Chapter 16
a??By Thora??s wounds! What are you doing? Ingunn! Stop it, woman!a??
Magnus stood frozen, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Ingunn was holding Lotti by the arm and had raised the whip.
She was actually going to hit the child.
He called her name again, but she didna??t seem to hear him.
She was panting, her breasts heaving, and she was focused entirely on the child.
Magnus ran to her and grabbed her wrist just before the whip came down upon Lottia??s back, wresting the whip from her hand.
She was white-faced, her eyes nearly black with uncontrolled fury. It shocked him, this viciousness in her. He threw the whip away, grabbed his sistera??s upper arms, and shook her hard. a??What is the matter with you? Why would you strike a child? And with a whip! Answer me, damn you!a??
Ingunn blinked at him, and he shook her again, but before she could answer, he heard Lotti making those raw mewling sounds and quickly turned to the child.
She was running toward . . . He saw Zarabeth for the first time.
She was on her knees, and was holding her gown up in front of her chest. Her hair was hanging down either side of her face, tangled and sweat-soaked. Her face was utterly without color.
He dropped Ingunna??s arms.
He felt something in him twist and burn. He watched Lotti throw her arms around Zarabetha??s neck, saw Zarabetha??s arms slowly come around the childa??s back.
Something was very wrong. He slowed himself.
He reached Zarabeth but found that words wouldna??t come to his tongue.
He felt pain flow through him, raw and deep, for in that moment she fell to the side, taking Lotti with her, unconscious.
He saw her back then, covered with purple welts from Ingunna??s whip, saw splotches of blood where the whip had broken her flesh.
Tendrils of hair stuck to her back. For a moment he was sickened with the shock of it; then black rage rushed through him like a wild fire. That he had brought her here for this.
He looked up to see his aunt. a??Fetch hot water, Eldrid, quickly, and soap and clean cloths.a?? Without another word, he lifted Zarabeth over his shoulder, careful not to touch her back. It was then that everyone seemed to become aware of him and of what had happened.
Ingunn yelled, a??Leave her to the slaves!
Let them take her to the slavesa?? hut. She is an insolent female, nothing but a slut whom you have already bedded!
Why do you care? You brought her here to be a slave and your whore!
She will be well enough this night for your rutting. She is nothing, Magnus, nothing!a??
Cyra tried to catch his sleeve. a??The woman insulted your sister, she yelled at her and called her horrible names and would not do as Ingunn told her to do anda??a??
Magnus shook her off, knowing that if he touched her, he would likely kill her.
He carried Zarabeth into the dark chamber and laid her on her stomach.
Slowly he pulled the red strands of hair from the welts on her back.
He pulled her shredded gown to her hips.
He heard a soft sobbing and turned to see Lotti, her small fist in her mouth, standing in the doorway, afraid to come closer.
a??Come here, Lotti, and sit beside her. When she awakens . . .a?? He realized it would be difficult for her to understand. He left Zarabeth and went to the little girl. He lifted her, hugged her to him, smelling the sweet child-smell of her, then set her beside her sister on the bed.
He took her face between his hands and said slowly and calmly, a??Stay beside her and smile at her when she awakens. All right?a??
Lotti swallowed and slowly nodded. There was such fear contorting her features that Magnus wanted to yell with fury at it.
Instead, he gently lifted Zarabeth onto her side. There was but one welt that had snaked around her back and made a narrow red mark just below her breasts. He drew another deep breath and eased her back onto her stomach.
Eldrid came into the chamber. Behind her was a slave carrying a rushlight. She fastened it into the holder on the wall.
Magnus began washing Zarabetha??s back. He didna??t look at his aunt, merely said, a??Tell me what happened.a??
a??I am too old for this nonsense, nephew,a?? Eldrid said.
a??I am teaching the little girl, just as you asked of me, but the sister, a??tis too much, Magnus.
Ingunn hates her and wants her gone from herea??that, or dead.
What could I do? The child tried to help her sister, and Ingunn turned on her. What could I do?a??
Magnus said nothing. He was washing the welts on her back. a??Have you one of your herb remedies? She will have pain, and I would stop it if I could.a??
Eldrid shook her head. a??Juice of the elderberry would do her good, but there isna??t any. Only in the fall, perhaps in October. The woman is young, she will bear her pain as so many do, without your liking or disliking it.a??
