"The Vikings of Orkneyjar" (closed)

[sexygurrl]

He ate his fill, talking to Fia about her new pet. He mused aloud, "Kitty...? Like … meow...?"
Magnus wondered about the origin of the girl's name. He asked if Fia knew anything about the girl's parents, knowing that they'd probably been killed in the attack the previous night.

Fia shrugged, "Maybe? Maybe it's short for something else." She sighed trying to remember the jumble of new words from her tiny shadow, "Not too much, probably dead as nobody has come up to me to claim a relation. I know she misses them. I don't think she knows what death is, exactly. I believe she thinks they might be back later."

In the afterglow, they kissed softly until Magnus whispered, "I want to put a son inside you."

She thought she hadn't possibly heard him correctly, "My lord… I-" She didn't know what to say or how to react. She closed her eyes and searched her heart instead of her head. Nodding gently, she took another liberty and spoke to him as a lover instead of her master, "I would gladly bear your sons and daughters, Magnus."
She said it not thinking of the fact that she'd be freed if she were to become pregnant, but because it filled her with joy that he wanted her to carry his son. As far as anyone knew, his firstborn.

"You can keep Kitty," he told Fia as he dressed again.

She looked nonplussed at that comment, "Thank you?" She wondered exactly what Magnus meant by that. She gave it little thought as she sent a prayer to Thor to give Magnus the strength he needed to come back to her.

Then, looking between Helga and Fia, Magnus said, "Fia, you will answer to Lora … and you will be in charge of the Norse."

Fia nodded soberly, "Yes, my lord." She glanced at Lora and gave her a nod of assent, letting her know she'd be no trouble. Part of her wanted to simply lie down, though, as she could feel his seed running down her leg.

She watched him go and wished him well. She only looked over at Lora after he'd left her field of vision.
Helga tutted at her and Fia scowled at her before turning back to Lora and respectfully asking, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

 

[KingOfNowhere]

With the exception of a single warrior left behind to protect the village and watch over the new slaves, the rest of the Vikings headed back up the road toward the town. Magnus looked back at his people -- at Fia, in particular -- fearful that the locals might already be staging to attack the fishing village to seek revenge for the previous night's attack and slaughter of their men.

The advantage they had, of course, was the terrain and lack of foliage. The tree cover along the shoreline was thin and lacking, which meant that his scouts had been able to see for certain that no locals had approached the village during the night or morning.

Unfortunately, once Magnus, Ericsson, and the others reached the location where Vikya was watching the town, he realized that the terrain's cover was just as sparse here. Looking around at the lack of trees and the clear lines of sight from the town, he wondered how it was that they'd gotten so close to the town the night before.

The Vikings discussed their options, and Magnus decided, "We will attack after dark."

Ericsson and Vikya took their small squads out and around the town to positions in which they could lay low until dark. Magnus and three men remained in a small depression near the road, between the town and the village. Sunset came and went, and when the night's only illumination was the waning crescent move, the Vikings quietly moved on the town.

Things went as expected, at least for Ericsson and Vikya. Their squads reached the wall from opposite sides and their archers quietly killed the lookouts. They closed on the stockade's gate without being detected and were going to wait for Magnus and his warriors. But then they were discovered and had to launch their attack.

Surprisingly, they met little resistance, and within just a few minutes were the lone people inside the town brandishing weapons. Men, women, and children ran for their homes; the Vikings headed for the Church, where the wanderer Aiden had said they would find gold and silver. They crashed through the less than impressive door and found what they were looking for, as well as more than 20 mostly women and children who hurried to a corner where they cowered.

Meanwhile, out at the road, things weren't going quite as they had been planned. Magnus and his squad had hurried toward the town right down the road at the signal, only to suddenly find themselves face to face with a squad of 30 armed Orkneys. With a frightening war yell, the Earl and his 6 men attacked while behind them 2 shieldmaiden archers began picking out enemy targets and sending arrows at them from positions of cover.

