The Dawn of the Lost

18

I decided to have some time away from the camp, I took my horse for a ride in the forest. I enjoyed the warm suns rays on my skin, and the singing of the birds. However, I wasn't alone Aethelwold stood in my path. "Dismount now!" He demanded. I swung my leg over my horses head and dismounted.

"I am not going to fight you," I said crossing my arms over my chest. I unbuckled my sword and dropped it onto the ground.

"What are you doing? Pick it up!" He demanded.

"No," I said lifting my head to the sky.

"Pick it up!" He yelled and pointed his sword at me.

"I will not fight you," I said. "It's a trivial matter."

"You could have killed me!" He snarled. I walked forward, grabbed his sword and pointed it into my heart resting it there.

"Then kill me," I replied. He pushed the blade through the leather of my armour and grazed the skin, he pulled blade away. "Exactly what I thought, you're weak," I turned my back on him to mount my horse, he threw a knife into my shoulder.

"I was hoping you would say that," he said. "You vikings are all the same, honour and arrogance always consumes you." Pain racked my body as he thrust his sword blade through my back and chest. "With you out of my way, I can prove myself to Ragnar and rise, I will become the respected leader of the Danes I am destined to be."

He pulled the blade out and I fell onto the ground with a thud. I tried to reach for my blade but he kicked it away. "I will tell Ragnar you were attacked in the woods, but you were already dead by the time, I reached you," he said and took my horse with him, blood leaked from my lips, pain was all I knew.

"H...He won't believe you, h...h...he knows I can't take care of myself," I said. He paused, turned and looked at me, he knelt down to my level.

"I will make sure he believes me, now rest well," he said, he left me there bleeding out in the middle of the forest. I placed my hand on the wound, I cried out in agony. I was all alone, I whimpered and threw myself onto my back. My hand fell from my chest and that's when everything started to get dark. I heard a snap, but I was too weak to lift my head.

"Young one, this is not your time," a voice said. "You will rise stronger. Sleep." Their hand hovered over my eyes, they closed and all sound faded. A few moments later, and I come around to water dripping gently.

"W...where am I?" I asked.

"Hush little one, save your strength your injury nearly caused your death," they said. My tongue seemed to fail me, I had no energy.  My eyes closed and the darkness swallowed me once again.