Good Morning, Smár Einn!

Real quick: ð is the letter "Eth" and makes the "eth" sound (like Seth) and Þ is the letter "Thorn" and makes the harder "th" sound, like in "through". For transliterating, "ð" often becomes "D" and "Þ" becomes "th".

Thank you to Mel and Jill!

.: Þrír Tigir :.

I am warm when I stir awake. Parts of my dress are damp from where it pressed against the dewy grass, but most of me is dry, kept comfortable by borrowed body heat.

I can feel him around me; his arm under my head, his hand on my back, his chest against my face. I can feel his lungs expanding with gentle breaths, feel the scratchy wool of his tunic under my palms. I've never felt so peaceful, and I never want it to end.

Edvard doesn't make any sort of sound that he's awake, but soon, his hand is coming up, rubbing gently across my back and making my skin break out into gooseflesh.

I tilt my head up, meeting his warm green gaze. "Good morning," I whisper. One corner of his mouth tilts up.

"Good morning, Smár Einn." His voice is low and rich with sleep, and I curl into him deeper. I fear what might happen when we finally get up for the day, and I want to delay it as much as possible.

I get stuck in his gaze, staring into those evergreen eyes. They are so expressive, and the language barrier that still hinders us at times melts away. The longer we look into each other's eyes, the more of him I truly see. He's baring more than words to me; I can see his soul.

For some reason, it brings tears to my eyes.

This is easily the most intimate thing I've ever done, and when his fingers come up to wipe my tears, I don't blink or look away. I stay there, trapped in his eyes, seeing things I don't know how to name and feeling them in ways I don't understand.

For a very small moment, we feel infinite.

Then work around the farm shuffles to life, and Josurr emerges from the main house, calling out to us and breaking us out of our trance. Edvard lets out a long breath, squeezing me gently, before lying flat on his back. I tuck my head into the side of his chest, trying to regain my own breath.

"We must get up," Edvard says softly. "We have a very busy day today."

Tears well in my eyes again.

"When can I come back?" I whisper, my throat tight.

Edvard reaches for me, tugging my head from his side.

"This is not an end," he tells me, his voice thick. "This is how we will begin."

I want to tell him we've already begun, that in my mind, we are already on our path, but I know he's right. We will never be more than now if I don't join his society properly.

So instead of curling into him tighter, I pull myself away.

I'm cold when he lets me go.

We sit up, gathering ourselves, and I climb to my feet quickly. I'm about to head away from him to start my day when his fingers gently catch my wrist. I look back at him in surprise. He is on his feet in a moment, and he turns me, pulling me into a deep kiss.

I feel my knees buckle under me as I cling to him.

"Elskask þu, Smár Einn. Þu eiga meg."

I gaze up at him, unsure of what he's said, but my heart rattles from the passion of his words.

Before I can say anything to him, he kisses me on the forehead and then gently lets me go, turning to stalk off toward the house.

I'm left breathless and dizzy, my heart frantic in my chest as I watch him leave.

…

To my surprise, the family all comes with me down the mountain. I expected perhaps only Edvard, but everyone, including the children, has come.

It takes us a long time in a group this large to travel down, and I try to treasure the last moments I have with them all.

I didn't get enough time, and now, who knows how long it will be until I can be like this with them again.

I'm fighting tears again by the time we reach the home of Tove and her husband Egil. Sigurð, Tove's mother, is holding the tiny baby, who they tell us has been named Halvard. My heart swells when I see the infant, and I sit in the memory of his birth for a moment, my eyes growing misty.

Then Egil is speaking, and I force myself to pay attention.

"Welcome, friends," Egil says, motioning us inside his home. It's crowded with us all in there, but it also feels cozy and intimate.

Egil and Edvard sit at the table, and soon Josurr and Arni are joining them. I hesitate, not sure where to go, when Eydís grabs my arm, pulling me away from the table.

"Edvard will give you gold," she says in a rushed whisper. "It is the gold you have earned in your work with our family. You will count out the correct amount and pay him the price of your freedom." She glances at the table where the men are speaking. "It won't be enough, but Egil has agreed to pay the rest," she explains. I look at her. "Egil is sponsoring your freedom. In return, you will join his house and help his wife and child until you yourself are married." At this, her glance cuts to her son who is sitting and listening to Egil speak at the table. She looks back at me. "You will be expected to speak these words," she tells me, tugging my arm again to make me focus on her. She utters a sentence, and some of the words are familiar to me, though many are not. I try to repeat it to her, and she shakes her head, saying it once more. I practice the words, trying to sort out what they mean. From my general knowledge of their language, I gather that I am speaking to Edvard about buying my freedom.