In the dark, it was hard for the town's defenders to tell exactly who was who amongst the dark figures on and about the road. They hadn't expected an attack here, and they hadn't been prepared for the ferocity of the enemy from the beach. But the Vikings had their own ways of letting their companions know who was a friend and who wasn't; this sort of fighting in the black was their forte, letting them slash and stab and club with little if any fear that they were striking a comrade.

After a couple of minutes of fierce fighting, a call came out repeatedly from the one of the town's defenders; they fell back and hurried away toward their home. Magnus called for his own men to refrain from pursuing, although the archers continued to loose arrows until there was no one left to target.

"Call out!" Magnus ordered. "Who's dead?"

It only seconds to learn of the Vikings' casualties: one dead, one dying, and two injured enough to draw Magnus's concern. He ordered one of the still-healthy warriors to return to the camp and get the Healer, Lora. "The rest of us … to the town."

But they didn't get far. Less than a quarter mile ahead, arrows began raining down on them. The retreating Orkney's had stationed themselves in the thin, low-lying, but all-too-adequate foliage in an area of uneven ground and were standing their ground.

"Back!" Magnus ordered. He looked off toward the town, where he could see the flames rising from a burning building, and -- about Ericsson and Vikya -- said more to himself than to anyone else, "They are on their own for now."

His squad of 5, including himself, fell back again, with the archers finding their own firing positions. But it was a standoff; neither force was advancing. All they could do was wait for dawn and hope that his Second and his Sister survived the night.


Meanwhile, in town, the attack on the church had taken a turn as well. As Ericsson's squad was scaring the Orkney's back into their corner, Vikya's men were rounding up the gold and silver. She was surprised at the wealth here: candlesticks, platters, figurines, and even a small box of coins. Oh, it wasn't the greatest amount of look the Langt vann Vikings had ever seized but it was more than she'd expected from such a small town.

And then there was mayhem at the church doors. A squad of Orkneys rushed in, some with bladed weapons and others with sharp farm implements. The battle ensued for several minutes, during which half of the Church's hostages escaped. But the attacking locals simply couldn't withstand the ferocity of the heathen Vikings; those still standing pulled back beyond the doors to establish a front line from which they could better hold off the Vikings.

Only, things didn't go their way. Ericsson and three men forced the church doors shut and blockaded them. The locals tried to get back inside, but the building's creators had constructed the church to withstand such an attack, presuming it would come from an enemy, not their own defenders.

Inside, Ericsson, Vikya, and 6 other Vikings had themselves 18 hostages … and no one was going anywhere at all.

 

[sexygurrl]

Lora shook her head, "No, girl. Go tend to your master's newest slaves. Teach them."
Fia nodded and walked off.

Lora turned to Helga and said, "I would appreciate the help in keeping the lead while I take a moment to look for local healing herbs." A knowing, but humorless smile stretched her lips, "One never knows what might happen at upcoming battles."
Helga cheerlessly cackled, "Are you still playing at being a seeress?"
"Observation and intuition, my darling friend, nothing more. I'll take one of the new slaves with me." Lora went to find another woman to explore the forest and try to find herbs, roots, mushrooms, and berries that resembled those she already had knowledge on.

Helga went to do her duties and helped to set up pens for livestock and chickens that had come from Langt vann with them.

Fia went to the children who'd been diligently spinning as she had taught them. They were slow, but it was new work for them.
The yarn, as she had suspected, was not uniform but still she praised them.
She ran her fingers through Kitty's hair and touched the boy's cheek. The brother and sister hadn't yet given their names up. They were not stubborn, merely meek and quiet.
"You all should clean up and have some supper."

They brought out maternal instincts in Fia. She knew they were still part of the thrall community, but she'd been shown kindness and had no problem giving it out freely. She ushered them inside the hut to make sure they ate.

Lora returned with the new slave and her new medicines around dusk.

