x-x-x-

I had naively assumed Njord lived in the village, so needless to say I was surprised when we bedded down in a barn like structure. I kept expecting for the ropes to return but they never did. Njord handed me a blanket and made himself comfortable not far from the door. As I stood there in shock I realized that I could easily leave this place and no one would stop me. Njord was already in a deep sleep, I could hear the roar of his snores and knew he wouldn't stop me. I couldn't believe what was happening I wasn't considered a prisoner and I certainly wasn't considered a slave, at least I didn't think I was.

What kind of slave is allowed to roam at will and potentially run away from his master? But then again where would I run to, I was so far from home I couldn't even begin to guess how to get back, with my luck I would end up further from home and in worse company.

Njord had cared for me and clearly meant to look out for my wellbeing and the Jarl and his wife, she had shown me a kindness that I hadn't experienced in at least a year. Was the unknown really worth the risk? If I was to return home to my land to my people I would have to be smart and strong not stupid and impulsive, if I proved my loyalty proved my willingness to learn the Northmen's ways I might be accepted as one of them I might be able to grow up as one of them and go on raids. It was such long time to think about, I was only ten. I would have to wait years before I would be given that opportunity if I ever was.

Sighing I curled up against the far wall of the barn covering my whole body with the blanket. I was exhausted and hadn't realized it, the rocking from the ship was engrained in my mind and my body still felt like it was rocking with the waves, but believe it or not this actually helped me fall asleep and as I drifted into a dreamless slumber the last image in my mind was my parents, promising they were with me...they would always be with me.

Njord shook me awake just before dawn and I sleepily stood up following Njord to the door, stumbling over my own feet and the blanket which I dragged. The village was still asleep, but hints of the day breaking on the distant horizon over the water was beginning to stir movement.

I could smell a fire being rekindled and felt my stomach growl as the smell of something cooking wafted past my nostrils. Njord walked steadily and I had to take three steps for his one as we walked back to the large building. Njord patted me on the head saying only one word which I assumed meant stay as he disappeared inside. While I stood there, bedraggled I looked around anxiously.

Some of the villagers were emerging from their dwellings and a few kids my age raced out towards the water. One boy a little younger than me stopped short and looked me over carefully.

He gave me a push muttering something in his language and I couldn't understand it. He repeated it and pushed me harder. I felt like he wanted me to fight back, but I couldn't. I didn't want any trouble and I really didn't want to anger Njord, besides this kid was smaller than me in height but thicker. Clearly he had been well fed.

He poked me harder with one hand then picked up a stick he had dropped when he first spotted me and proceeded to poke me with the stick which I'm assuming was his idea of a sword.

When poking me with it didn't work, he smacked me hard with it on the arm. I clenched my fists and felt my whole body tense up.

I wanted to hit him, pummel him, but I wasn't sure if I would be punished for that. Not only punished but I might get Njord in trouble as well. But when he finally smacked me with the stick across my ear, which stung worse than any whipping the priests had given me, worse than the ropes that had dug into my neck and wrists, worse than any other pain I had experienced thus far, that was my breaking point.

I yelled and lunged at him, tackling the younger boy to the ground with a thud. He dropped the offending stick even though he desperately was trying to hold onto it. But the shock of me actually retaliating dumbfounded him and he was slow to respond. I took hold of his shirt collar and began slamming him into the soft ground, his shock wore off quickly as he wrestled to get at me.

I had the initial hit and the benefit of shock, but now that he had recovered from that he would definitely have the upper hand, he may have been younger than me, but he outweighed me, was clearly more experienced at wrestling than I, and easily stronger. I had wrestled with my brothers and friends of course, a knockdown drag out wrestling match was always a good way to settle disagreements among each other. But I hadn't had that experience in over a year, I was in a strange land, with strange customs, strange language that I barely spoke, and had this kid around my brother's age picking a fight with me.

Even so I did my best to hold my own as we rolled back and forth over the dirt, I wasn't going to win, but I was determined not to lose either. He'd get a hold of my clothing and yank, I'd get his arm and try to pin it down.

I don't know how long we tussled like that, he was stronger than me, but I never let him get the upper hand. We were both tiring, that much was clear, but neither one of us were willing to admit it, nor would either of us back down.

Finally he got me on my back and pinned me down, before I could react or defend myself he pulled his arm back and walloped me, his fist connecting with my nose. I saw stars immediately and felt blood begin to pour out of my nose.

