“Of course, a whore is a free woman who chooses not to take a husband and is paid to be humped by any man. You are a prize of war who has no choice what happens to her. There is a great difference.”
Sophie mulled that over “So because I have no choice I am not a whore, even though my body enjoys what you do to it?”
“Exactly, but it would be even better if your mind enjoyed it as mine does.”
“You enjoy making love to Me, not just a woman, any woman?”
“I have gained physical release with many women, and fathered at least four children, but with you it is much greater. Did your brain enjoy being humped by your husband?”
Sighing she said “I thought so, as I thought he loved me. I worshipped him and couldn’t believe that of all the women he could have had he chose me. Then I discovered that he had just been using me to gain what he wanted out of life. When I discovered that my hero had feet of clay I realised that I had been ‘in love’ with an illusion not a real person.”
“This talk of love is beyond me,” Eirik said getting off the bed, “it is enough that we enjoy each other, life is too short to think too hard. The Norns who spin our threads at the foot of Yggdrasil control our lives. Skuld will chop us off with her shears when they decree that our time is done. Now I’m ready for my porridge so move yourself slave.”
Sophie grinned, she was beginning to understand that when he became aware of feelings, he became gruff and called her slave. Climbing off the bed she picked up the short dress she wore around the house and went out to get their porridge.
Alta and Geri were sitting by the fire, Alta was holding out her porridge bowl for him to lick, and he was clearly enjoying the new experience. When she saw Sophie she snatched the bowl back and grumbled “Damn dog kept me awake all night scratching his fleas.”
Geri got to his feet and greeted Sophie ecstatically, licking her fingers with his porridge smeared tongue.
“Good boy, that’s better isn’t it. Shelter and a warm fire is better than sleeping rough,” she said rubbing her face over his broad head.
“Never heard such a thing, cosseting a war dog like that.” Alta muttered.
Laughing Sophie helped herself to the porridge, then promising Geri that he’d get the bowls to lick she carried them into the house. Seated at the table with Eirik she asked “Is there anything you want me to do today master?”
“Apart from cleaning my house there is nothing that needs doing. Alta does my washing and she would worry that I’d sell her if you took that over. As long as you are clean and naked in my bed when I want you, there is nothing else for you to do. Perhaps if you are looking for things to do I am not humping you hard enough?” Eirik’s eyes gleamed as he looked at her.
“Oh you are, you exhaust me master” she said quickly, “but I am used to having lots to do. I would like to visit Ceolwen again and see if I can help her with her healing. Also I could show her how to make better bowls and things.”
“You know how to make cures and bowls?” Eirik asked.
“Yes, I don’t know as much as Ceolwen about herbs and potions but I do know a bit, and I’m a good potter.”
Eirik considered what she said “Then you may go to Ceolwen’s house, but do not leave the village. Take Geri with you, people here know him and who he belongs to, so they will know you are mine and leave you alone.”
Knowing that he was concerned about her safety, she got off the bench and went to him. He turned to her and pulled her between his legs burying his face between her breasts, breathing the sweet essence of her mixed with the scent of sex.
“Master, thank you for allowing me such freedom, I will only go to Ceolwen and thank you for letting me take Geri with me.”
Eirik looked into her eyes “For some reason I trust you not to do anything foolish, but take care, life here is different to what you are used to. Remember you are a slave and be careful around all Danes.”
“I will, I know I have a lot to learn and will tread warily.”
Eirik slid his hands under her dress and caressed her bottom “I want no other man to experience the pleasure of your body.” Then he reached up to her lips and kissed her, slanting his mouth over her’s so she could feel how much he wanted her.
After he left the house, Sophie had another good wash, wishing that she had deodorant, a hot shower and body gel. Her skin was becoming dry with the strong soap that was all that was available and she wanted to make some skin cream; perhaps Ceolwen would know how, but if she didn’t she would try to make it herself from the memory of the homeopathic books she had read. Dressing in her warm tunic and leggings she pulled the leather tunic over the top and fastened the belt around her waist. Once she’d got her boots and leg wraps on she plaited her hair as tidily as she could without a mirror and let herself out of the house. She desperately wanted to clean her teeth and felt sure that Ceolwen would know what was available to use.
Collecting Geri who’d made short work of cleaning hers and Eirik’s bowls, she walked through the village to Ceolwen’s shack, nodding at people who greeted her but keeping to herself. She didn’t want to do anything that would be thought of as wrong, or draw attention to her. When she arrived at Ceolwen’s, the young boy who had nearly knocked her over, was digging in the vegetable patch that occupied a good part of the garden. There were still rows of leeks, swedes, parsnips and cabbage, and young broad beans plants were peeping through. The boy stopped digging and gazed open mouthed with fear at Geri.
“He won’t hurt you” Sophie told him, “come and say hello and I’ll tell him that you are a friend.”
Instead of going to her the boy fled to the ramshackle door into the shack shouting “Ma-a-a.”
Ceolwen appeared at the door rigid with fear, but when she saw Sophie she relaxed.
“Oh, it’s you! Caena told me that the war dogs were here to rip our throats out.”
