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Before Erik could reply, there was another commotion as a younger man came running up. He looked more like the older man than Erik did, but it was clear the three of them were related. Sigrid assumed they were Ragnar and Egon.

“Erik!” Egon said. He grabbed Erik in a tight hug as Ragnar did, but then his tone turned serious. “You owe me an apology for leaving the morning after my wedding. I sought your company and your counsel, only to find that you were gone.”

Erik tilted his head to the side and shrugged. “There was a matter of great importance, and I assumed that you would have other things on your mind,” he said. “Where is your lovely bride?”

“Caoimhe is tending to matters in her village. Much has happened since you left. But tell us what happened with you. What fate befell you on the sea? We heard that your ship was attacked, but we could not find out by who.”

“His name is Ivar Bjork,” Erik said, and at this, Ragnar stiffened.

“Ivar?” Ragnar cried.

Erik nodded solemnly. “I believe he was working with Arne Hagen, and I think Arne might have been able to get word to Ivar. He is a brute, Father. He captured me and planned to torture and beat me because he claims to have a grudge against our family.”

“Well, then it’s good you managed to escape. And who is this with you?” Ragnar asked, turning his gaze to Sigrid. It was unlike her to remain quiet for this long, but she was awed by the reception that Erik had received. She hadn’t been a part of a family—a true family—for a long time, but now she was able to see what having one would be like.

“This is Sigrid. She showed mercy to me when I was captured. We escaped together. She is a resourceful, strong woman, and she has suffered at the hands of Ivar too,” Erik said.

“Oh?” Ragnar asked.

“He killed my parents when I was younger. I have witnessed his cruelty firsthand, and I come to you with a request,” she said. Ragnar looked intrigued. “I request that you come to my aid and help me fight Ivar for all the crimes he has committed and the dishonor he brings to the Viking name.”

“I must admit that I did not anticipate being in a war so soon. I thought once we rooted out Arne Hagen, that would be the end of it,” Ragnar said.

“These vipers are everywhere,” Egon spat.

“I have already promised Sigrid our aid,” Erik said.

“And you were right to do so. Of course we can help with the army, but first, we must feast! Today is a joyous day. We have missed you, my son,” Ragnar said. He put his arm around Erik and led him away, with Egon in tow.

There was much that needed to be discussed about the size of the army and how much resistance Ivar would offer. Erik cast a glance back at Sigrid, smiling at her, and she could do nothing as he was taken away. For a while now, the two had been linked together, but now more than ever she realized that their destinies were not entwined. He belonged here, and it was only natural that she should be left behind.

Sigrid sat on a wall and waited for Erik to return. She felt at a loss without him and wasn’t sure what to do with herself in this strange place. She was almost tempted to return to the ship, but then she was afraid that she might miss him. She could be angry at him for being swept away by the reunion with his father and brother, but still, she thought he could have made allowances for her. As it was, she felt forgotten.

“Are ye Sigrid?” a soft voice asked. Sigrid looked up to see a slender woman with long brown hair that was flecked with streaks of grey. She had kind features, and there was something familiar about her, which became clear moments later. “I’m Ailis, Erik’s mother. He asked me tae check up on ye.”

“Oh, greetings. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Sigrid said, feeling unsure of how to act with the mother of the man she thought she might love. Ailis didn’t act haughty or prideful, though. She joined Sigrid on the wall.

“It must be strange for ye tae be here. Is this the first time ye hae left Norway?”

Her accent was much thicker than Erik’s, and her words had a stranger inflection, so Sigrid had to concentrate intensely to understand her.

“It is,” she replied.

“Ah, I cannae imagine how ye feel, tae be sae far from home. Well, I hope ye feel welcome here. Ye dinnae need tae sit over here by yerself. Any friend of my son is a friend of mine, especially one who helped him escape. He told me that he was badly beaten there.”

“Yes,” Sigrid said. “Ivar wanted to make an example of him. Erik’s hands were bound. He didn’t have a chance. I wasn’t going to let Ivar kill him.”

“Erik said ye dressed his wounds.”

Sigrid wondered how much else Erik had told Ailis about him. “I did. Ivar saw it as a punishment, but it allowed me to get to know Erik better. I thought that I had an opportunity to escape.”

Ailis nodded in understanding, and a shadow fell upon her face. “Erik mentioned what happened tae yer parents. It is a terrible thing. I remember when I was young, a Viking attacked my home. For years I was in fear of ye all, and then I ended up falling in love with one!” She chuckled lightly. “But we’ll get this Ivar for ye, and ye always hae my gratitude for helping Erik escape. If he haed died over there, it would hae killed me.”

“He has always spoken fondly of you,” Sigrid said.

This brought a smile to Ailis’s face. “He’s a good lad, a good lad indeed. Now then, let’s nae let ye sit here all day. I’m sure ye could dae with a change of clothes and perhaps a bath,” Ailis said. She led Sigrid away and arranged for some fresh clothes to be brought to her while a bath was drawn with warm water. Sigrid felt blessed by the hospitality, and she wondered why anyone would need gods when people like Ailis were around.

A few hours later, a feast had been arranged, and Sigrid was reunited with Erik. She was dressed in a flowing gown that was more like the sort of thing that Kari would have worn. Before, she would have scoffed at Kari for wearing such a thing, but when she saw it, she thought that Erik might like it. It flowed down the slender curves of her body, and despite herself, she actually enjoyed wearing it. Her skin had been softened by the water, and her hair was shimmering and golden. When she saw Erik again, she smiled and had to stop herself from throwing her arms around him.