AN: I don't really have a note today. Just Happy Day 3!
Kirstte paused inside her door, ears perked to the conversation going on in the hallway. "I don't understand," Toral said, "If it is supposed to represent a mother's love for her son, why do so many people kiss like..." he trailed off.
"Like a prostitute at a cheap brothel?" Njada offered. Kirstte bit her lip to keep from laughing. She heard Njada sigh. "It's because people are obnoxious," she said. "And some of them don't know how to do things with respect. Take the Harbinger for instance." Kirstte stiffened. She knew Njada did not like her much, but she thought she was respectful. "Last year was the first time she ever celebrated Jól. And though Farkas is an idiot, he managed to explain it to her. Both years she did a good job honoring the mistletoe celebration like it should be. Pecks on the hand or cheek for friends and acquaintances. Sometimes on the temple or forehead. Pecks on the lips for closer friends. She barely even kissed Vilkas and I hate to think what they get up to when nobody's around." Kirstte rolled her eyes, she suspected Njada would be surprised to find out that she and Vilkas had not done much.
Toral hummed. "And then there's that bard, Mikael. He uses it as an excuse to try and shove his tongue down the throat of every woman he sees. He would be a bad example, right?"
Njada snorted. "Mikael is a bad example of everything, including being a bard. C'mon, let's get breakfast and I'll explain today's tradition." Kirstte waited several minutes and then stepped into the hall, blinking in surprise when she almost ran into Romularan. He smirked at her, eyes flickering towards where Njada and Toral were at the bottom of the stairs bickering. She pursed her lips as she felt the blush crawl up her cheeks.
"Your secret is safe with me, Harbinger," he murmured. "As I know mine is with you." He had nearly managed to best Vilkas in the duel the day before and after his induction they had adjourned to the Underforge where Aela confirmed his status as a werewolf. He was a quiet man, but was obviously capable and Aela was more than willing to petition for his entrance to the group.
"Have you celebrated Jól before?" she asked him, falling into step next to him as they walked to the stairs.
He shook his head. "I have not. Aela explained several of the traditions to me. It sounds like while it is primarily a Nord festivity, all the Companions participate. Correct?" She nodded and he frowned, looking over the group gathered around the table for breakfast. "I can see the attraction. Perhaps, though, you should consider introducing traditions from some of the other races. Especially as the Companions diversify." He dipped his head to her and went to join Aela. Lucia came skipping over and jumped at Kirstte who managed to catch her and keep her balance.
"Can Sofie and I go with you to get the Jól log today? Please, please, please, please?" Vilkas followed the young girl over, tugging gently at her hair.
"It's not our turn to get the Jól log this year, Lucia," he explained. "The Companions found it last year and this year the Battle-Borns volunteered to get it." Her face dropped and he chucked her under the chin. "If you and Sofie get dressed really fast though, we'll go see if you can go with them. I'm sure Lars would like the company." She squirmed her way out of Kirstte's arms and bolted across the room, grabbing Sofie and dragging her into the bedroom.
"You do realize you'll have to go with them," Kirstte said, grinning.
He shrugged, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her in for a quick kiss. "I'm going to take Anders too since Sofie seems the most comfortable with him. I haven't had a chance to talk to him much since they got back." Kirstte nodded, nudging him with her hip. "Do you want to come too?"
She sighed. "Normally I would love to, but there is a stack of letters that I've been ignoring for a week and if I don't respond to them soon, I'm going to have some angry people to deal with." He frowned and kissed her on the forehead. "The work of a Harbinger is never done," she grinned. "Now go, you have fun." He squeezed her one last time then went to collect Anders and the girls before they headed outside. Kirstte made her way to the table and filled up a plate, grinning at Farkas. "How is she?"
"Danica told her she had to stay in bed until the baby comes," he muttered and Kirstte flinched. She suspect that did not go over well with Lydia. He dropped his head in his hands and groaned.
"I have a bunch of correspondence to go through today," she said. "How about I take it in and spend some time with Lydia while I do. Give you a little bit of a break?" He looked up at her so relieved that her heart went out to him. "Go on. Enjoy the market. Or just the outside. I'll keep her company."
"Thank you, Harbinger. You don't have to tell me twice." She wrinkled her nose at the title, but did not stop him as he tugged on his boots and cloak and disappeared outside. She loaded another plate up with Lydia's favorites and managed to balance them to her room where she gathered her correspondence and stuffed it into her hip pouch. She nudged the door open to Farkas and Lydia's room, smiling at the other woman.
"So sick of me that he foisted me off on you, did he?" Lydia griped, crossing her arms and looking at the wall.
"Don't be ridiculous," she responded, holding out the plate of goodies. Lydia took it picking through the offerings. "I have correspondence to go through, and I know how much Farkas loves Jól, so I told him to go enjoy." She set her plate down on the small end table and dragged a chair over. She at and propped her feet up on the bed, nudging Lydia with her toes. "Now, tell me what's really wrong."
Lydia groaned and leaned her head against the headboard, looking at Kirstte from the corner of her eyes. Kirstte arched an expectant brow as she started slicing up a pear to eat. Lydia sighed. "You're going to think I'm being a baby."
"Doubt it."
Lydia wrinkled her nose at the other woman. "It's not fair," she whined softly. "I love Jól just as much as Farkas and I'm stuck here in bed all day long! I didn't get to help with the tree and I missed all the mistletoe and I won't get to see the Jól log, or do any of it!" She crossed her arms and pouted. "This is the first Jól I've missed, ever. All because of this dumb baby." She patted her abdomen and then her face shifted. "I didn't mean that," she murmured to her stomach. "You're not dumb. I'm just ready for you to be out here, instead of in there." She sighed again. "Read me some correspondence. I need entertainment and I know you get some good ones."
