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introverted-imagineer · 1 year

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The Heart is Crimson

Warnings: Descriptions of assault, abuse, slavery and extreme violence. Adult themes. Please avoid and protect your well-being if you suspect this work might not be for you.

(Part 18)

I impatiently paced across the ground as the boat sat stranded on the riverbank. A broken rudder…a bloody piece of useless material…one single part of the whole ship kept me from Twyla. ‘They will be back soon Y/N’ Mariam soothed…a tired smile on her face as she busied herself sorting the collection of books she lugged everywhere with her. What would she know about anything…books could only tell you so much.

Leif and Harald had trekked in search of a township by the name of ‘Kodak’ not too long ago in search of materials to fix the rudder. Each morning as the sun rose, and when it set in the evening it became harder and harder to clutch onto the hope of seeing my daughter again…my friend…my family. I stomped over to Kurya as he sat away from the rest of the group, listening, feeling and sensing the world around him. I didn’t even need to announce my presence as I slumped down next to him.

‘Tell me something good’ I whispered, watching the river flow gently to where I yearned to go. His shoulders rose and fell slowly as he inhaled deeply, the corner of his lips perking up and he readjusted his bandages.

‘You remind me of my wife sometimes Y/N’ he giggled slightly to himself. ‘Yesty was also very stubborn…but had a kind heart’ he said, his voice drifting into sadness. I lifted my hand from the grass, grasping onto his hand, and giving him a comforting squeeze. ‘How did you meet?’ I questioned gently. Kurya, of course, had mentioned his wife in passing, a story here or there, but never any specific details. He had never explicitly said she had died, but it wasn’t hard to figure out. Kurya walked around with a broken heart…

‘There had been strife between the tribes…her father presented her to my father as a peace offering, to unionise our tribes through a marital union’ Another inhale, fiddling with the bandages on his face pointlessly. I gently squeezed his hand again, prompting him to continue his story. His despair comically turned to laughter as he chuckled breathlessly to himself. ‘What?’ I questioned, my own lips raising into a smile at the ridiculousness of it. Kurya was always the sensible voice of reason, it was rare to see a relaxed side of him. ‘W..Wh’ he emitted through laughter. ‘When my father presented my brother and I…it was assumed, him being the older of us, that she would wed him…she took one look, and without hesitation said I’m not marrying him, but the younger one I might’. He lost himself in laughter, a radiant glow on his face that I had not seen…only when he ever talked about his wife. ‘My brother was furious’ he chuckled, clearly satisfied by the memory. ‘Her father was so mortified by her brazenness…within the week we were married’ he said, his laughter depleting, but the smile on his face remained the same. ‘Did you ever have children?’ I asked curiously. His head turned toward me, as he lifted his hand to the crown of my head and soothed my hair. ‘I have all the family I need’.

As I sat with Kurya, my thoughts were lost to memory as I stared at the river flowing down the bend, I barely noticed that everyone's attention had shifted elsewhere.

‘Something smells good!’ A foreign voice sounded. I turned around to find a strange man, decorated from head to toe in tattooed ink, cockily and confidently approaching the camp. He did not seem deterred by the number of people who stood to attention at the sight of his presence grasping onto weapons as he stepped forward. I stood, making my way back toward the camp as the stranger and Gestr greeted each other with enthusiasm. It was no secret, Gestr was an immoral being, but his hubris made him a total imbecile. The natural comradery between the pair however was frightening.

‘I see your boat is missing its rudder’ he noted, inspecting the vessel with great interest…and everything on it.

‘It is being repaired in Kodak’

‘So there are more of you?’ He questioned

‘Just two’ Gestr replied.

The energy shifted as everyone, but Gestr, tensed at the sudden reveal of information to the stranger. I clutched my fist tightly as I whipped my eyes around to see everyone else similarly on edge as the stranger seemed satisfied with this newfound information. I looked back to find his eyes locked on mine, his own eyes flicking up and down as he sauntered toward me.

