The Vikings ran with their torches in hand into the woods. "Bjork!!!" They called out to him.
"Sereen. It's Sereen! She attacked me!" Bjork cried out in the distance.
Everyone changed course, heading into his direction and Pane arrives first to the scene.
"Bjork!" Pane rushes down to his side, "What happened?"
"It was Sereen, that whore! I knew she hated me. She followed me into the woods and attacked me!" he struggled to say as he held onto the seax that was embedded into his ribs.
"What exactly happened?" Pane asked again.
"I came to chop some wood, because the fire was out. She followed me and tried to seduce me." He coughed up a little blood and continued to speak, "When my guard was down, she attacked me with the seax!"
Pane looked at Bjork with hesitancy then stood up and commanded, " I need three men with me to carry Bjork back to the campgrounds. Two to the north, two to the west and two to the south. Everyone else, gather wood and water. It's going to be a long night. Meet back at dawn or else we will declare you as dead, and you WILL be left behind! NOW MOVE!"
Everyone scatters around, running their tasks.
Back at the campground, Pane goes to check on Leifae .
"Sire, what would you have me do in this predicament?" he asked, but Lei didn't answer. "Sire?" Pane enters Lei's sleeping area and sees him shivering in a fever, unresponsive.
That night the viking men tended to Bjork's gash and Lei's fever.
"The Master isn't looking well, we should return." suggested one of the men and many agreed in a chatter.
By dawn, all the men had returned to the campsite. Pane waited for all to quiet before he started his announcement. "One boat will remain here in search of Lady Sereen, dead or alive. Everyone else will journey with me back home. In seven days the remaining boat, left here, will leave this place with or without lady Sereen. The king isn't well and will need additional nursing. We leave at once."
"Pane, I will stay with the last boat." Bjork volunteered. Clint and I are the greatest hunters of our group. We WILL be able to find her."
Pane eyed Bjork up and down. "How are you going to find her with your injuries?" he asked.
"I will heal in due time. This is just a little scratch. When have you ever known me to quit because of a small little scratch?"
"Alright, Bjork. You and Clint will stay. Choose eight other men to stay with you. Let's MOVE!" Pane yelled out and every quickly readys the boats.
*
It was the last night of their search for Sereen and Clint was at the verge of giving up. The moon is up high in the sky and its edges gleamed in a red outline.
"Are you sure she ran southwest? Because we have NOT seen any signs of her except that last thing we found by the cliff. She's probably dead by now."
"SHUT UP! Why did I even ask for you to stay? Your voice is like a mindless chatter that gnaws at my intelligence." Bjork barked at Clint.
"I'm hungry, Bjork! I'm thirsty, Bjork. My feet hurt, Bjork."
Though he is a skilled hunter, Clint's complaints never cease to stop.
"I have to piss, Bjork."
"SHHH! I hear something." They halt in place and Bjork closes his eyes to listen to their surroundings.
"SMOKE!!!" Clint yelled out.
"SHH!" Bjork shushes Clint and they listen for any kind of sound. Suddenly, they hear the ruffling of leaves. They take off running toward the sound. They arrived at a messy leafy area.
"I swear I saw smoke!" Clint said loudly.
"You think a girl can make fire? She can barely do anything! His grace made sure of it."
"BUT I SAW SMOKE! THERE'S GOT TO BE A FIRE NEARBY!" Clint yelled.
Bjork slapped the back of Clint's head. "Stop all that fussing! If the whore is out here, she would have heard you already." Bjork grabs a hold of his left ribs and moans, "Arggg! Feck! You got me opening up my old gash!"
"But I didn't even do anything…"
"Shut up you idiot and just move along." Bjork pushes Clint forward, "I don't know why Pane's got his trousers up so high in his bumhole about this girl. MOVE IT!" He pushes Clint again.
"Bjork, I've got to take a piss." Clint said.
"Well, hurry up then." Bjork barked at Clint who quickly ran into a heavily covered area to pee.
"DONE!" he announced to Bjork.
"Good." Bjork replied as he crouched down into an area nearby. He reached down to touch the ground and brought it back up to his face to examine. "Blood." Bjork muttered.
"Blood?" Clint's eyes widened in comprehension.
"...and fur. Someone was here and they were hunting. Judging from the hair it looks like it could have come from a deer." He swishes the blood and fur between his fingers. "This looks fresh, that means we aren't that far behind them. They probably heard us and made a run for it." Bjork gave an evil laugh, " I smell fear. I love it!"
"But bjork, which way to go?"
"Back to camp. We need more men power. There could be more of them than you and I could take. Let's go." They quickly turned around and rapidly walked away back to camp.
When they arrived, Bjork rallied everyone up leaving two men behind to watch the campsite. They all geared up with their weapons and armor, rushing back into the woods following Bjork as he led the way.
It took less than an hour before the Vikings arrived at their destination altogether. They started their search for tracks, but as they followed it down hill they were stopped by a pack of black wolves attacking an old lady.
