Blackened flakes rose into the air, carried on the updrafts of the fires that consumed thatched roofs and simple wooden walls. They fell back, gathering before swirling in the wind like a grotesque black river winding through the sky.
Screams filled the air - cries of terror and pain as the warriors made their way through the village, searching for survivors.
A few of the men were clad in pelts while the rest bore their nudity with pride. Soot and blood - some their own - lined their muscled bodies as they reveled in their victory.
Bjerner slammed his fist through the door in front of him, stepping into the dim interior as Makan followed.
He spotted her almost immediately, half-hidden beside the simple hay-filled mattress on a plain, crude bed frame. Her eyes widened as their eyes met.
"She's mine," Makan growled, stepping forward.
"No," Bjerner roared, bringing his fist up. Makan moved back but decades of experience in brawling taught Bjerner well and his fist connected with the corner of Makan's jaw, sending the man crashing to his knees.
"Damn you," Makan said. He pushed himself to his knees and then swayed before falling to his side. Another attempt saw him standing on one foot before falling again. "Gods damn you!"
"P-p-p-please," the woman pleaded, pushing herself back while looking away from the man's nude body. "I'm just- I'm just- I tend the fields. I just- Please!"
Bjerner stepped forward and then paused as a wide smile crossed his lips. He felt himself harden as he reached down to snatch a hollowed-out horn from his friend.
Without a word, Bjerner walked to the woman. She jumped up and leapt for the other side of the bed but his hand flew out, quick as a serpent, to grab her hair and slam her down to the rough mattress. She squirmed in his grip as he bore down on her, holding her in place while grabbing her jaw with his huge, rough hand.
"Please, no," the girl whimpered, her voice slurring around the man's grip. "Please, I'm sworn to another! My husband- I'm just- We're not a threat. We're farmers! Please!"
Bjerner squeezed the woman's jaw, forcing her mouth open. Tilting her head back, he poured the contents of the horn down her throat.
"What are you-!" Makan roared, rolling to his side. "Are you mad?!"
Stepping back, Bjerner tossed the empty horn aside while he watched the woman. His hand reached for his cock and he stroked himself as she pushed away from him.
The woman's hands flew to her stomach and she retched but nothing came up and she howled in pain as cramps wracked her body.
"She'll die," Makan spat. "A waste. A damn waste."
"What's- What did you-" the woman said, her voice rising as her hands dug at her stomach, pulling at the simple white dress she wore.
The woman's lips trembled while veins stood out on her forehead. She snarled, showing sharp teeth. With a scream, her body spasmed, forcing her into a trembling fit.
"What did you do to me?!" the woman shouted, her voice dropping low as she tore at her dress. Her nails darked, digging into the material.