He pressed his chest against mine, his rugged breath brushing against my head as he towered over me. ‘How much for this one?’ He yelled at Gestr, bringing his hand up to move the hairs that fell over my forehead. I brought my hands up, pressing my palms against his chest and pushing him a step back. ‘Not one of mine, unfortunately’ Gestr said, his voice seething in self-pity. The stranger's eyes did not leave mine as he took in every inch of my body. ‘My name is Baggi’ he introduced in a flirtatious tone. My stomach churned as an overwhelming sense of revulsion came over me. I glanced over at the boat behind Baggi, Gestr’s eyes intently watching my every move as his newfound friend directed his interests at me. ‘You are certainly a rare find in these parts’ he said in such a slimy tone, I could feel my spine shiver with discomfort.

‘Leave my wife alone’ Kurya’s voice sounded from behind me as he sat still where he had before. Even from a distance, Kurya could always sense when something was wrong with me. Baggi scoffed at his remark. ‘Your husband?’ He questioned. I simply nodded, taking a few steps away to put some distance between us. I could hear the enslaved girls giggling between themselves. Baggi’s face fell slightly in disappointment, his chest raising in slight anger at the public rejection. He strode forward slowly, his eyes locked on mine as he rounded me carefully, his chest poking against my shoulder…taking a whiff of my hair. I remained facing away as Baggi continued his stalking amongst the camp. It was tensely silent as everyone remained frozen in place. It felt like forever in the few minutes that passed. The silence was interrupted as he slowly stalked back toward me, his footsteps creeping up like a predator on a hunt…a chuckle emitting from his gut. ‘You don’t know who this is, do you?’ He triumphantly sounded as he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck. I stood frozen as his rough calloused fingertips stroked the skin on the back of my neck. A fury of anger washed over me as my breathing increased. I could feel my heels digging into the ground as everyone's attention was solely focused on me. Baggi laughed.

‘You are not this man’s wife…this man's wife is dead’.

I stood frozen, tense in fear, anger and confusion as this man so confidently narrated Kurya’s life to the group.

‘This man is the Khan’s brother, Kurya’ My stomach churned as Baggi so knowingly told the tale of Kurya’s wife, and the Khan’s brutal assault and murder of his fallen wife. It felt like the world was spinning around me as I didn’t know any such thing about Kurya’s past. I knew he had a brother, but I had never imagined he had been a brutal ruler. Maybe this was why Kurya rarely spoke of his life as a Pecheneg. All Kurya had said about it was that he had chosen a different path…but never would I have known the consequences of his old one were so severe.

‘Now the Khan drinks wine every night with a silver cup made from her skull’ he said as his fingers trailed up, grasping the hairs on my head as he forcefully craned my neck back. He inched his face so close, I could feel his chapped lips brush against my cheek.

‘And put a bounty on his missing brother's head’ he said, his raspy breath blowing into my ear, his fingers releasing. I breathlessly dropped to the ground, scuttling towards Kurya on my hands and knees, desperate to get away from Baggi. I clutched onto Kurya’s robes as he sat, frozen in place…as if he didn’t even realise I was there right in front of him.

‘He is worth money?’ Gestr questioned, striding down the board to Baggi. I quickly stood up, my fingernails cutting into my palms as fury took over. I was going to kill him. As I took a step forward, I was thrust back just as quickly as Kurya had grabbed onto the fabric of my dress, holding me back from perpetrating the extremely brutal violent attack I had spinning in my head as I watched Gestr. The rest of Baggi’s presence escaped me as I stood there, vowing with every inch in my body and soul to put an end to Gestr’s greedy, vile, degenerate, pathetic existence.

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In Kodak

‘Harald, Freydis is carrying your child’

Harald had endured many hardships in life. He had fought bravely in battles that left him forever scared, he had loved and lost people throughout his life, he had an enemy in his own brother, he had left the person he truly loved, and he had even battled his own demons and morals throughout his life…but nothing was as painful as hearing this.

