Querencia \\ Hvitserk Ragnarsson

Chapter 8: Drowning

Bjarke was lead through nearly the entire castle. Eventually, they reached a room and Bjarke was told to wait there. Not that they could talk to each other, but pointing was enough.

After a little while she noticed princess Gisla and another girl walking up to her.

Gisla said something to the other girl who translated it to Bjarke

"Please, come inside."

Gisla and the girl entered the room and Bjarke carefully followed. 

The first colour Bjarke noticed was red. The carpets were red, the chairs were red. Everything was red.

Gisla spoke again. "Princess Gisla wants to know more about you. She says that you are so young and yet you seem to be a warrior."

"I haven't fought a real battle yet, but yes." 

The girl translated this to Gisla and she immediately responded.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Bjarke."

"Just Bjarke?"

"Bjarke Ragnarsdottir."   Bjarke had not intended to use the name. After all, it was not her real name. It just kind of happened...

To break the ice Gisla told Bjarke some things about herself and Bjarke told Gisla several things about her.

"Now, Bjarke. You obviously wonder why you're here."

Bjarke nodded.

"I fear my husband might want to join you on your... raids. If he does do it will probably be the end of our relationship as we know it, but it doesn't mean that I do not wish for him to live," Gisla carefully said. "I was wondering whether you might be able to look after him. I do not expect you to save his life or anything, but maybe you could see to it that your people, who are obviously angry with him, will not kill him or harm him themselves."

Bjarke stared at Gisla. She had not expected that and felt sorry for the princess. Bjarke knew that even though Rollo betrayed them a part of him would always be Viking. Gisla was not Viking and most likely scared.

"I'll try," Bjarke said.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Bjarke Ragnarsdottir. You are kind."

Bjarke nodded and tried to smile. At that point, a guard walked in and the other girl translated that he was here to take Bjarke back to the boats.

---

"Oars!"

"Ship oars!"

"Oars!"

The boats were slowing down and someone tied Rollo up.

"What are you doing?" I asked Björn.

When the boats were completely still they put Rollo on the edge of the boat and waited for Björns sign.

"Let's see whether or not he's still Viking...," Björn said.

Björn nodded and two men pushed Rollo into the water.

They used ropes to make sure he was underneath the boat and couldn't get up for air.

Ten seconds passed. Twenty. Thirty. Forty.

"He'll die," Bjarke said. She had promised Gisla to make sure no harm would be done to him by the Vikings and yet here they were. "Pull him up! He'll die!"

"Calm down, Bjarke," Hvitserk said.

"He's your uncle!"

"He has to pay for what he's done."

For a moment there was silence. Bjarke's heart was racing in her chest and she forgot to breathe.

"Pull him up!" Björn then shouted.

It was only a matter of seconds until Rollo was back in the boat. It did take him a few seconds to start breathing again and in those few seconds, even Hvitserk seemed worried. Hvitserk who had been so cold only a few seconds ago.

Rollo gurgled and coughed, but he was alive.

"Row!" Björn shouted and others followed his command.

---

Many days had passed since they had left Paris.

"Where are we, do you suppose?" Rollo asked Björn.

"Ispania. About here," Björn answered while pointing to a location on the map.

"If we're lucky," Rollo said.

"Or if the gods will it. Or have you forgotten about the gods, Rollo?" Bjarke said while staring at Hvitserk, who was sitting across from her. She couldn't bear to look at Rollo. No matter what, he would always be a traitor.

---

A few days later Bjarke was sure they were sailing along the right coastline. She had seen it before, in a dream.

"We're almost out of fresh water," Hvitserk said.

"I know," Björn responded. "We need to find a port. Not only fresh water but provisions. We don't have much food."

Tension was building and people had started to lose faith.

"What will they think? The people there?" Hvitserk asked.

"I don't know," Björn answered. "I don't know anything about them."

Rollo started to tell something about the people there, but Bjarke had already stopped paying attention to the conversation.

She carefully made her way to the other side of the boat and sat down. She had had so much on her mind the past few days.

She had been so angry with Rollo. Ragnar had told her all about his brother, but now that she saw him she hated Rollo. How could he?

The other thing on her mind was Hvitserk. Hvitserk had become her anchor. He had been the person to calm her down whenever someone drove her crazy (most of the time it had been Rollo).

She wasn't sure what to think of Hvitserk anymore. She was in two minds about him and it scared her.

For the first time in a very long time, Bjarke felt like she was drowning.