The Dark Knight

Two other boys followed, their eyes sharp and hungry like wolves.

She pressed herself against the jagged rocks, hoping they might hide her.

But he saw her.

He held up her shift, twisted in his fist like a trophy. His voice cut through the night. "I told you I'd have my revenge."

A tightness gripped her chest, and she bit her lip so hard she tasted blood as she lay there-trapped and bare.

There was nowhere to run. And he knew it.

"Ragnar, don't you dare... if your father saw you now-"

"My father's not here, so why don't you come get your nightgown?"

The men shared a laugh, looking at one another. "Seriously, we'll avoid looking."

She realized she could either remain in the water to freeze to death or come ashore and face the terrible humiliation.

"No, I shall remain here-for eternity, if it must be so."

"We have time!" Ragnar took a seat on the rocks and stretched out his hands behind his head, gloating like he was making himself ready, and the others joined, bursting into song and shouts.

She swam farther away into the darker depths, feeling a deep anger bubble inside her. How dare he do this to her?

He lacked honor; she now knew he wasn't right for her. At least she had learned that much.

She perceived them calling her name mockingly from the shore.

Her only escape route was through the water, she knew. Steep cliffs surrounded the inner part of the lake, impossible to climb. She found herself trapped in the small cove.

Swimming past the forest's edge was her only chance, but the open plain offered little hope.

She could also try to hide in the woods, hoping to find a spot unseen, but the risk was high either way.

"That concludes it. I'm coming to get you, Sigrid."

Upon noticing Ragnar undressing, she let herself drift toward the forest.

"Oh, just try it. I'm much faster than you in the water, anyway!" She said with a daring stare. She figured that would give her some time should he enter the water, as his inebriated state rendered him harmless in the ocean.

Her pulse thundered in her ears as she glanced toward the shoreline where Ragnar stood, stripping off his tunic while his laughter echoed across the water.

Then, without a second thought, she took a deep breath and dove beneath the surface as she felt the water biting against her skin.

She swam with hard strokes and felt the reeds brushing against her fingertips. Her lungs burned, but she continued to push forward, unwilling to surface and risk being seen.

Ragnar's voice reached her from above. The surprise in his tone was a minor triumph, but it was fleeting. Sigrid knew they would not give up that easily.

With an aching chest, she surfaced briefly to gasp for air before submerging again.

Her movements grew more and more frantic as she swam toward the shelter of the forested shoreline.

A sudden splash behind made her tremble. He was now in the water. The sound of him thrashing and the laughter of his companions reached her ears, but she didn't dare turn to look. She kicked harder, her legs churning the water like a frightened doe fleeing the hunter.

The shadows of the trees grew closer, and she spotted a thick cluster of reeds up ahead. With a last stroke of strength, she reached them. She clung to the stems. And tried to calm her breathing.

She ducked beneath the water again, her hair tangling in the reeds as she listened. Her desperate mind raced; the shore remained far too exposed. How could she escape this nightmare unseen?

When she dared to lift her head once more, she spotted Ragnar. His arms flailed as he cursed.

She swam deeper into the forested area, adrenaline still rushing through her.

Sigrid crept from the water, her limbs trembling from cold and exhaustion. Every single sound set her nerves on edge. She pressed her back against the rough bark of a gnarled tree, trying to hide herself.

Her breath hitched as a figure emerged from the shadows. A tall and
An unknown man stepped forward.

The moonlight caught the gleam of chain mail beneath his tunic as he knelt beside her as though not to startle her. "Hush," he said as he placed a bundle of soft fabric over her.

"They're coming this way. I'll lead them away."

His words were firm, and though her instincts screamed caution, she obeyed without question. She crouched low behind the bushes as she watched him stride into the open.

"Where is she?"

It was Ragnar's drunken voice calling out from the path.

The man stepped into the clearing. His presence was tall and commanding.

"Who wanders the forest at this hour?"

"Bjørn, what are you doing here so early?"

So, they knew each other. Her heart sank, fearing she had been foolish to trust him.

"I came early." His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes bore into Ragnar with quiet authority. "Why are you out here so late?"

