Okay folks, here's the next chapter. Sorry this is taking me a while to update. School is just about over so I'll have more time on my hands by the end of the week. But for now, please do what all great people do and please read. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated and thanks to those who have provided great responses. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer, I own nothing.

~Soldier78~

The Viking and the Slave

Chapter 8

Keera had been in the mistress's garden, pulling weeds and picking vegetables. She had just tossed aside a chunk of soil when she heard some noise that sounded like a struggle, just down the grassy knoll. She saw a cart with its wheels stuck in the mud, remnants of the battering storm last night. Two fellow thralls had already moved to help the poor old man who scratched his head.

They exchanged words and Keera was able to recognize the language instantly and even more to her pleasure, Aed's melodic voice. She glanced at the basket and chuffed. She rose to her feet and headed down the hill to assist the two strapping lads. The old man had been Friar Declan from some Franciscan Monastery along the northern coast of Ireland.

"Hello, Friar." Aed had greeted with his debonair slanted grin. He glanced at Keera and his smile probably had widened a bit more. Keera sheepishly glanced at the ground and Aed cleared his throat to turn to the Friar.

"Yeh need 'elp?" He offered. Friar Declan nodded his head.

"Aye, much appreciated, me dear boy." He said. Aed addressed his friend.

"Right, Manus," he said, heading to the right side of the wagon. "We each take a side."

Aed's companion, Manus, walked over to the left side and Keera watched for a second as the Friar sidled up to her. The boys struggled for a few moments, cussing under labored breaths. Keera rolled her eyes and stepped forward. Her bare feet squished into the cold mud and her face grimaced. She recovered and placed two firm hands on the back of the wagon. She pushed aggressively against the wagon and the extra weight seemed to shift it. She tried harder and the three of them shoved it right out of the mud.

Friar Declan was rejoiced in their teamwork and approached the three of them. Keera found herself at Aed's side who snuck his hand over hers, interlacing their fingers. Keera gave him the briefest, but admiring glance she could give.

"Yeh tri're Gods' angels." He said.

"We're o'ly faithful servan's." Aed said modestly. Declan gave them a nice smile in thanks.

Aed walked Keera back to the mistress's garden.

"Yeh pullin' weeds t'day?" Aed asked as they trekked up the grassy knoll.

"Me back aches." She complained. Aed chuckled.

"I can 'elp yeh wit' tha' la'er." He grinned, suggestively. Keera stopped and looked at him.

"Yeh askin' me out?" She asked, a bit off by his proposition.

"Yer me Heart." Aed insisted with every ounce of love he had for this girl. Keera's face reddened but she gently touched his cheek.

"O'course." Keera promised. "Yeh've got a place t'meet?"

Aed pointed his chin towards the Forge.

"Master's son works in a Forge. Righ' up there. There's a nice li'le cliff, we sit an' enjoy the stars t'night." Aed suggested. Keera sighed though, unhappy with her doubt.

"Wha' if they catch us?" Keera asked him. He hummed in agreement. She sighed and took a couple of steps towards him. They were at the stable. The blasted blue reptile napping inside. It sorted of alerted Keera's of the mistress's daughter's presence probably in the house. She looked at Aed though. "I'm s'rry, Aed…"

Aed shook his head, refusing any sort of unneeded apology from his beloved. He reached out and touched her cheek with his soft, calloused hand. His thumb gently stroked the pale skin on her face and he smiled at her lovingly.

"No apologies." He requested. "I keep fergettin'…it won' be easy…we're slaves now."

Keera laid her head against his chest in an embrace which he gladly returned.

"I love yeh, Aed." She reminded him. She reminded him every day of her affection for him and Aed did no less. He made sure he saw her, kiss her and hug her each day. He made the promise to himself and told Keera that he would do everything to take this chance he originally wasn't supposed to have. Keera laughed but loved him more for his dedication. She vowed the same vow.

Aed kissed her head and she mumbled against his sturdy chest.

"I 'ave t'go back t'work now." She said sadly. Aed nodded and gently pried her off of him. He looked her in the eye and tucked one of her loose strands of chestnut hair behind her ear. He stared briefly at the healing gash along her eye and he pressed a kiss there.

"I'll come see yeh t'night." He promised despite the rejection earlier. Keera nodded and kissed his cheek before heading up the hill. She stopped midway and looked over her shoulder to see Aed off on another task. He was hauling a basket of fish towards the Chief's house.

"We're slaves now."

Keera shook her head and proceeded up the hill. Her eyes fell to the threshold of the master's home. The door seemed to shut. Keera groaned, caught again but she didn't know by who. She glared hatefully at the mess she was creating before finally kneeling down and completing the task.

The strike came out of absolutely nowhere. All Keera processed in that short of a moment was the slap across the face and words she did not know but understood as hateful slurs. She held her own tongue as dense as they are, they would understand her own slurs as uninviting. Anything she said was used against her and was met with a swing.

The mistress was furious about something trivial. Keera would realize later it was a couple of rotten turnips she picked. One too many.

