Good night, everyone! I hope you've all had a good week. Here's to a good weekend.

This is a really important chapter, so I won't keep you. I'll just ask you to keep an open mind and try not to jump to conclusions.

Read on!

Sickness

The day after Gyda's birthday, which was only celebrated between their small family, Athelstan was back to making out reading and writing lessons from her and Lilith. Even in her concern over Ragnar, Lagertha had insisted their lessons continue, and of course, Athelstan was happy to oblige. He knew the girls missed their father and brother, and it wasn't easy to keep them focused on anything he taught them, but he still made the effort. Gyda was especially worried about her mother, but she never said anything except when she knew Lagertha would listen to her. The morning after her birthday, she wasn't as distracted, so it was easier to help her with her new writing.

He was also still learning, and so was Lilith. Of the Northern languages, Athelstan knew there was still so much to learn, and he had Gyda to help him and Lilith navigate the letters and words to help them sound more like they belonged there. Edda helped when she was able, but since coming back, she had been given more responsibilities in the kitchens where Ingrid could watch her. Lilith still preferred to speak in her native tongue when it was just her and Athelstan, but that was only at night before she went to sleep. Gyda practiced then as well, but Athelstan made sure they both knew not to do it in front of Lagertha unless she wanted to learn as well. So far, she had given no indication of that.

"So much of your language could be similar to ours," Gyda said as she and Lilith sat with Athelstan around the breakfast table. "What other languages do you speak? What other places have you been?"

Athelstan glanced at Lilith before he answered her. "I also speak Latin," he said. He nodded to Lilith. "I taught Lilith when she was only five. So she knows it as well as her native language, just like I do."

"Athelstan also taught me Frankish," Lilith added. "It is the language they speak in Paris."

"Where is Paris?" Gyda asked.

"Athelstan, tell Gyda about Paris like you told me about it."

Sighing, Athelstan closed his journal and put down his quill. "Paris is a long way away from here, and it is much larger than England. It has many more people in it who all live very different lives than we do here. It also has a vastly larger amount of churches that are all some of the tallest buildings in the world."

"So you have been there?" Gyda asked him, also looking at Lilith.

"I've been there," he clarified. "Lilith has not." He looked at her and smiled. "But I still want to show it to her one day. I have also been to Denmark and Svealand, and that is where I learned your language."

Her curiosity piqued, Gyda put her brush away and pushed the parchment aside, leaning over the table. "We should all go to Paris together," she grinned. "It sounds like a wonderful place, and Athelstan, you can be our guide. Mother and Father and Bjorn can come with us. It will be the greatest adventure we've ever had."

Athelstan laughed softly. "That sounds like a good idea, Gyda," he agreed. "And you would love Paris. The people there are the best I have ever encountered, and the food was also the best I've ever tasted."

"We should make it an adventure we will plan together," Gyda said. "That way, we will all experience it at the same time. We should tell Mother and Father as soon as he returns."

"We should," Athelstan said and nodded. "And we will. Right now, we need to finish this and then you both have a few chores to do this morning before helping to make supper. So let's hurry up so we can help your mother. Hmm?"

Gyda accepted what he said with a nod, and she picked up her brush so she could go back to what she had been doing before.

Athelstan watched her and Lilith as they sat together, unable to comprehend how much they already communicated with each other without speaking a word. Sometimes, he and Lilith could do it as well, but not to this degree. The thought made him smile. Lilith had finally found children her age to be herself with, just like he had always wanted.

When he deemed them both finished for the morning, he sent them off to find Elisef so she could give them their chores, picking up the parchment they had left behind and gathering up his journal to put it all away for the day.

Edda came just as he was finishing up with her wash bin so she could help clean up the table. Athelstan smiled when he saw her, going on in his own duties as she collected the plates and bowls left from breakfast.

"I miss sitting with you and Lili and Gyda during the day," she said as she worked. "I wish Ingrid did not need me so much in the kitchens."

He put down the parchment in his hands and moved around to help her. "Well, hopefully, everything will be back to normal soon enough. With Ragnar and the men gone, all our responsibilities are changed. When he returns, it will get better. I will talk with Ingrid."

Edda nodded and sighed, stopping in her chore and sitting down. She lifted her eyes to his, speaking softly. "I — I did not know," she said, clearly hoping he would understand without her saying much more.

Thankfully, Athelstan understood what she meant, sitting in front of her and keeping voice low as he spoke. "Then you are in a very small group," he informed her.

