Sophie stepped outside the next morning and was greeted by a beautiful, sunny morning. She made her way to the lists, expecting Eirik to be waiting for her to practice their sparring, but instead, he was busy talking with several of the men, including Ulriech, and didn't notice her entrance until she walked right up to them. "What's going on?"
"We're preparing for the Trials!" Ulriech snapped.
"The what?"
Ulriech turned to stare at her as if she should know what he was talking about. "The Trials, woman! It's a yearly tradition."
"Oh, that makes sense," she said. Then she smacked him. "I haven't been here a year, how am I supposed to know what's going on?"
Eirik chuckled. He explained, more eloquently than Ulriech, and Sophie finally nodded. "So, it's a cross country obstacle course?"
"Not sure what that is. Maybe?" Eirik shrugged.
"Well, since we're supposed to be training still, shouldn't I come along?"
Ulriech laughed. "No woman has run the Trials in over a hundred years!"
"So, women aren't allowed?" she asked.
"It's not that they aren't allowed," Eirik said. "But it's very dangerous."
"So then why do you all do it?"
Ulriech was getting annoyed with her questions, which was an added benefit of asking so many. Anything she could do to irritate him was just a bonus. But she was truly curious and honestly wanted to know. He huffed. "Because, the winner gets to choose a bride out of all the women in the entire clan!"
"Oh. How exciting." she said dryly. "I'm warning you right now, if you win and you ask me, I'll say no in front of every single person in this city."
Ulriech huffed and puffed, walking around the arena as if he'd never been so insulted in his entire life, but she knew that couldn't be true. She'd insulted him just a few days ago. Why he wasn't used to it yet was beyond her.
"Eirik, do you think I could do it?" she asked softly.
Eirik took a deep breath and looked down at her. "Yes. I think you probably could," he said. "But I don't think you should."
"Why?"
"Sophie, when we say it's dangerous, we're not talking about you skinning your knee. Men have been killed trying to just finish these Trials. Not even winning them, just finishing. If it's that dangerous for the men, I can't even tell you how much more dangerous it could be for you. Yes, physically, I think you could do it. But I'm asking you, please don't even consider it."
"When do they start?" she asked.
He sighed, knowing she was already considering it. "Next month."
"Will you show me?"
"Show you what? The course?"
She nodded.
"Sophie," he whispered.
"I just want to see it."
Finally, he nodded. "I'll show you."
"You're going to let her run it!?" Ulriech bellowed.
Eirik rolled his eyes. "Are you afraid she's going to beat you?" he turned around to face his brother, who walked away, mumbling under his breath as he left the lists. Turning back to her, Eirik seemed to be pondering something. "Tomorrow," he said. "We'll run it together instead of sparring."
She nodded.
It was early when she heard him pounding on her door and she dragged herself from bed. "I'll be right there!" she called. She got dressed and let him in.
"Are you ready?"
"It's still dark out,"
He nodded. "If we don't start now, we won't make it back until well after nightfall. It's easier to get there in the dark, than to get back."
She groaned and pulled her boots on. "Fine. I'm ready." she followed him out the door and had to run to keep up with the fast pace he set.
"This is it?" she asked, when they reached a small path that crossed over the river. There was a red ribbon tied in one of the nearby trees and he had stopped to catch his breath.
"This is where we start." he said. "But there are no rules, Sophie. Any one of the men could tie you to a tree and leave you, or simply kill you if they feel like it."
"Do you think they would?"
"I don't think anyone would kill you on purpose, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen accidentally, too."
"Has that ever happened?"
"All the time," he said. "Like I said, it's a dangerous course."
"Show me." she said.
They had to swim across the river, which had a fairly good current and swept them quite a ways downstream before they pulled themselves out on the other side. Then there was the forest, a series of caves that, from the looks of things, would be easy enough to get lost in. There was a steep climb up a rocky cliff that Sophie estimated to be about a hundred feet high, another river crossing and a long run back to the city. And it took all day.
Panting hard when they reached the outskirts of town, Sophie had to stop. She'd kept up with him fairly well on the running parts, but she could tell he wasn't giving it his all. The climbing and swimming took her longer and he ended up waiting for her at times. "Is that it?" she gasped.
"That's it." he said, his chest heaving.
"But I'm guessing everyone's armed?"
"No. No one is allowed to take any weapons. It would give them an unfair advantage."
"So, how would one kill someone then?"
"Pushing them off the cliff, for one," he shrugged.
"Where have the two of you been all day?" Ulriech asked when they finally reached the great hall and Eirik sat down with a cup of ale.
"Running the Trials." he said.
"So, you're going to let her?"
"Let her?" Eirik glanced up at his brother. "It's not about 'letting' her, Ulriech. She does what she wants."
"Because you don't put your foot down!" Ulriech chuckled. "You have to let the women know who's in charge,"
Eirik glanced from Ulriech to the red haired woman who was standing beside him, giggling and hanging on his brother's arm. "Like you've obviously done with this one?" he asked.
She gasped and jerked her arm free, glaring at Ulriech before walking off with a huff. Ulriech glared at Eirik. "She could quite possibly be the next chief's wife!" he snapped. "Have a little respect."
"Yeah, well we've got some time and you change your mind so quickly, I'm sure there will be a new one next week." Eirik said.
Sophie stared. She was impressed. She hadn't heard Eirik insult his brother that well in a long time and it was all she could do to keep from laughing out loud.
"Lists tomorrow?" Eirik turned to Sophie.
"I want to run it again," she said with a shake of her head.
He sighed and downed his ale in three gulps before slamming the mug down on the table with a loud thump. "Of course you do."
Over the next few weeks, Sophie ran it every day, even when Eirik finally did put his foot down and refused, she went the very next morning and did it herself. And each day she made it back to town just a little bit earlier than the day before.
Two weeks before the actual Trials, she went in search of Sabine, the older woman who had sewn most of her clothes before she'd arrived in town.
"Have you ripped another one?" she asked, opening the door and looking Sophie up and down.
"No, I haven't," Sophie smiled. "But I was hoping you could do something for me."
"You want me to distract Eirik with my splendid beauty so you can have a moment's peace to yourself?" she asked, giving a toothless grin.
"Actually yes. But that can wait," Sophie let her pull her inside where she laid out her plan.