Chapter 14
Hey guys, thanks so much for bearing with me. I know it's been a long journey till the romance got started last chapter, but I wanted to build up the relationship between Freyja and Agnarr as much as possible. I wanted to make it more realistic than just she pleased him and he decided to marry her. As always PLEASE review, fav, and follow. Happy reading and Enjoy :)
Freyja's POV:
The morning after the feast dawned bright and clear on my tired frame. The sunlight dripped through the window, causing me to sit up and rub my eyes. The feast had carried on late into the night and I was surprised to have awoken so early seeing as we had not returned until a few short hours ago. Magni snored on his mat on the opposite side of the hallway, Aki joining him in his loud chorus of drunken slumber. Realizing this was my chance to slip away for some much needed time to myself, I slowly slid the fur covers away and quickly changed out of my night dress into my trademark blue dress, which went over a white one that covered my shoulders and arms, and the blue straps slipped over my shoulders.
I carried my shoes, tiptoeing upon the wooden floor so as not to wake the two men, to the door. Slipping on the short black boots, I slowly creaked open the door, the sun momentarily blinding me as I came into full view of it's light.
Shutting the door quietly behind me I began to briskly walk down the town's center street, not really knowing where it was I was headed.
"Sometimes those are the best journeys of all" as min faðir (My Father) used to say. I remembered his smile and his good natured laugh. A pang of homesickness hit me and my hand immediately went to my neck where the cross he gave me used to hang before the man who had killed him, Bjorn, had ripped it from my neck. I remembered that day as if it were yesterday. I tried not to think about it, but at night that day crept into my dreams in the form of nightmares that terrified me and had resulted in me waking up in a cold sweat screaming for my min faðir and Magni rushing over to comfort me, often holding me in an affectionate, fatherly hug until exhaustion overcame the memories.
I shook the gloomy thoughts from my head and soon found myself at the harbor. I climbed onto one of the large sea boulders and gazed out at the sea. The rising sun glinted off the surface, casting rays of light upon the deep blue. The waves clashed against the boulders, throwing white sea foam into the air.
"How beautiful you are Lord. How majestic is your creation" I whispered, inhaling deeply the scent of sea salt. I spread my arms out wide, feeling the gentle breeze graze my form.
"What are you doing?" I jumped in surprise and turned to see Agnarr standing there, an amused expression painted across his features.
"Nothing" I replied, thinking of how utterly unintelligent I sounded at that moment. Why did I even care what he thought?
"Come" he jerked his head to the North end of the beach.
"Where are we going?"
"To show you what I didn't get to last night."
I wordlessly followed him down the beach, our footsteps crunching in the sand.
"This is what I wanted you to see, that's all."
"This" was a beautifully carved ship, with one square main sail in the middle and a sleek keel and a dragon's head carved at the helm. The sides were smoothed to perfection, appearing to be made of the tough oaken wood that accompanied many northmen seafare projects. It reminded me of the ship I'd journeyed on here after I had been captured on the raid, the design was strikingly similar. Yet, instead of a sinister air, this ship somehow radiated the pride put into it by it's creator, of the hard work, dedication, and great planning and skill that must've come along with creating such an intricate vessel.
"Do you like it?"
"It's magnificent" I whispered, still in awe.
"Loki and I built it." My head whipped around in astonishment at him, looking back and forth between him and the ship.
"You did this?"
"Don't sound so surprised, just because I'm a Jarl doesn't mean I sit and twidle my thumbs all day."
"I knew you had a knack for creating things out of wood, but I confess I never would've expected something like this."
He raised his eyebrows.
"Not that I thought you couldn't do it, I believe you could... it's just you never seemed the type of man to..." my words tumbled out of my mouth and I watched amusement dance across Agnarr's eyes. What was it about this man that made me lose my ability to communicate in full sentences. Afterward I just gave up and turned to gaze back at the ship in silence, my cheeks flaming hot with embarrassment.
