The Healer And The Boneless

Chapter 17

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"What sorts of Demons?" Asked Lagertha walking closer to us, Anabel was compliant to our orders and she told us everything she knew about the King. Hvitserk was taking notes. Anabel said there was a witch who has married the King, the people of England has rumored that he is under some sort of love spell. This witch has awakened creatures that should only exist in folktales. The witch who Anabel refuses to name for fear of summoning her or being cursed, has told us that she makes the ground sick and poisons the air so that anyone who is unlucky enough to be near it falls ill and dies.

"How do they die?" Bjorn says leaning his shoulder against the wall. "I have yet to see it with my own eyes but I've heard the story from a man who says his wife had denied allegiance to that Witch. He says she opened her arms and these deep black roots came out of her arm and dug into the ground making it black and the smell foul, the blackness grew and reached beneath her,  that same black thing ran up her legs turned her skin grey and her eyes red. She died and he was sick for a while. thought, the villagers near were able to cure him but his skin is still awfully grey, and his eyes are red. They say that the ground there grows sicker and it's expanding."

"And you take her side?" I asked moving away from her. "No, I told you to come with me so I could get you to safety. I hadn't known you had become close to these men or that they would protect you." Hvitserk asked, "Where would you have taken her?"

Anabel shrugged her shoulders, "I  was starting to think France. There are a lot of rumors of people with powerful magic inside of them. Maybe they could you show how to become powerful enough to kill The Witch. People are already saying you are God's daughter for having the same gift. You are chosen by God."

I walk to the table and grab a cup, fill it with water and give it to Anabel. "I am sorry. I should have never tied you to that tree. Tell me where it hurts, let me heal you." Anabel's eyes widen and she sits up, "my legs, my wrist." She points to where and I take away the pain.

"Take her to get cleaned up." Lagertha orders, I walked back to Ivar as Anabel was taken somewhere to shower. "Do you trust her?" Ivar asked, I thought a while and served myself water. "Partly, I don't think I believe her with the whole dead army and this woman she speaks of, but it makes me think, why else would Theon want me dead? It's not like my gift burns people"

"We will go to France, ask around for other people gifted like you and if she lied I will crucify her and then Carry her body to Theon's kingdom"

"Ivar.."

"Nia." Ivar looks back to me. His eyes are stubborn and his clenching his fist. "They attacked my village, kill my people."

"And you are no different," I said cutting him off, his lips pressed together. "Watch your mouth," Ivar said before he dropped down and dragged himself out. His brothers followed and I stayed there with Lagertha. She looks down at the paper and laughs, "what's funny?" She looked up at me and said, "the devil has fallen in love with a saint," she rolled the map, tucked it under her arm and walked out.

Whatever that meant, I did not pay attention to it. I went outside, picked up a sword and practiced holding it and swinging it around, it wasn't long before Hvitserk joined me. Ivar sat on a rock and watched me all the while. His silence kills me, some times something inside of me screams for him to speak to me. Someone who I once wished the opposite upon. Am I really feeling guilty for what I said? Or was I just afraid of pissing Ivar off? Eventually, the more Hvitserk and I practiced, Ivar made his way to us. "You're facing the light. Make HIM face the light Nia, his blinding you and you don't even notice that," Ivar said.

"Never aim to the sides," he adds again, I listened to what he says and tried my best to follow. I wanted to impress him but his constant signing and eye rolls are making me impatient and less confident. "Bring the sword forward!" He screams but Hvitserk did what Ivar suggested before I even registered it. I drop to the ground trying to avoid the attack and instead kick his groin and Hvitserk curled into a ball and dropped the sword beside me. Ivar laugh turned cachinnation making me laugh along with him. "Clever thinking," he says, "thank you."

"That's enough for today," I dusted myself off and helped Hvitserk up, "when you're done crying tell Floki to prepare boats for the travel to France." Hvitserk nodded, "whose Floki?" I asked, "My fathers' old friend." I sit beside him trying to catch my breath, "oh, and your father?"

"Dead." I wanted to punch myself, of course, he was. "Sorry," I managed. "You are different, Nia" I almost laughed at that. "What? My gift makes me different sure, but I am not that different," Ivar nods disapproving. "No, you have a backbone. You're a fighter. I admire that."

Am I dreaming? Ivar, admiring me? "Thank you. I admire you too." I said feeling my heart beating, Ivar looked back at me, "what?" He asked, "your legs don't work but you fight beyond that. I can't imagine the pain you feel certain days or every day and you fight against it. You're strong too. If I were you, I probably would have never left my bed." Ivar was smiling at me, and I liked the feeling I had. Did I feel.... secure? Maybe, I'm trusting Ivar.

"Thank the Gods for you, Nia." He Said and left me sitting there for a while. I walked around the village and healed a couple more people. Then, I walked to Eria's where I helped her tend a couple of baskets. The girl she took care off played with a few friends by the beach. I told her about Theon and the army, "that means we must train more now, doesn't it?" Eria wiped sweat from her forehead, I nodded, "Yes it does. We're going to France too." Eria stopped mending the basket and looked up, "You must tell me everything about France when you get back." I smiled, "Why tell when I can take you?" She tossed a bill berry at me, "Don't get my hopes up!" She giggled, I popped the bill berry into my mouth.

I told Eria about Ivar and what he said about Anabel lying and what I said, "and he didn't cut your stomach open and made you eat your own organs?" Eria asked, "No. he didn't"

"Maybe He got a soft spot for you." Eria says, and I remembered our talk after training with Hvitserk, "yes, I think he does."

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