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Drowning in Sin (heartlesskitten x Kuro)

Cerdic gave him a suspcious look and finally stood up to fetch the tunic and trousers for Vigi. He selected a light wool tunic and linen trousers, underclothing that would be comfortable to sleep in. His pride rubbed raw at the mention of his break down earlier, he stubbornly remained quiet as he brought the clothing to his master, helping him dress and trying to ignore the pale lean beauty of his body. It had shamed him that he had cried, that he had been so overwhelmed that he let go of very personal information to the Northman.

Once Vigi was ready, Cerdic lay down on the bench next to him, his arms crossed over his broad chest. It was a tight fit and he could feel the warmth of the other man as he brushed against him. Setting his jaw, the monk closed his eyes then crossed himself and clasped his hands, murmuring his prayers to God.
 
Vigi turned his head and watched Cerdic fold his hands and murmur softly to his god. His little attempt to seduce the priest had back fired, most likely because he had brought up his break down earlier. It was disappointing that he hadn't been able to relight that fire that made the man kiss him so passionately earlier.

He wanted to forget about his father and the heavy handed conversations he would be having with his brother and mother. But Cerdic was being stubborn and unwilling to provide him that escape.

He watched him for a moment longer before a wicked idea formed in his mind. He slid his hand underneath the furs that lay on top of Cerdic until his hand could rub over his thigh. He smiled and ran his hand up it until he could grope the man's impressive length through his trousers.
 
Cerdic finished his prayers, his hands still clasped on his chest and his eyes were closed but he was not asleep. When he felt Vigi's hand on his thigh and then touch his manhood he sucked in a sharp breath. His body responded immediately, his length thickening and rousing to life as the other man's hand moved along it. He swallowed hard, not opening his eyes, conflicted between his mind telling him to put a stop to it and his flesh eager for more. He drew a shuddering breath and reached down, meaning to push the other man's hand away but instead found himself brushing against the front of Vigi's woolen trousers.
 
Vigi let out a soft sound feeling Cerdic's hand over his own cock, immediately starting to grow hard and he grinned. He tugged at the laces for Cerdic's trousers and slid his hand inside, a breathless sigh escaping his lips feeling the heat and girth of Cerdic's aroused manhood. He canted his hips up to press against Cerdic's hand while his own fingers wrapped around erection. "Please touch me." He pleaded in a husky timber while stroking Cerdic fully to life.
 
Cerdic should have refused, it was not right, it was a sin and he was a sinner for desiring it. But Vigi was his master...the excuse was pathetic and he knew it but he ignored the self righteous voice that sounded suspiciously like Aelle ringing in his head when Vigi made his soft plea. Feeling the other man's slim hand wrap around his thick cock, the former monk breathed out with a soft moan and he could feel the stiffness of the shaman's slender cock under his trousers. Without another thought, the slave undid the laces and his calloused hand gripped the hard flesh. A shiver ran through his broad body at the sensation of both his cock being stroked and his hand moving along Vigi's length. He bit his lip, gently moving the foreskin back and forth over the velvety skin of the head that was becoming slick with precum.

His own cock was leaking with excitment, the thin slightly sticky fluid beading like crystal tears at the small slit on the broad head of his manhood. By God, it felt good, why did it have to feel so damn good? Cerdic closed his eyes tightly, feeling himself throb in Vigi's hand. He moved his hand rhythmically along the shaman's length, he was smaller than Cerdic and more slender but it suited his build and the slave enjoyed the feeling of the pulsing hard flesh in his hand.
 
Vigi's eyes fluttered and he moaned, thrusting up into the hand that was playing with him so well. A shudder went through him and he bit his lip for a moment before releasing it to groan. "Yes, like that." He encouraged breathlessly. He moved his hand up to the top of Cerdic's cock, rubbing his thumb over the thick head and smearing the slick pre-cum over it.

His heart began to pound in his chest and his breathing turned labored. He started to move his hand faster over Cerdic before he pulled his hand away. He pulled off the fur covering the slave and sat up before moving on top of Cerdic to straddle his thighs. Having the larger man underneath him sent a great thrill through him as he gripped onto his cock again.

He moved his other hand down so it could grip and play with Cerdic's heavy balls. The fingers over his other hands teased the sensitive head, rubbing over it, poking into the slit and playing with his foreskin. "Doesn't this feel wonderful?" He asked him as he panted, sweat starting to bead on his brow and his pale skin flushing red from the pleasure.

