Yngvild and the Forest of Dreams

Interrogated

The soldiers took us to a large square tent just off the edge of the road outside the copse. Once we were out in the daylight they realised that we were armed.

'Hands up! Hands up!' a soldier shouted.

'Archers!' shouted another. More soldiers came running as Noren and I stood with our hands above our heads and spears pointed at our throats.

'Stand perfectly still, or we'll shoot you.' An archer knocked an arrow and pointed it at me. A comrade of his did the same and pointed it at Noren.

The shouting brought another soldier. He looked older than most of the others, and his equipment looked better than the others too. The panic in the others faded.

'Didn't any of you idiots think to disarm them?' he said.

'Sorry Sergeant Leon.' Another soldier said.

'Don't be sorry son, just get on and bloody do it.' Sergeant Leon said.

'You.' He pointed at me, 'Take off your shield and lay it on the ground.'

I pulled the shield over my head and put it on the ground.

'Now take off your belt with the sword and dagger and put them on the shield. Only touch the end of the belt.'

I complied, taking off each belt in turn. Then he got me to take off my other bags and the mail and my padded jerkin.

'Right. I want you to take ten paces from the shield and lie face down on the ground.'

Once he'd got me away they repeated the process with Noren. We both ended up with nothing but our clothes and shoes. None of our other possessions were with us, although I did have some papers in my skirt pocket.

It was first light, and the troops all seemed to be up for the day. While we awaited the attention of the regimental officer several riders came past. They left messages with a clerk and rode off, except for one who spent several minutes staring at us.

'I never got time to tell you about my dream.' Noren said.

'Tell me now.'

'We went looking for my mother, and she wasn't there because of the men. These look like the men she was hiding from. In my dream they were Rojden's men.'

'No talking!' A soldier rushed over and made us stand further apart.

'No talking!' he repeated for emphasis.

The rider that had been watching us dismounted and went into the tent. A moment later a soldier came out and dragged Noren back into the tent.

#

I sat on the green grass and watched the sun rise. It was warm on my face. The birds sung in the tree tops, in contrast to the noises and cursing of soldiery getting their breakfasts and breaking camp.

I watched a pair of larks swooping and zooming around above the trees. Behind me I could hear horses and men passing by on the road, and the occasional cart rattling past.

A shriek rent the air from the centre of the wood. It sounded like someone was slaughtering an animal.

#

The soldier came for me. I went into the tent voluntarily. Noren was nowhere to be seen, but the tent was sub-divided into rooms. The light diffuse through the canvas roof. The part I was in was carpeted, and a table and two chairs lined the right of the walkway in from the tent flap. I was facing the table. The rider sat in one of the chairs, and an officer, judging by the quality of his clothes, sat in the other.