She reached for his hand, holding it as tightly as she ever had. "I would not ever want you to be sacrificed. I would miss you too much, as I'm certain Lili would as well. Ingrid did not say how it was decided, but when you came back, she told me I wasn't allowed to speak of it anymore. These things are the will of the gods. My mother said the same thing before she died."

Athelstan lay his hand over hers. "It's all right, Edda. You know you can talk to me about anything. And I didn't even know about the sacrifice, so I still haven't been able to talk to anyone about it either. I suspect there will be a lot of that going around. So if you need someone to talk to you, you can talk to me. I care about you as much as I care for Gyda, and she is a sister to Lili, so you must be as well."

She laughed softly and leaned forward, kissing his cheek and then rising to finish cleaning off the table. "I will see you at supper tonight," she reminded him and he nodded, watching her leave.

He sat there for a minute or two, thinking of how she'd been told not to speak about the sacrifice or that he'd returned when he clearly hadn't been meant to. Only six weeks had passed since they had returned to Kattegat, and still, Athelstan was angry. He still felt betrayed by these people, and he didn't know if that would change any time soon.

After another minute, he stood up again and began collecting the parchment and quills to put them away for the next lesson he would given Lilith and Gyda.

"Priest."

The sound of her voice stopped him immediately, and not because it was a pleasant or welcoming sound. He put the parchment down, along with his journal, slowly turning to face her. "Thyri."

The smile on her face remained in place as she stepped closer to him. "You work so well with Gyda and Lilith," she said almost apologetically. "And all the other servants. Perhaps that is what the gods had planned for you all along."

Athelstan did not bow, his face blank as he responded. "I suppose so. At least I have been given the chance to find out for myself, even if some of the people here didn't think of that so many weeks ago."

The corners of her mouth fell as she realized he wasn't going to give in so easily. She still tried to keep her head up. "Both of those things should be considered an honor," she commented. "And it worked out for you, didn't it?"

He had to take a step away from her, unable to understand how she could say something like that after everything that had happened. "Worked out?" he repeated. "How exactly is that supposed to make me feel? Because I had to watch a man I considered a friend be sacrificed in my place or because I was treated like the only good I could do was to die for the rest of you? Is that how it worked out for me?"

Her smile disappeared completely as her face flushed and her nostrils flared. She looked away, around at the other people in the Great Hall even if none of them were paying attention to him or her.

"Am I embarrassing you?" he nearly demanded. "Does it make you angry that I won't play along like I did before? Now that we both know that it worked out for me."

She tried to speak, but no words would leave her mouth.

Athelstan turned to leave, only for her to take his arm before he could.

"I am sorry," she cried. "All right? I am sorry for what I did. I thought you knew. How was I supposed to know no one had told you? I thought I was helping. I swear."

He looked down at her hand that held his sleeve, and when he did, she let go, stepping away from him just a little. "So you're sorry," he said. "What exactly are you sorry for? Are you sorry for trying to seduce me? For waiting until I was at my most vulnerable to make me think it was something I wanted? For thinking that I would allow you to do it simply because it was expected? Or are you sorry that it didn't work? That because you didn't get to do what you were told, that somehow it absolved you of any wrong doing? Please, tell why you're sorry."

She clenched her jaw, straightening her back. "It is not my fault that you fooled us all into believing you had embraced our way of life. And it is not my fault that you could not accept your place as the rest of us have. All for a child. Who has no more accepted our way than any foreigner possibly could."

Athelstan grabbed her by the arm without realizing it. "And that is why your seduction did not work," he said, his voice low and threatening. "Because you do not know me. Because you do not understand anything about me. You don't know what is in my heart, and you never will. Because that child understands me more than you ever will. She knows my heart in a way no one ever will, no matter what way she ever is. And you'll do well to remember that before you attempt to insult her, or me, for that matter."

She gasped as she pulled her arm from his hand, and he looked down, seeing that he'd left an imprint around her forearm. He looked at her, seeing that she was afraid, but he realized that he wasn't sorry. He turned from her then, picking up the parchment and his journal and hurrying away before he felt compelled to apologize.

He had nothing to apologize for.

The morning disappeared as Athelstan hid in the back of the long house. He organized the parchment and paints until he'd rearranged them four times, and he knew he had to leave the long house before it was time to eat again.