*******************​

"Feiginger!" A clear voice rang out from the huddled 18 hostages at the church, in the Viking tongue.
"Teàrlag, hush!" Someone harshly whispered in Gaelic.
"Why?" She snapped back in the native tongue, "Are you so afraid that they won't know that they're nothing but," She switched back so the Vikings could understand her, "Cowards!"
"Teà, shut your mouth!" Someone else tried shutting her up again.
They all moved closer around her to try and protect her and shield her more from view of their capturers.

 

[KingOfNowhere]

"Feiginger!" A clear voice rang out from the huddled 18 hostages at the church, in the Viking tongue.

Ericsson looked quickly to the group in the corner, not entirely sure that he'd just heard one of the locals call his Viking's coward. The mostly women argued in whispers in their own incomprehensible language until one of the women repeated the slanderous word at volume. The group seemed to close around the offender, obviously trying to protect her. Was she someone of importance? Or were they simply fearful that she was about to be cut down like so many others had been outside the Church?

The tall, dark, and handsome heathen headed toward the Orkneys, causing a panic to begin and rise with every step. The only male of consequence amongst the hostages, a smallish lad of perhaps 13 or 14, whipped out a small dagger. Ericsson paused, smiled, laughed, and continued forward. When the Viking was within reach, the boy lunged forward and stabbed at him. But the Northman avoided the attack, snatched the boy's wrist, and literally lifted him upwards until only his toes were on the Church's wood plank floors.

With his sword in his belt, Ericsson's other hand was free; he ripped the small dagger out of the boy's grasp, tossed it away, then tossed the boy to a pair of Vikings who had followed behind him. He told his cohort, "He has spirit. Don't kill him … yet."

Turning back to the mostly frightened females, Ericsson found one woman who seemed to show little if any fear at all. He hesitated a moment, taking notice of her great beauty and pleasing shape … then pushed through the others, grasped the woman by the wrist, and pulled her out of the crowd. Not knowing whether or not she would understand him, Ericsson asked, "You speak my language? How do you know my words?"

 

[KingOfNowhere]

A standoff had developed east of the town at the forested rise through which the road passed. Magnus and four others -- three warriors and a shieldmaiden -- had found positions on the sea side of the small hillock where they were licking their wounds. Only now Magnus realized he had a minor stab wound to an upper arm. As Abigael wrapped the injury with a piece of cloth to stem the bleeding, Magnus smiled and told her, "Another story to tell Fia when I get back."

The shieldmaiden didn't understand her Earl's vague comment, nor did she take time to ask about it before returning to her bow and the defense of the position. A dozen or more Orkneys were on the far side of the rise, and -- like the Northmen -- they didn't seem all to eager to mount an attack.

"We need to withdraw!" a Viking called from the darkness. It was followed by an angrier sounding voice countering, "We need to attack! They need us in the town!"

"Quiet down!" Magnus demanded, an order which silenced the lot of them. After a moment, he whispered to Abigael, circle around with Lungst. Take your time … be silent … and attack from behind."

The two archers moved east away from the other Vikings, then out and around. It would take quite some time for them to get into position. Magnus moved to the other two and, one after another, told them, "Move around … make noise. Make yourselves sound like many men. We must keep their attention here."

The three of them set about shifting their positions and whispering just loud enough to make the Orkney fighters believe they were facing a small army rather than three men and two archers...

 

[KingOfNowhere]

"Lora...! Lora...!"

The shieldmaiden watching over the fishing village looked west toward the road to see a dark figure running toward her, silhouetted by the slightly less black sky behind. She might have sent an arrow that direction, fearing an attack, if she hadn't recognized the name of the Healer being called out.

Asger, the youngest of Magnus's still living Viking warriors at barely 18 years of age, almost ran into the night watch and, between gasping breaths, passed on his Earl's demand, "Lora … Lora ... she is … needed. At the … battle … hurry."

The shieldmaiden told the young man to get water for himself and the others, then she went to find the Healer.

