Author's Note:

The Hanseatic cog (or Kogge) which was found in Bremen – Germany in 1962 is dated to the year 1380 and according to her data belonged to one of the smaller cog types: Length - 77 ft (23,5 m), Breadth (Beam) - 23 ft (7,0 m), draft 7 ft (2,1 m), loading ability 42 to 60 loads, i.e. approx. 120 tons, crew 15 - 20 man.

Draft (definition) = how low the ships sits in the water.

With the beginning of the 14th century platforms were built in front and aft of the cogs to host a score of warriors, the so-called small forts. The top of the mast was also used as a battle station.

I used this information for Kragh's cog, The Nótt.

It's said the Hanseatic cogs were developed from Viking Knorrs (knarr, knörr). Knorr is a type of Viking Merchant ship.

I'd like to thank my beta readers: Northwoman and Ms. Peppermint for correcting and giving their wonderful touches on my story!

Chapter three

To Hell

The thin ice was broken as the Kogge moved slowly out to sea, leaving the waters of the Vågen behind her. As they'd walked up the gang plank to the ship, Arne had told Sookie he'd named the Kogge "Nótt", and that Nótt was the goddess of night, as mentioned in the collected verse of "Poetic Edda".

"I'd like to read Norse Saga, one day," she said.

"And Saga, my dear, is the goddess of poetry and history," he took her hand and kissed it. "But yes, you should read the Norse Saga. Everybody should read it. It's filled with wisdom and it's a hell of a story.

"You see Sookie, even though it looks old, the Nótt is not." He chuckled. "She's only ten years old. I christened her, if I may use the word 'christen', after the Norse night goddess Nótt, because as soon as night falls, she moves faster."

"Why is that?" asked Sookie.

"Her captain sees better by starlight," Arne leaned close to her. " "He lives only during the night."

"How many men do you have on board, Arne?" asked Debbie.

"It's a small ship," he said. "I bring only twenty men with me."

"I wouldn't call it small," said Sam. "This ship has to be 70 feet, minimum."

Arne looked at Sookie, as if he wanted her to translate the meaning of 70 feet.

"Twenty-one meter, more or less," said Sookie.

"Good eyes, Mr. Merlotte," said Arne. "It's 23 meters, but it is still a small ship, compared to the ships my family used to own."

"Seventy-seven feet," Sookie said, before Sam asked her.

Then Arne told how most of the ship was hand crafted and how much he loved ship building, how it reminded him of the old days - the days of Viking lords and kings. "In fact," he said. "This ship is modeled after my family's knorr."

"What is a knorr?" asked Sookie.

"A Viking cargo ship. Back then, we built ships by hand and they were driven with rudders and sails, not machines."

"Where is it now?" asked Sam. "Do you have still have it somewhere?"

"We could only save the keel and some goods," said Arne. "Hired warriors torched the ship and killed almost everybody on the board, including my father and my brothers, it's how I got this scar," He touched the puckered line on his cheek.

"How did you survive?" Sam's voice sounded as if he was disappointed. "With a burning ship, it must have been impossible to reach the shore."

"It seemed Aegir – the God of Sea didn't want us to die. A Danish ship helped us, not before I'd promised to pay them with some walrus-hide rope of course, but they saved us nevertheless.

After some days living in their village, my men and I returned home. We then gathered ourselves and attacked the village of the hired warriors," his jaw tensed, "but the chief and his family managed to escape. Including the one who gave me the scar."

When did this all happen, Sookie wondered. It must have been very long ago indeed, and yet, Arne spoke as if it had happened only yesterday.

Her room was under the deck, some feet away from the stairs. Sam's room was to one side and Debbie's was across the passage way. Arne didn't tell them where his room was, and no one asked. There was a kind of unwritten law: never ask a vampire where he slept during the day. He might misunderstand your interest and kill you. Curiosity could kill more than cats.

The man who carried her steamer trunks, put them beside the bed. Sookie had two big trunks and a smaller one. Talbot had insisted that she carried as many clothes, shoes and hats as possible. She'd never know whom she'd meet or what kind of opportunity she might have. A lady had to be always prepared.

The man smiled and shook his head when Sookie was about to give him money. Their eyes looked at each other and suddenly his eyes turned red. Sookie moved back instinctively. But his eyes turned back into their original color, which was blue, as soon as Sookie blinked.

"Not necessarily, Miss," he said. To her surprise, his accent sounded British.

"Thank you," Sookie forced herself to smile.