Supper was especially awkward since neither Siggy nor Lagertha knew what had happened between Athelstan and Thyri. She wouldn't look at him, and he refused to pay her any attention. She had obviously seen him talking to Edda and thought he would be just as forgiving to her. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Athelstan was surprised at himself, since he usually forgave anyone who wronged him. But he could not change his mind on this. No one who had known had given him the same consideration, so he couldn't give them any.

After supper, Siggy and Thyri left without saying anything to Lagertha or Athelstan, and after he got Lilith and Gyda to bed, Athelstan went to talk to Ingrid about changing Edda's responsibilities to what they had been before the journey to Uppsala.

"What can I help you with at this late hour, Athelstan?" Ingrid asked as she prepared the grain for breakfast the next morning.

"I wanted to talk to you about Edda," he said, and she stopped, looking up at him.

"What about her?"

He sighed softly, stepping further into the kitchen. "She talked to me today. About what happened at Uppsala, or rather what didn't happen. It's clear that she misses the stability she had when she was helping Lili, and I think it's been long enough for her to resume her duties as Lili's companion. I told her I would talk to you about it."

She continued mixed the grain, making bread and folding it as she pondered what he'd said. Then she huffed. "I told her not to talk about that," she complained. "It was done, and there was no point is bringing it up where it would only cause harm."

"Harm to whom?" he demanded, and she looked at him again. "Harm to the people who knew it was supposed to happen, who never said anything to me? Or harm to me, because I was kept in the dark about it until it was almost time to be done? Or who?"

Calmly, she stepped around to be in front of him, wiping her hands clean. "It would do harm to her, Athelstan," she stated plainly. "And to you. I have been watching you with Edda and Þórunn since you came here, and it's very obvious that you care for them very much. Edda especially because she is Lilith's companion, and so she is like yours as well. I did not want her to agonize over watching you leave and knowing you would not come back. So I chose not to tell her or Þórunn, and I would not have if Lilith and Gyda had not told them when you did come back. I wanted to save her a little pain. Was that so wrong?"

Athelstan pushed out a sharp, staggered breath. "No, of course not," he said, shutting his eyes as tight as he could. "Forgive me, please. I did not mean to blame you. I wish someone had shown that same consideration to Lili. And no one did. And I am angry, and I cannot stop being angry."

Gently, she lifted her hands to his shoulders and nudged him on. "Sit down," she commanded in a soft voice. Once she sat with him, she rubbed his shoulder, trying to console him. "I am certain that Lady Lagertha wanted you to know. You were supposed to know. It might not help you understand, but you were not meant to be ignorant. And with time, you'll understand that it was not done out of malice. It was meant to be an honor."

He huffed again, leaning over and covering his face with both his hands. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" he nearly yelled. "It doesn't feel like an honor. I feel like I've been used. I feel like everything I thought I understood has been ripped away from me, and I cannot grasp onto it again no matter how hard I try. I feel betrayed. Why do I feel like this if it was supposed to be an honor for me to be sacrificed for the good of everyone else?"

Ingrid did not speak for almost a minute, waiting until he looked at her to say anything. "You have adapted to this place the best way anyone would expect," she said diplomatically. "And it's obvious you want to do that, for yourself, and not just for Lilith. But you were not raised here. You were not brought up knowing our ways, and it won't be something that is easily traded one for another. You might never understand, just as I would probably never understand your ways. I suppose the people saying that, myself included, are simply trying to comfort you, despite the difficulty." She lay her hand over his arm, prompting him to look at her. "It's all right if you don't understand now. Or if you ever do. Your main priority right now is the safety and well-being of those girls. Focus on that. One day, everything else will follow."

"And if it doesn't?" he pleaded. "How am I supposed to help Lili if she moves forward but I don't?"

She turned to face him, speaking to him more directly. "When you were first brought here, what kept you from dying?"

Athelstan was stunned silent, looking away even as he thought. "The only reason I survived was because of Ragnar. Because he decided I would be useful to him."

"And after that? When Ragnar wasn't around, or when you had to contend with the people on his farm? What did you do?"

He stuttered for a minute. "I don't — I don't understand how . . . that — "

"You had to adapt, did you not?"

"Well, of course I did. If I had not, I would not have been able to protect Lili. And she would — "

"Then that is what you must do now. Adapt, Athelstan. It is what we must all do, no matter what the circumstance. Even when it is difficult. Would you not agree?"

It took him another minute to understand what she was saying, and he pulled in as deep a breath as he could before he answered her. "I would," he nodded. "Of course I would. It just feels impossible at this point."

