Fallen Chariot

Chapter 2

My ears couldn't exactly make out the deep rumbling around me, but I could definitely tell they were voices. Whatever I was lying on was firm, but my hand was covered in something soft. One thing was for certain, and that was that my body was hurting ubiquitously. My consciousness was coming back, and I couldn't stop the painful groan that escaped my throat. The deep mumbling suddenly seized. Opening my eyes took some serious effort, seeing as they were sealed shut. A sharp pain flooded through my temple, causing me to grimace. Blinking a few times, I focused in on the four silhouettes standing in front of me. Four sets of crystal blue eyes were all fixated on me. With all of my strength, I shot up on my elbows. Wrong move. The breath was knocked from my lungs again, and a sharp pain resonated through my torso. I could tell that something was wrong with my ribs, but what exactly, I'm wasn't sure.

"Lie down." A hand rested on my shoulder, but the voice caused my eyes to widen. I knew that language, but why would he be speaking that? My widened eyes traveled the length of his body. His clothes were worn, and his blond hair was shaved on the sides. He spoke Old Norse, which my painful head tried to process.

"Where am I?" My voice came out as a croak, and I looked over at the only dark haired one. His eyes were so blue that the whites of his eyes were practically glowing. My hand traveled down to my aching ribs, and noticed white cloth wrapped around my torso.

"Just outside of Kattegat. What business do you have here?" The blond asked with his mouth set into a dangerous line. My eyes looked around the room, and noticed the old cottage like structure. The sweat on my palms started sticking to the fur blanket that covered my lap. The oldest looking one stepped forward with his hand covering his sword.

"Oh god. Where the fuck am I?" Struggling through the pain, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and tried my best to keep the dizziness in check.

The thought of having four men in the same room as me made multiple red flags go up. After I stood, I rushed from the room in a panic. I fled from the cottage into the cold, snappy wind. My head swiveled back, making sure none of them were following me. Turning back around, I came face to face with a stark white horse. The horse reared back, whinnying. My heart leaped into my throat, throwing myself back into the hard ground.

The worst pain hit me like a rock, causing me to scream out. My eyes clenched together, and I grasped my ribs.

"Ubbe?!" A new voice came from above me. Hands gripped onto my shoulders, holding me up. Three steps of footsteps came bounding towards me. My eyes opened in alarm, checking my surroundings. Another set of small, blue eyes looked down at me.

"What is this?" He questioned fiercely. His eyes traveled down my body, taking in my clothes and wound.

"I found her by the water. She was in pain, so I brought her back." The man, Ubbe, answered the bigger man. He went to pick me up, but I shoved hard at his chest. He didn't budge and was completely unaffected. He took another glance at the other men. A scraping sound came from behind me, and I scrambled back, away from the large, blond man.

"Please, just stay away from me." With one hand holding my ribs, I held my other out to the group of men. Fear was prominent in my mind, causing my heart to beat uncontrollably. I still had my jeans, combat boots, and black tank top on. Now, covered in mud, it caused my jeans to stiffen.

"Fine. Leave her to die." The voice came from beside me, and my head swiveled around to face the dark haired boy. He looked to be about my age, but that wasn't what caught my attention. He was leaning on his hands, bound legs in front of him. They were thin and frail looking, and were clearly useless. Recognition flashed through my mind, and my fear transformed into dread.