Vig moved his hand from Cerdic's balls and slid it up and under his tunic, running over his firm skin and hard muscles. "You are so beautiful." He smiled, his eyes focused on Cerdic's handsome face to watch it twist and twitch with pleasure.
 
Cerdic felt the shift of Vigi's weight on top of him. The man was lighter than he but a pleasant enough weight against him. It made him remember Owain's slender form and his laughing dark eyes. It was a bittersweet memory but it also stirred those desires long held dormant. His nimble fingers ran over the sensitive sack and he felt his balls draw up slightly and tingle with the sensation. He gazed up at Vigi's face, so fair and lovely like a maiden but the cock in his hand proved his manhood. He breathed heavier, stroking him as he did the same to his own organ.

In response to Vigi's question he nodded, unable to speak, not trusting himself to as he was afraid he would voice an excuse to stop out of piety and fear of God's wrath. Or his brother's. Cerdic blinked, Aelle was far away and whatever happened in this small hut with his new master would never be known by the man who held so much threat over him. At Vigi's compliment, Cerdic forgot his brother and all the threat he presented, it was a distant murmur in his mind as he reached up with his free hand and ran it under the linen tunic, feeling the smooth panes of the Northman's wiry muscles.

The big Saxon arched up his hips and felt his cock nudge against Vigi's and a deep breath expelled from him at the delicious sensation of their cocks rubbing together. Moving his hand from Vigi's shirt, he reached up to cup his face and draw him down, kissing him with heated passion. His tongue prodded the other man's lips and thrust inside his mouth, making teasing swipes against the other man's tongue. A soft growled moan sounded in his throat as he became lost in the excitment.
 
Vigi grinned as he leaned down and their lips met in a heated frenzy. He braced one arm next to Cerdic's head to keep him balanced as they kissed. It sent the same sparkling heat through him as before even though it lacked the forcefulness brought on anger behind it. He started to grind their hips together, moaning into the kiss at the wonderful friction created from their cocks rubbing together. He removed his hand from Cerdic's length to tangle into his dark curls, allowing the man to freely explore his mouth as he ground down against his cock.

He broke the kiss to let out a particularly loud moan as a shudder raced down his spine. "Fuck, you will send me into madness with your kisses." Vigi chuckled, drawing his head back enough to look into Cerdic's storm grey eyes. He leaned back down to steal another long and heated kiss before pulling back again. He took off his tunic and set it to the side so it wouldn't get soiled. His erection was straining between his legs, curving up toward his flat stomach and he could feel himself getting closer to his climax from Cerdic's continued touching and he reached his hand down to pull Cerdic's hand away.

Grinning down at the man beneath him Vigi swirled one teasing finger over the head of Cerdic's cock. He rubbed his finger over the head to collect a large drop of pre-cum and brought his finger up to his mouth to lick it off. "Mm, you taste sweeter than honey." He chuckled, shifting forward until their cocks were just brushing together. His eyes fluttered and rolled a bit from the maddening touch before he reached down and circled his hand around both of their cocks. He moaned loudly and tilted his head back as he stroked their lengths together, the pressure from his hand and the friction of them rubbing against one another was amazing.

"Fuck," He breathed through gritted teeth, over come with the strong urge to rip off his pants and sink down on Cerdic's thick cock. He couldn't though, no matter how much he was sure it'd feel amazing inside of him. Cerdic was the slave and he was the master. He would be the one to shove his dick into him. "Do you want to fuck this heathen, priest?" He growled down at him, his head snapping forward and some of his hair falling to cover half of his face as he smirked down at Cerdic. "Admit it."
 
Cerdic breathed heavily as Vigi ground against him, feeling the throbbing of their cocks together and the slickness of the precum mingling. He gasped out when Vigi asked him the bold question. With an undeniable hunger in his flint colored eyes, he stared up at the shaman and felt his manhood throb as he answered in a choked voice.

“Yes, God help me...yes,” he shuddered at the admission, biting his lip briefly as he pushed his hips up against Vigi’s grip. He had only done it once, when Owain finally asked him to in a heat of passion and he remembered quite well the feeling of how tight he had been and the smooth skin of his back pressed against his chest. If Vigi wanted him to, he could do it and the evidence of that desire leaked profusely on the heathen’s hand and cock. He grunted, pushing harder against him to get more friction. He was losing his battle against temptation, Cerdic felt all his resistance slipping away as his climax rapidly approached. It had been a long time since he had release and his balls felt so tight and heavy, so full that he might explode if Vigi kept up the torment.
 
