I flinched at the word. ‘We are truly grateful,’ I said, forcing a smile. ‘These are free women, from the trading post in Hamnavoe. They are in need of a good meal and some warm clothes if you can help?’
‘Of course. Of course,’ she said looking the women over.
‘We will reimburse you for your kindness of course.’
‘There is no need.’ She waved a calloused hand ‘Would you all care for some milk?’
Her husband came bustling from inside carrying an armful of dirty wooden bowls.
‘Fergus,’ she said with a trill. ‘We have Jarl Sigurd and Lady Olith come as our guests and they have two women in need of our help.’
There was a moment of silence while his eyes adjusted to the dimness. Flummoxed he placed the bowls on the floor and dusted his hands against his breeches.
‘Jarl Sigurd, it is my pleasure to have you as a guest in our hut. Ye must understand it will not be what you are used to, but it is clean and comfortable.’
‘I must thank you both.’ I smiled. ‘On behalf of myself and Jarl Sigurd. I am bone weary. It has been a long while since I lastrode. We were trying to make it back to Byrgisey, but the journey has been much slower than we expected.’
‘You must rest.’ She whipped around to face her husband as only a flustered wife could. ‘Fergus, be of some use and take the horses and get them settled in the barn.’
‘Aye, Bridgid.’
Sigurd slipped from his saddle and lifted me down with care, my hands resting on his shoulders. He would not look in my direction. His muscles were stiff as though he were on the verge of eruption. He was furious.
Chapter 24
Forgiveness
Sigurd turned away and followed Fergus in the direction of the barn, angrily, with a rein in each hand.
‘Sigurd.’ I walked after him. ‘I need to speak with you about the women.’
He did not reply but snorted and carried on walking.
‘Are you away ta brood in the barn with the swine?’ I said sharply. ‘They’re welcome to you!’
Brigid’s moon face stared at me; mouth open before she quickly herded the two women inside the house.
‘I’ll see them by the fire. Do not take too long,’ she called over her shoulder as she closed the door.
I stalked off in the direction of the barn. He was behaving like my sister, sullen and moody. I had done nothing wrong. How could he not see that these women did not deserve to be given to some man who would use them for his pleasure?
As I arrived in the small barn Sigurd was removing the last saddle and whispering to the horse with more love than he was willing to show me.
‘What is it?’ I demanded. ‘You are sullen like a child because I wanted to free the women that I had purchased?’
‘Sullen!’ he said, hotly. ‘You have just shown complete disrespect for your Jarl! If it had been anyone else that had shown me such disrespect, I would have taken their head clean from their shoulders!’
‘Disrespect? You want me to take these women and treat them as thralls? Do you want me to allow men to rape them? To do to them whatever they please? I will not see it happen.’
‘What is the matter with you? Why can you not understand? Orkney is under Viking rule. This is our way. It has been this way for hundreds of years,’ he said through clenched teeth. ‘You make me say it over and over again. I am exhausted with repeating myself.’
‘You are exhausted? You! Do you think it pleases me to see women sold like this?’ I yelled. ‘To be given as gifts to men like a piece of jewellery?’
‘I cannot change ways we’ve had for hundreds of years because my wife suddenly decrees that she will not have female thralls!’ He gripped me by the arms.
My face flushed with fury. All of the anger that I had been holding inside tumbled out.
‘You look down on us for the way we treat our women and yet you are happy to sell women as thralls without a second thought! Go on! Tell the Gothi I no longer want to be married to a fleshmonger and a coward!’