He hated Eldrid in that moment, but he had no choice but to keep her here.
She and Helgi, his mother, could not bear each other, so Eldrid had come to live with him some five years before.
She had birthed no living sons to see to her well-being.
She was sour and hard, except with children.
Yet she had not protected Lotti. Ah, perhaps she had tried, but she was an old woman, depending on Ingunn as well as on him.
And Ingunn had seemed as a berserker going into battle.
He drew a deep breath and lightly patted a welt that had drawn blood just above her hips.
He cursed then, soft and long, and looked up to see Lotti staring at him.
a??Zarabeth,a?? Lotti said, and lightly laid one small hand on her sistera??s shoulder.
Magnus said slowly, a??She will be all right, Lotti. I promise you.a??
Zarabeth stirred some minutes later. She was lying on her stomach, and surely that was odd.
In the next instant she realized that her back was on fire.
Pain swamped her, and she hissed out her breath.
She felt his hand on her arm, heard his voice next to her face.
a??Hold still. I can do nothing for your pain, I am sorry.
Just hold still and breathe slowly and deeply.a??
And she did, for she really had no choice. She didna??t open her eyes, but said, a??Lotti. Is she all right? Ingunn was going to hit her, and I couldna??t . . . couldna??t stop her, I couldna??t make my body move to stop her.a??
a??I stopped Ingunn. Lotti is fine. She is sleeping now, next to you.a??
a??Thank you.a??
a??You wona??t be scarred.a??
She opened her eyes and stared at him. a??I wanted to kill your sister, but I couldna??t reach her.
I saw her raise that whip on Lotti and I heard her laugh, and then .
. .a?? She shuddered with the memory of it, and Magnus, feeling furious and helpless and hating both feelings, said, a??Try to sleep now.a??
a??Ia??m very hungry. That is what started it all. I was so very hungry, and I simply wanted to eat some porridge.a??
a??I will fetch you something.a?? He left her lying there on her stomach, her face washed of color, even her vivid red hair seeming faded and dimmed, hanging damp and tangled beside her face.
He walked to the cooking counter of smooth wooden planks that held wooden plates, knives, spoons, and trays.
He was aware of the painful silence in the longhouse.
His men were staring at him, as were the women.
Only the children seemed unaffected, and he heard them taunting each other, laughing, challenging.
He heard Egill yelling for a wager with another boy.
Ingunn was behind him, saying quickly, her voice low and furious, a??Do not believe her, Magnus.
She lies, I know it. She disobeyed me, refused to work.
What was I to do? She thinks that since she is your whore, she need do nothing save watch the rest of us work.
Believe not her tales, Magnus! You already know her for a liar, a murderess.a??
He turned slowly, a bowl in his hand. a??Please put some venison stew in the bowl, Ingunn.a??
Ingunn drew back. a??For her? For that slut? I would rather stick a knife in her black heart.a??
a??Do as I tell you.a??
a??No, damn you, I wona??t!a??
a??Then you will no longer be welcome in my house. I am master here, and I will be obeyed in all things.a??
He hated using that kind of threat, but he saw no other way.
Ingunn took the bowl from him and turned stiffly away.
He watched her, thinking that he had never before witnessed such unfairness in her, such viciousness, then quickly rearranged his memory.
Oh, yes, he had seen her drawn into jealousy before, and her fury had been uncontrolled.
It had been over an arm bracelet another young girl had refused to give her.
She was jealous of Zarabeth, and, fool that he was, he had taken all Zarabetha??s weapons.
He had made her a slave. He had placed her at Ingunna??s mercy.
His sister returned with the bowl and handed it to him, saying nothing now.
He said very quietly, his eyes never leaving her face, a??If you touch her again, I will take the whip to you and let you taste it on your back. If you ever put your hands on Lotti again, I will take the whip to you with even greater force. Do you understand me?a??
a??By Thora??s hammer, she lied! I did nothing to her that she did not deserve. Just ask Cyra! She saw everything the slut did, ask her!a??
a??Do you understand me?a??
a??Why do you care? Did you not bed her? How many men had her before you? She bragged on how many men shea??d had in York and how all she had to do to you was smile. Why do you still care?a??
a??Do you understand me?a??