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Authors: Marie-Louise Jensen
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exhilarated by the storm, confident and powerful. Such a change in one day.
It began to rain, and both men were obscured from my view by the lashing drops that splattered onto the deck and soaked us through in no time. I could hear the men and women around us raising their voices in prayer, imploring Thor to spare us from the storm. I joined them, whispering my prayers quietly. I had heard many tales of shipwreck and knew that ships at sea were the playthings of the gods. But I remembered Thrang’s glow of confidence and hoped all would be well.
The bad weather lasted all night and far into the next day before it began to ease. At last, the wind lessened and the rain stopped. I was stiff and numb with cold. The clouds hung low, making the day dark. Miraculously, our second ship was still in sight. How she had managed to stay with us through the storm, I couldn’t imagine.
I untied myself and got unsteadily to my feet. I found my dry tunic and, shivering, I changed into it. I wrapped my cloak around me, and wandered the sodden ship, avoiding the puddles of water and vomit that slid across the deck in time with the motion of the ship. The slaves were huddled together in groups, overcome with exhaustion and relief.
Thrang appeared beside me.
‘We need to get the ship cleaned up before night,’ he said roughly. ‘Can you help me get everyone up and to work?’
‘They’re sick and exhausted,’ I started to object. He waved my words aside impatiently.
‘They’ll get ill lying wet in all their dirt,’ he said impatiently. I knew he was right. We went from one huddled group to another, shaking everyone awake. Thrang set the men to filling buckets of water from the sea and sloshing them onto the deck, while the women scrubbed at the muck that floated everewhere, sweeping it out through the drainage holes. Bjorn was at the tiller and called me to him.
‘Everyone needs to eat again,’ he said. ‘Can you see to it?’
I looked through the barrels and crates of food that were stored on deck and found some bread and some dried meat to distribute. I poured more ale too, hoping it would make up for the rude awakening we’d put everyone through.
Mealtimes were cold and comfortless affairs on board ship, I thought. If ever we had needed hot food, it was now, but there was no way of lighting a fire. I went from person to person, handing out food, asking their names. Grim, Karl, Kai, Brian, Jon, Aud, Vigdis, Astrid and Asgerd. We weren’t many to be out on such a huge sea.
Once everyone had eaten, Thrang and Bjorn hoisted the sail. It flapped a moment, heavy and dripping, and then the wind caught it, making it billow. The ship leapt forward, speeding purposefully through the waves once more. Seeing us hoist our sail, our sister ship did the same, dropping behind for a while and then catching up with us.
I watched as the day faded. I hadn’t slept since before we came on board the ship and my eyes were sore with tiredness. When I looked around me, I saw the slaves who weren’t helping Thrang sail the ship had all huddled together once more, wrapping themselves up against the bitter wind that blew across us. I wished I could join them, but I didn’t know any of them well enough. Most of them were as wary of me as they were of Bjorn.
I thought of my own family in Norway and I felt so homesick that it hurt. I had no one here. I found a space in the prow and sat down with my back to some crates of food, wrapping my cloak tightly around me. I couldn’t imagine being able to fall asleep outdoors in this temperature. I clenched my teeth to stop them chattering. I was more miserable than I would have thought possible.
A dark shape appeared beside me.
‘Bjorn?’ I asked uncertainly. I couldn’t see his face.
‘Yes. You aren’t sleeping?’ he asked.
‘It’s far too cold,’ I admitted.
Bjorn took my hand in his, and it was warm around my numb fingers.
‘I brought some furs,’ he said, laying two sheepskins
It began to rain, and both men were obscured from my view by the lashing drops that splattered onto the deck and soaked us through in no time. I could hear the men and women around us raising their voices in prayer, imploring Thor to spare us from the storm. I joined them, whispering my prayers quietly. I had heard many tales of shipwreck and knew that ships at sea were the playthings of the gods. But I remembered Thrang’s glow of confidence and hoped all would be well.
The bad weather lasted all night and far into the next day before it began to ease. At last, the wind lessened and the rain stopped. I was stiff and numb with cold. The clouds hung low, making the day dark. Miraculously, our second ship was still in sight. How she had managed to stay with us through the storm, I couldn’t imagine.
I untied myself and got unsteadily to my feet. I found my dry tunic and, shivering, I changed into it. I wrapped my cloak around me, and wandered the sodden ship, avoiding the puddles of water and vomit that slid across the deck in time with the motion of the ship. The slaves were huddled together in groups, overcome with exhaustion and relief.
Thrang appeared beside me.
‘We need to get the ship cleaned up before night,’ he said roughly. ‘Can you help me get everyone up and to work?’
‘They’re sick and exhausted,’ I started to object. He waved my words aside impatiently.
‘They’ll get ill lying wet in all their dirt,’ he said impatiently. I knew he was right. We went from one huddled group to another, shaking everyone awake. Thrang set the men to filling buckets of water from the sea and sloshing them onto the deck, while the women scrubbed at the muck that floated everewhere, sweeping it out through the drainage holes. Bjorn was at the tiller and called me to him.
‘Everyone needs to eat again,’ he said. ‘Can you see to it?’
I looked through the barrels and crates of food that were stored on deck and found some bread and some dried meat to distribute. I poured more ale too, hoping it would make up for the rude awakening we’d put everyone through.
Mealtimes were cold and comfortless affairs on board ship, I thought. If ever we had needed hot food, it was now, but there was no way of lighting a fire. I went from person to person, handing out food, asking their names. Grim, Karl, Kai, Brian, Jon, Aud, Vigdis, Astrid and Asgerd. We weren’t many to be out on such a huge sea.
Once everyone had eaten, Thrang and Bjorn hoisted the sail. It flapped a moment, heavy and dripping, and then the wind caught it, making it billow. The ship leapt forward, speeding purposefully through the waves once more. Seeing us hoist our sail, our sister ship did the same, dropping behind for a while and then catching up with us.
I watched as the day faded. I hadn’t slept since before we came on board the ship and my eyes were sore with tiredness. When I looked around me, I saw the slaves who weren’t helping Thrang sail the ship had all huddled together once more, wrapping themselves up against the bitter wind that blew across us. I wished I could join them, but I didn’t know any of them well enough. Most of them were as wary of me as they were of Bjorn.
I thought of my own family in Norway and I felt so homesick that it hurt. I had no one here. I found a space in the prow and sat down with my back to some crates of food, wrapping my cloak tightly around me. I couldn’t imagine being able to fall asleep outdoors in this temperature. I clenched my teeth to stop them chattering. I was more miserable than I would have thought possible.
A dark shape appeared beside me.
‘Bjorn?’ I asked uncertainly. I couldn’t see his face.
‘Yes. You aren’t sleeping?’ he asked.
‘It’s far too cold,’ I admitted.
Bjorn took my hand in his, and it was warm around my numb fingers.
‘I brought some furs,’ he said, laying two sheepskins
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