Translator's note: I know I have been absent for a long time now, and I am sorry about that. But my laptop went broken the first weekend in January and I was without it for almost the whole month. But I'm back with a weekly update at least. So let's begin.

Chapter 36

Eric woke me when it was night and every people were going to the party. I my kidneys were hurting very badly, but I guess that's a good thing as it would have been worse to lose them forever. I ginger myself up as I was getting the children ready.

"Can you fix my hair in a few braids, Sookie?" Audr asked me.

"Sure, Honey"

"And to me?" Erik asked too.

"But you're a guy!" He explained that some men braid their long beards and their hair and he had to start doing it too, because soon he would be a big Viking. Eric made fun of his son, who was deflated a little, but returned to swell as I did him a couple of braids in his hair. He looked like Legolas from "The Lord of the Rings". I also fixed my hair according to the occasion and I shadowed my eyes with the only thing I had: burned wood charcoal. I didn't looked bad at all, frankly "When I open the door, we all run to the palace" I said, because there was a really freak blizzard. "Eric, grab the girl, please."

Believe it or not, I came into the chiefs' house dining room, which stood at less than twenty yards from mine, with a three fingers layer of snow on the shoulders. I said goodbye to Eric, who went to see how was dinner at the back, and I sit my children at their table, pouring a glass of warm milk to Audr. I left and went with the women, to help Helga, which I stopped at her attempt to apologize, because it didn't seem necessary. So we put plates, bowls and pitchers of beer for every table (not in the kids' table).

I bumped with Dalla in the hall left between the tables and she smirked at me as she sat in a more important place than mine on the females' table. Halvar's servants brought the food in dishes, a whole sow in pieces; and more things: boiled cabbage, grilled onions, hot lentils and breads as large as snowboards.

Eric got up from his table and he placed a giant pork cutlet and three ribs on my plate.

"What would you like me to do with this?"

"You eat it."

"I cannot eat that much!" the pork cutlet was as big as Audr.

"Wulfric just told me you've lost weight" he said crouching at my level.

"Oh, really?" I smiled. That's good "Tell Wulfric: thank you very much."

"Thanks! It's like insinuate that I don't feed you well."

"That's nonsense" I laughed "I eat very well!" I yelled to the other table.

"You eat it" and he left.

"I'm losing weight because all I do is going to and fro, always his fault" I told Jora "he gets me on my nerves."

"It's one of those few things for which they, men are good for: worry us" I agreed "Although if we see how beautiful you are now this days, even when you've lost weight, nobody will deny that Eric does more than to get you mad."

"Oh, you know it very well" I winked and we laughed flirty. We turned at once and look at the men's table. Helgi told Eric that we were looking at him and very likely talking about him.

It was fortunate that I ate the pork cutlet with bread and a half roasted onion because I drank a little too much mead. I totally blew Eric off when he tried to give me with a pair of baked apples, asking if he was trying to pig me out as he did with his animals. He sulked, but he gave me a big kiss and returned to his seat.

The voices were rising as the food and desserts were running out and the beer was being consumed. The women stood up and pushed the table aside, making room for the musicians.

"Father told me to ask you out to dance" Leif said.

"Oh, how lucky I am" Leif smiled at me, I took his hand and got ready for the first dance of the night.

Leif, like his father, was a good dancer. I felt Eric's gaze occasionally, watching me, or maybe checking up on me, so I tried to show off the most. Young Erik and Audr joined us and we danced a dilapidated dance among the four of us. After a bit of talk, Eric came for me. He brought a sweet drink; I think it was made from honey and apple, and it was scrumptious.

"Slowly or you're gonna keel over out here."

"You'll catch me" I said.

