9
ASTA RUBBED THE white medicinal cream into her back, made from the oily tender root.
The belt hadna??t broken the skin, had only sliced through the tunic and gown in two places, and the material could easily be mended.
There were only welts on her back, Utta said, as she watched Asta rub the cream into Miranaa??s flesh.
Mirana would have choked before shea??d have told anyone, but Utta had come into the sleeping chamber when she was naked, holding the gown in her hand, examining the damage.
But the girl had said only, a??I will fetch the healing cream from Old Alna. It will take the stinging away.a?? She paused in the doorway and added, a??I will tell her I have a bee sting and it pains me.a??
Mirana had smiled at her, wondering at her wisdom, at her youth, remembering herself at twelve years old, a lanky, proud girl, ready for any mischief, ready to fight any boy.
Shea??d not had a dollop of wisdom. She smiled at her now.
a??Thank you, Utta. Do you have thread and a needle so that I may mend this lovely gown? a??
But Asta had come with Utta, Asta, the woman married to Gurd the blacksmith, the man who had insulted his wife before all the assembled company this morning.
To Miranaa??s surprise, Asta was smiling at her, soon laughing as she told her of the old shoe the goat had chewed and chewed until the women had stirred it into a stew for the men.
Before shea??d left the chamber, she said, a??Dona??t worry.
Both Utta and I frequently suffer from bee stings.
You try to rest now, Mirana. I thank you for what you tried to do, as do all the other women.
We believe that Rorik spoke so quickly because he dreaded doing it and just wanted it over and done with. But you tried, and we do thank you.a??
Mirana just shook her head. a??I did naught of anything. Ia??m not sure, though, if that is why Rorik made his speech so very early, even before he tasted the wonderful porridge. It doesna??t make sense to me, but perhaps you are right.a??
Both Utta and Asta just sighed and left her alone. Asta said from the doorway, a??I will tell you later what the women are thinking. Amma is very angry, but I know she must be calm for us to determine what is best to do now.a??
Mirana was sitting on the side of the bed, wearing the gown again, now mending the tunic, when Rorik walked in. He stopped and looked at her.
a??Utta told me shea??d rubbed cream into your back.a??
a??Aye,a?? Mirana said, her eyes on her mending.
a??She said there were only red welts.a??
a??That is what she said.a??
a??She said I wasna??t to tell anyone else. She said that would shame you.a??
Mirana said nothing. So he didna??t know Asta had been here as well.
She wondered why they hadna??t told him.
To protect her, she supposed, but didna??t understand how it could.
Then it struck her. Theya??d had Utta speak to him.
Surely if there was guilt to be felt, he would be made to feel it from an eleven-year-old girl.
She wanted to smile, but she didna??t, for he said in the next moment, a??I didna??t hurt you. I was careful.a??
At that she did look up. She said mildly, a??If I had my knife with me, I should show you how I can slice you nicely without much pain.
Shall I thank you, Rorik? Is that what you want?
You want me to kiss your hands for whipping me in front of your men?
For proving to me that you are the stronger?
For humiliating me? That final move of sprawling me to the ground was well done of you, Rorik, and I doubt not it was also important for your men to witness.a??
He wasna??t about to admit to the truth of her words, and said firmly, a?? a??Twas your own fault.
All you had to do was bend that damnable pride of yours just a bit and say the trutha??for I am your lord, damn you.
All you had to do was say it. I can even hear the words on your tongue now, all dripping with hatred and scorn and contempt.
If youa??d but said them I wouldna??t have been forced to whip you.
I wouldna??t have been forced to do any of the other. Your fault, not mine.a??
She wondered if he truly believed that. Her fault?
Of course, Einar whipped women or slapped them or hit them with his fists whenever he wished to.
It never required much provocation. He also beat those men who were weaker than he was, and slaves of both sexes whenever the urge claimed him.
Hea??d whipped her several times. Hea??d tied her to a pole because shea??d fought him the last time hea??d whipped her.
Shea??d even hurt him, though he would never have admitted it.
Hea??d swung the whip with great relish, slicing open her back with the strength of his blows.
