The Healer And The Boneless

Chapter 2

The rest of my night was spent tied to the tree. My hands ached and so did my feet from standing all night. My stomach felt tight and I felt sick.
The Vikings hadn't paid a single mind to me. I still cried to be set free. Ubbe looked at me a couple of times while he walked around the field. After a while, I stopped believing he was going to come and untie me.
I had forgotten just how sinister vikings were. My body felt too heavy for me to carry so I just let myself go limp. I stared down at my dirty feet mixed with mud and horse shit. I remembered the first time I was taken by vikings. Taken. I thought. That's a better way of saying it than being sold like a piece of meat or clothing. They had asked me to farm the chickens and pigs but a six-year-old doesn't know how to farm. Vikings didn't have time to teach me either. So, the more I did my job wrong the angrier they became. It resulted in me receiving hard punishment, sleeping with the pigs, hands tied to a piece of wood while I being whipped.

The night the vikings were under attack I decided to flee. I found a couple of old folk in the middle of the woods. They took me in and called me Nia. The older lady was named Freydis. She's a woman of magic. She said Odin spoke to her about me. They told her about my riches. I would have many children. I was meant to be a wife of a great ruler. I was gifted. Like a god, she would say, my touch can heal.

But as I stood there, tied up to a lonely branch, watching these men laugh at my weak body, those things the gods had told Freydis no longer comforted me. I began to believe that perhaps she said those things to make me feel better. To make me feel some sort of comfort as she handed me to England. Where I served a young prince. A wealthy family. Then I tended a farm. Then the King. Now, here I was.

My touch did heal, that wasn't a lie. I've healed animals and loyal prisoners who were being tortured. Especially women who were wrongfully accused of cheating or victims of abuse.

"Hello?" I look up to see a young man in front of me. "I came to untie you," he said and held up the small axe. I flinched slightly and he moved away quickly. I nodded. He began to untie. When I finally felt free, my arms fell to my sides lazily, and I felt a sharp pain in my shoulders from the sudden movement. He then tied the rope around my neck. "Walk." He pointed straight ahead and I do as I'm told. I fought the urge to just run but if I did, the rope around my neck would tighten and I'd face death. But, I would not die at the hands of a viking, I promised myself.

We stopped in front of a tent, he let me walk in first and, of course, Ivar was sitting on a chair, smiling. Ubbe took stance behind him looking at my hands. The new young man took off the rope from my neck and I relaxed. "Thank you, Hiveserk." Ubbe took a seat, he and Ivar began speaking. Soon the room and the long dinning table are filled with men. All have similar features, and then I realized they were all brothers. I could smell food outside the tents and my stomach curled, my mouth watered. I almost fainted at the strong smell of cooked meat. I imagined myself eating pork on that same table, as my mind went on, in a haze, I hadn't realized the bonfire right in the middle of the giant tent. There, laid the roasting pig. So the pig wasn't outside but inside. I thought to myself. "Why, are you standing there! Grab a knife for hell's sake and serve us our dinner!" Ivar yelled at me, the boys laugh.

One said, "Not a smart one..."

I reached for a knife. A plate was already in front of the fire. Warm from it, I cut pieces off the pig and placed it on the plates. I walked to Ivar, serving him first. He has a very childish smile, he didn't stop smiling at me until I made my way to the next boy, serving them one by one. I stand on the other end, behind Ubbe. I felt safer with him, although he gave me no reason to. I just felt that way around him. Ivar stared at me.

"Why don't you come and sit on my lap, I'll feed you this pig for being a good girl." I looked at Ubbe, though he didn't look back at me. He only continued to eat. I looked at the rest of the faces around the table. They seemed unfazed by Ivar's request although there were eyes being flashed to each of the brothers, as if speaking a hidden language, one of which did not include Ivar. I started to shake as I slowly made my way to him. He takes a vicious bite from the meat and begins to breathe heavy.

"I SAID!" He slams the knife on the table making everyone jump, the table shakes along with everyone.

"Ivar for gods' sake, what in the seven hells has gotten into you! She's a girl!" Ubbe said. He took ahold of my wrist, bruised, still the lines of the ropes tattooed on my skin. He hesitated, upon seeing my flesh so close to the light. My eyes were dark, although I cannot see them, I could picture just how fragile I looked. Bruises marked my skin. I looked purple for heavens sake. I turned to Ivar. His eyes turned a glowing blue.

"She is not a lady, why treat her like one..." he says with  anger.

"Whatever she's done.... just let her rest. She's learned." Ubbe said and urged me to walk forward. He led me to a different tent. When we entered a single bed was inside. I turned to him. I began to panic.

"Please, no. I am tired!" I cried out.

"It's not, we're not doing anything. You'll sleep here for tonight. I'll wake you up before morning. You shall prepare Ivar's baths." He said and left me standing there. I sat on the bed and sunk. How do I leave? When will I leave? I hadn't felt safe. Maybe with Ubbe, but he wasn't my master. So, for how long would he be able to save me from the grip of Ivar

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