I let loose a growl and slammed my own fists towards the boy's face, I didn't care what I hit. I just needed to hit something. Turns out, what I hit was his mouth, I know for a fact I split his lip, but at the same time my fist collided with one of his teeth and cut my knuckle. Before the scuffling could get any more out of control, we both froze at we heard adult voices is coming towards us.

Of course the freezing only lasted for a few seconds as we begin wrestling again only to be yanked off of each other by unseen fists that grabbed our shirt collars and pulled us apart. We were both scratching and clawing trying to get at each other again like wild animals, but whoever held us kept this far enough apart. I looked across and realized in that the man who held the boy was the Jarl. I winced as I slowly look behind me realizing Njord had my collar in his firm grasp.

Njord gave me a good shake, hoping to knock any more fight out of me and the Jarl did the same with the other boy. I looked the other boy over, getting a better look at him now, his face was bloody from his lip, and it was streaming down his face, but underneath the blood I could see the striking resemblance to the Jarl...this was obviously his son. I had just fought the Jarl's son and bloodied his lip.

I felt cold wash over me and I bit back my tears of horror. The chieftain's sons were much older than I, around my older brother's age and I know they must have had their share of fights and matches, it's normal. But those were expected and no one was punished for fighting the chieftain's sons, both boys would be knocked on the head, given a good thrashing by their respective fathers and sent back to play.

I didn't know how the Northman's culture worked...and I was terrified that it would not end well for me.

To my surprise however both Njord and the Jarl burst out laughing as they released us, Njord lifted my head up to examine my bloody nose and gave me a proud pat on the back. He was proud of me...pleased with my actions, the Jarl was giving his son a similar reception.

I couldn't understand what Njord or the Jarl were saying, but whatever it was, it seemed like they were complimenting each other. Njord let me go and I winced as the Jarl did the same with his son, I expected him to lunge at me but he didn't, he grinned at me and wiped his fist across his mouth, smearing the blood from his lips before he took off down the path. Seeing his bloody face reminded me of my own injury and I dabbed at my nose tenderly with my fingers. Njord saw this and placed a hand on the back of my neck, guiding me away from the Jarl and towards the water's edge.

I panicked again, unsure what he was about to do, but relaxed a little as he pushed me down into the sand and splashed water on my face, cleaning off the blood that continued to drip down my face. I could taste it and watched as Njord cupped his hands and mimicked picking up water and splashing it on his face. I did this and then took a mouth full of the water, rinsing the blood out of my mouth. Once the blood was cleaned off my face, Njord looked me over and nodded his approval.

"You fought well," he said in his own language and I grinned a little, recognizing the words and recognizing the compliment, he wasn't mad at me, he was proud of me, proud of me for fighting the Jarl's son

"Really?" I asked in my language and I winced realizing that Njord probably wouldn't understand it, but he smiled and gently smacked the back of my head, a gesture I was beginning to learn was not done out of angry or hostility, but out of care.

"Really," he repeated in Gaelic. He stood up and took hold of my arm pulling me to my feet. I followed him back up the path where he left a few belongings. He put the straps of a smaller bag over my shoulders and made sure I had it before he let it go, picking up the remainder of the supplies, including his shield and ax, I admired the ax as I adjusted the strap so it rested better around my neck and shoulders.

Njord stood up straight and spotted me looking at the ax and I winced, lowering my eyes. He chuckled and took my hand placing the ax in it, before releasing me and letting me try holding it on my own. I think I lasted five seconds as the weight became too much for me and it pulled my arm down, embedding the ax in the ground. Njord burst out laughing and patted me on the back, he took the ax from my hands and replaced it with a pair of boots, I stared at the boots in shock and Njord gestured to the boots, telling me to put them on, I sat down on the ground and pulled the boots on, they were much too big for me, but I think that was the point, I could grow into them, just like I would grow into the strength to hold the ax.

I looked up at Njord and grinned, giving him my silent thank you. He grabbed the back of shirt collar and yanked me to my feet. When he saw me walking funny he rubbed his chin and lifted me up, so my feet were dangling, the boots fell off easily and I winced as Njord plunked me back on the ground, he rubbed his chin again and reached into his satchel to pull out some bits of leather and rolled them up in ball, he also took some wool and shoved all of this into both boots. He snapped his fingers and gestured for me to put the boots back on, they were still a little big on me, but better than before.

