Her Viking Saviour (Lore & Love Trilogy #1)

Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Wynflaed awoke, but her eyelids felt so heavy it took a few moments before she could open them. She felt slightly rested, but a little crabbish. Her body felt stiff and she stretched out her limbs in an effort to ease the soreness. She must have slept like the dead and not moved at all during the night to feel such stiffness. I need another hot bath . She sat up and looked over to see that the bowl on the washstand was full of water.

She went over and splashed it on her face. The cold water worked its magic, and she felt more alert as she picked up her comb to neaten her hair. The fresh, floral scent of the soap she had used lingered on her hair and skin. Her hair felt so soft. She lifted a curl to her face and saw the shine that bounced off the dark locks. Her hair, while short, was still long enough to easily reach her line of vision. She gave her head a shake, letting the curls fall where they may, and was ready to go out and explore. Back home her hair would normally be held up under a wimple. She did not miss wearing a headdress and found a freeness without it.

She carefully pushed open the door and peeked out to see Freydis leaving her room as well. Wynflaed made a little noise. It was meant to be a throat clearing but came out as a squeak, and Freydis turned around with a faint smile.

“Wynflaed. For a moment, I thought there was a mouse behind me. Come, walk with me to the great longhouse for the feast.” She extended her arm and Wynflaed linked hers with Freydis’s with a polite nod.

She was much friendlier than Wynflaed had hoped for, as she thought back to their earlier introduction. Freydis seemed prepared to give her a chance. She knew she would have to earn her trust and make Freydis see beyond the scar because, in truth, Wynflaed had already seen past it. What she saw was a beautiful, insecure, and sad girl.

“Thank you, Freydis. I do not want to be a bother.” She gave her arm a pat.

“From what Torben says, he wants you to be my companion, so it will not be a bother.”

Wynflaed listened for any frustration or annoyance in her tone. It held none and so she relaxed.

“Companionship can be most enjoyable in my experience. I was a handmaiden back in Northumbria and I spent pleasant days with my lady,” Wynflaed offered.

“Then why did you choose to come here and not go back to your home?”

It was a fair question and, while there was a logical answer, she knew some of it had to do with Torben. But she had no intention of sharing any of that with his sister.

“The journey home was dangerous and I would have risked falling prey to bad men again after being rescued by Torben.”

Freydis nodded with genuine empathy.

“I would like to hear about your journey one day if you would like to share it with me. I am sure my face pales in comparison to what you all went through,” she said with shame.

“Do not compare yourself to others, Freydis. We all have our crosses to bear. Do not trap yourself in thoughts of despair on top of despair.”

“You are wise, Wynflaed,” Freydis said with a soft squeeze of her arm.

Freydis and I are already coming to be friends .

They had left the longhouse that was to be her home and now walked to the great longhouse she had entered when they first arrived. She could hear the noise of celebration already. The air was filled with the scent of smoked meats and fish, and she could see the mead flowed freely. She knew heathens practised sacrifices to their gods and her stomach turned queasy at the thought.

“Will there be sacrifices, Freydis? Do I need to prepare myself for the sight of them?”

Freydis laughed. It was a sweet sound, and Wynflaed wanted to try to make her laugh more often.

“Come, Wynflaed, we are not barbarians.We do not slaughter animals and dance around painted in their blood. We at times make a blood sacrifice to the gods, but Torben, Ragnav and I do it privately together at a special place dedicated to Odin. We make sacrifices to others of course, to Njord, our God of the Sea, Frigga, our Goddess of the Earth, and Thor, our God of Battle, when the situation calls for it. But our family lineage has always held an affinity with Odin.”

Wynflaed nodded, still a little queasy, but if she thought of it logically, it was no different than preparing an animal for a meal. The animal was slaughtered either way, but when sacrificed to the gods, its body was not eaten.