"Give yourself time, Athelstan. At the very least." She stood up before he had the chance to respond. "It is quite late. You should get some rest. Edda will especially need your guidance in the morning when she and Þórunn resume their duties tomorrow."

Athelstan stood up with her, relieved despite being slightly embarrassed. "Thank you, my lady."

She tried to stop him, but he insisted.

"In this instance, I must," he said. "Not just for Edda, but for listening. Thank you. And good night."

He bowed his head slightly, and she did as well before he left her in the kitchens. He thought of what she had said as he walked back to the hearth, realizing that while he was still angry, he would not be angry for much longer. Something inside him told him there would be no time for anger in the very near future.

Thankfully, for breakfast, neither Siggy nor Thyri came to the long house to eat with them, allowing Athelstan and Lagertha to have a peaceful meal with the girls. Edda and Þórunn joined them with grain from the kitchens, and after they all finished eating, Athelstan began Lilith and Gyda's reading and writing lessons with Edda's assistance. Þórunn cleared away the bowls from breakfast and went to draw Lilith and Gyda a bath, allowing them to finish their lesson in relative peace.

Athelstan could tell as he sat with Lilith and Gyda and Edda that they had all missed learning together, and it made him hopeful that everything would soon be back to normal after such an uncertain time. Watching Edda and Lilith also made him think about what Ingrid had said, and he wondered when he'd allowed it to happen. Since he could remember, Athelstan had only been devoted to Lilith and making sure she was safe. Now he found himself concerned for the well-being of another young girl, and maybe he had always been concerned for Edda. He couldn't imagine it changing any time soon.

After breakfast, Edda took Lilith and Gyda to bathe, and Athelstan put everything from their lessons away, carrying it to one of the back rooms where no one would bother them. He left the long house alone, stepping across the way to the Great Hall and discovering Lagertha was already in the middle of a conversation with Siggy. They had been talking the last several days and weeks about Lagertha's worries over Ragnar, and if it helped to improve Lagertha's mood, then Athelstan was glad for Siggy's presence. He didn't see Thyri anywhere nearby, for which he was very grateful, so he left the Great Hall to walk down to the stables.

He found Tait there as the young man filled the horse stalls with hay, thinking of the few times they had almost spoken and approaching him as the other slaves went on in their morning.

"Good morning, Tait!"

It took almost a minute for him to look up from his work, and when he did, he nodded to Athelstan before going back to hay in front of him. When Athelstan didn't leave, Tait glanced behind him again.

"Is there something I can do for you, Steward?" he asked.

Slowly, Athelstan stepped forward. "I just wondered if we could talk. We've come so close, but there never seems to be anything for us to talk about."

Tait huffed as he shoveled another bale of hay. "We are talking now. Of what do you wish to speak?"

It took a minute for Athelstan to collect his thoughts, unable to say anything as he stood there. Before he could speak again, Tait put his pitch fork down, stepping in front of Athelstan. "Is there something I've done wrong, Steward? We've never had reason to speak until now."

Athelstan stammered on for a few seconds. "Well, I just thought that — Since you've always been accepting, I wondered if possibly — That we could be friends."

Tait stared at him like he was speaking in the wrong language, and for a minute, he looked almost disgusted. Athelstan took that as his answer, bowing his head quickly. "But if that is not possible, then I will accept it, of course."

He turned to leave when Tait grabbed his shoulder. "For a holy man, you certainly don't exercise a lot of faith in the people around you."

Athelstan stopped and turned to him. "What?"

Tait grinned slightly. "That's what Earl Ragnar called you when he first became earl. He said you were a holy man where you are from. It always seemed to me that holy men should have faith in their people, in order to guide them. But you don't seem to have much faith in us. Are we not your people now?"

Athelstan pushed out a soft breath. "Of course. Forgive me. And yes, I was, as Ragnar understood, a holy man when he first encountered me. Everyone calls me Priest so much that I simply allowed it after a while since it wasn't easy to explain the truth. And I forget sometimes that not everyone looks at me like that anymore. I still try to have faith, though after everything that's happened, it's difficult."

With a long sigh, Tait put his pitch fork away and gestured to the stable doors so they could stay out of the way of the other slaves. Athelstan followed him slowly, relieved even if he was still apprehensive.

"You and Halldor come from the same land," Tait said and settled against the door frame. "But he never talks about it. I suppose it's been so long that he no longer considers it home. Do you?"