 

[sexygurrl]

Ericsson asked, "You speak my language? How do you know my words?"

For a moment she was tugged between the Viking and the other women, but she actually pulled away from the huddle. She was indeed fearless.

Teàrlag had a fire in her eyes that matched the fire sprouting from her head. She stood her ground, even stuck her chest out some, recalcitrant.
She stared for long moment, looking him up and down, breathing hard. A rage built inside her and hands reached out again to try and pull her back but she pushed them away.
She took a moment, thought of how to respond and swallowed her pride, just a little.
"A traveler," She spat, "Now, let them go. Let my father's people go."

 

[KingOfNowhere]

Ericsson was as impressed with the fiery woman's spunk as he was with her looks. He liked these kind of women; he liked to bend them over the nearest horizontal surface and fuck the fire right out of them.

And although the way in which she spoke his language wasn't entirely easy to comprehend, he understood Let my father's people go well enough to understand that this was no peasant woman. He looked her up and down again, then looked to the women desperate to save her from the vicious heathen that they assumed he was. She was dressed better than they were, and she wore a necklace that Ericsson presumed was of some value.

"You are karl…?" he asked, then unsure if she would know the word, clarified, "You are a noble woman? You lead these people?"

 

[sexygurrl]

The shieldmaiden told the young man to get water for himself and the others, then she went to find the Healer.

Lora was at her new hut. Having put away her new medicines, she was sitting near a small fire making poultices and putting them away in little wooden or clay jars.
She had the slave knitting bandages for her.

Her door, as medicine woman and unofficial seeress, was never locked in any way. So when the shieldmaiden crashed through it, Lora stood and gathered the things she'd need before a word could even pass between them.

"Go find something else to do," She told the slave and turned to the shieldmaiden, "Let's go."

 

[sexygurrl]

"You are karl…?" he asked, then unsure if she would know the word, clarified, "You are a noble woman? You lead these people?"

She set her jaw and nodded slowly, "My father does."
Internally she smiled, however, as the Viking had hit the nail on the head.
She led these people, her father only ruled in name. He had become weak after her mother's death. They only respected him because they respected her and she was a kind ruler.
Had her position and her father's been switched, he might have been thrown into the fray instead of trying to protect him as they did.

"What interest does our little island even hold for you, barbarian?" She took a step toward him.

 

[KingOfNowhere]

At one of the drying fires, Aiden was talking to a pair of the newly enslaved women as they cut and hung the fish their now-dead husbands had caught in the days before. They had been expressing an interest in fleeing their captivity, and he'd been trying desperately to talk them out of it.

"You may succeed, you may escape," he pleaded, "but what of the others? They will be punished. The Viking leader, the Earl, Magnus ... he told us this."

About that time, a Viking came rushing into the village calling out what Aiden presumed was a person's name. Within a couple of minutes, the young man, the Viking's healer, and another of the Viking women headed quickly up the trail to the west.

There was movement behind Aiden, and when he turned he saw one of the women running south down the beach. He called out for her to stop -- then immediately wished he hadn't. He looked back to the shieldmaiden, who was now watching the fleeing Orkney lass. They both began hollering at the woman in flight to stop … as the shieldmaiden was notching an arrow.

"Please, no!" he hollered to the Viking female as she raised her weapon. He rushed toward her with arms raised, hoping to obstruct the archer's view. But the arrow was released, passing so close to Aiden's head that he heard it cutting a hole through the air. He fell to his knees, fearing the worse as he murmured to himself, "Please, no..."

There was a scream of agony from near him, and as he looked up Aiden saw a woman rushing in the same direction as her friend had. When he stood and turned to survey the scene, he found the fleeing woman laying face down in the same. She would be dead by the time her sobbing countryman reached her.

"I will speak to them again," Aiden reassured the shieldmaiden when he approached her slowly, finding her with yet another arrow notched. "Please … let me speak to them. You will have no more troubles. I assure you."

