Does it seem like you’ve been waiting since the age of the Viking? Your wait has now ended!
If you’ve missed a chapter – don’t worry, you can catch up on all of the chapters here! Or by clicking on the “Fanfics” tab at the top of the screen and look for “Piece of Glass by Deborah Court”!
We know how much you’re looking forward to this, so we won’t bore you, but we hope you enjoy Sookie kickin’ butt and takin’ names! You’ll see what we mean, when you read this update!
Enjoy!
Piece of Glass
Part Nine
By Deborah Court
Sookie Stackhouse wore the most ridiculous mixture of clothing she had ever seen: her soft blue gown, fastened with golden brooches, her supple leather boots and a chain mail she had found in one of the servants’ houses. It couldn’t possibly belong to Eric since it was small enough to fit her. Her hair was still moist from the bath, so she had quickly braided it, using one of Eric’s leather straps. Not being able to even lift one of his long swords, she had grabbed a dagger which she placed in one of her boots, and a small battle axe that was light enough for her to handle.
If she was to go to battle, at least she wanted to be properly armed. A girl couldn’t be well enough prepared when it came to saving the vampire she loved.
Every man on the farm had gone to defend the village, but Sookie had found a stable boy and ordered him to saddle her a horse. He had tried to decline, unsure if he’d have to face his master’s anger later, but after looking into Sookie’s fierce eyes, he quickly followed her wishes, choosing a small mare, still meek enough to let herself be controlled. Back in school, Sookie had learned to ride a horse on the farm of a friend’s parents. She didn’t remember much anymore, but at least she managed to guide the mare towards the village – probably only because the horse knew the way.
The settlement that had been crowded with people before, looked completely abandoned now. There was an eerie silence when Sookie rode along the main street that led through the village. The doors and windows of the houses had been nailed shut from the inside, and Sookie noticed a few movements behind closed curtains. There were people hiding there, probably women, children and elderly people, although she had not seen many of them when she had been brought here by the slave traders. Obviously, people in the Viking age didn’t grow very old.
In front of many houses, dead animals had been hung from wooden stakes – she saw a goat, a ram and the head of an ox. The animals seemed to have been recently slaughtered, for blood still dropped down from the cadavers, and there wasn’t the smell of decay in the air. She surmised that these were sacrifices the Vikings had made for their gods, to ensure a good outcome of the battle. She felt like gagging, and quickly looked away.
Outside of the village, there was a juncture in the road. It was easy to decide which way to turn. To the right, the earth was trampled, and freshly torn-out chunks of grass were scattered all over the mud. There was no doubt that a big crowd of men on foot and on horses had passed by not long ago.
Following their tracks, she rode on. Soon, she could smell the sea, and the fields turned into a barren landscape of sandy ground and grass. When she saw the road disappearing into a big dune in the distance, she started to hear the thundering noise: the war cries of fighting men, the clatter of swords, the agonized screaming of the wounded. Panic rose in her chest and her every instinct urged her to turn around and simply ride away. Yet she proceeded – the thought of Eric being among those dying men drove away any fear she might have felt.
At the foot of the hill, she dismounted and set her mare free to run; she hoped that the horse would find its way home. Then she started to climb up the dune – not an easy task wearing chain mail, and carrying a battle axe. When she finally reached the top, she stood paralyzed with shock for a moment, and stared at the horrible sight that unfolded before her eyes.
Three huge dragon ships had landed on the coast. Danish Vikings were streaming out of those vessels, climbing over the wooden walls and jumping down into the tide. The blood of the fallen warriors already tainted the rough beauty of the natural beach. There were dead everywhere, their limbs severed from their bodies, heads lying beside the corpses. Wild reddish-brown dogs were already feeding on the fallen.
More and more Danes left the ships and attacked those who were fighting for their homes, defending their women and children. Speechless, Sookie stared at the unspeakable chaos. The crowd of fighting and dying men moved like a single, terrible creature; a lindworm that had crawled out of the deepest pit of hell. Heavy gray fog rose up from the sea, making it difficult to see clearly at first.
Frantically, her eyes searched for a sign of Eric. After a long, terrible moment, she saw him. He was covered with blood and grime, his golden mane plastered to his head. With his back to her, he stood protectively over one of the wounded, awaiting a new wave of Danes storming in his direction. Sookie released her breath and gave a small gasp of relief.
