“Perhaps I should sacrifice some chickens, or some slaves, maybe?”
“I’ve never sacrificed anything, we could?—”
“So, tell me then.”
“I’m fucking trying, Eidunn, if you’d let me speak!”
She stares at me with a furrowed brow. Wincing at the pain from moving her black eye. She wipes her other eye, then the damaged one more carefully. Poor woman. I soften my voice, hoping not to evoke her anger again.
“You will go to the woods,” I say.
“The fucking woods?”
“To Ylvin, she will take you in. Just say I sent you.”
“To the woman and her husband who you told me love walking around naked. Great idea.”
“They will help you.”
“Why would they help me?”
“I told you. Ylvin doesn’t believe in slaves. Only in selfish men and unfortunate women.”
“Men are slaves too.”
“True, but we are women.”
Silence. I just let it sink in. Of course I want to help male slaves. Not that they would let me. In any case, one thing at a time. Eidunn sniffles.
“How will I eat?”
“Work for Ylvin and Elof.”
“And just end my life here?”
“What life?”
“My life, Kilda. Besides, they will come for me. Vidar will come for me.”
“My plan goes like this—I will go to Thyra and convince her to buy you from Vidar, or to have Sigurd buy you.”
“What? How silly an idea is tha?—”
“If Thyra helps, you are out of Vidar’s grip, right?”
“He will still come for me.”
“Even Vidar can’t challenge his sister or his father. It’s the law, remember?”
As I speak my plan, I realize how stupid I sound. But I’m desperate. And by Freya, it might just work. Eidunn shakes her head.
“You truly are a silly bitch.”
“I… uh…”
Her words shock me, but if she can hate me, she is still alive. Her blood still boils.
“And if Thyra denies you? Which she will because, like me, she also thinks you’re a silly bitch.”