Vigi's grin widened at the admission, his cock throbbing in his hand as he moved it faster. He didn't say anything more, just tilted his head back and focused on moving his hand up and down their swollen cocks. He could feel the heated ball inside of him was about to explode.

He moaned, imaging what it would be like to be sucked off by Cerdic, seeing that enticing and smart ass mouth spread over his cock. He ran his teeth over his bottom lip, the image of Cerdic laid out before him like he was now but with his hands gripping the Christians hips and the head of his cock about to-

"Ah!" He arched his back as he cried out from his climax. Cum shot up onto his stomach, some hitting the top of his chest. His body grew still for a moment before he shuddered, his hand releasing their cocks so he could catch himself when he slumped forward. His hands were braced on either side of Cerdic's shoulders, his hair spilling over his shoulders and hanging around their faces like a curtain.

Vigi's eyes fluttered open to look down at Cerdic and he grinned dazedly at him as he panted to catch his breath. "I'm glad we have that out in the open now." He said huskily.
 
When Vigi came, throbbing against his own cock and the feeling of the warm splatter of semen against him, Cerdic could no longer hold back. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth, grunting as his body tensed and he grabbed hold of the other man’s shoulders. His cock pulsed in rhythmic waves as his own spurt of cum released, splattering his hard stomach and landing on Vigi as well. Their seed mingled on him, he could feel it in the short hair that trailed from his navel to his pubic area. He growled in his throat, pulling the shaman close to him in a tight grip before he finally relaxed, his arms falling to his side as he panted heavily.

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Slowly opening his eyes, he blushed with the shame at not only what he had done but how much he had enjoyed it. It had been much the same with Owain, who had tempted him and who he loved no matter how wrong it had been. He reached up and rubbed his brow, passing his hand over his face with a sniff and glanced up at Vig when he spoke.

“You got what you wanted now?” he breathed out, feeling rather embarassed at his loss of control now that he had orgasmed and he could the sperm starting to dry and feel sticky on his skin, “Yes, so...so I admitted...that. Now what?”
 
Vigi rolled off of Cerdic to next to him, feeling boneless and pleasantly exhausted after such a euphoric release. "Hmm?" He turned his head to look at the man when he spoke. "Now it means we can enjoy each other." He answered, stretching out on the furs as best he could. "That's all." He said, turning on his side so he could face Cerdic better, grinning at him as he rested his head against his propped up hand.

"I don't like when men I have slept with go back to the village to brag to his friends about our night together." He reached out his hand to rub Cerdic's shoulder. "Now I don't have to worry about that anymore because I have you." He grew a bit somber and laid on his back again. "Again though I will not rape you. I absolutely refuse to sink to such a level as to rape another man. So I needed to know that you want this as much as I do. You can tell your god I am to blame for your actions if you wish, I don't care." He muttered, rubbing his hand over his stomach and accidentally smearing the wet cum on himself.

He made a face and brought up his wet hand to glare at it, not wanting to get up and wash properly. "Do we have any water left from the spring? I need a cloth soaked in water and we need to wash off before bed." He said, letting his hand fall back on his chest as he let out a soft breath.
 
Cerdic felt his body thrumming with the afterglow of the orgasm. How long he had denied himself, even the solitary pleasure, as he fought his natural urges that were condemned by his society. He breathed deeply at Vigi's words, would it truly be his fault for obeying his master? His grey blue eyes flickered as he thought about it, if God would be forgiving or not for his situation. Not likely, for God knew his heart and he was not being forced by this man. At the word 'rape' the Saxon picked up his head, a smirk forming on his lips.

"You could not rape me if you tried, master," he replied, a half grin on his face before it faded, "As I would not..."

He stood up, still naked, and fetched the bucket of water and a soft rag. The sudden change in the shaman's mood was not lost on him and Cerdic wrung out the linen and reached up to wipe the sticky mess from Vigi's flat, hairless stomach. "Most men would not care what a slave felt. Slaves are made to be used are they not? If you wished to fuck me, I can't say no, whether I would like to or not. We are powerless..."

Cerdic's eyes held the firelight as he said the last words, peering at the man before him, "You concern yourself with the feelings of slaves, why do you worry about that?"
 
Vigi folded one arm behind his head and drunk in the sight of Cerdic naked as though he was a fine barrel of mead. If he were not already spent he would have become hard again. He frowned though shortly after he started to speak and looked away when he began to clean his stomach. "That question has two answers and I hesitate to tell you because you may take advantage." He said, turning his eyes back onto Cerdic with a hard glare.

