the invisible string. Sihtric Kjartanson

Chapter nineteen: prisoners again

I was sick again. I fucking hate boats. Luckily it took only half a day to get to East Anglia. We knew that Gunnkel, god that was such a stupid name, had made a makeshift camp on the shore but we were turning to a smaller river.

"Where are we going?" I asked Steapa as I finished wrenching over board yet again. Aethelred was far away because he was couldn't stand people throwing up. Good for me at least.

"Raiding farms around" Steapa informed me and I looked at him as if he just told me pigs could actually fly.

"What the fuck?" I said slowly but he just shrugged. "We're raiding hostile lands when we should be watching our back we go raiding?" Steapa shrugged again. We anchored and the men jumped ashore.

"You're not coming with us" Aethelred informed me. I raised an eyebrow as I unsheathed my sword. "Kendra get back on the fucking boat. You came with us because of Aethelflaed so fucking stay with her now" He was screaming and I raised my sword.

"I'll make it quick and I'll make it look like an accident" I told him as I got into fighting stance. Steapa stepped closer to me and used his big axe to lower my sword. I sighted in exaggeration as I re-sheathed my sword."killing all the fun Steapa" I groaned.

"Allow me to keep Corpse Claimer safe" Steapa said as I turned back to the boot defiantly. I listened to Steapa because he was one of the rare man that I was truly scared off.

"Steapa with all due respect I will not give you my sword" I told him before going back to the ship. So this trip was going to be boring after all.

I watched them burn and blunder, having all the fun while I stayed behind. It was agonising.

One day, a sunday to be exact, Aethelred made a huge procession by the river. The ships were beached which was stupid in itself. But Aethelred made a huge procession of burning the danish beast heads that belonged to the ships we had gained in Lundene. It was a goddamn shame. Those beautiful beast were works of art that belonged to the ships as much as their rowers but Aethelred disagreed. I watched the chaos unfold. They came from the sea in what seemed like thousands. We never stood a chance because they were all sword Danes and they knew what they were doing when they started hacking down the Saxons. I grabbed Aethelflaed and we ran. I grabbed the next horses I could find and we started to ride but we didn't get far because the Danes came from all the corners, from all the rivers. I tried riding through a mass of Danes that we couldn't go around. My horse tripped over the men and I fell far. I hurt my knee badly because it twisted in the wrong way when I fell. Aethelflaed was captured much softer. I pulled Corpse Claimer and started fighting the Danes. They were good and I was losing because my footing was unsure. I hurt my knee with every step I took so staying nimble was hard. Moans of pain were starting to leave my mouth when I put weight on my knee. They were overpowering me. It was a dozen Danes against me and I was losing. A man made out my weak knee and kicked at him that I let out a scream of pain as I went to my knees. Three Danes took my arms and forced me on my knees while another one pulled my head backwards. I was screaming and biting at everything that was in my way.

"Well, well it's a pleasure to see you again Kendra" A snidely voice said. I immediately recognised Haesten again. "You fight like a true shield maiden. Took out three of my men with an injury. You've earned my respect" I laughed drily as I felt his stinky breath on my face.

"Well Haesten it was like killing toddlers and I'll finish the job in honour. If I've impressed you so much why don't we make the square?" I spat in his face when I was done talking. He hit me for it. But I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes it immensely satisfied me.

"Well we wouldn't kill you, you've grown far too pretty. We'll fetch a good coin for you. But first I'll have a spin. When I see your Irishman again I'll tell him how you screamed when I ploughed you" He said and I froze in fear because he had hit me where it hurt.