Bab 169: Servant of the Axe, 69 - Strong Women

Servant of the Axe

Chapter 69

Strong Women

I have reason to suspect this next part of the story, for the two disparate women agree on most every point. But these are their words, recorded for the sake of not overlooking a critical point of the story.

Shortly after highsun, also known as noon, the two found themselves on opposite sides of a churn of butter. One would churn until exhaustion or near-blister, and then the other would take over. During this time, they talked.

"All I'm saying is that it's easier to stab a man after than before." Madonna said. "Especially if that fool falls asleep afterward."

"And all I'm saying is yuck, no way." Kismet replied. "Besides, I'm not a slouch with a knife."

"Are you any good with it? A feat or two to upgrade performance?"

"Do YOU?"

"I'm not the one taking both of us against an awake and fully aware warrior, and counting on finishing it before he yells for help."

"Maybe you could smother him with a pillow?"

"We might as well plan for you to convince him to swallow a pair of his socks. These warriors are WARRIORS, who do nothing else. I'd stake odds that my first husband could take one, but I'm not as certain he would survive two at once."

"There aren't that many warriors in residence. Heck, if all the women get angry all at once, I'm pretty sure we can overthrow the Jarl."

"Oh? And tell me, then… where is Igrun Sivert?"

"What? I mean, she's working the same sorts of jobs we are, right?"

Madonna shook her head slowly. "Rumor is that she's chained to the Jarl's bed, but I can't see the Lady Findseth tolerating that. She barely tolerates the Jarl's second wife, and she's the one who introduced them."

"I almost care about the weight of a rat turd what these people care about."

"Why Kismet, whatever would you say if your darling Rhishisikk were to hear you speak like that?"

"How about, it took you long enough to rescue us, let's get out of here?"

"I think the rescue must needs work the other way around. My husband has many talents, but resistance to pain and injury is … less developed than it should be."

"Ah crap. Let's discuss something else."

"Who?"

"Your husband."

Madonna chuckled loudly. "My husband was most kind my first night here. So kind that I fell asleep on him."

"Oh no! No, you did not!"

"I did. He dragged me outside and left me in the cold, naked."

"And will do again, if you fail your duties. Both of you, with me, now."

Madonna released the churn and folded her raw hands into her lap. "Both of us? At just past mid-day? Husband, you are incorrigible!"

"The Jarl wants to see both of you. I'm supposed to kill you if he doesn't like what you have to say."

Madonna beamed at Kismet. "Doesn't he just have a way with words?"

The Jarl had a full orange beard, with just a few strands of lighter orange, warning of gray hairs to come. His breastplate was overlaid with bronze, but the rest of his armor was steel.

"Huh." Said Kismet. "I always thought Norvik wore horned helmets."

"That's only when they're doing raids." Madonna said. "Great for intimidation, less practical for war."

"Silence that foul foreign language." Ingrid said. "Or I'll let my husband chain your feet above the fires, as he wishes."

Madonna made a plaintive noise, and wiggled her toes, but said nothing.

The Jarl spoke High Norvik, and Ingrid translated into the more common tongue.

"My husband demands to know where you are hiding the Fenris wolf."

"Have him look at our clothes. We aren't hiding much of anything." Kismet said. She then cried out in pain, as Tormond jabbed the blunt end of a spear into her back.

"My husband says you may talk while you have all your teeth and fingers, or when you have none."

"If we had the means to call the wolf," Madonna said, "We'd have done so, if only to present its skin to him."

"Why should he believe that? As you are neither Norvik nor male, you cannot claim the reward."

"What? That's both racist and misogynist!"

"That is the natural state of the Norvik people. The Jarl says he doubts you were stupid enough to believe otherwise."

"Okay, the Jarl is right." Kismet said. "We're not as stupid as he thinks. What's he offering for the Fenris?"

"He offers your hands and feet, your heads and your lives."

"And our freedom?" Madonna asked.

"No, he will not be granting either of you any freedom save death. By the laws of the Norvik people are you bound, tighter than any collar that can be fashioned. Those laws say that when your males fell in battle, you became property of any man with the strength to claim you."

"I can see why Gamilla became more than a little testy." Kismet said to Madonna.

"Cease that barbarian drivel! This is your second and final warning."

"Kismet, I do believe he means it. Based on things we've already seen and learned."

The Jarl said something, and stomped his feet.

"My husband is tired of your insolence. Bind her!"

"What? No, get your grubby mitts off."

"Bind her hands and ankles together behind her, and place her on her back under my husband's feet."

She fought and yowled and bit, and still ended up underneath his boots. They were very cold.

"My husband, the great Jarl, says this is not a discussion. There is nothing to negotiate. He owns you, which means he owns your thoughts. You will give him what he wants. The location of the Fenris, now!"

Madonna snorted. "I don't know."

"He says to shave her head bald."

"Wait! No! Only my first husband knows, I swear it! Only he was trusted to speak mind to mind with the Fenris! Please," she sobbed, "Please don't take my beautiful hair."

"He says if your hair matters to you, then next time you will remember to give him what he asks for. Perhaps he will let you keep that hair."

Naturally, having sampled what the parts of a sixth level magical beast could do for her enchantments, the old lady was furious. She was doubly upset when told that her slave was only worth a third of normal, because he lacked hands.

As she left, I am told that she cursed the hall to be defenseless against all enemies. It seems to me that can be achieved by using one's witch-eater powers to consume the magic in a house's protective wards. But there was no immediate evidence that she did so.

Kismet was there to listen to the words between the Jarl and Lady Ingrid, though she had been gagged for some words she would not share with me for some time. In private, he spoke to her in common Norvik.

"He is feverish, and small wonder." She held up a severed stump. "Half his tail is gone, as are the toes of his feet. His head… I think she has cut it open, here, to remove pieces of his brain. The skin is already meshed, so I cannot tell."

"Feel the skull." He told her. "Is it of one piece, or separated where you suspect?"

"I can feel the seam," She said, "but it is as though the two pieces of the skull are stuck on each other."

"Well, I suppose we shall just wait and see. If nothing else, we can suspend him and his women from the edge of the roof, and see if the Fenris comes to free them."

"That seems a wasteful plan, husband."

"You have a better plan? A more certain way to lure the Fenris to us?"

"The male has most of his left arm. If we boil that into a stew, and leave it at various points along the mountain, the Fenris is certain to get a whiff of at least one of them."

Kismet began trying to shout, and wriggling.

"What do YOU want? Ah-yee! Wife, her fur is cold to the touch."

"As a cat's fur is. I told you this, husband."

"Thane Istre! Tomas!"

"He is out on the hunt, great Jarl."

"Beh. I am surrounded by dolts, how many has the Fenris killed today?"

"Only two, my Jarl, both chased off a cliff to fall into the river below."

"Are either of them the missing thanes or their huscarl?"

"Twins of the Urnst-Jaeger family."

"The loss of twins is a bad omen." The Jarl said.

"The loss of that mingled blood line is not." Ingrid said.

"No true mother cares what blood runs in her children's veins."

"I would care, and would rather die than share my bed with some… weak foreigner."

"None the less, we shall have a funeral boat for the pair of them set. We shall spare no expense for the loss of twins under my rule. WHY HAS NOBODY TAKEN THIS SLAVE FROM MY PRESENCE?"

"Oh, for the love of Frigg! Handmaiden, take her away and return her to work."