With the spell completed, Dahlia stared into the waters of the basin as she washed the blood off her hands. The dim candle light turned the clear waters into a dark pit. Lazily raising her gaze, she found window half open.
The festivities went on undisturbed on the square outside. From their little hut, Dahlia could only see part of the Great Square, far away. Still, the distance from the party did little to diminish the sound of drunken laughter. To say nothing of the smell of ale and the terrible songs, the pagans insisted on singing.
The young witch muttered an ancient curse under her breath and dried her hands. As Dahlia reached for the window, intending to close herself off from the barbaric and strange world of the Vikings, a familiar face caught her eye.
Kolga, Mikael's adoptive older sister, was strolling through the streets, her arm wrapped around the waist of a young red-haired woman. Even though they were too far away for Dahlia to hear them, the witch could swear she could feel in her bones as the women giggled and smiled at each other. She watched as the shield-maiden pulled the woman closer. Kolga threw her head back, forcing her hair away from her face, before pressing her forehead against her companion's. Kolga soon pressed her lips against the young woman's neck and then whispered something in her ear. The woman laughed and, beaming, took Kolga's face into her hands. Their noses danced around each other, as though they were blind blades fighting in a childish play until, at least, their mouths met.
For what seemed like a million years, Dahlia's eyes were fixed on the two women. The young witch had never seen such a thing, such passion and beauty. It left her breathless. She remembered seeing a farm boy and some girl kissing once in their village. But the sensation then was different. At the time, Dahlia was simply annoyed with them for blocking her passage. Now, however, she could feel her heart drumming in her chest. As though the scene in front of her was both her sin and her salvation; the forbidden bliss only Heavens and its angels could experience.
Before her mind could run to jealousy and bitterness, a loud scream—which she assumed was part of another annoying pagan song—filled the night's air, pulling Dahlia out of her dazzled state. Flustered, and with her poor heart still threating to jump out of her chest, Dahlia jolted, violently closing the window. Breathing heavily, she lowered her gaze to the dark water, trying to destroy the images from her mind and purge her feelings from her heart. With a sharp sigh, she raised her chin, her eyes meeting a small mirror on the wall.
I'm not as alive as they are. The thought burned her tired mind as she passed her hands over the dark circles underneath her eyes. I'm too dark and plain for her, she concluded bitterly, wrapping her fingers around her curly dark hair. I look nothing like Esther and Mother. She bit her tongue, and the mirror cracked under her gaze.
"The food's ready!" Esther called, pulling Dahlia away from her spiraling thoughts.
With unsteady steps, Dahlia turned to face her sister. Esther had just finished setting the table near the fire and was now arranging the plates and giving the last touches to their small fest. Dahlia watched in awe as Esther lit candles and went as far as getting a vase with flowers to ornate the center of their table.
"Come, Daly!" Esther called, with a tentative smile, as her sister stared blankly at the food. "I cooked all your favorites." She added, titling her head to the side, hoping to catch Dahlia's gaze. "Every dish mother used to make us in our name days when we were children." Her promises of sweet and tasteful memories won her sister over.
"You truly should not have bothered, dear sister." Dahlia cleared her throat, sitting down in front of Esther. For as cold as her heart had become, Dahlia could not help but smile back to her sister.
"Nonsense!" Esther said, shrugging as she served Dahlia, throwing a bit of everything on her sister's plate. "Tonight is a night for celebrations, dear sister." She smiled brightly as she sat down once again. "Outside the Vikings celebrate their victories, but in here we shall celebrate your birth!" She added, her voice filled with a childish determination.
Dahlia chuckled at her sister's sweet naivety and took the food to her mouth. The familiar smell fooled her mind, and her thoughts soon fell upon her childhood memories. For a marvelous moment, it vanquished her troubles and rage. All she could feel was the dear warmth of happier days. Yet, no matter how much she tried to pretend, the taste was simply not the same. Nothing would ever be the same as it was in those beautiful days. Still, as Dahlia watched her little sister smile and pour more water for them, she was sure she could ignore minor differences in the cooking. After all, Esther had worked so hard to make such a supper for them; she had done everything just as their mother used to. Yes, everything, except...
