Pet
If Thorfinn Rowle really had Viking ancestors. What if he and Hermione was destined to meet?
Finding Pet
A Viking boy and his little captive meet.
The Viking raiders passed from village to village. Most of them were content to rape, murder and pillage in every single place they stopped. One Viking jarl wanted to capture at least a few slaves to take back for his wife. She missed her homeland and her own language. She had started out as a slave herself. He had defied his father by freeing her and actually been disowned for daring to marry her. After she gave birth to a healthy son right away, the old man relented and accepted her. Especially after she gave him three more grandsons and two granddaughters. That first boy, however, was his favorite. The others took after their mother, dark hair and eyes. The firstborn was his daddy and granddaddy all over again.
Jarl Tomas Rowle entered the last home in the village. It was the biggest and best of the homes. Obviously a nobleman lived here. He headed upstairs, his two best warriors beside him. As the rest of the Vikings raided the kitchens for the serving wenches, he was looking for the family. He found them in the nursery. A father, mother and a child in the crib. The father wasn't a swordsman. That much was obvious in the awkward way he held the sword.
"Stand aside, I just want the woman and the child. You may live to try and take them back from me." he ordered the man. Sir William Granger shook his head.
"Nay. You'll not be getting them today, you knave!" he bravely held up the sword he'd never had occasion to actually use. Tomas rolled his eyes back and sighed.
"This need not be a fight, man! You have to know I'll win. You can always stage an attack on us and try to get them back. But I WILL be taking the woman and the child. You need not fear for them. I have no interest in them. They're for someone else." he told him. William shook his head and swung the sword. Tomas simply knocked it away with his own sword. William charged at him and he pulled his dagger and stabbed the man.
Lola Granger screamed as her husband fell dead to the floor. The child who had been sleeping woke up with a startled cry. Tomas looked at Lola. "He needn't have died. Remember that, madam. I gave him the choice to live another day." He moved over to the crib. She jumped in front of it. "Stand aside, madam. I would see the child."
"No, please. Don't take us. We'll not tell anyone who you are. I don't know who you are. Please, leave us." she begged. He smiled and shook his head.
"Too late, madam, you should have convinced your man to let us take you peacefully." he pushed her aside to look at the child.
Before he realized it, she had stabbed him in the side with a small dagger hidden in her sleeve. Knowing he wouldn't harm a woman, one of his warriors stabbed her, killing her instantly. He held his side as he gasped with pain. It wasn't a deep wound but she had managed to find the one chink in his armor that didn't cover him. They helped him raise his armor and dress the wound quickly.
He turned back to the child. She had actually drifted back to sleep. She was a beautiful little girl. She was a brunette like his wife. He heard running steps coming towards the nursery. He smiled, recognizing his son's footsteps. The boy was seven years old, big for his age. Blonde haired and blue eyed. This was his first raid. Of course, he and his friends were kept back until the fighting was over with.
"Father?" the boy yelled. The warriors went to the door and waved the boy into the room. Tomas turned and motioned to him.
"Come. See what I've found. What do you think, Thor? Shall we take her or leave her here?" he left the decision up to his son. Had the woman not stabbed him, she would have been his slave and a gift to his wife. Be that as it may, the child was already meant for Thor, with or without her mother. She would belong to his son until the day he decided to free her. Thor walked over and peeped into the crib. Tomas reached down and rubbed the child's hair. She opened her eyes and sat up, looking at them curiously, without fear. Then she held her chubby arms up.
Thor's big, blue eyes widened as he smiled brightly. "Pet." he breathed softly. He reached in and tried to pick her up. Tomas laughed softly as he gave him a helping hand. The boy cuddled the little girl in his arms. Tomas glanced around. He noticed a framework picture on the wall. Unlike many of his fellow raiders, he could read, write and speak the English language, due to the teachings of Elisabeth, his wife. The name in the picture was Mina. She looked to be about three years old. Elisabeth would know better than him. He took the picture with them. He also rummaged around until he found her clothes. Opening a knapsack one of his men had with him, he emptied all the clothes into the sack. Now they could at least keep the little thing clothed.
