“What if they come back?” Ingrid whimpers, and I want to cry, but that won’t help her. The thought that several men did this to them while I slept safely on the other side of the stronghold makes me cough into my elbow, trying not to vomit.
The distraught woman brings her knees to her chest to cover herself as best she can while Shaw keeps a steady hand, making quick work of removing her chains. Ingrid bolts to the door, and I don’t blame her, but I can’t let her run traumatized through the village, not yet.
“Wait.” I rush to her, trying to help her put her boots on. Shaw starts on Katrine’s cuffed hands behind us. “Was Bjorn here? Is this his room?” Ingrid nods, her lips trembling as tears tumble out of her eyes. “Did they speak about a map to the reindeer herd?”
She’s not the first woman to be found in this state, nor will she be the last. Holding out my hand, I offer her the dress she wore last night, trying to show any form of comfort. Sniffling, she looks from me to Shaw and back again.
Wrapping her top tightly around her chest, Ingrid says, “I don’t know if this is Bjorn’s room, but he was in here for most of the night. They talked about you more than anything, in between taking turns with us. How you will be next.” She looks around the room as she speaks, like she is remembering her nightmare. “They talked about having land from the fjord to the mountains, and that no one would stand in their way.”
“I’ll bring you back to the women’s longhouse,” Katrine says, standing. My body shivers against the unforgiving cold in the room. When the men left, they didn’t add a log to keep the fire burning, not caring if the women froze. This could be me at any time if I am not careful. If I stay here with Harald, I wouldn’t put it past him to throw me to the wolves when it suits him.
“Everything will be okay. The men will be found and punished.” Katrine keeps her voice even, but she sends a pointed stare to Shaw. Even though her own legs are shaking, Katrine puts her arm around Ingrid and they start down the hallway.
“It’s okay to go with them and make sure they return safely. I’ll bring Siggy to the longhouse. There’s no sign of the map being here,” Shaw says.
“Don’t kill anyone before they stand trial,” I add. Running down the stairs after them, my gut bottoms out when I see the long shadows of a man coming up the stairs. Reaching for the axe on my belt, I try to get their attention, but they are too happy to be free of that horrible room to notice. The light flickers against the stone wall, revealing the man’s shadow, and Katrine screams.
“Run, Kat,” I yell as loud as I can, hoping Shaw hears me.
Bjorn comes into sight. Planning to give them an opportunity to escape, I launch myself at him. Long and lean, full of slick malice, he sneers at me and lets them run down the rest of the stairs.
“Little Rasha, I was wondering when they would send you to rescue those pathetic bedmates.” He puts his hands up, blocking my next move. I walk back up the stairs, and he comes for me. Knowing it is my one chance, I swing the axe. Bjorn with his stupid, lean body dodges, and I hit the stone wall. He punches me clean in the mouth, and I crash down a few steps.
My mouth is coated with my own blood. He steps over me, grabbing my hair on his way back up the stairs. Scrambling to my feet, I scream against his strength. The axe clatters down the stairs, well out of reach, and Bjorn yanks me toward the bedrooms.
I claw at his forearms, his hands around my hair, and kick with everything I have.
“Stop making such a fuss. I wouldn’t dare claim your virtue and risk Harald’s wrath, but that pretty mouth of yours is fair game.”
“So is yours.” Shaw hits Bjorn so hard I hear his bones crack, and he drops my hair. My eyes sting with blurry tears as I clamber to my feet to see Shaw land another bone shattering punch to Bjorn’s gut. While Bjorn is doubled over in pain, Shaw takes a fist full of his tunic and drags him down the hall into the horrible bedroom.
Scrambling after them, I feel my face where my skin will eventually be swollen and curse at how we won’t get away with this. Bjorn will tell Harald that we broke into his room the minute we let himloose. For hurting my friends and countless other women, I’d like to kill him myself.
Shaw brings him to the corner where the chains lay ready to be used again. Bjorn is quick and throws his weight at Shaw, clobbering Shaw’s face. I close the door and turn just in time to block Bjorn from attacking me.
Driving my elbows into his arms, I feel him kick me hard in the stomach as I try to flee from his continuous battering. A glimpse of his face shows his bloodied and broken smile as he pulls me close to him. Moving away, I feel the cold edge of a knife against my skin and freeze.
“I can say Shaw killed you, and that would make all our problems go away wouldn’t it?” he bites out, blood sprinkling my neck. I shuffle my feet and feel the pointed edge stick deeper into my flesh.
“Let her go and tell me where the map is,” Shaw demands.
“I’ll tell you where the map is if I can keep her tonight, or I will have to tell Harald his favorite blacksmith touched his betrothed.” Bjorn drags the knife down my neck, and I squirm against my skin being opened. Shaw looks at me, then the wall behind me. Taking the hint, I reach back, feeling the wall until I touch the end of something, hopefully heavy and sharp.
“You took the map and left me for dead. Why?” Shaw asks, buying me time. Bjorn maniacally laughs at the question.
“I am not going to wait for a King to own me. I know what the reindeer herd is worth to Harald. Meat, milk, hides. I am going to use the map to get those mindless creatures myself. I’ll gain a swath of land and a constant stream of women to fuck.”
Shaw inches closer, waiting for me to grip the handle while Bjorn talks, thinking he has the upper hand.
“You are going to die, Blacksmith. Your future is foretold, I heard, which makes sense, because someone needs to be sacrificed. And you, lovely little thing, will entertain the whole clan once you are the Jarl’s wife.”
I don’t wait for him to finish. Using everything in my shoulder, I swing the massive, double sided axe across my body. The movementthrows Bjorn off, and he falters with his knife. But the axe is too heavy, and my swing takes both of us out at the hip.
Shaw moves like lightning, taking Bjorn’s wrist and driving the knife into Bjorn’s leg, near his crotch. Blood pours from the wound as he screams, but Shaw kneels on Bjorn’s other leg.
“You have seconds to tell me where the fucking map is, or I’ll see you in Valhalla when I get there.” Shaw’s voice is chaotically dangerous.
“What are you going to do with his mess, little Rasha?” Bjorn still has the nerve to speak to me.
