My Viking Captor

Fire on the Horizion

There will always be a home wherever your family is, but when you have no family is there home?

I felt as though I was being choked in my sleep, as if someone hot hands grasped around my neck unmercifully. My eyes open in shock, but I quickly closed them. The smell of smoke lingered in the air slowly intensifying until I could barely muster up the energy for a simple breath. I peered over tried to shake mother from her sleep , she didn't even move. Panic started to set in,but I knew I had to get us out of the house. I lethargically picked myself up and heaved my mother body over my back. Even thought a dark hazy smoke clouded my vision I new the way out of our shanty cottage. My feet trudged on, as I felt my knees started buckle, and my lungs start to burn. I managed to make it out of the hut before the roof sunk to the floor. Ive never had that feeling of sudden relief only to realize that I had just touched the surface of the hell to come.
        I stood up and dusted my body of, the suet from the fire still clung to my skin. I glanced around only to her myself gasp, tears started to cloud my vision, my knees buckled until I became a puddle of tears on the ground. Everything was engulfed by amber and orange flames, all I had known was destroyed. Screams pierce the night sky, the voice of women and children screaming until I heard the shrill cries stop. I knew our small village was under siege and I knew I had to get out, but mother was still unconscious and I couldn't leave her. I began to think that I could just run through the corn fields and maybe I could find shelter out there, but I quickly became angry with myself at the thought of leaving my mother behind. I crouched to the floor over my mothers body, and just sat there o had given up. I knew that I should just relish in the time of certainty I had left.
        I heard footsteps approaching from behind me, and I suddenly felt my hair being yanked. I let out a piercing scream only to be thrown to the floor. I looked up only to see pale skin and piercing glacier like eyes look down at me. He took his knife out of its sheath and placed it my neck. I felt his big calloused hands grasp my neck, and I closed my eyes. As he bent down to my ear his blonde hair grazed my face sending shivers down my spine. His red lips grazed my ear and he let out a gravelly whisper " I am taking you with me, and don't you dare scream or your blood will paint the streets of this city like your brothers and sisters has." He grasped my hair even tighter and I let out a whimper, I slammed my elbow back into his ribcage and he doubled over. I crawled towards my mother and grasped he in my arms cradling her head, she was awake now. Her eyes were filled with worry, and mine filled with fear. I heard angry footsteps approaching me, but I didn't move, I didn't cry all I did was sit there holding my mother for what would be the last time.  I glanced up to his chiseled face tense with anger, suddenly I felt a stinging on my cheek. He took me by hair and my mother started to scream go her child. I was the only thing she had left in the world, her parents had sold he into a marriage at the age of sixteen for two goats and a lot of land. After she had left Vertlea she never saw them again, she had told me many times that my father and I were her reasons for living.
        Vertlea was a small tribe north of here that was colonized by the white men or "Vikings" my mother had told me she had fallen in love with one of the before she met my dad, but she knew it wouldn't be. I had only heard of them from my mom they were the characters that filled my bedtime stories. Handsome, wild, and valiant, but at this moment that seemed far from the truth. I must say he was quite appealing, and the outlandish was of his features drew me in. My mother had taught me the language of her people ,which was inherently the language of his. After years of colonization of Vertlea the people had adopted the customs of the Nordic men.
           He turned my head to look directly into his eyes, and I could tell his soul had not know the warmth of a fire for many years. He picked me up from the floor to my feet, and pointed to my mother. He angrily remarked "Since you decided not to listen I'm not just going to kill you, but rather your mother." I was shocked I had caused this but I couldn't send my mother to the slaughter for my rash decisions. I sunk to my knees tears glazed my dark eyes , and I clasped my hand together begging for some other option. My mothers life was the only thing I truly valued in this world, she's like the stars in the all encompassing night sky.
         "Take me" I said in a hushed tone. He just stared at me started to walk towards my mother. " Take me!" I yelled, and he turned around.
          "What could I possibly gain from you other than a body to warm my bed at night"  I snickered.
           "I'll do whatever you want, I promise. Just don't hurt her, and I will follow whatever you ask of me." I replied with a shaky voice knowing I had signed my death sentence.
           "Okay" he smirked. "Get up you wench." I got up and kissed my mom she started scream out for me. I knew I couldn't turn back. If I did I wouldn't leave, and I couldn't put my life in peril. I would follow the fierce giant and leave my mother behind. I would do what I was told, and hopefully one day I would escape a life filled with fear.
        "Sahara my baby, please don't leave me, please." She screamed  in a shrill voice.
I turned to my captor and begged for him to put her in good hands he brashly nodded his head.
         I kept walking till we reached a beautiful horse.  The Viking threw me on top the horse, and then mounted her. His chest was pressed against my back, and I had noticed in this moment I had never been so close to a man before. I tried to stay awake, so I could see where we were going, but as the miles added up my eyes became heavier and heavier. I closed my eyes, and for once my nightmarish dreams were better than my reality.