‘How long have you known this?’

‘Since we left Norway. She made me promise not to tell you’

‘You Bastard. I thought you were my friend’

The shock was almost as powerful as when he saw Y/N again, after all that time. The person he truly longed for…he had spent days and nights wondering if Y/N was still alive, if Y/N thought about him, if he would ever lay eyes on Y/N again…A year yearning after someone he thought he had lost. Now he would likely spend a lifetime wondering about the child he had never known about. Had he known, things would have turned out differently. The immense love he thought he had felt for someone…an enigma, and now he felt a love so overwhelming he thought his heart might burst.

‘She understood that if you knew you were to be a father, you would not leave her’

‘and she’s right’

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Back at Camp

‘Don’t ask any questions, just follow my lead’ I whispered to the enslaved girls as they sat hopelessly on the boat, their hands bound in heavy chains that rubbed against their skin. ‘YOU’ Gestr yelled, charging back onto the boat, his axe in hand as he readied himself for a fight. What he didn’t realise was that I was just as ready for him.

Gestr stomped across the boat, he reached his arm out clutching onto the neck of my dress and threateningly pushing me harshly into the side of the boat. The look in his eyes was one of pure evil as he held his axe up ready to strike if needed. ‘I’VE TOLD YOU BEFORE AND I’LL TELL YOU AGAIN, YOU DO NOT ENGAGE WITH MY PROPERTY’ he spat angrily. A could hear a whimper let out from one of the girls as their eyes locked onto the scene in front of them. ‘You don’t have Harald to protect you now’ he taunted, bringing the blade of his axe right up against my neck. My throat bobbed as I took a deep gulp, my skin pressing into the blade, reminding me of my mortality at stake. ‘I don’t need Harald Siggurdson’ I whispered against his pressing blade’.

*BANG*

Within seconds, Gestr lay unconscious on the floor, a small rush of blood spilling from his temple. Elena dropped the heavy plank of wood by her side, shaking her arm to relieve the pain in her joints from the strike she had just delivered. I took in a deep breath, rubbing at the skin on my neck which luckily had only just been indented by the pressure of the blade leaving a red mark that would fade soon enough. I looked at Elena, as she looked back at me. We gave each other a knowing nod.

I reached down, whipping the belt from Gestr, sliding his ring of keys he so mockingly jingled day in, day out. I threw them to the girls as they sat there in disbelief. ‘You belong to no one but yourself…do you understand me?’ I spoke, watching as all their eyes stared at the keys in front of them. One of the girls nodded, her eyes watery. As Elena jangled the keys, jamming different keys into the locks, one by one a satisfying clang sounded as the metal cuffs hit the floor of the boat.

‘We must hide him’ Mariam sounded from behind me, as she boarded the boat with a handful of ropes. As quickly as they had been uncuffed, the girls knelt to the floor practically snatching the ropes out of Mariam’s grip and taking the opportunity to tie up the man who had kept their freedom from them for too long.

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‘Welcome back! I see you have brought friends’ Batu called radiantly as the inevitable return of Baggi finally arrived. He dismounted his horse, trudging forward seemingly confused by the warm welcome, compared to before. I sat on the edge of the boat, my legs dangling over the edge, my skirt ridden up slightly in a flirtatious manner.

‘What is this?’ Baggi questioned, pointing to Kurya as he stood underneath the branches of the tree chained by his neck. It killed me to see him like this…a man whom I only now understood why he was so broken in so many ways. Why did it have to be him that these brutes wanted? Kurya deserved more.