"I miss it still sometimes," Athelstan replied as he sighed. "I miss traveling to other places and learning about them. And I miss having a bed of my own when I've had a long day on my feet. But with what happened to Lili, I don't think I ever considered it home. After a while, she was the only reason I was there. So I suppose not. Lili is my home now."

Tait nodded. "She has adapted to this place far more quickly than anyone else I've ever seen," he commented. "Though I suppose that has much to do with you. So she is a credit to you as a teacher."

"Tait, the horses!" a boy inside the stables yelled.

Their conversation ended there as Athelstan stood up straight and stepped out of the stables. "We'll talk later when it is not so busy," he said to Tait and bowed his head again. "Good morning."

He left the stables a little less apprehensively, glancing back to see Tait gone and sighing softly as he made his way back to the long house.

The long house was much more crowded when he stepped into the front doors, and he was about to ask why when he saw Lilith and Gyda running toward him.

"Girls! What's going on?"

Gyda got to him first, grabbing his hand. "Siggy has become sick," she cried.

Lilith grabbed his other arm. "Lagertha needs you in the Great Hall. Elisef says we have to isolate anyone who's been exposed to her, in case they get sick as well."

Athelstan held both their hands tighter. "Let's go see what Lagertha needs first," he said, and together, they ran across the way to the Great Hall.

If the long house was crowded, then the Great Hall was filled to capacity, even as Lagertha attempted to keep them from yelling over one another. When she saw Athelstan, she sighed heavily and nodded for him to come to her.

He looked at Lilith and Gyda, kissing them gently. "Stay here," he whispered. "Please. Until we know how serious it is."

Lilith took Gyda's hand, and they both stepped back so he could hurry to where Lagertha stood with Elisef.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"I am not sure," Lagertha exhaled. "Siggy was fine this morning while we spoke, and then she looked feverish. She was coming to find Thyri when she collapsed almost an hour ago. I do not know what to do."

"We are doing what we can to keep her isolated," Elisef explained. "And we must try to bring her fever down."

"How do we do that?" Athelstan asked.

"We need water," Lagertha said. "But we also need herbs from Floki's supplies. We must burn them to cleanse the town and anyone who has become infected."

"How do we get there from here?" he demanded. "I'll take the girls with me."

"Gyda knows where it is. Be quick about it. We do not yet know how many people Siggy came into contact with. A great number of people are about to get very sick if we do not hurry."

Athelstan turned to leave when she called him back. She hurried to him, gripping his tunic tightly. "Watch over my children, Athelstan," she pleaded. "I could not bear it if anything happened to them. Or you."

He took her hands in his, squeezing them tightly. "I won't let them out of my sight. I swear."

She nodded for him to go, and he hurried back to where Lilith and Gyda waited.

"Come on, girls," he said urgently. "We have work to do."

With that, they hurried away from the Great Hall, leaving town and making their way to Floki's. Gyda did know the way, and she hurried ahead of them. Athelstan helped Lilith with the winding path, and when they caught up with Gyda, she ran across the sand and then up the path to Floki's hut.

"Helga!" she yelled. "Helga!"

Athelstan and Lilith arrived just as the petite woman came out of the hut, and Gyda reached her first.

"Gyda, child! Why are you here? What has happened?"

"Siggy is sick," Gyda exclaimed. "And Mother doesn't know what is wrong with her. We need your help."

Helga gestured for them all to come inside. "How did Siggy become sick?" she demanded.

"Lagertha didn't say how Siggy became ill," Athelstan said as he followed Helga. "But she was feverish, and Lagertha said it was possible others in town who had been in contact with Siggy might become sick as well. And she said something about needing to cleanse the town of the sickness."

Helga was already sifting through the herbs she had stored, taking this one and that one and putting them in a pouch. She muttered to herself as she chose another three, filling the pouch before she turned back to Athelstan. "We have very little time," she said and urged him to go ahead of her. "We must get this to Lagertha now."

He didn't argue with her, taking Lilith and Gyda and leaving the hut with them in front of him.

The journey back to town was quicker as they all ran along the path together, and Athelstan tried to remember the last time anything like this had happened to the people around him. Before he'd gone on missions and left Lilith at the monastery, there had only been a few bouts of sickness amongst his brothers. They'd lost a few to the sickness, but it had never been serious. Athelstan didn't know if this time would be anything like that.

They made it back to town as many more people ran around the streets. Some were trying to get indoors. Others were separating from the main group at the center of town. Lagertha was nowhere to be seen, but it looked like everyone knew where to go, converging on the Great Hall at once. Athelstan had to push through the crowd with Lilith and Gyda in his arms, and he made sure Helga stayed close to him so they could get inside where he was sure Lagertha still worked with Elisef.