Njord made sure I was set to go, before he started walking down a thin path, that clearly led away from the village. I hesitated for a second or two, taking a deep breath, readying myself for the next step and the road, wherever I was following Njord to.

x-x-x

The walk was long, rocky, and difficult to navigate. I'm sure Njord could have made the journey much faster without me in tow, but I also got the impression he did not mind the slower pace and I did do my best to keep up with his long strides. The boots he had gotten me were far too big, but the alterations he added with the leather and the wool kept them on my feet much better and they weren't as awkward. This made the walk tricky, but I handled it and kept up with Njord.

As we walked, he continued my language lessons and I began to remember many more words than before, to the point where I could understand even somewhat converse with Njord, at least on a basic level.

The landscape of this land was amazing and I took it in as much as possible as we walked. It was so similar to the Highlands, but different in its own way, it felt different, it even smelled different.

The journey took two whole days, so we made camp as the darkness spread out across the land. As I settled down near the fire, I pulled the blanket made of skins tight around, me even though the night was fairly warm. I stared at the stars, blinking and twinkling until my eyes finally closed and I drifted off to sleep.

x-x-x-x

I had to blink a few times as I took in my new surroundings, I was in the highlands…I was home, at least it felt like home, but it was different, the air smelled strange and the sounds I heard were not the normal sounds I had been born hearing. I heard a voice on the wind…and it was calling to me. I took a timid step forward and the wet grass dampened my thin shoes. I was no longer wearing the boots that Njord had given me which led me to another thought, where was Njord. Frantically I looked around, but did not see the Norseman

"Njord!" I called "Njord!"

"Fitheach…" the voice called again, and I realized it was my name it was calling "Fitheach, come to me," it wasn't just calling my name, it was speaking my language. I squinted trying to see through the thick fog that appeared out of nowhere and had blanketed me.

"Njord?" I called again only to be answered with my own name

"Fitheach" it was a woman's voice, that much I was sure, but she sounded old, like the Bean Nighe was closing in on her.

"Hello?" I called out "whose there?"

"Fitheach, come to me boy…your place is not among the Northmen…they are not your people," the woman explained and I pushed through the fog, part of me wanted to see her and find out who she was, the other part of me wanted to turn the other way and run.

"I know they are not," I replied "but I did not have a choice."

"There are always choices, to live…to die…to accept…to betray."

I felt my body go numb

"Betray…? I didn't betray anyone I do not accept their Gods, I know of them that is all." I felt sick and I reached for the voice "I was with the Christians for a year I never accepted their god. No matter what they did or said!"

I blinked and in a flash of light I saw a figure coming at me, I'm certain it was a woman, but it was difficult to tell, she wore a dark gray cloak and walked slowly towards me, her hand pointing at me was the only reason I was certain it was a woman. Her hand was thin and boney and it was stretched out towards me. I took a step back, as another flash of light lit up the sky, showing her face, she was ancient, older than anyone I had ever seen and I recognized her…not from seeing her before, but from stories, stories my grandfather had told me and my siblings, this was Cailleach, she's the Goddess of disease and plague.

I winced as I heard a growling and stepped back, my heart beginning to race with fear….Dormarth, her large vicious dog, who guarded the gates to Death. The dog was a slick furred animal, that you couldn't tell if it was covered with water or blood, with glowing red eyes that penetrated right into your very being. I have never been afraid of any animal, but this dog truly scared me, its hairs were raised and it was lowering itself down to the ground, ready to attack on the slightest command.

I stepped back further, preparing to run.

"Fitheach" she cackled "Raven, your name means Raven, you are linked with darkness and death and that brings only suffering. You are cursed Little Raven. Your family suffered, all those in your path will suffer and be taken to the other world one by one and that is on you."

"Why?" I whimpered "I didn't do anything,"

"Your time with the Northmen will be long, you will learn much and grow strong. You will return to your land, return to your gods, but you will have a decision to make. Betray the gods and people you will soon embrace or defend them, betraying your own people, your own gods and becoming the very thing that you fear, what your people fear." She paused and the dog growled again "you will have a choice boy, what you choose will have repercussions, either way."

"What kind of choice is that?!" I screamed "I just want to go home, I want to be with my own people."

