Chapter two

"And I swear my allegiance and fealty to you, earl Ragnar, and your family. Let this be known from this day on and forever and shame on me if I ever break this oath."

"Rise, Mirthel, the shield-maiden. I accept your offer."

Mirthel stood up and the crowd yelled her name as she held her hand high victoriously.

"What do you think you´re doing?" Athelstan tried to keep his voice quiet, but he almost shouted at Mirthel, as they were walking through the village.

"What do you mean? If you want to criticize me, you should remember, that I´m a free man and a Viking warrior, while you are still – what a surprise – a slave!"

"I don´t think my lord considers me slave anymore." Athelstan was shaking again, like when they met for the first time, but this time not from fear but from anger.

"Yes, I´ve heard stories, how they wanted to sacrifice you at Uppsala, you little Viking. You should be glad that you´re still alive after what happened," said Mirthel.

Athelstan couldn´t bear her mocking anymore. He turned around and pushed her against the wall. Their faces were only few inches from each other.

"I´m not the man I used to be," he said through his teeth.

"Yes. You´re not the man I met months ago. But I don´t know who you are. You are lost."

He lowered his arms. She walked away without looking back at him.

"So you are a Christian?" asked Gyda. The little girl was fascinated by the new warrior that became member of her father´s crew.

"Yes, I am," answered Mirthel politely. She didn´t seem nervous, though Bjorn was staring at her with apparent disgust. He couldn´t get over the fact that Mirthel was a Christian and also a great fighter. He found her a traitor for she had given up their gods.

"If you worship that god, why would you want to go raiding with my father?"

"Good question, Bjorn. You are a clever boy. The truth is, I´m not going with him for killing and plundering. I want to know that land where people believe in the same god. I want to know how they live, the language they speak."

"Will you stay there, when you come to the west?"

For the first time, Mirthel seemed to be staggered. She was thinking for a while.

"I don´t know. I want to stay here, in my homeland, no matter what."

"You should leave. You betrayed your kin."

After these insulting words Bjorn got up and left.

"Cannot sleep?"

"After all, you even dare to make fun of me, Athelstan?"

"I´ve heard Ragnar´s friends talking. You are not very welcome here. They don´t understand why he accepted your offer."

It was deep night and Mirthel sat at the sea shore. Athelstan joined her. Together they stared at waves hitting the shore.

"Nobody is happy for me being here, but the truth is that I have nowhere else to go."

"Why didn´t you stay when you were here before?"

Athelstan gazed up at her. For the first time he saw Mirthel´s face sad.

"I thought I could make it on my own, but…" She didn´t end the sentence, like she run out of words to say. Athelstan had to encourage himself to speak to her again.

"You don´t want to stay here, do you?"

"No."

That question and that answer changed everything. Athelstan had very little knowledge of women, but he was sure of what Mirthel longed for.

"You lied. You want to use Ragnar to go to England and runaway," he whispered in disbelief. Mirthel didn´t even try to defend herself. "Why would you do that?"

Silence.

Days passed, but Athelstan barely found a chance to talk to Mirthel. He felt a little bit guilty for what he said to her, but he also felt ashamed for she was right. He was lost. Nor a Viking, nor a monk anymore. He wasn´t a slave anymore, but he wasn´t sure if he was a free man; and was too scared to ask Ragnar.

Everyone in the town was dealing with their own problems, but the only thing that seemed to trouble Athelstan was Mirthel.