The iron gate of the drawbridge rose squeaking as Einar rode with his prey into the castle courtyard. Jakomina was almost unconscious when they arrived. Einar got off the horse and pulled her down. If he hadn't held her down, she'd have fallen to the ground. He gave his horse to a stable boy and dragged the girl into the keep and up to the count's chamber. Kurgan sat alone in front of the crackling open fire and drank wine from a large cup. His muscular upper body was naked, his black hair fell open over his back and his legs rested on a stool. He thought of the young woman Einar would bring him, and imagined her naked body under his. He felt his cock getting hard.
Jakomina could not defend herself against Einar's steel grip. A whimper escaped her throat as he pushed her up the stairs. Arriving at Kurgan's chamber, he briefly hammered against the door.
"Enter!" Kurgan's deep voice sounded from within. Einar opened the door and pushed the girl in, who immediately fell to the ground, staggering.
"Forgive me, Lord!" Einar shouted. "The other one is gone, we will look for her, but even the coward Konrad did not want to reveal where the healer is. That's why I took his stepdaughter. A pretty thing too!"
He pulled Jakomina up by the arm and grabbed her chin from behind to hold her head up.
"Do you see? Not bad, huh? A little pastime..."
Kurgan looked at Einar. His facial expression darkened. Finally he got up and stepped in front of the girl who was trembling with fear and couldn't even look him in the eye.
"What should I do with her ? She'll drop dead as soon as I touch her. Find me the healer. She can't be that far."
Einar let go of the girl and stepped back. "I'll send a search party first thing tomorrow, sir."
Kurgan nodded, attacked the girl roughly by the chin and raised her face to his: "Are you still a virgin, girl?"
Jakomina nodded. "Well," Kurgan said and let his gaze wander into her décolleté. She was too skinny for his taste. He stroked her breast with one hand and Jakomina shivered. Suddenly his huge hands grabbed the neckline of her dress and with a jerk the fabric tore, so that the dress fell from her shoulders and she stood only in her shirt in front of Kurgan.
Einar, who was still standing behind her, licked his lips. Kurgan looked at her intensely. Jakomina closed her eyes, as she knew that she would not escape rape. A nasty smile played around Kurgan's mouth. But then he turned away and said to Einar, "Take her to the dungeon and guard her well."
EInar nodded, opened the door of the chamber and shouted down: "Sigurd, Irminulf! Come up here! Now!"
The two men called appeared in the door.
"Take the dove to the dungeon. The Lord will deal with her later!"
The men nodded, grabbed Jakomina and dragged her out of the room.
When she was gone, Kurgan sat down in front of the fireplace again. Einar was surprised. By now, at the latest, he had expected the girl to lie under his master. He bent down and picked up the shredded dress. "What do you want me to do with it?"
Kurgan looked at him: "You said that Konrad probably knows the whereabouts of the healer. What would loosen his tongue more than the sight of the torn dress of his stepdaughter? He wants to marry her profitably, and he can only do that if she is still a virgin."
"That makes her a good bargaining chip!" Einar exclaimed. "Instead of us looking for her for weeks, he can do the work for us! Good plan. I'll bring him the dress tomorrow. Oh, yes..." Einar pulled out the leather bag with the gold coins. "He gave it to me as an excuse."
Kurgan waved off. He had enough gold. "Keep it." Einar bowed and left the chamber. He regretted that he could not have the girl today, but his opportunity would still come. Now he went to see the whores. With gold in his pockets, they'd be especially nice to him...
The next morning Einar rode as discussed to the village elder. Gret opened the door to him and immediately he heard loud sobs from the ladies' room. Absildis sat at the table and wept unrestrained for her daughter, who she thought had already been murdered in a ditch. Konrad sat helplessly beside her. He cooked internally with rage, because in his opinion, Gwynna was to blame for everything. "You see, this is what happens when you help this harlot. She's nothing but trouble, just like her uncle!"
Einar entered and they both looked up in horror. The blonde giant looked contemptuously at Konrad. "You didn't expect to see me again so soon, did you?"
"What do you want? You took everything from us! Bring Jakomina back to us!"
"That's why I'm here. I got something for you." And Einar threw the girl's torn dress onto the table.
Absildis screamed when she saw the shredded remains. Her biggest nightmare had come true: her daughter was dishonoured and probably already dead.
Konrad got hold of himself first. "What has he done with Jakomina? Did he dishonor her? Is she dead?"
"Not yet. But that depends on how well you cooperate."
Konrad looked at him in amazement. "What do you mean? Haven't I already given you money?"
"He wants the healer. In exchange for your stepdaughter. You know where she is, don't you?"
Konrad looked at him desperately: "No, I swear by all the saints, I do not know! I told you already!"
Einar stepped closer to the table. "But I don't believe you. You know something, and if you don't, you're gonna find someone who does. Otherwise, your stepdaughter won't be under only one man." He grinned diabolically.
"I-I will only help you if you swear to me that she is untouched." Konrad stood up from his seat. After all, the girl had no value for him after being raped.
"Don't worry about her. Her virginity hasn't been touched yet. I give you the word of a Viking. Is that enough?"
Of course, Sir Einar."
"So we're in business. You tell me where I can find the healer and you get your precious stepdaughter back immediately."
Konrad looked at Absildis clutching her daughter's dress. "Woman, go upstairs. These are conversations between men. Not for women's ears!"