"Lagertha!" he shouted.

She looked up from the linens in front of her, sighing softly before she hurried to him. "Three others have come complaining of the same symptoms, and they have since collapsed the same way Siggy did. Do you know where Thyri is?"

Athelstan huffed. "No. I haven't seen her since yesterday."

Lagertha stared at him maybe half a minute before she looked at Helga and then the girls. "I need both of you to remain in the long house with Þórunn and Edda until we find out what is happening," she pleaded. Then she took them both in her arms. "I need to know you are both safe. Can you both do that for me?"

"We will, Mother," Gyda said and took Lilith's hand to pull her out of the Great Hall.

Lilith looked back at Athelstan just once, and he nodded for her to go before Lagertha lay her hand over his shoulder.

"I need you to help me, Athelstan," she pleaded. "I cannot do this without you."

He lifted his hand to her arm, sighing softly. "I'm here," he swore. "Tell me what you need me to do."

She exhaled, relieved. "More people will come here, and they will be weak, and we must care for them as best as we can. No matter what the gods have decided for them. And we cannot hesitate in our care. Do you understand?"

He nodded.

"Then I need you to find Thyri for me," she pleaded. "For Siggy. I do not know how much longer she has, if what she told me is true."

Athelstan pulled in as deep a breath as he could, exhaling and nodding before he left the Great Hall to do what had been asked of him.

Since they had come back from Uppsala, Siggy and Thyri had mostly been staying in the long house with Lagertha, since they were still a part of her household. But before that, Siggy had lived with Rollo in a hut closer to the beach. Athelstan looked there first, feeling a little apprehensive after the argument he'd had with Thyri the day before.

He still didn't feel sorry for what he'd said. He still hadn't let go of the anger he'd felt over what happened, and it was obvious that many people around him expected to have by now. Honestly, he didn't believe he ever would. After apologizing for her role in the deception that nearly took him to the sacrificial altar, Lagertha had been doing everything in her power to show her love and appreciation of his presence. Lilith had loosened her hold on him, even if only slightly, and Gyda had as well, though hers hadn't been nearly as much.

Siggy hadn't said anything to him, but he hadn't expected her to. When Thyri had tried to apologize, Athelstan had realized quickly that her words hadn't really been meant to convey her sympathy. Only her guilt. It wasn't enough.

From behind, the little hut looked no different than any of the others around it. A smoke stack escaped the pipes above it, and Athelstan hoped he would be able to simply explain what had happened so Thryi would come with him. The front door was cracked open, and when he stepped inside, Athelstan saw the hearth barely burning. Thyri was nowhere to be found.

He was disappointed for a minute, glancing around and thinking of anywhere else he could look. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw something white in the floor behind the hearth. Quickly, he stepped around the fire and discovered Thyri in the floor unconscious. He knelt beside her, feeling her forehead.

"Thyri," he whispered.

She didn't wake, and Athelstan sighed. Her skin was on fire, and her breathing was labored. He pushed out a heavy breath, reaching out for her and lifting her in his arms so he could carry her out of the hut.

The walk to the Great Hall was a long one, and Athelstan had to take his steps slow so he wouldn't drop the woman in his arms. His feelings toward her aside, if she was sick, it was his responsibility to help care for her. Lagertha would know what to do.

"Lagertha!" he shouted as soon as he was inside the Great Hall. "Helga!"

They both came quickly, and while Lagertha directed him where to lay Thyri, Helga brought over a wet linen to put on her face.

"Did you find her this way?" Lagertha asked.

Athelstan huffed again. "Yes. And it looked like she has been this way for a while. What does it mean? Is it spreading?"

Lagertha looked up at Helga and then around at the people in the Hall. "I am not certain. Siggy did not say it was like this."

He stood up and backed away, looking at the people who had become ill. Already there were five of them, and if it was in the air, then so many others would become ill. His thoughts went to Lilith and Gyda, and he was about to go to them when another group of people hurried into the Hall carrying another sick person between them.

"Athelstan, help me!" Lagertha called.

He pushed out an uneven breath, turning so the new arrivals could move to the back and then following them to where Lagertha was helping Helga mix what herbs she could so they could burn them.

