Life in the Viking village
Sarah adjusts to life as a slave. Thor trains Pet exactly how he wants her trained.
A/N: All details of Viking village life of children came from , , legends and ,
Elisabeth and Tomas came up to check on the boys one last time. Elisabeth was alarmed when she didn't see Pet. Tomas walked silently into the room of sleeping boys. He paused beside his oldest son, looking down. He looked back at Elisabeth, motioning her in. She walked over, looking down. She almost giggled out loud as she realized Thor was curled up in a ball. Pet was blinking up at her sleepily from the circle of his arms.
"See. It's all good up here. I told you he wouldn't hurt her, nor let the others hurt her." Tomas whispered to her. He led her out, closing the door gently behind them. Thor pulled Pet closer as he shifted in his sleep. Pet happily fell asleep in the arms of her Tor.
Sarah was worried about Mina. She knew she was supposed to call her 'Pet' now. She would, in front of the Vikings. But in private she would continue to call her Mina. She had to protect her. If their secret was revealed, there was no telling how the leader would react. She'd known as soon as he mentioned a child, that it was Mina. She was literally the only baby in the village. All the other children were five and older. She'd been the first baby born in two years who had actually survived longer than five months. Sarah couldn't allow herself to be separated from her baby. She had a feeling the little Viking boy had sussed their secret. That had to be why the little brat refused to allow her to have Mina with her.
Tomorrow would be a different story. They were back at their home now. He'd want to get out and play with his friends, go to school and what not. Surely he'd let go of Mina then. All she had to do was wait. Augustine and the others were surely on their way to rescue them. She wished her father hadn't been so pigheaded about keeping her and Mina in the village. If not for him, she and the baby would have been safely away with Augustine. She just had to keep her head down and carry the little ray of hope in her heart. Now to get her baby back from the little Viking brat.
"So does it seem strange to you that Sarah knew who Mina was as soon as she saw her? I wouldn't think she'd even be in contact with the child unless she was a caregiver? What with her being the sister of the blacksmith?" Tomas looked at Elisabeth curiously. Elisabeth frowned. She hadn't realized that until he told her just now.
"Her brother was the blacksmith? Her dress is too finely made to be worn by a member of a lower class family, Tomas. I should know. I was a member of a lower class family. A dress like she's wearing could only be afforded by a middle to upper class family. The only way she could afford that dress was if she's part of a noble family. Or the mistress of an upper class man." Elisabeth tapped her fingertips on her lip. "I think we need to watch her and Pet tomorrow. If she knew Pet by sight, she'd have to be a caregiver or her mother."
"Her mother? Surely she'd have told us that. She called the Grangers the child's parents." Tomas frowned. Now that he thought more about it, the Grangers had been quite elderly. Definitely too old to have a three year old child. "She must have thought we'd keep her separated from the child if we knew she was the mother."
"Well, Thor will definitely not let her have the child. Not unless we tell him to. Do you suppose that's WHY he won't give her up to her? Maybe he's already figured it out?" Elisabeth wondered.
"No. Thor is too much like his stubbornly pigheaded daddy. He's already possessive and territorial about the child. He was from the moment he saw her. Exactly how I was about you, remember? She thinks she's getting her away from that boy, she's got a fight on her hands." Tomas laughed.
Elisabeth laughed, remembering the little battle of wills earlier. "He won't concede to me. You're the only one who would be able to convince him to let Sarah have the child. The most I'd be able to do is get him to leave the child with me."
"We'll figure it out tomorrow. You do realize that he might very well take her to the fields with us, right? Not to say he will. But he might." Tomas warned her. Elisabeth nodded. Tomorrow would bring what it brought.
The next morning, Tomas banged his fist on Thor's door to wake up the boys. It was time for breakfast. Then they needed to go feed the livestock and get in the fields. He waited until he heard them stirring before he went on downstairs. Elisabeth, Sarah and his daughters were already seated, waiting for him and the boys. Alrik was the first one down. He was followed by Christoffer, Dane, Axel and Erik. Thor was the last one down, swooping Pet through the air as she squealed with joyful laughter.
"Mother, Pet needs some clothing like mine. She can't wear dresses all the time. Not if she's going to learn how to fight." Thor told his mother. She raised a brow. "I have some little fox furs in my room. Remember, I caught them last winter and I hadn't decided what I want to do with them yet? They're just the right size to make her a little outfit. I'm going to train her as a shield maiden."
"And what does Pet think of this?" she asked, amused as he continued to play with the child.
"Pet wants to learn how to fight, don't you, Pet?" he held her up to answer.
"Tor! Tor! Fight wif Tor! Can I, mama?" she asked.
Thor turned her to face him. "No, that is my mama, Pet. You call her Mistress Elisabeth. All right?"
"Mitress Lisbef?" Pet asked. He smiled at her. Pet turned and pointed at Tomas.
