Any Twilight characters belong to SM. Hope you enjoy! Lots of information in my A/N at the end. Reviewers get a cookie! ;-)
Days passed, and Jarpr had not returned to my chambers, at least not while I was in the chambers. Conveniently, he seemed to appear whenever I had left the chambers for my morning run through the maze, sparing match, or any other business for which I had been called away. Frustration built inside me, as each day Nada would report his visits and inquiries to the state of the broken girl.
It was the girl who distracted me from my foolish anger, why I bothered with the comings and goings of a servant virtually unknown, was laughable. The girl, however, needed much care – physically and emotionally. Understandably, she was wary of strangers, and being surrounded by eight strangers – albeit women – was concerning for her. The first time she regained consciousness since her transfer to our quarters, she shot straight up – apparently ignoring the pain from her bruised ribs, and pulled tightly into the nearest corner. Too late, she had realized that with each end of her bed connected to another, she had merely backed herself between the wall and Ava's sleeping form. Her screams woke each Valkyrie – including the slumbering Ava next to her. Seven pairs of eyes focused on her rocking form – attempting to hide from the unknown people in the room.
When I entered the room, each Valkyrie had backed away, in an attempt to give her space so as not to feel cornered or trapped. Still, her broken body remained tightly compressed on itself – her knees drawn up to her chest, her slim arms wrapped around the tops of her knees, head bowed down towards her chest – covered by her arms and knees. All the while, we could hear strange sounds coming from her – frightened whispers muffled only by her arms. I worried she would faint again with the stress her body must surely felt, yet she continued to rock – back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
It was Nada who approached the girl. Beautiful in graceful walk, her golden hair that fell to middle of her back swayed with her hips as she moved in her long legged stride. Nada's steps were audible – so as not to scare the girl by accidentally sneaking up on her, but they were also slow and cautious. As Nada inched closer to the bed, she murmured in a comforting voice, "It's okay, shhhh, we are friends, we are here to help," and inched ever closer. When Nada's slender fingers grazed the girl's knees and arms, she flinched but her head rose. Behind those arms, her warm brown eyes peered out to Nada first and met her blue ones, then scanned the group, and then returned to Nada's face. "Hello, what's your name?" she asked softly, it reminded me of how my father spoke to me as a child – usually after a tumble where I had scraped my knees.
Equally as quiet the girl answered, "Johana milady."
Nada rewarded her with a huge grin, "Nice to meet you Johana, my name is Nada – no milady necessary. How do you feel?" A timid smile answered Nada's reaction and the girl sat slightly taller as she assessed her body.
Languidly, Johana straightened and extended her bruised limbs. She winced as her body moved in a rigid fashion, but pressed forward. A series of hisses and winces followed each movement, yet still she persevered. Inspection complete, Johana tilted her face upwards to answer Nada, "There is some pain, but I am sure it will pass mi – Nada."
Nada's shoulder dropped as her head twisted in my direction, the question evident in her eyes. With an affirmative jerk of my head, I stepped forward and approached the small bed. My movement captured Johana's attention and she turned slightly to peer over Nada's shoulder. Returning her gaze to Johana introduced us, "Johana, this is Her Highness, Izabel."
For a girl who had been literally carried into the chambers, whose body had been bruises and broken in several places, her rapid movements to scramble from the bed were quite the surprise. Toes peeked beneath her covers as her legs swung widely across the bed, a low hiss escaped her clenched lips as she scrambled to the floor – her legs wobbled uncertainly beneath her and she fell forward. Yet Nada's quick reflexes caught the girl before any damage was done, her arm shot out and stabled her, then pressed gently against the tops of her slender shoulders with encouragement to lay back. "Shh, Johana, the Queen does not expect you to bow before her, just listen to what she says. Can you do that for me?"
The girl's eyes were wide and obviously frightened, her gaze volleyed between Nada's face and my own, before she nodded her consent. "Johana," I began, "do you know where you are? Do you recall what happened?"
