Return to Village 49

Casia looked at Tapani. When she decided to open restrains, she did not think what villagers might think. In wintertime, she learned the local language quite well, but there were many words to know. Especially when people talk fast, she had problems following what they were talking. Now she understood that Tapani knew a woman who was shackled to the cart. A large redhead man was angry, and he was talking with Tapani. His words were difficult to follow. Although he was not pleased, his voice was friendly. The short-haired blond woman who was wearing only a loincloth was staring at Casia with an angry face.

“Who she killed?” Tapani asked.

“Tero,” Jorma answered, “That was not a great loss but made complications. He had a wife, and they have a baby.”

“That is sad,” Tapani answered. Tero was a useless drunk. It was a wonder that he managed to get a wife. All of his brothers were far away, and nobody knew if they were even alive. Young widow had minimal options unless her parents were wealthy. Tapani looked at Tuija who was staring at Casia, but he continued with Jorma, “Who he married?”

“Inga,” Jorma answered.

Inga was young, Tapani didn’t know her so well, but he knew her father. The girl didn’t have luck; her father died on the raid a few years ago. She had only an old mother.

“Tapani, I wish your souvenir is not interfering with our internal matters. I hope she understands what we speak,” Jorma said.

Tapani looked at him and turned to Casia. He started with a foreign language, “Casia, Let’s keep it secret that you speak our language as well as you do.”

Tapani wished Casia understood what he said, for his luck, Casia answered, “Yes. What did this girl do to deserve this treatment? She looks innocent and beautiful.”

“She is enemy warrior,” Tapani answered.

“But you know her,” Casia said back, “And they know her.”

“You remember, I told you about the war, and you remember two princesses I sold in B’tumi,” Tapani said.

Casia nodded as an answer. She would never forget those girls.

“This girl was fighting with them, and she killed one man in this village,” Tapani was continuing.

“Fuck, man, what kind of language is that,” Jorma answered after listening long words of the foreign language Tapani was using.

“They speak this,” Tapani answered to Jorma.

Casia was looking at the suffering girl, and she would not like to leave her like that. She was sure these people would kill her. No matter what she did. It was because of war.

“Tapani, we cannot leave her like this, please,” Casia said.