That night, I lie in bed with open eyes. All of my siblings are asleep around me. Maybe if I hadn't been at dinner, I would be asleep right now.

After the meal, I was asked to go to bed. Instead, I hid behind our ladder and listened as my parents argued. While they had fought, my father was packing a bag of clothing and food. 

"Why must you always volunteer?" mother demanded, her voice strained from crying, "You have 7 kids, Bjorn..7!"

"I am the only man that can volunteer for this. As the leader of this colony, I refuse to let anyone else take on this responsibility!" my father had responded, stubbornly.

The conversation ended then and there as my mother had realized that there was no stopping him. So the sounds of her sobs filled the downstairs, and I climbed up the ladder as fast as I could.

Now, as I'm in bed, I feel no fatigue. Every bit of me was as awake and as tense as it was at the dinner table.

Silently, I push myself up from my pillow. I know what I'm going to do, and I know I need to be silent if I'm going to do it.

As quietly as I can, I put on a pair of trousers, a heavy top, and my cloak. Henrik's knife gets hooked on a leather belt and I hold the amber stone in my sweaty palm tightly.

I climb down the ladder and move to my parents' room while holding my breath. My father's bag lays next to their bedside table, so I set the amber down next to him and sling the bag over my shoulder. Inside the bag, I can feel the leather book and other necessities bouncing around.

Thankfully, I'm able to get my heavy boots on without a sound, and then immediately heads towards the town hall. Surprisingly, a golden light pours out of the bottom cracks in the door.

Part of me is immediately regretting this. However, I know I would regret it more if I allowed my poor father to take on this treacherous journey in his current state. 

Knowing that it's better if I act now and think later, I clench my fists and open the door. 

In front of me, numerous vikings sit surrounding the fireplace to the left. Others populate the floor, asleep and warm. As I enter, all of their heads turn.

I inhale to speak, but an arm wraps itself around my waist and yanks me back. A knife gets shoved to my throat and honestly, I'm not surprised. 

"Whado ya think yer doin’ ‘ere?" a nasty voice hisses in my ear. The breath that accompanies it smells reminiscent of horse feces. 

Ulmar, one of the men at the fireplace, stands and shoots an angry glare at the man behind me.

"Hrut! Tha’s enough!" he barks, not even attempting to make his voice softer for the sleeping men on the floor.

The man behind me, Hrut, releases me hesitantly and then shoves me away from him. Soon, I am completely surrounded by nearly ten men. I place my gaze upon Ulmar and keep it there intensely.

"My father has sent me to go in his place," I claim stiffly.

Ulmar simpers at me, "Is that so? In the middle of the night?"

I nod and watch as Ulmar sends Sindri a sideways glance. Ulmar crosses his arms and scowls at me.

"1: I don’t believe you, 2: even if I did believe you, I will not be sailing with some farm girl..." he lists, making my fists crunch, "...and 3: you’re going behind your own family’s back. That's not very...wholesome... is it?" 

His men snicker at me and I feel like my face is going to burst into flames.

"Now, run along and return home before daybreak," Ulmar finishes bitterly.

"No," I grind my teeth, "You need me on the ship."

He raises a bushy red eyebrow at me, his eyes reflecting the dim light in the hall, and says, "Why is that?"

"1..." I start mockingly, "I’m the only other person in my family that can read, 2: I’m much more physically able than my father, and 3: if you don’t have my help, Thorgrim will find the stones before you.."

Ulmar is silent.

"And 4: you know I'm right," I finish with a snap.

They no longer stare at me, but now at the floor. The once arrogant eyes of the vikens fall from their imagined thrones and I finally feel some semblance of worth.

Ulmar raises his eyebrows at me and looks around at the men surrounding us. 

"The road we travel is no place for a weak farmhand," he growls at me, "Do you understand?"

I nod vigorously.

"We look out for each other," Ulmar continues, motioning towards his men, "And if you join us, then you must do the same."

"I understand," I say as his eyes bore into mine with unceasing scrutiny.

Ulmar clears his throat and turns to his men. 

"Men, what say you?" he demands, his voice bouncing off the walls of the hall.

Silence ensues his question, making my hair stand on end.

"Aye," Sindri barks, "You saw her father, Ulmar. You know he is not physically well enough to fight beside us. At least we can teach her."

A collection of murmurs sails through the room in agreement. I begin to feel even more confident until an unexpected voice blurts out in disagreement.

"No," Henrik states boldly. 

My eyes find him and he gazes hotly at his father. I'm surprised by his disagreement; I figured he would side with me.

"She's just a stupid girl," Henrik says, shooting a warning look at me, "She will only hurt us."

I gape at him in shock and then step forward, my hands beginning to shake with fury.

"I have the book you need and I have the literacy you need to comprehend it. Either you get help from this trip or you leave with a book and no means with which to read it!" I demand, my voice nearly trembling with anger.

More agonizing silence follows my words. I see Sindri and Ulmar lock eyes, then Ulmar turns to me.

"If we’re going to get away with this, we leave now," he orders, "You hear that men? We're moving."

All I can manage is a heavy sigh of relief while everyone around me starts buzzing with preparation. In the midst of the movement, someone grabs my arm gruffly.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Henrik growls in my ear.

We lock eyes and I give him the worst scowl I can muster. His black eyes crinkle with anger, but I yank my arm away from his stiff grasp.

"Let me worry about myself," I hiss at him between clenched teeth, "Why, I'm just some stupid farmhand anyway."

I turn away from him disapprovingly and cross my arms in order to hide my shaking hands. 

I only have to wait a small amount of time before they're packed up. Surprisingly, the hall is left looking the same as when they found it. And once they're ready, they look to Ulmar.

"Head to the ship, and be quiet about it," he says, his voice low and steady.

He leads the way out the door and the hoard follows behind him. Henrik walks near the front of the pack while I try my best to stay towards the back. Next to me are the two vikens that escorted me from the ship. In my mind, I make it a goal of mine to learn their names.

The hoard walks through the town as silent as a breeze. We go over the forested hill that I have traversed many times, and soon we are at the shore. With every step I take, I feel my stomach become more and more nauseated. To the best of my ability, I swallow the terrible feeling down and try to keep myself calm.

Then men begin helping each other onto the boat and soon it's my turn to board. The two friendly vikens hold their arms out to me and I take them eagerly.

Ulmar takes his place at the back of the boat while Henrik sits to his right. I don't quite know where to go, since all the men have taken their places by the oars, so I sit down at the front of the ship behind the large snake's head. 

The men begin to row, the shallow body of the ship sliding into the water with ease. Soon, the entire keel is in the water and we're off. 

I stand to look at the shore of my home once more. A terrible fear twists inside my chest, one that I don't know how to handle. The farther the boat goes, the longest distance from home that I've ever been grows. 

No matter how much I want to look away, I can't. The feeling of leaving home for an unknown amount of time is one that I don't enjoy, but I know I must feel it. 

"Ever left home before?" Ulmar shouts at me from the opposite end of the ship.

I look at him, feeling numerous eyes upon me, and shake my head, "No."

"Well," he guffaws, "Best get nice and comfy, girl. The only family you have now is us and the stars above you."

I look up with tears in my eyes and realize that he's right... 

In the dark shadow of night, all one can see from the ship is that of the crew and the faces of the stars shining down upon us.