Sisters of the North Sea Pt. 01

When done with Eawynn's hands, the man moved to the nun's face. It seemed like Vidar was counting her freckles, as he traced every single one with his fingers. Without warning, the man shoved his thumb onto Eawynn's mouth, and forced apart her lips. Tracing her bottom lip with his finger, the man inspected that part of her body too. Eawynn couldn't tell what his reaction was - his face was serious, yet he didn't look disappointed. Next, Vidar combed through Eawynn's unruly hair with his hands. Her messy ginger curls were detangled, one by one, as the man sorted through every single strand. Eawynn wished that instead of throwing the hairbrush out of the window, she had kept it for the future. Her red hair was always a bit wild, but without a daily brushing, it would end up looking like a bramble bush.

Without warning, a horrible thought entered Eawynn's mind. She had heard stories of the Vikings taking captives and selling them as slaves."Is he inspecting me like livestock, before taking me to the market?" The thought of it made Eawynn sick. It was bad enough to be taken as a captive, but what if he sold her off as a slave?

"Why didn't he do anything, when I was lying there, almost naked?" Eawynn's mind was returning to that room, and how she had felt then. Eawynn had never had a man touch her, not even over her clothes. Some other Sisters had told her stories... but she didn't really know what to expect in real life. Yet, some little part of her was yearning to know what it was like... Eawynn shook her head, and tried to shake off those thoughts from her mind."No, that's not right, I should not think about such sinful things," Eawynn thought, as she blushed.

Eawynn glanced around the Viking ship, and found her fellow sisters. Sister Aerlene was sitting down by herself, on a bed made of bearskin. Her bright green eyes looked almost poisonous, with the amount of silent rage that filled them. Sister Maethilde was still silently sobbing, as the silver-haired man carried her around. Eawynn found it curious that while the other Sisters had been allowed to move about on their own, Maethilde's captor carted her around everywhere, like a sack of potatoes. Sister Rowena was standing, staring at the sea. She was surrounded by a flock of admirers, but it seemed none of them dared to get too close. Admiring her from afar, they let Rowena have her own little corner of the ship."Are the Vikings truly so afraid of Rowena's beauty, that they daren't approach her?" Eawynn wondered, as she looked at her raven-haired sister.

Lost in thought, Eawynn didn't realize the night, quickly approaching. When the last rays of the warm Autumn sun set beyond the horizon, Eawynn let out a tired yawn. Vidar seemed surprised by the it as well, as he suddenly stopped combing Eawynn's hair and stood up to look around. Without a word the man got up, took Eawynn's arm, and dragged her with him to the southern end of the ship.

The man walked to the very end of the ship, where a few blankets laid against the hard wooden surface of the longship. Vidar sat down on the blanket further from the wall of the ship, and gestured to Eawynn to sit down on the other one. There were a few other Vikings close to them, but none within arms reach of their spot. Some other Sisters had been brought there too. One of them was Aerlene, whose golden hair was uncharacteristically messy. Usually, Arlene was well-put-together, but now, her face was dirty, and her hair resembled more a crow's nest, than her usual crown of gold.

"Are you alright?" Eawynn asked quietly, as she leaned towards Aerlene.

"As well as one can be, circumstances considered," Aerlene answered calmly.

"Did anyone... try something with you?"

"They all will, if they get the chance."

Eawynn was once again reminded of what had taken place earlier that day. She had lied in bed, almost naked, and still nothing happened. She almost told Aerlene about it, until she remembered who she was talking to. Aerlene would ask why Eawynn hadn't kicked Vidar in the groin, or poked his eyes out... Eawynn shook her head, in shock. While trying to escape Vidar, it hadn't occurred to Eawynn to do any of those things. To avoid thinking about it further, Eawynn just kept her mouth shut about the whole thing.

Aerlene had always been stronger than anyone else Eawynn knew. Not physically, but in all other ways that counted. There was no challenge that could make Aerlene give up. No obstacle too high to climb, or a fall too hard to bear. Aerlene would always dust herself off, and keep fighting. That's what Eawynn most admired about her Sister. Aerlene was almost a decade older than her, and sometimes Eawynn felt immature in comparison.

"I really don't think all of them could be that terrible..." Eawynn started, thinking about Magnus, the young boy she had seen chatting with Vidar earlier. The young lad seemed innocent, more like a child than a warrior. If Magnus was one of them, then surely not all Vikings could be that bad.

"You'll change your mind after tonight," Aerlene said, matter-of-factly.

