Viking Tribute

Chapter 16: Settling in

The morning passed in a blur as I was rushed through a tour of the settlement. Aside from the lord’s dwelling, it consisted of three longhouses surrounded by various barns, stables and pens, a forge, and a Hall. One of the houses belonged to Mildred’s husband, who divided his time between farming his godi’s (chieftain) lands and serving him at sea. Another one was the residence of Lady Disaelfr, Lord Einarr’s mother.

“She had it built after her son’s wedding, as she couldn’t handle the behavior of his wife,” Svana whispered, her eyes darting around in fear of being overheard.

I was shocked. I had heard that pagans could have several wives, but I thought that this repulsive custom had been abandoned. If he expected me to accept it, he was sorely mistaken. Noticing my frown, Svana went on:

“He is widowed; the demoness fell from a cliff a year ago. And a good riddance it was for us all!”

“Svana! Mind your tongue!”

“It is true Mildred! That woman made our lives hell! She was a spoiled whore with no honor. She wouldn’t bed her husband, when she opened her legs for any man who asked. The child she carried was a bastard and our Lord knew it…”

Mildred put a hand on the girl’s mouth.

“Be careful! Some things are better forgotten.”

Wiggling free, Svana stuck her tongue out at her friend, but heeded her advice.

I mulled over her words. They cast a new light on the jarl’s behavior. His anger when he saw me with Aidan, his will to tame me, his desperate need for an heir suddenly made sense. But why did he tolerate his wife’s wickedness? Did he love her that much? I had a hard time picturing him as a weak and pliable husband.

I resolved to question Svana at the first occasion, certain that the chatty girl couldn’t resist spreading gossip. In order to escape, I needed to learn everything I could on my jailors.

We climbed the steep slope to the high edge of the fjord, stopping on top of the cliffs. The soft breeze that blew lower became a chilly wind in our exposed location. I crossed my arms on my chest, rubbing them vigorously. It didn’t help much against the cold, but I forgot all about it when I took in the view.

From this height, the low waves were merely a ripple on the deep blue water. On the opposite side were green hills, a few houses scattered on them. Svana pointed at one.

“This is my father’s farm. I’ll return there in the spring, when I’ll be ready for marriage.”

I smiled at her. She was a sweet girl, and I wished her the best. “I’m sure you’ll find a kind man who won’t beat you often.”

She stared at me in shock. “Is that one of your customs? I am a free woman, no one can hit me without facing the wrath of my father and brothers. If my husband were to lift his hand on me, I’d divorce him!”

I stood there, embarrassed and dumfounded. Although I had never seen my father brutalize a woman, I had witnessed many times the stiff movements and bruised faces of visiting ladies and female servants alike. My mother was never struck or flailed; she was born in a powerful family in Eiriu and would not have accepted such treatment, as it was forbidden under their law. But it was the church’s teachings, and she was fortunate enough that her husband was enthralled by her charms.

Still, it was reassuring. If I married my captor, he wouldn’t hurt me.

Mildred pulled on my arm, showing me the settlement, sheltered between the cliffs and a small hill. “Behind this hill is a small cove, where the ships will be stored for the winter. We’ll go there when they’ll roll them into the boathouse, it’s worth watching. The mouth of the river is half a day down from there. There’s a trading post installed upstream, beside the marshlands. The other boat went there to sell the goods, they will be back on the morrow. My husband commands it,” she added proudly.