So here she was now. Her cheek raw from the strike and the mistress of the house spitting slurs right at her.

"Know yer place, Serf." Was the only guess she had towards the composition of that slur. Keera just wanted to curl up and forget. Yet, she felt this internal rage and felt the need to draw a sword. Here she was, defenseless to discrimination and inevitable miscommunication.

Keera was dismissed without a single bite that night. She huddled herself in the stack of hay and watched the steady rain. Little droplets seeping through the roof of the stables.

"So much fer the stars t'night."

For the first time, Keera was unable to get herself to look at him. She couldn't exactly understand her emotions at the time only that she was frustrated, ashamed and lost. Aed noticed the distance.

"Wha' 'appened in the las' few 'ours?" He asked, sitting down next to her. He gently grabbed her hand and held it in his lap. He played with her fingers for a while. Keera swallowed.

"Nothin'." She said. Aed didn't buy it and studied her for a second. She was oblivious to his investigation so he found something suspicious. He tenderly turned her chin so her left cheek was revealed to him. From the lightning, he noticed the red splotch.

"They 'it yeh." He concluded, observantly. Keera bowed her head, avoiding eye contact as she stared at the mud. "Dammit, they should go t'ell."

"They will." Keera approved, darkly. Her eyes didn't express the biting vote, instead, it expressed her inner turmoil as if something else hit her. Will I?

"Yeh okay, 'Ra?" Damn, she didn't want him to notice the conflict but she had momentarily forgotten that he was literate in facial cues. It was one of his many charming talents that attracted her to him. He looked at her with those comforting, soft eyes and she sighed.

"It's nothin'." She said, hesitantly. "I'm jus'…"

There were footsteps and the Nadder behind was starting to fidget. The duo looked up and found the master's daughter standing before them. Instantly, Aed shot to his feet and regarded the blonde with a slight bow.

"M-miss…" He stammered. The blonde just shook her head and walked past them as if ignoring them, completely. The two thralls looked at each other with bewilderment but Aed was the first to understand he crouched down to his beloved. He took her by the hand as a gesture for her to stand up. She did and Aed immediately wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeh aren' foolin' me, Keera." He whispered to her. Keera sighed.

"I don' wanna talk 'bout it righ' now, Aed." She told him, her head right in the crook of his neck. He ran his hand up and down her muscular back.

"I love yeh, Keera." He whispered once again as his tradition.

"I love yeh, too." She returned just as customarily and lovingly. Aed snuck a glance at the Viking in the darker depths of the stall and then looked back down at Keera. He just pushed her off slightly to look into her mesmerizing gaze.

"I've gotta go, but…-"

Keera pressed a fervent kiss to his lips that lingered for a few moments and she looked up to his dorky expression which she wanted to kiss again just to repeat that look. She giggled softly and kissed his nose. With a brisk shove, he was out in the rain again but no less pleasantly fazed. The rain woke him from his dream and he waved before scurrying off to his own shelter. She released a heavy sigh, her eyes losing affection. She retreated to her haystack and stopped to look at the daughter for any sort of last minute commands. The girl gave none and Keera finally plopped into her bed. She reclined onto her back, arms tucked behind her head. She stared up at the little rain drops that tauntingly landed on her body. The thunder was now growling and starting to move across the sea. The rain was lighter as well. From the back, the daughter had lit up a lantern to light up the stable.

Her thoughts stole her from reality, millions of little things running across her mind as they did every night. Her stomach ached for both sustenance but also was the returning homesickness that had fortified in her belly.

Something though, was thrown right onto her flat stomach. She looked to see it was a folded cloth, its ends tied together. She sat up, looked to her right to see the daughter stroking the scales of her dragon as if she had nothing to do with it. Keera was no idiot.

She untied the knot and found a piece of bread, a little slice of the cod and one of the finer turnips she picked herself. Keera gazed at the turnip for a second as if it was symbolic in some way. She took a bite into the bread, it wasn't stale at all. She could've moaned at the softness of the wheat but instead she looked at the girl who finally sat down next to her on some hay.

They stared at each other for a long time. Keera got a good look at the blonde's bright blue eyes. They were only a shade lighter than her own. Probably a northerner thing, Keera mused. Yet, her eyes weren't icy at this hour. The daughter started to animate with her hands, gesturing for Keera to resume eating. Keera did and ate the piece of bread quickly. She picked up the chunk of cod in her hand and took three bites total. She kept her eye on the turnip though, as if it was a poison. The daughter cleared her throat, gave a nod and stood up.

Keera watched her about to leave the stable but the blonde halted and turned to the girl. Keera was completely lost at interpreting this girl's actions. Her hand was on the stable's wall and she licked her lips nervously. Keera looked down to avoid the awkwardness and she took an interest in the turnip.

"What is your name?"

Her head snapped right up and her mouth fell right open. Her eyes widened to saucers. Sure, her pronunciation was crude but…Keera blinked and shook her head. With a firm look, she answered.

"Keera."

To be continued.

Please, click that button.