“Aye,” Askhold said, shaking his head. “It makes no sense to me either, Rorik.”
“Who can understand the mind of a woman?” Gurd said. “ ’Tis of no real importance. We must needs sleep now. We can begin to track them at dawn. The two of them trekking inland curdles my belly. They’ll not make it far, that’s certain.” He paused a moment, then said, “I want Entti back. Now that you’ve broken the women’s rebellion, Rorik, I can take her whenever it pleases me and Asta will say nothing about it or I will whip her, just as you said.”
“I had not meant that exactly,” Rorik said, and frowned at the blacksmith. He was remembering Mirana’s words, words that had riled him, had made him shake with anger at her. She’d asked him if he’d been faithless, demanded to know if he approved married men bedding other women in front of their wives. He didn’t approve, but damnation, he couldn’t dictate to his men, couldn’t demand they not bed Entti. Mirana had been right, damn her. The women had few choices; they’d punished the men with inedible cooking and he’d threatened to whip them for it.
“Asta will obey me,” Gurd said. “She is a good wife. She must obey me, her husband.”
Aye, Rorik thought, that was the crux of the matter, but still, it didn’t settle well with him.
Mirana laughed softly. All men were gullible. She’d proved it yet again. Even mighty Rorik, ah, she’d fooled him and his damned men.
She and Entti had cut the second warship adrift and settled down in the other one. Now they were quietly rowing toward the mouth of the estuary. It was just before dawn. She’d wanted to leave hours before but knew they couldn’t possibly navigate in the sea and they couldn’t take the chance that Rorik would send men back to Hawkfell Island again. They would see that the other warship was gone. Thus, Mirana and Entti had spent their night within twenty feet of Rorik and his men and they’d heard all their talk.
Gurd, Mirana had decided, needed more lessons in how to properly treat Asta, a woman of whom she was very fond, a woman filled with laughter and joy and kindness. She hoped the bonds hadn’t hurt either Asta or Old Alna. She’d had to take them by surprise because she couldn’t depend on them agreeing to help her escape. If she had asked them and they had agreed, then she would be endangering them, for she imagined if Rorik were to discover that the women had helped her escape, he wouldn’t have shown much kindness to them. He might have had them whipped. He might have done even worse.
She and Entti had watched the other warship return to the island, both Asta and Old Alna aboard. She’d said a silent good-bye to them both. They’d watched it return with more men and provisions. And they’d wait
ed.
“I doubt they’ll come back this way,” Mirana said now in a low voice, pitching it to the night sounds surrounding them. There was the soft slap of the water against the sides of the warship, the occasional sound of a frog or cricket, a slithering sound near the side of the longboat that made Mirana’s flesh pucker and crawl. Once, something long and solid had bumped against the longboat and Mirana had had to stifle a yell.
“Nay,” Entti said, satisfaction in her husky voice. “They believe we fled like empty-headed females through the salt marshes deep into East Anglia itself. They’re fools to believe us such empty-headed fools. But they are naught but men, after all.”
Mirana smiled at her new friend. Entti was no simpleton, she thought again as she turned to look at Entti’s vague outline in the darkness. What a wondrous surprise that had been when she’d snuck up on Hafter and Entti had stared up at her, and smiled and nodded, bringing Hafter’s head down to hers, holding him tightly against her chest, wrapping her legs around his flanks, so Mirana could slam the rock against his head.
“There is still grave danger,” Mirana said. “It would be foolish of us to be overly confident. By all the gods, Entti, I don’t know. Perhaps you were safer staying on Hawkfell Island. You were not abused. The women were kind to you, they protected you.”
“Aye, they were,” Entti said, “but the act was growing more and more difficult.” She fell silent as she drew again on the oar, her motion steady and smooth. “You believe pleasuring one man after the other not to be abuse, Mirana? They had endless appetites, and a few were animals. They believed they were doing me such a favor, giving me such joy, the rutting stoats. Hafter was different, but still, the chance to escape, the chance to be free once again, it is worth all the danger to be rid of even him.”
“And Rorik?”
“I never bedded Rorik. I tried to gain his attention, but he kept to himself. I had hoped that if I bedded him, he would keep the others away from me. But it never worked. I realized that he felt sorry for me, for my simpleness, for the innocence of my mind. I believe he thought to bed me would be like bedding a helpless child.” She laughed softly. “I wasn’t wise. I decided to play the lackwit shortly after the Vikings captured me. I decided I could bear the men bedding me, that I would be able to suffer it and keep my mind and soul free of them, but it became more and more difficult, as I told you. I would rather die now than return to Hawkfell Island. I would rather die than be a whore again.”
“You survived and that is what is important. With luck, both of us will continue to survive. Thank you, Entti.”
And that was that. Mirana sat opposite her on the narrow wooden plank, both women drawing on their oars together. It took a while to gain a rhythm, but they’d at last managed it. Each draw took them farther and farther away. Soon they would reach the mouth of the estuary and the North Sea. Two women rowing a warship. It would be difficult, near to impossible, but Mirana knew they would manage somehow.
Entti said, “I found it amusing when the women took their revenge, and I wanted desperately to help them, but how could I? I was naught but a blank-brained child. They were so furious when their husbands took me, but they never blamed me, particularly Asta. Even she showed me no dislike or blamed me for Gurd’s infidelity. I disliked him more than any of the others. But then Amma’s plan, and what they did to the men until Rorik made his threat! I heard Amma talking to some of the other women of your idea, but then Rorik made his threat immediately, giving it no time to work.”
“Aye,” Mirana said. “I wondered why he did it so soon. He didn’t even eat any of the porridge that next morning, and it was very very good, Entti.”
Entti chuckled. “I saw him go to his sleeping chamber when Amma and Old Alna were in there with you. He didn’t enter, but just paused outside. I believe he overheard you and the women making your new plans. He knew he had to act quickly and so he did. He isn’t a stupid man.”
“There will be no more rebellions, Entti. All the women know he whipped me even though they don’t know why he did it. It was enough to make them forgo any more thoughts of defiance. ’Tis a pity and yes, Rorik is many things, but he isn’t stupid.”
“Mayhap he was this time. We have escaped him. By the gods, Mirana, we listened to him and his men calling us naught but women, small and helpless and insignificant as insects. Aye, this time we’ve won.” Entti looked heavenward for a moment, then said, “Why did Rorik whip you?”
“It was silly, really. I was too proud to bend, and that’s the truth of it. Oddly enough, he was very careful not to hurt me.” Mirana added, shaking her head, “Naturally, he blamed me for making him have to whip me.”
“Men,” Entti said, “they behave as if they actually believe what they do is right. It is astounding that they can be so blind.”
“Lucky for you that they are, my friend.”
“Aye, if you would wish to regard my captivity in that light. I was lucky. I survived to escape.”
They rowed in silence, for their breaths were beginning to hitch with the strain. It was nearly impossible for the two of them to keep the warship exactly on the right course. They had to make constant corrections, and it was exhausting.
Mirana said, “I know weapons and have a certain skill with a knife and a sword. If only there had been time, if only Rorik hadn’t overheard our plan. All the women need is the proper training, for they have grit and heart. A man whose parts or whose throat is threatened by an agile hand wielding a knife isn’t a man to go against his honor, to spite his wife.”