Lindorm Princess

Chapter 5

You need to touch it, Slange told me softly. He seemed as nervous about it as I was, his voice betraying his lack of certainty.

I braced myself, stretching out my hand, then stopped. My fingers were shaking.

"It's going to hurt again, isn't it?" I squeaked.

Yes, of course, Slange said, uncomfortably. If there was a way to make it better, I would. I'm sorry.

I hadn't been expecting that response. He had been so callous before. I chuckled, under my breath. 

"Slange, are you actually caring for me? Is this the same Lindorm I met in the woods just three weeks ago? The same one that insulted me for being a stupid, little human?"

He was silent, then said, Just touch the cursed thing and let's be done with it.

I quickly sobered, and grabbed a pillow, pressing my mouth into it, before letting my fingertips brush the dry, shed skin.

It was as if a knife had been thrust into my belly and sliced upwards, into my guts and bones. I screamed into the pillow, as I felt the magic crack my ribs and shoulders, rushing straight to my head. I struggled to take in a breath, it hurt so bad.

Breathe, Lise, whimpered Slange. He took a sharp gasp of air. You have to breathe!

Immediately I remembered his previous words. That by giving me power, he had bonded with me. That had to mean that he was feeling everything I was. And yet he had still chosen to gift me with the second skin.

I sobbed an inhale, and the pain began to die down to a dull throb in my bones. My face was wet with snot, tears, and spittle all mixed into the pillow cover. I took a deeper breath, than tried to sit up to check my stomach. It was fine, no trace of the burning line I had felt as the magic had carved into me.

Slange lay in a crumpled heap by my toes, silent.

"Slange, oh heavens," I shuddered, wiping my face with the sleeves of my shift. "Are you ok?"

Give me a second, he groaned. I- I haven't experienced that much pain in a while. I wasn't expecting it.

I scooped him up, laying him on top of my chest before collapsing back down on the bed. We breathed in time together, inhaling and exhaling, until the last moments of pain drifted away.

I heard the roosters crow again.

"We have to move. Mor will be coming soon to fetch me for the threshing," I groaned. I got up, feeling a sudden rush of strength flood my muscles. I stretched, before tying on my pocket bags and slipping Slange into them.

The sun peeked through thick, grey clouds as I finished dressing. Today, there would be rain. It was a promise heavy on the wind, thick with humidity. I was glad to be doing work in the warm, dry barn, and not running around with the chores on a day like today.

Mor's knock startled my thoughts.

"I'm up," I called.

"Good," Mor's muffled voice came through the door. "I've made a feast fit for the jotunn, to help fuel you through the day."

"I'll be just a second," I assured her, twisting my hair tightly into a coil at the back of my head, and fastening it with a long ribbon.

A feast for the jotunn, the chaos giants rumored to live in the distant hills of the forest, was putting it lightly. The table was stacked with mounds of butter, and heaps of bread, pancakes, sliced cheeses, pickled eggs and preserves. My mouth watered.