Chapter 30

Hi everyone, first of all I'd like to apologize for the delay, as I've been super busy the past month or so! I've also been struggling with a huge lack of motivation. I hope your all still enjoying this story, and thank you for all the great reviews! Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter! God Bless :)

Note: Any non-modern English words in this chapter will be in Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, which was spoken by the Anglo-Saxon people in England at this time.

-Vegter999

Disclaimer: Any factual research is not mine. All rights go to original owners. No copyright intended.

Freyja's POV:

It was just another ordinary day on the Isle I called home, it was connected to the mainland, the Kingdom of Wessex, by a small land bridge. The grains of sand crunched under my feet as I strode along the beach, reading from the codex. I smiled at it, then tucked it away in a small sack underneath my forest green cloak. The wind softly whipped up my hair as I listened to the gentle crashing of waves along the shore. I turned a corner and my blood ran cold. Father was being held by the scruff of his neck by men I had never seen before, some of them wore tattoos, others wore teeth around their necks or wrists though I couldn't tell if they were human ones or not. What frightened my most however when the man holding Father spotted me and he grinned maliciously, his teeth showing several grooves that looked as if they had been deliberately scratched in.*

Father followed his gaze to me with terrified eyes.

"Eadhild oþiern!" (Eadhild run away!) he cried.

The man holding him let go and began to move in my direction. I turned and took off down the beach as fast as my legs could carry me. I looked behind me frantically too see how close he was and if I could possibly make it to safety. Suddenly I tripped over a hole in the ground and let out a loud yelp as I was thrown onto my stomach. All of a sudden I felt a yank on my hair and I was soon looking into the terrifying face of the man who had only moment before held my Father helpless.

Tears began to spill down my eyes which only made his grin seem to widen. He yanked me from the ground, placed a hand over my mouth, likely to keep me from summoning any possible help. I bit down hard on the skin of his hand and he swore, releasing me only to slap me on the face so hard it drew blood, before finally dragging me on the ground by the hair and depositing me in front of a pair of large feet covered in boots.

I dared to glance up and look at the man, who was obviously their leader, with red tearful eyes.

He only smirked and nodded, as if I was a piece of art that had received his approval.

The man next to him shared his smirk and bent down, beginning to stroke my cheek with the back of his hand. Suddenly a knife sliced through his hand coming out through his palm on the other side.

He let out a sharp cry and retracted his hand. I glanced over to see Father, blood dripping from his side and breathing hard, a look of intense fury and protection in his eyes.

The man's comrade, the one who had dragged me by the hair, pulled the knife out of the mans hand as he practically shrieked in pain.

He slowly stalked toward my Father, blood dripping from the knife.

"Nese!" (No!) I screamed, but the man who currently held me on my knees on the sand, covered my mouth as I continued to struggle, making a harsh shushing sound.

Father defiantly looked up at the man as he stood before him, blood dripping from his lip.

The man smirked and bent down waving the knife in front of Father's face.

Before suddenly stabbing him in the neck.

I emitted a scream behind the mans hand and managed to wriggle out of his grasp and crawl towards Father, who now lay sprawled upon the sand, drowning in his own blood that was pouring from his neck.

"Eadhild!" he rasped, as I grabbed his hand, tears rolling down my face.

"Gêse Fæder?" (Yes Father?")

"Don't ever let anyone make you be quiet."

He then closed his eyes and slipped away as the men dragged me towards the ship...

Someone was shaking me awake.

I opened my eyes and saw a dark figure above me, and screamed.

"Freyja Freyja calm down it's me!" I slowly stilled as I recognized Agnarr's voice.

"You were having a nightmare" he stated, as I sat up in bed.

I rubbed my eyes and shook my head to clear it. I had had another dream of the memory that I had haunted me ever since I was taken from land. And in front of the last person who needed to know the truth right now. Agnarr.

Fear tingled it's way up my spine as I wondered if I'd said anything that might have given me away.

I was brought back to reality with Agnarr's hand pushing my hair away from my face, and rubbing the back of my neck.

"I'm sorry to have woken you" I began.

"What were you dreaming about? You were crying for someone."

I looked down, hoping that Agnarr wouldn't be able to see in the dark the tear that was streaking it's way down my cheek.

"I was dreaming about the day my Father was killed."

"Tell me" he softly crooned, rubbing my cheek with the back of his hand.

I took a deep breath before deciding to continue.

"When he died I was there. I saw it all."

"What happened?"

"It was just an ordinary day. I was walking home and all of a sudden I saw a group of men and one of them had my Father by the neck. They spotted me and one of them came after me. I tried to run, to get help but I fell and he began dragging me bavk towards them and when I tried to resist... he...he slapped me."

"Freyja you told me that no harm had come to you."

"Well, not in that way it didn't." I realized how pathetic that sounded as I sniffled and found that my nose was starting to run.

"My father was trying to collect money from men who owed him. They didn't want to pay so they killed him. Magni got there though and kept them from harming me any further."

Silence filled the room as I finished my story.

"Why didn't you tell me?" a note of hurt filled Agnarr's voice.

"Because I knew you'd run off and kill him."

"Your right by Odin. Who is he?" his voice darkened.

"Agnarr listen to me." I placed my hands on either side of his face for emphasis.

When I was certain I had his attention I continued.

"I don't want you to go chasing after him. I have no need for revenge, for I am already living it by being happy and free and not filled with hatred. I'm safe now, I have a home, a husband, a son. I have everything I could ever want."

I hugged him.

"Please stay here with me, for that is how you can avenge me, your presence makes me happy."

