Dragon Bride

Chapter 1 Karliene Jamesdottor

Late summer 1076 AD, Skelholm Norway

Karliene stood in the thick forest at the edge of the tree covered mountains hidden in the mist and shadows. Her village with its small wooden chapel and sod covered homes clustered on the flat green expanse of ground below. Atop a hill near the village stood the raised circular earth works of the trelleborg or castle. The wooden walls and four gate towers were rendered in sand, daub and quick lime and then white washed which made them glow in the sunlight. From her vantage height she could see into the castle with its uniform rows of long houses with slate roofs and central keep also rendered and white washed. The narrow flat stretch of land, the holm, hugged the side of the fjord. Skelholm spread beneath her sheltered by the north face of the mountains and the deep fjord. The long fjord ended in the sheer mountains face except for the narrow holm on which her village and uncle's farm stood. She looked across the land that had been her home since her birth twelve years ago. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she finally broke down and collapsed in grief. She lay immobilized by her grief for most of the long summer day.

"Why...why did you take them God!" she wept. "I'm so afraid...so alone..." her weeping was interrupted as her uncle found her and sat on the moss covered ground close to her. He remained silent and waited for several minutes. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I came looking for you, Karlie." She wiped the tears from her eyes and simply stared surprised. "We love you, your Aunt Gretchen and I were hoping you would choose to live with us. Your younger sister Unni (YOU-nee) was looking for you." Karliene tried to speak but only managed to burst into another fit of tears. She covered her face with her arms and her entire body shook with her grief. Her uncle stood then wrapped her in his hooded cape and then sat next to her. "I loved my brother James too and will miss him. You lost both of your parents two days ago but you are not alone. I know you need some time to grieve. I brought you some food. I will leave you with my short cape. Please come home when you can." Karliene nodded.

"How's aunt Gretchen?" she managed to whisper after quelling her sobs.

"She is due any day now otherwise she would have climbed up here with me." He reached around her and hugged her.

"How did you know to come here?" Karliene whispered now looking into her uncles face. His words had touched her bringing comfort and additional silent tears.

"I know this spot well," Eric said as he smiled at his niece. "James and I would come here when we were both just small boys. My grandfather took us here and said he had seen a dragon bathing in the hot spring just over there." He pointed to the steaming thermal pond. "We came often hoping to see the dragon. I thought you would come here. I know James showed you this spot."

"Did you ever see the dragon?" Karliene asked.

"No," Eric whispered, he smiled at her and hugged her a little tighter,

"It wasn't an accident, the drowning," she blurted, "it was Lothar of the Gutes clan. I'm sure I'm right."

"It was found to be an accident," Eric said softly. "Besides you are part of the Gutes clan by way of your grandmother as well as Jutes clan through my father. Why would Lothar want to risk a blood feud?"

"Lothar wants to return to the old ways and wants to destroy the Christians. My father would stand with Father Peter and defy the clan. He threatened my father. I saw them arguing."

"Lothar was drunk when he said those things," Eric whispered. "He has expressed his grief for his words to our clan and offered reparations."

"I still don't trust him!" Karliene said fiercely.

"As a true Christian you must put your anger aside, Karlie. You must find forgiveness in your heart or you will never be happy."

"I know...it's just really hard."

"Promise me you'll talk to Father Peter."

"I will...promise I will."

"Please come home when you can." Then he kissed her forehead and stood and quietly walked down the hill leaving the pine forest.

Karliene unwrapped the food her uncle had brought. She had not realized how hungry she was until she saw the loaf of barley flat bread, sausage and cheese her aunt had wrapped for her. She attacked the food hungrily. When she had first been told that her parents had drowned she felt that she would never be able to eat again. Then after they had been buried and the sun continued to shine she cursed the sun for remaining in the sky day and night when all she felt was darkness. She felt less alone now that her uncle had joined her. She was exhausted by her emotions and decided to take a nap before returning to the farm. She carefully re-wrapped the food and walked to the warm spring. Then removing her dress and shift and braiding her long wavy red hair she stepped into the pool to soak. The spring water, she had been told by the village healer, had magic and healing properties, and her heart needed healing. After a long soak and thoroughly air drying she dressed and wrapping in Eric's linen lined wool hooded cape slept soundly on a bed of soft moss and lichens.