Threads of Time

7. Destiny's POV: The Raid

As I hide beneath the floorboards, the main hut falls into chaos. Despite the rug covering the hidden door, I can still hear the heated argument between Asta and Vigdis about Asta's desire to fight alongside the rest of the family. The sound of sobbing, most likely Kamilla, echoes through the air.

In the darkness, I feel a small, sweaty hand grab mine and give it a reassuring squeeze. I glance over to see Remi, but it is too dark to see his face.

"Don't worry, it will be over quickly. Just be quiet and lie on your side, covering your face with your hand. If dust falls in, you'll want to cough," Remi whispers to me in a hushed tone. He doesn't sound afraid at all.

"You've done this before?" I ask in the same volume.

"Plenty of times. Mom and Rune always win, and now they have Kolbjorn's help," he informs me. Suddenly, we hear yelling in the distance, the voices of multiple men. Remi and I both roll onto our sides to face each other, covering the sides of our faces pointing towards the "roof." He holds my hand with his free hand, and somehow holding the hand of a brave seven-year-old brings me some comfort.

Unable to see anything, we rely on our hearing. The clashing of iron swords and the cacophony of yelling and screaming fills the air. Suddenly, we hear a creak on the floor above us, and I hold my breath, clenching my eyes shut. Remi squeezes my hand, and I squeeze back, but fear grips me as I hear a sob from above. The sound of the stone trap door being forced open followed by Kamilla's piercing screams sends chills down my spine. Then, a loud thud reverberated through the floor. Another scream, this time filled with anger rather than fear, reaches my ears, and I realize it must be Asta. And then, another thud, larger than the first, resounds above me. I pray silently that my assumption is correct and it's too heavy to be Asta.

We lay there in silence, unmoving and silent for what feels like hours, but in reality, only a few minutes have passed when I finally hear the voices of Asta and Vigdis in the air. A sigh of relief escapes me as the rug is lifted, and the floor door opens, revealing Rude, who is covered in blood. He smiles at me and extends his hand, which I gratefully accept as he helps me out of our hiding spot. I can't believe he's actually smiling right now. Remi crawls out behind me. As I release Rune's hand, I wipe the blood residue on my hand onto the dress I'm wearing. Now that I look at Asta, Vigdis, and Kolbjorn, I notice that they, too, are covered in blood, but fortunately, they don't appear to be seriously injured.

"This wouldn't have happened if you had just let me fight with you guys! I told you I could handle it! I took that guy down all by myself!" Asta argues with Vigdis. I'm surprised to hear her raising her voice, as I would be too afraid to do the same if Vigdis were my mother. Not that Vigdis is mean or anything, but I'm sure she can be intimidating if she wants to be. However, Vigdis is crouched on the ground beside Kamilla, who seems to be bleeding from the upper half of her body. A few feet away is the body of a middle-aged dark haired man lying on the ground dead.

"None of that matters now. Help me get her onto the bed," Vigdis snaps at her daughter, and the two of them carefully carry Kamilla to the bed.

"What can I do to help her?" Rune asks his mother, but she dismisses him with a wave of her hand.

"You cannot sew, but Asta and I can. Clear the hut, attend to the bodies of the raiders, and ensure that the unfortunate child receives care. She is in a state of shock," Vigdis commands, her gaze shifting towards the doorway. It is only now that I notice a young girl, no older than myself, seated against the wall of the main hut, with her hands buried in her face and her knees drawn up as golden brown hair covers her face. Her torn white night shift is in tatters.

Kolbjorn moves forward to assist her, but she flinches away from his touch and emits a small cry. Remi witnesses this and approaches the girl cautiously.

"Come with me, I can provide you with food and wine," he says gently, extending his hand without making contact. When she does not respond, he places his hand on the small dagger that he carries in his waistband. "I have this weapon, for I am a trained warrior who will protect you, my lady."

This prompts the girl to look up, giving Remi a faint smile. Even I find myself smiling. This little boy, with his curly brown hair and large brown eyes, acting as courageous as any warrior. She takes his hand, and he leads her out of the hut. I follow Kolbjorn and Rune outside as well, trying not to feel nauseous as they drag out the lifeless body that had been lying on the floor within. I close the door behind me, allowing Vigdis and Asta to attend to Kamilla.

"Should we dispose of their bodies in the river?" Kolbjorn inquires, surveying the farm and the five deceased men. Rune, Vigdis, and Kolbjorn against five men? And they won with little to no wounds? They must be extremely good in combat.

"No, my family bathes in that river," Rune glares at him. "We will take them into the woods and burn the bodies."

"That does sound more enjoyable but it will stink," he responds with a grin, then turns towards me, allowing me to finally get a clear view of him. He stands tall and possesses a muscular physique similar to Rune, albeit slightly smaller. His dark skin is beautiful, complemented by his long black hair that cascades down to the middle of his back, adorned with sporadic braids.

"We haven't had the chance to formally introduce ourselves yet, although you probably already know my name by now, and I certainly know yours. Where are you from?" he inquires.

"America," I inform him, observing his confusion as he looks toward Rune.

"You've never heard of it either?" Rune asks him as he begins slinging the dead bodies on the back of a dark wooden cart.

Kolbjorn shakes his head. "No. Is it located near England or France?" he queries, directing the question towards me.

"It's an entire ocean away from England and France. A very vast ocean," I remark, choosing to emphasize the distance.

"What is it like there?" he asks, his dark eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Very different," Rune interjects before I have the chance to respond. He then looks at me, tossing the last body into the cart, and suggests, "Show him your odd phone contraption."

I retrieve the phone from one of the numerous pockets on my long robes and power it on. I'm mindful of conserving as much battery as possible, as it's already at eighty percent. I pull up the photo that Rune and I took together a few evenings ago.

"By the mercy of the gods!" Kolbjorn exclaims in astonishment as he gazes at the photo. "How are the two of you contained within that small object?"

"We aren't. It's called a photograph. It was taken days ago," I explain, scrolling through the images of my friends and colleagues as his jaw drops.

"It's incredibly strange," he agrees, regaining his composure.

I power off the device and return it to my pocket, feeling a yawn escape as I notice the setting sun.

"Get some rest. You and I will depart for town at dawn," Rune informs me and I feel the butterflies rise up in my stomach.