Part 6
Bella couldn't help but think that Rollo didn't fit in her bedroom, it was weird seeing him there and his presence made her blush. Not that her bedroom was overly girly, but it was girly enough that Rollo, a very masculin warrior from another time, seemed even more out of place standing in it, though he acted like he was perfectly at ease there, probably because he had been there before when she was either asleep or away. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a simple grey short sleeved shirt and a brown leather jacket that he took off and placed on her chair. His hair were longer than what Bella was used to in a man, but on him, it looked great and made him even more handsome. Bella thought that he was very handsome and she couldn't keep her eyes from looking at all of the tattoos she could see, blushing as she wondered if he had more and where they were.
Seeing him so close to her, now, she couldn't help but imagine him in a battlefield, with an ax or a sword in his hands, fighting the enemies. She was sure that he had been great at it and that he could still be just as good at fighting with such weapons, even though he obviously didn't need them anymore.
Placing the book she had opened on her bedside, she sat up and invited Rollo to sit, which he did, on her desk chair. They were now facing each other.
"So, thank you for saving my life from a crazy car, again." Bella told him, making him smile when she accentuated the 'again'.
"You never have to thank me for this, Bella."
"Why were you there by the way? Are you always around when I'm in school?" She asked him.
"No, not always. I trust Bjorn and Torvi to keep you safe most of the time but Floki told me that he had a bad feeling. Something bad the gods hadn't planned for was going to happen, he couldn't see what or to whom, just that it was a human close to us. I watched after you, Ragnar and Lagertha watched after your father while Floki and Helga watched after Billy. We weren't sure which one it would hit." Rollo replied honestly.
"What do you mean when you say that the gods hadn't planned on it?" Bella asked him, curious.
"Someone made sure the boy's car would get out of control. We're not sure who it is though, but we have our suspicions."
"How do you know?"
"The chains on his tires were brand new and yet they broke when he entered the parking lot. They think it was simply a defective product but we know better. Someone broke them, knowing it would hit your car. For someone with our mind, it's easy to calculate were the car would end up." Rollo told her, knowing that the truth would be best but that she'd be worried.
"Someone tried to get me killed on purpose?" Bella asked him, horrified.
"Don't worry, we'll find out who it is and stop them." Rollo reassured her and she knew that he was right, that she was safe.
"Do you have any idea on who it is?"
"We have a few enemies that could try to hurt you to get to us but most of them are too scared to try anything and they're all on the other side of the world. Then there's Edward."
"He really doesn't like you, that much is obvious." Bella nodded.
"I respect Carlisle and his family but Edward's gift has made him arrogant. He's frustrated that he can't read your mind and since you smell especially good to him, he considers your presence here as his personal purgatory. He did mention killing you a few times when I tried to help him get control. I thought he had finally come to reason but maybe he didn't. The gods warned Floki not to let our guard down around him." Rollo explained, deciding not to hide anything from her.
"But he said that he wanted to be my friend. Torvi even said that he acted like he wanted to be more, not that I'd be interested but still... Why would he pretend he wants to be my friend, or more, if he wants me dead?"
"Maybe to cover his tracks. He's gotten good at controlling what Alice sees of her visions and Jasper feels so many different emotions half the time that it's also easy to control what he feels coming from him, he just has to be careful when they're alone or with the rest of the family." He told her.
"I... Do you know if he was standing with his siblings when Tyler's chains were broken?"
"I wasn't paying attention, I was watching you. Bjorn and Torvi didn't pay attention to him either, they were talking with Emmett and Rosalie, planning a hunting trip together." Rollo smiled.
"Well, maybe I can pretend I don't suspect him and see what his next move will be." Bella suggested.
"You don't have to do that, if you don't feel safe around him, I'm sure we can convince Carlisle to send him away."
"I know that I'm safe. I'm not afraid, or worried." Bella assured him, making him smile.
"You're brave, Bella. You would have made a great shield maiden." he smiled fondly.
"According to all the books you've given me, that would require better coordination on my part." She chuckled.
"I'm sure you'd have been great."
"So, are you going to go back to hiding or am I going to see you more often now?" She decided to change the subject, not liking speaking about people trying to kill her that much.
"No point in staying away now, unless you want me to."
"No! I mean, I'd like to get to know you better."
"Good." He smiled.
"I... I'd also like to know what this prophecy is all about. All I know is that it was made a long time ago and it concerns me, and you. Can you tell me what it is?" She asked him.
"Are you sure that you're ready for this?"
"Yes, I am."
"Just know that no matter what this prophecy says, you have the power to decide what happens. No matter what it says we are, if all you want to be is friends, then we will be friends. Do you understand?" he asked her and, after she nodded, he told her about their fateful meeting with the seer, about his predictions and the choice Rollo had been asked to make.
He told her about Gisla, when they got married and he learned her language to tell her that as soon as they could go back on their land, he'd pretend he was dead and allow her to marry someone else, that all he had asked of her was to have children. He told Bella of his long wait, watching over Gisla's descendants over time, waiting for the right one. Then he told her of their first encounter, when he was dressed as a bear and she placed a crown on his head, fulfilling the prophecy.
"Do you know why I did it? Why I placed the Tiara on your head?" Bella asked him with a smile once he was done speaking.
"Why?" He shook his head, curious.
"The previous night, I dreamt of a man with one eye and a crow on his shoulder. He told me that the next day, I had to let my mom dress me like a princess for the party, even though I hated it, and that I'd meet a bear. He said that if the bear helped me, I had to give him my Tiara in exchange, that he'd deserve it. I don't know why but it looked so real, when you handed me that ball back, I did what that man had asked me. Now that I know more about your religion and culture, I think it was Odin." Bella explained.
