The Viking Slave

Chapter 20: The Great Escape

Astrid rolled onto her side, groaning loudly as the open wounds on her back were pressed against the bed. She looked up only to find at Erika hovering over her with a smile plastered onto her dirty face.

"I am glad to see you have woken." Erika whispered, pushing a strand of Astrid's hair away from her face. "It has been three days you know since you were beaten. I thought you were going to die."

Astrid closed her eyes once again, moaning miserably before glancing back up at Erika.

"Why did you have to let me live?" Astrid asked, examining her hands which were covered with a thick coating of dirt and dried blood.

Erika dipped a soft linen cloth into a pail of water that was sitting on a table beside the bed.

"Because you are my friend." Erika stated, putting the cool cloth onto Astrid's grungy hand and began washing the crud off. "I could not leave you laying there to bleed to death. I have love and compassion in my heart for you."

Astrid took the cloth from Erika's hand and began scrubbing her arms and hands forcefully.

"I do not understand you. Leif is your father and Bard is your brother-"

"Half-brother." Erika interrupted.

Astrid slightly nodded dunking the cloth back into the water, discoloring it with the filth from her hands.

"And Bard is your half-brother. Why are you not like them? You are a much better person than they are." She shook her head confused. "Why?"

"I chose to be different. I do not want my name to be remembered as a violent and rude woman." Erika smiled. "Bard does not like me because I do not agree with him. I refuse to stand behind him with his unjust rules and such. Leif has nothing to do with me because I was not what he wanted. He wanted a son more than anything but instead he got a daughter." Erika sniffled, fighting back tears. "My mother died when I was very young. Leif refused to take me in so one of the elders raised me until I was sixteen then betrothed me to Igor. From there we made a life together. Before I was married, I had no one."

"I see you have a very strong bond with your husband." Astrid replied. "I understand what it is like to not have no one." She looked up at Astrid. "But now I have found a friend in you."

Erika grinned, pleased with the kind words spoken to her. Astrid swung her exposed legs from the bed and looked down at the cloth bandage that was wrapped around the top half of her body. The once white cloth was stained red from her blood, which flowed freely from the open wounds that were made on her back.

"I would not advise getting up yet." Erika mumbled, resting her hand on Astrid's shoulder. "You must allow your body to regain itself before you get up."

Astrid brushed Erika's hand away from her.

"They will find me and I cannot bear to be found again. I cannot return to Bard." Astrid harshly argued, staring intensely at Erika. "I will take my chances at leaving. Where is my dress?"

"Igor and I have placed a boat at the foot of the cliff. It is not near the village so you can leave and not be noticed by any of the villagers." Erika shared, arising from her chair. "In fact, I do not believe anyone knows of the spot. We found it one day when we were looking for herbs."

Astrid's eyes grew wide and her mouth agape.

"You are helping me escape?" she asked, leaning closer to Erika, who reached her the patched up woolen dress.

Erika nodded.

"I would suggest you leave at night so you will go unnoticed." Erika nervously whispered, wringing her hands. "I cannot watch you return to Bard's possession. If you go back there, you might not make it out. Bard is berserk and you do not need that risk in your life." Erika sat back down in the chair and took Astrid by the hand. "You must promise me something though."