They worked all afternoon and into the night with the sick, and more continued to be brought in until there was nearly nowhere for them to go. Lagertha only stopped once to take a break, and Athelstan stayed in her stead, helping Elisef and Helga with the cleansing but also keeping the water fresh for people to drink. Once he found himself sitting above Thyri, pressing a cold linen to her face, and he thought about what he'd said to her.

He still believed every word he'd said, and he still knew that she wasn't really sorry for what she'd done even if her guilt over the aftermath should have been enough for him to forgive her. Maybe one day, he would forgive her.

It was morning before he was able to step outside into the cool air and catch his breath. He had never gone this long without sleeping, and his body ached almost all over. He was about to sit down when he looked over at the long house and saw Lilith there by herself. Slowly, he moved toward her, feeling dizzy for the first time and having to stop in the middle of the way so he wouldn't fall down. He looked up at Lilith, and she was blurry for a second before coming into focus again. He closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly and then opening them to discover two Liliths in front of him. One was considerably taller than the other.

He took one more step forward, feeling his knees buckle as he fell forward, barely catching himself before he hit the ground. After that, everything was black.

Lilith rushed forward the instant Athelstan hit the ground, reaching him instantly and turning him over to look at him. His face was flushed, and his breathing was ragged. She leaned down and pressed her ear to his chest, hearing his heart beating and sighing, relieved. Then she looked up, not knowing who to call for first.

Her instincts won out as she yelled. "Lagertha! Please! It's Athelstan!"

The distraught woman came running out of the Great Hall only a second later, discovering them and hurrying to where they were. "What happened?" she demanded. She leaned over with her ear to his mouth.

"I don't know! He just collapsed. It's the same as it was with Siggy. Is he going to die?" Lilith cried.

Lagertha didn't answer, looking up and gesturing for the men in the Great Hall to come closer. They lifted Athelstan from the ground and carried him inside. Once he was on a mat of his own, Lilith sat beside him and took his hand in hers. If he was sick, he would need someone to watch over him.

"Lilith, my daughter, you should go stay with Gyda where it is safe," Lagertha insisted, cupping her face gently.

"I am not leaving him," Lilith said stubbornly. "He wouldn't leave me, so I'm not leaving him."

Lagertha sighed, stroking Lilith's hair gently as she stood up and moved to another mat that held another sick person.

Lilith looked around her, seeing all the sick people and remembering when some of the brothers at the monastery had gotten sick. This was nothing like that. It was much worse. Athelstan had gotten sick none of the times when the others had. Now that he was, she would not leave him unless she absolutely had to.

She didn't eat breakfast, but when Lagertha insisted she go eat in the long house with Gyda, Lilith had to comply. She agreed only because she wanted to bring water to Athelstan. After that, she wouldn't leave him again.

When Lilith stepped into the long house, she noticed that it wasn't as crowded, though most of the people here were huddled around the front hearth while the back rooms were left vacant. She moved to where she usually slept, finding Gyda there alone. Þórunn and Edda were nowhere to be found.

"Lili," Gyda said softly. "I am not feeling well. I do not know what is wrong with me."

Lilith hurried to her sister's side, touching her face and feeling it hot like Athelstan's had been. "We have get you to Mother," she commanded. "Come, Sister."

She helped Gyda to her feet, feeling how heavy she was for the first time and holding her as upright as she could so they could leave the back of the long house. No one seemed to notice them, and Lilith made it to the Great Hall before she lost her balance.

"Mother!" she cried as she and Gyda both fell to the floor.

Lagertha was at attention immediately, hurrying to where they had fallen. "What happened?" she demanded.

"She said she wasn't feeling well. She is feverish, just like the others. I could not find Edda or Þórunn. I thought the long house was safe."

"As did I," Lagertha said and sighed. She moved forward and lifted Gyda in her arms. "Come. We must help her."

Lilith followed her to an empty mat, not asking why it was empty and sitting down on Gyda's other side as Lagertha pressed a cold cloth to Gyda's forehead.

"We must bring her fever down," Lagertha said. "Lilith, bring some sage from Helga. We must burn it."

Lilith did as she was asked, hurrying to where Helga was separating sprigs of sage and thyme, and when she saw Lilith, she knew what to do, handing a new set of herbs to her as they burned gently. Nothing was said as Lilith took it back to Lagertha and sat back down.

"You should go sit with Athelstan," Lagertha urged. "He will need you."

For once, Lilith was relieved, doing so without any hesitation at all. She got water from the pail and sat beside Athelstan just as he opened his eyes slightly.

