Chapter 1
A woman washed up to the docks unnoticed, her pale skin almost translucent in the light of the mid-morning sun. Both men and women worked, servants alongside their masters, none taking heed to the redhead that floated slowly towards them.
"Ahh! Dead body!" A woman screamed, horrified at what had bumped into her.
Suddenly green eyes opened to greet the sky, lunges heaving to expel the liquid within. Alighting on the foreign woman's movement, two nearby men splashed into the bay, pulling her to her feet and dragging her to shore.
"Miss, miss?" The smaller of the two patted her cheek gently, trying to hold her field of vision as she sputtered to life.
"It doesn't seem like she can hear us," the other man said.
"Water," the woman mumbled as the men struggled to support her body, straining under the weight of her strange wet clothes.
"Doesn't seem to be too bright in the morning, huh Jorn?" The first man joked.
"Naw, don't say that now, Agnarl. This little girlie probably won't know her arse from a hole in the ground until we get some warmth and food into her," Jorn replied as his wife surveyed the woman now laying motionless on the worn timbers of the dock.
"I think you're right, my love," Frigg replied, wrapping the woman in a coarse wool blanket, "but shes in good hands now."
"What do you propose we do with her, my Earl?" Siggy asked, kneeling before her husband.
Earl Haraldson gave the woman an irritated look, ignoring her comment to further contemplate its subject. He found the woman to be attractive, except that flaming plume atop her scalp. He had never liked redheads, ever since his first love shattered his heart. No, adding her to his collection of servants was out of the question.
"We will sell her," he declared, fighting to banish unwanted memories.
"That is the perfect plan, my love." Siggy continued, walking in a deliberately sultry strut.
"Why do you think so?" Haraldson asked, watching as his beautiful bride draped herself over his aging form.
Siggy was taken aback, not wanting to share her true feelings of jealousy, "I-I don't know my Lord. I think so because it is your will."
"I know you better than that, know you to posses more intellect, and I also know you to be jealous," The man teased, bringing the woman more closely into his arms.
A small knock on the door interrupted the couple as they began to get intimate. With a grudging air, Siggy rose to attend the door.
"My brother, we have almost prepared the girl for whatever fate you have decided for her." Knut said, eyes lit with excitement.
"Have you found any information regarding her origin?" Haraldson snapped, shoving his wife away as she laid a placating hand on his shoulder.
"None forthcoming, sir, though we guess that she is a shield maiden. She speaks our language, even our local terms, and has been speaking Odin's name since she awoke." Knut replied.
"Then we cannot sell her as a slave, it would anger the gods." Siggy interjected.
Earl Haraldson held up a hand to silence his wife, "Has she said anything else?"
"Nothing, sir. It appears she cannot remember anything about her identity, or what kind of life she led before now." Knut answered, seeming to grow bored of this talk.
"Hm," Haraldson sat back in his grand chair to contemplate the information he had just received. He had no interest in housing another woman, let alone some cast off from a nearby village. He did, however, have some payback to exact.
"Send her to Floki, task him with her care until she regains her memory. When the gods have been pleased, we will send her back to whence she came." his voice rang through the silence while the other two looked at him in confusion, "Let him house this burden, a lesson to ship builders who think they can test the patience their Earl."
"A fine idea, my love, to teach him a lesson." Siggy agreed immediately. Both the men looked at her with unsurprised expressions before dismissing the comment.
"We must get you ready, for your new home." the servant girl explained, trying for the fifth time to remove the strange woman's clothes.
"No." she said simply, drawing the fabric closer to her body despite its cold dampness.
"It's nothing we haven't got ourselves," another servant interjected.
"No." the woman insisted once more, eyebrows drawing together in an expression of consternation. She could not quite fathom why, but she felt that letting these people see her naked was the last thing she should do. She wished that they would just leave her alone, even if that meant turning her loose in the nearby forest as they had previously discussed. She did not know how she acquired the skill, but she did know that she could survive in the wooded depths. And they would be a lot more pleasant, without so many people asking her questions that she could not yet answer. They were simple enough, which only caused anxiety and sadness to well up within her, leading to a deeper frustration. Where had she come from, anyway? Did she have loved ones whom were worrying for her?
"Please, Earl Haraldson will punish us," a brown haired girl pleaded, looking scarcely old enough for her cycle.
"Does he have sex with you?" the woman asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, but that is another matter. Please, put these on," she replied, pushing a bundle of clothes into the woman's arms.
"Is it of your own will?" the redhead continued, green eyes piercing into the young girl.
She cast her gaze towards the ground, a sullen expression crossing her features. The woman looked positively furious, and came to stand quite close to the girl.
"You must not let him." she said simply, though her words carried a force of their own.
"It is forbidden to speak of such things," an aging blonde interjected, pushing the girl behind her.
"Is it you that forbids me?" the woman continued.
"No, it is Earl Haraldson. Certainly you are not so plain as to misunderstand his authority?" she shot back hotly.
"Will he kill me?" The flame haired woman continued to press, voice casual and amused.
"Yes, he will execute you publicly." the elder replied, eyes wide as if she could not believe that she was having this discussion.
"Hilda, Floki is here for the woman." a man spoke, drawing the attention of all in the room.
"Please, give us more time. She's being stubborn." the first woman pleaded. The man looked to her fondly and nodded, taking a seat nearby.