"But I suppose you revealed a lot of yourself today. Perhaps I should return the favor." He muttered, pausing for a moment as he collected his thoughts. "First of all, I have a soft spot for slaves. Many of my people see slaves as cattle but I was never able to. Growing up was difficult when my madir announced she would make me into a Seidrmadr. The other children would torture me and my father was in denial and he would spend many hours 'teaching' me to fight...He did it as though he was sparring with a full grown man. Sometimes my madir was around to comfort me, other times she was away or busy. Likewise Sven would be busy being taught to actually fight by Bui or the Housekarl. So it was the many slaves we had that cared for me. They comforted me, held me, took care of my injuries and were...very kind to me. They told me stories about their home lands if they had been taken as you were and they taught me to speak English."

He stopped to take in a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. "For that reason I realized you were people even though you were property. I know it is not fair for them to be ripped away from their homelands," He turned his focus back on Cerdic. "That is why I gave you the choice to either come with me or remain in that garden. Being that you chose to live I had to take you as a slave because that is the way of things. I would not have been able to bring you onto the ship and save your life otherwise. So for that reason I care for slaves as much as I would care for a freeman."

Vigi narrowed his eyes and pushed himself up to look Cerdic in the eye. "However I am no fool and I am not blinded by this weakness of mine. Do not think for a moment that you may use my softness against me or I will make you pay just I've made all the other freemen and women that have crossed me pay."

He glared at him for a moment, clenching his jaw before looking away. "Speaking of...I have never told this to anyone and if you breathe a word of this to another I will be furious." He growled, glaring into the flickering light of the fire. "I alluded to it earlier and I'm sure it will be of no shock to you, but I have been raped."

Rubbing his hand furiously over his forehead he shifted in his spot. He truly had never spoke of this to anyone, much less a slave, but he had been holding it in for over a decade. "It was the first man I was ever with. Not too long after I left the village to begin my travels. I arrived in a village I had never been before and was too bashful to go up to a person and ask for shelter. Then I was approached...He...explained nothing to me that I know now. He offered me shelter and after filling me with mead he..." He trailed off, clenching his teeth and gripping onto the furs under him tightly. "He started nice and I was enjoying it...I think that is what sickens me the most. The niceness didn't last long and he forced himself into me. He did nothing to make it painless for me and when I started to cry how much it hurt he yelled at me to be silent and continued. I was bleeding terribly when he finished and for days it hurt to sit or walk."

He ducked his head down and pressed his face into his hands, a shudder going through him as he thought back to that sickening man. "I was humiliated. Even though no one knew, shame burned like a fire in me and for brief moment in time I wanted to die. I did not think I could continue to live with the shame of being attacked in such a way. To know that all those things people thought of me were true." He paused for a moment before taking in a deep shuddering breath and lifting his head. "I was planning my suicide when Odin came to me. He called me a coward and told me instead of taking the cowardly path to death to do what any proud man should do. Get revenge and make the bastard suffer for what he did." He turned hard eyes flickering with the firelight back on Cerdic.

"And so I did."
 
Cerdic remained quiet as Vigi told his story, smiling a little at the thought of the Christian slaves comforting the strange little boy. God's love was meant for children he mused, even heathen ones. The thought of a little boy being frightened and hurt, without someone to protect him and his own father even perpetuating the persecution of his own son made him think even less of the Jarl. His throat tightened when he thought of his own son, lost to him and he wondered if he needed protection and guidance against the cold cruelty of the world. The monk had to trust in God that He watched over the boy when Cerdic could not. He also had to trust that his brother cared for him like his own, as he had sworn to do. At least he knew with bitter experience that Aelle kept his word. A knot formed in his stomach and he closed his eyes, trying to remember what the boy looked like the last time he saw him. The memory was fading and it frightened him more than he could admit to himself.

Glancing up at Vigi's warning, Cerdic shook his head, "I would not take it for a weakness, Master. In kindness there can be a great strength. Though men may not see it, the Lord does."

It was something he had plenty of time to ruminate on during his time at the monastery. He had once thought of only fierce bravery and slaying the enemy as the test of a man's strength and bravery but life had taught him otherwise. Sometimes humbling and sacrificing oneself for the greater good took a lot more courage. Men could claim they would die for their king but how many would have their wealth and pride stripped from them for their lord? He rubbed a hand against his beard, and turned his attention back to Vigi when he looked at him intently. Cerdic felt a prickle on his scalp as he peered into the pale eyes washed of color in the firelight. The sudden menace of his tone and fierceness in his fair face made the monk bow his head in silent agreement. It is not as if he had anyone to tell Vigi's tales to but he would not anyway. A man with his own secrets knew better than to step on other tails.

