“Surely you speak of my shoulders, fair lady,” he says with a wink. Vidar meanswide warrior. He’s right. That’s what I meant—but it could also be said about his jaw, his hands, his forearms. Every part of this man is wide. I should keep my mouth shut, but I can’t help myself.
“Your shoulders cannot compete with the breadth of your confidence.”
Vidar stifles a laugh as fully grown men giggle around me. I hadn’t known soldiers behaved like young maidens, snickering at every opportunity. My comment is friendly banter, but clearly unacceptable from a woman in chains. Sure, I implied he is overly confident, but that’s practically a compliment among men. Warriors need the confidence to believe they’ll win, that they’ll bathe in the blood of their enemies.
The blonde noble turns to Asbjorn.
“Please, my friend, my ally, honor me.”
“Name your wish, Vidar,” says Asbjorn. “I can guess what it is.”
“Let me take her off your hands,” says Vidar, gesturing toward me.
My mind races as I notice I’m being traded. Swapped. Bartered. Like a horse, a pig, a cow. I am owned.Barely human.
“Are you sure?” says Asbjorn. “She’s a feisty one.”
“Name your price.”
CHAPTER 6
The hall swallows me whole. Rafters vanish into shadow. Even Vidar looks small beneath them. My neck aches from staring upward. I’m stepping into the Midgard Wyrm, trapped in its murky depths.
The air is thick with wood smoke and the smell of drying meat. Legs of lamb hang from the rafters. My stomach rumbles.
“Follow me,” says Vidar. His voice is serious. The lightness from before is gone. My chain rattles through the hushed hall as I hurry to catch up.
Vidar had told me about life in the mountain valleys. Everyone has heard of it—the notoriously lush Opdal. Deer and elk, blueberries, cloudberries, apples and cherries. Nuts, milk and honey. My mouth is still wet from his descriptions. I haven’t eaten since yesterday.
By now I would have eaten a simple meal with my father, some bread, some leftovers. Even with our problems, we had our routine. Now it’s all over. I have to focus. I have to survive. No time to bathe in memories.
How many carriages would it take to fill the room? This hall is mighty, but I prefer the wide valley outside these walls. Wide like Vidar, with soft, sloping mountains on each side inviting the eye skywards. The harsh, jagged peaks of the west are intimidating in comparison.
“Keep up,” hisses Vidar, pulling me from my daydream. I hurry after him as my shackle chafes at raw skin.
The longhouse is dead silent. Just an older woman tending the fire and reviving last night’s stew. Scouse is the best, especially when it’s a couple days old. Unknown spices tickle my nose. They must trade far and wide.
The rotund woman looks up at me, no smile. Trying to make an ally, I smile at her and nod. No reaction. I forget the chain at my throat. Why would she want to be friends with a slave?
Vidar turns to me as we stop in front of a massive door.
“No jokes in here, understand?”
“Yes,” I whisper, feeling the weight of my new status.
My chatter with Vidar has been pleasant. He is friendly, but the coming meeting is formal and important to him. I will be dishonoring him if I speak out of line.
Movement catches my attention. Two little girls in sleeping attire peek out from behind a door. They stare at me wide-eyed. I smile and give a little wave. A young woman with a sour expression pulls them back into the dormitory. Her shining blonde hair pours past her chest—the stark opposite of my dark, utilitarian cut barely passing my shoulders.
She gives me a pointed look up and down—eyes dull, not proud—before her gaze flickers to Vidar. Then she’s gone, closing the door softly behind her.
Vidar snaps his fingers in front of my face. A little too close for my taste.
“Focus,” he says. “This moment will decide your fate.”
Focus indeed. I’m practically sleeping where I stand. Irritation tightens my gut, but I bite my tongue. This isn’t the moment. Vidar pushes open the doors to reveal the plushest room I have ever seen.
The walls are painted dark red. Beams of white run along the ceiling and walls. A beautiful contrast. Furs adorn every surface—the floor, the walls, the tables. My eyes widen. It’s so much to take in.
