Chapter 5

Magni's POV

"Magni! Magni!" I heard Freyja's frantic voice coming from outside. This couldn't be good. I strode out into the sunlight, and saw Freyja carried a badly bleeding Kai over one shoulder.

"What happened?!" I exclaimed, hurrying forward and relieving Freyja of the burden of the dogs body. Blood was smeared all over her neck, hair, and apron.

"This awful man struck Kai with a sword. He claimed Kai had attacked him." We hurried inside the house and without even bothering to clear away the wooden bowls of stew left over from the midday meal, placed Kai upon the table. I examined the wound. Kai no doubt had lost a lot of blood on their way back. I didn't blame Freyja for that though, she did the best she could. It didn't appear too deep, but that wasn't the real problem.

"Will he make it?" Freyja's voice was trembling and I realized how scared she must be.

"Get me some needle and thread, and water." She hurried off into the back of the longhouse, opening a small trunk where we kept odds and ends.

"You've got to make it old friend." I stroked Kai's head as reassuringly as I could. He whimpered, and weakly tried to lift his head to lick my hand. I smiled sadly. Even at deaths door, he remained always loyal and affectionate. Freyja quickly handed the needle and thread to me and rushed to get water, hurriedly snatching up the bucket that lay by the door.

Freyja's POV

My hands shook as I made my way outside. Pumping the water as fast as I could, I hurried back inside, not caring that the water was sloshing my shoes and skirt as I ran.

"How is he?"

"He's still alive, though barely." Magni continued sewing up the wound thought it was hard to hold the edges together as it was slippery with fresh blood.

Kai squirmed and more fresh blood welled out.

"Shhh my friend" Magni cooed, placing a hand on the dogs head to hold him.

"Here, let me help you." I went around the other side of the table, and held Kai down so Magni could finish his work. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Magni was able to close the wound, though whether Kai would make it was still uncertain.

"He may lost too much blood already." Magni placed the dog by the central fire pit, on top of a thick wolf-fur blanket.

Tears welled in my eyes and I suddenly cried out "This is all my fault!" Magni stopped what he was doing and scrunched his eyebrows at me in confusion.

"I was in the woods with him. I turned my back on him for one minute and he was gone." My shoulders shook as I sobbed, tears freely hitting the ground.

"Listen to me" Magni took my shoulders until I looked at him.

"This. Isn't. Your. Fault." Magni's eyes were serious.

"You did everything you could and it's in the hands of the gods now." I kept silent about that and quietly nodded.

"I'll stay with him through the night. Just in case he needs anything." Magni nodded at me.

"Your a loyal friend Freyja. And your strong." Magni kissed my forehead and within a few minutes he curled up on his mat and was asleep.

XXX

The next morning I had to return to the woods to fetch more water since the pump wasn't working. Magni had exhorted on me that I should not go alone, especially after yesterdays encounter. I had agreed with him wholeheartedly and one of Magni's workmen, Baldr, had volunteered. He was a kind middle-aged man, and Magni trusted him completely. We set off into the woods. The sight of the trees made me shiver as we entered, the memories from yesterday flooding back.

We in no time found ourselves by the creek where Kai had been injured.

"I'll go keep watch. Scream if you need me."

I nodded my thanks, as Baldr walked away to the corner to keep watch.

"Thought I might find you here."

I jumped and nearly sloshed water all over the speaker.

It was the man from yesterday. His shoulder was lent up against a tree, the same begrudgingly handsome blue eyes and blonde hair staring back at me. However, instead of anger they seemed to hold a certain level of amusement. Though I wanted to scowl at him, I simply nodded and said "Drengr." That was the title for ordinary men who had proved their abilities and now had a say in helping to make political decisions.

"I wanted to apologize for my actions yesterday. I wasn't acting as a man of honor should and I wanted to gift you with this, he handed me a small pouch.

"It's crushed Hvonn, to be used as a salve for the dogs wound, if he still lives." I had heard of the herb. It was prized by the Northmen for it's so called "magical" healing qualities.

"And please accept this." He handed me a carved wooden object in the shape of a dog standing upright, head aloft and alert. I was taken back by the artistic skills down to the last feature. It must have taken hours, even a few days to complete.

"I stayed up all night doing it."

"You made this?!"

"Does it please you?"

"I admire the workmanship Drengr."

"Freyja are you almost don-" Baldr was coming around the corner, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who I was in conversation with.

"Jarl Agnarr."

"Baldr" he nodded back.

"Wait you two know each other?"

"Yes, Freyja this is Jarl Agnarr."

"This is the man who hurt Kai." Baldr raised his eyebrows at the chieftain.

"He attacked me, I only meant to injure him and I did not know until now that it was Magni's dog" Agnarr addressed Baldr.

"Well in that case you'd best make your apologies to Magni personally for not only harming his animal, but also frightening his ward." Agnarr's head snapped back to me, eyes slightly open in shock. The fact that even a powerful man like him could still be caught unawares made me almost want to smile, but I kept my face neutral. There was no good in antagonizing the man any further.

"Agnarr this is Freyja the ward of Magni."