[To be titled viking story]

NINETEEN

It was amazing to be surrounded by friends and family once again.

It was very odd to have time to myself. I finished my chores and had free time for the day.

Women my age usually had children running around to attend to, but I didn't. There was a part of me that wished my daughter was still around for me to tend to, but her father had been a horrid person. She didn't deserve that horrible life that she would've been given. I often thought that it had probably been better for her in the long run. Taf had an eye for young girls.

I grabbed my bow and arrows and headed into the woods. Svarti was under surveillance until they trusted him enough to kill anyone. He was forced to stay with Leif or Yori. They didn't trust me to contain him.

That, and I lost my challenge. They had allowed me the chance to prove that I could handle disabling a man. I was rusty and I failed miserably.

Needless to say, I was Unable to guard myself from Leif. He showed me several ways that if he wanted to, he could kill me. If he wanted to, he could've taken me, willing or no.

I couldn't say that the event hadn't put a smile on my face. I had never been with a man that I had wanted to be with. It was always under duress or threat of violence. In my sick twisted brain, having Leif throw me around and pin me down heated my blood in a way I'd never experienced.

I needed to rethink how I was supposed to act around men.

I climbed through the woods, finding an escape. I needed to learn my new home. I needed an escape route. I would never be taken alive and be returned to the life of slavery. I'd rather die than become a slave again.

I was alone, deep in the woods. My day dreams of the events where I tried to earn the right to keep Svarti with me played in my head several times... And I had gotten lost.

Utterly and completely lost.

I sighed and rethought my strategy. I needed someone out here to teach me the lay of the he land. Childhood had taught me my home, Svarti had taught me my prison, and I needed someone to teach me the home I had now with Yori.

Yori was too busy training, farming, and getting ready for the next raid. Had he not found me, they would still be out there trying to fill up their boats with goods from the rivaling villages.

But finding me and the complication of Svarti made them return home. Soon they would be leaving and I didn't know what would happen to Svarti. He had to stay in Leif's home. That was one of the conditions. He was not allowed to stay near my home with Yori.

Yori didn't trust Svarti around me and Leif was quick to object as well. Yori came clean at least and admitted that he didn't like how Svarti watched me.

I put my hands on my hips and looked around. I let myself get distracted and I was never going to hear the end of it.

Unless they had someone who was a spectacular tracker, it would be a while before they found me. Yori was never going to let it go.

I looked up at the trees. That's it, I thought to myself.

I would climb the tree and find my new home. It had to be close.

I hadn't been gone that long...had I?