Sorry I forgot to post yesterday. So here is the fifth and last chapter of the marathon.

Chapter 19

I went to see them and watched how from each edge of the cliffs that hugged our town emerged two long columns of white smoke. I was looking forward to go to our little bay down to pick up the kids. They must be very worried. I looked at the town and wished all could go back to normal. The snow covering the ground had melted because of the footsteps and fights, the movement of people and fire. It was now frozen mud mixed with dirty ice and blood. As soon as everything returned to normal, the clean white snow would take its place. I saw Helgi talking to some boys near a bonfire. Eric crossed to the other side. I jogged to catch up to him.

"When do you think the boats will arrive?"

"They may wait until tomorrow to leave. I wouldn't risk the night caught me in the sea, but... the women are the ones who row, they will be anxious to see their men."

"I would also want..." I stopped and turned around. 'They haven't noticed I'm here, I should just stay here until my fellow warriors come'

"You would want..."

"Shh! Eric!"

"What's happening?" I covered my ears to avoid listen to anyone else and followed the train of the thoughts.

"There is someone hiding in Rowena's woodshed" Eric looked at me confused, but my horrified expression was enough to go look in the shed sword in hand "Watch out!" he opened it, and a red-haired man with long hair, beard and numerous braids, jumped on him. Eric lunged a thrust, but the warrior avoided it with his shield and punched him in the jaw it made my Viking stumble and then gave him another blow, this time with the shield in the stomach that made Eric fell down in his knees. He was going to finish Eric, when Eric pulled out a knife from his boot to stab him in the foot. At the same time, I hung up from the arm holding the sword of my enemy. I pulled the hair and arm while Eric dagger plunged into the flesh of the foot of the enemy, he dropped the sword and it remained stuck in the ground. He had a small knife, with which he had cleaned the hen in her neck when Eric stopped me.

"Who are you?" the man only laughed. Eric slapped him and asked his name again. He didn't say, and he tried to reach for a new weapon, so Eric had to make him fall and immobilize it. A few seconds later, more of our men came. They tied our enemy, who was called Ulrich the hateful, and proceeded to get information. Within twenty minutes I got tired of seeing them beating him, tearing his hair, twisting his muscles, breaking his bones.

"Enough" I intervened.

"Go away from here, Sookie" Eric warned me.

"I think... would you say to me what they are asking?" he spat a lot of blood.

"I will not let you near him" Eric held my arm.

"I don't think he can do anything to me being like this" I unhooked and went to the prisoner "I'll give you water when you tell me."

"I will not say anything, bitch" I went near him and I started asking questions, I was in front of him hiding his mouth with my body, so that others wouldn't see whether or not he was speaking. He told me a lot even he did not know. 'And when the boats come back...' I covered my mouth and gasped in terror.

"They have boats, Eric. They have boats hidden in the path into the bay waiting for our return" Eric was so white that I seemed to be watching my vampire.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Five ships, hidden. They knew that we would send to our Black Harbor and have mounted an ambush at sea, Eric."

"No, no" began to murmur the enemy "I haven't said anything. How did you know?"

"Yes you told me."

"Is it true? ¿¡IS TRUE!?" Eric asked. Ulrich the hateful only laugh in Eric's face of and spit lots of blood and saliva to his neck. Eric punched him in the face and left him knock out. "We have to set the ships."

"We only have two Eric. And one of them needs to be repaired. If we overload or the sea hits us hard, it'll capsize and it won't be way to bail out the water. It will sink.

"I'll take my chances" Helgi stopped him as Eric began to walk.

"No, you won't risk" My Viking frowned, but Helgi didn't let him go "We'll depart, yes, but you won't come."

"What?"

"Although Halvar wanted to stay and fight, he had to leave, because it was safer for him. Your sons were separated and each one traveled in a different ship, to protect them. If these boats are going to be attacked, we won't jeopardize you too. You have to stay here and be safe."

"No way."

"Eric think…"

"In my children I'm thinking."

