3rd Chapter of the Marathon
Chapter 17
I pulled the sword out from the sheath and gripped it. It was so dark that nothing could be seen and for a while I just heard voices either side of the fence. A half hour later, I heard the clang of swords clashing. I saw the orange light reflection when the first huts caught fire. I started to hyperventilate when the shadows of my enemies began walking in front of my house, heading to Halvar's house. Our men were trying to retain our enemies outside the wooden fence, but some were sneaking around the area that they had opened right near my house, where it was weakest. We had already reported it months ago. They began to open doors and to search inside the houses. I heard Dalla's animals flee in fear and her house being open, her furniture thrown away and her things broken. One of our own intervened and defended Dalla's hut and killed the assailant. But another came from behind and hit him with the shield in the head knocking him down. He ignored Dalla house and I saw him coming straight towards mine, he pulled the door and I took a step back. He couldn't open it, so he tried to tear it down, I stifled a scream and wield the sword. I knew he was trying to knock down my door with an ax. I saw the edge of the weapon and then, like in a horror movie, his eyes peering through the crack.
"A woman!" He laughed and took another hack. I took off from his sight, I walked by the side, and waited for him to stop banging. I pushed the tip of my sword through the slit as hard as I could and heard a piercing scream "My eye, my eye! Damn bitch" He pounded the door harder. I tried re-injure him through the crack, but he took the sword, and pulled it toward him as we fought for the weapon so I cut my hand with the edge and lost it. I took boiling water with a pot and threw it through the opening. The scream because of the burning was so loud that I was scared, he cursed in his tongue and he hit the door harder. I hurried to move the wooden table to bar the door and try to put it in her feet so he couldn't go through the hole that he was opening blowing with the ax. "I'll make you pay, bitch" The door hinges creaked and gave way under the pressure of pushing from the barbaric enemy.
"Go away or I swear I'll kill you!" I shouted. The blows stopped and I heard the crash of metal and felt a huge relief to see that one of our own, or perhaps the same one that the shield was knocked out unconscious, had come to my rescue. But a minute after someone was shaking the door again. I picked up the hammer and grabbed a pan with boiling water to throw it at his face as he entered.
"Sookie! Sookie!"
"Eric? Eric!" I again heard the clash of shields and steel on the outside and a cold sweat ran down my spine. I ran to the door and started removing obstacles.
"Stay in there!" I tried to follow the fight through the hole in the door. Eric thought in the combat, from where the blows will come; while his enemy gloated knowing he was against Eric, son of Halvar, one of the objectives. If he kill him, Harald would give him a good share of the spoils. But I had cut him in the face and had burned him, he might even lose the eye. He didn't want to kill Eric so he can make him see what he would do with me. I trembled at the images I saw and I turned away from the door. The clash of swords was heard a shield bash, a groan of pain and a gurgling throat being slaughtered.
"Don't come out" Eric told me through the crack. Introduced what he could of his hand and I squeezed it. It went at least twelve minutes until someone was pounding on the door again. I was all the time with a heavy heart. I'm not a coward, but I don't know how to fight wild Vikings who grip a two yards sword. If I had my brother's gun I wouldn't feel so helpless and they have too much to worry about. But I was in their field. I saw Eric coming back and I started to remove the planks. I pulled the door while he pushed, we hugged and kissed.
"Are you okay?"
"Are you hurt?"
"Are you hurt?"
"Are you okay?" he held me by my cheeks and kissed me "What the hell are you doing here? Where are my children?"
"They are with your mother. And what about that blood?"
"It's not mine. What happened to your hand?" I explained, the wound and everything else. He cleaned and cared the cut with warm water and then bandaged it with a white sepia colored linen piece. I hugged him and kissed him on the neck, he also kissed to me on the temple, cheek and head. Somebody knocked on the door, which was hanging from one hinge almost ready to fall, and we turn around to see who it was. Helgi throw away the overturned table and entered our home.