"That will not happen. Your choice is yours to say, but the goddess have the final decision. You are the Raven and are destined for death and servitude."

My stomach dropped and I felt sick, destined for death? What did that mean, I know all must die eventually, but destined for death?

"I don't understand." I couldn't help it, tears were running down my cheeks.

"You will in time," Cailleach explained, she came closer and I tried to back up, but I was frozen to the ground, I couldn't move, I couldn't even blink. She placed a hand on my head and I felt a shudder wash over my entire body. "You belong to us and you belong to them, you are of three worlds young one, the mortal world, my world and Odin's world..."

I felt myself falling backwards and when I did, I didn't hit the ground, I hit water…deep water, I couldn't touch the bottom and I swallowed a mouthful of water. I kicked and struggled trying to keep my head above water, but it was impossible, the calm water was turning into a raging sea, a wave crashed over my head pushing me back down beneath the surface.

"Help!" I yelled, choking on more water "help me!" I couldn't swim I couldn't stay afloat, especially not with the waves. I began sinking beneath the waves, deeper and deeper. I could see the blurred figure of Cailleach and her dog, they were standing on the surface of the water looking down at me…watching me drown.

x-x-x-x

"NOOOO!" I screamed sitting up, drenched in sweat, Njord was also startled awake as he leaned over me.

"Hrafn?" he exclaimed "Hrafn, hvat's rangr?" (what's wrong?) he helped me sit up and waited for an answer, silently asking if I was okay.

I nodded

"Ja," I replied, he nodded and stood up, he put his hand down to me and when I took it, he pulled me right off my feet and let me dangle for a few seconds. I couldn't help it, I let out a burst of laughter and Njord joined me, his loud booming laugh echoing through the clearing. When he dropped me, I landed on my feet and he patted my head. Njord gathered up his belongings and I picked up the satchel and followed the northman back on the path, the dream still fresh in my mind.

The second day of walking was actually easier than the first, I think I was getting used to the terrain and I had an easier time keeping up with Njord's long strides. By the afternoon we climbed a very steep up hill and at the very top, Njord grabbed my shoulder and pushed me forward, gesturing down the embankment. A small farm rested at the bottom, in a little valley, nestled next to a river that ran not far from it.

"Heimili!" Njord exclaimed spreading his arms out to the farm below us, he smacked me on the back "heimili,"

I looked at Njord and then at the farm,

"heimili," I said softly following his gaze, home, but for how long how long would I call this place home and what more what of my dream…was it more than a dream was it a vision and if it was a vision what kind of future did I have?

As we walked down the path a woman came out of the house. She was as tall as Njord, but not as muscular, but she was stronger looking than my mother. Behind her two girls came running, one was younger than me, around the same age of my younger brother, seven or eight, while the other girl appeared to be older than me, not by much maybe a winter or two. Something seemed to catch the younger girl's attention and she looked towards the hill, spotting Njord. She shook the older girl and pointed excitedly. The woman turned to the girls and followed them with her eyes as they began running towards us.

"Fadir!" they shouted "fadir!"

Njord grinned wide and walked down the path to meet them, both girls jumped into his open arms

I couldn't understand the words that were exchanged between father and daughters, but I could imagine them. He was telling them how much he missed them and how much they had grown, they were telling him about the farm and all he had missed in the months he had been gone. The woman joined the family by now and she kissed Njord as he moved the girls out of the way to hug his wife, those gestures were familiar too, it was like seeing my parents together, the girls were still chatting away and I wished I could understand more than a word or two, I was also unsure what I was supposed to be doing, so I kind of hung back.

This wasn't for long however, because the older girl noticed me, she tapped Njord on the shoulder and pointed at me. The woman and the younger girl followed where she was pointing, the woman looked between me and Njord and began speaking to him, loudly, gesturing towards me.

Njord followed his family's gaze up the hill towards me and he chuckled, waving for me to come down. I did so timidly, I could see even with the distance his wife was less than pleased with my presence. As I walked closer to the group she seemed to glare at me and that glare only intensified as I got closer.

Njord however was un-phased by his wife's reaction to me, as he patted me on the back pulling me closer to the group once I was in arms reach.

The two girls looked at each other then looked at their mother before looking back at me, a little one seemed excited while the older one seemed a little suspicious wearing the same kind of look on her face as her mother. I had picked up enough of Njord's language to understand his introduction, as he gave the family my name, my Norse name before continuing to introduce his family. The girls names were Eir the little one and Hildr the older girl, while his wife's name was Helga.

