Chapter 14: Burial of the Dead

The next morning, Astrid rousted herself up, letting out a long groan of pain as she sat up by the steaming pile of ashes. She rubbed the side of her face with her left hand as she adjusted her bloodshot eyes to the bright morning sun. Dead bodies of Northmen and French were strewn across the land, staining the once bright green shore red. Astrid quickly closed her eyes hoping that the horrific sight was all a bad dream. Opening her eyes once again, the bodies were still there. It was not a dream, it was a brutal reality. She looked down at her sore hip that was covered with her blood and placed her grimy fingers on the closed, yet bloody, wound where the arrow had been. She let out a small yelp as she touched it, causing a stinging pain to run through her nerves. Astrid laid her back once again on the hard ground, rubbing her hand on her pounding forehead as she closed her eyes.

"How do you feel?" Bard said, approaching the sprawled out Astrid.

Astrid removed her hand and squinted up at Bard, who hovered over her like a cloud.

"I feel just fine." Astrid grumbled putting her hand over her face once agin. "You do not have to sit with me. I am alright."

Bard sat down beside her and took her free hand into his.

"You do not seem alright." He mumbled.

Astrid pulled her hand away from his.

"I shall get up when I am ready. Do you not have anywhere else to be? There is a whole bank of dead men you should be concerned with, not me!" Astrid scolded annoyed, rolling over to her side. "Please leave me alone."

Bard let out a sigh and patted her on the back, arising without another word spoken. She laid motionless on her side waiting him to leave her presence. Her mind wondered back to the dead people on the banks, wondering who had been caught in the brutal slaughter.

"Get up Astrid!" Erick shouted, stepping inside of the tent where Astrid lay. "I need your help."

Astrid pushed herself up from the ground, sighing silently to herself, and walked towards Erick, who was distraught.

"What is it?" Astrid asked worriedly, looking beyond Erick at the pile of deceased bodies.

Erick shook his head and hung it ashamed.

"Gustavo, my war chieftain, has been killed." Erick shared, glancing up at Astrid who was shocked. "Your friend Iona has been critically injured and they do not know if she will live another day."

"What about Knute?" Astrid blurted out quickly and frantically, looking at Erick.

"He has a head injury and that is all." Erick shared. "A sword nicked him on the back of the head. We found him this morning in the pile of mangled up Frenchmen covered in blood. We did not even know if he was alive. Luckily he was breathing, but barely. He is laying in a tent with the rest of the wounded warriors." He looked over his shoulder watching a bearded man throw the body of a woman onto the pile. "We cannot enter into further into France. There will be none of us left alive. The French are more powerful than I ever imagined."

"Plan to raid another time." Astrid suggested. "We cannot risk anymore men. Evreux can wait."

"They killed my friend!" Erick yelled angrily before bursting into tears. "Why did it have to be Gustavo? I loved him dearly."

Astrid wrapped her arms around Erick's neck and began rubbing his back comfortingly.

"He is in Valhalla now. You will meet again." Astrid reassured, releasing her embrace. "Everything will be alright, sire. Bard is sure to understand your decision."

Erick shook his head violently. "Bard is selfish. He will never back down, no matter what the costs are." He stated, looking around for his son. "You should go and check on your friend. I am sure she is need of someone."

Erick wiped away the moistness from his face and gave Astrid a smile before leaving her alone once again. She closed her eyes relieved that Knute was still alive. It dawned on Astrid she cared what happened to Knute. She cared so much she ached to know his status of being and once the news reached her he was alive, peace ran over her.

Astrid started walking towards the draping white tent where all of the wounded lay in agonizing pain, crying out every now and then. The putrid smell of blood and death filled the air surrounding the tent. Buckets of human blood sat in the center of the area, serving as a place for prayers to their gods. Bloodcurdling screams came from people who were getting their wounded limbs amputated with hot bladed knives. Astrid looked around at the horrific sights, regretting making the trip with them. She spotted Knute sitting in a corner making circular motions on his temples. Her eyes surveyed the injured of the tent searching for Iona, who was no where to be found. Astrid feared the worst for her friend but soon caught a glimpse of her laying beside of a man with a missing arm.

Astrid quickly rushed to her side, lowering herself to be closer to Iona. She encased Iona's blood covered hand into hers. Iona's breaths were slow and unsteady. Her face had been cut deep by some sort of weapon and plastered with a green ointment made from nearby herbs to try and help it heal. Her light gray tunic was stained a dark red from the rounded neck to the embroidered trimming of the bottom. Iona had taken an arrow to the shoulder, which appeared to have been ripped from her arm and continued to bleed and ooze. Down towards her stomach was a deep wound that showed from the wide cut in the material. Blood soaked the thick cloth around the opening while the wound was covered in the same green ointment that was on her face. Astrid looked Iona up and down as a touch of shame filled her heart.

"This should be me laying here." Astrid whispered, laying a thick wool cloth on Iona's shoulder to stop the bleeding.

"Do not say that Astrid. The gods have done this for a reason. I do not know yet why." Iona coughed and blood spurted out onto her hand. "I know I will not see home again."

Astrid knew that Iona would die soon by the way she shook when she breathed and the sweat that poured from her head caused by a fever.

"The mountain at Oliefsborg. The tall one that reaches to the skies." Iona rambled, smiling up towards Astrid.

Astrid nodded, pretending she knew what Iona was talking about.

"I am going to climb it to the top." Iona smiled. "When I reach the top I will know that I am free like a bird. When I know that I will take my flight."

Astrid felt the tears begin to form in her sore eyes. "I will climb it with you. We will go together."