They left the house to the other raiders. As they left, they could still hear the terrified screams the serving wenches ringing through the halls. Tomas led the boy to their boat and got him, his friends and the child settled down. The other two boys watched the little girl curiously. Neither of them had siblings. Only Thor had younger siblings. It showed in the easy way he held her.
"What's her name, Thor? How old is she?" Alrik asked. He watched as the little girl squirmed until she was comfortable. Her head was tucked into the crook of his shoulder.
"Father found a picture with a name 'Mina' but that's mot her name anymore. Now its Pet." Thor rubbed his chin against her hair, breathing in the sweet baby scent of her.
"But how old is she? You can't have too much fun with her, Thor." Christoffer scoffed, poking at her arm. Thor chuckled, shoving his hand away.
"Father thinks she's only about three but she'll grow up, you know. I'll have plenty enough fun with her when she gets older." he looked down at the sleepy child. He was just a child himself but he'd seen the aftermath of the raids. The dead menfolk, the women being attacked. He wasn't too keen about that last part but he definitely couldn't wait until he was old enough to join in on the actual fights. She reached up and patted his cheek. He held that tiny hand against his face.
This was the last village the Vikings had decided to raid. Tomas hadn't found any grown captives for her but he would be able to bring Elisabeth an English baby. As he was going back to tell the men to wind things down, he heard a muffled sob. He veered into the destroyed blacksmith's house to see a terrified girl kneeling beside him. She looked up and started to scream. He clapped a hand over her mouth. He looked her over. Yes, she'd do nicely. She was even a brunette, too. He could always pass her off as the child's mother. He looked at his warriors. They nodded. They wouldn't breath a word about the young woman.
"Listen to me. Do exactly as I say. If you don't, I won't be able to protect you. I have no interest in attacking you. I have a wife. She's English. I'm looking for slaves to take back to her. She misses this place and her own language. If you do everything I tell you to do, I'll take you to her and none of those men will be allowed to touch you." he told her quietly.
"Your word? They won't touch me? Please, don't let them hurt me. Whatever you tell me, I'll do it! I promise you! Just don't let them hurt me!" she sobbed. He pulled her up.
"Was he your husband or father?" Tomas asked. She shook her head quickly.
"He was my brother." she told him. "My name is Sarah."
"All right, Sarah. Go find a pair of your brother's pants. Do you have boots? If so, slip the pants on and put the boots on. I'll get you back to the boat before they even realize you're around. You'll stay in the cabin with my son. You can help him with his little pet. She's just a baby and he still forgets his own strength sometimes." Tomas told her.
Sarah nodded quickly. Taking care of babies was something she was very good at. If this Viking would keep her safe, she'd gladly go home to be a captive slave for his wife and care for the little girl also. She went to the other room, pulling on a pair of her brother's pants under her dress. She put her boots on and put on an old shirt of his as well. She grabbed her only other dress and bundled some more of his clothes into it. Twirling it around to tie off into the shape of a bag, she rejoined the marauders. They left the building and headed back to the boat once more. There he introduced the new captive to his son.
"Thor, this is Sarah. Your mother's new slave. She'll help you with Pet. All right?" He told Thor. Thor looked at Sarah suspiciously. He wasn't quite ready to hand Pet over to anyone yet. Maybe when he got tired of holding her slight weight, he might pass her over.
Sarah looked at the baby and gasped. "Mina! Where are her parents?" Thor snapped his head up and glared at her, clutching the child to his chest.
"Her name isn't Mina! Not anymore! It's Pet! You'll not touch her if you can't get her name right!" he snapped fiercely. Sarah backed up. He might be just a child but he was plenty big enough to hurt her if he wanted to.
"Right. Pet. All right. I'll remember. I promise." she told the boy. He was already getting possessive and territorial about little 'Pet'.
Tomas went back once again to collect his men from the village. This time, he was able to gather them up and get them back to the boat. As it turned out, they left just in time. He looked back at the shore in time to see a large group of men race onto the beach, screaming and shaking their fists at the Vikings. He threw his head back and laughed triumphantly.
