IN THE ARMS OF THE OUTLANDER (BOOK TWO)

Mystic Forest, 886AD…

Tait carried the bucket through the forest heading for the river a mile from his home where he lived with his mother. Every morning he would trek through the woods to fetch water for their day. Tait had spent his whole life living in a small hut deep in the mystic forest. Far away from any village just outside the borders of the Vremore Kingdom. His mother had been exiled while she was pregnant with him. The Queen had banished her out of jealousy because her husband had taken a shine to his mother. He had even gone as far as murdering Tait’s father to get rid of the competition. The royal family had destroyed Tait’s family and banished his mother. It was their fault a single mother raised him in the woods. They robbed him of the life he should have had.

Every day Tait would train with the wooden sword his mother had carved for him. She did her best to teach him how to fight. Telling him that one day he would set right the wrongs the royal family had done them. He would grow up and kill the King and usurp the throne. One day he would be King and those who had wrong them would pay dearly.

Tait had just turned ten and had never been around anyone other than his mother. He had the feeling he was big for his age since he stood only a few inches shorter than his mother. She would always laugh and tell him one day soon he would tower over her. That he was not yet grown but already showing he would be a mighty warrior. Oden had blessed him.

He wore his long dark hair loose and shaggy. He often wished he had his mother’s golden hair, but his was stark black. From time to time, his mother would try to die it blond using lye, but Tait did not like it. He would fight her at every turn. It stunk and burned his eyes.

Reaching the river, Tait knelt on one knee and dipped the wooden bucket in the slow-moving water. As he stood up with his bucket full, Tait paused when he spotted a young girl on the bank across the river. She looked like she was about his age though she was a lot smaller than him. Tait could not stop staring. He had never seen another person before.

She was watching him and looked like she might have been there before he reached the water. Her long blond hair was tied up in two pigtail braids that rested on her slender shoulders and hung to her waist. It was the middle of the summer season, and she was wearing a light grey dress that draped her boxy figure. Her face was round and soft, and her eyes were as blue as the clear sky above.

Neither of them moved as they watched each other across the water. He wanted to say hello, but he felt anxious. Tait had no idea how to interact with other children. Suddenly he heard someone calling the name Seri from a distance. The little girl jumped and took off into the trees, disappearing. He was disappointed to see her go.

Lugging the water back to his home Tait rushed into the small hut and placed the bucket on the small wooden table in the middle of the one-room hut. “Mother,” he said excitedly, “you will never believe what I saw at the river.”

“What did you see at the river?” Lotta asked as she swung her meat cleaver and chopped off the head of a rabbit she had caught for lunch.

“I saw…” Tait paused as he thought about the girl. She had to be from the nearest village, which was the heart of the Vremore Kingdom. He knew how his mother despised that whole village. She would not be happy to hear he had seen one this close to their home. It would make her angry, and his mother was intimidating when angry.

She turned and planted one hand on her hip while still holding the meat cleaver. “Spit it out already.”

“I saw a wolf,” Tait lied, “drinking from the river.”

Lotta rolled her eyes as she returned to her butchering. “You see wolves all the time. Make yourself useful and go chop some wood so I may cook lunch.” Tait did as his mother instructed.

Tait went about his chores, but all he could think about all day was the girl he had seen. Oh, how exciting it would be to have another child to play with. Tait returned to the river every day for the next two weeks hoping to see the girl again, but he did not. He had no idea who she was, but he wished he had spoken to her when he had the chance.

***

Five months later…

Tait snapped his wrist and skipped a stone across the ice of the river. The winter season was upon them, and the river had frozen over. Tait hated the winter. It meant he had to bring an axe with him when he came to fetch water. He had to hack away at the icy surface to reach the water below. It was very time consuming, and his shoulder always ached afterwards. Today was surprisingly warmer than most days, but the ice had been as solid as ever. When he was done, Tait decided to play for a little while. He had dug through the snow to find some rocks. Then he tossed each seeing how far he could skip them.