She flinched – memories she probably preferred to forget danced across her face as she answered in a broken voice, "I remember what the guards did. I know not where I am."
My approach was steady and when I reached the bed, Nada rose and allowed me some space to sit near the girl's feet. "You are in my chambers, specifically in the chambers of my hand maidens. I am afraid, we do not know much about you, save the unfortunate events that resulted in your injuries. If you recall who was involved, I give you my word I will see to their punishment." The fire cracked and popped at my side, yet the girl remained quiet, so I continued, "We will keep you here until you recover. Afterwards, you will have a choice. If you elect to remain at the palace, you will be welcome to become one of my servants, however if you prefer to return home we will make ensure your safe delivery."
Tears had welled up in Johana's eyes and she outwardly struggled to rein them in, "I have no family with which to return," she whispered, "they're all dead," her voice broke, a strangled sound as the cry ripped from her chest. Nada returned to her side and pulled Johana into her arms. From side to side, she tenderly rocked the girl in her embrace, cooing her condolences, and whispering how everything would be all right. The tears and sobs subsided and the girl nervously returned my gaze.
"I'm so sorry about your family Johana, can you share with me what occurred?"
A shudder escaped her and she began, "I lived with my family in the village of Northumbria – my father and mother, and my twin brother Alec. The villagers there had always been suspicious of twin births, yet we never had reason to believe anything would happen to us. But when the taxes began rising, and soon the food was gone – they blamed us." She laughed bitterly, "They called us the witch twins. As if we were the cause of the sorrow that had befallen the lands. It was late at night when they raided our home and stole my parents and brother from me – I had hidden below the floor boards when the screaming began, and when the screaming ended, I knew they were gone." Roughly, she wiped at her face and eyes, and then concluded her story; "I came here, disguised myself as a man, and told others I was here to earn money for my family – just like everyone else."
I looked around the long cabin quarters, the faces of each Valkyrie illuminated by the fire, each expression a reflection of my own. Sorrow for this girl – her life had been stolen not only by the guards sworn to protect the people of the land, but by those she had trusted, those she had grown up around – yet abandoned her, abandoned her family in a moment of need. Rather, had been seduced by the mounting anger that had like a fire, been born of kindling and as it grew consumed all in its path. "Johana, would you prefer to remain here, with us? I understand if you need time to consider the offer."
Her voice rang out – stronger than it had been through the whole discussion, "I would like that very much, your Highness. Please, call me Jane – it is how I was called by my family."
I nodded and gently squeezed her hand, "All right, Jane. Welcome to our sisterhood." Only time would tell if this girl would be worthy of the Valkyrie sisterhood, but a sister she would become all the same.
Each day Jane recovered more from her injuries – her progressions from sitting in bed to a few steps around the room were slow but steady. At the end of the first week, I entered the room to find Peta and Jane deep in concentration huddled over a game of Nine Men's Morris. Peta's fingers hovered over a crimson stone while, her face knitted in concentration as she eyed Jane's stark white stones already formed two mills, one stone shy of her final mill. I stifled a laugh as Peta moved her stone diagonally, a grin spread across her lips. Equally as pleased, Jane swept her white nugget to the side and declared happily, "I win! Three mills!"
She giggled as Peta scowled and collected the red pebbles from the side, "Again!" she declared.
"Of course, Peta, I shan't mind another triumph." Both girls erupted in a fit of giggles, their arms wrapped around their sides as they laughed. I observed them silently, a smile danced on my face, happy for Jane's steady progression. Nada stepped behind me and placed her warm hand atop my shoulder.
I tore my gaze away from the happy scene before me and turned to look at her. "Let's go hunt," she whispered.
"Yes, let's!" I agreed. We turned and exited the room arm in arm. The armoire against the far wall housed several bows, arrows, and knives. Heavy doors groaned their protest as we pulled them up and rummaged inside. "Now, Nada, you should bring extra arrows, we both know your marksmen skills are somewhat – lacking," I joked with her, my elbow nudging her side.