“I’m sorry, it’s only Geri. Eirik insisted that I take him when I asked if I could visit you.”
“Only Geri, the fiercest of them all. He fights like a demon and could tear your throat out in a second.”
“He’s a lovely dog, I trust him.” Sophie said finding it difficult to believe that Geri would hurt anyone.
“I won’t argue with you, just leave him outside please.”
“Of course,” telling Geri to stay, Sophie followed her into the shack.
“What can I do for you?” Ceolwen asked.
Well I came to see how Ael-gyfe is and also to ask if you had any cream for my skin. It’s very dry and rough with the soap I’ve been using.”
Ceolwen laughed “You wash too much, now I know you are from the East. Only the Danes are as fussy as those from Arabia.”
Sophie decided to tell her the story, Eirik had made up, about having a bang on the head and forgetting where she came from. When she finished Ceolwen looked at her sceptically.
“Well, if that’s what you want people to believe I won’t gainsay you. But you remember too much for that story to ring true.”
Sophie bit her lip “I’m sorry Ceolwen, but that is what Eirik wants people to believe. The truth would make people think I am crazier than they do already.”
Ceolwen nodded her head “There is something about you that makes me trust you, and I think that I could learn much from you, so we’ll say no more. I like you so let us help each other.”
“Thank you, now how is Ael-gyfe?”
“I don’t know. Two of Ivor’s men came last night and took her away. Ubbe gave her to him as part payment for Els-wythe.”
“No! But she’s not well, her arm will take weeks to heal.” Sophie was horrified.
“It isn’t her arm he’ll be using” Ceolwen said coarsely.
“But it will hurt her and may cause the bone to move in her arm, she could be crippled for life.
”
“That won’t worry Ivor, he’d hump a dog if it stood still for him. Anyway we did what we could for her and can do no more. You said you wanted some cream for your skin. I have some but I’ll have to take payment for it.”
“Mmm, I thought about that, but what if I work for you, helping you to make things and maybe showing you things you don’t know?”
“Like the pain drink?” Ceolwen thought about what Sophie could teach her, “fair enough.”
Going to the back of the shack she rummaged about on some rickety shelves and came up with a small pot covered with linen.
“This is the cream I make from wool wax, lavender and marigold. It’s very good for dry skin and makes your nails strong.”
Sophie took the rough pot and taking the linen off sniffed the cream, it smelled strongly of lavender and when she dipped her finger in it felt like the finest face cream.
“You can have that if you help me make some more. I need to collect some sheep’s wool from the hedgerows first, so if you want you could help me.”
“Oh dear” Sophie frowned “Eirik told me to go nowhere but your cottage. If I disobey him he’ll be furious.”
“Yes he will, but we can go out of the back of my garden which borders the stock field. The sheep like to lie along my hedge as it shelters them from the wind. As it was wet and windy last night there should be quite a bit of wool caught in the brambles that make up most of my hedge. I like the blackberries in the autumn, for food and a light dye. You can collect the wool there and I can go a bit further. We’ll cover twice the ground.”
Sophie thought about it, “Ok, we’ll do that, I’ll just hope that Eirik doesn’t see me.”
“Oh he won’t, I saw him ride out with his men before you arrived here. That is why I am surprised that his dog is with you. He never goes on patrol without him by his side.”
Chewing her lip Sophie said “He didn’t say he was going away. I wonder when he’ll be back?”
“Tonight I expect. They go out all the time looking for the Myrce, the border people, who are raiding the farms the Danes took over from my people.”
“I didn’t know” Sophie said worriedly “I thought they just trained and messed about all day. He never seems tired or as if he’s had a hard day.”
Ceolwen laughed “He’s a healthy warrior, in his prime. The Danes fight and hump all the time, it’s their life.”
Sophie blushed “He’s certainly very virile, insatiable is the word I’d use.”
“He certainly is.” Ceolwen said knowingly.
“You mean he’s had you too.”
“Of course, I belong to him, so when nothing better is available he uses me.”
“You belong to him? I didn’t know, I thought you were a free Saxon as you are a healer and charge for your services.”
“There are no free Saxons here, only the dead or those who have been enslaved. I suppose I was lucky. My husband was killed when the Danes attacked and I was put on the auction block. My son was taken from me to be sold separately. It was known that I was a healer and Eirik bought me. I begged him to buy my son too and he did. He put me in this house to make my herbal cures and things and allowed me to keep my son with me. Caena looks after the garden and occasionally helps Beald-wine. At least he is safe and Eirik has given me permission to sell the extra cures I make and keep part of the money. When I have enough to pay what he paid at auction for us both, he has promised to set us free.”
“Oh.”
“So of course he has humped me, but only if he doesn’t have a bed slave. We respect each other but he has no feelings for me and I can’t forget that he is my enemy. My husband was a good man who didn’t deserve to die. Now are we collecting that wool or not?”
“Yes let’s. I’m dying to know how you make cream from wool.”