"Eric, that's it, we have counted twenty dead enemies in the village."
"Plus the forty-three from the forest for a total of seventy-one. Olaf the lookout warned of more than one hundred and fifty men, possibly two hundred."
"Maybe counting isn't his thing."
"No, it can't be. He is a shepherd, he would know to compute by eye to blow the heads of a flock. And he has spent years doing this. He had never failed."
"What do you think?"
"I don't. They could be waiting to attack."
"Maybe they have fled."
"How many fallen among our ranks?"
"Nine in the village: Einarr the old; Bersi the goatherd; Grim leaden feet..." I closed my eyes and held the tears Bersi was barely eighteen. He continued to give the names of our fallen, nineteen in total. What a slaughter. I buried my face in Eric's neck and cried for the mothers, wives, sisters and daughters of those who had died.
"We must rebuild the fallen fence. And we have to reinforce the one near the entrance to the village and the one by the Lake Road. Keep watching over the next two days, nobody drop the weapons or let their guard down."
"Do you think they'll attack?"
"I think they might be waiting for us to be together, waiting for my father. You can miss by ten men, go wrong in by twenty, but not in a hundred. Those are too many swords and many horses. She says the ships have provisions for two days, and Black Harbor, there are more. They can hold on at least for four days there. I doubt Harald's men can withstand so long in the forest, with this cold. Let's put them on trial. If there is no trace of them in four days, he send the signal for ships to return."
"You are the commander."
"Organize the watches. Twenty men in each, with spears and arrows. I want two lookouts on the sea, on top of the cliff from which my child fell into the water."
"I understood."
"Six-hour guard shifts, except you and me. I just rest while you're in charge and vice versa" Helgi nodded and left. I stroked Eric's face again so he focus on me. He looked into my eyes and lips then he took my hands from his face.
"Staying here was crazy."
"I couldn't leave" He sighed and I leaned over and kissed him.
"Lock the door and stay here."
"What are you going to do?"
"First I'll return the animals to the stable, then I'll go with Helgi to organize the defense."
"Do you really think they will attack us?"
"If they do, we'll be ready" He stood up and began to whip goats and sows away. He picked up a chicken by the wings and also took it out. I started to clean the house and put everything in place. A warrior came to help me secure the door at his watch. The men set several fires, every point guard. Ten in total. Eric and Helgi were at the front door, helping to lift a door. They placed a sharp and steep woods so they couldn't come close with horses. Eric lamented that they couldn't place them all around the fence.
I picked up one of Dalla's geese, which had been crushed the hoof of a horse. I plucked, cleaned and chopped and made a broth with it. After the middle of the night I deliver some soup to the men.
"It smells delicious, Sookie" One of the men told me. I served him in a wooden bowl a ladle of broth.
"Almost as good as you" Another one said. And they laughed. I smiled and gave him a ladle too.
"Hey, you gave him more meat!"
"You don't know how to flatter women, Orn. If you need any help with that heavy cauldron, Sook, you only have to ask..."
"Enough" Eric intervened. I went to him and poured two ladles of hot soup, and I was careful to give him the liver and a drumstick. He smiled and took the wooden plate from my hands, stroking them "Thank you."
"I'll keep serving the food."
"I'll do it" Eric said.
"But your food will get cold"
"I don't want you to walk among men at this time of night. Go home, close well and get some sleep"
"I couldn't even if I wanted."
"Try" He stroked a lock of my hair. I approached him and I had to repress not to hug him. Eric thought it was not fair to the other men that he had me there while the others suffered due to the absence of their wives. Eric smelled of war: a metal, blood, sweat, horses and leather. I sighed. The truth is that I couldn't be happier that I made the decision to stay. He was distressed by the children, but I knew they were safe and sound. However, if I had left with them, I'd be scared to death and wondering whether or not he would be fine. At least, though I was also scared to death, I had him on front of me.