Chapter 10
Ishild returned to her hut in order to prepare herself for dinner with Chief Randulf and his family. She really did not want to go, but she knew that her father would want her to impress the chief.
She pulled out a green dress with decorative patterns along the sleeves and ties her hair in a braided bun. She then puts on a necklace that belonged to her mother.
"Do you want to escort you to the chief's hut?" Gerhard asks her daughter, but she shakes her head. She puts on her fur coat and leaves her family hut.
The village was lit with torches and the guards were doing their patrol. Ishild notices Adalhard with a few of his men. Adalhard's injured arm was in a make-shift sling made of cloth.
"Adalhard, are you all right?" Ishild asks him.
"I am well, it hurts once in a while, but I want you to remind me, I was attacked by a wild boar right?" Adalhard asks in return.
"That is right and then you passed out," Ishild answers and Adalhard nods. He lets her go and she walks toward the chief's enormous hut where it was much elaborate then the other huts.
Many guards were patrolling outside and some pine branches were hanging off of the doors. It was custom for the village to hang green pine branches in preparation for the feast of Saint Nicolas.
Ishild enters the chief's hut where she smelled the scent of spices and other smells of food being cooked.
"Ah, Ishild, welcome!" a feminine voice said and Ishild turns to see the chief's wife, Hildegard. Like her husband, Hildegard had gray hair, but had lovely emerald green eyes.
"Let Helga take your coat," Hildegard said and her maid takes Ishild's fur coat. "Come, come," the chief's wife insists and Ishild follows her to the great room, where Chief Randulf and two boys and two girls were sitted at a table.
Ishild looks them over, the children had dark brown hair, brown eyes, and their skin was a bit lighter than her own. The youngest, a girl looked to be in her early teens.
"Ishild, these are our children; Amalric our oldest son, Giltbert, Romilda, and Signy," Chief Randulf introduces his offspring to her.
The chief's children give slight bows to Ishild and she bows back. She then takes a seat next to the chief as a roasted pig was brought in, along with some bread and other foods. Their cups were filled with wine.
"Eat to your heart's content," Hildegard said to Ishild. She looks at the food, but she wasn't feeling hungry at all.
"So Ishild, tell us, what did you come across while in the forest," Chief Randulf said and the young woman takes a sip of wine.
"Well, on the first adventure, I had the misfortune to be chased by wolves," Ishild begins and the girls, Romilda and Signy ooed.
"Was it scary?" Giltbert asks her.
"The only thing you must know about the forest, do not show any fear. I fought them off, but I ran out of arrows," Ishild continues and they gasp.
"What did you do?" Signy asks.
"I hit them with my bow until they got the message and they ran away," Ishild said, keeping Meinrad out of the conversation.
"I am too afraid to go into the forest," Romilda said to her.
"Oh, the forest is beautiful, especially in the winter time with the snow covering the ground and the wind blowing through the trees. I love winter, I always have," Ishild replies and the family chuckles.
"Well, you are a good hunter," Amalric said, but his father laughs out loud.
"Good? Is that all you can say, boy? Taking down a full grown buck, you call that 'good'?" Chief Randulf asks hid oldest son.
Ishild hides a smile, but then, Hildegard asks, "Ishild, did you know that your mother and I were good friends?"
"She was good friends with everyone," her husband replies, "Tis a shame she is no longer with us."
"I wish she was still here," Ishild said, truthfully.
Hildegard clears her throat and looks at Ishild. "We are worried about you living with that father and brother of yours," she said and Ishild was taken a-back.
"Ishild," Chief Randulf said and she looks at him. "My wife and I thought that maybe you come and live here with us," he explains.
"What?" Ishild asks in shock.
"Gerhard pays no mind to either you and that hateful son of his. That Gerlach is another story; I have spoken to Oda and she suspects that Lucifer has consumed his heart and filled with hate," Chief Randulf explains to her.
Ishild looks at him and her heart begins to thump hard against her chest.
"And I have been thinking of banning them from this village. You see, your father is up to something, and I suspect he wants to do away with me and my family. With us gone, that son of his will rule this village with an iron fist," Chief Randulf explains to her.
"But...what gave you that impression?" Ishild asks.
"My spies, including Adalhard. I am sorry Ishild, your father has grown...unstable since your mother died. We wish to adopt you and you can live here in safety. Your family will have to fend for themselves," Chief Randulf said to her. He then points to his oldest son, Amalric.
"We thought you would be a good match for our son," Hildegard said, cheerfully.
Ishild could not believe it; the chief and his family were planning to do away with her family and make her a wife to a man she barely knew.
"Chief Randulf," Ishild said and stands up on her feet. "With all due respect, I must decline the proposal to marry your son. And please, do not banish my family," she pleads.
Ishild knew that the village was surrounded by tense forest and there was the possibility that her father and brother would come across Meinrad or the dwarves. She did not want him be subjected to being called a monster or the Devil's child.
"Ishild, we want to protect you," Hildegard said, but the young woman shakes her head.
"I must go," Ishild replies and leaves the great room in hast. She grabs her fur coat from Helga and runs out of the chief's hut.
It had started to snow and Ishild looks down on the ground. She sees some small-size prints that appeared recent and her heart stops.
She knew that her brother had spied on her and she hurries home. To her horror, her father was waiting for her.
"Ishild, get in here, now," Gerhard orders. Ishild did not want to obey, but she does and shuts the door.
Suddenly, someone pushes her from behind and she falls to the floor. She looks to see her brother towering over her.
"After all I have done for you and this is how you repay us," Gerhard said to his daughter.
"Father, please, I don't-" "Silence!" her father shouts at her. Ishild notices that a grin formed on her brother's face.
"What should we do?" Gerlach asks his father.
Gerhard appeared to be thinking, "We can't do away with her, we will be executed for sure. Let's lock her until I can think of something," he said and grabs her daughter by the hair.
"Let go of me!" Ishild cries, but she was silenced when her brother slaps her.
"I wanted to do that for a long time," Gerlach said and pushes her from behind. They take her to the top floor where they kept bunches of dried flowers.
"Stop it! Please!" Ishild pleads with them, but they ignore her. She struggles with her father, but then, Gerlach bites her arm. She cries out in pain, but Gerhard places a hand over her mouth.
He shoves Ishild into the room and says, "Make one sound and I will kill you." He shuts the door and locks it.
Ishild pounds on the door for a short time, but she then stops. It was no use as she was trapped and there was no way out, not even a window can help her escape.
The room was cold like the weather outside and she cuddles up tight in her fur coat. She looks at the bite she received from Gerlach, it was not bleeding, but it hurt.
Ishild goes to a corner where the chimney's spout was. It was warm and Ishild sits beside it. She begins to pray that someone had heard her cries and bring help.
Chief Randulf was right, her father had grown unstable and her brother was pure evil. Lucifer had consumed them both.
Ishild begins to cry, she was afraid of what will happen to her, but she was mostly afraid of what will happen to Meinrad.
"Mother, please protect him," she prays and cries herself to sleep.
Outside of Ishild's hut, in a snowmound, Helmold had heard the whole ordeal. "Lock her up will you?" he asks and a grin forms on his face.
Helmold quickly digs through the snow, heading out of the village, and into the forest. He will be back with help.
From the author: Poor Ishild! Will Helmold bring help in time? Find out later!