It makes my stomach churn with anger, but I take a breath and push past it. This isn't my world; at least, it's not the world as I once knew it. It doesn't make slavery okay, but it does mean I need to have a somewhat open mind to what it might mean in this culture.

At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

I take a deep breath and nod to Eydís when I'm ready.

There are a lot of words I've never heard before being used, and I take it to mean there is something ceremonial happening. I watch as Edvard produces a small scale, securing a weight on one end. When he is set up, he looks at me.

"Bella," he says, motioning me forward. I take a deep breath and step toward the table. Edvard pulls a slim gold bracelet from his pocket and holds it out to me. "Your wages, for your service in my household."

Based on the hisses of surprise from people around the room, I wonder if he's given me more than he was supposed to.

I take the circlet, and it's heavy and warm in my hands. I take a deep breath, my fingers running over the gold as I speak the words Eydís instructed me to say. I don't know the exact meaning, but I know I am asking permission to buy my freedom. Egil steps forward then, offering his own gold and a place in his home as his sister.

Edvard accepts the terms and motions for me to place the gold on the scale. I set the bracelet on the scale, but it's too much gold and the scale tips heavily. I look up at him anxiously and Edvard smiles a little, pulling a knife from his belt. He carefully cuts chunks of the metal off, and I'm surprised at how quickly he's able to do it. When he's pulled enough off, he sets them on the scale then hands me the bracelet back. It's still almost half a circle, and he's bent it to better fit my wrist. I settle it on my wrist, surprised to see it fits quite well.

When the gold is weighed and measured, Edvard approves it and stands.

"Bella Egildottir, you are a free woman of our village."

There is a small cheer around the room, and then Tove is rushing forward, pulling me into her arms. She kisses my cheeks, a smile on her beautiful face.

"Welcome, sister," she whispers. I cannot help smiling back at her.

I'm welcomed and embraced by my new family before turning to Edvard and his family. I want to hug them too, but I don't know if I'm allowed to anymore.

Rúna is the first to move, pushing her way across the room and sweeping me into a powerful hug. "Congratulations, sister," she whispers, kissing my cheek. I blush a little. It means something a little different when she says it to me.

"A drink," Egil calls, and instinctively I move to help Sigurð and Eydís. Sigurð smiles at me as I offer them help, and I'm warmed slightly, feeling like I might be earning her approval.

"Eydís?" I ask as Sigurð fetches a large flask of honey wine. Eydís looks at me. "Have I just become Egil's daughter?"

Her lips twitch into a slight smile, and she shakes her head.

"Egil is Egil Egilson son of Egil Sturluson," she explains. I have an almost impossible time following her. "You take the name of Egil's father as Egil has taken of it himself."

I nod slowly, and when Sigurð comes back with the wine, I decide to push my questions to the back of my mind. There is time to figure it all out.

We pour the wine, sharing it around to the small group we've assembled.

"Traditionally, we would host a feast for your new life," Egil says, holding up his drink. "But Edvard and I have agreed to wait." He pauses, looking to Edvard. I turn to look at him as well, and Edvard clears his throat.

"We have decided to wait because in nine days, we sail to Ísland to make a new life. There, we will celebrate and you will have the opportunity to meet potential suitors." Edvard's words are delivered with one of his intense, smoldering gazes that burns right through me.

It's totally pointless. I don't want anyone else, but I'm not sure I'm allowed to say that, so instead I nod.

"We're all going?" I ask, looking to Egil and Tove. Egil nods his head toward me.

"Yes. Long have our families been friends. We continue that friendship into these new lands where we will surely prosper together."

Arni and Josurr cheer together, and I look at Edvard. Nine days until I see him again.

Nine days until I can ask him to marry me.

My stomach clenches at the thought of having to wait, but in my heart, I know it's not only possible, it's mandatory. I will wait as long as I have to to be with him, so long as I get him in the end.

A quick note, for those of you who have read freeing ceremonies in other stories, there were several ways a thrall could be freed. It all depended on where (regionally) the ceremony was taking place. Though I've written one type of ceremony, there were a few others that involved different aspects. I've also taken slight creative liberty (usually there would be more members of the village involved) in order to expedite the storyline.