Chapter 9
The warm yellow sun rays always appeared at this time of morning basking any object in its path with heat and protection. Protection from the cold and dark. The stormy winter season was subsiding to present a new spring one. It was early days yet but many Skandians had high hopes for the weather most of them being expert weather forecasters themselves could predict when the seas would be most calm. This was the time of year when the radiance of the sun nourished everything. However there was always one small place where the sun beams could never reach. That place was always enveloped in darkness suffocating any presence within its boundaries. He woke up automatically at the beginning of dawn. Years of waking up at this time and being forced to do grindingly hard, menial exercises had eventually taken its toll on his sleeping patterns and whenever it was near dawn his eyes would flutter open and he would sit up wide awake. He threw off his blanket that provided meagre warmth as it was and stood up swaying to one side. His father would be angry with him he knew as he was supposed to be keeping watch, but as a general rule his father was always angry, either at him or his mother who was no longer with them. His father never ran short of the insulting pieces of offending remarks he could come up with. Each one an individual form of torture and seeing his fathers face after the taunts made bile reach his throat. A huge crooked smile would appear making his face even uglier than it was before, showing his uneven wobbly teeth and smelling the pungent odour of alcohol and sweat that radiated off of him. Personally he didn't know why he listened to his father. He had never been nice to him and wherever he could his dad would always taunt and tease him. Then again when he was drunk taunting and teasing wouldn't do. No, his father would resort to physical means of venting out his anger. This usually consisted of a whiplash and screams of agony torn from his mother which was partly the reason as to why she was no longer with them. When his mother was no longer with them he became the next victim.
He shook his head clear of those vile thoughts and forced himself to make breakfast. He had all the utensils in his leather bag and picking them up gingerly he forced himself to the little pile of wood at the centre of the ground. He was stuck in the ruins of an old castle that had once been a majestic beauty. After all it was the least likely place for people to find him especially as Skandians had many superstitions regarding the isolated area, though him and his father were never ones to take them seriously as they preferred to prove things than listen to idle rumours. He decided to cook beef strips and pieces of bacon to put them on flat bread which he was warming up now. The succulent juices of meat set his mouth watering and his stomach growling so hurriedly taking them off the fire he grabbed whatever food that was on his plate and shoved it in his mouth uncaring that the food was still burning hot. The girl's nose twitched delicately and her arms began to stretch then stopped where the ropes prevented her from moving her arms further. She opened her eyes shocked then memories flooded back to her fuddled brain and she slumped her shoulders in a gesture of defeat. He felt sympathy for her. She was a young foreign girl, one that he could have come to like, one that he did like. He admired her courage before she was about to be abducted and he admired her cool acceptation as to what was to become of her and her alert and steady eyes staring intently at anyone that came across her view. If it were up to him he would never have taken her in the first place. He would never have taken anyone. Then again these decisions were not for him to decide, it was his father who dealt with stabbings in dark alleyways and abduction in lonesome areas. He felt that he should obey to his father now though. He had already disgraced him enough and he remembered the day vividly when he chose to become a part of Oberjarl Erak's crew rather than his fathers one. He was a talented young man whose gifts were greatly admired by the Skandian Oberjarl who offered him the chance of a lifetime to fight alongside the burly pirate. Who could refuse? Erak was a popular figure in Halloshalm somewhat regarded as a celebrity due to his outstanding achievements whereas his father was known as a coward. The town bully in smaller terms. His crew mainly involved rag tag drunkards that had no other place left for them to go, he couldn't have become part of a crew like that. His father may have disapproved however he knew in his heart he had made the right decision and that feeling of unity and friendship could never have been forged by his father's crew.
"Can you give me a bit of food please?" The girl's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked over to her where she had her hands stretched out in a pleading manner with a look of sheer innocence written on her face. He took pity on her and without speaking handed her some of the beef strips then sat back down to watch her. She seemed to be hungrier than he was, devouring the food probably not even tasting it he mused. "What is going to happen to me?" She had finished eating and her question took him by surprise. She seemed to have a knack for starting conversations despite polite courtesy telling you not to. Then again since when did Skandians have any courtesy?
"Honestly I don't know. My father has yet to decide what is to become of you."
"Well when he does make up his mind be sure to tell me." She replied in a sardonic manner.
"I am sorry girl. I never wanted to hurt you or take you, I didn't want anything to do with you but what can I do I have to obey my father."
"Well you don't have to…" She left the sentence hanging hoping he would take the message but her hope was a wasted one as he studiously ignored her hint.
"Anyways I'm sure nothing serious will happen the only person he wants is the one that humiliated him in Skhorghijil so I'm told." He laughed grimly before continuing "Whoever she is, is one unlucky lass after he gets his hands on her." He was shaking his head now. Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait where are you from?" She was already shaking her head her skin two shades paler than before and her eyes wide with horror.
"That's my son Ulfak there who abducted you. A little more bloody proud of him now than I was before, but at least he's done something right for a change huh? Now the question is what to do with a piece of vermin like yourself?" The stale smell of cheap beer was present in the room and she knew the smell, the voice and those beady pair of suspicious eyes all too well.
"Slagor." She breathed. The mist hanging around her words, her heart cracked in a thousand pieces.
"Hello sweetey did you miss me?" A bucktoothed grin lurking around the corner of his lips.
A little shorter than before but I wanted to leave the chapter on a cliffhanger. Bet you didn't see that coming did you? Or maybe you did never mind. Whatever thoughts you did have on the chapter though can be expressed freely after clicking the genius button called Review. Please do it!