There it was in the distance. Her home. And there behind those doors was her husband.

Namitha quickened her pace to the point she ran. Adding more to those three days was a nid* in and of itself. She could not afford to lose one more second.

She stumbled on the steps and banged on the door with desperate fervour.

"Luffy!"

The heavy rains drowned her voice so she screamed as hard as she could.

"Luffy, plea-"

The door swung open and Namitha hurried in. The cloak was hanged and by her soaked appearance, it did not do much good; owing to the fact that she had not secured it properly since she was in such a hurry and as a result, was left dripping wet and cold.

Lufner said nothing but stared and watched Namitha sit to take her shoes off. Her nimble fingers quivered and her frustration made the easy task seem like the hardest thing she had ever done.

Lufner went before her and with care, he slowly removed her muddied shoes and Namitha wished he could say something. His silence was torture.

"Luffy... I-"

In her hands, Lufner blew air to warm her skin. It sent tingles all about her and Namitha's eyes softened when he rubbed her hands together with his.

"Why?" she said.

Lufner looked at her and she held his gaze. There was a look in his eye she had never seen but before she could reach out to touch him, he moved away and left.

"Wait here."

After some time, and constant back and forth, he had filled the tub with warm water and helped her undress from her damp and sullied clothing. Mud had devoured her hem and she was shivering from her head to her toe.

In the water, she warmed up and glanced up to see Lufner take her garments away. On a nearby stool were her white linen tunic and cloth.

Though it was awfully kind of him, she did not know why he was doing all this. She did not deserve it.

Before he left her, she stopped him.

"I want to tell you that I am sorry."

"Don't worry about it. You are home now. How is your mother?"

"Luffy..."

Any other person would have taken the exoneration and be pleased with it but all it did was make the guilt bear on Namitha's bones even more.

"I'm really sorry."

Lufner came close and kissed her forehead.

And before she could dare to capture his lips, he pulled away and looked at her from a distance she could not reach.

"Don't worry about it."

"Why don't you join me?"

"I had a bath earlier. I do not need to take another. Hungry?"

"I don't like this."

"Is the water too hot?"

"You know what I mean, Luffy."

She waited for an answer which never came. He could lie but he was terrible at it.

"You're upset. And although you are not showing it, I know. And I understand. You have every right to be."

"Upset? I have only taken care of you since your return. I am being a good husband like I ought to be."

Namitha glared.

"That's not fair."

"Nothing is."

That's when he left and Namitha was too upset to cry.

They have had their share of spats and disagreements but it had never been anything like this. But one thing for sure is that where Namitha always found herself being right, on rare occasions like this, she was the one in the wrong and she had not a clue as to how to make things right again.

She sighed and finished up, diligently dried her skin and slipped on her dress and while running her fingers and toweling through her damp hair, her eyes burned holes in the floor.

Going to bed hoping that sleep would find her and help her forget was the only thing left to do at the moment.

Then her forlornity turned into anger. If Lufner would just give her time to explain, she could redeem herself. But by the looks of it, he could not stand being in the same room as her, let alone near her. Her marriage was falling apart before her eyes and it was Lufner's fault for being so, so...

She stopped and went back to blaming herself and she threw her towel to the floor. A tightness gripped her throat to the point it was suffocating. She wanted to cry but it would not fix things. If it did, her mother would have been better by now and she would not have been in this situation where her beloved husband hated her to the core.

Without warning, Namitha was lifted off the floor.

It was Lufner's doing.

"Put me down."

She tried fighting him but stopped when he laughed. His smile bewitched her and put an end to her struggle. All she could do was look at him.

"We're not done yet."

"With what?"

"Your punishment."

Namitha blinked and he carried her to the fireplace where she was made to sit on the bear fur rug. He in turn sat behind her.

"If you go to sleep like that, you'll catch a cold."

There was a tugging at her temple which Namitha discovered was Lufner combing her hair from the ends to the roots just like she always did.

Her face warmed.

"You do not have to be so nice to me."

"But I want to be nice to you. You are my wife."

"What kind of wife abandons her husband?"

"You did not abandon me."

"I did. I should have come home when I said I would. You were left without a word or explanation and now I don't know how to regain your trust or your forgiveness."

"I forgive you."

"Do you really?"

Lufner finished her hair and took her in his arms so she leaned back on his chest enough for her to look into his eyes."

"I forgive you."

That was not enough to satisfy her and Lufner sighed and dropped the act altogether.

"Did you miss me? Even once?"

"You were all I thought about."

"Yet you did not come home to me."

"Lufner... Luffy, I lost track of time. It is my mother we are talking about. I had to see her."

"Usoff said he filled your mind with ideas..."

"Don't blame Usoff, please. He only meant well."

"I know." He hoisted her up and placed his head on her shoulder. "I know.

"The next time you go see Belhild, take me along. I wanted to come but because of what Usoff said... I did not like that you did not want me around, Nami."

"That is not what I meant. I did not want you to worry about me."

"It hurt."

Namitha's eyes hooded and her brows furrowed. She touched his arm and leaned her head on his.

"Your mother is important to you so that makes her important to me. I should be allowed to see her."

"Of course."

"Those days without you were the longest days of my life. I don't want to know what it is like to live without you."

Truth be told, those three days were his limit and if it was not for the rain, he would have gone that very night to retrieve her from her father's home by will or by force. It was not a kind thing to do but it was how he felt.

"You deprived me of your touch, your laughter and your smiles. All I did was think of you."

