A New Home #4
Unlike their previous ride, this time, she leaned into Rathnon so she could be comfortable riding.
Ilona felt safe with his strong arms around her and enjoyed the feel of his hard chest behind her, the press of his powerful leg muscles as he guided their horse on the path.
Mountains were in the distance on one side and the sea and coastline on the other.
They hugged the coast as they navigated through wooded forests.
As they rode, Ilona recognized trees in common with Scotland: pine, oak, and alder.
She recognized similar birch trees that grew on Orkney Island, her home. Well, the home she’d grown up in.
Now she would make a new home with Rathnon—unless an opportunity to escape presented itself before they wed.
Ilona felt obligated to her parents to escape.
If they had stayed longer in the fortress, she might have been able to smuggle herself aboard a Scottish ship.
Once again, it was as if Rathnon could read her mind and determine her plots to escape.
He had thwarted her past attempt to flee. But she vowed to try again.
On their journey, he pointed to his horse and said the word in Norwegian, and she repeated his words.
Rathnon pointed to his and her garments and shoes and repeated the naming exercise.
Then he tested her and pointed to his garments and horse to see what she had retained.
Ilona didn’t see the harm in demonstrating what he had taught her and repeated the words flawlessly.
Ilona’s keen intellect impressed Rathnon.
The lass was a quick study. He wanted her strong and not vulnerable in their home.
Rathnon needed her to be independent yet reliant on him for some things.
He wanted her comfort and happiness as his wife.
The king would call upon him again and he would need to travel far away.
But he did not want to think about leaving her soon.
After a couple hours of riding, they traveled too to a river.
Rathnon pulled their horse to a stop and dismounted, then lifted Ilona out of the saddle and lowered her to the ground.
He removed a small sack secured to the pommel and tied the reins of his horse to a tree, enabling it to nibble on the grass and drink water.
Rathnon led her to the stream, gave her a line with a hook, and plunked it into the water.
He did the same with his line. It was nae long before they both caught fish.
Ilona loved fishing with her father. She recalled the many times she had studiously imitated her father at the edge of a loch or river.
Ilona was proud when her father praised her for catching fish.
Rathnon smiled at her proudly now with every fish she caught.
Ilona enjoyed the quiet of the forest after the boisterous city with many people.
How could ye breathe in such a place? She loved nature and the wide-open sky, the scent of heather and peat from the meadows and bogs, and the dense green forests.
She sighed happily. If only Rathnon lived in Orkney, then her world would have been perfect.
He and her father could converse about politics, go hunting and fishing together, and return home for dinner by a cozy fire in the hearth.
Ilona didn’t want to ruin their first day together with tears, so she thought of other things that brought her joy.
Rathnon stood, their sack full to bursting with the fish they had caught.
He pulled Ilona up for a quick kiss and then, when she indicated needing to relieve herself, pointed to a clump of bushes for her privacy.
His eyes remained glued to her feet, and he listened intently, not trusting her not to flee; he didn’t want to risk her getting lost in the forest. When she had finished, she rinsed her hands in the river.
Ilona studied the plants on the forest floor as she walked back to Rathnon but didn’t see any healing plants.
He appeared relieved that she hadn’t run away from him.
But from here, where could I go? Ilona didn’t fool herself; she needed a plan that was nae reckless.
Rathnon lifted her into the saddle and mounted behind her.
They rode less than an hour judging by the sun in the sky, when a clearing in the woods appeared with a small village.
As soon as a lad saw him, he shouted a greeting and yelled loud enough for everyone outside to hear.
Rathnon had returned. Shouts of joy erupted, and people swarmed them to greet Rathnon.
Ilona gathered she was a surprise, judging by the astonished expressions on the women’s faces.
Slowly, they made their way to the longhouse, situated centrally in the village.
It had stones around the bottom circumference, with thatch walls and sod on the roof.
Smoke curled up from the chimney. How many people live inside? Is this where Rathnon and I will live, not in a home of our own?
Rathnon pulled to a stop, dismounted, and lifted Ilona from the saddle, and he introduced Ilona to the people around them. “I captured this beautiful woman from Orkney Island. We are to be married by royal decree. Please make her welcome in her new home with you.”