Taking a larger rock, he snapped his wrist once more, and the rock flung fairly far when it hit the bank on the other side it ricocheted off a bolder and into the trees where he heard someone yelp. He had hit someone. Carefully Tait made his way across the ice to the other side of the river. He headed into the trees to see the girl he had seen in the summer leaning against a tree and holding her hand over her forehead. His rock had struck her right in the right temple.

She looked up when she noticed him. She made to run off, but Tait dropped the rocks in his hands and put up both to show he was harmless. “Please, do not go.” He blurted out, and she stopped as she held the thick tree trunk between them. Tait leaned to one side, attempting to see her behind the tree. He caught her gaze, and he smiled, which made her smile. She then ducked back behind the tree and playfully poked her head out on the other side. Tait moved to get a better look, and she smiled again, which made him feel giddy.

“I am Tait.” He introduced himself.

She was quiet for a moment, then she spoke. Her voice was soft, lyrical, like the sound of a dove. “I am Seri.” She introduced herself.

Tait moved closer, placing his right hand on the tree’s trunk as he leaned around the left side to be closer to the playful girl. “Are you lost?” He asked. He had never seen anyone else in these woods.

“No.” Seri ducked back behind the tree and out of sight. Tait moved around the tree to see her again, but she was gone. Then he jumped when he felt her tap his shoulder from behind him. Tait turned. He now stood a foot from her, and he was much bigger. “Are you lost?” She asked in return.

“No. I have spent my life in these woods. I have never seen you before.”

“My nanny keeps a tight rein on me.”

“Where is your nanny now?” He asked as she walked toward the water with Tait following close behind her.

“I gave her the slip.” She grinned with mischievous pride. “Where is your nanny?” Seri asked.

“I do not have a nanny.” He told her puffing out his chest with smugness. “I am a man; I do not require a nanny.” The truth was he never had a nanny; there had never been anyone else in these woods, so his mother had felt safe letting him run wild.

She laughed. “You do not look like a man; you look like a boy.”

He blushed, she had him there. “Well, I will be a man one day.”

“Are you going off to sea soon?” She asked as she turned, pressing her back against the tree as he came around to stand in front of her.

Tait knew the answer for most boys his age would have been yes. Unfortunately, since he was fatherless and banished, his answer was no. He had no man to take him to sea. To teach him to sail like other boys. No man to teach him to fight. His mother had been a shield maiden in her youth, and she had been personally teaching him to fight, but he could not help but feel he might have gotten more from a man. He was missing what most boys had, and he blamed the royal family.

“No.” He said. “I have never even seen the ocean.”

“Why has your father not taken you?”

“I have no father.”

“Did he die at sea?”

“He was murdered by a vile jealous man.”

“I am truly sorry,” Seri said with genuine compassion. “What are you doing in the woods?”

“Fetching water.”

“But the river is frozen.”

“Only on the surface.”

“How do you get to the water beneath?”

“I will show you.” He reached out and took Seri’s hand in his and Tait dragged her out onto the frozen river. They slipped a little, and Tait stopped Seri from falling. Once they reached the other side, Tait picked up the small axe he had brought. He then began to hack at the ice. It took him ten minutes to break through the ice once more.

“I want to try,” Seri said, reaching for the axe. Tait relinquished the axe and watched as she swung it. It looked so much bigger in her little hands. He laughed as she hacked at the ice making only the smallest of progress. After a few minutes, Seri rolled her shoulders as if sore. “That’s hard.” The sound of a woman calling Seri’s name drew both of their attention. Seri frowned as she handed the axe back. “I have to go.” She said.

“Will you come back?” He asked, hopefully.

“Come back?” She grinned.

“I do not get to see other children. It was nice to have someone to talk to even if you are a girl.” Tait teased.

Seri grinned. “Ok. I will come back tomorrow when the sun is high.”

“I shall be waiting.”