“I promise.”
She exhales harshly, hesitating—afraid of telling me the man’s name.
“It’s Njord.”
“Njord? I don’t know him.”
“He’s a warrior. He has raided with Vidar.”
“He’s a bastard dog,” I say.
“That too.”
A few seconds pass in silence as I formulate a suggestion.
“Vidar and I talk. Should I ask him what he would think of one of his men abusing a slave girl?”
“Don’t you dare!” She holds up a finger at me.
“I don’t think he would approve. He would at least force Njord to stop.”
Eidunn’s entire body shakes as her voice goes up in pitch.
“You think you know Vidar. They are bonded in bloodshed. They are fiercely loyal to each other.”
“You don’t think Vidar wants his men to behave honorably?”
“They’re fucking raiders, Kilda. What does honor truly have to do with it?”
“Fair enough.”
“I’m just a slave girl. They would all blame me, say I gave up the goods and then regretted it.”
“Fucking dogs.”
“I swear, one day, I will stab him in his gut while he’s on top of me.”
“A good plan, deserved. I support it. But you will be killed for murder.”
“Better than this life, a slave—bad enough, but a slave forced to… to…”
“It will be better. I will think of something.”
“If you tell anyone, Kilda, I swear I will stab you before Njord.”
“I won’t tell anyone, but if I have an idea, I will share it with you. Okay?”
“Fine,” she says.
I stroke her shoulders. She relaxes, leaning in and resting her head on my collarbone. Who would have guessed her burden was such a heavy one? All of it, over time—the humiliation, the loss of control, the pain.
All alone.
Njord, what a disgusting piece of shit. How can Vidar be allied with such barbaric animals?
I don’t tell Eidunn now, but I make a promise to myself.
I promise revenge for my friend.