It was not much more than a sigh, but somehow he heard her through all the thundering noise, briefly turning his head. In the first moment, she saw a flash of anger in his eyes, but then his expression turned into something that utterly surprised her. He stared at her with open admiration and desire, acknowledging her courage. Giving her a brief hint of a smile, he turned around and raised his sword. A Danish warrior attacked him with a battle axe, but Eric beheaded him with a single mighty blow.
Actually laughing with wild joy, he prepared for his next enemy, whom he killed by whirling around and ramming his sword deep into the Dane’s side. Eric moved with incredible speed and grace for a man so tall, but she was surprised that he didn’t use his vampire abilities to his advantage. Back in their world, he would have killed those men with his bare hands, ripping out their hearts in seconds. Although the Vikings fought bravely, they wouldn’t stand a chance against the superior numbers of the Danes. Suddenly, Sookie remembered something that Eric had told her before he had left.
Not as a vampire, but as a man, fighting for my people.
Sookie gasped. So this idiotic vampire didn’t even intend to use his supernatural powers, even if it would get him killed in the end! He had this foolish preoccupation about dying an honorable death in battle, just to please his Odin. Did he really believe she would stand by and watch him die just to please this cruel Viking Gods?
Right then, she saw a huge Dane part the crowd. Wearing an impressive armor, he looked like one of their leaders. Moving directly in Eric’s direction, he seemed to target him, as if intending to weaken the Vikings’ rows by killing their strongest warrior. Eric was busy fighting two enemies at once. He was oblivious to the Dane sneaking up on him from behind. Terrified, she concentrated on her fairy powers and tried to fend off the Dane, but nothing happened. Sookie cursed and started to run down the dune, heading right into the heart of the battle.
*****
Eric was just piercing another Dane’s heart when, through their bond, he felt Sookie draw nearer. Growling, he continued to parry the warrior’s attack, unable to protect her now. Why couldn’t the damned woman just stay in safety where she belonged? When he had finally killed the last Dane in close proximity, he turned around, his sharp eyes searching for her.
She was just a few steps behind him, kneeling on the ground. Her face was averted, and her hands clutched her own neck. A tall Dane lay beside her, his body still twitching while he struggled against certain death. As Eric ran to her, he saw that a small battle axe lay on the ground, and a dagger that he clearly recognized as his own protruded from the Dane’s chest. The hilt bore his family’s crest. Eric was struck by the sudden realization that she had used this weapon to save his life.
“Sookie!” he cried out while he knelt down at her side, but she didn’t answer. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him, desperate to know if she was unharmed.
Her eyes met his for a second, betraying her fear and agony. She opened her mouth to say his name, but only a hoarse croaking sound came from her lips. Her hands clutched her own throat while he saw her eyes turn back in her head, and she toppled over. Eric caught her in his embrace before she could fall to the blood-soaked ground.
The air supply in his tomb had been consumed. His Sookie was suffocating in his arms, and he was helpless to prevent it. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, gathering all his powers to bring them back to reality, but he failed again. “No!” he thundered, trying again … then once more. Nothing. He couldn’t bring them back.
Tears of blood streamed down over his face as he began to cradle her trembling body in his arms, shielding it with his own until she completely molded into him. His Sookie still fought for her life, with all her might. He felt every tremor and every spasm, and it ripped out his own heart as if it was dying along with her.
Not knowing if she still heard him, he murmured soothing words to his beloved human. He told her how beautiful she’d looked when he had seen her on that dune, watching over him like a Valkyrie who wanted to take him to Valhalla; and about his farm in Öland, a place very similar to his farm here, promising her that he’d take her there if she only stayed with him.
Eric didn’t see the Danes encircling them, nor would he have cared if he had. When one of them raised his battle axe over his head, he felt a swoosh of air and something grazing the nape of his neck. He closed his eyes and pulled Sookie closer to him, thanking Odin for his infinite mercy to let them die together.
*****
To be continued…
© All characters are the property of Charlaine Harris and True blood HBO. No copyright infringement is intended. No monetary compensation is gained. Used for entertainment purposes only.
Thank you so much Deborah! I love Sookie when she’s spunky and fights for her man! I hope somehow Eric and Sookie are able to return to the real world – before either one of them dies! GAWD, I wish this was how True Blood Season 4 ended!
Please hurry and update this as soon as you can!
Deborah loves reading your comments, so please tell her what you think! Share your thoughts below!
