Querencia \\ Hvitserk Ragnarsson

Chapter 20: Ecbert's proposal

"I need to talk to you," Hvitserk said. His timing, however, was terrible. King Ecbert had chosen this exact moment to make his entrance. Too bad for Hvitserk, he'd have to wait.

"This is King Ecbert," Björn said. "I order you to spare him."

Everyone was interested in King Ecbert. Bjarke's attention was caught by something else.

"Bjarke," Hvitserk said as he grabbed her arm and lifted her sleeve. "We need to talk. Now."

They made their way to the part of the castle that was still intact. There was no one else there, so they could talk safely.

"You were hurt. I saw you. You were hurt when they took you. How is it your wounds have gone this fast?" Hvitserk asked her. "You can't have healed yet, right?"

Bjarke knew Hvitserk was right. All that remained were some bruises. "I don't know, Hvitserk. Apparently, it is. But maybe it's for the better if you don't talk about this to anyone else. You never know..."

"Of course," he said as he rubbed his hand up and down her arm slowly.

They sat down and Bjarke rested her head against his shoulder.

"Did they hurt you?" Hvitserk asked.

"No. But there is something else I should tell you," Bjarke said.

She told him about her father being Saxon royalty. She told him everything about why the Saxons had taken them here and what Ecbert had said.

Hvitserk had not foreseen this coming, but he was not surprised either. Bjarke had known about her father and chosen not to tell him who her father was in order to protect him. He understood why she'd done that. The Vikings would hate her if they'd ever find out who her father was. They'd hate her for sharing blood with a Christian.

"Bjarke, if anyone ever tries to hurt you because of who your father was," Hvitserk said, "then I will not rest until I've made them pay for it."

Bjarke smiled.

"Thank you."

---

Floki was holding something, but Bjarke couldn't identify it until she got closer.

Floki was holding a dead Helga.

She quickly ran up to him.

"Floki! What happened?" Bjarke asked.

"The girl... she... killed... Helga...," Floki cried.

"Let me help you," she said. She did not know how else to help Floki with his loss. She did not know how else to mourn Helga at that point.

Floki had already prepared the grave. He carefully laid Helga down and started to give her her belongings.

"When Balder, Odin's beloved son, died," Bjarke said, "not only did people weep. But fire wept. And iron and all the other metals wept. The stones wept. Earth wept."

"Farewell, voyager. Farewell, my heart. Farewell, for now," Floki sniffed.

Bjarke put her hand on his back, she didn't really know what else to do, but she felt like she could comfort him in some way.

---

"We have to decide what to do with King Ecbert!" Bjorn said.