"Ah, well Highness, I miss on purpose, I would hate to hurt your feelings by being outdone," she winked at me as she lifted a quiver to her back and then rested a bow to thigh.
I laughed while I filled my own quiver and retrieved a spare knife for any kills we made. Armed, we walked out of the palace together towards our wooded destination.
The walk from the palace grounds to the woods had been a nice one; people milled about, walked here and there and greeted us as we passed. Dressed in our Valkyrie uniforms of leather tunics and leggings with soft boots – my hair braided down my back and concealed by my hood, no one was the wiser as to whom they addressed. I appreciated the anonymity it afforded me, to walk among the people freely and without the excessive bows and "Your Majesty" addresses that followed my status.
As we rounded the path and entered the dark woods, I felt alive and happier than I had been in awhile. Worries melted from my shoulders as I inhaled the late summer air. Nada inhaled the air as well, her eyes slid closed as she took in her surroundings. My dearest friend at my side, the cooling weather, and the prospect of a good hunt made me exceedingly happy.
I ran ahead, thrilled with the wind in my face, careful to maintain quiet foot falls as raced deeper into the forest. Nada's tinkling laughter echoed to my rear and I knew she had also begun her hunt. Ahead stood a tree, older with a large trunk and thick, sturdy branches. I sprinted towards the tree and climbed skillfully to the upper branches.
The vantage point it afforded me was stunning – the green hills lopped in gentle rolls, younger trees swayed slightly in the breeze, and in the distance a small stream gathered into a pond. Yes, the view was amazing. I closed my eyes again and thought of Nada and my pursuits here as children. Her mother had been a Valkyrie in service and had been pregnant the same time as my mother. Nada was almost a month older than me, her mother's waters broke and it was my mother who had sat with her while she labored. Together they cried and screamed and later rejoiced as Nada entered the world. My mother used to tell me I kicked frantically in my womb, sore that I had not be born first. Chuckling as I remembered that even then, we were engaged in fierce competition. Three weeks later, my mother's waters had broken, and her dearest friend returned the favor – held my mother's hand while she labored, screamed with her and even at her when she grew tired and could not push, and finally rejoiced as I also entered the world. From birth, we were inseparable. My first steps came only days before Nada's steps, while Nada's first words were chased by my own only hours later. Our mothers laughed together as our competition grew in all aspects, from who could climb the highest to who could run the fastest or furthest.
The day was like any other when Nada's mother died. We were fourteen years old and out for a hunt, not unlike this one. For as long as either of us could remember, we were educated in the secret sisterhood of the Valkyrie and trained in strategy, taught how to fight, and how to hunt. The hunt we embarked on was similar to that of the Wild Hunt that heralded in the winter. This hunt tested all our skills – survival, strategy, and combat. We were each deposited at the entrance to the woods, albeit different entrances. Our goal was to survive three days in the forest; the only resources were the clothes on our back and one weapon of our choosing. I had elected to bring a bow and quiver while Nada had brought her favorite knife.
Upon the completion of the first night, guards were sent into the forests to hunt my friend and I. Not only did we have to survive the elements, feed ourselves, and find water – we then had to hide or fight the guards who found us. A chuckle escaped as I remembered my Father's repetitive instructions to not actually harm any of the guards.
The first night had been rather effortless, I had found a stream – not unlike the one I observed from the trees today, and drank deeply from it. Deeper in the woods I had found berries and nuts and gathered them for my dinner. I had climbed a tree that night and slept soundly against the branch. The second day, I heard the guard behind me and scrambled up another tree to catch him unaware. He had observed my climb though and had raced to the base of the solid trunk. "I have found you, Little Princess, now come down." His voice was stern and I laughed at his command.
"You have to catch me first!"