"How about this," she offered, dusting her hands off and reaching into her pouch. "I know Danica said bed rest, but surely you can come upstairs and rest. We'll get the padded bench from Breezehome and you can recline on that. Then you can enjoy the festivities with the rest of us."
"You would do that for me?" Lydia swallowed and Kirstte could see tears in her eyes. "You are the best Thane!"
"I'm going to assume this is because of pregnancy hormones and remind you gently that I'm not your Thane any longer. Call me Harbinger. Or better yet, Kirstte. Now, I have a letter here from Jarl Siddgeir that feels pretty heavy and a letter from Ondolemar. Which one do you want me to read first and do you want to wager on what they are?" She held up both letters, waving them enticingly.
Lydia grinned and settled more comfortably in the bed. "We know the one from Siddgeir is another outlandish proposal. The real question is; what's he offering you this time?"
It was several hours later when Kirstte left the bedroom, after promising Lydia she would make sure they waited for her to light the Jól log. She arrived upstairs just as Vilkas, Farkas, Anders, and the girls came walking in. "Don't get settled," she said when Farkas started tugging off his gloves. He arched his brows at her. "I promised Lydia I'd have you move my cushioned bench up here so she can come upstairs and enjoy the festivities and still be resting." She handed the key to Vilkas. "Go on, you can help him." She grinned down at the girls. "Did you have fun today?"
"It was so much fun! Lars brought his sled and Jon pulled us all through the forest and then Lars fell off and Sofie laughed at him," Lucia chattered, grabbing the other girl's arm and hugging it. "Wasn't it fun Sofie?" Sofie nodded, a tiny smile on her face.
"Good! You two go see if Tilma needs any help before we go out for the Jól log ceremony." They scampered away and Kirstte smiled at Anders. "How was it?"
He tugged off his gloves and tucked them into his pack. "It was interesting," he murmured, glancing over where Lucia was keeping the conversation with Sofie going all on her own as they swept the floor. "I was glad to hear her laugh. Having her here, I think it may help her. I just wish I knew what happened."
Kirstte squeezed his arm. "We may never know," she cautioned him. "And she may never want to talk again, but at least she's here and seems happy." There was a loud knock on the door and she pulled it open, holding it for Farkas and Vilkas.
"This thing is heavier than it looks," Farkas grunted. He and Vilkas maneuvered through the room and set the bench up near the stairs. The seat was wider than most benches and the seat and back were cushioned; it was large enough that Kirstte was sure Lydia would be comfortable on it. Once it was situated, he motioned to the door. "They're about ready to start. I'll help Lydia upstairs and meet everybody out there."
Kirstte bundled into her winter wear and led the group out of the building, joining the crowd gathered around the tree. They watched as the families started removing their sections of the tree until it was just them and the Battle-Borns. Kirstte accepted the saw and with Vilkas's help cut a section of the tree off. He and Toral hauled it up to Eorlund before they all turned to her expectantly. Kirstte blinked and then stepped forward. "Sorry," she exhaled. "Forgot I have to go first." She studied the runes and then pointed, grinning at Vilkas as she accepted Ehwaz and pressed it into the top of the log. She watched as the others selected theirs, smiling gently when she realized Anders and Ria were explaining the runes to the girls. Lucia quickly selected Wunjo, tongue poking from her mouth as she pressed it into the log next to Ria's Dagaz. After some encouraging from the others Sofie stepped forward and chose hers, pressing it carefully to the log. It was not one Kirstte recognized and she glanced at Vilkas.
He waited until Anders and Ria had led the girls away and gave Kirstte a sad smile. "She chose Othala. It means home." Her heart squeezed and she looked after the young girl. Farkas selected two runes, one for himself and one for Lydia, and once he was done he nodded at Vilkas. The two hefted the log up and carried it to Jorrvaskr, setting it next to the fire pit that now held last year's log.
Kirstte pulled a chair up next to Lydia's bench. "Thank you again," Lydia said, shifting a little and leaning her head against the wall. The bench was sideways so she could stretch across it, back resting against the wall behind her. "This is much nicer. I may just sleep up here." Kirstte giggled and they both watched as Tilma lit the old log and then Vilkas and Farkas placed the new one on top. It caught fire quickly and Kirstte exhaled softly. Lydia looked at her sideways and she shrugged.
"It's my first Jól as Harbinger. If it didn't catch fire that can't be a good sign, right?" Lydia chuckled as Farkas and Vilkas joined them.
"What's so funny over here?" Farkas asked, settling down near Lydia's feet and placing them in his lap, rubbing at them absently.
"Nothing," Lydia answered. "I'm just happy to be up here in the festivities, instead of stuck by myself down in the room." She shrugged. "I won't get to do the activities outside, but at least I can spend time with everybody here." She rubbed her stomach. "And hopefully this baby gets here soon."
"He'll be here soon enough," Farkas assured her. He leaned back against the bench and smirked at Kirstte. "So, are you going to tell us what Siddgeir's latest proposal was, or will we have to guess?"
Kirstte stuck her tongue out at him, but settled in to tell the story as Vilkas pulled another chair up. She looked around the room, warmth filling her at the sight of the Companions enjoying Jól. She spotted Romularan deep in a discussion with Athis and promised to look into year-end celebrations for other cultures that night.