The Healer And The Boneless

Chapter 20

After Lagertha left the room, there was a tension so loud my ears were buzzing. Ivar was so upset the vein on his forehead was so exposed I feared he'd make it explode at any second. Bjorn went out to order the men who build the ships to pick up the pace. The plan is to leave within three days. Three days and I feel like I know nothing. I feel just as useless as I did before. I have never given speeches; I don't know how to convince an audience that I did not order those countries' massacre and their people. What I did know is that at least I was not alone. I was going to have Hvitserk as witness to my whereabouts. I planned on healing one land, restore a mountainside in front of the king and his people.

"You do that, and you'll die." Seeress stands in front of the door, her black hair disheveled and she looked enraged, her jeweled hands were shaking, and the fire pit in front of the camp was dancing, ashes from the burning wood jumped higher and faster at her arrival.

"Don't make the trip. You're not ready." She sat her foot down, leaving a print of mud on the wooden floor as she began to approach us with a hasty manner.
        "I am not in the mood to argue with a witch," Ivar started, but the flames shot up in a massive ball, the heat so strong it felt as if my clothing had cut on fire. His sentence hung unfinished in mid-air,  "You watch your tongue, cursed child," She sneered. The flames calmed but not much. I turned to him, pleading with my eyes to hold off on his hot tongue.  Hvitserk was standing in the middle of the room, casually peeling an apple and idly eyeing us. I prayed to one day be as calm as he is. 

"I have to make this trip. I have to go and clear my name." I try to explain, but she laughs at my face, "clear your name for what? Honor?" I knew exactly where she would take this conversation, and I wish to tie her mouth shut. "Please," I begged her to change the topic, to turn around and go back to her messy home. Yet, she still spoke, she said the words I knew were true.

"You have no honor. It doesn't matter what you do and what you don't do. Your whole life will always be predestined because of what your Mother did. You were sold. This is a stain you cannot scrub off." She inched closer to me, reaching for the tear hanging on the top of my cheek. She regretted her words; I can feel the way her heart beat faster.

"Theophania, you are not ready to heal the multitude of people, you don't know what you're capable of."  I moved away from her grasp. "I will figure it out," I state with confidence that was false. Her outstretched hand falls. Her shoulder sag in exhaustion, "Fine then, If you're going, then so am I."

"I don't think so," Ivar says in such a low tone it makes me shiver. Seeress turns to him, rage doesn't only come from her gaze but from her entire being, I don't know who I feared the most in this room. Ivar or Seeress.

"You forget who I am." She comes closer to the steps of Ivar's throne. I watch him with my heart caught in my throat. His nails dig into the wood, turning his knuckles white. He is trying to restrain himself. His jaw is set, and his eyes are the color of a stormy sky.

Be soft. Be kind. Please, Ivar.

"I am Ivar-"

"And I am Seerress a witch with powers strong enough to strike you dead before you lift that damned axe of yours!" She bellows over his voice and he sinks back into the chair. He looks at me for too long and he unclenches his jaw. I saw him do something I never thought I would live to witness. He swallowed his pride and spoke again, this time his gaze went to Seeress, and when he spoke he spoke softly and with purpose, "Fine but, speak to me like this again and I'll cut off your ear. Your stupid little witch games do not scare me. There isn't a worse curse than the one I was born with already."

It was Seerress turn to be quiet. She bowed, low and elegantly, but also slightly dramatic, "thank you," she said cheerfully before she side eyed me and I watched her leave without saying a word, "she can ride with me and Nia." Hvitserk broke the defeating silence Seerress left behind and I had half forgotten he was in the room at all. I always forget he is in the room, but he's always quietly listening.