Chapter 10 #2
The sun shone so brightly in her eyes that for a moment he blurred before her, his hair glistening nearly white in the shimmering heat.
She raised her hand, then dropped it. She was so very thirsty.
Her tongue felt swollen in her mouth. Slowly she shook her head and forced one foot in front of the other.
One more step, she told herself, just one more step, and then perhaps another.
She smelled the water, the sharp salty smell, and the odor of fish. So very close now to the Sea Wind. She would make it; she wouldna??t shame herself in front of him. And she would find the words to convince him of her innocence, soon, soon now.
It was the stone in her path that did her in.
She didna??t see it. She stumbled and went down to her knees, flinging out her hands at the last minute to protect herself.
She felt the pain sear through her, felt the tearing of the pebbles and dirt into her palms. She remained as she was, on her hands and knees, her head lowered, her hair straggling to the ground on either side of her face.
a??Get up.a??
She thought about it, hard, and told herself to rise. But her body didna??t obey her.
a??Get up, else Ia??ll tether you and drag you.a??
She raised her head then, and her eyes were on line with his boots.
She looked upward. He was bare-legged, his tunic coming to his knees, belted at his waist. A long knife hung from the belt.
His forearms were bare save for a thick gold arm bracelet.
Then she saw his face, saw the emotionless coldness, and felt herself shrink inside.
a??Get up,a?? he said again, impatient now, and she forced herself back onto her knees, drew her breath, and tried to rise. There were people gathering around them, people who knew her, and they were murmuring words she could hear:
a??Aye, a??tis a slave she is now, but what she deserves is to have her bowels cut out.a??
a??Nay, a??tis our sweet Zarabeth, and she couldna??t have killed Olav.a??
a??A sweeting she was when she was small . . . but now she is a woman grown, and greedy and evil, ah . . .a??
It was suddenly too much. Zarabeth looked around at the faces of men and women shea??d known since her mother had wedded Olav and brought her to York.
She saw anger and contempt; she saw uncertainty and pity.
She looked up at Magnusa?? face and saw nothing but coldness.
Then she saw nothing. She fell sideways, unconscious.
He felt his heart lurch. Quickly he leaned down and drew her up into his arms. She felt lifeless, her head lolling backward, her hair wrapped around his arm and in thick tangles to the ground.
He said not a word to any of the people, but strode to the Sea Wind. He crossed the narrow gangplank.
Horkel greeted him. a??This is the woman?a??
a??Aye, she fainted. From the heat, from her guilt, I know not.a??
a??I wonder when she last ate. She was in the slavesa?? compound, you know. a??Tis not a place for such as she.a??
Magnus hadna??t known. Hea??d assumed she was being kept in Olava??s house, with Keith .
. . but no, that couldna??t be, else Horkel would have told him.
He hadna??t asked her whereabouts and no one had said anything.
He swallowed, then hardened himself. a??I will take her into the cargo hold.
Ita??s covered and there is privacy and protection from the sun.a??
a??I will bring water and some food for her.a??
Magnus nodded, then strode carefully over the planking to the bow of the vessel, where there was a goodsize space aft, enclosed for cargo.
There was also room enough for three or four men to be protected from the weather when it was foul.
He heard Ragnar, another of his men and a cousin, say to Horkel, a??Will he kill her, I wonder.a??
Magnus could practically hear Horkel shrug. If the man felt deeply about anything, he never let on. He was always so calm, so matter-of-fact, that it was a challenge to get him to bend, to yell, to jest even.
a??Do you think her guilty of murdering her husband? All of York speaks of it. They call her young and greedy and evil. They say she betrayed Magnus.a??
a??I know not. Magnus believes it is so. He will bend her to his will.a??
a??I cannot believe she would not have him,a?? Ragnar said, his voice now more distant, for hea??d moved away. a??I thought he had forgotten her, for he bedded Cyra until she was sprawl-legged from his plowings. But now we are returned and he has taken her.a??
Magnus smiled grimly at that, then pushed aside the otter skins that partitioned off the cargo hold.
It was hot in here, but he couldna??t help that.
He laid her on the woven mats that covered the bare planking.
He paused, then pulled a woolen blanket from a trunk, spreading it out, and placed her on it.
She was so pale. It brought him pain to look at her.
