So this is where you are hiding. I had to look for you, since you missed our meal together! Remember our agreement? Did you forget so easily? Gerulf pretended to be crushed by my missed appointment with him at midday.
“Oh! Gerulf . . . I am deeply sorry! How could I forget a wonderful occasion, such as a meal with you? Please forgive me, Gerulf,” I apologized.
“Well, I can easily see why you forgot, with all of this to entertain you. Remind me never to miss a meal with you! I might be your easy target,” he smirked.
“How could you suggest that I wound you? For I have just helped to heal you. I would only throw the ax on special occasions, such as flirting with another woman, or taking Brunhilda without my permission, dear Gerulf,” I said.
“I must say! You won’t have any concern over that! Do not worry about throwing the ax at me! I will be on my best behavior, sweet girl,” Gerulf assured me.
“AHEM!” Saskia cleared her throat, bringing our attention to her frowning face.
“How much longer must I stand here and wait for you both to end this chatter and get on with the business of practice, Ermentrude?”
“Oh, ja, er . . . Saskia, we must return to the ax, of course! Do you mind, Gerulf? Oh, I forgot to introduce you to each other. Gerulf, this is Saskia, and Saskia, this is Gerulf.” I awkwardly introduced them. “But, of course you knew that when I mentioned that . . .”
“You really are a silly girl, Ermentrude!” Saskia shook her head, laughing.
Gerulf carefully jumped down to the gravel below. He walked over to us, as handsome as ever. I melted at the sight of his blue eyes and smiled wistfully.
Saskia searched my face to determine if it was friendship I was feeling, or wanton desire. “That’s what I was afraid of,” she scrunched up her mouth. “You’re in deep, deep trouble.”
I turned my head to speak to her, but it was too late—he was near me. He kissed me on the head, as a brother would do, and he took my hand, leading me away, as he bid Saskia farewell with, “Good to have met you, Saskia.”
I dropped the ax on the ground and stared up at him—those eyes put me in a trance every time I saw them. How could this happen to me? I wondered.
We walked around to the other side of camp, where we had some privacy behind a wagon, whose inhabitants were bathing in the river.
“Ermentrude, because you did not dine with me today, I must hold you to our agreement by asking you to ride with me this afternoon. We can talk of all the things we have experienced in our lives. I want to know more about you. I enjoy your company.” Gerulf’s words pleased me, and I wished to have his arms wrapped securely around me.
“I am sorry that I forgot, Gerulf. I guess you would be welcome to ride with me . . . and Saskia.” I said.
“Who is Saskia, by the way? Is she your guardian, or merely a friend? She is not your sister, but she is close to you, am I correct?”
“Ja, Saskia is all those to me. Saskia is my dear friend. We have been close friends ever since we were small children. She is regarded as a sister by me, even though I do have a little sister, Ava.”
“I see. You do everything together?” he asked.
“Ja, we eat together, sleep together, ride together, hunt together, bathe together,” I chattered.
“Perhaps you should ask Saskia, if I may ride and eat meals with you,” he suggested.
“Great idea! I will ask her today!” I said, with eager intention.
“Splendid! You go ask her, and I will find my horse. Meet me at the river when it’s time to ride,” Gerulf explained.
I raced off to find Saskia and my horse, with excitement in my footsteps. Gerulf seemed very interested to know me better. It appeared he had interests similar to Arnold and Bertram. This time, I welcomed the pursuit.
I found Saskia demonstrating her ax-throwing skills to six or seven children, where I had left her earlier.
“Hail, Saskia, I have a question to ask. Would you mind if Gerulf rode with us this afternoon? Oh, and we are supposed to eat together at meals. I hope you don’t mind. He will expect you to be with me, of course. You are a dear friend.”
“I do not mind at all. I will be your conscience, as I listen to your conversations. I shall judge Gerulf’s true nature,” she answered, acting as if she were my guardian.
“Oh, thank you, Saskia! Let’s go to the river and meet him.”
We led our horses to the river, where they drank thirstily. Soon, Gerulf approached on horseback, with another horse and its rider. This must be his friend, whom he thought to bring along, since Saskia would be riding with us. How wonderful! The four of us would ride together.
“I thought to bring my friend, Anselm with me,” Gerulf explained, “so Saskia and he can become acquainted.”
Saskia liked what she saw, but didn’t intend to appear too eager to mention this to me. She liked to play a cat and mouse game, perhaps? Saskia edged closer to Anselm, looking him over.
“I see you are a good hunter such as me! You wear your knife and ax, ready to throw without warning, Anselm.” Saskia spoke directly to him.
“And you must be Saskia, friend of Ermentrude. My pleasure to meet such a proud and keen hunter. Gerulf told me about your great ax skills. I wish that I had seen you throwing your ax earlier,” Anselm flattered her, without revealing his instant interest in her physical attractiveness—long limbs, strawberry blond hair, and magnificent green eyes.
“Indeed, who else would I be? Perhaps I could show you how to throw an ax differently, so you will be able to strike your target when it moves too quickly,” she suggested in a flirtatious manner.
“I would assuredly be taught a lesson I‘d never forget,” Anselm continued the flattery. Gerulf took a position by my side; Anselm swung his horse beside Saskia, so they could talk. Although, I knew that Saskia loved the chase as much as the capture, I hoped they would enjoy each other’s company.
“How good of you to bring Anselm, so that we can talk with each other,” I mentioned, to start the conversation with Gerulf.
Gerulf was eager to listen while I rambled on about myself. “My father is Ansgar of the Spears . . . as for me, I think you know some things already. Yet, certain things you do not know, such as my dreams in life. I want to wander the land and meet interesting people, as well as know their struggles,” I revealed. I paused, so he could talk about himself; I asked him questions about his life. “What are your dreams, Gerulf?”
“I am the middle brother of two brothers and three sisters. My parents died many years ago, attacked during travel into the Rūmōneis (Roman) lands. They were trading; I believe they were returning home with valuable goods, when the Alemanni tribe, or a rogue band, murdered them,” he explained.
“I am very sorry you lost your parents, Gerulf. How old were you? Where were you and your brothers and sisters when that happened?” I asked.
“Hmmm, I think I was about seven years when my uncle told me what
