Her words hit me like a warhammer to the chest. My vision turned into a pixelated haze, as my breath hitched somewhere in the back of my throat. I could barely fight the words out, fearing the worse had happened.
"M-my mother? What do you—"
"At the longhouse, go!" she shouted before I could even ask.
At Runa's words, I took off in a barefoot sprint, rushing through the town as I knocked over carts and stalls. The wind blew my hair wildly as my mind was consumed by thoughts. Thoughs about how much I didn't want to lose her. Losing a mother was the kind of pain I didn't want to go through again.
The last thing she said to me before she left was that she loved me and what did I do? I smiled at her and waved her goodbye without even bothering to tell her…
At the longhouse there were two guards posted outside. They tried blocking me but I slipped between their legs and kicked in the door, which resounded with a loud BAM!
My face contorted in shock as I gazed at the scene before me. I saw my mother half-stripped, kneeling on the ground while the men around her snickered and laughed. I saw the Earl looking at her as if she were nothing but a piece of trash, and I saw my half-brother Ragnar beaten to a bloody pulp on the ground.
I also saw my own father standing off to the side watching like a statue. The smiles on everyone's faces soon disappeared as they saw me standing in the doorway.
"The man of the hour!" the Earl spat bitterly, throwing a mug of ale on the ground, its contents splashing all over the wooden floor.
I wasted no time; instead, I rushed to my mother's aid, but that was when I felt a sharp pain in my side. I caught a glimpse of Dag's face before I was hoisted into the air and slammed onto the hard wooden floor. My head hit the floor with a force that caused my vision to go black and I felt a warm liquid running down the side of my face.
I spat blood not paying any mind to my injuries or Dag's imposing figure standing over. I began crawl toward my mother. She was still kneeling, and a silent tear ran down her face when she saw my bloodied face. I crawled with every ounce of strength I had left.
My hand trembled like a rat desperate for survival but just before I could reach her, I felt a large hand grasp the back of my head. Without time to react or process my head slammed into the floor sounding a sickening crack.
SMASH!
I heard a crack, then tasted a metallic flavor in my mouth as the blood from my broken nose streamed down my face. Everything was a haze, but I still kept my eyes on my mother. I had to see her.
SMASH!
SMASH!
My teeth became a mangled mess in my mouth. The ones that didn't fall out had pierced through my gums.
SMASH!
My mother watched, unmoving and that was when I knew: This was all my fault. Everything my mother did was for my sake. I saw the glimpses of pain in her eyes as she cried in silence and in that moment a relief washed over me.
If she was only crying for my sake then everything is fine. It meant she was fine. Whatever was happening to me right now meant nothing. As long as she was safe, I would accept this punishment wholeheartedly.
"That's enough," the Earl said, his face showing no amusement. It was as if he were bored. "I think your son has learned his lesson, Dag."
The irony of this situation wasn't lost to me. One would never think that the person pummeling me would be my own father.
The Earl waved his hand, and Dag lifted me off the floor by my hair, leaving my feet dangling.
"Sigurd," the Earl said, his voice dripping with malice as he spat on the floor. "You have offended me."
The men seated in the longhouse banged their mugs and muttered curse at me.
"Cut him down!" a big bear of a man shouted, unsheathing his sword "I'll do the honor."
"Earl Bjorn!" a familiar voice spoke. It was the seer. He stopped at Bjorn's feet and got on his knees. "He's but a boy, and my apprentice, I must speak out on his behalf."
The Earl ignored him and continued speaking to me.
"You have committed an act whose only punishment is death."
The men banged their mugs again in an uproar. One man positioned himself in front of me and spat in my face. My father didn't move an inch; he held me up and let it happen.
"Death to the perpetrator and death to his family is the only suitable punishment for your crimes. You laid hands on my family. You laid hands on my son, and you laid hands on my daughter."
Just then, two figures entered the room, both nursing injuries. It was the boy and the girl from the group that had been picking on Toke.
The boy had a wound on his head from where I hit him with the wood. But the girl... her wounds were more severe. She had a broken arm and leg, with scrapes and bruises all over her body.
My eyes widened in shock.
They are the earl's children.
"He hurt me papa! He hurt me bad." She cried and her tears only added to the earl's rage.
What madness!
I wriggled forcing myself to speak but I only managed to choke on my own blood.
How… I didn't touch her; how did she get those injuries?
"The only reason you're keeping your head right now is because of your father. If he hadn't pleaded for your life, both you and your mother would've shared the same fate in Helheim. Because of him, you and your mother will be given a chance to come out of this alive.
He stood up and projected his voice as he declared my sentence.
"For your crimes, both you and your mother will be stoned and beaten in the streets, and if you both survive this, then you can take back your place among us."
My mother bowed down until her forehead was touching the floor. The men jested around her, some spat on her, others called her names and some pretended to unbuckle their pants, acting as if they were going to do something depraved.
She paid them no mind, acting as if they didn't even exist.
"Thank you, Earl Bjorn." She said.
A cold sweat ran down my face as I mumbled over my words trying to speak.
This wasn't right!
In her condition, my mother would never survive this. Even if I did, it would be impossible for her. I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't watch my mother die beside me. I much rather they cut my head off right here and now.
"Ghh–ck… I… I c–!"
I tried to speak but no coherent words came out.
It felt as if everything I held dear was slipping through my grasp, and I was powerless to stop it.
"I'll do it!" an unexpected voice spoke up. It was my half-brother Ragnar, who was beaten up almost as badly as I was. "I'll take Sigurd's mother's place. The two of us are brothers, and we share a close bond. Having me serve punishment beside him would be adequate enough punishment for him."
The Earl's gaze narrowed at him.
"I couldn't bear it if Dag ends up losing two sons instead of one. Let Sigurd's mother take the punishment." the earl said brushing him off.
"Ragnar," my mother called out to him. She gave him a sweet smile. "I'll be fine; don't worry about me. Plus, my son still needs you."
"No!" Ragnar shouted adamantly. "I'll take the punishment along with Sigurd. He's my brother!"
Dag, who had been watching all of this unfold silently, finally spoke.
"Earl Bjorn, whether Ragnar wants to take Frey's punishment in her stead is his own decision. Whether you allow him to or not shouldn't have any bearing on me."
"Dag don't encourage him." my mother protested. She didn't want to risk putting Ragnar in danger.
The Earl stared at my father before waving his hand and speaking in a dismissive tone.
"Fine, fine. Both Sigurd and Ragnar will take on the punishment for harming my family. They will both be stoned and beaten, and whether they live or die will solely be left up to the gods."
Tears welled up in the corner of my eyes but I quickly wiped them away. Seeing my mother, the seer and even Ragnar actively trying to help me, stirred something inside me.
In my previous life, no one came to plead my case.
"Carry them outside." Bjorn ordered.