'We cannot, in good faith, align ourselves with Pagans.' The Dukes voice rang out over the crowd.
She stood in the front row off to the side of the other battle leaders in her clan.
She was not titled as i had learned by now, but respected as a great warrior by the men who fought alongside her.
As female warriors were few yet more common among our people, it was certainly a position of some significance among her's as she was presently the only one among them. Many of the warriors looked to her for guidance. She fought with skill and precision. She was intelligent in her kill, uncommonly skilled with the sword, and the men rallied around her for that. She could spur the hearts of men in battle with the pure sight of her passion for blood. She was a game changer. She was effectively the Spaniards warrior Queen.
She was a sight to behold. I couldn't look away from her. Her black unruly hair swayed in the breeze, and her dark brown eyes coldly looked on at the negotiations unfolding in front of her. She was all at once fearsome in her stance and posture, and yet decidedly small in stature and delicate in feature. Her Brown skin shimmered in the light of the sun, and I had never seen anything like her.
'Jarl Ragnar, you or one of your warriors must consent to be baptized in a show of sincerity and honor to our Lord. Only then can we truly negotiate in earnest.'
The instant Duke Hera uttered the words, I shouted across the crowd, "I will do it. I will be baptized a Christian."
A gasp was heard over the crowed as Ragnar smiled and bowed in my direction. His plan was on schedule, as was mine.
Duke Hera glanced at Ragnar for assurance.
'My brother Rollo will fulfill your requirement presently Duke Hera, so that we may return to more pressing matters.' Ragnar asserted, clearly losing his patience for the man.
'Very Well' he sighed glancing up at me, "Bishop.' He gestured toward a man in long white robes and a ridiculous looking hat.
The Bishop began to walk toward me.
"I will be baptized, but not by this man.' My voice boomed loudly and the Bishop stood frozen where he was, eyes as large as onions.
'He is the Bishop of Gatlone, Rollo, Brother of Ragnar, there are no other priests in the village.' said the Duke
'No priests. Illona.' I smirked in her direction. The crowd began to erupt, speaking over one another in increasingly loader voices.
The Duke raised his hand to quiet the onlookers.
She starred at me, expressionless, as if she didn't believe her own hears and did not wish her face to give anything away. This woman was frustratingly self-possessed.
'Illona? Illona the blacksmith's daughter?' He questioned.
'The very one.' I said assuredly, never taking my eyes from her.
'But she is not holy. She is a battle warrior and a bender of metal and weapon. The Bishop Espino is in the confidence of the Lord. Surely he should baptize you', beseeched the Duke.
'My brother wishes that the woman Illona baptize him.' Ragnar snarled at the Duke
'Illona, come' Duke Hera waved her over to him.
She stood there for a long moment just staring at me, her expression unreadable. I wondered if maybe she would refuse.
Duke Hera, cleared his throat and quieted the onlookers. "Enough!" He cried.
The crowd fell silent and all eyes settled upon her, this fearsome, lovely, unearthly thing. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as she took the first tentative step towards me. She paused in uncertainty and glanced around quickly, breaking our eye contact for the first time since I asked her to perform the baptism. She seemed to have decided something in her mind at just that moment and as she glanced back up in my direction she set her mouth in a grim line and strode toward me in resignation and what looked like a hint of amusement.
She stopped about a foot in front of me and i was unprepared at how affected i was by her nearness. She stood still and quiet in front of me, our gazes locked. The bishop walked over to hand her some kind of incense decanter and as he handed over the strange object she refused to even blink away from me. Perhaps she meant this intensity to be unnerving, perhaps she was trying to assert that she was up to the challenge, whatever it was? In any case, I felt like i was going to jump out of my skin. I held her gaze and grinned broadly to hide any hint of the electricity that was pulsing through my body. I felt I might explode if I didn't touch her soon. She was fantastic.
"Kneel." She said evenly up at me as the smoke filled decanter hung from a small chain in her hand.
I dropped to me knees in front her, eyes wide and unmoving.
She swung the decanter back and forth in front of me and then began to walk slowly around me repeating the movement. I watched her in fixed fascination. When she made her way around to face me again she leaned over close and put her hand on the right side of my chest and whispered "In Omne", she moved her hand over my chest to the left side and said "et Padre". I forgot to breath. She touched my forehead then my heart and softly muttered "et fille du spirit to santu". I gasped in a gulp of air.
Her eyes shifted as she looked dazedly at the hand she still had placed over my heart. She dropped her hand abruptly and said, "Come to the water".
I stood and followed her as she waded out from the shore. I wasn't aware that i was following so close behind her until she turned around half submerged in the water and I nearly collided in to her. I forgot anyone else was there. I could feel her startled breath on my chest and i was unable to move away. She took a step back and held out her hands. I turned around and began to lean back. As she cradled my side I slid slowly under the water. Her face was just above the water as mine submerged. I couldn't close my eyes, I just stared at her. And then it happened.
Beneath the murky water, I heard a loud muffled cry and the distinct sound of many swords hastily drawn up from their sheaths.
Still cradling me in her arms, Illona's eyes shot up to the river bank just as my clan began to attack hers. I knew this was it.
She looked back at me in disbelief, dropped her arms out from under me and began wrestling the current back toward the shore.
I shot up out of the water, determined, and lunged for her. I caught her by the waist as she turned and punched me squarely in the jaw. I stumbled slightly, taken aback by the blow, reached out desperately and grabbed her hair.
She sucked in a large breath and turned to slam her fist down on the top of my wrist. She broke my hold. As I lunged forward she grabbed the paring knife tucked in to her hip and swiftly sliced my shoulder. Amidst the sparing we had worked ourselves deeper and deeper in to the rushing of the river. I could see two men wading in to help her. I had to do something, and it had to be now. I pushed her; she lost her footing and fell back in to the current that launched her down the river. I dove after her, and grabbed ahold of her leg as the river drug as onward. She kicked and kicked and i held on for dear life. She hadn't lost her weapon. I could see the glint of silver underneath the water as she wrestled with the tide to strike me. I saw my chance. Just up head we would meet with a grouping of large rocks in the middle of the river. I let go of her leg and swam with all my might. I grabbed the back of her head and wacked it once against the rock. She blacked out.
I pulled her slumped form to my chest, rolled on to my back, and let the river carry us down to the waiting boat below.