Cerdic listened to Vigi, his own face hardening when he told of the man who had sodomized him by force. Rape was not something he himself had direct experience with, he never had been forced nor had he taken anyone after a battle. In fact, he had stopped a few himself, much to the displeasure of some of his father's bannermen. Cerdic recalled the discomfort he had felt when he had been coerced into her bed but...it was nothing compared to being physically taken. He rubbed his hand over his face, keeping a finger curled over his mouth as Vigi finished and he looked up at him, "And what did you do to him?"

Cerdic felt a chill as if there was a sudden draft but the fire did not waver and the door was closed tight against the cold night air. Vigi had avenged himself upon the man that had hurt him so, it was what a man would do. Dropping his gaze, he could not bear to think how he had never took revenge for the death of his lover and how he had allowed his sentimentality to be used against him.
 
Vigi smirked coolly at the question. "I killed him. I waited until he was asleep before sneaking inside of his hut and sliced him open with my saex. I even shoved it up his ass before he died just so he would know the kind of pain and humiliation I felt when he raped me." He answered in a low voice. "Then I put a curse on his spirit so that it could never rest and never seek revenge against me. He was the first man I had ever killed."

He had drunk a potion before he went and attacked the man and he remembered it feeling very odd. It was as if he was possessed with the fury of Odin himself.

"I had to leave the village after that, I was covered in blood for a day before I found a water source to clean up in. It was very freeing to know that the man that had used me was dead and I killed him...But," He sighed and turned his head away. "It has left it's mark. I still feel that burn of shame whenever I submit myself to another man and I enjoy it. Though for the longest time I couldn't stand other men even looking at me. During that time I was able to find women that were willing to sleep with me and I found out then that I didn't enjoy them. I tried repeatedly to make myself change but I just did not enjoy the softness of their curves or felt aroused looking at them naked."

He admitted with a small shrug, guessing that Cerdic would be able to relate to such a struggle. "When I realized I liked men and only men, I thought I would be celibate for the rest of my life as I couldn't stand the thought of being with a man in such a way again...Then during a summer blót of this small village far to the west, I was extremely drunk. I remember I was dancing like a fool and I ran into this man with flaming red hair." He said with a chuckle, brushing some hair behind his ear. "I don't know what we said to each other but we began kissing and he held me so securely and his kisses were so gentle. We ended up in his home and he was...Amazing. He made sure I didn't feel any pain and he kept kissing me and saying how beautiful I was and I felt like a person laying with another rather than some object to fuck. We fell asleep in each other's arms and woke up like that. I remember waking up because he was stroking my hair and he just smiled at me and I thought my heart had stopped in my chest. And I didn't feel any shame for being with him."

Vigi stopped to take in a deep breath, shutting his eyes and remembering that wonderful man with the fiery red hair and hazel eyes. In a way it still made his stomach flutter. "We didn't exchange names and he was actually a warrior. After we woke up, within the hour he was on the long ship with the others and sailing away. I never saw him again." He opened his eyes and ran his fingers through the ends of his hair. "That was my real first time having sex, but none of the men I sleep with since him have treated me so kindly and gently. The shame has long since returned and I feel as though I am just an object again. I don't like this feeling and I've had enough of it."

He focused on Cerdic again. He had spoken a lot more than he had intended to, but after years of silence it felt good to finally speak of such things and with someone that might understand how he felt. He reached out his hand and gently touched Cerdic's arm. "So, now you know everything of your master." He smiled slightly an chuckled as a thought occurred to him. "Ah, you told me about those things you Christian's have that are called Confessions? Seems you've managed to get me to participate in the ritual."
 
“It is good that you had at least one experience that did not make you feel shamed,” Cerdic said after a moment, “It is bad enough that we have to keep our feelings locked up and stay in the shadows as who we truly are.”

The monk smiled a little, “Confessions are good for the soul, it lightens the burdens and we can ask for forgiveness for our wrongs...but it is hard sometimes to speak of the darkest parts of our hearts.”

He lay down next to Vigi, where his master had told him he would sleep. Cerdic put his arm behind his head, gazing up at the rafters of the hut. “You should not feel so bad about killing that man, some men deserve to die.”

