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Anja was overjoyed to be with child. She had always assumed she would never find a husband as she was much too quiet and meek even for a village full of modest folk. But there she was, sitting in her tiny kitchen of her tiny home with a tiny bump across her adomen that gave tiny little kicks.
"Hei min sønn." She'd known she was having a boy from the moment she realized she was pregnant. He would be beautiful and strong and kind. She knew all these things because unbeknownst to anyone but herself, Anja was gifted with certain insight. She always knew when it would rain or who exactly was at her door or that the cattle would die out of a disease in two harvests time. She kept this to herself of course because otherwise she would be accused of being a witch and thusly be shunned from the village. Or killed.
Sitting in her kitchen she talked idly with her son. Telling him stories from the book of worship. Tales of men whom God bestowed his almighty judgement, who were pious and right. The sun had yet to risen and Aslaug had still not come back from his morning chores.
It was in the middle of one of her stories that she felt it. The sharp jab in her chest. A twist, a yank and suddenly she could not breathe. Instinct had her clutching her belly full of child and that is when she hears it.
Du er død, bære min byrde
Tears fill her eyes as she feels her little one kick gleefully in response. A rush of burning fire fills her from the inside out and suddenly the world is dark.
---
It is an hour befor Aslaug returns with morning kindling and a feathered fowl. He enters quietly, expecting to see his wife in her usual spot at the table but finds the room empty.
"Anja?" He calls out, his foot catching on something on the floor. He needs not look any further for his wife as she lies unconcious on the floor, face down. "Kjære Gud!" He falls to his knees and pulls her into his lap. Her skin is still warm and he can feel her breathing.
He looks to her belly but he is no medicine man and wouldn't know the first thing. He begins lightly slapping her face to rouse her but it is not until he prays for forgiveness and slaps her across the cheek with a swift strike that she finally awakens.
Her cloudy blue eyes meet his and he watches as conciousness returns to her. She looks down to her belly, reaching for it. When she feels a kick, she openly weeps.
Aslaug looks on in horror, assuming the worst. "Det er tapt?!"
Anja does not speak, only sobs weakly and shakes her head back and forth. Her husband is left confused.
"Hva skjedde?"
Anja weeps and weeps and knows she must give him an answer soon. She could lie but God would strike her down, even more than he had already. She closes her eyes to collect her thoughts and end the tears. She feels one more kick and she knows what she must do.
"Gud har fortalt meg. Vår sønn vill være onde." She lets the words wash over her husband before continuing in the surest words she has ever spoken in her life. "Men vi kan redde ham."