"Tonight? What do you mean?"

"The excitement of war and conquest usually awakens... other appetites in men."

Aerlene looked at Eawynn knowingly, but Eawynn just stared back blankly.

"Don't tell me you don't know about..." Arlene said finally, breaking the awkward silence.

"I know about it," Eawynn hurriedly interjected, to prevent Aerlene from going into any more detail. Eawynn felt her face flush red with embarrassment, and she looked away from Aerlene to hide her reaction. Eawynn always heard Rowena speak of men, and Eawynn always pretended to be calm and collected about the subject. But in all honesty, it was one of the only things in life that made Eawynn truly nervous.

"So you have never...?" Aerlene looked at Eawynn, puzzled.

"No, of course not. Have you?"

"Don't be silly, Eawynn. What do you take me for?" Aerlene shook her head, and seemed to be starting one of her sermons about the importance of virtue. Aerlene often kept those sermons, back at the convent. Even when they were alone, Aerlene never talked about men, except to lecture about the importance of keeping away from them. In that way, Aerlene was the opposite of Rowena, who talked about men every chance she got.

Just as Aerlene was preparing to give her lecture, a dark-haired man appeared to her side. Aerlene didn't notice his approach, and Eawynn was too slow to react to warn Aerlene of the impending danger. The dark stranger quickly wrapped his arms around Aerlene's waist, and made her fall to her back. Aerlene's eyes widened, as she realized what was happening. But at that point, it was too late.

With three swift cuts from his knife, the stranger destroyed Aerlene's robe. Aerlene's tunic fell to the ground with a heavy thud, and the woman's body was left exposed. Aerlene screeched, and reached for the man's face with her fingers. She tried scratching and hitting, but the man ducked and avoided Aerlene's claws. The dark-haired Dane took out a long rope, and forcibly fastened it around the nun's wrists. With Aerlene's hands tied behind her back, there was little she could do to prevent the man's assault.

"Fucking bastard!" Aerlene screamed, as she tried to kick her assailant away.

The stranger forced Aerlene down onto her back, so that she was lying exposed on her bearskin bed. Next, the stranger parted Aerlene's legs, and explored the area with his probing fingers. Aerlene's perky breasts were exposed to the air, rising and falling rapidly with the rhythm of Aerlene's panicked breaths.

Aerlene seemed out of breath and flustered. Her face reddened and her pupils dilated, as she stared at the man assaulting her. Eawynn was shocked, and frozen with fear. She didn't know what to do."Poor Aerlene," she thought to herself, as she witnessed the horrors unfolding before her eyes. Eawynn felt she should help Aerlene, or at least look away, but she couldn't. The young nun felt herself frozen in place, with eyes transfixed on what was happening. It wasn't right, Eawynn knew, but she found it impossible to look away.

"Fucking bastard," Aerlene moaned, as she began rocking her hips to the rythm of her assault.

"Oh my lord! She seems to be enjoying it!" thought Eawynn, as she grew increasingly embarrassed by Aerlene's lack of propriety. It had taken Aerlene mere minutes to change her tune from that of aggression, to moans of pleasure. It was too shameful to bear, but still Eawynn could not look away.

The strange man turned Aerlene around, onto her knees. Aerlene's head was now resting on one of the bearskin blankets, and her buttocks was up in the air. Aerlene's bottom was round and full; seemingly exactly to the stranger's liking, who looked mesmerized by Aerlene's naked body. The man took a moment to undo his trousers, and threw them aside. Eawynn noticed that Aerlene wasn't fighting back, but waited excitedly for the man to continue what he had started.

Soon enough, the man was ready to continue. He pushed Aerlene's legs further apart, fully exposing the wetness in between. Aerlene moaned softly, and arched her back. The stranger took a fistful of Aerlene's hair, and pulled her onto his hard member, sinking his full length into her. Aerlene moaned even deeper, and pushed herself onto the man, fully accepting him into her. The man groaned approvingly, and started rhythmically pushing, and pulling himself in and out of Aerlene.

"Yes, oh god yes!" Aerlene screamed, as she was taken aggressively from behind.

The man seemed pleased, excited to see his captive enjoying herself. Aerlene's large breasts bobbed up and down, as her partner pushed her around. The man shoved himself deeper into her, and started taking her even faster.

"Fuck... uh...", Aerlene screamed, as she came for her captor.