"Athelstan," she whispered, touching his cheek and prompting him to look at her.

"Lili," he almost squeaked, taking a deep breath though it looked he was unable to do so very well.

She lowered the water to his lips, and he drank a little before coughing raggedly. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He shook his head. "No, don't be."

He was quiet probably a minute before he looked at her again. "Lili, you shouldn't be in here. I don't want you to get sick."

She rubbed his forehead and then leaned down to kiss his warm skin. "I am not leaving you."

He sighed then, his breathing still rough, and he closed his eyes, unable to lift his head or even speak again to argue with her.

Amma and Gerda were brought to the Great Hall not long after Athelstan, along with Ingrid, and Lilith became worried about Edda and Þórunn when they didn't come to the Hall with anyone else. She didn't know if they were sick. She didn't know if they were alive, and she wanted to go find them. But at the moment, she was not moving from where she sat.

Another afternoon and night passed, and while Lilith was sitting with Athelstan, she watched Siggy as the woman discovered that Thyri had succumbed to the illness. Lilith felt sorry for Siggy. She didn't know what it was like to lose someone like that, but she still felt sad that Thyri had not woken like her mother had.

Athelstan became so weak that he could not open his eyes. He could not eat anything or even drink any of the water Lilith tried to give him. His fever refused to break no matter how many wet cloths she put on his face, and he could no longer squeeze her hand when she held his inside it.

She watched Lagertha sit with Gyda, and she wondered what more could be done. Were they supposed to pray? Would that even make a difference now that so many people were sick?

Lagertha left in the middle of the night that night, after another three bodies were taken out of the Great Hall. In all, Lilith had watched more than two dozen of them be taken out so far, and she knew why. They were all dead.

Lilith looked around for Siggy, noticing the woman was still sitting over Thryi's body with incense. The older woman was also stitching together a wreath with the herbs from Helga's supplies. Helga had since left to burn the sage around town, having not fallen to whatever this illness was. Lilith was surprised that she herself had not become sick, but it didn't matter now.

Þórunn and Edda were finally able to come to the Great Hall that morning, but Elisef kept them from entering.

"Asa said that Gyda was sick," Þórunn said as she stood in front of Elisef. "Is she going to be all right?"

Elisef glanced back at where Lilith was sitting, gesturing for her to rise and come to them, and reluctantly, Lilith did so, letting go of Athelstan's hand as she stood up. Edda couldn't wait, rushing to Lilith and embracing her quickly.

"I should have been with you," she cried. "Kindra should not have called me away. You are not sick, are you?"

Lilith squeezed Edda gently. "No, I am not sick. But Gyda and Athelstan are both very ill, and it is not safe for either of you to be in here. Kindra was probably trying to keep you safe."

"Tova said that Ingrid was brought in yesterday," Þórunn said as Lilith leaned forward to embrace her. "No one in the kitchens knows what they're supposed to be doing."

Lilith sighed as she stepped back, glancing back at Athelstan. "I'm sure Asa and Kindra are doing their best. Until Athelstan is better, they will have no other choice. And the two of you should help them. I'm staying with Gyda and Athelstan. I'll look after them. Siggy woke up yesterday evening, so it's very likely he will as well. If anything happens, I'll come to get you both. Go on."

She nodded for them to leave, and reluctantly, they did as she said. She watched them until they were both inside the long house, gazing up at Elisef before she turned back to return to Athelstan's side. Lagertha had still not returned, but Lilith had already decided not to leave the Great Hall. She decided her mother would come back when she needed to.

It was nearly dark outside when Lilith realized that Lagertha hadn't been in the Great Hall all day, and that bothered her. She looked over at Gyda, noticing that she was by herself. It wasn't right for her sister to be alone, so she looked at Athelstan and kissed his forehead. He would be all right for just a minute.

Gyda was only a few mats away from Athelstan, so Lilith crawled over the people between them, arriving at her sister's side and taking her hand to comfort her. Lilith was surprised to find her sister's hand almost cold, and when she looked at Gyda's face, her eyes were wide open and staring at nothing.

"Gyda," Lilith whispered, touching her face and feeling her cheek cold as well.

Breath caught in Lilith's throat as she sat there, and she realized what was wrong with Gyda.

She was dead.

Okay. First. I'm going to have to say I'm sorry. But I promise it's not over. So please bear with me and stay tuned.

And I'm going to have to ask you to remember this is marked supernatural for a reason.

And I'll try to get the next chapter up a little sooner.

Until next time!