"Rah! RAAAH!!" Bjork roared at the wolves and they all stopped to turn and look at the Vikings. He clicked his crossbow back, ready to fire and then again he yelled, "RAH!'' The group joined in the yelling.
The biggest and blackest wolf of the pack dashes forward towards Bjork.
CLINK**
The crossbow was released and its arrow flew straight into its right chest making it whimper away in pain. As the wolf ran off, the rest of its pack followed.
"Old grandma lady!" Clint rushes to the side of the little old lady as she bled profusely on the ground. "Grandma lady, are you okay?" Clint asked the old lady as he slowly holds her up and puts pressure on her wounds. "Old grandma lady, can you hear me?"
Nothing but muttering words slipped her lips.
"Aahh…" Bjork walks up to Clint and the old lady as everyone watches the old lady fight with death to breathe. "Fecking wolves!" Bjork stretched his arms while putting pressure at this recent healing wound. "It's been six fecking days. If she isn't here, then that bitch has got to be fecking dead. Look at what those wolves did to the dying hag."
"Don't call her that!" Clint screamed at Bjork. "She is dying and she should be able to go peacefully."
"Let's go! I've had enough shit to deal with. Need a healer." Bjork started to rally the group to return to camp and give up on the search."
"SEREEN!" the old lady yelled out, took a deep gasp for air and passed out.
"SHIT! She knows where the whore is! Quick, bandage her wounds, she is coming with us." Bjork demanded and everyone got work.
On their journey back, the old lady was able to show them a few survival skills and how to make certain snares. Clint started to grow fond of her and taught her basic English to ease their communication.
"Once we arrive back at the mansion, we will tell him that we couldn't find the whor… Lady Sereen."
Upon hearing Sereen's name, the old lady smiled and said, " Sereen '' as she nodded her head.
"You know Lady Sereen? Have you seen her?" Clint asked the old lady.
"Yes." she replied.
"Is she alive?" Clint asked again and Bjork observed her intently.
"Maybe. When I see her, she alive. Now, I no know if alive." the old lady said in her broken English.
"Well, you're going to help us find her as soon as you meet the king." Bjork said while grinning ear to ear. "We will find her and she will be at my mercy."
*
It took nearly another week before their arrival back at the mansion. King Leifae was waiting anxiously for news of Sereen and had anticipated this day. "She has seen my dear beloved!" Lei dashes towards the old woman. "Have you seen my dear Sereen?" Tears swelled in his eyes and slowly dripped off the edge of one of them.
The old lady reaches up to his face and sympathizes with him by wiping away the teardrop. "Sereen, I see her and she was one like you. Now, Sereen is one like me. She no come back."
"She's dead, is that why she's not coming back?!?" Lei cried in horror.
"No, she alive, yes. But she not same Sereen you know."
"What do you mean?" Lei stopped crying and wiped away his tears. "She's alive but she's not the same. What did the savages do to her?"
"No, YOU ARE SAVAGES! I am Niiganii, and Sereen am new Ma'iingan."
"Ma'iingan? Sereen? Your name is Niiganii?" Lei turns to look at Clint. " I'm trying to understand her but I just can't fathom what she's trying to get at."
"Sire, Niiganii is saying that lady Sereen has joined their tribe and will most likely NOT return." Clint said slowly to Lei.
Lei stands in confusion, terrified that his love has been forced into something she doesn't want. "She was to wed me, but I became ill. What would make her run off if not by force?" He stumbles in place.
"Your grace." Yuqin reaches for his king's arm and holds Lei steady. "You should retire to your chamber and get some rest. You are in shock." Yuqin suggested.
"Pane, follow me. Everyone is dismissed for now. Yuqin, bring the old lady…" Lei pauses and corrects himself. "Bring Niiganii to one of the guest rooms for now. Have a nurse evaluate her. I need to make sure she is sane before believing her words."
Pane follows lei as they leave the study.
Upon reaching King Leifae's chambers he quickly hatches a plan, " Pane, you are one of my most trusted friends. I need you to find several good men to retrieve Sereen. She is to be our new Queen, but that can not happen if Bjork leads them. You know how he can be when it comes to women. And I fear, oh, I fear it was because of him that my dear Sereen fled."
"Sire, I promise you I will find out what has happened. As for my lady, I will only find the best of the best to accompany me. Rest assured."
*****Jerelliyus *****
I arrive at the dock of Pormanston, the stench of the Master Boix Ship lingers on my clothing. He is nothing but an old horny fat man, wasting his life and money away on prostitutes, rum, wine, and getting his dick sucked. When he was running low on funds, he started to sell off his thralls. After many years of doing his dirty work for him, he finally got rid of me. He sent me to help this new 'supposed' King of Newtown (the name of the Mansion) to find his missing betrothed and I happily agreed so I can come here and meet with the famous Seer about my brother.
I wonder about this, Lady Sereen, though. I wonder what kind of strong enchantment she has on King Leifae Arkson that he is willing to pay so much just to find her.