The Healer And The Boneless

Chapter 8

The silence that fell over us when he asked that question could slice through the air. I wasn't scared of him but that's not what he wants to hear. He likes to be feared. He wants me to fear him. "Yes," I whisper and his lips curled into a half smile. "I want to go back to England. I made a deal with the prince to have some land there. I want you to go with me. If you run away from me though, you'll see what will happen if you do it one more time." He says with confidence. He then tells me to reach for the wooden sticks that he uses to walk. I give it to him and stand back waiting for him to me to get something else. Outside a horn blows strong in the distance and village people begin to shout cheerful. Ivar rolls his eyes and makes his way outside. I follow him. In the distance I assume was also Vikings making their way to the island. They were weaving their hands and dancing. When they reached close to the shore people ran out of the boats. Families met halfway into the water and they all embraced each other with strong hugs.

I smiled when I saw a little girl get swept up from the water as her father tossed her on his shoulder in a playful matter to then kiss his wife. I smiled at the gathering in front of me. I felt glad to be able to witness this and part of me resent it. I wondered what it would be like to have someone to call your own. Or have someone to worry about you.

My gaze scanned everything around me and I found Ivar sitting on a rock staring out. A woman with long blonde hair braided hugged Bjorn for a long time. She even smoothed her palm on the cheek, I wondered if she was his mother. The women said hi to the rest of the boys but not the same way she greeted Bjron. When she saw Ivar, she turned her face to the crowd and smiled. Then she looked at me and smiled. I smiled back but turned to look at Ivar who was staring at me. I looked at the dirt quickly. I don't know if I'm allowed to talk to her. She lifts her hands in the air and then walks into Ivars long house. Before I followed the crowd I turned to look at Ivar one less time and he was staring out into the distance. When I walked in she sits on Ivar throne, and I was taken aback. Was Ivar not the King. "I hear Ivar had a very successful invasion in New England. You even have a new settlement."

Ubbe is the one that talks on his behalf. "Yes, it was. We have enough gold to buy a whole Island." He says this with his chest and finishes the sentence facing the crowd that cheered in agreement. "The battle in Irland was rough but I managed to pull through. I want to honor tonight a girl who saved my life. Asta!" She extends her hand out to someone on her left side. The girl emerges from the crowd shyly. She hesitates to give the women her hand. The girl had red hair and her face was filled with freckles She instantly stood out from the crowd, I thought she was absolutely beautiful. The women step down from the throne and take her hand and force her to stand in the middle. "She's brave. I want you to join my army. I want you to help me invade Irland." Asta kneels before the women, and she reaches for a sword. "I, Queen Lagatha, Allow you to join my Army." I looked around baffled. Women fighting alongside men? This took me by surprise and I imagined learning how to fight but I quickly shut down the daydream. Ivar owns me, I couldn't afford wishful thinking.

So Ivar isn't king? really, shows how much power he actually holds when people fear him. You will tonight. His voice rang through my head and I will admit I was slightly scared to find out what he meant by that. Lagatha called for her servants and she walks away. I heard her call for a bath, and immediately several girls ran to her side and rushed out of the place looking for the things they needed. I looked around, annoyed at myself. Why don't I ever know what to do?

I walked outside to see Lagatha walking over to Ivar.

Someone grabbed me by the arm and forced me to hold a scrub. "For the love of Odin, Nia!" The girl smiles at me and slightly pushes me forward. "Walk like you know what's going on otherwise he is going to know." She whispers to me but walks forward. I straighten myself and thought, "How do I walk with purpose?"

I remembered when I lived in England and I watched the Queen teach her youngest daughter how to walk into a room filled with royals. She had tightened her wisted extra tight to make sure she was never slouching and her shoulders were held up and straight like sticks. I don't know what the Queen was trying to teach her, whether it was to look strong and resilient next to the King when he made most of the decision, a form of protest, or looking as though you knew what was going on when the men were talkinG

When we tried four other girls were preparing a warm bath, I signed and relaxed my shoulders, finally something I knew how to do well. I grabbed one of the buckets filled with hot water and poured into the bath. "Sorry, I took you by surprise there. I am Eira. I saw you looking around and then I saw Bjorn walking towards you. I know you're scared of him. I saw you running away." She says and showing me forward to where she reaches for a candle and turns it on with a previous lit one. "Oh, thank you," I said. "No one's really ever talked to me since I've been here." She smiles. "I know."

"Tell me about yourself, the only thing I know is that the boys use you as their sex slave." She turns away from me and I blinked trying to find the words to answer her question. "Well, I am not. I just serve Ivar." She turns around and before she could open her mouth, Ubbe walks into the tent and tells me I've been called.

Ubbe and I walked in silence back. I smiled at the thought of Eria. Was a friend? When Ubbe opened the doors, Lagatha turned to me and stepped aside to show someone who has been stabbed. They were wet with sweat, old and new blood stained the floor. Ivar drags himself over to me and smiles. "I know you can help us." A knot forms in my throat.

"I heard you were born with great gifts."

Hitverserk smiles, "Yeah, I watched it with my own eyes. She healed herself right there."

"What is your name, dear?"

"Nia," I say in a whisper. The young men groan in pain and he was breathing really hard I cringed, I couldn't bear his site.

"Show me." She smiles. "Heal him." I stepped back, playing nervously with my shaky hands. "I can't," I say, my throat has run dry and my legs have gone limp. I can see Ivars smile fade and his expression turned serious. "I don't know how to. The last time I did it was when I was with the prince from England." Lagatha frowns, Ivar comes up to my side using the long wooden sticks to help him stand and he slaps me across the face. My left cheek was burning with heat and I hadn't noticed I was crying. Lagatha takes out her sword with one swift movement and points it inches away from Ivar, He does the same. I stepped back shaking. "Don't you ever hit her like that ever again." She says angrily. She brings down her sword and Ivar does the same.

"When was the last time you were able to use your ability on someone else?" She asks me.

"Two years ago." I answer.