Unaware of what he’d told these people, they looked stunned and pleased during his tale.
Ilona saw the women sizing her up, assessing her based on how she looked.
Glad of Rathnon’s arm around her, he led her into the longhouse where he surprised an elderly woman, who Ilona assumed was his aunt.
The woman held on to him dearly and cried as he embraced her and kissed her head.
Rathnon gave her the sack of fish, and she smiled at him, accepting his welcome gift.
He pulled away from her and drew Ilona into their embrace.
To his aunt Rathnon explained, “This is my wife-to-be. Her name is Ilona, and I took her from her parents on Orkney Island. We are to be married in a fortnight by edict of the king. We can be married as soon as you help her make her wedding dress for the ceremony. Please help her learn our customs and our ways so she will be happy here with us.”
His aunt appeared surprised as her eyes became round and wide, gazing intently at Ilona. Perhaps his aunt expected Rathnon to marry a Viking girl in their village. That would be awkward.
Aunt Sigrid understood all too well what the poor girl must be experiencing since being captured by her intended husband and brought here. It was many years ago now, but those vivid memories lingered.
His aunt surprised Ilona when she haltingly spoke Gaelic to her. His aunt crushed her in a hug, startling her with her wiry strength.
“Ilona, this is my aunt, Sigrid.”
Sigrid said, “Welcome to our home. We are happy Rathnon found ye and brought ye home here to us. I ken it will take time to get used to our ways, as it did me. I almost gave up on Rathnon ever finding the woman of his dreams. But here ye are at last, and I am happy.”
Rathnon looked at them both with a beaming smile. He kent his aunt could make Ilona feel at home and ease her transition into being the wife of a Viking warrior.
Rathnon’s parents had died long ago from illness, and his aunt and uncle had raised him from a boy into a man, until his ill uncle died.
Later, when called into service for the king, he was gone for long periods of time.
Rathnon loved his aunt, and she loved him as if he were her son. They had a strong bond.
Rathnon took his and Ilona’s belongings and hung them on a hook next to a bench along the wall. Will we sleep here tonight?
Sigrid led Ilona to where a group of women worked preparing a meal.
She showed her where to wash her hands and introduced Ilona to the women, who smiled and greeted her warmly with hugs and smiles.
Sigrid gave Ilona a knife, and she cut up vegetables for a stew.
Ilona cupped her hands to gather them and let the vegetables fall into the pot.
The hearth was in the middle of the room, from where the aroma of the food emanated.
Sigrid washed and cut the heads off the fish. She called a young lad to her and gave him a basket with the fish heads. Then Sigrid instructed him about how to dispose of the fish heads. A large pan with fat sat on a flat rock over the fire and sizzled when Sigrid added the fish to fry.
The women talked and, no doubt, gossiped as they worked.
Rathnon left Ilona in the care of the women and left to join the men.
They passed around a bag of ale and toasted to Rathnon and his intended bride.
It reminded Ilona of how men and women acted back home.
Men left the women to cook, prepare the meals, and look after the children while the men talked, drank whiskey, and boasted of their deeds.
The hum of conversation around the fire while the women worked comforted Ilona, making her think of home.
Her heart clenched in longing. She enjoyed working with the women and getting to ken their personalities, despite not understanding their language.
Work would keep her distracted. Ilona planned to learn as much as she could.
Soon, the adults in the longhouse gathered along both sides of a long table.
The elder, the chieftain of this group, stood and welcomed Rathnon back home after his long journey.
“We welcome ye, Ilona, to our home. Ye bring grace and beauty to us, and we are pleased Rathnon finally found ye to be his wife. He searched many years for ye.” He then said blessings over the food and sat down.
Rathnon’s aunt translated what the elder said.
With the food piled high in wooden trenchers, the women served the children and the men at the table.
Then the women served themselves and sat down.
The men dug into their food hungrily, having labored hard during the daylight.
The villagers were eating dinner earlier than usual to celebrate Rathnon and Ilona’s arrival.