He waited until she had closed the door behind her and her sobbing could only be heard muffled. "Have you looked in Cedric's cabin in the woods yet? She could have been hiding there."
"Do you think we're stupid ? Bernulf was already there. She's not there. But tell me: Your wife likes the healer, maybe she knows where Gwendolyn is ? Did you ask her?
Konrad kneaded his hands. "Yeah, sure. But she says she has no idea."
"And do you believe her?" "No, but I could imagine the priest knowing the hiding place, too."
"Brother Erland ? Very well. Then I'll pay him a visit..."
"No, Sir Einar, let me do that. If he knows where she is, he would warn her immediately, but if I can make him believe that I care about the welfare of the woman, he might reveal himself. Then I'll let you know immediately."
"Agreed. But if you fail, I'll take the little monk. One or two hours on the rack, and everyone confesses."
Einar went to the door. Then he turned around again. "Oh yes, and should I find out that you are betraying us, you will suffer a worse fate than your stepdaughter. I swear to you!" Einar slammed the door behind him and left the house. He was sure Kurgan's plan would work.
In the chamber Konrad sank back to his chair exhausted. He was sure Absildis knew where the wench was. But he'd probably have to beat her half to death to get anything out of her. Therefore he wanted to speak to Brother Erland first.
Konrad met the monk at the cemetery, where he laid fresh flowers on the grave of his predecessor. He forced himself to smile at the monk friendly. He would have liked to have trimmed him with a riding whip.
"God be with you, Brother Erland! How are you? How did you like the feast?"
Erland looked at the village elder in surprise. "Thank you for asking. Greetings to you too, Konrad! Can I serve you with something?"
"Well, brother, I have a delicate matter to discuss with you. But not here."
"Let's go to the sacristy." Erland went ahead and Konrad trotted after him. Inside, the monk offered him a chair. "Well?"
"It's about my son, brother," Konrad began, "as you know, he has a crush on the girl Gwendolyn and wants to marry her."
"I'm aware of that. "And you are against that you have manifested more than once."
"Well, I've been thinking. We live very isolated here, our village has nothing to offer a young lady from the city and, unlike Jakomina, Gebhard's wife would be forced to live here. And what young woman would want that? My son, although well-off, would have little chance of making a good match. Absildis only married me because she was already widowed and her chances of finding a suitable husband were not too good."
Erland listened attentively to Konrad's remarks. What was the village elder up to? Did he want to suggest that Gwendolyn was a suitable woman for Gebhard after all?
"In a nutshell, we would have the choice between a socially minor game for Gebhard or we could consider Gwendolyn. At least she's a scholar and even speaks Latin. And Gebhard loves her."
"Forgive me, Konrad, if I speak frankly," Erland replied. "Since when do you care about Gebhard's feelings? You are a businessman and Gwendolyn has no dowry. Her knowledge as a healer can hardly be of interest to you."
"And that's where you're wrong. On my travels I have always had contact with pharmacists who have asked me about one or the other medicinal plant. Since this is foreign territory for me and I can hardly distinguish green leaves from each other, Gwendolyn's knowledge would be very important for me. If she could advise me as to which plants are often needed, then I could expand my business to the trade in medicinal plants."
"I understand. So you wants me to audition for Gebhard? Is that what you want?"
"Brother Erland, why are you so skeptical? As a man of the Church, you should promote the Christian marriage covenant. A single woman is easy prey sooner or later. You can see what happened. I hardly believe that as Gebhard's wife she would have to fear the count or even flee. Don't you think? Konrad looked at the priest expectantly. He congratulated himself on his reasoning. And he was spot on.
"Of course, it would be best for Gwendolyn to get married. It would have to happen as quickly as possible, however, before the count could get his hands on her." Brother Erland rubbed his chin. How could he send Gwendolyn the news of her imminent marriage? He could not leave today because the baker had announced his confession and he was inclined to detailed reports of even the smallest sins.
"I'm afraid, Konrad, this will have to wait. I can't leave here. The duties of a priest, you know."
"Well, then let me go. I've got a fast horse. All you have to do is tell me where to find her." Erland hesitated. Should he really reveal Gwendolyn's whereabouts? But Konrad offered him just the only way out that he saw for Gwendolyn: to become a wife. Erland had already thought of the blacksmith, who was also interested in her, but Gebhard would be a better choice for her. He would make a loving husband, Erland was convinced of that. And she couldn't stay in the cave forever. Sooner or later, the count's men would find her.
"All right, but swear to me in the Bible that you will not harm any hair." "But brother! I would never do that. I swear by the scriptures that I will not touch her. "Konrad was a very affable man. Inside, he triumphed. Soon the whore would belong to the count and he would get his stepdaughter back.
"Gwendolyn hides in the hermit's cave. You know where that is?"
"Yes, of course. I used to go there with my father a lot."
"Well, then ride along and take some more provisions. Give my regards."
"I will. Gebhard will be very happy. " Konrad stood up, said goodbye to the priest and disappeared. Erland was left with a bad feeling.
Arriving at the house, Konrad immediately sent one of his servants to the castle to inform them about Gwendolyn's hiding place. Then he had Gret prepare a small basket of provisions and waited until she was out of sight. Then he took the wine bottle that was in the basket, opened the cork and filled a white powder into the bottle. Then he locked it again. He wanted to make sure Gwendolyn wouldn't get away from him. With a contented smile he got on his horse and galloped out of the village towards the mountains.