Warnings for
“Sigrid learns what men will do”

Sigrid was captured at sea and brought to Whitehand’s court by a band of Whitehand’s men, including one Osvald. All were rough with her, but Osvald was especially perverse and frightening.

Delivered to Whitehand’s court, she expects the King, as a nobleman and former friend, to at least treat her with respect. But immediately his men suggest she earn Eirik’s ransom with her body, and they begin bidding on the first night with her.

Sigrid shouts and stands up to them, but things quickly get physical, and she is groped and pawed and passed around.

Her husband’s friend Skorri Snaketongue is there, but her hope of assistance from him is doused when he hangs on to her even tighter than the others, and plays lewdly with her coiled hair. He whispers that hair like ropes is a danger to a woman surrounded by sailors, who never see ropes but want to tie something down, and she should let no man near her hair but her husband.

All the while Sigrid alternates between cowering in revulsion and fear, and attempting to stand up to Whitehand, occasionally getting in a blow when she calls him and his men cowards for what they are doing – not to her, but to Eirik.

Eventually, after hinting that further argument will only incite him to let his men have their way with her before killing her, he orders her to be taken to the tower and locked up. Skorri offers to take her, but by now Whitehand believes Skorri wants to take her to his bed instead, and he refuses.

Osvald then offers to take her to the tower, and Whitehand says he may. On their way out Skorri threatens him, warning him not to touch her.

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