"Astrid," Iona said in a shaky voice. "I see a shore. With clouds and-"

Iona's head rolled to the side, eyes still open. Her breathing slowed with each breath. Soon the movement in her stopped completely. Astrid let out a sigh, looking away from Iona. She barely knew Iona but yet she had found a friend in her. A friend that was kind and did not judge her because she was slave. Iona was s young woman who just wanted to live and please her family but could not succeed.

Astrid felt a tear roll down her cheek when she fixated her eyes back on the motionless Iona. She reached over and closed her eyes, eyes that were filled with fear. Astrid shut her eyes and looked up, shaking her head.

"Where are you when I need you Lord?" Astrid mumbled doubtingly under her breath before standing up. She knew soon enough someone would take Iona's stiffened body and place it into the pile with the other casualties.

Astrid scanned the rest of the injured to see if she knew anyone, but there was not a person she knew or cared for. She approached Knute whose bandage-wrapped head was propped against his knees.

"I am glad you are alright." Astrid said, avoiding to make eye contact when he looked up.

"You are alright." Knute let out a sigh of relief. "I had not seen you and started to worry." He smiled at her happily until his eyes trailed to the bloody place on her hip. "But you are wounded."

Astrid nodded, glanced down at her leg. "I am alright though. Bard took care of it properly." She assured him. "How do you feel?"

"As good as I can after taking a blow from a sword on the back of the head." He said laughing lightly. "What about you?"

"Alright, I suppose," Astrid answered. "For taking an arrow in the hip then have it extracted."

Knute pushed himself up from the ground. "We are alive. That is all that should matter."

Astrid nodded in agreement. She stared at Knute who was pale in the face. His normally happy, crystal blue eyes were dull and full of despair. Even as he was injured he held a smile upon his face and remained in good humor. Astrid wondered how he did it in such a mess as they were in. As silence fell amongst them, Knute's words rang through Astrid's head loudly: they were alive.

"Do you know what they will be doing next?" Knute asked gazing around at the world beyond the tent.

Astrid shook her head, fixating her eyes upon Erick and Bard in the distance. "No I do not know what will happen." She paused. "We will either go north on the river and raid again or sail home. I do not know which."

Knute let out a disgruntled grunt as he began popping his knuckles angrily. "We cannot have another raid. We are just ordinary men! The most of them are farmers, not to mention the wives of farmers. We do not have the weapons and garb they have. It is a sure loss if we do raid."

Astrid stood expressionless. "Sit back down and allow yourself to get better. I shall go speak with Erick to see what will happen."

Astrid hobbled herself hastily out of the tent and began walking down to the edge of the water where a large mass of people stood, watching and waiting for something to happen. Astrid pushed herself through the packed herd to where she had a view of the sea. Upon the water was one of the larger viking ships with a Pyre made from heavy wood in the shape of a dragons nose located at the middle of the ships floor. Underneath the pyre was the deceased Gustavo, who was being given a proper viking burial. Soon, three thrall women came down to the front; a younger one, an older one, and a middle aged one. The younger thrall girl removed her bone bracelets and her rings and gave them to the elder lady, who reached them to the middle aged woman. Thereafter, several men took her aboard the ship, but they did not allow her to be where Gustavo lay. The girl received several jugs of intoxicating drinks as she bid the people watching farewell. Once she was intoxicated by her drinks, the men led her out to the front of the ship where they tied a heavy piece of rope around her neck and began strangling her to death, while the other two men stabbed her in the ribs one time. They placed the girl beside the pyre where Gustavo was placed below. Astrid's mouth dropped at the sight of the sacrifice. She began to fight her way back out of the crowd of people but she was not succeeding, instead she stopped and whipped around to see Erick standing in front of the boat, stern and serious with tears forming in his eyes. He outstretched his arms wide.

"Lo, There do I see my Father

Lo, There do I see my Mother and

My Brothers and my Sisters

Lo, There do I see the line of my people back to the begining

Lo, They do call to me

They bid me take my place among them in the halls of Valhalla

Where thine enemies have been vanquished

Where the brave shall live Forever

Nor shall we mourn but rejoice for those that have died the glorious death." Erick chanted loudly in the Norse tongue, bidding his dear friend goodbye.

Bard walk towards the boat with a torch and lit the pyre on fire. The fire quickly began to consume the other large wood piles in the boat to where it was reflecting against the blue water.

Bard returned and faced the crowd.

"We will not be returning home until we have fulfilled our mission and that mission is to raid into Evreux and take what we desire from there. Once we are finished there we shall be homeward bound. But until then, be prepared for another fight. We will begin our sail onto the Elbe river at nightfall." He announced to the large crowd.

They slowly began to disperse. Astrid fell into the moving crowd and headed for a place to sit alone. She did not desire any conversation, any food, nothing. She just wanted to be alone to express all of the emotions that had built up inside of her. That was all she desired. She reached a secluded little place where the tide of the shore would roll in occasionally. She sat down upon the large square shaped boulder that was near the water and looked out onto the water. She realized she found herself looking at the water more than anything. There was something about it that brought a wave of peace to her subdued heart

"Oh dear God!" Astrid cried out falling to her knees. "Why do you forsake me here in this land! Where are you Lord!"

Silence fell amongst her. The swooshing sounds of water pierced the quietness of Astrid's world. She began shouting loudly as she run her fingers forcefully trough her hair, pulling loose strands out of her tightly tied braid. A pain surged through her hip causing her to lay down onto her back. Tears flooded her eyes as they fell like a rainstorm heavily.

"It will all be fine in the end." Knute's voice blurted. "We will sail to Evreux and then sail home. You do not have to worry about anything Astrid."

She continued to stare up into the cloud covered sky.

"Well," Astrid said sitting straight up. "It appears I am Evreux bound."

Thanks for reading! Sorry for the slow update! Remember to vote and comment. Have a great day and God bless!!!