"You must think in the whole clan" Helgi looked at me, as if hoping that I could convince him. He thought I had a wonderful and dangerous in equal parts power over Eric and he hoped I could influence him to convince him to stay.

"Arm the ships and arm yourselves" concluded my future vampire. He left Helgi there and he started organizing everything. The second-in-command of Halvar approached me and grabbed me by the arm.

"He has to stay here."

"His family is traveling in these boats, how do you expect me to do it?"

"We only have two ships, woman. At best we can get on the boats sixty or seventy men. We're more than three hundred warriors, even we lost the battle in the sea, those who remain on land with can finish with the rest Harald's horde. Eric should lead them."

"But... if women perish in the sea... and the kids..."

"Harald won't kill women, he only want to kill Halvar, Eric and the two boys: Leif and Erik" Only he says. Eric, Leif, Erik and Audr were my world "In the event that the women are taken prisoners the warriors who stay on land, will have to attack Harald's village and rescue them. Understand, we can rescue the women, but if Harald gets to cut off the heads of the men in your family, there won't be women to rescue, because Harald will be the master of all."

"But I..."

"He'll listen to you more than anyone" Helgi turned and headed to where his boss now. I was pondering what she had said. I know I was right, didn't we had taken the same precautions with Halvar, Leif and Erik the young? Good chances are that Eric wouldn't stay even if I ask him, but if I did, and then something happen to the children, he wouldn't forgive himself, I wouldn't forgive myself and maybe Eric would never forgive me. I ran towards them and pulled the fur that was over my Viking.

"We should alert the boats, right?"

"How?"

"Don't you have a smoke signal indicating an alert, a change of plans?" I asked puzzled.

"No, only the one to tell its safe" Helgi answered.

"And that's two columns of white smoke."

"This time, yes."

"And what if we turn them off and then we light two fires that make black smoke... maybe that will alert them. At least it will confuse them enough to ask why we changed signal. Right?"

"She is right" Wulfric said.

"Yes, go, and change the signal" Eric ordered. The falconer was quick to go write and send messages via pigeon, to the lookouts at the hilltop "The other, prepare the boats, load pitch and arrows. Twenty-eight men per boat."

"More men could board in each boat, Eric" Helgi said.

"Twenty-eight men will board in each boat. The best archers. I rather to spare of two men in order to be able to load a tar barrel and all arrows available."

"Eric, think about what I've said" Helgi told him.

"I have already thought about it" he replied.

"Sookie, don't you have anything to say to Eric?" I bit my lip and looked at them with shame and guilt.

"Can I go with you?" I asked. Helgi and Wulfric, and other men laughed. Eric just smiled fondly.

"Do you know how to use a bow?"

"No, but..."

"You would be a great help" he said "But there is a problem. Not everyone tolerates the sea, you know... when we got to the battle you could be so ill with seasickness, that you couldn't even defend yourself."

"Ah"

"There are many great warriors in this town who cannot stand boat trips. It's hard, you know?"

"Do you have anything more to say to Eric, woman?" Helgi said.

"Please Eric, bring them back, the three of them" I said. And I returned his mail. He took it and then kissed me. I followed him through the village to house where he stock up on weapons, again. I put him a clean wool tunic (he protested) and then I put the chain mail (he had to duck for it to go through his head). He stroked my hips while I tied it.

"If you pull here" I told him "the knot will be quickly undone and you can take it off easily."

"I don't think I'll have a chance to take it off."

"If you fall into the water or something, you know" I took his hand and bring it to my lips "Be very careful."

"Don't go anywhere" He bent down and kissed me. He was thinking that anything in the world would make him miss what it was to come.

He had been desiring to make me love for so long. I moaned a little and he pulled away from me to fly out the front door, in the way to the port. The warriors got on the boats. Eric's distributed them by weight, skill with bows and strength at the oars. I would have liked to see him paddling. I stayed in port until the ships disappeared over the horizon.