Batu explained a fabricated story…how he killed Gestr (if only) and went crazy. That suddenly a group of people who disliked Baggi before, now welcomed his friends with open arms? This was too risky to play off I had argued, that he would never fall for such a ridiculously unrealistic story. But as their horses rounded the trees, there was no other option to decide on another plan. Gestr looked toward the boat, his greedy eyes hungrily fixated on me. I lifted my hand, fluttering my fingers in an amorous manner as if to say ‘It’s you I want’. But Baggi stopped in his tracks, clearly stumped particularly by my welcoming manner. He turned his head, making a halt sign to his friends. They instinctively grasped at their weapons, following Baggi’s lead as he began to question Batu aggressively. ‘What’s with my friend from earlier?’ He spat cautiously, with an aggressive tone. Batu stood there stumped, looking between Baggi and myself as I tried to sit effortlessly on the edge of the boat. ‘W..what do you mean?’ Batu coughed. Baggi lifted his fist, gripping onto Batu’s shirt. Metal clanged behind them as the men pulled their weapons from their hilts and belts. ‘We put something in her drink’ one of the enslaved girls, whose name I had learnt to be Cadlin, shouted as she cheerfully lifted her cup in a fictional drunken slumber.

I took her lead, slushing the cup around in my hand, downing it’s invisible contents, and letting out a satisfying ‘ahhh’ sound. The girls giggled along with Cadlin ‘Y/N is a bitch anyway’ they chuckled as they mockingly laughed as I pretended to sway on the edge of the boat. Mariam ran over, pretending to grip onto my body, as I leant my body back into her grip, falling back onto the boat.

I could hear Baggi laughing, his friends seeming to laugh alongside him, clearly relaxing amongst the environment, believing the story unfolding in front of them. ‘Well done’ Mariam whispered, a slight smile of relief on her face at the performance we had just delivered. I couldn’t help but smile back at her efforts too. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all…

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The Varangians slowly loosened up throughout the afternoon…Elena, Mariam and the girls pouring more drinks as quickly as the men consumed them. I spent the time continuously embarrassing myself, pretending to embrace the lustful suggestions of someone as horrid as Baggi. There was one thing these men liked, possibly even more than Gestr. Attention. It wasn’t hard to gage, but it’s all we had to work with to lower their guards. How powerful the Varangians were, how they were so skilled, and how they were talked about with great fear and respect in the cities. Luckily Baggi’s attentions were now more focused on hearing legendary tales of his people, rather than roughhousing me like his friends were the girls.

‘Well, well, well beautiful’ one of the men tutted as he boarded the boat, his eyes trained on me as his cup swished in his hands. Baggi sat rigidly, looking between me and his comrade, a seething jealousy evident on his face. I continued my facade, greeting him with a pitched giggle that washed a feeling of self decrepitation over me entirely. Batu clearly peaked at the sudden tenseness between the men as he grabbed another wine pitcher, filling Baggi’s cup. ‘I have more stories if that is of interest to you?’ He said cautiously. Baggi sat there, his eyes flicking between myself, his friend and Batu. He finally took a deep drink, wiping his mouth with the fabric of his shirt, satisfyingly turning to Batu to listen to another made-up story about the great Varangians. ‘You can come with me gorgeous’ the man said, holding his hand out so chivalrously. I reached down, grabbing another pitcher of wine as I clutched onto his hand, giggling more, being sure to stifle my balance as he lead me down the plank. ‘Don’t be long Engil!’ Baggi cried ‘I will be needing her soon enough’ he said with a laugh, Mariam and Batu following suit. But Mariam's eyes trailed on mine as she worryingly watched as Engil lead me off the boat…stalking away from camp out of sight.

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‘No wonder Baggi was so eager to bring us all back after he found you this morning’ Engil moaned as his hands ran up and down my boat, his tongue swirling around in my mouth. We hadn’t had a plan past getting them drunk and assuring them Kurya was crazy…but after hours it seemed as though they were never going to leave and we were all but entertaining these creeps. I let out a fake moan as his stubble beard hair rubbed roughly against my chin. ‘Kiss my neck…I love neck kisses’ I moaned. He was ravenous for more…and I could only hope they would leave soon before he tried something else. His stubble grazed the skin on my neck, but it was much preferable to the tongue I had down my throat for the past half hour.

