Aeleva; The Viking Saxon

Chapter 10

It rained for three days. The rain was bitterly cold in Daneland when it rained. The kind of cold that settles in your bones and refuses to release its grip. When it was sunny, the heat was too much. It was a land of extremes.

I had found shelter in the inn, found a corner with an empty fire which was rare considering the vast amount of men that had gathered in Torvik. The flames danced and twirled with the beautiful colours of amber. I was lost in the dance and empty thoughts.

It was perhaps the late afternoon; I hadn't kept time in the last few days. Opting to hid in the shadows and avoid Hagen for as long as possible. Memories of that night creep into my mind and I am distracted thinking about them until I remember the pain and cries that followed. The time that had past had not made my mind whirl any less. I was torn but so many emotions, different parts of me pulled in different directions.

"Why the long face?" The voice broke my thoughts. I looked up and a man around my age was smiling back at me. I didn't recognise him and he spoke to me in Danish, so I assumed he was from a neighbouring village.

"I'm not used to the rain." I replied in Danish. It was a lie it rained a lot in England, it was a blessing to our crop. But the cold was what I was not used to, the wind bites me there.

"You're from England?" He replies amused as he sits down to share the fire.

I simply nod in response.

"You're Aeleva?" He asked. "The Saxon that beat the shieldmaiden?" I nodded and smiled at him. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing, he knew of me.

"Pleasure to me you," he said kindly. I smiled again and decided to let him join me. He sat and talked of idle things, inquired about my training and the celebration a few months ago. He was from a village north, a fishing village called Norfisk. His name was Fin and if I wasn't so turned off by the idea, I would say he was a handsome young man. I was grateful for the company and the distraction. Perhaps I made a friend.

He told me tales of how his family fought in the Battle of Brávellir. It was a famous battle in Daneland. The battle was between Sigurd Ring, King of Denmark and Harald Wartooth, his uncle. Sigurd wanted the land to be united and had fought to make the land powerful. He told me of a long a bloody battle. He spoke of the 300 shieldmaidens that fought. Great warriors such as Veborg. She was a fierce warrior who killed Starke a feared fighter. But after a long and mighty battle was killed by Thorkell. Fin proudly stated she dinned in Valhalla with the greatest of the Vikings.

Fin admired Sigurd. He said he was in faraway in a city called Aalborg, trying to control Kattegat. There were many stories to be told of him and great victories he had accomplished to unify the kingdom of Denmark. But I was tiring.

The night drew near and he excused himself for bed. I finished my ale and rose to do the same.

The walk to Hagen's house was hasty as the rain was becoming ever heavier. The fire was dim and Hagen had passed out in a chair by the table, ale by his side. I slipped into a change of clothes and made my bed in the corner as before.

The next morning the mood was tense as was the new way we had been. Hagen was up before me and was leaving when I woke. We only traded a few words and glances as he left.

Today was a day to prepare for leaving. We were all going to march to Kolding to join up with Earl Harald and then on to Ribe.

Sven was sharpening his sword by the stables when I walked into town. I was glad to see his ugly face, even if he was a Dane.

"Haven't see you in a few days," Sven welcomed me as I approached. I smiled and ignored the implied question.

"Are you ready for Kolding?" I asked him.