The raiding party lost no time in heading home. The winds even seemed to favor their journey and a little over a week, they reached the shores of their fjord. From here, they could easily travel on to Birka, to the trade centers and unload their trade goods.
Tomas gathered his son, his wife's slave and the baby's belongings and took them home to Elisabeth. He walked in and she was waiting at the door. Watched by his broadly grinning son and a speechless Sarah, he swept Elisabeth into his arms, dipped her backward and kissed her soundly.
"Good day, my love. Have you been a good girl while I've been gone?" He smiled at her.
"Tomas! Oh, someone's feeling frisky, hmm? Yes, my darling, I've behaved perfectly." She giggled and batted her eyelashes at him.
It amazed everyone in their small village whenever they saw their Jarl and his wife. He was as crazily in love with her now as he'd been the day he pounced her a free woman and promptly married her. Even after giving birth to six children, she was just as crazy in love with him. She turned to look at her son and the captives her husband had brought back. On seeing a young woman, she looked at him inquiringly.
"I know how much you miss your homeland and I also know how it wears you out being the only one who knows your language perfectly. I found you a companion. Now you can speak your language as freely as you want to." he told her.
"Thank you, dear. And the child?" she said as she spotted the baby in her son's arms. Thor's arms tightened protectively around the child. He had only relented and allowed Sarah to hold Pet a few times on the journey home. That was when he ran off to play with Alrik and Christoffer. Otherwise the baby stayed in his arms.
"That is Pet, Thor's slave. I promised him he could have his own slave, so." he shrugged. "I actually didn't intend for the captive to be that young but I did leave it up to him. He chose her. He could have left her behind, you know."
"You would have left a baby behind?" she was shocked. He laughed at her. He loved it when she was shocked. She just looked too adorable.
"No, dear. I would have just kept hunting until I found him a captive. But I still would have brought the baby home to you." he told her as he stroked her dark hair.
"Thor, may I see the baby? I'll give her right back. I promise." Elisabeth held out her arms. Thor handed the child over.
"Her name is Pet, mother. I can keep her, can't I? I don't have to give her up to HER, do I?" Thor asked, cutting his eyes at Sarah. His parents smiled at each other over his head. Sarah hid a smile, too.
"Yes. You can keep her with you. But, dear, you have to have some time to play with your friends also. That's why your father brought HER, too."
Thor suddenly relaxed. "So she isn't my new mother?"
"Oh, son! You thought I was bringing her to set your mother aside? You should have asked me. I'll never set your mother aside. I brought Sarah home with us so mother would have someone besides us to speak her language with. That's all. I told her also she could help you with Pet. All right?" he pulled his son close and ruffled his hair. Thor grinned happily up at him.
"Well, come along now. I have supper on the table and, Sarah, you can meet Thor's little brothers and sisters." Sarah's eyes widened. "Yes, dear, there are five more of them. Three boys, two girls. Thor is my oldest baby and my biggest one. The only one of the bunch who favors his father. The rest take after me." Elisabeth laughed. She handed Pet back to Thor and went to the next room. Sarah hurried after her.
"Well, are you ready for your brothers and sisters to meet Pet?" Tomas asked his son. Thor shook his head. "Come on in when you're ready, ok? Don't take too long though. You know how your mother worries." Thor nodded. His father gave him one last squeeze before he left the hall. Thor shifted his captive as he walked over to the wide picture window. He stood her up facing outside.
"See all that, Pet? That's our village. We'll take a walk tomorrow and I'll show you everything. We can go watch them unload my father's boat. Pretty soon he'll pack us up and we'll all go to Birka. That's where he does all his trading at. Our house there is even bigger than this one. My grandfather lives there, too. You'll get to meet him. He didn't like my mother. She was a slave, too. My father freed her and married her. Grandfather hated her until she had me. I might as well warn you, I'm his favorite." Thor talked to the little girl. She twisted her head to look up at him adoringly. He chuckled and picked her up, swinging her around. Then he swooped her through the air as he remembered his father and grandfather doing with him. Her little giggles rang through the hall.
