Four days past, and a mighty snowstorm blew in through the valley, freezing the lakes and proving it difficult to find food and water.
I blamed Eric for the misfortune of getting snowed in- he loved the snow all too much, and now he got too much of a good thing... served him right.
But during our moment of being trapped inside, I was thinking while I watched Eric working on some wood carving, but then he looked up and made me come over.
"Like it?" he asked me now, showing me the little carving that looked like a half done wolf at the moment. "It's beautiful." I smiled, taking it and running a thumb over it, then handed it him back, and he reached behind him and pulled a little leather bag and gave it to me.
"Here-" he said, and I opened it to find more little animal charms on a long thin strip of leather that formed a necklace. There was a dolphin, an eagle, a bear, deer and a spare place for the little wolf to go.
"One for every year you've been with us." he smiled, putting it in my hand. I loved it, it was beautiful, and Eric always was good with his hands and a knife. The detail in the little animals was incredibly accurate, and it was so pretty.
"Wow, Eric... I can't-!" I stuttered, and he snorted. "I found them last night. Thought you might like them."
I nodded, then let him put it around my neck where they hung to the middle of my chest.
"I do." I chuckled, and Eric added. "When I've finished this one, you will have been with us for five years."
Five years already-? It seemed to have flown by...
"Thank you. I love it."
Eric leaned forwards and kissed my cheek. "I'm glad you do." then got up and set off into the other room where his father was sat.
His son was only sweet towards me, more harsh towards everyone else.
When the snow finally allowed us to leave the house, the food supplies had been severly depleted by the bad snowfall. Those words were still ringing in my head... that I would bring misfortune to all that I cared for.
I loved and cared for this home of mine... was I putting it in danger by staying here-?
But there was another situation arising now.
A few days after, I could hear Eric yelling at Father for some reason as I returned home with a few rabbits over my shoulder. What was going on-?
"What's going on?" I asked now, setting the rabbits down on the table, and Father just glared at his son, and Eric rolled his eyes.
"This is no laughing matter Son!" Father snarled now, and then Eric said. "A maid has claimed her unborn child is mine."
"And is it?" I asked, not able to help myself- it probably was. No wonder Father was so angry, he knew as well as I did.
Eric snarled at me now. "No! It isn't! And I know that for sure!"
Father threw up his hands in the air, then left the building, growling under his breath. I turned to Eric now and glared. "What have you done." I said in a low, growly voice, and he yelled. "It isn't mine! I never even had sex with her!"
"Who?"
"Willow, she was a maid-"
"Hang on. Willow?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "I saw you two together outside the last night of the midwinter feast."
Eric nodded, then said defiantly. "Yes, but I never did anything with her. I was too busy pulling Daren off you."
That actually made sense- they didn't even have time, and it was only just over a week ago... it literally couldn't be Erics child.
"I'll tell Father everything." I sighed in defeat, then ran after Father who was stood looking over a snowy outcrop at the wide ocean that never froze, no matter what.
"Freyr." he said as I stood beside him, and he sighed. "Eric is getting so hard to control lately."
I launched into the explanation now about Willows child, that it wasn't Erics, and he listened in silence, then held up a hand at the end. "You speak the truth?" he asked me, and I nodded. "I do. I saw it with my own eyes."
Father nodded, then said. "Willow has some questions to answer. Do you have any idea who the true father may be?"
I shook my head, completely clueless.
Maybe that was what Willow had planned since the beginning- bluffing that it was Erics child just to get taken in by us. How low could she sink to?
"What will you do to her?" I asked Father now, and he chuckled darkly. "She will be leaving the village. How dare her lie about this... her attempt to shame my son!" he snarled at the end, and it sounded so very much like the son in question.
He now chuckled and put a hand on my shoulder. "Sometimes I forget that you are a woman, not a man. You are magnificent with the spear, and even more so with the bow. I thank the Gods for leading you through the forest to us. My second son and child."
I smiled and bowed my head a little. Father kissed my forehead now and said. "Take care of Eric, no matter what happens. Can you promise me?"
"I swear it." I said automatically, and I didn't even need telling- I would always look after him.
That evening, Willow was confronted over her lies over Eric fathering her child, and she admitted that Eric wasn't the father, and this other man in the village was the father. They were both disgraced, and the mans wife left him, taking his young son with her.
The scandal was rife in the village until Father ended it, deeming it over.
Eric still wasn't happy at being accused. He was going to end up ripping that blonde hair of his out soon in frustration.
Winter was colder than usual, but when the spring finally did arrive, the new bright green shoots springing up through the residue snow. The wild horses returned too when the snow melted completely, and the air warmed up. Things changed...
And had with me too.
When for the first time in so long that the ground was dried out, I sat outside with Erics dog asleep, its head on my lap. And speaking of Eric, he was busy with a new stallion that had been captured, and was trying to break the horse he way his father had taught him. Practice made perfect, and he was damn near perfect.