"What is this?" Dahlia blurted out. Frowning, she took a strange piece of bread from her plate and began studying it. "Mother never made such a thing for us."
"No." Esther confessed, her eyes lighting up with a dreamlike light, while she contorted her mouth into a tense line. "This is Osyrat Kornbröd." she declared, raising her chin, barely able to stop herself from smiling. Sweet memories flooded her mind. "It's barley flatbread. Mikael taught me how to make it." A half smile finally creeping on her lips as her fingers curled a lock of her hair.
"Isn't it delicious, sister?" Esther sighed, taking a piece of bread to her lips. Her memories of him warmed her chest, but a quiet rage burned in her heart as Esther cursed Mikael for leaving her with only a few memories. She knew he was not dead, of course, and her a bit of comfort. But she hated him, more and more each day; though, most of all, she hated the voice screaming from within her, telling her how she missed him. It was not the first time she heard such a voice; still, it had become more vicious than she remembered. Strange and evil thoughts creeped into her mind more and more, and it scared her.
"Is it not enough that we perform spells for them all day," Dahlia's enraged voice pulled Esther from her sweet memories. "Must we eat their wretched food as well?" Dahlia muttered under her breath.
Ether raised her eyes. The taste of the bread still drowned her senses with images of Mikael. She never understood where such animosity came from. And if there ever came a day in which life forced Dahlia to be truthful to herself, she would have to admit that she too had no clue where her rage came from. Still, it was not the first or the last time it had happened.
"We are to desecrate our mother's memory, are we now?" Dahlia barked, throwing the bread on the table. "You wish to taint every bit of our lives with their barbarity?" She spited the words, slamming her fists against the table.
"Sister!" Esther cried, flinching at Dahlia's sudden outburst of rage. "It's hardly that--it-it's simply a bit different..."
"It's ruined!" Dahlia jumped up, throwing the remains of her plate into the fire. In her rage, she conjured her magic and her furious gaze putrefied all food left on their table.
"Dahlia!" Esther got up with half a mind of trying to salvage some food she made, but quickly decided against it as her sister's gaze fell upon her. "I know it's not perfect, b-but you mustn't—. " she stuttered helplessly as her voice died out.
"Not perfect?" Dahlia scoffed. "What do you think our mother would think of this, Esther?" her voice echoed, stealing the air from their hut. "You cooking this-this-this wretched food of beasts!" she waved her hand into the air, breaking the vase her sister had arranged and burning the flowers within it. "Forgetting our culture...soon you will be no better than those monsters outside!"
"Daly, please..." Esther pleaded, stepping back. "Its just bread, I—," she whispered, her voice creaking as her sister's gaze pierced through her soul. "I never meant to offend you, or our mother."
"But you have!" Dahlia stared at their table. The smell of the putrefied food made her nauseous. "You have ruined everything..." she whispered, putting out the fire which consumed the flowers with a flick of her hand.
"Go to your room." She ordered, cleaning the rebellious tears that escaped her eyes. "Now, you silly girl!" Dahlia screamed, her voice shaking the pillars of their hut and making her sister flinch.
Blinking madly as tears creeped into her eyes, Esther bit her tongue. A scream came and died in her throat. With trembling hands, she marched away from her sister, walking towards the door to the back room of their hut. "Not all of them are monsters." she muttered as her hand reached the door handle.
"Run." The vicious voice yelled from within Esther's mind. Before she could get a hold of herself, the young witch had already stormed out of her prison. The night's air greeted her lung with a passionate kiss.
"Esther!" Dahlia called as her sister disappeared through the door. She made a move to follow Esther, but the sight of the man on her doorstep stopped her.
Both sisters could hear their hearts drumming maniacally in their chest. Their lips trembled as they welcomed what fate had in stored for them. The night had just began.
A/N: Ok, so it took me forever to finish this. I rewrote it like five times and I'm still not all that happy with it, but at least now we can move on with the story. The next few chapters are gonna be fun, I'm excited for them. Anyway, thanks so much for reading. If you liked this please consider leaving your thoughts, I'd love to hear them :)
Ps: I'm trying a new thing with the gif. Not sure if it works. Opinions?