So enraptured I was in our chase – me climbing from branch to branch of the tall oaks and him walking below me, that I failed to hear the first few screams. When the screams met my ears, I felt a chill pass through me. My distraction was only for a moment, but it was enough for my fingers to loosen their grip on the wooden arms I had clamored through, and my body entered a free fall to the ground below.
Unsure if it was the memory of my body's impact on the wooded floor or the flapping of wings as a flock of birds flew past me, but my body jerked and removed me from my reverie. Odd, the birds' behavior – normally they do not scatter so suddenly unless in the prescience of a predator. Yet, each bird that had flown high in the sky together then began to scatter from one another, as if they could not depart the forest quick enough, their squawks faded as their forms retreated on the horizon.
The task at hand, to hunt and kill my game before Nada completed her hunt still lay before me. I moved from the tree, the odd behavior all but forgotten. My bow and quiver shifted against my back as I descended the tree in search of game. Deftly, I released my grip and fell the last few feet to the ground. Teeth nipped at my lip as I considered the best path for finding game, I had seen the gathered pool of water and knew this would a water source for many of the wildlife; if I waited my prey may come to me. Hmmm, but how long will that take? Surely Nada will have caught a boar or maybe even a bear by time I've seen even a deer!
Better to track a herd than wait here. I prowled silently through the forest growth, stepped carefully over fallen trees and thick undergrowth until I reached a beautiful meadow. Tall grass danced gracefully to an unheard melody in the slight breeze with beautifully vibrant flowers that peppered the grass. Along the edging of the meadow were several branches that provided shade, and among the shade – seemingly asleep – was a lynx. Its coat had already dulled from the copper of the summer months and begun to fade into a grayish brown color for the winter. The telltale black hairs stood on the tips of its pointed ears that twitched with my approach. I lowered my body to the ground in a crouch and slowly removed the bow from back. Beautiful black spots littered the coat of this magnificent animal and while the fat had yet to build up in preparation of the snow and ice, the skin would still make a warm blanket or coat.
Affectionately, I stroked the belly of my bow – the smooth horn and sinew pleasant beneath my naked fingertips. The scent of evergreen from the yew remained alongside the back of the bow and I inhaled the welcome aroma. With slow and quiet movements, I retrieved the arrow – the wood smooth against my gloved palms, the soft turkey fletching tickled against my cheek as I aligned the shaft with the arrow rest. Instinctively, my fingers curled around the grip nestled between the limbed valleys of yew, horn, and sinew while the end of the arrow slid into the nocking point. The kisser rested against my full pout as I pulled the string taunt, my elbow jutted outwards. My lungs ballooned with the deep breath I held as I eyed my mark. Below the shade the cat remained on its belly, seemingly unaware of the imminent impact. The air puffed from my chest as I concurrently exhaled and released the string; fletching flew past my line of vision and I watched, eager, for the honed broadhead to reach the mark. The arrow whizzed through the air, violent and yet beautiful as it flew.
Yet the impact was not made. There were no growls or hisses from the lynx to communicate acknowledgement that it felt threatened – in fact, an unnatural silence had descended upon the meadow. Gone were the sounds of the birds chirping in the trees or the sated purrs of the lynx or the chattering of the squirrels as they gathered food or scattered from the forest floor to the safe havens of their trees. Utter silence.
Unnerved, I shifted the bow with the top of the limb at an angle away from my body and the sharpened obsidian that rested on that tip pointed outwards. I gazed across the meadow, beneath the shade of the trees for lynx. Yet, it was not there.
In the end, Nada had caught three fair sized fish from the pond I had scouted in the tree, while I had failed miserably at both my attempts to shoot a lynx and a deer. She clucked her tongue and wagged her finger at my playfully as I scowled at her grinning face. "You were just lucky I was distracted!" I bemoaned.