 

[KingOfNowhere]

In response to his question about whether or not she was nobility -- or whatever these islands considered such -- the woman told Ericsson that her father was the leader of this town.

"What interest does our little island even hold for you, barbarian?"

The woman didn't cower from the head and half taller Viking as he would have expected. In fact, she moved closer to her, standing tall to look up into his eyes. Ericsson didn't shy about letting his own gaze fall to the young, firm breasts that were thrusted out by her proud posture.

"We're looking for bodies to warm our beds at night," he said with a suggestive tone while still staring at her bosom. Looking back into the woman's eyes, Ericsson smiled broadly as he challenged, "Would you like to warm my bed tonight...?"

He looked off to the other women, some of whom were still years from being what even the Vikings would have considered of age. He threatened, "...or perhaps I should pick a younger member of your father's people."

He looked back to her again with that devilish grin and finished, "I would do my best not to break her in half with my barbarian cock."

 

[sexygurrl]

While the children ate, Fia grabbed the bucket to go to the well and fill the bathtub.
It was slow work, and she made a mental note to find or make another one to make this go faster. Unlike the people of her home country, the Vikings liked to bathe at least once a week, so that became a priority high on her list. Though deep down, she thought to herself that her biggest priority was to let the Earl continue spilling himself inside her so she could make him joyous when his seed took hold.

Fia filled the tub with hot water and went to fetch one last bucket to have fresh water near for overnight and the next morning.
She did not know that she was being watched and leered at by Waaren, the warrior left behind.

She made it into the hut and set the bucket down.
"It'll be bedtime after you bathe," She told them as if she were their mother and expected them to listen. They didn't say a word, but nodded as they ate and watched her fix up what would be their bed.

 

[sexygurrl]

"I will speak to them again," Aiden reassured the shieldmaiden when he approached her slowly, finding her with yet another arrow notched. "Please … let me speak to them. You will have no more troubles. I assure you."

Lora touched the shieldmaiden's arm, "We have more pressing matters at hand. It might be the Earl who needs me. We should go."
She was sad at being a witness to a death like that, but such was life and she wouldn't be able to save her if she tried.

 

[sexygurrl]

"We're looking for bodies to warm our beds at night," he said with a suggestive tone while still staring at her bosom. Looking back into the woman's eyes, Ericsson smiled broadly as he challenged, "Would you like to warm my bed tonight...?"

He looked off to the other women, some of whom were still years from being what even the Vikings would have considered of age. He threatened, "...or perhaps I should pick a younger member of your father's people."

He looked back to her again with that devilish grin and finished, "I would do my best not to break her in half with my barbarian cock."

Teà did not cover herself when it was obvious he was undressing her with his eyes, nor did she shy away from the vulgar words he used. She nearly answered him, with a wicked smile matching his own broad one, that she might consider bedding him.

But then he dared threaten the younger women, and she became incensed again, "Only men who have small cocks talk about how big they are. And if you want to take someone by force," She squared herself and shoved him. Though he only swayed very slightly, she did not back down. Her heart beat against her ribs loudly, "Try it with a real woman so she at least has the chance to defend her own honor!"

 

[TooDamnCute4U]

sorry

 

[KingOfNowhere]

The brave woman continued to challenge Ericsson, seemingly unafraid of his much greater size, superior strength, deadly weapons, or even the blood splashed across his tunic. Regarding his threat to rape one of the less brave or even inappropriately aged women cowering in the corner, she told him...

"Try it with a real woman so she at least has the chance to defend her own honor!"

Ericsson's smile widened before he laughed loudly. He gave an order to the other Vikings, and two of them headed for the hostages, their weapons out before them. They ordered the women and children to sit down, which they did mostly due to the gestures not the Norse words.

"If even one of your father's people rise to their feet, my men will begin carving up the youngest first," he warned the woman he was holding. He demanded, "Tell them. Tell them, or I will have that little one sliced open right now."