"I may take advantage" I laughed softly. He turned me around and we danced with Audr waving the ribbons I had done for her birthday, all around us. We danced at least an hour, stopping occasionally to drink something cool. We laughed, we span around, we moved, we stumble, we hugged and finally, Eric grabbed my hand and dragged me through the crowd, I giggle I was having too much fun. We went camouflaging until we got to a door and stood beside it. Eric glanced over people (with due to his height he could do), opened the door and went through it giggling. As he closed, Eric slammed me against it; we were laughing, kissing, touching and ruffling each other hair. We fought a few seconds with the clothes of the other; I lifted his robe and untied the lace pants, he kissed me, I gave him a lick and he turned me around, leaving me facing the door. He lifted my skirts and nipped my neck, licking it.

"You got me crazy, crazy" He whispered as he entered me. I groaned and grabbed the door frame. First he grabbed my hair, and then he cupped my breasts and finally grabbed me by the waist. He moaned very high and turned me around. I climbed to his waist and he grabbed my buttocks, I rested my forehead against his, breathing down in his face. It smelled of honey and baked apple. I remembered the vampire, because this Eric was true that was human, but he was also very strong and able to stand on edge while doing it. However, after a while, I placed one leg on the ground, to ease him from the effort, though he kept holding me with his other hand. I pulled his hair when we came and he responded squeezing my hips. I caught my breath listening to the drum that was Eric's heart pounding in his chest.

"Eric, Eric."

"What's up?"

"Look, turn around."

"What...?" I hugged him and laughed, he also began to laugh. I kissed his temple and we both burst out laughing. A huge bed presided over the room. The very same bed in which I had awakened when I got here.

When we returned to the dance I rejoiced seeing Dalla biting her nails. So the rest of the evening was wonderful. Eric woke up very affectionate. I tried to shake him off but it's like trying to avoid a bear hug. The kids were still asleep in their beds and the light coming through the windows.

"Leave me alone, Eric" I had a dreadful hangover, my neck and kidneys hurt, was a bit a cold, my stomach was upset and I was very sleepy. He snogged my shoulder and got into my knickers. I protested against the pillow growling.

"I really missed in the forest, Sookie."

"Do not raise your voice."

"Okay, don't talk, lets fuck"

"Shist! I've told you so; I cannot feel comfortable making love with the children down stairs. And I don't feel well; I think I got sick with the dinner."

"I will be very quiet. And you don't feel well because you drank too much you. Vikings shouldn't drink till get drunk; it's in our code of honor."

"Who would have thought it?" he stroked my hair and kissed my cheek "And what about lust your code?"

"Nor should we pay much attention" I let out a smile and then protested that the head and stomach were killing me. "I'll make a brew for hangovers."

"Forget the concoctions and let me sleep" he slapped me in the ass and stood up, I guess to take care of the animals.

I got up almost lunchtime; Eric had been cleaning the salmons, smoking them and preserving them. So I picked the fish waste and got ready to cook a broth with them (I have to optimize the use of the fish and keep on ice everything I could). The head was a little better, but the rest was the same. I strain tee broth with a fabric and cleaned the fish, leaving it usable in a bowl, added a bit of stale bread to the mixture and made a fish and bread soup. I wanted to take a nap but Helga and Halvar came to tell us that we should go to their house, all dressed to the nines, when the sun went down for an official visit.

"Why do you think we've been asked to go to their house?" I asked Eric, while sweeping the floor. The children were doing their homework on the table. And Eric was stuffing a pillow with feathers of various birds.

"I don't know."

"Do you think it will be for what happened these days?

"What? No" He began to shake the pillow and let it perfect "may be a couple wanting to get married; families need the consent of my father. May also be for any fight that have been, was someone the other night?

"I saw nothing. But I went to bed early" I had my tongue dry "What are you doing, Eric?" I asked curious when I saw him throw hay on the floor of our little cottage, right where we bathed behind the curtain.

"I'm changing the bed site. If the children don't see us would you lie with me when it pleases to me?"

"No, but if you change the bed to a more private place I'll lie with you when it pleases to me" jogged towards him and kissed his cheek "and it pleases to me really often" I whispered in his ear and his lips drew a smirk.