He finally put her back on his hip and carried her into the dining room. He went to his seat, keeping her on his lap. Tomas, Elisabeth and Sarah watched in amusement as he took turns feeding her a bite, then taking a bite himself. After the meal, his little brothers and sisters wanted to meet Pet. The boys weren't as interested as the girls. Axel, Dane and Erik were more interested in the journey Thor had just been on. Astrid was the same age as Pet. Elsa was a year younger but very much interested in following her big sister around already.
"Thor, why don't you and the boys go find Alrik and Christoffer? Play war, maybe? Give mother a chance to get to know Pet." Tomas shooed the boys out. Thor reluctantly handed Pet over to his mother. He ran out with his little brothers dogging his heels.
"Now what's the story with this little girl? Is her name really Pet?" Elisabeth asked, looking the girl over carefully.
"No. That's what Thor named her when I showed her to him." Tomas opened the bag he'd brought with him. He showed Elisabeth the baby clothes. Then he took out the framework picture. "I think this is her actual name and I'm pretty sure that Sarah knows her." they both turned to the young captive woman. She took the baby and held her.
"Her name is Mina. Her parents were Sir William and Lady Lola Granger. They were the local members of the aristocracy in our village. What happened to them?" she asked looking at Tomas. He shrugged casually.
"I told him I was taking the woman and the child. He didn't have to die. I gave him a chance. I even told him he could try and steal them back from me. I told him he wouldn't win. He should have taken my advice." he wasn't worried that he'd killed the girl's father. "The mother stabbed me. Canute killed her."
"She STABBED you? Where? Why didn't you tell me?" Elisabeth rushed at him. He lifted his tunic to show her. He wasn't worried. The wound had already began healing days ago.
"Then Thor found us. I called him over and asked him if he wanted her. He immediately called her that and he's been calling her Pet ever since then. He refuses to call her Mina." Tomas told them.
"Well, Pet, I suppose that's your new name then, isn't it?" Elisabeth asked the child. She giggled as Elisabeth gently poked her ribs. She surprised them as she looked around and started crying.
"Tor! Tor! Where Tor?" she sobbed, shrinking back from Sarah and Elisabeth. Tomas came into view and she immediately held out her arms. "Where Tor, papa? Where Tor?"
"Tor will be back soon. Shhhh. There, there. Tor will be back soon, darling." Tomas held the crying child until she fell asleep. He looked at the women and shrugged. He knew the two children had grown attached to one another. But even he hadn't realized how attached they were. Of course, Thor rarely put the child down so the attachment wasn't realty too surprising. He held the child as the women took her clothes up and put them in Thor's room. They knew now where she would be sleeping. As attached as they were, they knew Thor wouldn't let her out of his sight at night.
Just before dark, Thor, Dane, Axel and Erik came running back in, followed by Alrik and Christoffer. When told the two older boys were sleeping over, Sarah immediately volunteered to keep Pet with her. Thor frowned at her instantly. Apparently he was still having trust issues with her. "No, Pet stays with me!" he objected, looking at his father.
Seeing Sarah and Elisabeth both looking at him, Tomas shrugged his shoulders. "Well, she IS his. I did give her to him. He can keep her with him if that's his choice."
Thor smiled triumphantly and scooped Pet up, running out before his mother could object. She, on the other hand, had immediately brightened as soon as she saw him. "Tor! Tor! My Tor!"
Elisabeth sighed. "I hope that doesn't end badly." Tomas walked over and put his arms around her.
"Now, now, dear. Let's just trust him. He wont hurt her and he won't let his friends hurt her. His brothers won't dare put a hand on her, either." Tomas told her softly. "You have to trust him. He's growing up. Pretty soon he'll be going on raids with me and actually fighting. It was all I could do to keep him from the fighting this last time. It took the threat of the beating of a lifetime to keep him on the boat. This Viking blood runs thick and fast through his veins. You do know there's no way to keep him home, right?"
"Oh, I know. I wish there was a way but I do know there's no stopping him. He's just as stubborn as his father and grandfather." Elisabeth relaxed against him. Sarah kept her eyes turned away, watching Astrid and Elsa.
Up in his room, the boys had spread out covers all across the floor. They sat down in a big circle to talk and tell stories all night. Thor kept Pet on his lap where she fell asleep, curled against him.