Ericsson nodded his head to a toddler who was crying in her mother's arms. Then he turned and headed away, forcefully dragging the woman behind him. During their pillaging of the Church, Ericsson had discovered the sleeping quarters of the Priest or Druid or whatever they called their religious leader. He pushed open the door and slung the woman forward with great force, sending her sprawling upon the bed.

He began shedding his outer layers of warm clothes, obviously intent on raping the woman … as she herself had suggested.

 

[sexygurrl]

As Lora and the shield maiden met with the runner to take them back to the wounded, Waaren stole into the hut, not caring whether anyone saw him or not. As far as he was concerned, Fia was still a slave even if she wasn't his anymore.

Fia was turned away from the door when she heard Kitty's scared gasp.
Waaren was already on the move and by the time Fia tried to turn, he was already behind her. He held her by the waist preventing her from seeing her attacker, nevertheless she knew who it was by the smell of goats that clung to him.

"Waaren," She said, with her heart in her throat, "I am no longer yours. Go away before you find yourself in trouble."
There was a nearing yell much like a war cry, but higher pitched and Fia's heart sank knowing who it was.
"Nooooo!" Kitty reached Waaren, her little fists beating at his legs. She was absolutely no match for the large man and he kicked her away hard. She landed a couple of feet away, whimpering.
"No! Stop!" Fia twisted away from him, though his grip was strong and he held her back from going to Kitty. The older girl approached Kitty and held her gently, trying to comfort the crying child.

"Please," Fia said softly as she looked at her charges. She ached to go to Kitty and comfort her, "Please don't hurt the children. I'll go with you and you can do as you desire with me. Just don't hurt them."
Waaren took that to mean she wouldn't be too difficult. He thought it meant that he would have an easy time sticking his cock in any hole he desired, and maybe use her again… and again.
"Come, then," He pulled her along and out of the hut, her left arm going numb due to his grip on it.
He was already getting hard as he walked her to the forest, thinking on which one of Fia's warm holes he'd like to fuck first.

He couldn't make it more than past the edge of the woods. He spun her around, slamming her back into a tree and holding her there by one large hand on her small waist.
He pressed himself against her, so that she could feel his hardness.
The blood rushing away from his brain intercepted any thoughts that Fia might try to defend herself. But on their walk there, she'd reached into her belt and held onto the dagger Magnus had given her. She'd turned it pointing up towards her forearm, hiding it as best as she could against her palm and wrist.

He rubbed himself against her, and slithered his tongue into his mouth. She moaned against it, trying to pull away.
He stuck his knee between her thighs to push her legs apart, still violating her mouth with his slimy tongue.

That's when Fia pressed the cold, sharp dagger right under his jawbone. He pulled away to look at her.
"You never learned my tongue," She whispered, "So you never learned Fiammetta means fire. And fire is what burns inside me." She pushed the dagger enough to just barely break skin, making that spot sting. She bared her teeth like a mean and rabid dog, "Let me go and I'll forget this ever happened. I won't even tell the Earl, so you won't have to pay him reparations. Let me go and I won't kill you!"
"You kill me and that's the end of you, slave," He laughed in her face his hand going to his own sword.
"I don't give a shit what happens to me!" She moved the blade towards Waaren's soft throat, leaving behind a thin, bloody scratch, "Not if it means you don't intrude upon me."
"Oh, I'm going to enjoy fucking you," He chuckled as he pulled his sword from his scabbard. As it was freed, he dropped it with a shout of pain. The smell of smoldering clothes and burning flesh filled the air.

Waaren swung his arm behind him letting Fia loose. She pushed him hard and he stumbled, his arm flailing wildly behind him. She stood over him, shocked at his reactions.
The boy, young slave to the Earl, stood behind him looking scared. It was that fear in that face that snapped Fia back into her senses.
She ran, grabbing the boy's wrist and making him run with her. She did not look behind her or stop until both were inside the hut.