Hea??d said to her when hea??d tired of wielding the whip, a??Now, my girl, you wona??t ever try to protect someone from me again.
I gave you a good lesson, dona??t you think?
Aye, you should thank me for this valuable lesson, but I wona??t force you to.
I know you wona??t, and I have no wish to kill you.
My men wouldna??t be pleased, though only the gods know why you have their loyalty.a??
Mirana clearly remembered the young man, a boy, really, who had displeased Einar.
She couldna??t remember what hea??d done to anger Einar, if indeed shea??d ever known.
But it couldna??t have been anything severe, nothing all that bad.
Shea??d taken the boya??s side and hidden him.
Thata??s what had provoked Einara??s fury.
Hea??d had her whipped and as she lay on her belly, gritting her teeth against the pain in her back, she was told the boy was dead.
Einar had come in then and looked at her bare back, at the ugly welts, and said, a??Aye, a??tis a pity.a?? She never knew if he was speaking of the dead boy or of her back.
a??What are you thinking? You are silent too long. I dona??t like it, for your thoughts are dangerous even though you are but a woman and ungoverned.a??
She shrugged. a??Bad memories, nothing more.a??
a??Is that all?a??
a??Very well. I was remembering that first day in the warship when you put your foot on my neck and I bit your ankle. You yowled, I hurt you so badly. I saw my teeth marks there for two days.a??
a??Aye, you hurt me well enough,a?? Rorik said, remembering mainly the shock of her act.
Shea??d been screaming at him that he was naught but a vicious animal, that she should have plunged her knife through his neck.
Aye, shea??d still had her fury and her strength to sustain her that first day out of Clontarf.
To punish her, hea??d pressed her face to the plank and held her down with his foot on her neck.
Shea??d turned red with rage. The bite had hurt.
He said only, a??I cana??t see that it would be a bad memory for you.
That memory would make you laugh with pleasure.
Thus, you are lying to me. Tell me the truth now, what were you thinking? a??
a??If you would know, I was also wondering if it really bothered you to whip me. I doubt it. Men are violent. They enjoy hurting those weaker than themselves. I was thinking of the times Einar whipped me. And now you did. Both of you said it was my fault.a??
He grabbed her arm and jerked her to her feet.
The tunic slid to the ground. He shook her.
a??Dona??t compare me to your brother, ever again.
You gave me no choice but to whip you and you know I stayed my strength.
You know well enough that I could not allow my men to see me as bending to a womana??s wishes, particularly after Ia??ve been played the ass by the women since our return to Hawkfell Island.
I am their lord and their leader and I cannot be seen to be weak or irresolute. I had no choice. Damn you, admit it!a??
Hea??d done it again, given her an order. She stared up at him, fury banking in her eyes, and this time, he just shook his head at himself.
a??Finish your mending.a?? He released her, leaned to pick up the tunic and threw it at her. He shoved her down onto the bed. She made no move to escape him.
Her hands were quiet in her lap. She stared up at him, and said, a??Were you unfaithful to Inga?a??
His face, deeply bronzed from the sun, paled at her words.
His hands fisted at his sides. He raised his right arm, and she knew he wanted to strike her.
She knew too that he would control himself.
She didna??t know how she knew it, but she did.
She had no doubts at all. He did. He turned on his heel and strode away from her.
She called out, a??I think you must have been, for you threatened to beat the women just because they dona??t want their husbands to be unfaithful to them.
What power do they have save ruining your meals?
Were you my husband and you bedded another woman, I would kill you, not just give you belly pains from eating swill.a??
He jerked, then strode from the sleeping chamber, never looking back.
Rorik drank deeply of the mead. His belly was full and now his mind was fast dulling with the drink.
He heard his men laughing, bragging of their victory over the women, and, indeed, it was truly a victory, for the meal had been the best any of them had eaten in a very long time.
The boar steaks had been broiled over the pit fire, wrapped in oiled tartar leaves.
The herring and bass, both baked to tenderness, turning to tender flakes in the mouth, had made them groan with pleasure.