The stranger groaned, and came as well. He made a few more thrusts, almost to make sure that his seed could get as deep inside of Aerlene as possible. When he was done, he pulled his member out, and collapsed on top of his partner blissfully. Aerlene moaned one more time, before she fell asleep in the man's arms.

Shock was not a strong enough word to describe how Eawynn felt. How could Aerlene talk so much about virtue, but in the next moment, lie there moaning and enjoying being ravaged, like a common whore? Eawynn was not sure what to think anymore, her head felt light-headed, and her whole body was tingling with shame and revulsion.

Eawynn turned back towards Vidar, who she had almost forgotten about. He had clearly been observing the very same scene she had. Suddenly aware that Eawynn was looking at him, he cleared his throat guiltily and gazed away, pretending he hadn't been looking at all. Eawynn also coughed a bit, almost involuntarily. At that moment Vidar realized that if Eawynn knew he was looking... she had been looking too. The guilty expression disappeared from Vidar's face, and was replaced with a teasing smile."I know you liked it," it seemed to be saying. Eawynn's face flushed beetroot red, as she turned away in embarrassment.

Eawynn tried to escape Vidar's jesting smile by crawling under her blanket. She scooted her body as far from Vidar's side as she could, so that her nose pressed against the hull of the ship. But instead of staying away, Vidar inched closer, until his body was pressed against the young woman's. Eawynn moaned involuntarily, when she felt the man's arousal pressing against her back. With Vidar's arm wrapped around Eawynn's waist, they both fell asleep.

Chapter 2 - Friends

The room was dark and full of mist; only a hint of moonlight entered the bedroom from its small window. Eawynn tried getting up from the hard surface, but couldn't. Her arms and legs were bound to the edges of the bed, pinning her naked body to the mattress. Eawynn's perky breasts were rising and falling as she took her shallow breaths. Her messy auburn hair was a tangled mess, sweaty and wet from when she had jumped in the lake to save her Viking captor. Eawynn tried kicking and screaming, but her restraints would not budge.

"Please let me go!" Eawynn pleaded, but got no response.

In the corner of the room, Eawynn saw a familiar figure. Vidar's deep blue eyes glistened in the dark as he approached the bed. It seemed to take an eternity, before her captor reached her side. He was completely undressed, and his naked, muscular body glistened in the moonlight. Eawynn groaned at the sight of him: how was it fair for one man to be so handsome?

Vidar reached towards Eawynn, lightly touching her body. Starting from her toes, and working his way up. When the man reached Eawynn's inner thigh, he paused for a moment. Vidar slowly continued towards her naked sex, teasing Eawynn with his touch.

"Please..." Eawynn moaned.

The man circled Eawynn's sensitive nub with his thumb. Eawynn felt her face flush with embarrassment, as she struggled against her restraints. Her efforts were frustrated, and instead Eawynn could only groan in frustration.

Vidar continued exploring Eawynn's sex with one finger. Another finger, he inserted inside of her. Eawynn felt her whole body tingle. Some unfamiliar feeling was building up inside of her...

"Eawynn? Are you awake?" asked a familiar voice.

Eawynn jerked herself awake, suddenly remembering where she was. A flush of pink took over her face, as she realized she had been dreaming. Just to make sure, Eawynn looked around. Vidar was nowhere to be seen."At least he isn't here to witness my embarrassment," Eawynn sighed in relief.

"Eawynn?" Aerlene asked again.

Aerlene's voice was something Eawynn did not want to hear first thing in the morning. The events of the day before were still fresh in Eawynn's mind. Stunned by Aerlene's wantonness, Eawynn blurted out her feelings.

"What happened yesterday? For the past three years I've known you, I've had to hear lecture after lecture on the importance of virtue. But now, a man touches you slightly, and you turn into a common whore?" Eawynn spat at Aerlene, judgmentally.

"And what were you dreaming about, before I woke you?" Aerlene asked, calmly. There was no hint of malice or anger in Aerlene's voice. Eawynn's face flushed red, both with embarrassment and rage.

"I didn't dream of anything in particular. And besides, I don't see how that has anything to do with this. I haven't gone parting my legs like the red sea. In the bible..."

"In the bible? Really, Eawynn? In the bible it says: 'I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent'," Aerlene spoke with a calm tone, "But yet, our abbess is a woman, and she has seniority over the brothers in our midst. Does that make sense to you?" Aerlene asked, with incredulity.

"But..."

"You ought to be less rigid in your faith, Eawynn. Otherwise, your beloved bible will collapse under the weight of its own inconsistencies."