Ceolwen wrapped an old cloak around her shoulders and led the way to the back of the garden, behind the pig sties. Pushing aside a rickety hurdle she pushed through the hedge with Sophie following. On the other side of the hedge was the stock field that Sophie had crossed to get to the stream; Geri had followed her and was sniffing along the flattened grass where the sheep had obviously lain the night before. The bramble bushes that made up most of the hedge were thick with clumps of wool and Ceolwen handed her a woven basket that she’d picked up in the garden, before moving, with her basket, further along the hedge to another patch that was thick with wool. The sun was shining palely and the rain and wind of the night before had passed over. In the sunshine fresh spider’s webs shone like diamonds as the light hit the raindrops suspended on them.
‘I wonder’ Sophie thought then she called “Ceolwen, do you know that clean spider’s webs help wounds to stop bleeding?”
Ceolwen turned back to her “They do? No I didn’t know that, how do you use them?”
“They must be fresh clean ones like these, but all you do is roll them up and put them into the wound. They contain a substance that makes blood clot.” She kept her explanation simple leaving out mention of vitamin K, the blood clotting agent. “Then you cover with a clean cloth and bind it in place.”
“Well there are hundreds here, shall we collect them?”
“I believe that fresh might be best but it wouldn’t hurt to try and dry some. The spiders will have made new ones in no time.”
So as well as the wool the two women collected all the spider’s webs, putting them carefully into a nest of leaves to keep them away from the dirty wool. When their baskets were full they carried them back to the shack and as they were putting them on the table Ceolwen asked “Would you like a hot drink before we wash the wool?”
Thinking that she’d give anything for a cup of tea or coffee Sophie cautiously said “Yes I’d love a hot drink but what do you make it from?”
“I have chamomile and mint if that suits you.”
“Mmm, that sounds lovely” Sophie said wondering how it would taste.
Ceolwen pushed a hanging cauldron over a brazier and going to her shelves picked up another of the rough pot’s; as the cauldron started to bubble she put some leaves out of the pot into a jug then poured the boiling water over them.
“You cook inside then? I thought you usually had a fire outside to cook on.” Sophie commented.
“Yes, I cook outside but I always need hot water for my potions so I keep this cauldron here so it’s always warm.”
“That makes sense, gosh that tea smells lovely.”
“Tea?”
“Oh that’s what we call a drink made with leaves where I come from.”
“Humph! Lost your memory huh?” Ceolwen grinned.
Sophie grinned back “Only some of it.”
Ceolwen strained the tea through a piece of linen into two mugs and passed one to Sophie, then they sat at a bench on the other side of the table. They sipped their drinks in silence, the hot drink was tasty and soothing although a trifle bitter.
Ceolwen asked “Well do you like it?”
“Yes, it’s tasty but a bit bitter for my taste.”
“Some add honey to it, I’ll get you some.” Ceolwen said getting up and fetching a dish with a small piece of honeycomb in it, then adding a tiny dollop to Sophie’s mug and handing her a wooden spoon to stir it with.
Taking another sip Sophie said “Yes that’s better.”
“Mmm, but honey is hard to find, everyone is after it and the rich pay well for it.”
“I’m sorry, you should have said, i don’t want to deprive you of anything.”
“No matter we’ll seal our friendship with a sweet drink,” Ceolwen said adding a dollop to her drink.
Sophie raised her mug and said “To friendship,” and they both laughed.
“Right” Ceolwen said standing up “we can drink as we work, there is all this wool to wash and then
boil for the wool-wax. We need some more water first.”
“I’ll get it, where’s the well?”
“In the middle of the village of course.”
“Oh sorry, I thought you might have your own.”
“I wish, but I’m not that lucky. Come on we’ll go get it together.” Ceolwen picked up two buckets that were standing by the door and handed them to her. “Wait, while I put the water in that bucket into the cauldron to heat up,” and she went to the fire and picked up the bucket she’d indicated, pouring the water in it into the cauldron then pushing it back over the fire. As they left the shack they saw Geri sitting on his haunches watching Caena who was once again, bravely, digging the garden while keeping a wary eye on the dog. When Geri saw Sophie he stood up and welcomed her with a yawn and a tail wag.
“We’re going for some water, come along and help carry it.” Ceolwen called to her son.
He picked up a bucket, from the side of a green lichen covered trough of brackish water, and swirled the rain water in it around before emptying it into the trough, then he cautiously joined them, keeping Sophie between him and the dog
“Honestly he won’t hurt you” Sophie said “come let him sniff your hand while I tell him that you are a friend.”
She took Caena’s hand in hers and held it out to Geri. The boy was trembling but bravely didn’t pull back.
“Sit Geri, this is Caena, my friend, so now he’s your friend. Be nice say hello.”
Geri sat still as Sophie held the boy’s hand out for him to sniff, he gave it a lick and his tail brushed the ground.
“There you see, you are friends. He will protect you as he protects me.” Sophie smiled at Caena as he glowed with pride looking at his mother for confirmation of his bravery.
“Well done Caena, but remember other dogs will not be your friend so still be careful around them.”
Sophie nearly protested, thinking of the parents in her century who made their children afraid of dogs, denying them the pleasure of the love a dog could give them, but she remembered what Geri had been trained for and nodded her agreement with Ceolwen.
Goldhill's Treasure Page 15