As he busied himself, biting at my neck, I couldn’t help but notice the silence in the distance. What was once chatter, laughing, and the clanking of cups was now utterly silent. My stomach dropped…this was not good. Had they all gone? Had someone else come? Had they taken Kurya?

I hardly realised my body went stiff as the gnawing on my neck disappeared, Engil’s hands no longer roaming over my body. He pulled away slightly, looking at my face questioningly. His head began to turn slowly as he noticed the silence too, his hands pulling away from the lustful distraction he was already lost in. Shit.

I reached down, grasping onto his hard cock that had been poking into my legs. He let out a loud moan at the sudden contact…the tenseness of sudden silence was replaced by satisfaction. I grabbed his face with my hands, shoving his face back into my neck as I fondled his groin over his pants, his body shaking eagerly as I busied myself trying to figure out why there was a sudden silence. However, it was not to last.

The clanging of metal sounded as the silence turned to shouts. I desperately held Engil against my neck, but he pulled away strongly, throwing me to the ground as grabbed his axe from his belt. He stalked around the bushes that hid us. I couldn’t see what was unfolding, but enough to know it was bad as he stalked back toward me, pulling me by the hair on my head and laying me on the ground. He mounted me, holding my body down with his heavyweight as he delivered a piercing slap to my face. ‘YOU BITCH’ he yelled, lowering his face, smashing his lips against mine, sinking his teeth painfully onto my bottom lip making me scream. ‘WHO ARE YOU? WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS HERE?’ He cried as he grasped onto my wrists as I tried so desperately to wrestle from beneath him…but even drunk he was much stronger than me.

He gripped the neckline of my dress, ripping it, pulling down my smock and exposing my breasts. I continued to wrestle beneath him, trying desperately to pull myself from the ravenous, raging man on top of me. He gripped onto my breast, squeezing it with all his might and twisting the skin. It was complete agony. His grip became slippery, however, as he pulled away to find the palm of his hand covered in a warm liquid. Only instead of being crimson ready as expected, his palm was doused in milky white. I began to cry as he let out a deep evil laugh, gripping again at my already tender breasts, torturously squeezing my pulsing nipples demanding answers to his questions.

‘Please…please s..st..stop’ I pleaded through cries of pain, but with every pleading, his grip tightened. ‘TELL ME’ he screamed. My eyesight began to blur at the sensation of unbearable pain. My head spun as his words began to slur, the world in front of me disappearing into blackness before my eyes. He delivered another slap, making me conscious again. But my body was weak and in excruciating pain and torture it wasn’t going to last.

‘I’LL FUCKING KILL Y…’

A metal arrow shot through his neck and he began to croak at the sudden impact. He gagged, blood pooling from his mouth into my eyes as his body shook, becoming even heavier. I screamed, crying at the sight in front of me. I had experienced violence, abuse, fear…childbirth…but nothing could compare to the dread of watching a person die right atop of you. Bleeding, eyes dilating, total and utter dread as his eyes locked on mine, his lips turning blue. My cries continued as he fell atop of me, the impact of our bodies pushing the arrow back out the other side of his neck, a sickening slushing sound-emitting. My cries continued and screams protruded from deep within my gut. The world around me was silent, the only sound being the final desperate breath from the man dying on top of me.

‘Y/N!’ A voice cried desperately. My rough rugged breathing had turned to hyperventilation as I cried out. ’T..tw…twyla’ I cried as the mans blood soaked my body. My sight was too blinded by my tears to see anything.

Suddenly the body shifted from me, a voice huffing as they practically threw the man's lifeless body away. Those familiar hands grasped my cheeks. ‘y/n’ he whispered worryingly, looking down at my almost naked, blood-stained body. He pulled my tunic up, covering my bruised chest carefully before tucking his arms under my limp body, pulling me into his embracing rocking me back and forth.

