October 30th 1:27pm

Nikolaus and Alfher left on the following morning. Maria handled herself well laughing when her husband worried about missing his second child's birth. With great reluctance Alfher left to go join his friend Romulus a few towns over to begin their journey to Italy to build the house for the newlyweds. Valkyrie was another story. She was petulant and angry. Glaring at her lover and fiance any chance she got.

Nikolaus frowned as he walked towards the horse and untied the reigns. Valkyrie was by his side, irritated.

Valkyrie shook her head her hair messy and out of place. "Nikolaus I don't like this. Please, just let me come with you."

The viking scowled and shook his head swinging himself up into the saddle.

"Valkyrie no. This is for the protection of our child. I won't risk either of you."

Valkyrie looked away biting her lip. Her eyes glistened with tears and her hands shook, holding her stomach.

"Then promise me you'll come back. I… I can't lose another loved one to the sea."

Nikolaus' eyes softened. He'd forgotten about her far. Slowly he slid off his horse and cupped her cheeks lifting her face to his, resting their foreheads together.

"I swear on my honor that I will always return to you Valkyrie. Nothing will ever keep me from you."

Valkyrie looked into his eyes and nodded slightly, accepting his words. Nikolaus smiled and kissed her gently before pulling away and getting back onto his horse turning the mare around.

"I'll be back before you realize I'm gone!"

Valkyrie watched him go, keeping her hand on her stomach.

Maria smiled and placed a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, he'll be back before your child is born."

Valkyrie looked into the warm auburn eyes of the matron and nodded smiling slightly and walking inside with her. Maria kept a physical link between them at all times. Whether it was a motherly hand on hers guiding her in cooking or sewing, or a comforting shoulder to cry on when her moods took sudden turns. Maria was a saint and a savior. A sister and a mother. Something Valkyrie had never known.

November 5th 9:47am

Valkyrie frowned looking down at the fur blankets and then to her own lion pelt cape. Nikolaus had a cape with a wolf pelt around the top, not nearly as fancy as hers. She bit the inside of her cheek in thought, touching the soft fur thoughtfully.

Maria walked in, basket of vegetables in hand. She smiled and walked up behind Valkyrie setting the basket down and laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Is something wrong?"

Valkyrie jumped and turned to look at her, looking quickly back down blushing.

"I was… just thinking. About my wedding. And about my far."

Maria's eyes softened. Valkyrie had never spoken about her past in the few days she'd been with them. But it wasn't hard to guess she had no family. Her trepidation now only confirmed Maria's assumptions.

Valkyrie continued before she had the chance to speak. "It's just… I have no money to my name, nothing to offer Nikolaus as my dowry. So I was thinking I could make him something."

Maria shook her head chuckling softly.

"Valkyrie he doesn't want a dowry, he just wants to marry you-"

Valkyrie's anger was quick and hot and sudden. She glared so ferociously at Maria the older woman blinked in shock and stepped back.

"I will not be some whore he marries because I carry his child! I refuse to be! I will preserve my honor!"

Maria sighed heavily but left the woman be, it was best not to further anger an already angry pregnant woman. Even other women knew better.

Valkyrie sat in her sullen silence before looking back to where Maria had disappeared into the kitchen. Quietly she grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows and donned a black cape with a hood in favor of her lion pelt cape. She glanced back to assure herself Maria wasn't coming around the corner and ran through the front door to the woods. She looked back to the house and lifted the hood disappearing into the shadows of the trees. Her blue eyes seemingly glowing in the gloom of the forest.

November 6th 10:23am

The river was rushing and bloated from the rain two days before. Trees covered the area protecting it from sunlight. But the leaves of the trees casted emerald shadows, the air in the small clearing with the river a brilliant emerald green hew. A deer was grazing beside the river as her fawn drank from the river and a buck stood dutifully watching over them, looking for danger. The bucks ears swiveled and his tail shot up, the fawn and doe running off as he chased after them, as crashing and twigs snapping broke the calm and the silence.

Gilbert crashed through the trees. Tears streaming from his eyes as he stumbled through the brush to the river he stopped on the banks backpedalling. His eyes were wide in fright, looking for an escape route. He whirled when he heard more crashing.

Five boys ran out of the brush glaring at him. One took up a rock and threw it at his head.

"DEMON!"

Gilbert stumbled back looking at the water fearfully.

"I-I'm not a demon!"

The boys paid him no heed, chanting demon be gone over and over throwing rocks at him.

Gilbert cried and curled into a ball on the ground as the rocks pelted him cutting his skin, blood, as red as his eyes, trickling down his pale skin.

One of the boys rallied the others, and together four of the boys grabbed his arms and legs dragging him into the river. Gilbert thrashed and screamed tears and blood streaming down his face.

"Stop stop stop stop it please I'm not a demon I'm not!"

The boys didn't listen the fifth boy grabbing a thick heavy stick, hitting him over and over in the stomach until he could barely breathe, let alone scream and cry. Gilbert looked at the water fearfully as the boys shoved him under, holding him under as he thrashed and struggled to get away.

Suddenly an arrow flew through the trees and the boys scampered away leaving their prey to drown in the water.

Gilbert struggled and thrashed choking on the water as he flailed his arms and legs trying to swim, desperately trying to keep his head above water.

Hands grabbed his arm and tugged him up, pulling him towards the bank.

He grasped onto the ground coughing and choking spitting up water and blood. Teary red eyes looked blearily around until they landed on the… boy.

"You… You saved me..?"

The boy, a tan little thing with wavy brown hair tied back into a pony tail and bright green eyes smiled at him.

"Ja! Those guys are jerks! I'll kick their asses if they mess vith a vimp like you again!"

Gilberts eyes widened and he looked down.

"I… I'm not a vimp!"

The boy only laughed at him and laid back in the grass.

"You're right. You're not. You get beat up a lot ja? But you haven't died yet, and those boys are mean."

Gilbert looked at this strange boy frowning and scooting closer to him.

"If I'm not a vimp zhen vas am I?"

The boy frowned thinking before grinning.

"You're awesome!"

Gilberts eyes widened before he slowly began smiling.

"You zhink I'm awesome?"

The boy nodded grinning one of his front teeth missing.

"Ja! Of course I do, I vouldn't have saved you if I didn't think so!"

They grinned at each other, reveling in the companionship.

Gilbert puffed up his chest and smiled, wide and happy.

"I'm Gilbert Beilschdmit!"

The boy grinned and laughed.

"I'm Elizaveta Herdervary! You can call me Eli!"

Gilberts eyes widened jaw dropping.

"YOU'RE A GIRL?!"