A Viking's Rage

Chapter 17

"By the Gods.......you love her!" Thrain shouted, laughing.

"Shut up," Ragda, cocked his brow at him. "She's unlike anything I've ever known,"

"Well, I for one am glad you didn't kill her, I like her," Thrain searched the pantry for something to eat.

Thrain had been in the store room when Ragda had come in, his breath was heavy and there was sweat on his brow. Noticing Thrain, he had straightened up, trying to act as if nothing was wrong. Thrain was not a fool, he knew immediately something had happened between Rag and Aiya.

"Why would I kill her?"

Thrain shifted his stance, "She said you once threatened her if any harm had come to your brother,"

Ragda pulled out a small, wooden stool and dropped down onto it. He ran his fingers through his hair and grabbed his long braid, pulling it to the side. "I wouldn't hurt her, not even then, when I said that to her," He sighed. He focused a long while on his hands, contemplating something.

"What is it?"

"I told her I loved her."

"That is good, why sound so sad about it?"

"She asked me if it was true and I told her, I didn't recall,"

"You're a fool,"

"That is what you have to say to me?" He touched his hand to his chest.

"Tell her you made a mistake, that is my advice to you,"

"If she is the daughter of Einar The Red, and she makes her claim to the throne of Denmark, I am just the son of a Jarl, she will want a more important man than I," Ragda stood from his stool and threw himself against the wall, sliding down it in defeat and uncertainty.

Thrain shook his head, "I repeat, you're a fool,"

Thrain had left Ragda to his thoughts in the larder, he was tired after his excursions with Esma and wished for the comforts of his own divan. He could faintly hear a woman crying, as he moved through the huts just outside the Great Hall. Snow had begun to fall, and the air was crisp, he tightened the furs around his shoulders as he moved closer to the soft sounds of pain. It was coming from the home Aiya had taken up as her own once she moved out of the Jarls home.

~

Thrain pushed the door open to find Aiya lying on the floor by the fire, pillows thrown around her. She lay on her stomach, her back and shoulders were bare, and her long hair was thrown about her, her sad eyes, lost in the dancing flames.

He grabbed a chair, and moved it near her, sitting in it and resting his ankle on his knee. She glanced at him for a moment, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Go away, I do not wish to be seen," She sounded pathetic.

"I understand your tears, Aiya. This world has not been kind to you,"

"Don't pity me; I am not the only one who suffers." She remained staring into the fire. "Noah would know what to do,"

"Noah, the dead boy?" He asked.

"He was my heart, he was nice to me, always. From the day, I showed up, scared out of my wits, to the day he died. When Hemming bought me, Noah had been there. When everyone else was cruel, he had taken my hand; he had given me strength and a reason to live. I would have gladly died with him that day," She lifted her head.

"Why didn't you?" He asked, her eyes were still lost in the flames, tears falling down her face.

"Because he told me to live." Her pain was overwhelming, Thrain was by no means a sympathetic man, he had been raised to be brutal and unforgiving. Yet this young girl in front of him pulled at his heartstrings. He fell from the chair to his knees, to lie down beside her, putting his arm around her waist to hold her. He felt her body shake as she cried harder in his arms, he did not move but just continued to hold her as though she was a child who had awoken from a nightmare. They soon found sleep together, next to the warm fire.

~

Aiya had never slept so well in her life, curled up on the soft pillows next to Thrain. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she felt safe. It had been too long since she had felt so safe.

"Are you awake?" Thrain whispered in her ear.

"Mhmm," She replied sleepily with a smile on her face, she rolled around to face him. He propped himself on his elbow and eyed her, full of sleep. He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, that was a nice little nap." He said with a smile.

"You should go," She tried to sound stern.

At that moment, the door burst open, taking them both by surprise. They shot to their feet and moved away from each other,

Ragda stood in the doorway, shock on his face.

"Hva faen!" He cursed. Thrain ran his hands through his messy hair, awkward guilt on his face.

"Rag, it's not what you think...." He took a long sigh. "She was upset, we only talked,"

"Did you?" He gestured between them. Aiya and Thrain glanced at each other before looking back at Ragda, "No! no, no, no," They both exclaimed, shaking their heads. Esma came into the room completely oblivious to the situation at hand. "Aiya, I found..." She started, but soon stopped mid-sentence at the sight of Thrain so disheveled and a look of shame on Aiya's face.

"By the Gods, what have you done?" She said, sickened by the scene. Aiya's heart fell, for surely who would believe them.

"It's not as it looks, Esma," She pleaded. "We slept,"

Esma said nothing but turned around and fled the room. "Esma!" Thrain shouted, and ran after her.

Ragda took a step towards her, a look of pain on his face as though she had stabbed him through the heart. "I came to tell you, I love you," His voice was broken. "Aiya, I was being foolish," He reached one hand out to her, and placed the other on his heart.

She didn't know what to say, it had hurt her when he had behaved so coldly towards her. "Yes, thank you,"

Ragda only stared at her, mouth opened. He turned on his heels, "My uncle is coming to meet you tomorrow, be prepared," He spoke over his shoulder.

Aiya didn't have time to think of her reply to him, "Your Uncle?" He said nothing more to her, and closed the door behind him, leaving her to feel like the fool.