"How could you keep sermons on virtue? Have you been lying and pretending all this time?" Eawynn asked contemptuously.

"Oh, please. You don't get to judge me, princess. You might not understand, because for you, the convent was a choice. You woke up one day, and decided you didn't want to get married without love. And I commend you for it. But for me, it was either this, or ending up dead in a ditch. If I didn't act like the pillar of virtue that the church expects, they might have thrown me back to the streets. Unlike you, I don't have a family to run back to. So spare your judgments for someone else," Aerlene spoke with an uncharacteristic amount of annoyance. It was not like Aerlene to become so upset over words.

Eawynn was surprised. It had never occurred to her that things might be more complicated than they seemed.

"But why did you still pretend yesterday, when we were talking? Why wouldn't you just tell me the truth?" Eawynn asked.

"Because... I didn't want you to judge me."

In a rare moment of vulnerability, Aerlene looked away in tears. In all the years of knowing her, Eawynn had never seen Aerlene cry. But now that Aerlene's hazel-green eyes filled with water, Eawynn wondered if Aerlene often cried in private.

"I don't judge you, Aerlene," Eawynn whispered. "How could I? You're right, about everything you said." Tears were welling up in Eawynn's eyes as she spoke. She had no idea that Aerlene thought of her as such a pompous, judgemental person. "A princess," as Aerlene had put it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset!" Aerlene shouted, as Eawynn stormed off to the other end of the boat. Eawynn knew she was acting like a brat, but she really couldn't face Aerlene at that moment.

"Were you ever really my friend, or was all that pretend too?" Eawynn thought to herself, as she ran to the edge of the longship. The waves were crashing into the boat aggressively, and Eawynn felt herself getting woozy. With a violent jerk, Eawynn pushed her head over the hull of the boat and retched. It was partly the ocean air, but also the scandalous dream and Aerlene's confession, that made Eawynn so sick. When the worst was over, Eawynn leaned against the side of the boat, and collapsed into a ball on the wooden deck. She tried to get up, but every time she did, her head started spinning. After trying four or five times, she gave up, and settled for lying on the floor. She felt like a shaggy rat, slinking around pathetically on the Viking ship.

"Hel- Hello?" a young voice called out insecurely.

Eawynn looked up, and saw a surprising face staring down at her. Magnus' shy expression peaked out between his messy dark curls. His dark-brown eyes looked kind, but full of worry.

"You speak English?" Eawynn asked, surprised.

"A little," said Magnus quietly, almost like he was afraid that others would hear.

"I am Magnus,'' he continued, as he sat next to Eawynn.

"My name is Eawynn." Eawynn was astonished. How did a young Danish boy come to know her language?

"How do you know English?" Eawynn demanded.

"My mother was from there," responded Magnus, who was clearly being humble about his skills.

The young man was almost fluent, and Eawynn heard only a faint Danish accent as he spoke. Eawynn felt a seed of hope spring to life in her chest. There was a slight comfort in knowing that at least one of the foreigners understood her. But then, Eawynn realized what Magnus' comments entailed: if his mother was from England, then she must have been captured by Vikings, just as she was."Maybe that's why Magnus judged Vidar, when he saw Vidar capture me? Maybe Magnus feels sorry for me, because his mother went through the same horrors?" Eawynn thought, as she looked at the young man.

"Do you feel ill?" Magnus asked her empathetically.

Magnus reached into his pocket to pull out some kind of seeds. The dark-haired youth gave them to Eawynn.

"They are... seeds to make you feel better," the young man explained. Magnus seemed to be struggling to find the right words. It was clear that he could not quite explain what he was giving her.

Desperate for a cure to her sickness, and trusting Magnus' good intentions, Eawynn took the kernels into her mouth. The flavor was strong and pungent, but Eawynn was determined to eat them all. After swallowing the medicine, Eawynn started feeling a bit better. She felt thankful to Magnus, who looked relieved by her recovery.

"Thank you, Magnus," Eawynn said, and she meant it.

Sitting closer to him, Eawynn realized that she might have misjudged him. Eawynn felt silly, for finding him so young; he was about the same age she was. And besides, Magnus was probably a great asset to the others, seeing that he knew the local language. Most of all, Eawynn appreciated the fact that Magnus was the only Viking who treated her like a person - not as an object, or a plaything. Vidar, even though he had been kind on some occasions, still thought it was his right to poke and prod at her like he was inspecting some animal.