Waking out of a nightmare was no better than the nightmare itself. All around me I could hear the people of Kattegat cry as their love ones died. I could hear their hearts breaking for those they knew. Athelstan was only one person away from me but I couldn't hear his breath, his words, but I could feel his pain.
Why have the Gods cursed us all? Why? Do they hate us? Did we displease them at Uppsala?
"Gyda, drink," I heard my mother say as she spilt water on my lips. I drank slowly from the cup, trying to overcome the urge to skull it all down. I felt so weak and I always had a fever, no matter how cold I felt. "I love you, more than the Gods know. Gyda, you are not going to die," Lagertha said to me, her voice breaking in between words.
Mother had been trying to convince me that I will not die, even though I can hear the people around me dying. Lagertha strokes my hair softly as she dampens my forehead. I knew that she was trying to be strong. Strong for me, for the people, and for herself.
Closing my eyes gently, I felt myself falling into sleep. The last thing I remembered was feeling my mother's tears fall onto my face.
I woke sleepily to one of the healers reapplying the damp cloth on my head. Exhaling a shaky breath I opened my mouth to speak.
"Wh- Where is Mo- Mother?" I croak out, coughing a few times. The healer stood and walked to the next person, leaving me with no answer. Trying to rise I look around, trying to see where she could be. I fell back onto the floor, gasping for breath as my body shook with exhaustion. Lagertha appeared beside me in an instant, fretting over me.
"Oh, Gyda. Please don't weaken yourself," she whispered, as if the words alone were to break me. Mother looked over to the side, as if she was watching in fear. A new sound appeared, Siggy screaming and crying in anguish. I saw how Lagertha's face dropped before she turned to look at me. Looking over to my right, I tried to see any movement.
"Athelstan?" I questioned my mother, hoping all was well.
Lagertha looked torn, as if she didn't want to say.
"He is so weak, he cannot eat," she told me, her voice a whisper. I looked at her with
"Pray to the Gods, please, for him," I asked her, hoping that she would accept.
Lagertha nodded gently before she kissed my forehead, as she had to leave. I noticed she looked over towards Athelstan before she left. Sighing, I slumped into my fur blankets and fell back asleep.
The next time I woken I saw my mother looking distraught. I opened my mouth to speak but she just silenced me by putting her fingers on my lips.
"Shush, don't worry," she whispered, kissing my forehead gently. "Today we are to make a sacrifice to Odin. Hopefully it will please him and will make this all go away," Lagertha told me softly, a small smile gracing her face. Mother gave me some more water and she left as soon as she had come, leaving me to be strong.
I felt so weak. I couldn't eat and I could barely swallow water. My fever held up and no matter what the healers did, it would not pass. This was the end. I knew I was beyond help now. Shakily I huffed out, letting the tears flow down my cheeks. I pictured all of us back in our old home. Lagertha was helping me with my work, Bjorn was helping father with the farm, and Athelstan was helping us all by making our lunch. The last thing I saw was us all laughing and smiling once again.