[i]Jarl's Hall, Trelleborg, late morning[/i]

Sigrid held Dagny on her hip as she watched her husband and the rest of the men rush out of the gates. From her vantage point she could see curls of dark smoke just starting to become noticeable above the town. She grit her teeth and prayed to Tyr to guide Ragnar’s sword and Odin to guide his tongue should he need both. 

Ranulf and Eyja stood together, whispering over the piece of paper the girl carried with her and Sigrid spoke with Raudr while they were distracted. 

[b] “You did well,”[/b] she said, looking down at him.

Raudr sighed, [b] “I didn’t use my knife...and I got scared.” [/b]

He swallowed hard and could not look up at his mother’s face. Sigrid stroked his hair, giving one of the braids a tug, [b] “Your Fadir is proud of you and I am, too. You kept Eyja and yourself safe. Don’t be ashamed of being scared.” [/b]

[b] “Fadir wouldn’t have been scared or Haakon or Ivarr...I wanted to run away, Madir,”[/b] he admitted in uncharacteristically chagrined voice. 

Sigrid cupped his chin, forcing him to look up at her. His bright blue eyes, so much like Ragnar’s in the fair freckled face that reflected her own. [b] “Son, you did not run and that is what makes a brave man, it is not feeling fear but overcoming it. You did not shame this house, Ragnar, you brought honor to it..” [/b]

He nodded, still reluctant to accept her allaying of his worry. It was his stubbornness and Sigrid knew it would just take some time. 

She called the other two and reached over to stroke Eyja’s wild fiery locks absently. . 

[b]“Your madir and sister will be here soon,”[/b] she said. [i] Frigga be kind, [/i] Sigrid prayed silently. [b]“We should get out of the cold and get some food. They will be hungry when they return. Come, Freya will have something.”[/b] 

Sigrid spoke with utter confidence, the children had already been through so much danger and uncertainty, she wanted to ease the tension she saw in their pale faces. She led them toward the Hall, it was quiet, much more quiet than she had thought the usual bustling place could be. The men were gone, the women were at their homes in the village and the slaves. Sigrid looked up and around, the slaves were no where to be seen. 

[i] Typical to run and hide, the cowards that they were, [/i] she snorted softly, there was a reason some people were born to be thralls and others were not. They entered, pushing open the heavy doors and noticed the dining hall was empty. No dishes were set and the great hearth had burned down. She frowned, Freya had seemed so reliable a housewoman when she spoke to her. 

[b]“Freya?”[/b] Sigrid called out, hearing her voice echo back slightly in the cavernous empty hall. She felt her skin prickle and she walked toward the back, where the kitchen door was. She turned and looked down at the children, pushing Dagny at Raudr. 

[b]“Take her, and you all stay here. I’m going to check on the kitchen,”[/b] she ordered in a firm voice when she saw her oldest son open his mouth to argue. 

Sigrid had no weapon but her dagger on her belt and she looked around, picking up a broom that leaned against the wall. As she approached she heard a clanking in the kitchen and a shuffling. She gripped the stick and looked through the crack of the door that was ajar. She could see nothing save the fire burning below a large pot. 

Sigrid took a deep breath and pushed the door open a little more.