Infinite 01 - Infinite Sacrifice

Erna and how Thora hasn’t left the house since, our dugout feels happy again.

Chapter 9
    We have one month together before more bad news comes. Rolf returns from the village with Inga on a Saturday. Thora still hasn’t left her bed. Rolf goes in to her as soon as he arrives back, and Thora immediately comes out screaming.
    Rolf tries uselessly to calm her down. “It will only be for a year or two. Chieftain Toke needs to settle Newry.”
    Newry… That name was in my old language and brought back a well-stowed memory.
    “Leave me, then!” she yells, madder than I’ve ever seen her.
    “Inga can stay and she’ll manage the farm. You must come with me.”
    She screams again and runs to the place I knew she’d go. I find her in the spot where we covered Erna in flowers, hunched over in tears. I put my hand on her shoulder, and she cries even louder, reaches over, and pulls me into her. Thora holds me and cries for a few minutes, and when she lets go, I try to dry her tears with my shirtsleeve.
    “I will come with you.”
    She laughs a little through her tears. “What would I do without you, Liam?”
    “You won’t have to find that out since I’ll always be with you.”
    “Promise?” Her voice breaks as she looks in my eyes.
    I glare back, trying to convince her. “Always.”
    She laughs and hugs me again, and we walk back, holding hands until she sees Rolf. He takes her back inside, looking pleased that she has come to her senses. I go back to the dugout and tell Una that I’ll be leaving. Then she starts crying. I try to console her as I have done with Thora, but this time I can’t promise that I’ll always be beside her. “We’ll come back, and Inga will make sure you’re safe here. She’ll need you more than ever to help run things.”
    Una sniffles, and her blue-grey eyes blaze with a sparkle of tears. “I’ll be alone here, though.”
    I nod but then remember. “No, you won’t.” I reach around, pull the honking Borga off my blanket, and say, “I will have to leave her here, and she’ll be good company until I come back.”
    Una smiles. “Will you really come back?”
    “If Thora comes back, then I’ll come back too.” I look toward where Erna died and say, “And she won’t ever leave this place for long.”
    She nods, wipes away her tears, and begins helping me get ready for the journey. We walk back, hands clasped, to the wagon being loaded, and Inga looks on, seemingly pleased that she’ll have the farm to herself now. Rolf claps for Thora to come, and I know that means me too. I turn to Una, who’s wringing her hands. I feel sick to leave her. The air warms between us as she brings her eyes up to mine, her tanned skin glowing, and something comes over me. I reach out and touch the ends of her dark brown hair as she smiles nervously. Leaning in to smell the lock wound around my hand, it brings memories of sleeping next to her. We draw together for a soft kiss, and when we pull away, we have no words.
    I pick up my bag and tell her, “Hold Borga back so she can’t follow me into town.”
    Una forces herself to move and grabs Borga as I close the door. Thora’s just leaving the house and gives me a smile to see me there with my bags packed. Rolf awkwardly struts out of the bushes with the flapping peacock at the end of his sword-calloused hand. Thora lets out a laugh to me under her breath, since I know she hates that strange thing too. I sit on the back of the wagon, watch the farm get smaller and smaller, and count the farms until we come to the harbor.
    At the end of each of the eight jetties bob great warships lined with warriors’ brightly colored shields on their sides. Rolf hands his things to the loading thralls, and I follow behind him as he carries his armor and shield down the jetty. The warship is so much larger than I expected once I near it. Beautiful carvings spread all over the railings, up the mast and length of the oars. Men carry something heavy on, and I can’t help but smile when I see it is Gunhilda, again hanging between four straining men. She gives me a wink as they sit her in the bow of the ship where all valkyries belong, under the giant, carved, fire-breathing dragon leading our ship.
    The bells ring out again, causing all to jump, and Toke screams from the town, “Cursed bells!”
    He launches his spear straight up to the bell tower, wedging it behind one of the bells so that only two bells sound after that.
    “One down, two to go!”