Some things I wish more girls heard...

“20,000 silvers!”A voice raised across the clearing. The crowd fell silent. Ness felt her all her muscles seize with shock, and hope. Perhaps it was possible… Perhaps she and Egan would remain together. Perhaps…


The crowd murmured as an older man came forward. Ness’s eyebrows lifted in surprised, tilting her head in fascination. Her auctioneer shared her disbelief, but not her usual fascination, of course. The man was older, perhaps in his 60’s with a short gray beard and dark eyes. His head was mostly bald and he used a tall walking stick for him to lean on. It was apparent that he had an injury of some sort on one of his legs. He wore a navy cloak but underneath she could see robes a rich royal red, colorful and marking his status as serving a noble family of some sort.


The Vikingr called out among the others, “Any other offers?”


Silence.


One second passed…


Then another…


Ness felt her heart rate pounding against her chest.


The Lochlannach turned to the strange man, smiling wide. They spoke in their native language, one that befuddled but enchanted Ness. The man turned to her and her brother, nodding, “Ég tek þau.”He said firmly.


The stranger gazed at him with an odd look, but quietly and obediently ordering his compatriots to follow whatever his request was. Svana came by her, key in hand. Ness’s breath stumbled, everything in her mind coming to a halt as the key entered her lock and fell with her chains.


The weight on her arms were gone.


Her hands were free of that dreaded lock, that cold, faded metal that usually rested against her wrists. Out of her working left ear she could hear the sound of Egan’s chains hitting the wooden stage. She quickly pressed her hands together, lifting them to her mouth. They were so cold. Her palms still smelled like the rusting chains and the lingering sea breeze. But they were free.


Before she knew it, her captor’s voice had come up by her ear. “Not so fast, dansari.”The lochlannach bellowed. “Your chains don’t require metal.”


The girl began to understand, looking from Egan, her chains, and to her auctioneer finishing the business with her buyer. That’s when she felt a familiar sensation. Not the soft pitter-patter of rain like she had wanted but the warmth coming from the horizon. The sun was all-seeing, the clouds had parted to allow it’s glow to fall softly over her fingers. She could feel the sunlight, even as ropes were tied tightly around them. Taking the space where chains once were. They were the same to her. But her eyes were on the painted setting sky, the orange glare blinding her even as she was pulled slowly across the muddy waters.


What a strange land, she thought jokingly, that they do not have many dancers here.





Across the strange stormy sea, a strange girl was wandering strange hills. Of course, a rational person would be terrified. Which she was. But she was also fascinated. Curious as a kitten searching for a mouse in golden hay, enchanted as the frith in the twilight hour.