My viKING

Chapter 15

The sun is up and the day has just began. Iona woke up hours ago to help the other thralls to weave the wools they cleaned while some smoked and salted the meats to store for the coming winter. She is forced to wake up very early everyday since she got there and her eyes are still getting heavy, she had been rather more lethargic this past few days.

'Did you sleepwell last night? You look rather pale' Beasna uttered beside her.

'Nay' was all that she mustered to say as she escaped a yawn. They continued their work in a comfortable silence as she still struggles to keep herself awake and to weave the thick woolen thing. Had not Beausna taught her a while ago, she will now be hopeless.

'Ahram... Lady Astrid looks for you' A lady with a tall slender frame and long brown locks spoke with authority as she glared at her. Iona presumed she is much older than her as the lady sneered in distaste at her, while she was uttering the command. Iona just stood up and looked at Beausna who just shrugged as she followed the vile lady's lead, she led her outside a chamber door as she knocked.

'Lady Astrid, The thrall you called for is here' The vile lady's smile is set on her face as if she's a friendly good thing as she peeked her head inside the door. That's when Iona realized that she's also a thrall and wondered why is she so vile at her. Astrid just sat there on her bed with a thick haystack mattress and a thick cloth cover, she looks innocent and pure in her thin white garment with a disheveled hair.

'Oh come here Io- Ahram' she nearly exposed Iona's real name and glared to cover up the other lady's suspicious look. Iona went inside as she gently closed the door, leaving her 'friendly' companion outside.

'You! thrall, quickly wash my hair and scrub my back' Astrid commanded in a stern voice, Iona was taken abacked of how Astrid suddenly treated her coldly.

'But first you must get the other torch outside of the chamber for you to see if you're doing wrong, be quick you impeccable thrall!' Astrid stated with much authority, Iona does not know where the insults came from. But she knows better than to question it, so she quickly opened the door only to find out a nearly stumbling lady, the one who sneered at her a while ago. The lady regained her composure as she brought back the sneer on her face, as if not caught eavesdropping. Iona just acted as if she did not see it and got the small torch beside the chamber door as she watched the lady descend and closed the door gently.

'Oh, sorry for that. I knew what Lyana was doing. we just can't take any chances..' Astrid shooed her hand to dismiss her from doing any personal chore
'here just fix my bedding and i'll do the rest for my self' Iona just bit her lower lip and did what she was asked to do.

'so how do you do? How are you?' Astrid said as she undressed and set herself in a bath. The room is not quite enormous as the boulders were laid atop to form the walls, the ceiling is made up of straws and wood. Only the privileged can have a house like this.

'em fine my lady' Iona replied

'So i suppose you have met Beausna?'
Astrid said as she rub her skin with smooth stone.

'Aye, she's very kind but..' how dyo now?' Iona replied as she sat down on the bed.

'She told me yesterday while she was fixing my hair'
It seems that they ar fond of each other, Iona thought to herself.

'Yes we are fond of each other if that's what you're thinking' Astrid said as she chuckled. Iona was surprised of how Astrid guessed what she was thinking.
'She is like a sister to me, ... well almost' she continued.
Iona wondered what she meant by that but she just kept still.

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Meanwhile,

Brynjar, Brian and Lord harflr are hunting along with the other warriors to prepare themselves for the coming winter.

'So I assume, you will consider the prospect of marriage' Harflr godi stated, it wasn't a question as he will not consider any of the negative answers.

'No' is all that Brynjar replied

Harflr eyed him sternly as Brian kept the smirk on her face.

Her hair was auburn, her eyes are like the calm of the sea. He can see the most beautiful woman he ever laid his eyes on as she swiftly bathe herself in the river. Holding on to those moments, the girl caught him staring and covered her bosom with her two bare hands. She shifts uncomfortably as he felt conscious of his manly hood, he turns his gaze away and left. That is the start of a relationship that was relished every night, a slave to him and a wild master to her. His coldness was warmed by her body and he was certain that he fell in love. He wanted to marry her and bravely told his father of his intention but his father did not agree. He felt outraged as his father wanted him to marry someone noble to cement an alliance for a strong army, his father does not take lightly to common thralls as he wants to banish her or sell her into a tavern. But brynjar made a deal to him to save her, he will have nothing to do with her as long as he marry someone noble. That's how brynjar became more cold and stern, thus spending his time in his fornicating ways. And his father became more anxious because of his wasting years.
Brynjar remembered those moments as they hunt quietly into the woods.  Thinking of how he and Beausna could have been together.