“Get your hands off her Lars!” Evelda threw her bruised and aching body at the Viking warrior. He was over 6ft tall, had long blonde hair and beard braided and tainted with blood. His nose was bleeding from a lucky punch from Evelda to his face. He’d done worse to her. She’d been back handed so hard it burst her bottom lip, cut her left eyebrow, bruised her cheek so her jaw was swollen He had thrown her to the ground and kicked her in the stomach and ribs so hard it hurt to breathe. She was covered in dirt and her dress was torn in several places. Most notably it was torn over her chest and there was a bite mark at the start of her right breast that bled. Evelda had been far too scrappy however, scratching at his face and neck, so he was now focusing on the weeping brunette Freydis.
The poor girl was on her back and screaming as she tried to push Lars off her. He was far too strong for her though. He’d probably have raped her at least once already by now had Evelda not continued to claw herself up off the ground and pulling him off Freydis. This time she took hold of his hair with both fists and pulled as hard as she could. “I said get off her! I won’t let you rape her! Fødsel be damned! I’ll die first!” Lars hissed as she twisted and pulled, with the occasional kick to his side as well. Freydis pushed up against his chin to try and throw him off her, and he released a frustrated roar. His attempts to pull her dress up over her hips wasn’t working whilst he was still trying to fight off Evelda and restrain his prize. “What’s a matter Lars? You can’t handle a real woman so you have to force yourself on a girl barely older than a child?”
“You fucking bitch! That’s it!” He back handed Freydis hard enough to stun her. He then twisted his body round to elbow Evelda in her already bruised ribs. She slumped back, severely winded and on her knees as Lars towered over her. “Fødsel is the Maker’s will. As he chases and impregnates the Earth Mother, I will do the same to Freydis. I only hope our union will be blessed enough to produce a child.”
“I hope you have a stroke.” Evelda rasped and held her middle with one hand and used the other to crawl back from him. Lars was too quick for her. He took a fistful of her coppery locks and dragged Evelda to her feet. She hissed with pain and grasped at his wrist to try and lessen the pain of his tight fist in her locks.
“For the last 4 generations of my family every first born son has been made the same way. We then marry the mothers. I will continue this tradition and I will not be stopped by some scrawny runt like you. Freydis may be young, but she’s got more of a woman’s body that you. She has wide child bearing hips, like a woman should. You have the body of a boy. I take her because you are ugly. You freckly, flat bodied, orange haired harpy.” Lars brought his face so close to hers she could smell the mead on his breath as he snarled at her. “Now stay down bitch, or I’ll make sure you never get up again.” Lars threw her to the ground and kicked her in the gut for what felt like the hundredth time. He spat on her dress skirt and nodded at his handy work. “Freydis.” He smirked and stalked towards the whimpering brunette. He got two steps before he was unbalanced and fell like a tree to the ground. He huffed, pushed up on his hands and craned his neck round to look behind him. Evelda had both hands around his left foot despite still lying in pain on the floor. “Oh that’s it. I’ll snap your tiny neck and throw you in the lake. No one will miss you enough to come looking. Maker take you.” Lars ragged his foot away and scrambled to his feet. He reached down and took hold of her neck. Evelda gasped for air as he used his grip to lift her off the ground. She stood on her tiptoes to stop him from simply hanging her in the air, and she pawed at his hand to try and free herself. “You’re going to die here, and then I’ll take Freydis as mine in the light of Fødsel. All this fighting was for nothing. You will die for nothing. You are nothing.”
He squeezed her neck tightly. She wheezed as she fought to take a breath and saw white spots bleed into her vision. Panic numbed her mind to any other thought than trying to free herself.
“Actually, that’s not true.”
Just as Evelda’s eyes began to fog over…air thundered into her chest. After a few deep and rasping breaths she blinked the world back into focus and realised she was on the floor again. She was too weak to rise but she turned her head to see Lars was now being held in the exact same choke hold that he had tried to end her life with. But this time Turuk was the one doing the choking. “She isn’t nothing.” Evelda felt tingling in her fingertips from being chocked so long, but she didn’t dare take stock of her injuries. She stared up from her prone side on the floor at her master. Turuk was definitely angry. His cloak moved around him like livid black flames lashing out at the ground. The air around them had become cold and wind howled through the trees. The demon’s rage was affecting the very forest around them. Glowing orange eyes sparked with embers at the sides and he was hissing like an angry beast. “Evelda is mine.”