Ragnar hesitated, glancing back at his companions. "We... thought we heard someone out here."

Bjørn arched a brow. "The water? I think I heard a commotion farther down the meadow. Should I assist you?"

"No need, we'll handle it."

"Very well. I'll leave you to your search, then."

Sigrid held her breath as Ragnar and his friends retreated. When all was silent, Bjørn returned, kneeling before her hiding place.

Sigrid clutched the cloak tighter around her. "Why... why did you help me?"

His dark eyes softened as he studied her. "Because what they were doing was shameful. No one deserves this humiliation."

For the first time, she noticed the emblem on his cloak-the king's crest. Her heart twisted with both relief and unease. This man was not just any knight; he was of royal standing.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

His otherwise perfect face bore a small scar above his upper lip. She thought it made him even more handsome.

"Yes," she said, clutching the black cloak he had given her.

"My cousin can be a little shameless sometimes."

Taken by surprise, she then understood who he was: the knight the girls had spoken about at the market.

When he helped her to her feet, she noticed his dark, curly hair falling to his shoulders. He looked tall and strong. Even Erik Gustavson would have seemed ordinary standing next to this man.

"Don't be afraid; I'm not like him."

She nodded, with her head down, and gazed at the dirt, where she tried not to meet his intense stare.

"I'll see you home. Where do you live?" He said with a soft tone.

"For now, I reside in your cousin's household," she said, her gaze dropping to the ground.

"Ah, I see... and you are sure you want to return?"

"Yes, I have nowhere else to go."

"I must say, you are an excellent swimmer!"

"So... you saw everything?"

"I heard the clamor as I arrived and saw Ragnar and his companions, along with a figure in the water. It took me some time to realize it was a maiden. Fear not; I shall remain until Erik arrives and tell him everything."

"You cannot! No one must know. It sounds ill in any case. Those lads will spread word far and wide that I lay exposed in the water. It will not be long before my father learns where I am. I shall beg Ragnar for mercy."

"I have a better plan," he said with a sly smile.

He fetched more clothes from his sack and turned away. Cold as ice and still wet, she at last managed to dress and wrapped the cloak around herself once more.

He mounted his horse and stretched down a hand.

"Now," he said, "it is best that you close your eyes."

She did, and he drove the horse into a full gallop, holding her in his arms as if she were but a child.

When they arrived, he leapt down from the horse with her in his arms, as though she weighed nothing, and kicked the door open.

"Help!" He said with a powerful voice. "I have found a drowned maiden in the sea!"

Ragnar emerged, following the servants' chatter. And Leif as well.

"We must lay her down somewhere," Bjørn said.

"Is she dead?" Ragnar asked, fanatic.

"I believe she will live, but we must warm her."

Someone brought forth many blankets and laid them upon her.

She made soft, whimpering sounds and twisted in discomfort.

"What happened?" Leif asked.

"I found her in the water."

Ragnar stood silently, observing them from a distance.

She stirred, disoriented, and opened her eyes.

"Everyone out! Except for Leif, she needs some peace now," Bjørn commanded.

Leif softly inquired concerning her fate.

She rose to a sitting position, and Leif brushed the damp hair from her brow.

"What were you doing in the water, Sigrid?"

"In the water? I must have walked in my sleep." She locked eyes with Ragnar, standing at the far end of the hall.

"I'm weary and need to rest," she said, her voice almost bearable.

"Show me the room, Leif." Said Bjørn, lifting her effortlessly.

Thora nearly leapt from her bed as Bjørn threw open the door to the chamber, sending a clay jar shattering to the floor.

"What has happened?" She said, her eyes wide as they landed upon Sigrid.

"Bjørn found her in the water," Leif explained.

"Bjørn?" Thora's voice faltered as she glanced up at him, confusion clouding her face. Sigrid could have sworn she saw Thora blush.

"Well played," Bjørn said in a low voice to Sigrid as he laid her on the bed.

"She was sleepwalking," said Leif, "and nearly drowned in the water. But she needs rest now."

Sigrid clutched Thora's hand and said, "I will tell you everything tomorrow."

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