Closing his eyes, he said no more and was soon asleep. The next few days went by quickly, filled with hard work getting the land in order, Cerdic putting the dun pony called Stubby into the harness to plow the land for the late winter crops. Vigi dealt with the neighbors and got payment for the missing sheep in form of wool and cheese, and a promise of the first butchered pig. It was familiar work for the monk, who had learned most of what he knew about farming at the monastery. Before he went there, he knew little about the land, his training being in arms.

He noticed his master kept a cool distance and he was pretty sure it was because of their pouring out of secrets. It had been an emotionally taxing first day and it was better that they find their own way back to a comfortable place. Cerdic kept to his prayers, ignoring Vigi’s rituals and trying not to scoff at the waste of food when the shaman would leave offerings for the elves and dwarves and the other fantasy creatures that he believed in.

Cerdic took time to follow foot trails into the woods, slowly learning his way around the property. He had to admit, it was a fine piece of land. Enough flat area for crops and plenty of timber, game and fish from the inlet of the sea and from the fresh water springs. The soil was not the best, but what could be grown there seemed flourish.

The tedious task of grinding grain fell to a slave, and Cerdic found much of his time seated with the quern between his knees, working the grindstone to make flour. He disliked it but it did give his mind time to wander and plan but soon he unconsciously began to make plans for the land, thinking about things that would need to be done to make it through the winter.

On the morning of the fourth day, he made oatcakes, topping them with a dab of the butter from the farmer and a thin drizzle of honey that Vigi seemed so fond of. Proud of his breakfast, he set it out, waiting for Vigi to come back inside from his morning rituals. Cerdic found himself enjoying cooking more now that he was just making it for two rather than helping in a kitchen that fed sixty monks. Glancing up as the shaman came into the hut, he smiled a bit and stood back so he could take a seat.
 
Vigi blinked when he entered into his hut and he saw Cerdic waiting for him. He wasn't as surprised to see him there as he had been after their first night together. He was so used to being alone on his land that he often forgot that he now had someone with him on it. The momentary jarring surprise he felt when he found Cerdic some place on his property when he expected no one, was starting to fade. In fact he was starting to enjoy it now that the embarrassment from what he had confessed was beginning to fade.

He had chastised himself for days for revealing so much to the priest. After years of keeping it locked inside, it took just one look into those cool grey eyes to make it all come out. And once he had started he just couldn't stop. Foolish, that is what it was; Cerdic could use it against him. Those things belonged in the past, even if they were impossible to forget.

He nodded his head in greeting and took the seat Cerdic had vacated. He was a bit surprised to see honey and butter flat bread waiting for him, but it did cause him to smile a bit. "Seems Sven owes me an apology. You do make a fine domestic." He chuckled, reaching out for a warm bread to start eating.

He took a bite and paused at the strange texture of the bread. It was finer and chewier than what was normal of the bread he usually ate. "I may need to take that back. What is this?" He asked, after swallowing the bread, looking at it with a face. "Is this made from oats? Are you really feeding me the grain I use to feed my animals?" He questioned, looking up at Cerdic with a frown. "Are you trying to insult me because you are usually a lot more forthcoming about it." He said flatly, looking back at the bread and pressing his lips together. The butter and honey mixture was delicious and the bread did not taste terrible; but it was the grain used to feed livestock.
 
Cerdic watched with an expectant look, surprised by himself that he wanted to make Vigi happy. He reminded himself it was better in the long run that his master trust him and making a nice meal that he would share was no hardship or blow to his pride. He bristled a little being called a domestic, his jaw clenching and he snorted a little.

“Of course it’s oats,” the big Saxon replied, “I found it in a sack. Don’t you people eat oats as well as feed them to your livestock? It tastes better than that barley.”

Furrowing his brow, he looked down at the flat cakes and huffed a breath, “If you really don’t want it. I can make something else.”

Cerdic moved to take the plate away, a sour expression on his handsome face at having his food that he had been confident that Vigi would enjoy rejected. Oats were used all the time in his homeland, along with barley, wheat, and rye though the more temperate and fertile lands allowed for more variety. It was a minor difference but reminded him once again, he was in a foreign land.
 
Vigi moved the plate away and raised an eyebrow at Cerdic's foul expression. "Oh don't pout." He said, waving his hand still holding one flat cake to shoo Cerdic away. "I wasn't aware that your people eat it as well. Here we only use it to feed our animals." He said and took another bite. "If this tasted bad then I would be cross. But it tastes very good so you can sit down and have some yourself." He said after swallowing and smirking a bit at Cerdic.