It was only after I lapsed into silence again that I'd realized all I'd said.

I hoped the darkness was able to conceal the reddening of my cheeks.

Agnarr said nothing for awhile.

"As you wish my Freyja" he finally whispered, before kissing me and placing me close to him, pulling the covers over the both of us.

###

It was December now and tiny snowflakes were falling around me as I sat atop Snowflake. The horse slowly trudged through the trees, the sound of snow and leaves crunching underfoot echoed in the stillness of the air. I had ridden out in the early morning, wanting sometime alone with my thoughts, and I knew once Agnarr heard the message I'd orally given my handmaiden to tell him he'd understand.

I pulled Snowflake to a stop for a moment on a grassy patch leading up to a sharp bluff at the end, and took in a deep breath of air, listening to the waves as they crashed against the rocks below. I smiled with my eyes closed.

How good the Lord was to create such beauty for man to observe. Who was I that the Creator of the universe, the King of all Kings, would place the beauty of nature here for me to see in this very moment?

It was then that a sharp wail interrupted my revelry.

I startled and Snowflake, sensing my fright, took a surprised step back.

"Whoa, whoa steady girl it's alright." I soothed her, patting her neck and stroking her mane. Once I was certain she'd calmed down I listened closely for the sound again.

It came again and this time it sounded like it came from a child, specifically an infant.

I dismounted and whispered in Snowflake's ear "huth" and she nickered slightly and stood still.

It was a code word that I would say to her so she couldn't be stolen. If it was not whispered in her ear and someone tried to take her she would resist. Agnarr had taught me the trick and helped me to teach Snowflake what to do when I whispered the word. I had chosen something that wouldn't be guessed easily such as the word stay or go. The word huth in the Northmen's tongue meant hidden, a fitting word for my situation I think, and therefore one I would remember quite well.

I trudged through the trees, hiding myself behind a giant oak as I spotted a man with dark brown hair place a small bundle on a rock. Another cry resounded from the bundle and I realized it was the infant obscured in the blankets. The man seemed without a speck of compassion as he strode away, leaving the weeping infant.

Anger boiled inside me, but I didn't try to get the man's attention as I didn't know what kind of person I was dealing with. Instead I waited until he was out of sight before creeping towards the rock and lowering the blanket slightly to see the baby's face. The child was tiny, smaller than most infants I had seen. I knew from Magni that it was common practice among the Northmen for children born with disabilites of any kind or who were simply deemed unfit to make it in the world, would be left exposed to the elements or thrown into the sea, yet this was the first time I'd seen it in practice .**

The baby had stopped wailing and was now gazing at me with big soulful brown eyes, as if wondering whether I would be kinder to him than those whom his care had been entrusted to before. Tears prickled my eyes. How could anyone be so cruel as to sacrifice their own child for something that was no fault of their own?

I gently picked up the bundle and held him to my chest, bouncing him up and down gently. His face was beginning to turn red from the cold and I knew I had to get him somewhere warm and soon.

I glances back towards where Snowflake was. What would I do? Would Agnarr let me look after him at least until we found some place for him to live? Would he even let me keep him?

I looked back the child one last time, who coughed and tried to snuggle more into the blankets to keep warm.

It was in that moment I made my decision. I could not just leave a beloved child of my God to die, it was against his law. For better or for worse I would do my best to help him.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" I whispered.

I made my way to Snowflake, picking up her reins and leading her back towards home on foot.

###

When I arrived back home, I took a deep breath before entering the house, trying to calm my nerves as I prepared myself to face Agnarr.

I gazed down at the baby, snuggling against me.

"Don't worry little one, I know God will always look upon you with his favor" I whispered, as his eyes began to close in sleep.

I took one more deep breath and stepped inside, the harsh winter breeze being cut off as I closed the door behind me.

"There you are!" Agnarr exclaimed, coming around the corner from our chamber.

"I was wondering where you'd gotten off..." he paused when he saw the bundle in my arms.

"..to" he finished, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The baby whimpered slightly at the noise before settling back down to sleep.

"I trust there is a good explanation as to why you suddenly have a child with you Freyja" Agnarr prompted.

"I found him alone. He'd been abandoned Agnarr."

Agnarr came closer to inspect the child.

"He's weak, probably won't survive the winter."

"We don't know that. With the proper care I'm sure he can make it through."

"Freyja, he is not ours. It is none of our business."

"Well, it should be the business of every decent person in this town."

"Freyja..."

"At least give him a chance."

Agnarr looked away for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line.

After a moment he turned back to me.

"Okay."

"Okay?!" I asked, both shocked and relieved.

"But..." he held up a finger, silencing my elation.

"If he does not improve within one moon, you take him back."

"And if he does improve?""

"Then we set out to find him a new home, if his parents give us permission. If they want their son back they will have him."

"But Agnarr we can't...!"

His raised eyebrows silenced my objection. I figured that was as good as I was going to get. After all, Agnarr was right about one thing.

We had no blood claims.

As much as I disliked it, if the boy lived he would have to go back to his parents unless they voluntarily reliquished him under the Northmen law. Even a Jarl sich as Agnarr was not exempt from the laws. At least if he improved and went home, he would most likely live.

You can do nothing else for him?"

Nothing short of breaking our laws."

I sighed.

"Alright. Deal."

*The Vikings did actually wear teeth and cut grooves in their teeth, most likely to frighten their enemies and make them look more fierce.

**Vikings actually practiced this form of eugenics in their culture and it did involve children who were deformed, disabled, or weak and sickly-looking being left exposed to the elements or thrown into the sea to drown because they were considered too much of an economic burden.