We are all blind

Freedom

The week after Ragnar and Ivar left to go west was hard on both their respective wives. Aslaug and Sidsel found themselves in each other's company more often than not. Even though they had not been too close before, they found comfort in each other. As Aslaug had been used to her husband going out on raids, she helped Sidsel cope. And so, their relationship grew to something between a mother and daughter - like it should have been from the start really.

Ubbe and Sigurd spent a lot of their time with a slavegirl and sometimes they would talk about her when Sidsel was around but they never thought she could hear their conversation or that she didn't care. The young woman would never understand how they were able to share a woman and then talk about it so openly with each other. The intimate time she spent with Ivar was so special to her. She would not want to share that with someone else.

Sidsel also found herself in the company of a slave, but not at all in the same way Ubbe and Sigurd was. Daggi was more like a friend to Sidsel than a slave. One evening as they prepared for bed, Sidsel asked her to take her time with undoing her braids as she asked her about the slavegirl that Ubbe and Sigurd spent so much time with. 

   "She doesn't get much done I'm afraid, but it is not her fault."

Sidsel knew who's fault it was, but no one would blame a slave for following the princes' orders.

   "Do you think she enjoys spending time with them? Or does she only say yes because she has too?" Sidsel asked bluntly. She had no idea how it was to be a slave. That you weren't allowed to do, or even think, for yourself. 

   "Maybe it's both, my lady", Sidsel did not like being called 'my lady' and had told Daggi as much, but she still insisted, especially in the company of others. "I think she wants what everyone else wants, my lady."

   "Freedom", Sidsel finished her thought. Maybe Margrethe was using the Ragnarssons to gain freedom. Sidsel wished she could do the same, gain some more freedom because sometimes she felt like her lack of eyesight were in the way. Especially when all her siblings and her husband could travel to other worlds and she was stuck in the same place.

   "Daggi, if Aslaug were to free you - would you still chose to stay in her service?"

Daggi chuckled a little and paused in her movements. "Forgive me, but I do not belong to her", she started to answer and undid the last braid. "I belong to you, my lady". 

Sidsel frowned a little. "If that is the case, your last night in the barn with the other slaves is tonight. When the sun rises, you are a free woman". 

The next day, Daggi still showed up in Sidsel's room, still doing everything she had done before. "I'm still at your service, my lady", she said as she started to braid her hair like she normally did. 

Sidsel sighed. "Will you at least stop calling me, my lady?" 

A few weeks later, Ubbe and Sigurd announced that they would travel to Hedeby as Ladgerda had invited them there on the behalf of Margrethe. It sounded suspicious, so after their shared meal, Sidsel decided to speak with Ubbe, who usually was the more reasonable among the brothers. 

   "I don't think it's wise for both of you to travel so far, for so little", she said as they were walking outside, side by side. 

   "To me, it isn't little, Sidsel", Ubbe told her. 

   "Even if you do love this girl, what do you know? Why is she inviting both of you? What is she even doing in Hedeby in the first place? Isn't her master in Kattegat?"

  "You ask too many questions", Ubbe said in a firm voice. 

  "Because you are blind, Ubbe!"

   "What do you mean?"

   "You know what I mean. You are being a fool for love, for a slave that you are sharing with your brother."

   "I don't care if she is a slave or that Sigurd have her sometimes -"

   "Perhaps she loves you too, maybe she is not just fishing for her freedom, but have you forgotten why you didn't go with Björn or Ragnar?"

Ubbe became silent after that. 

   "You said you would stay to protect Kattegat, to protect your mother, and you promised Ivar to protect me."

   "You still have warriors and sheildmaidens to protect you. We will be back soon. It won't be long", he tried to assure both himself and Sidsel at the same time.

Sidsel was frowning deeply. She had a bad feeling that something was coming. Something bad was going to happen soon. Aslaug confirmed her fears the day after Ubbe and Sigurd took off. 

   "Something is coming, the gods told me so."

We'll be back soon. It won't be long.

Ubbe's words echoed in her mind. She felt unsafe and trapped in a situation she had no control over.

"Please hurry", she whispered and then started to pray to the gods for protection against the storm that both her and Aslaug felt were coming.