The midnight colored horse was enclosed in the pen, evidently hating the leather harness of sorts around its head was connected to a tough rope that was in Erics hand as he worked his magic. The horse was snorting and making alot of angry noises, kicking around.
As I watched, the horse calmed down, and I saw Eric step carefully forwards, then jump onto its back, making it rear back and try to throw him off, but he held on, and a few moments later once the beast had calmed down.
He'd done it already, and he grinned at me in triumph- the big headed prick.
Eric beckoned me over now, and I got up, making the dog grumble in annoyance as he lost his pillow- my lap.
"What do you think?" He asked me now, smacking the side of its tough charcoal colored neck, and I chuckled. "He's beautiful."
"Coming?" He asked me now, raising an eyebrow, and I understood, nodding. As I pulled myself up, Eric helping, I grabbed his waist so I didn't fall off.
The newly thawed out forests and fields were so fresh, sparkling and green. Once on a hunting trip, we went on a trek to the mountains of the land next to ours. The Gods were supposed to live at the peak of the mountains through the fog and mist, the rainbow gateway to Asgard where they resided watching over the land.
It had been a beautiful scene to behold that I would remember forever. Eric promised me that in the future, we would trek through the three countires together, one of the countries, Sweden, our own.
I looked forward to it.
We trotted through the land he would be in charge of one day when Father gave it to him in silence. The lakes were wide and sparkling in the sunlight, dancing off the surface like water spirits rejoicing spring.
When we returned home when the sun was setting, we still hadn't really said a word all day long, more content to listen to nature than each other.
As I sat before my mother while she brushed it through, she said quietly. "How was your day?"
"Me and Eric went out on the new horse." I told her, and she chuckled. "I think Eric forgets that you are a woman, not a man."
I thought about that, then said quietly. "I think so too."
"Do you have something to tell me?" she said now with another little laugh, and I frowned. "Such as?"
She finished brushing my immensely long ebony hair through and said. "Freyr, my love... I've seen the way you look at my son."
"I don't understand." was all I could say, and Mother put her hands on my shoulders. "A womans heart is an ocean of secrets, but this one you cannot hide."
I understood what she meant now, and I closed my eyes and shook my head. "No. You've got that wrong. I don't have feelings for him."
"Mmhmm." She mused and I could hear the tone of her voice- she didn't believe me.
"Even if I did... he doesn't look at me in that way." I told her, indicating to my clothes as well- I didn't dress as a woman, I dressed like a warrior... more like a man with the fur I had on.
"Well... we could change that." Mother said now, standing me up and leaving the room, coming back with a beautiful dress of hers that she had worn when she was younger. It was long, low cut and creamy, white fur around the edges and a little white coat that went with it.
She took my hair now and twisted it around, keeping it there so my face wasn't hidden like it usually was. She darkened my eyes and as I walked out in the dress, she put her hands together and smiled. "You look truly beautiful... and so feminine. Eric won't recognize you."
I chuckled, then as she got ready herself, I put on the necklace Eric had made for me, the little wolf now added to it now he had completed it.
As we walked to the feast, I felt nervous- I'd never really worn a dress before, and I was betting everyone would laugh at me and I wouldn't be taken a serious warrior anymore.
I saw Eric at the head table with our father, the food all set out. But now he was staring at me as if I was a goddess in the flesh. Father now stood up as I approached, then took my hand and said. "My my Freyr, you look beautiful." I chuckled as he put a hand on my cheek, then looked to Eric who still seemed speechless.
"Hello Eric." I giggled, and he stood up, looking like a child once more from five years ago. "I did not recognize you for a start. You look beautiful."
As Mother sat down next to her husband, she said something in his ear, and he looked up, eyes flicking between us both, then a small smile appeared and he nodded, agreeing to something.
I sat down next to Eric now, and it was like he'd finally realized at last that I was a woman, not a man like he had probably gotten used to.
He'd certainly never looked at me like that before anyway, and we were very nearly twenty now.
When the feast was over for me, I went to head off home and as I walked out, someone took my arm and I saw a familiar grin. Well, I had to look up first.
"Let me-" he smiled, pushing the hair from his eyes as he did so. I chuckled, then nodded. "Thank you good sir."
Eric was far from a 'good sir.'
When we reached the house, his grin tightened a little. "Wait a moment." he muttered, and I turned to him. "Yes Eric?" I inquired, and turned to him.
"I just wanted to say again that you look beautiful." he smiled, then in one movement, he put a hand on my cheek and kissed me softly for a moment, but it felt like it lasted years. It struck me then that we weren't children anymore, but adults that had to think about the future. We could die tomorrow, or in ten years time. Every moment counted.
"Goodnight Freyr." he said quietly, then turned around and headed back towards the hall, leaving me stood there once more with too many thoughts in my head.
I hoped to whatever gods were listening that this man never changed.
Thanks for the lovely reviews- next will be up later if we get enough interest.
