[To be titled viking story]

FIFTEEN

Svarti was the only person who survived the raid on that village.

It was twelve days until we reached the place I once called home.

I smiled at the thought of it: home. I was finally home!

"What am I supposed to do now Yori?" I asked looking at the village. The excitement I had was now nervousness. It felt like serpents swimming around in my belly.

Yori leaned on the railing beside me. The oars were being taken out. The wind had been in our favor for the past day and we had been in no hurry. Well, I hadn't been in a hurry. It was nice getting to know the men. They welcomed me like I really was one of the free women of their village.

Everything was going to be up to the earl. Svarti's life was in the earl's hands as well.

The mountain of a man, who turned out to be Yori's childhood friend, Leif, took my other side. He had proved himself kind, despite my first impression of him.

He was letting me keep his warm furred cloak until I could get my own.

I looked back to the other ship. "What's going to happen to him?"

Yori had made sure to keep Svarti separated from me. It was my fault that his whole village was dead. I was the one who wanted it and I was the one who made sure he stayed alive.

"I couldn't tell you. That will be up to the earl. He's lenient. He may let you keep your Svarti as a slave of your own."

I looked at Yori to see him looking over my head to Leif. I looked between the two men, confused. "Why would I keep him as a slave? I don't want to have a slave."

Leif's hands found my shoulders and squeezed. "Yori is having fun at your expense. I would gladly teach him a lesson for you."

I sighed and shrugged off his hands. I was too comfortable with letting Leif touch me when he pleased. I didn't want to develop feelings for someone. I didn't want to have a husband or a family of my own. Losing my daughter tore my heart out and I could not go through that again.

"You never told us the story of your Svarti," Yori bumped my side.

I ignored him and leaned against the side of the ship, looking over the shields to the village again.

"What story with him? He was one of the villagers."

Leif shook his head. "He's too observant. There's more to him than just being a villager. It's he's useful he might work out of his slavery."

I looked over at the big man. He was leaning back against the railing, but his back was to the village and he was looking back in Svarti's direction.

"He's just like you two," I confessed. "He's a great tracker as well. Found me plants to poison Taf."

Leif's eyes went from Svarti to me. "You can forget about him now. He's not around to hurt you anymore."

I smiled and nodded, looking towards my home. "I know. I killed him."

For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. These men would help me learn to protect myself. I would never become a slave again.