As quickly as I can, I pick up my skirts and run back home. My mind races as I bust through the front door and take my place standing angrily before my father and mother.

"Father, what are you thinking?" I exclaim heatedly.

My mother stands with furrowed brows and a frown. She inhales to reprimand me but I cut her off.

"We need an explanation! Vikingrs are our enemies! We cannot trust them, you know that!" I explode again, my attitude becoming entirely inappropriate at this point.

"Of course we know," my mother responds with a biting hiss, "Do you not think that we are as afraid as you?"

My mother and I stand staring at each other intensely, both with the same cold, clear blue eyes. I don't want to fight with them. All I want is an explanation. 

"Runa," my father beckons, "Come here."

I obey him promptly and take a knee at his side. Even in the dim light of the house, I can see all the fatigue that makes his face sag. He looks at me with his black eyes and brings a rough hand up to my cheek. 

"I need you to finish your chores, wash up, and join us at the dinner," he speaks quietly.

My eyes widen and I look at my mother, who sits next to him with her eyes down in worry.

"Wha-Why?" I stammer cluelessly.

"I need you to serve the food and be hospitable for our guests. Understand?" Bjorn states, forcefully now.

I want to fight him on it, but I know that I shouldn't cause him any more stress. Hesitantly, I nod and then purse my lips together so I can't let out another sound.

"Do not be afraid, kærr*," my father smiles softly at me.

My brows furrow and I force a pained smile. In silence, I stand and leave the house to work on my chores once more.

For the rest of the day, I have to carry on as though there are not vikingrs living in my town hall. 

As I return to washing the apples, nothing but worry pollutes my mind. I can't imagine what the vikingrs want to propose to a man as respectable as my father. I never even imagined such savages to have enough humility to ask for help.

Obviously, they were in desperate need of something. Something that they can't find just by pillaging...

Soon, the apples are clean and I carry the woven basket back through the orchard. As I walk, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end for the second time today.

With all this worry on my mind, I try shaking off the uneasy feeling and continuing with my work. However, the feeling just grows.

A tree shakes to my left and I stop in my tracks. Carefully, I set the basket down at my feet and turn to the left.

The rustling continues and I work my way into the line of trees. Looking at the next line over, there is still nothing.

"Runa?" someone says behind me, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin.

Behind me stands Aksel Hansen, the eldest of the Hansen family and also the one man that my father would allow me to marry. He stands holding a plump red apple in his bony fingers, and his face is twisted into a pompous smirk.

"Did I scare you?" Aksel teases as I step out of the tree line and straighten out myself. 

"No," I roll my eyes, "What are you even doing here?"

He shrugs and watches me pick up the basket of apples. 

"I wanted to check on my lovely lady," he flirts, his long teeth jutting out at me with a smile, "Is that allowed?"

"Unfortunately it is," I mutter, "Do you have something to say or are you just here to be a pest?"

I stare at him as he feigns insult, my eyes heavy with displeasure.

"I wanted to ask you about the vikens," he inquired, "I figured you must know something about the matter since your father thinks we can trust them."

When his lips land upon matters of my father, he turns bitter.

"I think many families in town find themselves questioning his judgement on the subject," he states as if he's important.

My eyes scrunch into the nastiest glare I can muster.

"Well, Aksel," I begin as I walk in the direction of the barn, "If any of the families in town ask your opinion, I'll let them know how you stand."

"Runa, darling--"

"Don't call me darling," I snap.

"Runa," he fixes quickly, "I'm sure you yourself are questioning your father's intentions, right? I mean, vikingrs are our enemies. We all know that!"

I shake my head in disagreement.

"Aksel, if the vikens wanted something that we had, they would burn down our village and find it themselves. Obviously, they need our help and are willing to ask for it in a peaceful manner. We should be thankful they asked instead of just taking," I say as we both enter the horse barn.

The smell of hay fills my nose as I inhale the strong scent heartily. As we walk, I stop at each stable and give the horses one apple to nibble on.

"But still," Aksel continues, becoming more opinionated as the conversation goes on, "Letting them sleep in our town hall? Your father is just asking for trouble!"

The two of us exit the horse barn and continue on my path through town towards the food supply bank.

As I go to open the door to the bank, Aksel's hand shoots out and pins me against the wooden entrance. He pushes his head into my headspace and holds his chest close to mine.

"Runa, my dear," he hisses, our foreheads almost touching, "You know I love you.."

I have to hold my tongue in order to contain the disgusting gagging noise I want to make.

"So I don't want to argue anymore," Aksel smiles softly, "Let's talk about us instead."

"Let's not," I insist, "Now move your arm."

He does move, so I try and shove him out of the way. Instead, he grabs my jaw in his large hand and presses my head against the door. My face burns with anger and embarrassment. He starts to lean in towards me and everything inside me is screaming.

"When will you let me marry you?" he asks poisonously, "You know I adore you..."

"I don't want to marry anyone," I growl at you, "Let alone some moron like you."

This enrages him, I can tell by the way his pupils shrink and his face contorts into a fiery grimace. He lets go of my jaw and winds back just as something goes flying and knocks him on the side of the head.

"Ow!" he exclaims, forgetting me and looking behind him to see what just smacked him, "Who threw that?"

People in town glare at him for making a ruckus and I make my escape into the food bank. I lock the door as quickly as possible and then exhale a great sigh of relief. Outside, I can still hear Aksel shouting for whoever hit him to show themselves.

More relaxed, I set down the basket of apples near the rest of the exports and brush myself off. Aksel begins to knock on the door.

"Runa! Runa, come now!" he shouts into the bank. I just roll my eyes and listen to him shouting as I escape out the back door. 

On the other side of our little village is another hill with a forest that creeps around and up the mount. It's at this time of the day that I take a small break from my responsibilities and take time to rest in the world around me.

I fear that I need this break more than ever today; the worry in our town is so dense that I can feel it in the air. 

Cautiously, I make my way up the forested hill and to the top of the promontory where miles of open ocean can be seen. At the top of the hill, nothing below it seems important.

Stretching far before me lies a blue horizon deep turquoise waters kissing it with each passing wave. Usually, the shore and the ocean are empty, but today the shore is home to a viking ship. 

My eyes widen as a terrible idea enter my mind. I attempt to forget about it, but since there's no one around...

Without a sound, my feet carry me down to the shore towards the viking ship.

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* dear