‘Harald…’ I whispered

‘Y/N’ he replied.

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For hours he sat there with me, rocking me back and forth as I cried into his shoulder, too weak to hold my own body up. Nobody had dared come interrupt his act of tender care as I continued to cry, soaking his shirt.

By the time the moon had risen and the sky had turned black, only then had my eyes become too dry to let any more tears flow. Footsteps sounded behind faintly as I sat there, limply lying in Harald’s embrace. ‘Here…it’s one of mine’ Mariam sounded as she placed something on the ground next to us. Harald’s hand came up, soothing my hair down on my head. ‘Thank you’ he whispered back, her footsteps retreating back to wherever.

Harald gently leaned back, still being careful to hold my forearms as I was barely able to hold my own body up. ‘If I have your permission, I think we should clean you up?’ He questioned, trying to find my eyes. My throat was scratched and dry, my body was limp. It took all my energy just to give a single nod of my head.

Harald’s hands wearily went down to the bottom of my dress, gently clutching the stained fabric in his clutches. He trailed the fabric up my body, being careful not to touch my bruised skin. He gently bunched up the fabric, his hands accidentally brushing against my tender breasts, making me seethe, as he rolled the fabric over my head, leaving me totally naked. He took in a deep sigh, taking in the sight of what the moonlight allowed, his face wincing in pain as he looked at the state of my bruised neck and chest. I could feel his shoulders drop as he took in the sight of me. The way his eyes looked into mine, I could tell he was blaming himself.

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Harald gently lifted my arms, wrapping them around his neck as our bare chests pressed against one another. His bands gently slotted underneath my legs as he lifted my body effortlessly, walking us into the chilly river. He walked deeper into the water until the water was up to his chest. I could feel his chest rising and falling quicker at the sudden cold temperature that took over his naked body. I barely registered it. He gently lowered himself into the water, taking the opportunity to slide his hands from underneath my legs, tucking his arm securely around my waist, making sure to keep a close hold on my weak body. I let my head drop into the crook of his shoulder, my arms still placed securely around his neck.

The sound of water splashing sounded gently as Harald took the time to carefully scoop handfuls of water into his palm, washing the blood off of my body. His hands danced carefully and gracefully over my body as he made sure to erase every single patch of red that stained my skin.

‘Lie back’ he whispered, placing his arms under my body, lying me back into the water. His fingers massaged my scalp as he washed the remnants from the day out of my hair. I closed my eyes, taking in the feeling…it was pleasant. The only sound being the swishing of water. I could now begin to feel the chill of the water.

Harald’s arms untucked from my legs, bringing me back into a standing position. This time our chests pressed against one another, instead of me being tucked into his side. I brought my arms up, weakly wrapping them around his neck, pulling our faces closer. Our foreheads pressed against one another, our eyes closed as the only sounds between us were the sounds of our breaths.

‘I’m sorry y/n’ he whispered, as his arms protectively wrapped around my waist.

‘I’m sorry for everything…I realised today there are things much more important than becoming King of Norway’ he breathlessly began to explain. But I simply kept my head pressed against his, taking in his words. ‘I learnt today that Freydis has carried my child’ he whispered, an utter saddened despair in his tone. I could feel my heart stop…

‘If ever someone put my child through the things I put you through…I would find that person to the ends of the earth’ he whispered, a sniffle sounding as he tried to hold back tears. But he did not, his tears fell as he mourned the past, the present, the future, the child he would probably never know. A shattered parent. A feeling I could empathise with all too well. It was a reaction I never expected.

I tilted my head back slightly, but our arms stayed wrapped around each other. I gently slid my hand from around the back of his neck, placing it gently on his cheek as his tears subsided, but the pain was still very much there.

I leant in, placing a single peck gently onto his lips, pulling myself back into an embrace as we clutched onto one another, him mourning his child he did know of, and me mourning the child of ours he didn’t.

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