"That is Master Tomas. My papa." Thor answered her.
"Masser Tomas?" She repeated obediently.
She twisted around and looked at Sarah. Then she pointed at her. Thor looked at Sarah as well.
"That is Slave Sarah." he told her shortly.
"Swave Sawah?" she stared at her.
Thor grabbed two big pieces of bread and a cup of milk. Wrapping the bread in a handkerchief and carrying the milk, he picked Pet up and told his father they'd be outside waiting. He walked out with Pet waving goodbye from over his shoulder.
Sarah was staring wide eyed after him, hating the title the little mongrel had given her, knowing his parents wouldn't care enough to punish him if she complained to them.
"Well, dear. I think he made his point quite clearly. Pet will stay with him. Come on, boys, eat up. There's work to be done." Tomas ordered the rest of the boys.
Sarah was so distracted watching her daughter, she failed to realize Elisabeth was watching her! Elisabeth nodded at Tomas. Their suspicions were correct. Sarah was, in fact, Pet's mother. Her reaction to Thor's title for her had been too strong to ignore.
As they finished eating breakfast, Tomas sent the boys out and the girls to their playroom. He nodded at Elisabeth.
"So when were you going to tell us?" He asked. Sarah stared at him in fright.
"I'm sorry? Tell you what?" She feigned ignorance, knowing they had guessed who she really was.
"I might be a Viking, but I'm not ignorant. You knew who Mina was as soon as you saw her. You had too strong of a reaction to me telling you I killed Granger. You had too strong of a reaction to that little exchange just now. Thor telling Pet what your title was." Tomas said.
"You're Mina's mother, aren't you?" Elisabeth asked. "How is she related to the Grangers, if you are the blacksmith's sister?"
Sarah sighed with resignation. They'd figured it out. No need to hide it now. "Yes. I'm Mina's mother. The blacksmith wasn't the one who was killed in the shop. He was outside fighting. The man in the shop was my brother. The Grangers are-were my parents. Mina's father wasn't in the village when your husband attacked us."
"See how simple that was, telling us the truth?" Tomas asked mockingly. She glared at him. He glared back. "Just remember what I told you, dear. Your father WAS given a choice. He didn't HAVE to die! Nor did your mother. They CHOSE to attack and they paid the price."
"Does this mean I get Mina back?" Sarah demanded. Tomas laughed at her.
"No. You are a slave now. That is your new status. PET belongs to Thor now." Tomas corrected her. Sarah opened her mouth to argue with him. Elisabeth held her hand up.
"Sarah. Tomas said you willingly agreed to leave the village with them, as long as he kept the other men from attacking you. That you agreed to come here for me and also help with Mina. He kept his word. Are you trying to break your word?" Elisabeth asked her sternly.
Sarah hung her head. She actually had agreed to willingly leave her village with the Vikings. "Could you please just get him to let me hold her once in a while? Please? That's all I'm asking for. Just let me hold her once in a while?"
Tomas considered her words. "I'll see what I can do. I'm not taking her away from him. Maybe I can get him to compromise with you, though. We'll see." He stood and prepared to leave. Elisabeth stood with him. It was only now that Sarah realized Elisabeth was expecting a child and quite close to delivering, going by the size of her stomach. Tomas kissed her as he tenderly touched her stomach. It was plain to see the two of them were very much in love. Tomas picked up a couple of apples from the bowl in the center of the table.
Tomas walked out his front door to see all the boys gathered around Thor. The boy was feeding Pet the two pieces of bread and sharing the cup of milk with her. He hunkered down beside him as he held out one of the apples. Thor smiled at him and took it. The group began walking down the road. Thor broke off to go to the chicken coop with Pet.
"Listen, Pet. This is going to be your job from now on. If you don't do it right, I'll have to beat you." Thor told her sternly. Pet's lip began to tremble as tears came to her eyes. "Hey, now. No crying, Pet. Shield maidens don't cry. They do the job right, ok? I said I'd have to beat you if you messed up. I'm going to show you how to do it. That way, you won't mess up and I won't have to beat you."
He showed her a wooden bucket hanging on a pole. It was over her head. He chewed his lip a moment. Then he snapped his fingers. He walked over to the side of the building. His father always kept tools nearby. He picked a nail and a hammer and came back to the pole. He had her put her hands on the pole straight in front of her. Then he positioned a nail between them and hammered it in. After that he moved the bucket down. Now she could reach it.
"Now watch me closely, Pet. This is what you'll be doing. Every morning." he told her. She watched closely as he put two handfuls of chicken feed into the bucket. Next he went into the enclosure and poured it into a long trough. As he did, he clicked his tongue and yelled "Here, chick, chick!"
She heard clucks coming from the coop as the chickens crowded their way out. Once they were pecking at the ground, he motioned her to follow him. Inside she saw two rows of nests. He carefully put the eggs into the bucket and left the building. She followed him out and they were met by another of his father's slaves. He handed the bucket over and told the girl to put it back on the lowest nail when she brought it back.