Evelda would never forget the look on his face. She’d never forget the way he ragged Lars’ around like a rag doll by the hold on his neck. Nor would she forget the sound of his gasps for life or his neck finally snapping. Turuk even continued to throttle Lars after life had left him simply to vex. When he finally dropped the dead Viking to the ground he lifted his head to the heavens and released the most haunting roar she’d ever hear. He was still panting when he stormed over to her and knelt before her. “Evelda? Where are you injured?”
Everywhere… She tried to open her mouth but the only thing to come out was a trickle of blood. “Shit!” Turuk seemed to be in a half rage half panic as he examined her. “She needs healing. Extensive healing.”
“Can you save her?” Freydis trembled and startled Turuk when she was suddenly stood on the other side of Evelda. “She…she fought so hard to…to save me…she…please.” Freydis held her hands to her chest and begged him. “Please save her. Please.”
“You will become my property.” He flung his arm to one side and opened a shadow portal. “Talita and Valdis have agreed to become mine in exchange for my protection. Your fate is mine to decide. I will kill your family if you betray me.” He carefully scooped Evelda up into his arms and hissed to himself. When had she lost consciousness? “Follow me if you agree. Stay if you do not. If you stay you know what will happen to you. I haven’t the time to convince you.” Turuk stormed towards his portal and noted that Freydis only hesitated for a moment before following him.
On the other side of the portal Freydis gasped. The cold air crept into her bones quickly. She saw stone beneath her feet, natural rock surface, and with a quick turn realised that they were on the side of Mount Skygget. No wonder no one has ever found where the demon lives. He has carved a home high up the side of a mountain. What looked like a cave large enough to host a dragon was before them. Turuk didn’t wait for her, so Freydis grabbed her torn skirt and hurried after him. At a mid-run they entered the cave entrance to find that inside had been totally renovated. Had he teleported them directly inside the cave she wouldn’t have known it was a cave at all. The entrance fed directly into a mahogany palace. Larger than anything she’d ever seen. The entrance hall alone was large enough to fit every resident of Douma. A high sweeping staircase led up to multiple floors. How large was this place? Did it fill the inside of the entire mountain? And why was it so warm in here? Freydis couldn’t see any fires and yet it was as light as day and warm as desirable in here.
“Freydis!” She gasped with a smile and ran towards two very welcome faces at the foot of the staircase. She threw herself into the open arms of Talita and felt Valdis stroke her back. That was, until the ice queen saw Evelda.
“What-Evelda?! What did you do to her?!??!” Valdis tried to retrieve her friend but Freydis grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?!”
“She needs healing. Don’t stop him.” She begged the hot head.
“But-”
“She got beaten so badly protecting me. Turuk saved her and now he needs to heal her. Let him go.”
Turuk bit his tongue, and made a mental note to thank Freydis for her interference, and chide Valdis for her daring, later. He ignored the trio in favor of hurrying to a side door at the foot of the staircase. He kicked the door open and descended to his dungeon. There he had an apothecary with all the necessary ingredients he would need to treat her. Once there he turned on the spot so his cloak would fly through the air to shove the various bottles and papers off his preparation table. Turuk laid her there on the table like she was the most delicate of porcelain dolls. Like she would shatter if he jostled her too much. He carefully removed her clothing as quickly as he dared and stared in horror at the various shades of black and blue over her body.
A weeping bite wound on her chest.
Cracked ribs on both sides.
Fist and boot impressions were everywhere.
She bled from her face, fingernails and internally she looked a mess. It was hard to find skin that wasn’t cut or bruised.
And then there were the distinct finger marks budding into the freshest bruise of all…around her petite little neck.
“…you fought with everything you had…for another. That guy didn’t even want you. You could have just stayed out of it, but you didn’t. So…stupid.” He banged his fists on the table beside her and scowled. “Why didn’t you call out for me? I told you I’d keep you safe. You’re wearing my pendant. If you had just…I would have known if you…damn you Evelda. I should let you perish for being so stupid.” He glared down at her and pushed his hood back over his head. “I doubt that would make a good impression on my new brides though, would it? I will make you sorry for being so foolish. Mark my words.” He ran a hand back through long black hair and sighed. “It’s going to be a long night. So much for getting to know my new brides. I’ll be lucky to have you stable by the morning.”
That is…if I’m not too late…
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