By Odin, shea??d nearly broken him with her lies and her deceit.
But now that he had her, she could do no more to hurt him, for she was completely in his power.
The otter skins were suddenly shoved aside and Horkel entered, bending, for the wooden ceiling of the hold was low, and offered Magnus a wooden cup of water.
Magnus slapped Zarabetha??s cheeks. She stirred and moaned softly.
a??Zarabeth, wake up!a?? He took the cup of water from Horkel and put it to her lips. She didna??t open her eyes, but her lips parted and she tried to gulp at the water.
a??Slowly. Nay, go easy, else youa??ll choke.a?? He withdrew the cup and she cried out. a??All right, but slowly.a?? After shea??d drunk all the water, she regained some of her color. She opened her eyes and looked up at Magnus.
Without thought, she smiled and raised her hand to touch her fingers to his face. a??Magnus,a?? she said. a??I thought I would never see you again.a?? He jerked back, fury darkening his eyes, and he saw the truth of her situation come back to her.
a??You give me much trouble already. Here, Horkel has brought you some food. Are you hungry?a??
She wanted to cry, but she didna??t. For a brief instant he had been there with her and all had been as it was; now was now, though, and he was distant from her, so she merely nodded. She tried to sit up, but was too weak.
Magnus cursed softly. He helped her up so she could lean back against the ship side. He gave her a wooden bowl filled with stewed potatoes and chunks of mutton. She felt her mouth begin to water. When she swallowed the first bite, she closed her eyes, savoring the food.
It angered Magnus, this weakness in her. Had they starved her? By Thor, the slave compound! a??Eat your fill, then you will rest here. Do not come out into the ship, else you will be sorry.a??
He rose then, still bent, for the roof of the tented space was low, and followed Horkel from the cargo space.
a??Her hair is like flame,a?? Horkel said matter-of-factly, with no undue sign of interest.
a??Aye, as red as the flames in the Christian hell.a??
a??You saved her life.a??
a??She wona??t thank me for it, however, for I intend to break her.a??
Horkel said nothing more, but he wondered silently at his frienda??s depth of hatred of the woman.
Every man had been rejected by a woman; surely Magnus wasna??t above a womana??s scorn, a womana??s perfidy.
He went about his tasks, leaving Magnus alone to brood.
There was always activity aboard a vessel, always some job to be seen to.
But each of the twenty men were good and experienced and they knew what had to be done without instruction from Magnus.
The woman wanted her little sister. Magnus shook his head even as he recalled her request, her only plea to him. No, the little girl would be safer here; Zarabeth was wrong that Toki or Keith would try to harm her. Besides, he could not give in to her. Not on anything.
And so the evening fell and he did not go into the cargo hold to see to his slave.
He left orders that Ragnar, handsome, brash, arrogant as a cock, and filled with boundless energy, guard her, and left to visit with a trader who had messages and goods to send to his father, Harald Erlingsson, earl and chieftain of the Gravak Valley.
A powerful man, his father, a man who was beginning to feel cramped and crabbed about by King Harald Fairhair.
He wondered what his sire would say about his bringing Zarabeth home with him.
He would say something, for his father always spoke his mind, regardless.
Zarabeth finished the stew and felt strength seep back into her body.
She moved slowly at first, waiting until she was certain she wouldna??t faint again.
She rose. She didna??t have to bend over, for the stout wadmal covering was a good two inches above her head.
She had to regain her strength and her wits.
She had to rescue Lotti. She felt a numbing pain but ignored it.
Magnus wouldna??t help her. She must help herself, and then she would escape from Magnus, from York.
She would journey with Lotti south, to Wessex, to the land of the Saxons ruled by the great King Alfred.
Her mind made up, she began to plan. Any pain she felt at leaving Magnus, she ignored.
Hea??d left her no choice when hea??d refused to get Lotti.
Ragnar was leaning against his oar when he saw the young woman pull back the otter pelts and emerge into the open vessel.
She looked weary and dirty and afraid, and he felt stirrings of pity for her.
Then he remembered that she had scorned Magnus and was naught but a murderess and now a slave.
He called out to her, his voice rough, a??Go back inside and come not out again. Those are your mastera??s orders.a??
Zarabeth ignored his words and came toward him, saying as she made her way carefully along the center plank, a??I have need to relieve myself. Please help me.a??