Conqueror Queen

Chapter 12

"I know you are angry, but this is not the way." Aiya pleaded.

Ragda towered over them all, dripping with anger as he dangled his ax mockingly side to side. James shifted his eyes to Aiya's dagger that had been pulled from his body and placed on a small table next to them, if he had to, he could reach out and grab it, he just hoped it didn't come to that. "Might I ask what this is about?" He questioned, looking from Aiya to Ragda and back.

Gunnar and Ainsley watched on in anticipation, hoping they too, did not have to get involved. "He needs rest, who is this?" Ainsley asked, pointing his finger towards Ragda.

"Don't...point at him." Gunnar said, pushing Ainsley's hand back down to his side. "He has an ax." He warned, before throwing his arm over Ainsley's shoulders and leading him away from the confrontation, "Come, tell me a story about Aiya as a child. Was she as much trouble then as she is now?" Ainsley laughed, looking back over his shoulder to catch Aiya rolling her eyes as she watched them leave the tent.

"Ragda, may we speak, privately?" She asked, eyeing him to put his ax away.

He glared at James for a moment longer before jerking his head for Aiya to follow him out of the musty tent. "Thank you." She said.

~

Ragda moved fast as he walked, she had a hard time trying to catch up to him as he lead her further away from camp and into the nearby woods. "Where are we going?" She asked.

He said nothing to her but continued to take large strides, his boots stomping into the soft moss that covered the forest floor. The trees were so tall, and thick, Aiya could barely see the gray sky above them as she peered up, amazed at the massiveness of the them. "Will you not stop and talk to me?" She asked again. She was practically running now to keep up with him as he continued to storm through the terrain.

"Ragda! Stop!" She commanded, as she finally caught up with him, grabbing his arm to slow him down. Suddenly she felt herself being slammed into the trunk of a giant tree behind her. Her breath was lifted from her body for a brief moment as she looked at Ragda's angry face. It had been a long time since she had seen him like this, not since her first voyage on his ship had he treated her so roughly.

"Why?" He shouted, as he held her against the tree. "I could break your neck right now." He boomed.

"You know why!" She choked out, trying to loosen his grip on her. He was so much stronger than her however.

After a moment he let her go, releasing his grip on her and letting her fall to her knee's on the forest floor. "I suppose I do." He finally said, as he turned away from her. A strand of his blonde hair had come loose from his braid, and hung down over his eye as he swiped it behind his ear before continuing to walk on, leaving Aiya on the ground. She started to get up, but hesitated when Ragda threatened over his shoulder, "You better stay down woman."

"Have you truly forgiven me for what I did? You say you have but your eyes reveal the lie." She called after him, pushing herself back to her feet and stumbling after him, ignoring his threat.

He stopped, whirling around to look at her, frustration written all over his face, "What are you talking about?" He asked, exasperated with her. "The fact that before you ever came along, my life was far less troublesome? I had a Father, a Mother, and a Brother...then you land on our shores, driving my brother to madness, who kills my father, then you kill him? I should have been the one to do it, not you!" He shouted.

"I knew it! You blame me for your losses! Well I suffered loss too!" She shouted back, "And your brother was already mad before I ever came along!"

"Before you, I could handle him! You were my families undoing! Look at me? Look at what I've done for you, and why? Perhaps what they say about you is true, you have some power over mortal men. How many have died because of you?" He finished.

His words pained her, but perhaps he was right. Her actions continued to hurt the people around her, the people she cared the most for. She said nothing to him, all she could do was stand there, a pained expression on her face as she realized his words were true.

His face softened as he looked at her, seeing the hurt his words had caused. It wasn't all her fault and he knew it. She was right as well, there was too much bad blood between them to make things work. There was love between them no doubt, but also hate. "I'm sorry, Aiya. I shouldn't have said that." He replied, moving in to hug her. He pulled her into him and hug her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head. She smelled of earth and sweat but it didn't bother him.

"No, you're right." She cried as she clung to him. "I've been selfish in my revenge that I never stopped to think about what I've been doing to you, and I am sorry for that."

He released his hold on her as he looked down into her eyes. "I will always love you, but most of all, I want you to be happy. So if the puny Christian is what you want, so be it." He smiled, but it wasn't out of happiness.

"He doesn't know." She said. "And I don't know if I should even tell him."

"You should." He said.

She smiled back at him, "I've made a mess of things." She said.

"Yeah, you really have." He agreed, making her chuckle.

~

It was nearly dark by the time they returned to camp, they could see the fires long before the tree's cleared. The sound of distant drums and laughter sounded in the air and they knew there would be a celebration that night, and a sacrifice.

"There you are!" A shrill voice sounded.

"Annie!" Aiya shouted back, running to hug her friend. She had nearly forgotten about her in all the excitement.

"Have you seen him?" Annie asked, hugging Aiya back. "Hemming?"

"No, I have not." She replied.

"Come! He's this way." Annie grabbed her hand, leading both her and Ragda in the direction of the captive Lord.

Hemming was chained between two large beams in the center of camp, his head hung low as he was pelted with mud, rocks, and rotten food. People laughed and cheered as they made a game of his misery and it was less than what he deserved.

"I believe we have our sacrifice for the Gods tonight." Ragda whispered into Aiya's ear. "I'm sure King Thorolf will let you do the honors." He smirked.