"Of course Izabel!" she giggled. Only when we were alone, sisters and best friends again, did she call me by my given name. All other times, it was "Your Highness" or "Your Majesty" or "My Queen". I understood why addressed me formally in front of the others; it made our private moments between the two of us much more special.
We traipsed up the path to return home and dropped the fish with a family we met along the way. It was a perfect ending to a perfect afternoon.
A/N: Warning, it'll be a long one. ;-)
So what did you think? The word count on this chapter was 3,457 words! Initially this chapter was over 10k and I thought it best to divide it into two chapters. What stands out to you in this chapter? Do you see any plot development here or did you think it was all filler?
Northumbria: The Vikings did indeed invade Northumbria which was considered British land and maintained control of this land for quite some time. Since we know Jane is initially from England, I felt this was a happy medium to have her in my Viking world. ;-) Johana is the Scandinavian form of the English name "Jane". In my story, Jane is a little older - probably mid to late teens, rather than 12 in canon. If you recall, Aro was not going to change Jane and Alec until they were older (due to the immortal children injunction) but due to the violence of the twins' village towards them, his hand was forced. Recall the villagers in the saga had felt the twins were responsible for both good and bad fortunes and in fear, eventually reacted. Had Aro not intervened, the villagers would have burned (and I believe Jane did burn some) the twins at the stake. While I was among those who cheered during that special scene of Breaking Dawn Pt 2 (I won't spoil it for you), I always wondered if Jane had been rescued or survived the village attack without being changed and not being subjected to Cauis, would she have been the monster we all know and love to hate? I like to think Jane could have grown from her trauma and become a strong young woman. But, only time will tell.
Nine Men's Morris: Is one of the oldest archeological finds for games - believed to be played even in Ancient Egypt and held no class boundaries (meaning - everyone played it rich or poor). The pieces could be made of anything really - but the prominent pieces were all either black, red, or white in color. I found white and crimson to be fitting within my story.
The Wild Hunt is briefly mentioned in this chapter (and will come into play in later chapters) and is a part of a three day festival that urshers in the winter. Included in the festival are costumes consisting of masks (either a sheep or cow) made of felt with fitted hoods. The festival is opened with the cooking of a horse that is boiled (like a stew) and then shared among the guests, of course ale is not only involved but considered a part of the ceremony, dancing (a wild ruckus!) then followed by the Wild Hunt (which is a two day affair). From what I gathered, woman and children did not participate in the Wild Hunt, which is why their outing was only fashioned simiular to the event, rather than attending themselves.
Izabel's Hunt: I hope you can see Izabel's character throughout the hunt. She is intuitive and importantly, resourceful. She is very smart - such as climbing a tree for a better vantage point or to outmaneuver a guard. She is a hunter and this is a source of pride for her. Within Viking society, women were strong and fairly independent (they could hunt and fight if needed) which is something I greatly respect. Though, some may see her as unfeeling - she did walk away for an afternoon of play time instead of continuing to work on her the challenges that plague her kingdom. A lynx is one of the larger cats found in Viking terrains and their coats do change from summer to winter which I found interesting. Izabel's bow is a composite bow, meaning it is made from more than one matieral. While Vikings did favor swords as opposed to bows, they did carry and use them. Typically, they used longbows, the largest found measured over 6'3! I changed the bow to fit Izabel's frame and using yew (an evergreen tree), bone, and sinew (animal muscle) for the construction - these materials make the bow lightweight yet effective as opposed to a longbow which was effective but could weigh up to 85 pounds.
Last thing, then I'm done - an article I read about Vikings and bows stated that Vikings twisted the design on long bows. On the top tip of the "limbs" (imagine that backwards "S") was a sharped rock or iron bit to serve as a blade, this way the fighter could use it in direct combat if needed. I thought that was pretty neat and just had to add that in there.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and am very excited to read your reviews. Does it make me look bad if I plead for those reviews? Pretty pretty please! :-) And maybe just maybe, I'll pick a review and add a teaser in my reply.