"If you need anything, Miss. Just ring the bell here, " he pointed to a red ribboned bell pull at the corner. "Purefoy is the name."

He nodded and then left.

Sookie sat down on the bed. It started now. She took a deep breath and squeezed her hands together to stop them from shaking. She didn't know what awaited them in Berlin and to be honest, she didn't want to imagine what lay in store. Surely, it was better not to. She'd make her situation more frightening than it already was, and it was pretty darn terrifying already.

Jesus, help me!

She looked out side the window. There was nothing to see, but darkness and the glimmering light cast by the lamps what hung from the hull.

Sookie turned away from the small ships window and looked again at the bell in the corner. She could pull that red ribbon and tell Arne she wanted to go back to shore. She could call Mr. Herveaux and apologize for the fact that she couldn't go through with it. He'd have to understand, it was just too much to ask. One quick tug, one, and she'd be free and Sam would probably be a lot happier.

She sighed. Yes, one pull.

She rose from the small bed and took a step towards the bell, as she reached for the ribbon, the ship blew its horn like a long sad song. It must have been an old Viking era horn of some type, because Sookie had never heard the like of it before. The melodic rise and fall was haunting. Like sorrow echoing across the water.

She sat down. It's too late now. They were leaving Bergen and going straight to hell. She took a deep breath. She better prepare herself to face it.

Xxxxx

Edvard turned around and touched his hat. His black glove was shining under the bright sun of winter. As he smiled at her, his yellowish teeth flashed.

Sookie forced herself to smile.

The strong, sudden wind blew her fur coat, sending the coldness straight to her skin, and forcing her back from her place at the railing. Somewhere below, somebody yelled something. What she could make out was rather rude and she doubted anyone's mother would ever actually do such a thing.

Hamburg – Germany. For five days they had been on the sea. They stopped for awhile at Kiel harbour, only to take two additional passengers: two men – two werewolves, to be exact. Sookie could hear them snarling in their heads as they saw Debbie. There wasn't much conversation between them and Debbie, Sam or herself because as soon as they met Arne, Sookie didn't see them anymore.

And Sookie didn't care to ask. The way they looked at Debbie was reason enough for her to keep as far away as possible from them. The strange look in their eyes, and the sneering smile at the corner of their lips, moreover, the sound they made in their heads...no, Sookie didn't want to know who they were and somehow she was glad that she didn't see them anymore.

Edvard walked to her. "Miss Sookie," he said, "it seems that we have to go to Berlin without Mr. Kragh today."

"Why is that?"

"It's better to make the trip in by day. The last leg of the journey is never safe by night. Especially in this time of the year. If you know what I mean."

No, she didn't know, but she could imagine. From the deck where they were standing, she could see red banners with big swastika flew in the air. She also saw men in uniform, everywhere at the harbour. Some of them were in black, some of them in dove gray. She couldn't hear what they said from where she was standing, but their faces were as cold as their gestures.

"We're waiting for Mr. Schmidt," Edvard said. "As soon as he's here, we can go."

"Are we going to go by car?"

"No, Miss. Sookie. We'll take a libelle. Didn't Mr. Kragh inform you?"

No, Mr. Kragh didn't say anything. In fact, after the arrival of those men from Kiel, he had locked himself in his room.

Libelle meant dragonfly in German...what could he possibly mean?

"Ah, there he is," he pointed at somebody in a pilot uniform who was walking at the direction of the ship. "On time, just like a Switch watch," Edvard said. "Please tell Mr. Merlotte and Miss Pelt that we are leaving soon."

"What about our baggage?"

"Please take only the necessary things, Miss. My men will bring the rest."

Within the hour, Sookie found herself sitting in a sea-plane heading toward Berlin. Libelle was its name, because the plane had a shape of a dragon-fly, at least that's what Edvard said.

Sookie closed her eyes tightly as the hull of sea plane slowly lifted off the water. She hated flying. She'd never liked the idea of being a thousand feet above the ground. For her, the safest way to travel was by train or by bus. Traveling by ship was even borderline because water was not the same as solid ground.

"Whose plane is this, Edvard?" asked Debbie.

"It belongs to Kragh & Eddington, Miss Pelt," said Edvard.

Sam whistled. "Kragh & Eddington Company must have a lot of money."

Edvard touched his hat. His ring reflected the sun light coming in through the window. "It must have," he said.

"How long does it take to go to Berlin?" asked Debbie.

"Two hours more or less," Edvard. "We will land on Wannsee at the Havels, and then we will go by car to Tiergarten."

