Fiction logo

At The Edge of the Forest: Part 2

The Foreigners

By Caroline-StoryGirlCAPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
4

The story takes place around the time of 1,200 A.D. Foreign invaders from the Northern Scandinavian countries, also known as the Danes or Vikings, raided and pillaged the land in every direction. These seafarers left their Scandinavian homelands to raid, trade and colonize. During the Viking Age. The word “Dane” became synonymous with Vikings that raided and invaded England. During this time, thousands of innocent people’s lives were destroyed. Suddenly, they found themselves ripped away from their homes, or killed, and hurled into a life of slavery and hardship. It was more merciful to be killed rather than taken as a slave. Life in the Dark Lands was barren, cold and dangerous to all who lived there.

In Kendra’s homeland, these Foreigners had heavily occupied the northern territories for more than three hundred years. Their present leader was a Chieftain by the name of Gunnar. His fortress was Castle Mogor in the district of Dun Lium.

Dun Lium was once a prospering city, but the foreign presence turned it into a broken-down village. Its people were scared and oppressed from the uncertainty and control which lay before them under Gunnar’s rule.

They tried many times to fight his unjust laws but were soon overpowered and Dun Lium became a province of the Dark Lands. Gunnar’s Land.

The Forest lay in the south, Castle Mogor and the Dark Lands in the North, the Land of Giants in the West, while the Fairy Folk maintained the East. The inhabitants of the Land of Giants were able to hold the marauders at bay, but the forest people were quickly becoming disarmed as raiding attacks became more frequent.

Gunnar was a cruel, hardened man. His heart had turned to stone after everything he had experienced in his life. He saw no glory in kindness or compassion.

His tall broad shoulders, long unkept brown hair and piercing blue eyes gave him the appearance of a wild man. His facial features were youthful, yet hardened with heavy indented lines across his forehead, much like tattoos, as a constant reminder of his chosen life of war. His physical presence gave him the persona of a wild heathen. He wore leather trousers, a long cotton tunic reaching just below the waist and a dark, woven, wool cloak which fastened around his neck tied with a metal brooch. A leather belt fixed around of his cloak was heavily laden with weapons such as a dagger on each hip, his axe and his battle worn sword which rested in its sheath on his horse.

Gunnar has memories of another life before he became a soldier. He refuses to remember this life, yet it haunts him in his dreams. He sees a little girl with auburn hair running towards him with open arms until suddenly, she’s slain in front of his eyes. She dies in his arms, and he can do nothing to save her.

He wakes up from these dreams in a cold sweat, angry and confused. Most nights he doesn’t sleep but wanders alone in the darkness fighting the memories of his past. A long time ago, he decided to erase his past, but could he? Would it haunt him forever? He became cruel and uncaring. His angry heart closed like a vice as he began his crusade to conquer lands leaving nothing alive in his path. He was a man seeking control, power, and revenge. The deadliest of men. Now, with Dun Lium under his control. He set his sights on South Wessex.

As Chieftain of his territory, his solemn promise to his King was to invade and conquer at all costs. And Gunnar, on his terms, was a man of his word.

Series
4

About the Creator

Caroline-StoryGirlCA

Hi there! I’m a fiction writer. Written all my life. Want to inspire if I can. Living on a guest horse ranch in Baja California, Mexico. Married to a Mexican Cowboy!

Website: carolineaguiarauthor.com

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.