The Viking Slave

Chapter 23: When The Rain Falls

Oliefsborg

Bard slammed the door of Erick's longhouse open widely and stomped down the center of the aisle.

"Where is she!?" Bard yelled aggressively, jumping onto the platform where Jezebel, who was almost ready to give birth, sat collected and calm.

She stared at him with a blank expression and shrugged her shoulders. "I am the only one here." She stated confused. "Might I ask whom is it that you are looking for?" Jezebel asked calmly, messing lightly with the gold pendant that hung around her neck.

"Do not play dumb, woman!" Bard shouted once again, stomping his foot on the wood creating a loud bang to echo through the hall. "She is your friend, I know she had to have returned here. You are the only one who she cares for."

Jezebel closed her eyes and placed her swollen hands to the temples on her forehead. "If you are speaking of Astrid," she stated, shaking her head slightly. "She is not here. I have not seen her since you took her with you."

Bard rolled his eyes and turned away from Jezebel. "Where is my father at!?" Bard whipped around quickly once again, leaning down to meet eye level with Jezebel. "I feel as if you would hide her from me just because you could. But my father, I believe he would return what is rightfully mine back to me."

"I do not know where Erick is. He left at dawn with some men to test their new ships. He will be back soon." Jezebel responded, trembling within her confused voice. "Tell me, what is going on."

Bard looked up at Jezebel with a sly grin in silence as he patted her enlarged stomach awkwardly.

"I sure would hate to see something happen to this child." He replied smugly, tracing his finger up to her chin where he caressed it gently. "Or your beautiful face."

Jezebel's heavy breaths quivered with each touch Bard made.

"Astrid is not here. What more do you want me to say!?"

Bard raised his eye brows, popping his crazy blue eyes out widely. "Perhaps tell me where she went?"

"I do not know!" Jezebel yelled back sternly, sitting up straight in the throne. "For all I know she is dead somewhere. If I knew I would tell you."

Bard stepped down from the raised platform onto the dirt ground and made his way to a chair where he plopped down forcefully. "I will sit here and wait for my father." He paused and looked up at Jezebel smugly. "If she is here I will find her and I will promise you, you shall pay for your lies spoken."

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Astrid sat down on a cold rock located beside a lively glistening pond, just outside the royal garden. She watched as the white swans glided gracefully along the top of the crystal clear water. A hazy visual of fish could be seen under the water. She looked up at the hazy, cloudy sky, feeling the hot sun beaming down upon her exposed pale skin.

"When I look up at the sky and talk to you what I would give if I could hear your voice, your laugh...everything. I miss everything about you." Astrid mumbled, looking around the sky. "I keep myself busy everyday with little things, but every time I stop I think of you." A long, drawn out pass came over her. "People tell me that life goes on and to me that is the saddest part. I do not want it to go on." A single tear ran down Astrid's cheek. "No matter what they say, some wounds will never be healed until my last breath is taken and lonely heart stops beating." Astrid wiped away the many tears that poured down her face. "Oh mother, why did you have to leave me here?"

Astrid studied the rows of flowers around, remember the first time she met Jezebel tending to her rose. It seemed like forever had passed, leaving only a vague memory of her home. She come back to reality once she heard the distinct sound of saddening cries nearby. Hesitantly, Astrid moved closer to the sound of the sobs. She let out a puff of air before pushing back the thick leafy bush, only to find Lorna in tears staring back at her.