Lufner's lips ghosted across Namitha's neck and she lifted her hand and ran fingers through his hair.

"I-"Namitha began but Lufner stopped her.

"Shh... Do you understand now why you're being punished?"

She nodded and tried bringing his lips to meet hers but there was resistance on his part.

By then, Namitha's hair was dry thanks to the heat from the fire but she groaned in frustration for the last punishment she was to receive was the worst of them all.

Lufner would not kiss her.

"For the love of Odin, Lufner, kiss me."

He did not comply. And Namitha felt the weight of her actions.

"Toss me out into the cold and the rain if you have to. Put me to sleep amongst the animals if you have to but please, please don't refuse me your caresses. Please."

All she needed was one kiss to prove that he still had space for her in his heart. Just one.

"Please."

He released her and she flung her arms around him. Never had she been so scared. Here he was and at the same time, he felt so far away.

Had she lost him forever? She would do anything to have him back again.

Then she felt it. A kiss to her hair. She pulled away and received another on one cheek then the next and the other went past her lips to the skin immediately below her jaw.

"Have you learned your lesson?"

"Yes. It will not happen again. Never again."

Namitha's heart sped at euphoric speed and she waited as Lufner inched closer and closer till he had her lips. She had asked for only one but they both knew that that was not enough.

Lufner's kisses were filled with need as were Namitha's. The fire being their only witness blushed red.

At one instance, Lufner was flat on his back with Namitha on top of him. The next, Namitha was flat on hers, eyes clouded and releasing soft moans while Lufner kissed her neck; one hand in her hair and the other left her waist to hold her exposed thigh.

Suddenly, Namitha gasped and sat up.

"What's wrong?"

"We cannot go any further."

"Why?"

Namitha coloured and she cursed herself for having almost forgotten. It was no wonder she had been so irritable of late.

"You don't want to?"

"It is not that. My period of sickness is coming up."

"What do you mean sickness?"

"Women tend to bleed every month."

"Oh. I have heard about it. Will you be okay?"

"I should be fine." Namitha gave Lufner a shy glance. "Do you know why it happens?"

"Isn't it a curse?"

"No. It helps us to conceive. So it is more of a blessing."

"So why does it make you sick?"

"It is the price we pay for something beautiful. And that is the ability to bring life into the world."

"Oh."

"Women are more fertile around this time and I do not want to risk getting pregnant."

Namitha's breasts had grown tender, the slight pain she had been ignoring for days and the strong need to copulate were all signs she was immensely fertile. She owed the fight through the torrents to see him tonight to guilt but that she discovered only now was half the reason. Her body had moved on its own and led her to the slaughterhouse.

"What is wrong if you get pregnant? Is it not what we want?"

"Yes. But not now."

Lufner to Namitha's dismay still looked confused.

"Baring a child is a wonderful thing but for now it will get in the way."

"Of what?"

"Don't you want me to come with you on your adventures?"

"I do."

"You cannot bring your pregnant wife along."

"Why not?"

"Luffy... It is dangerous. Any fall or tumble or anything remotely close can cause harm to the baby and I will end up losing it."

"Losing it as in...?"

"Yes. As much as I want to go with you, I will not put our child at risk."

"But I want you with me."

"Well, it is simple. None of this." Namitha removed Lufner's hand from her thigh and pulled her skirt back down.

She had not once refused him and was curious to see how he was going to react.

"You understand, don't you Lufner?"

Her husband nodded with a serious look on his face. It was a lot to consider.

"Can I just kiss you then?"

Namitha smiled and grinned showing her teeth. And she brought him close with arms around his neck and pecked his lips.

"Of course."

"But..."

"But?"

"I really want you too."

Namitha's face grew scarlet.

"Is there a way around it?"

The feelings were mutual but Namitha hesitated.

Belhild had mentioned one way but she did not know if she could trust Lufner and his timing.

"Yes. There is."

Lufner smiled awaiting instruction.

"Just do as I say."

"Okay."

"I'm serious, Luffy."

"I said okay."

Her frown curved up and they kissed but Lufner pulled quickly away hearing a low growling sound.

"What was that?"

He looked around and back down at his wife to find her hands covering her face.

"Oh. You're hungry." He laughed. "Why did you not say so?"

Namitha snorted and laughed out loud and Lufner joined in.

He had made a modest soup for dinner which was surprisingly good. It was unusual for him to leave leftovers but it was in hopes to surprise his wife in the event she decided to return home. He did not mention it but Namitha knew and she appreciated the gesture greatly.

His wife had underestimated him during the early days. Despite being a man, Lufner was an independent man who lived on his own with no memory of a mother who cooked him dishes.

He was a fast learner and with the knowledge gained over the years eating at neighbours' homes and having Sangard as a friend and -she believed- their time cooking together, he ended up making a decent meat stew. It pleased Lufner to see Namitha clean her bowl to the point she tipped it to her lips. The scraping sound of her spoon was music to his ears. He also had some and it tasted a whole lot better now that he had her company.

It was great to have his wife back.

"Now?"

"Now."

To be continued...

Author's Note:

*Nid to the Norsemen is what Christianity refers to as sin. It also means a great act of betrayal or dishonour.

That sentence from the last chapter which made mention of how Genzic became Jarl being a mystery, was a result of lazy writing. I apologise and have made the necessary changes.

Anyone else thinks this story is moving a tad bit slow? Hurry up to the adventure already! Geez.