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Chapter 44. Sigrid
Back to: Chapter 43.Unexpected Encounters Next: Chapter 45. Alex

Something completely unexpected happened. The outlaw took off his helmet and kneeled. “Your majesty,” he said, with the voice of a young boy. With the helmet off he looked to be a lad of sixteen at the most. The chins were smooth without a trace of a beard. There was something very familiar about those freckles and that red hair.

“Some people believe that you’re dead, your Majesty but I’m pleased to find that they’re wrong.” The happy smile in the eyes of the outlaw surprised Alexander.

The young brigand slowly rose to his feet keeping his eyes steady on Alexander.


“Who are you? I didn’t know that outlaws dwelled this deep in the forest.”

“I’m no outlaw.” The lad snorted and wrinkled his freckled nose. “My name is Sigrid, the blacksmith Frodi’s daughter. I used to work in the castle after my parents died in the fever and then I joined the resistance.”

Of course, this was no lad at all but the girl that used to be a chambermaid in the castle! The same girl who had watched him when he practiced with the sword but with her hair cut short. What was she doing here deep in the forest dressed in chainmail? And what was the resistance? All the questions that rose in Alexander’s head were overshadowed by the fact that he had met the first human he had seen for almost a year and she seemed to be friendly. If he was not mistaken she was even happy to see him.

“Sigrid, can I come over to your side? I would like to talk with you.”


The girl nodded, and watched him carefully as he started to cross the brook that parted them. Cold water filled his worn boots. Alexander tried to keep his eyes on Sigrid’s eyes and sword at the same time as he tried to have control over where he put his feet.

"We can sit down there," Sigrid said and pointed on fallen tree log. Each step Alexander took made a splashing sound as water poured between his toes.

Alexander sat down and took off his left boot, turned it upside down to pour out the water and repeated the same procedure with the other boot. He would have to walk home with wet feet. Finally he looked up into Sigrid’s brown eyes.



“I still don’t understand what you’re doing so far away from home in the deep of the forest Sigrid. What resistance have you joined? ”

Sigrid straightened her back. “Your majesty, Torfast and me joined the resistance against Jarl Erik. Jarl Erik claims the crown but there are still people defending the castle and her Majesty the Queen. The castle still stands strong,” she made a short pause “or it did when I left. The rest of the kingdom is falling apart and people are suffering.”

Alexander opened his clenched fists and noted the trickling sensation of blood flowing back to his finger tips. He already knew the answer from what Sigrid had said but he still had to ask. “What about my father, the King?”

The gaze filled with sympathy that Sigrid gave him made his throat dry of fear. “Didn’t you know, the King died shortly after you’d disappeared? He was dying already before you left.”



“No!” Alexander shouted. “You lie. He was old but he was not dying when I left.”

Sigrid’s gaze didn’t give way for his anger. She looked steady but sympathetically at him and didn’t recoil. “I’m sorry this must be hard for you. Only the servants and maybe the Queen knew how bad his health was. He didn’t want no one to know and maybe he didn’t really want to accept the inevitable himself.”

“Why did you know and not me, his own son?”

“Because I was no one, like all the other servants.” Sigrid’s voice was matter of fact, without a trace of bitterness. “He didn’t want your enemies to know his weakness and he didn’t want to worry or distract you when you had so much on your mind with the wedding and all.”

She was silent for a long while, allowing Alexander to let the news sink in before she spoke again with a soft voice.



“The kingdom needs you sir. Why did you leave? There were so many rumors about your disappearance but most people believed that you had been murdered by Erik’s people. He married Alde, you know.”

Full of shame he told her the story about how he had escaped with Aliendre, the story about how he had failed his duty and the kingdom. Sigrid was the first human that he had seen for almost a year of isolation from the world. In the forest it didn’t matter that he was royal and she a chambermaid. Here she was a well fed warrior in control of the situation and he a lost hungry soul.


To his surprise the look Sigrid gave him after he had finished his story was not blaming but thoughtful. She had put the helmet back on her head. The warmth and the weight of the chainmail didn’t seem to trouble her at all. The young woman in front of him looked completely different from the little shy chambermaid that he remembered from the castle. Alexander was just about to ask how she could have afforded a chainmail when she started to speak.



“We have to make up a better story than that before you return to claim the crown. It’s all very romantic and all that but we need a story that doesn’t make you look like someone who has run away. We could say that Dark elves kidnapped you and that the Princess of the Light elves rescued you from them. You don’t have to lie or say anything about your disappearance just leave it to me and my fellows to spread this story and you will return as a hero. We’re not many in the forest camp but more are joining all the time and there are a lot of people back home who would join your cause. Erik ain’t very popular among the people but he has powerful allies. Many of the Jarls support his cause, but not all of them. What’s worse is that when he married Alde, King Knut became his ally.”

Alexander noted that there was no servility in her voice when she spoke about the plans and she didn’t ask if he was willing to go back. She spoke like a warlord who was making up a strategy and not like a chambermaid speaking to a lord. Of course Sigrid was right, he had to go back and take care of the mess that he had left behind. But first of all he had to return home to Aliendre before it got dark. He rose from the tree log and Sigrid followed his example.



“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking you this, but if you like I could get you some food from our supplies. We have plenty for the moment and -” she stopped talking and looked awkward.

The mention of food made the whole in Alexander’s belly ache worse than ever
.
"I think it’s better that I talk to the other fellows before you show yourself to them. We should decide a meeting place so we can keep contact and when the time is right you will be introduced to the fellows in the camp. Then we will march back to claim the crown for you.”



Alexander smiled. He liked the way Sigrid spoke those last words. Everything seemed so straightforward the way she put it. Then his smile faded. He hadn’t told Sigrid about King Eraldor and Queen Eliene of the Light Elves.

Click Next: Chapter 45. Alex to continue...

 
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