Then he led Pet on down to the fields. They were planting today. His father and Christoffer plowed the field. Erik and Pet's jobs were to drop the seeds. Then Thor and Alrik covered them as Axel and Dane watered them. It took them until lunch to cover the whole field. As they walked back home, Tomas dropped back to walk beside Thor and Pet. "Is Pet going back to the field after lunch? She looks pretty tired."
"She can stay with Mother this afternoon. But she stays with me in the mornings. Am I going to have to let HER have her?" Thor asked, looking up at his father.
"Maybe just let her hold her once in a while? I've already told her I'm not making you give her up to her." Tomas told him. Thor smiled as he nuzzled Pet's hair.
"I still get her with me at night, though? I don't have to let her have her then?" he wanted to know. Tomas laughed.
"No, son. You just have to let her hold Pet once in a while. That's all." he assured him. Thor nodded agreeably. He could do that much.
They got back to the house. Although he still eyed her suspiciously, Thor handed Pet over to Sarah. She handled the sleepy child skillfully. Pet was barely able to hold her eyes open long enough to eat. "Mother, I'm going to leave Pet here this afternoon. Can you work on an outfit for her?" he asked.
"Of course. I'll keep her with me. I'll have to measure the furs on her anyway." Elisabeth agreed. Thor jumped up and ran upstairs. He came back down minutes later with an armful of fox furs. He laid them on the couch in his mother's sewing room. Then he came back to finish his lunch. After lunch, they prepared to return to the fields.
Thor hugged Pet, telling her, "You're going to stay here with mother and slave Sarah until I get back, ok? Mother is going to make you some clothes like mine. You'll like that, right?"
Pet smiled and hopped excitedly, squealing with happiness. Then she rubbed her eyes sleepily. Thor carried her into the sewing room. He laid her on the couch beside the furs. Before he was out of the room, she was already sound asleep. Elisabeth and Sarah went to the sewing room with her, taking Astrid and Elsa with them. While Elisabeth worked on Pet's new outfit, Sarah played with the girls.
Soon Tomas and the boys were finished with the second field. While he went to the meeting hall to deal with any problems in the village, the boys went on to watch the older boys train with the warriors. In three more years, Thor, Alrik and Christoffer would be included in the fighting games. Right now, they were relegated to watching from the sidelines while welding their toy swords, spears and shields. Dane, Axel and Erik were sent home. After fighting practice was done, the boys went to their different homes.
Thor found several small prices of wood and took them home with him. He asked his father to help him fashion them into a toy sword, spear and shield for Pet. Tomas smiled at the request. It sounded like he really did intend to train Pet as a shield maiden. They quickly fashioned some child size toy weapons. Then Thor came to get Pet.
"Come on, Pet. Bath time." he said, picking the child up. Sarah looked alarmed at this announcement. She quickly looked at Elisabeth. Elisabeth continued serenely sewing Pet's new outfit.
"Shouldn't one of us be giving her a bath?" she asked quietly. Elisabeth shook her head.
"No, he'll take her into the bath with him. Don't worry. He'll yell if he needs any help with her." Elisabeth told her calmly. Sarah wasn't at all happy at the thought of her child bathing with a seven year old boy. Unfortunately, she had no say in the matter. As she'd been told time and again, Pet belonged to Thor. If he wanted to bathe with her, then he would bathe with her.
"That's not why I'm worried. He won't try to mess with her, will he?" Sarah asked plainly.
"Good lord, girl! He's just a child!" Tomas growled at her angrily.
"He might be 'just a child' but he's a Viking child and he knows what happens with women. He's been on a raid with you, hasn't he? He's seen what goes on after the fighting is done, I'm sure!" Sarah argued.
"Just because he's 'seen what happens' does NOT mean he's interested in doing it himself!" Tomas snapped at her. Sarah suddenly realized she'd better back off and keep her mouth shut. If she angered him bad enough, he might sell her to someone else or worse, take her back to Britain without Mina! She stood and led the two little girls out of the room and up to their bedroom. She got them tucked in as Elisabeth and Tomas brought the boys up.
They could hear splashing from the bathing room. Tomas cracked open the door. He peeked in and had to laugh. Thor had both his and Pet's hair soap covered and swirled up on top of their heads and was swishing two boats around as he told Pet a tale of swashbuckling Vikings going raiding. Elisabeth joined him at the door. Sarah peeked around them.
Thor held Pet up. "Father, would you hold her a minute? I have a shirt for her to wear." He stood from the tub and got ready for bed. Then he brought his shirt over. It made a dress on little, bitty Pet. He allowed Sarah just a moment to hold her. Then he took Pet into his own arms. Carrying her into his room, he put her on the bed and climbed up. Then he laid down and she crawled into the circle of his arms. Within moments, they were both fast asleep.