“Hilda.” Ivar said, taking a seat by the fire and slicing into some fruit. “You’re here again.”

“Of course, I am.” Hilda said, “It’s good for the children. They spend too much time with this slave, Ivar.”

Enid felt them, those sky-blue eyes flick to her face before going back to the fruit in his hand.

“So you’ve seen them.” Ivar said, “Now don’t you want to get back to your own children?”

“Are you listening to anything I’m saying, Ivar?” Hilda sighed.

“I am.” Ivar said, “But you’re not my wife, Hilda. So I’ll decide how to run my house and raise my children.”

Hilda stared at him, her eyes narrowing into thin slits as she did.

“Water.” she said, holding her cup out to Enid.

Enid stifled it, that sigh that wanted to escape her lips, those harsh remarks that burned a hole all the way through her stomach. She filled Hilda’s cup, her eyes staring blankly ahead of her, desperately keeping herself from making any contact with the woman in front of her.

“You’re right.” she said, “I’m not your wife but I won’t let these children forget my sister and I won’t let them be raised by this Christian either.”

Ivar sighed, tossing the peel from his fruit into the fire and biting into a slice.

“Is that all you have to say?” he asked.

“You should let them go to the wedding.” Hilda said.

That was when Ivar turned, when his face went blank for a moment before his forehead furrowed into a slight crease.

“The wedding?” he asked, “What does any of this have to do with the wedding?”

“It will be good for them to be with other children. And good for them to see more of our people.”

Ivar waved his hand in the air, brushing her away and sighing again as he did.

“Enough…”

“We want to go, far.” Tyr said.

Ivar studied him a moment, his eyes flicking between Tyr and Freya’s faces before Enid felt them on her.

“There’s a long time before then.” he said, “And there’s a lot to work out. Frigga is too young to spend that much time in town and someone will have to stay on the farm.”

“So the slave stays here with Frigga.” Hilda said, “It will only be a few days and…”

“I’m not leaving them here alone.” Ivar cut in.

“So you don’t trust her either?” Hilda smiled, folding her arms across her chest and sitting back.

There was a bitter taste on the tip of Enid’s tongue then, something sour, something that burned. His house was clean, his children were well fed and happy. Frigga was able to speak her half-sentences in two languages.

All because of her.

How could he not trust her at this point?

And why did it bother her so much to know that he didn’t?

“Enough, Hilda…” Ivar sighed.

“No, Ivar,” Hilda smiled. “You can’t have it both ways.”

“I said enough.” Ivar snapped.

That was when the house seemed to chill, when Enid’s tongue turned to stone in her mouth and she held Frigga closer. It was those eyes, those dark and terrible eyes that had not changed from the first time she had seen them back on the boat. For a moment that seemed to be it, for a moment there was nothing but a heavy silence; but then Hilda laughed, then she stood and stretched with a soft smile on her face.

“It’s getting late.” she said, “I’ll come by again soon.” she ruffled Tyr’s hair between her fingers.

“Oh, good.” Ivar growled.

Hilda laughed again, kissing Freya on the top of her head before making her way over to Frigga. Enid could not help it, every time the woman was close she felt that stiffness in her spine. It was the same tension that had been there the first time she had laid eyes on that blood-splattered man outside the church; but this time she did not know why she felt it. There was something about this woman, something sharp and dark, something dangerous. Never once was it pointed at the children. Never once did Enid worry that they might be in danger or Hilda would harm them.

But Enid knew all the way down to her stomach that she would never want to be caught alone with Hilda. It was so strange to feel that way about another woman, to be as frightened of her as she was of the men who had raided her town. There was something wrong about it, something odd and abnormal.

But Enid could not help it. She found herself staring, found her eyes always flicking to watch how Hilda moved, how she stood there in the same room as someone as harsh and as cold as Ivar and just smiled. Enid wanted to do that too. She wanted to not be afraid of who he was and what he could do to her.

But what could she do...? She was a woman, a woman in a strange land, with strange people and no way of ever going home. Her eyes flicked again, watching Hilda smile and wave to the children one last time before she left the house. Something told her that Hilda did not think the same way, that she would not be told to watch children and be afraid simply because she was a woman.

For a moment Enid almost shivered. For a moment she found herself frowning and staring at the door. Some part of her did not like it. Some part of her was almost angry at Hilda for being who she was and angry at herself that she could not be like that too. But she could not deny it, some part of her was excited at the thought that she could be.