Merciful || Ivar the Boneless

t w e l v e

The days were long, painful and tiring. Rape became my everyday routine and I was so weak I couldn't even think.

The days were alternating with nights and I had no clue about the time. Sometimes they would give me some water, mostly I would be starving wishing to die. They got bored after a while, so they came up with something else.

One night they were slightly drunk from the ale one of them brought. They tattooed each other and thought why not give me a tattoo. My hands were tied together, and I couldn't fight back because of that and because I was so weak. They pushed me down and pinned me to the ground. My clothes were already ripped so they didn't even have to do it. The cold air ran over my back causing a little shivering. And the process began.

They were laughing and drinking and stabbing my back. The pain wasn't bad, probably because my back was numb from the cold.

"Oh, I love it. It suits you, sweetheart," one of them said when they were all looking at it. I was sobbing a little, trying to be as quiet as possible because I didn't want them to see me even weaker than I already showed them I was. They marked me like a piece of furniture and I felt like one.

From the lack of food and water I blacked out and I had no idea how long I was out. When I woke up there was a bowl with a water in it. Served to me just like to a dog. Slice of bread was lying next to it. It was mouldy and old, but I ate it so fast I almost choked. I should have known that they gave me food because I needed the strength for what was coming next.

I wasn't a fun for them anymore, so they decided to whip me over and over again.

First, I wanted to scream but they put a piece of cloth in my mouth. Each hit changed me and from crying, I went to a silence followed by a wave of anger and surprisingly the strength in me grew. I discovered a new side of me which I completely committed to. The blood thirst just took over me and I was no longer Eira, the sweet farmer girl.

It happened that night. They left me lying on the ground thinking I was too weak. They were terribly wrong. It might sound crazy, but I felt like something gave me a strength. Maybe it was my parents who would want me to live and survive.

All three men were sleeping. I felt the pain from my back, but it wasn't going to stop me. I had to take this chance and with that I quietly sneaked to one of them, carefully took his knife. I slit his throat almost from ear to ear. Blood splashing out and covering my face. He couldn't even scream how fast it was. I licked my lips, tasting his blood. Then I watched the life leaving his eyes. I wasn't breathing how satisfied I was. I looked over to the two bodies sleeping opposite.

I did the same with the second man, but I wasn't going to repeat it on the third. No, he was a special one.

"Sweetheart," I told him to wake him up. That's what he called me. I hated that word ever since.

He was the one to come up with the tattoo idea, he was the one who raped me first and of course, he was the one, who suggested the whipping. What a sick bastard. I wanted to skin him alive.

He opened his eyes slowly and I didn't wait. I stabbed him in the eye, not far enough to damage his brain. He wasn't gonna go that easy.

"Aarrgh!" he screamed reaching for the knife in his eye.

"Oh no," I said calmly and took it out. He was now holding his eye, trying to stop the bleeding. He sat up, but I kicked his chest as hard as I could, so he fell down again.

"You bitch," he spat out. The sound of his voice brought back every single thing he did to me and I remembered what he was saying during it.

"You don't like it, sweetheart?" I told him just like he did so many times. I jumped to the dead body lying few feet from him, grabbing his axe and my eyes landed on something else. Two nails that fell out of his pocket. A devil smirk came across my face as I took it.

I was standing above him, taking one of those nails. He was still holding his face with his hands, so I grabbed his left one, broke it in the process and nailed it to the ground. I was surprised by the strength I had. It was probably the adrenaline pumping in my blood, but I didn't really care because all I could think about was all the ways I could kill him. He screamed in agony and to me, it sounded just like the perfect song. I enjoyed every second of it.

"Oh, scream for me sweetheart!" again I repeated his words. I took my knife and ripped his shirt. Then my knife was cutting through him like he was just a butter. I cut my name in his chest, so he could never forget. Even though I was going to kill him, it satisfied me.

My knife got to the hem of his pants. I smiled because I knew my next step. I undid his pants, revealing his little member. I put my knife in the fire, so it would be easier. The strength was slowly leaving me, and I didn't want to hold his member for long. It disgusted me.

"No, no please, don't," he begged, and I laughed when my knife severed his member from the body. The blood loss made him weaker. With the strength I had left I broke his jaw, trying to open his mouth. I stuffed it in his mouth, watching him choking on his own dick.

"How does it taste sweetheart?" innocent irony in my voice. I closed my eyes, letting a deep breath out. Then I pierced his heart with my knife, watching his eyes shut.

My own eyes as I found out later when I saw my reflection got darker. Perhaps they were reflecting the change of my soul.

The adrenaline was no longer in my system and I fell down, exhausted. A weird kind of piece washed all over me as I passed out.

***

Eira was watching both men in front of her. Their eyes were wide open, so were their mouths. Ivar was pale, he looked like he just saw a ghost. They needed a few minutes to process it.

Then Ubbe spoke out: "What did they tattooed on your back?" Eira totally forgot to mention it.

"Pig whore," she answered with her jaw clenched. "They thought it would be funny to spell big as a pig," she added with disgust.

Ivar wanted to kill them, and he was also proud that she managed to do it herself. Even though he thought it wasn't enough what they got. He would do way worse to them.

"You said you did yourself some scars to your beck?" he was almost whispering. Eira nodded.

"Sometime later, when my back healed I tried to cut the tattoo myself because I didn't want to be marked like an animal who was about to be slaughtered." Ubbe raised his eyebrows, watching this tiny girl in front of him. He didn't expect she was hiding such a strength in her.

"We will help you," Ivar said turning his head to his brother. Ubbe nodded and added: "You are now with us and we will seek revenge for your family." Ivar tried to smile at Eira, but the sadness didn't leave his eyes. He felt sorry for what she's been through.

Eira noticed and that was one of the reasons she wanted to keep it all to herself. She didn't want people to look at her differently. She hoped, Ivar wouldn't.