Now, Taryne's story:
Taryne, a young anglo saxon, enjoyed her life with her small middle class family. Having both her mother and her father and an older sister to share her life with all was well until the raids. When she was 4 years old, the Vikings had been raiding villages around her area (unknown to herself) for a while, but it had never affected her family. Until her father decided to trade with some Norse merchants. Regularly, one can trade with the norse, though it may not be the brightest idea, and in this case it definately was not. Taryne's father came home with a huge smile on his face, and a satchel full of gold. His family was so happy, until the door burst down and an angry Norseman stood there and demanded father come there. Apparently, Tayne's father had made one mistake, he cheated the Norse, and the moment they found out they followed him back to his happy little home. Prepared to take his life, the Norseman lifted his great axe, the metal shining in the candlelight. Taryne's father cried out in fear, words which he would come to regret one day "Don't kill me! Take my youngest daughter instead!"
Taryne's world stopped. The mighty axe was replaced by a heavy rope and the glint from the axe was replaced by a glint in the norseman's eyes. The tall man stomped over to where Taryne was standing and looked over her. Shrugging, he turned towards the door where more of the great Norse were standing and speaks to them quickly. They all shrugged, looking at Taryne as if she was a piece of meat and muttering something about thrall, then with a curt nod he shook the rope at Taryne and motioned for her to go to the door. Being so young, she could not undertand completely the implications behind this situation, but the one thing she did understand, was betrayal.
With one last look at her family Taryne stood up straight, pushed the rope and the huge hand out of her way and stalked out of the house, the pain overriding the fear in her eyes. He mother screamed out, as well as her sister, and her father was reduced to a pitiful pile of tears. Taryne did not notice, she walked on to her new life, her new destiny, to the great ship moored in the harbour.
Taryne became a thrall, a norse word for slave, and lived her life cleaning, sewing, weaving and doing other assorted chores.
The rest of Taryne's story and more to come soon!
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