"Why not straight to the Tiergarten?"

"Trust me, Mr. Merlotte. By landing on Wannsee, you'll create less attention."

Sookie leaned back in her seat. Less attention, that's what she wanted. She sighed and decided to try and enjoy the rest of the journey. Soon she wasn't going to have any time for enjoyment at all. She'd better make the best out of it, even if flying was in her least favorite way to travel.

Xxxx

Sookie grabbed the handle on the seat as the flying boat landed on the water. The sound of its landing gear, hitting the water was like glass falling on a hard floor. There was cracking and rattling and the engine knocked like it was about to explode. Not a nice sound at all.

"Sook, you can open your seat belt now," Sam's soft voice made her open her eyes.

"Sookie, Sookie," Debbie smiled, mocking her. "Are you sure you're up for this? If a little shaking makes you paler than Edvard, you'd better consider of returning to States."

"Leave her alone, Deb," said Sam. He reached out his hand. "Come. Trust me, everything will be just fine."

Sookie nodded and forced herself to smile. Debbie was right. She was sure she would face greater danger than the sound of the touch-down of the flying boat. If she let everybody to see how scared she was, her business – mission, would never reach its goal.

She straightened herself and took Sam's hand.

Sam smiled. "Atta girl!"

The flying boat landed on a thin, ice covered water. The sun wasn't so bright anymore, in fact, the sky was rather gray. The wind that blew strongly sent cold air straight to the skin. Sookie tightened her coat. She thought hell would be burning and not cold like this. Or had the hell frozen over, since the devil himself was walking around on earth?

Edvard helped her out of the plane. "Watch your step, Miss," he said. "Wannsee water is never kind during winter."

Sookie looked around. The water was white. From where she stood, she could understand why some people had mistook the lake for a wide white field and thought that the ice would be thick enough, strong enough to hold their weight. But before they knew it, the ice under foot would crack and the chill waters would pull them down.

"Ah, there they are," said Edvard, pointing at two black Mercedes at the end of the pier. Two small red flags were on each side of the car. As they got nearer to the cars she saw the Swastikas on the flags, and she clutched her hand bag more tightly. Sookie glanced at Sam and she saw him clenching his jaws. "Easy, Sam," she whispered. "Easy."

Debbie grinned. "I didn't think I'd get entertained so early."

"Don't be stupid, Deb," said Sam. "This is just a taste of how entertaining this is going to get."

They were introduced as Mueller and Schulz. They were from Gestapo, Geheime Staatspolizei, Secret State Police. They worked for Kragh, Edvard said. There's nothing better than having your own secret agents inside the Secret State Police - an institution, which sniffed around the daily life of the people. What the Berliner Gestapo knew, Kragh would know.

Still, Sookie didn't like the idea, having them around her. If they could dig the secrets of their own people, they certainly could do it to her, too. Easy-peasy. Or at least, easy-peasy for them. Not so much she imagined, for her.

As the cars slowly moved away from the lake, Sookie turned back. From the back window, the lake looked peaceful. The flying boat was still there, trapped in the thin ice covered water. The ice covered hills on the horizon and the broad expanse of white, somehow made the flying boat look small and helpless.

"You should try to visit the lake in the late spring or in the summer, Miss. Sookie," said Edvard. "It's beautiful here around that time and you can swim, too, if you want."

"That's a nice idea, Edvard. But I am afraid, I won't be staying here that long."

"Pity," he said. "We can go to Pfaueninsel and see the scenery there. There's also a beautiful palace and peacocks running around free."

Sookie's heart missed a beat. Pfaueninsel – Peacock Island. Mr. Herveaux said a man from Peacock Island would try to contact her and bring the news from Alcide. She had to know where Peacock Island was and how to get there.

"Is the island far from here?"

"No. It's around fifteen minutes by car from here, but we can't go there now. The ferry landing is closed during winter."

"What's on the island?" she asked carefully. "Do people live there?"

"No, Miss. Only the caretaker who sees to the peacocks and the palace. It's a kind of deserted place. Some Prussian King used it as a menagerie and then abandoned it when the building caught fire. But still, it's a beautiful island."

"Maybe another time, Edvard."

"I'll look forward to that day, Miss Sookie." His eyes flickered down her figure. His thoughts added something in Norwegian.

Sookie forced herself to smile again. She didn't understand what he said in his head, but it wasn't difficult to guess. And suddenly she felt what Debbie had said about returning to States wasn't bad at all.

Xxxxx