He held out the plate to offer him one while he continued to eat the one in his hand. The bread was strange but strangely with it mixing with the butter and honey it tasted rather delicious.

"Eat up, today we're going to be going into the village now that everything here is settled." Vigi explained to Cerdic. "We need to get you some weapons, which I'm sure Sven will love, and I have my regular services to perform. Rituals, patients to see and we may need to go out further into the country side to see some of the more remote farmers. It depends on the news I hear in town, we may not need to go."
 
Cerdic sat down and ate, glancing over at Vigi, “Seems a waste to feed oats only to livestock, yet another oddity about your people.”

At the announcement they were going to the village, the monk chewed thoughtfully. Facing those men again, his brother and perhaps the Jarl, was not something he looked forward to but as Vigi’s guard he could not very well stay at home and tend the farm. “I’ll need a sword, maybe some chainmail, gauntlets and leather boots would be good.”

He licked a bit of honey from his lip, raising his eyebrows at Vigi’s expression. Catching himself he gave a slight grimace and then smirk, “Right, I forgot...those aren’t so common around here. Well, do what you can, I’m best with a sword but I could make do with a battle axe, I’d have to get some practice in though.”
 
Vigi shot Cerdic a look between confusion and vague amusement when he brought up metal armor. "You will be making do with an axe." Vigi informed him after swallowing a mouthful of flatbread and honey. "Swords are extremely expensive. They are very laborious to make so most often they are merely passed down from generation to generation. Sven received his sword from our father that once belonged to our grandfather and the sword the Jarl wields now is one he had taken from an opponent in battle. Likewise chainmail is equally expensive. Tell you what, if you kill a man with a sword and mail in a fair fight, you may have both." Vigi said with a smirk.

Shaking his head slightly he went back to eating. "I've already spoiled you too much." He muttered to himself, before finishing the last of the bread and setting the plate to the side. "You will have your choice of one handed or two handed axe and if you need a sparring partner to help you get acquainted with the weapon," He stood up and grinned down at Cerdic. "I'm sure my brother would be happy to give you a few lessons." He chuckled, brushing his hand against Cerdic's cheek before stepping away from the fire to all the shelves containing jars of dried herbal medicine and other spell ingredients. As well as small charms and statues of the gods he had carved.

Since they were on the topic of weapons he pulled his seam from the sheath at his waist to hold up to the light and check the sharpness of the blade. It shined in the morning light pouring in from the open door, the ruins engraved into the blade faint shadows on the high polished surface. One thing he had learned well from his father was how to care for weapons. It was one of the only things he remembered getting praise for.

Satisfied with what he saw he put it back into the dark leather sheath and returned to what he was doing. "I hope I don't need to go over the proper manners of a slave with you." He said while picking up jars and looking inside to judge what he would need for his trip into the village. "Though I don't terribly mind the thought of smacking you about." He teased, turning his head to shoot Cerdic a smirk.
 
“I prefer a one handed axe then, I’m no wood cutter,” he sneered a little at the thought of lugging around a long hafted axe. “I suppose that will have to do since your land is bereft of swords. I can still kill if I must, so pick a fight with someone with good armor and bad aim.”

At the offer of his training partner, Cerdic frowned a little, raising an eyebrow at his master, “And do you think your brother would spar with me? I worry a little he might wish to finish what he started back at the monastery.”

Cerdic gestured to his arm where the long scar still showed red along his firm bicep from the sword wound Sven had given him. The slave wore a sleeveless tunic as the days were rather mild in the high summer on the coast of Daneland where the sun shone for long hours and the sea breeze kept away the breath of ice from the distant mountain peaks.

Looking at Vigi’s blade, he admired it, “That is a good knife, where did you steal it? It looks like a seax. You know, that’s where my father’s people got their name, Saxons. They conquered England with that knife...”

Growing quiet as he thought about the stories of Hengst and Horst and the German tribes of Saxons, Jutes, and Angles that came pouring across the sea, putting their knives into the Christian Romanized Celts and Britons until they were forced to the west and into the hills. Stroking his beard, he grimaced, wondering if the Norsemen would soon tire of merely raiding and decide the lush rich lands of his home were worth trying to conquer.

Changing the subject, Cerdic tugged the dark hairs on his chin, “I’d like to shave and cut my hair, you said thralls wear their hair short so I’d better clean this up. And I will try to remember my manners, Master. Though the threat of you hitting me doesn’t strike much fear into me, your father packs a meaner punch.”