"I was. He made sure you'd give me the sign I needed." Rollo smiled, in awe.
"Well, I'm glad he did." Bella smiled back at him before she added:
"I... I don't want you to stay away. I know that I'm still young and we'll have to take the time to get to know each other and I'm not quite ready yet but... I... I believe this prophecy, I trust the gods. We are destined to be together and I'm willing to give it a try." Bella told him bravely with a blush on her cheeks.
"I'm very glad you feel that way." he smiled back at her.
"So, are you going to stay here with me all day." She asked him.
"Of course, unless there's something else you want to do that requires me to leave." he nodded.
"No, nothing." She smiled, happy.
Rollo had looked at her room, he was used to it, he often came during the night to listen to her speak or to drop gifts for her. He noticed his second journal on her bedside table.
"Have you finished it?" he asked her.
"No, I've only read the first few pages so far. I didn't know when I'd meet you or get another one so I wanted to make it last." She smiled and he nodded.
"They're really yours, then? You're the one who wrote them?" She asked him.
"Yes, the first one I purposely left out our names, I just wanted you to know my view on everything but this second one, you'll know more about precise events. But If you want, I can answer any question you have now." he smiled.
"Or you could teach me your language? I know Torvi and Bjorn still speak it between themselves sometime, they told me you all do. Could you teach it to me?" She asked him, full of hope and this request made him even happier.
"I'd love to. It should be easy, you've picked up our runes pretty quickly."
To Rollo, her asking to learn his language was a sign that she truly wanted to be one of them, to fit in with his coven, his family, and he loved it.
"What can I say, I wanted to know as much as possible about all of this. I was hoping that by knowing everything that was in these books, I'd understand who you were. I don't know, maybe I was hoping for some magical sudden understanding of everything." She chuckled.
"Well, now, I'm here to answer any question you might have." he nodded.
They spent a couple of hours teaching Bella his native language before he reminded her that she needed to eat and they went downstairs. Bella reheated herself a plate of left-overs.
"Do you want anything? Bjorn mentioned that you could drink alcohol without having to throw it back up later... Charlie has some beers in there." Bella suggested.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Go ahead and eat." He smiled at her.
Bella was surprised by how at ease she already was in Rollo's presence. It was like they had known each other for several decades and she liked it. After Bella was done eating, the sky cleared a little so they went for a walk in the woods. Rollo made sure that Bella wouldn't fall and, naturally, as though she had done it a hundred times before, she held onto his arms as they walked.
"This is nicer than I thought it would be, I'm usually not a big fan of the great outdoors." She told him.
"That's probably because of your coordination." he smiled.
"True." She chuckled.
The entire afternoon went by pretty well and, once they knew school was over for everyone else, Rollo took Bella to his house so she could finally meet the rest of the family.
"So, before we go, there's something you should know. Bjorn's mother and Floki's wife... You've met them before." Rollo told her while she put her jacket on.
"Really? When?" She asked him, lifting her head to look at him.
"Floki's wife is Helga, you've met her in Elementary school, she was working at the school's library." Rollo told her.
"Of course! She's the one who got me so curious about Vikings. I loved Miss Helga, she was so kind and super pretty..." Bella smiled.
"And Lagertha held the same position in Middle school." Rollo told her.
"Miss Gertha? She was nice too, though she scared quite a few boys but it was funny to watch. The half that wasn't scared of her was in love with her." Bella chuckled.
"They liked you, too."
"So, nobody to spy on me in high school?" Bella asked him in a teasing voice.
"Ragnar was there, working as an history teacher but the school was so large, since you weren't in his class, you never noticed him, though he did see you."
"I'm curious now, if Bjorn and Torvi hadn't wanted to go high school, who would have taken which position?" Bella asked him.
"Who knows. Maybe I'd have taken a position as a teacher." He chuckled.
"So I could have a crush on the teacher and get in trouble or get people talking?" She asked with a chuckle, not realizing she was admitting to her crush.
Acting like a gentleman, Rollo pretended he didn't hear.
"This town needs a little scandal, but maybe Floki would have taken a position there, who knows how it would have gone." Rollo liked this moment with Bella, he loved how open she was with him and it made him long for more.
It was finally close, the moment the seer prophecised so long ago, dancing naked on the beach, under a bright sun. His happiness. It was there.
"Before we go, maybe I should warn Charlie that I'm going out." Bella suggested.
"Sure, go ahead and call him." Rollo nodded.
.
As soon as Bella had hung up with her father, she left the house with Rollo and, to make it faster, he took her in his arms and ran her at vampire speed to his house.
"Is that okay? I'm not going too fast, am I? Just tell me if you're going to get sick." Rollo asked her as he ran.
"As long as I keep my eyes closed, I think I'll be fine." She replied in a small voice and, out of concern, Rollo stopped.
"Are you sure?" he asked her.
"Yes, don't worry, I just need to get used to it, I was never one for speed before but I will most definitely grow to like traveling this way." Bella replied confidently.
"As long as you're sure. How about I go a bit slower this time. We'll go faster as you get used to it." he suggested.
"That would be great." She nodded.
There was promise there, a promise that they'd run again together, that she'd let him carry her some more. That they'd spend more time together with time. She liked being in his arms, and, beyond the safe feeling she had every time he was around, when he carried her, she felt protected, like the world could end, she'd be fine.
So far, everything is going well for Bella, right? Do you think the James incident will happen?
Review please, tell me what you thought.
Lorelei Candice Black