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Chapter 2
A week went by quickly. I learned the names of the people around me making friends and coming out of my shell. I realized how lucky I had been being taken in by the Jarl and his wife. Most of the people who were brought back to the village from other regions were made to be slaves.
My new people were kind to me but I thought of the slaves daily. I wondered what was different in my case?
I spent most of my time exploring my new surroundings. I played in the ocean and climbed trees. Eric had taken me hunting a few times beyond the village which I really liked. He spent a lot of time with me teaching me his peoples ways. I was much younger then him I knew that. He must be around twenty but I still enjoyed the time we spent together.
Today I was supposed to head out into the fields again with some of Eric's men. He promised to teach me to fight. I met some women in the village who fought along side the men and I wanted to be strong like them. I figured if I could be strong then nothing could scare me again. Being unsure of myself or my past wouldn't hurt me. I would become a shield maiden and hopefully make my new family proud.
"Today I will take Oliivi out to the fields Mama" Eric told Astrid.
She disapproved instantly. Women were meant to become wives she said, "She is a lady Eric. She will be married and have children not fight and die by a sword." She looked to Ulfrik.
"Do not look to me wife. I do not object to a woman learning to survive." He told her.
She scoffed, "She will marry a man who will protect her. This is all useless." She walked around Eric trying to assess his true intent, "Why do you bring me a daughter only to take her from me?" She asked him, raising her brow.
"I am not going anywhere but to the fields for a few hours. I will be back." I assured her. "I want to learn to fight." I added looking to Eric to help me convince her.
Eric laughed, "Mother, it is alright, I will bring her back." Patting his mother on the back. Ulfrik was laughing now to at Eric, and his wife.
Eric had a charming smile that lit up the family's dwelling. Astrid smiled back still unsure but not forbidding us to leave. I smiled to her trying to reassure her that I would be okay.
I spent most of the day with Eric in the fields. When I become tired I left the men to their training and headed to the Ocean for a swim.
I loved the ocean. The freedom I felt when I was near it made me happy. If I looked far out beyond what we could see I felt as if I was an ant. It all seemed so large.
I walked to the edge of the sea with my bare feet stepping into the cold water beneath me. Kneeling down to cup it in the palm of my hands I let the water fall back down. I splashed water to my face rubbing the dirt away. As I sat I let the water still so I could look upon my reflection under me. I wanted to see what Astrid had been talking about when she had said my eyes were unique.
"Oh my." I spoke to myself bringing my hands back to my face and looking deeper. My eyes were certainly different. One was the color of dirt from our fields and the other the color of the sea in the morning. I was entranced by it. How could this happen to me? This couldn't be normal? I could see my hair sticking to my neck and back. Ash blonde with brown braids. I looked so different from the villagers and I started to wonder if I would ever fit in? I splashed the water around trying to erase the image of myself from view.