The monk flashed him a cheeky grin that appeared and vanished in a brief second. After shaving with a sharp blade Vigi kept in a grooming kit and cropping his hair short like a Roman, he dusted himself off, putting on a proper tunic and trousers, the clothing simple but sturdy and marked him as a slave, albeit a well kept one. He carried a bag with Vigi’s teas and ointments and whatever devilment he kept to cast spells and curses. He had lifted it gingerly at first, as it if it might burst into flame once it touched his God fearing hands but it did not and by the time they were past the sheep fold, it was slung casually over his shoulder.
 
Vigi snorted and looked at Cerdic mildly offended. "Steal? I did not steal this, it was a gift from my mother before I left the village on my journey. The ruins engraved into the steal are powerful, it brings me not only luck but it will also never break." He patted the hilt of the blade fondly. The magic in it was strong and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that without it he would have long died when he left.

He waited for Cerdic to finish shaving and cutting his hair, admiring his handsome face now that it was free of facial hair. He had noticed with a small amount of amusement how Cerdic seemed afraid of his bag of medicine and enchantments; but made no comment.

When they were in the boat and Cerdic was rowing them toward the village, Vigi grew thoughtful. Performing his normal duties wasn't all he needed to do that day. He would have two very difficult conversations with his brother and mother. He didn't know which he dreaded more, they would both be very strenuous.

He brought up his hand to touch his stomach where his father had hit him. There was a dark ugly bruise marring his pale skin and it sent a dull throb of pain through him whenever his stomach contracted or otherwise moved.

They arrived at the shore of the village and once Cerdic docked the small row boat they were soon in the thick of the bustling town. After purchasing Cerdic an axe from the skeptical looking blacksmith they began to wander the village. Vigi would every now and again stop at certain households to speak with former patients and customers to see how they were fairing since he had left.

He couldn't help but note that people seemed to be especially nervous when speaking to him and he could not understand why. They seemed hesitant to purchase any of his charms or medicines and he had to blatantly point out a woman's obvious illness to allow him to even treat her.

When they were closer to the center of the village Vigi had them take a break under a tree. He leaned back against the tree one arm around his stomach with the other resting it's elbow on it and his face leaning against the knuckles of his hand; glowering into empty space.


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"Something is not right." He said aloud with a frown after pondering in silence for a length of time. "What you said the other day about trust was true, but before I left with the raiding party, the people of the village were not so hesitant to trust my expertise. No one felt the need to lie to me to avoid purchasing a charm or medicine." He narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Cerdic. "Something is very wrong and we are going to find out what. I am going to next visit the home of a fairly wealthy merchant, he has many slaves and I know a few to be Christian. Obviously freemen are too afraid to tell me what is wrong so you will find out for me through his slaves while I am with the owners. Understand?"
 
Cerdic stood just behind Vigi as he went about his business, keeping a quiet watchful eye on the people and he sensed a tension. It reminded him of the time they rode into a village that had been sheltering a group of highwaymen, robbers who had preyed on wealthy merchants on lands protected by his father. The people there had been wary and strained, and then it had been because the bandits were from that town though none would admit it until he was forced to threaten to burn the village. In the end, the bandits were flushed out and the village spared, the people there had been stuck between their fear of the lord’s soldiers and the bandits themselves. And Cerdic remembered with distaste the things he had to do to convince the peasants who to fear more.

The monk squatted down, glancing around at the people who he could see sneaking glances at the pair. Jaw tightening, he replied, “I sensed it too, though I do not know if they are always thus you now confirm my suspicions.”

Cerdic gazed at Vigi’s fair face, noting the frustrated tension in his brow and he reached out, patting him on the leg, “I’ll speak with the slaves of course. Often the servants know as much as the masters as people tend to forget a slave is not deaf.”

Standing up and rolling his shoulders, before touching his axe briefly, he reached down to help Vigi to his feet, “I’ve got my eye out, watching for anyone who might threaten you.”

He followed his master to the home of the man Vigi had claimed was a wealthy merchant. Cerdic could not help but smirk at the longhouse that was even less impressive than the Jarl’s. Compared to his father’s stone stronghold it was a log hut. The merchant traded in goods that could not be easily used or sold from the raiders looking to make a quick bit of silver and resold to those wanting the luxury items. Vigi went up to speak with the master of the house while Cerdic made his way to the back, where the slaves worked over querns and a fire under a large cauldron boiling some unknown substance.

He stood quietly as they glanced up at him and he met their eyes one by one, speaking English, “Greetings on this fine day granted by the Lord, our Father.
 
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