pain. Wether that was physical or mental I didn't know.

"You've grown up Kendra. Just like all of my boys. I left children and came back to ....bigger children" He chuckled as he clutched Giselas hand casually. "I'd like to introduce you to Finan. He's became a dear friend to me" Uthred motioned to the man that had tried to kill me earlier. My smile faltered as he surveyed me.

"Not trying to kill me after all?" I asked with a raised eyebrow while Gisela commented on me not liking strangers or something akin.

"Not today, lady" He told me in a strange accent as he sat opposite of me on the table.

"What's that accent?" I asked as I calmed and started sipping my ale. "You mustn't call me lady. I'm just a bastard" He cocked an eyebrow in question before answering my question.

"I'm from Ireland" He said but seemed not to care for any elaboration.

"They say that is the land of lawless savages" I said trying to provoke him up i was unsuccessful as he just nodded.

Uthred quickly explained his plan on taking Dunholm. I swore that I was with him. I was beating with excitement when we dressed in black cloaks. We were Nihtgenga. Moving in the shadows and staying hidden from the prying eyes of the guards. We had a plan to get in through the small door into the castle. I knew it in and out so I was right next to Uthred leading him. We were quiet and tried to stay hidden. If Kjartan knew we were here the hounds would kill us within moments.  A horrible moment was raging above us. Thunder cracking and lightning threatening to blow our covering. With every light on the sky I thought it would hit me. God would interject us and protect Kjartan but nothing happened. Against all odds we made it to the gate. I allowed myself to breathe. If my father was still alive I'd find him tonight. I would see him again.

We got through the wall and got to the inner courtyard undetected. Even if I loved Uthred and we had previously stayed infected I still slipped away back into the shadows. I'd join the inevitable battle later but for now I had to know if my father still lived. I was sure if it because all the men who I had passed bore weapons that only my father could ever make. It was just barely dawn that the workshop was quiet when I quickly cracked the lock and slipped inside while chaos was erupting in the courtyard.

"Father?" I asked quietly as I advanced to the chamber that I used to share with my father. The workshop was quiet but it didn't look derelict. "Father?" I asked as I opened the door. There was a fat man snoring on the mattress in the corner of the room. His grey hair was unmistakable that a smile crept onto my face. I extended my sword and poked him in the behind. He startled awake ready to take on anyone who dared to poke his bum. He froze when he made me out. His eyes grew wide when I took off the black hood. The wrinkles between his brows and deepened and his hair had grown longer but he was still my old father.

"Kendra us that you? I must be dreaming still" I smiled and shook my head.

"It is me, father. I've come to kill Kjartan" I said but I barely got to finish as he embraced me so tightly.

"You have?" He asked as he let me go with wide eyes as he was worried for me. I was still his little girl.

"But I had to see you first" I smiled and he did the same. I saw myself in him. "Stay here. I will return when the bastard is dead" I told him earnestly.

"You kept it" he motioned to my sword and I nodded in excitement. I exited the smith quietly and pulled my sword ready to dive into the fight. There were Kjartans men against Ragnars in front of the gate. Some of Kjartans men were fighting inside the gate. Kjartans men were all skilled fighters but when I jumped on a man with my sword first he went down like a felled tree. I had killed a man. That one was the first of many but in that moment I had no time to dwell on the guilt. I kept chopping at the men. A big burly man prepared a killing blow to someone laying beneath him but I swiped at his arm which was holding an axe before slitting his throat. It was Sihtric who had laid underneath the man. It took me a moment to comprehend it but then I grabbed his hand and pulled him up before going through the gate to where men were preparing the square. A  fight man on man between Kjartan and Ragnar. I picked up the pace and ran for them. I wanted my share of revenge when I pushed men apart to have a place in the front row.

"I-" My voice died inside my throat when the man with the dirty white cloak turned to me and looked me in the eyes. It was there again. That paralysing fear that gripped me that night. My throat was so dry. I looked to Ragnar instead and pointed my sword at Kjartan. "I want you to save me all his fingers. I'll finish what I started-" My voice died again, my cruel promise ringing coldly in the air.

"If I win I'll fuck you until you die like your miserable mother. Ivarr told me he had great fun with her" Kjartan called which caused me to to step forward sword in hand ready to end the bastard in this moment. A hand at my wrist caused me to stop. It was Sihtric. "How sweet, two bastards-"

"Kjartan if you want to keep on chitchatting you can drop your weapons and surrender" Uthred called as I shrugged Sihtric off rudely.

Then the fighting started. Ragnar didn't attack at first but he was only circling around dodging the attacks from Kjartan until he chopped him down. He went down like a tree. The tall man falling down. Ragnar started to chop at him making only small cuts, killing him slowly. The blonde Dane stood over Kjartan and started playing with him. Either feet was placed his wrists. Ragnar started applying cuts to Kjartans face that looked suspiciously much like mine. He flashed me a smile and Uthred handed me a dagger as if this was all planned. With a sadistic grin I stepped forward and looked Kjartan in the eyes. There only was a pathetic stump of his pointer finger left.  I continued with his middle finger and admittedly it was hard to cut it off with just a dagger. His screaming was like music to my ears. I finished with both his hands. I believe Kjartan was crying and it immensely satisfied me. It was peace. My peace. Finally finding peace.