"Change into those clothes now, missy." the elder woman, Hilda, commanded, shoving the redhead into a small adjoining room, "If you won't let us do it, then do it yourself."
Now alone, the woman sighed and leaned against the wall, trying to force her foggy brain into clarity. Unfolding the clothes, she found them to be a little smaller than her size. Whomever they had been made for had narrow shoulders and a smaller bust, causing the woman's skin to stick out in odd places.
"What's your name?" She whispered to her reflection in the glass window, perturbed by the fact that the answer was not readily called upon, "Who are you?"
"Time's up," Hilda called from the doorway, a sad frown crossing her face. In an odd moment of sympathy, she decided to soothe the woman, "I know you're having a hard time right now. You really did get lucky, Floki is a kind man." Much kinder than Earl Haraldson, that is, she thought, but left the words unspoken for her own sake.
"Who is this Floki, that I am to be given to like property?" the new woman asked disdainfully, inspecting a goblet laying on a nearby table.
"He is a shipwright, crafts the finest I've seen. And you, my dear, are a free Norsewoman, largely due to the fact that Odin's name was one of the first things to come off that sharp tongue of yours," Hilda explained, taking on a teasing tone.
The woman smiled warmly at her jest, though it was tight lipped and quickly turned into a frown, "Then why am I being given to him?"
"So the gods will smile upon this village. Don't worry, Floki is instructed to see to it that you get home once you remember who you are. Now, lets go," Hilda said, practically pushing the redhead back out of the room. She was then lead down a long, cold hallway into a wider room, with a fireplace glowing brightly in the center with its last dying embers.
Earl Haraldson sat atop his throne, legs splayed wide in a stance of ease. Though, the woman noticed, his whole body was rigid. He was also tapping one finger repetitively on an oaken armrest, betraying his anxiety.
This man is a liar, the woman thought, narrowing her eyes. A beautiful woman wearing the finest homespun emerged from behind the imposing seat, taking her place on one the other armrest.
"Alright, Floki. By the order of your Earl, I charge you with the care of this woman. When she regains her memories, you are to take her safely back to wherever it is that she was spawned." Haraldson spoke grandly.
A small man, eyes lined with kohl, walked forward from a group of men standing opposite the Earl. His head turned as the woman approached, eyes dancing at the sight of the woman with hair like Hel's fire. She was standing tall, regarding the Earl with a secret distrust. But Floki can see through you, imp! He thought as he rubbed his hands, excited by the twist his life had taken this day.
"And why does the Earl task humble Floki with such an honor?" he inquired, eyes flashing. There had to be a catch, he was sure of it. He knew the Earl had been waiting to punish him for assisting Ragnar with his mission to discover-and eventually conquer-new lands.
The Earl laughed deeply, letting the bottom of his stomach flop about idly, "Are you challenging the word of your Earl?"
"No, of course not, Earl Haraldson." Floki replied carefully.
"Then take her and go." the Earl ordered, smiling with satisfaction as his personally appointed officials laughed with the mocking tone he had taken.
Just you wait, Floki thought, one day the gods will take notice of you, and perhaps in not the way you like!
"Floki." the woman spoke, turning all eyes towards her. She walked towards the man, curiosity in her eyes. Floki straightened his posture and took the woman's hand, holding onto it tightly.
"I believe we have overstayed our welcome," he spoke only to her, those dark eyes of his flashing in the dim light of the remaining torches-the Earl and his men were already departing.
The woman smiled, green eyes dancing with the enigmatic Floki's. "I think that there is much more to you than meets the eye," she stated with amusement.
The men that stood with Floki now erupted into a deep chorus of laughter, amused by the woman's strong attitude.
"I think Lagertha will like this one." one of the shorter men remarked, though by his posture it was evident he was the force of dominance in this particular dynamic.
"Is she your wife?" the woman asked.
"Yes. Would you like to meet her?" the man replied, cocking his head as he spoke, expression somehow challenging the woman to accept his offer. Though, he knew it was really an offer, and a kind one at that.
"I would, if circumstances permit." the redhead bowed in gratitude, though only slightly.
"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see Floki for a few days!" a dark haired man joked, ribbing the leader as the entire company laughed.
"Alright, alright. The lady has had a trying day, it's time to get her home." Floki deflected the rub, though he couldn't help but chuckle with the others.
"What is her name, anyway?" the dark haired man questioned, turning all eyes once more to the strange woman.
"I cannot remember," she stated with a shrug of her shoulders.
Floki held a hand to his face while he contemplated this. "Then I shall name you Skuld," he spoke with finality, seeming pleased with his selection.
"And what makes you think you are fit to name me?" the woman asked boldly, amusement flashing in her eyes. She couldn't help but be entranced by the man to whom she had been tasked. His thin, dark hair stuck up in every direction, lending a wild edge to his appearance. His movements were sporadic, yet graceful, his voice high and excited, yet at times it took on a low, dangerous octave. His posture was perfect, yet randomly he chose to assume a hunched stance, appearing crooked and spidery. The dark lining around his eyes made it hard to guess his expression, furthering the air of mystery that surrounded him.
Floki chuckled, giving the girl a mischievous expression, "Like you said, there are a lot of things about this one you have yet to discover!"
A/N: Alrighty, now the show can begin! Updates will happen weekly, not another yearly update fic!