Waaren finally managed to free himself of the burning stick against his skin. He picked it up and looked at it. It was a crude, dull spear, the point had been burnt, making it black now. He suspected it had been red when he'd been attacked and he thanked the gods it hadn't been sharp enough to pierce him. He got up and chased.

"Help me!" Fia shouted to the boy as she moved the heavy wardrobe trunk in front of the door. He helped her push with all his might.
They managed to move the trunk right on time as Waaren ran hard against the door.

"It's all right," She whispered to the children, "It's all right. He'll go away. He will not hurt you."
It took some time, but Waaren tired himself out.

He went to his own hut to take his anger out on the new slave that had replaced Fia.
He fucked her long and hard, smacking her backside and pulling her hair. He held her tight as he came inside her not caring where in her cycle she was, breaking his own rule.

 

[sexygurrl]

"If even one of your father's people rise to their feet, my men will begin carving up the youngest first," he warned the woman he was holding. He demanded, "Tell them. Tell them, or I will have that little one sliced open right now."

Ericsson nodded his head to a toddler who was crying in her mother's arms.

Teà's breath caught in her throat. She put her hands out to her people and calmly said, "Do not do anything that will make them hurt you. Keep your heads down, cause no trouble."

She felt herself being dragged away and didn't much fight now, afraid that they might kill the youngster.

He began shedding his outer layers of warm clothes, obviously intent on raping the woman … as she herself had suggested.

She quickly moved to sit on the bed and curled her legs under her watching him, eyes wide. She pulled the tartan shawl from her shoulders and clutched it against her abdomen. It used to be her mother's and she'd hate for it to be ripped to shreds if what she thought was about to happen, happened.

"If you let them go…" She whispered, "If you let them go, I will not resist you. If you let them go, maybe we can come to an agreement. We don't have to fight. We can… Work together."

 

[sexygurrl]

Fia tried to normalize things as best as she could. She checked Kitty for bruises or sprains while she undressed her for a bath.
She had them all inside the tub, scrubbing them down with soapwort and inspecting them for lice. She explained that the Vikings liked their people clean, slave or not.

She occasionally looked over at the trunk, hoping he wouldn't come back, that the weight would be enough to hold him off if he did.

In her halting words, Fia asked the boy, "Why… you do… the thing?" She frowned knowing that wasn't quite correct, but learning a new language from what was essentially a baby, there wasn't much she could do.
The boy looked down at the soapy, cloudy water, "He was the one who killed our parents, and, uh…. You're not like them, either."
"Like?" Fia used a soft-bristle brush to scrub under Kitty's nails to remove the lingering dirt there, "I not. I come from… different place."
She passed the brush to the older girl and gestured to do the same.
"No," The boy said, "I mean, even the other slaves are mean to us. You've been nice to us, kind."
"Oh," Fia said softly and nodded. She looked at him, "Name, what is?"
"Duncan," He smiled and nodded to his sister, "She's Isobel, and Kitty's real name is Kathleen."
She smiled, "I like… the all names."
He wasn't unkind at her blundering through the words, "Thank you."

She pulled Kitty out of the tub, dried her, and helped dress her; all while the other two did the same by themselves.
She put them to bed, making up a story in Norwegian.
When they slept, she stayed up, her expression almost blank and her body so tired. But she couldn't sleep, not when she was so afraid that he might come back.

 

[sexygurrl]

Asger led Lora towards the battle. He wasted no breath in explaining, instead using it to keep him going that mile and a half back to his lord.

Lora looked around at the small group. She went to the dying man and gave him a sip of water from her lamb waterskin. She knew she couldn't do much, so she tried her best to make him somewhat comfortable and went to the other two.

She chewed herbs, smeared poultices, and bound the injuries.
She caught the bloody cloth on the Earl's arm and went to him. She smeared a mustard seed paste on the wound. She said to him before he could wave her away, "This will make sure you don't lose your arm or your life because of it."

She knew that even small cuts which seemed insignificant could later become a great problem.