Once the introductions were over, Njord said a long sentence to the girls pointing at me, I had not picked up enough to understand that particular sentence, but I was able to kind of guess what he was saying he was asking the girls to take me on a tour of the farm. Once again Hildr the seemed hesitant, while Eir took hold of my hand and dragged me off towards the pen where all the animals were. She was talking so fast my brain couldn't translate it, my limited experience with the language was putting me at a severe disadvantage when it came to the girls, I knew I would have to learn quick if we are going to understand each other.

I glanced back at Njord and Helga, she was gesturing towards me and definitely looked angry even a little scared. I couldn't understand how she could be scared of me why would I have scared her, if anything it was the other way around. I couldn't hear the pair of them, and even if I could've, I wouldn't have been able to understand them, however the gestures were enough for me to understand and I could easily fill in how the conversation was going.

"Why would you bring one back with you?"

"he is only a child, we couldn't leave him there to starve."

"He is one of those Christians that Borjard spoke of, he is not like us!"

"He is not a Christian, he is a Celt."

"And you know this how?"

"He told me,"

"How?!" she paused "never mind…they worship false gods! What will the gods think of such a creature sharing our house and our food?"

"He understands our language he understands our ways. The Celts are more like us then we realize. The Christians were starving him, beating him, trying to get him to renounce his gods."

"And we will not do the same? He cannot worship his Celtic gods in my house I will not have the girls exposed to it."

"He has already proven himself not only willing to learn our ways, but accept the gods. What will you have me do Helga, take him to the woods and leave his fate to the gods?"

"That is exactly what I am proposing. You find this boy and decide to bring him home to our family. With no thought to the safety of your family."

"My thoughts are always with my family's safety. But the boy is not a danger."

"He will grow...like a wild animal he will grow and become more of a danger than he is right now. He is small, weak, and easily disposed of. The older he becomes the stronger he will become and when you wake up to a sword on your throat what will you do then?"

Njord burst out laughing, his blooming laugh echoing through the farm causing both the girls and I to look back at him in curiosity.

"Any bloodlust this boy has, is not directed at us it is directed at the Anglish and the monks that took him"

"Took him?"

"I was able to get a general idea of his story. He was born in the north, at least a weeks walk from the coast and the monastery we raided. He was kidnapped by the Anglish. Their attempt to stamp out the pagan ways of the Celts, by focusing on the younger generation."

Helga's face changed a little, she now had a sympathetic look that briefly washed over, before changing back to the concern for her family.

"so you felt the best thing was to take him even further from his home?"

"There is nothing left to his home, the Anglish took the children and destroyed everything else."

"How do you know this?"

"His dreams. Nightmares really he told the story in his sleep and I understood enough of his language to figure it out. And what he was not able to divulge was fairly easy to piece together, it made sense as to why a Celt would be with the Christians and clearly against his will. The Anglish seem to have a raider spirit to them. Any bloodlust or sense of revenge Hrfan has is directed only at those that took him initially. He will grow to be a fine warrior and will long to return to his land for the sole purpose of avenging his family. We will not be the target of his rage." Helga seem to sigh, unsure what to say or even do "they would have killed him Helga, the Anglish soldiers would have come to the monastery and found him the only survivor, by default he would've been blamed. I believe them to be more ferocious and blood thirsty than we are."

"I don't like it Njord and don't even think for a moment this Celt replaces Igar and also don't even think that I will accept him as anything but a foreign guest and I put that lightly in our house."

Njord smiled and shook his head

"of course my dear, that is fine."

I would revisit this memory many times as I grew older, and as my understanding of the Norse language was perfected I could hear the conversation replaying in my mind only I would understand it. I'm not entirely sure how I heard anything, let alone remembered it as both girls were carrying on a full one-sided conversation with me, oblivious to the fact I couldn't understand them. Even Hildr seemed to warm up to me a little. But not as much as Eir who began naming off all the sheep in the pen.

I looked around the farm I actually began to feel at home, feel safe, this place reminded me in a way of the home I had been taken from, the home that I hoped to return to someday. But as Eir continued to rattle off in her own language, in the back of my mind my dream from the previous night continued to play over and over and I couldn't help the shudders that swept down my back.