Wynflaed watched as people made way for Freydis, making every attempt not to stare at her face. All that does is draw more attention , Wynflaed thought angrily. But Freydis seemed accustomed to this behaviour, as her eyes held a detached look. When they entered the longhouse, Wynflaed saw rows of tables that spanned the length of the room that she had not noticed earlier. There were stools on either side, but she noted many people sat on the floor, especially some of the men already deep into their cups. Freydis led her to the head of a table close to the dais and sat down.

“Torben and Ragnav sit there,” she said, pointing at the wooden chairs that looked like thrones. “That is where my parents sat, and my grandparents before them. Torben always offers to have a third chair made but I always refuse.”

Wynflaed nodded. She understood her reason. She turned and caught the eyes of Hilde, Cola, and Cynewin, and gestured for them to come over. Cola, once he saw Cynewin was at ease, left to find some of the men he had become friendly with. Wynflaed, after she made introductions to Freydis, hugged Hilde and Cynewin and asked for every detail of their time apart. She had missed their company.

“I have found my place and where I feel most at ease, Wynflaed. Taking care of others, washing, mending, and learning different ways from the other women. Olga is highly skilled at many things, and I am willing to learn,” Hilde told her with a contented smile. Wynflaed admired her sweet disposition. So very unlike her own, as she had recently discovered.

“Our hut is nice, Wynflaed, even nicer than back home. And Olga gave me a loom and asked me to show her what I can make,” Cynewin said with a shy smile at having been given a personal task.

Her friends appeared joyous in this moment, and she hoped it would remain so, as she had guided them down this path. Wynflaed knew she would never set foot in Northumbria again, but with Hilde, Cynewin, and Cola, she would always have a piece of home with her.

She was about to share her own experiences but caught sight of Torben as he entered to a great cheer from his people. He smiled and waved at them and accepted a mug of ale. Torben’s eyes scanned the room, but his gaze stopped when someone grabbed his arm. Straining her eyes, she saw it was the woman who had gazed at her with disapproval when he had introduced them to the settlement earlier. Freydis, who had been watching her, spoke up.

“Torben has arrived with Gunhilda on his arm, it seems. They are bedmates.” Wynflaed caught Freydis watching her and shrugged as if she did not care. But care she did! That must be why he pulled himself away ! Wynflaed could not blame him. Where she was short, Gunhilda was tall. She had short curly dark hair and Gunhilda had long blonde hair in beautiful plaits. Torben caught sight of them and let Gunhilda go with a nod in their direction.

“Good eve ladies, you all look refreshed.” He offered a warm smile and his eyes lingered on hers before he focused his attention on the group.

“Yes, we are settling in nicely. Olga is a blessing,” Hilde confirmed.

“And you, Cynewin, do you have all you need?” he asked the young girl gently. Wynflaed silently clapped inwardly at his tact.

“Yes, we have everything, many thanks,” she responded so softly it was almost a whisper, but her eyes met Torben’s shyly.

“What of you, Wynflaed?”

Unlike Cynewin, she refused to meet his eye and instead smiled at something past his shoulder, as if she could see something more interesting.

“I am feeling well Torben, very well,” she said with false cheer. She felt his eyes bore into her a moment longer before he moved to Freydis. She saw him place a kiss on her forehead from the corner of her eye.

“And you sister?”

“I feel happy to be in such pleasant company tonight, to talk to these ladies of happy things and their joy to be here with us in Klavik.”

His queries complete, he looked back to Wynflaed who still watched him from her peripheral vision.

“Enjoy the festivities! I will ensure either myself or Sven escort you all home.”

Wynflaed knew this had been directed more at her than anyone else and she felt wildly irrational. She had a strong urge to stand on a chair to be as tall as he and shake her fist at him.

“Why do you look so fierce all of a sudden, Wynflaed?” asked Freydis.

Wynflaed looked back at her companions, who all watched her curiously.

“Nothing. I am fine, truly.” She plastered a smile on her face and turned her focus back to them.