A Dance With Death- The Shield Maiden

Chapter Six Eadwold 875AD

c*****e, that is the only word that comes to mind, for what I saw. The pagan woman stood, bodies of fallen soldiers lay around her. Their bodies covered in blood and lay at unnatural angles.

She stood calmly, idly stroking the horse she held and looking around at the lives she had taken.

Then I saw the royal sigil, I was filled with horror. It was the king's cousin, bleeding out. I don't know what overcame me, as I rushed to his side. I paid the pagan woman no more mind.

I don't know how, maybe it was our last meeting, but I knew she would not harm me. She just watched me, as I tried to stem the bleeding. "Stay with me, keep your eyes open my lord." My voice was calm, that was goo, I hid my fear well.

I was sure he was going to die, he was so pale and clammy, he struggled to focus on me. But still, I would not stop trying to save his life, until I succeeded, or his heart stopped beating.

I needed something to slow the bleeding, so I could move him to the monastery, so he could be given proper care.

"I was only protecting myself. They attacked me." I don't know why, but her words angered me. I should not feel such anger. I tried to calm myself, taking a deep breath, before speaking.

"You invade this country, murder, r**e and pillage. You over run, almost the entire country. What did you expect them to do? Do you even know who this man is?"

I turned to look up at her, I could not see her face clearly, the sun bright in the sky behind her, casting her face in shadow.

"I have never r***d anyone. I my self have never conquered anywhere. Yes, I have killed, but every man I have slain had a sword in hand. You can not blame me for every sin of my people. Every country has been conquered time and again. I do not care who he is, he attacked me, not the other way around. I was merely sitting under the shade of that tree." She gestured to the tree, anger radiated from her, I did not need to see her face to know she was seething.

She unlike myself, made no attempt to control her temper. As we have all been taught, women are ruled by emotions and she was no different. I turned my attention back on to my patient. I felt the truth in her words, as I mulled them over.

She was quite right, I could not blame her for others actions. But she had also chosen to join them and stood by why others committed the crimes. But now was not the time to argue and it was probably not wise, to argue someone carrying weapons covered in fresh blood.

"If you are wanting to save him, then you will be wanting this." She spat as she crouched and pulled a knife from the neck of a fallen soldier. She quickly cleaned the blade and the cut the trouser leg of the same soldier. She passed me the fabric, before striding over to the grazing donkey and leading her over towards me.

I was astonished and sat frozen, fabric in hand as I watched her. For starters I was surprised the old donkey moved at all. She never did anything for anyone, but myself and even then, it was on her terms. Yet here she was, walking amicably beside this strange woman.

I turned and working quickly, used the fabric to staunch the bleed and tie it off the best I was able.

The pagan woman, was moving the baskets in the cart to make room. She was strong, that much easily evident, by her ability to move the heavy baskets.

"Right my lord, we are going to have to move you. I apologize for the pain this will cause you, but I need you to try and move towards the cart, the best you are able." Lifting his arm carefully, I placed it round my shoulder.

The pagan woman, moved to his other side. I saw her hesitate for a moment. I could tell she had some internal battle raging within her. I was not at all surprised by this, as the fact she was helping to save the man's life was astonishing in itself.

Once he had been settled in the cart, his eyes shut and he lost consciousness. I feared moving him, but it needed to be done, if his life was to be saved.

Movement caught my eye, it was the pagan woman mounting the grey horse. She looked down at me and c****d her head to the side.

I thought she was about to speak, but instead she shuck her head and sighed. pressing her heels to the horses sides, she turned him and set off down the road at a gallop.