"Would you like to take it out?"
"Me? Oh no I couldn't..."
"Come, it's quite easy. I'll show you." He took my hand, leading me towards the ship before I could protest further.
"You can steer."
"That's the easy part?!" Nervousness rose in my gut as I thought of the responsibility that would come with having to direct such a large vessel. What if I crashed it?!
"Loki!" he called. Loki appeared at the open gangway to the ship.
"Prepare to take her out!"
Loki silently nodded, as he always seemed to do. I wondered why he didn't speak, was it because of some ailment, or simply by choice?
Loki slowly let out the sail, which was embossed with a figure head of a dragon just like the one at the bow.
Agnarr led me over to a large, wooden steering oar.
"What if I crash it?" I asked, finally voicing my fear.
"You won't I promise." He reached his hand out for mine.
"May I have your hand for a moment?"
I gave it to him and he moved it to the correct position on the steering oar.
"Now, put your other hand right here..." he moved my other hand to the correct position to the other end of the main steering oar. As his hands brushed against mine I felt a tingle run down my spine despite myself. How could they be so rough, yet so soft at the same time...
A banging occurred and I realized it was Loki's foot thumping against the wood to get our attention.
He made some hand gestures I did not understand to Agnarr, which he nodded to.
"Ready?" he asked.
"As I'll ever be" I mumbled back, drumming my fingers nervously on the steering oar.
The wind picked up suddenly, gusting against the sail, and pushing the long ship away from the dock.
"Go left" Agnarr called. I groaned as I pushed the oar to the left, feeling the ship creak slightly, before heading out of the harbor, in the direction of the open sea. The sea lapped against the sides, and the smell of the sea air over took me.
"Freyja come!" Agnarr waved me over.
"Who'll steer then?"
"Loki."
Loki silently moved beside me, while I gladly removed my hands from the wood, relieved to not have other people's lives in my hands for a little while longer.
"What is it?"
Agnarr led me to the bow of the ship.
"Stretch your arms out like you were doing before."
When I did so, the wind blew across my frame as the ship slowly glided upon the water, rustling my hair and bringing a joyous laugh to my lips. It felt remarkably freeing. What I didn't notice was the contented smile that broke out on Agnarr's lips as he stood beside me.
Bryn's POV:
I gave a sigh of boredom, putting the little wooden play sword down. If Father was here he would've played with me. I couldn't wait to be a great warrior like him someday, to wield an actual iron sword, to be a hero, and live a life of risk and adventure just like the heroes in the stories Father always told me before bed at night.
"Gyda why won't you play swords with me?" I approached her while she was knitting. The back and forth of her needles stopped and she gazed up at me.
"How do you do that?"
"I don't know. You just do. Father knows how to do it."
"Then why don't you ask him when he gets back?"
Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I would go find Father, instead of waiting for him to come to me.
"Okay then" I said, hoping I hadn't made her catch onto me as I crept away, heading for the back door at the far end of the house. Thankfully, Gyda's back was turned to me as I slid the latch from the door, creaking it open slightly...
Gyda stiffened and looked around for a moment and I froze. When she seemed to have settled back down, I slipped through the tiny open crack in the door and out to freedom. I giggled all the way down to the harbor, where I knew Father would be, charging as fast as my feet would carry me.
Freyja's POV:
When the ship was again docked, and without a single scratch I might add, I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. After Agnarr finished tying the rope, he wiped his hands and asked "I see you at the beach a lot, is this because you like to swim?"
"No. I mean I was taught by my mother when I was young but...I've never been particularly good at it."
"So what are you good at?"
"Horse riding."
"Really?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Is that why they call you Freyja?"
"I confess it is" my cheeks reddened slightly, hoping that he wouldn't ask me to elaborate on the story behind it.
"Father!" a very familiar voice called out and we both looked just in time to see Bryn trip over a nearby rock, and plummet down the sandy hills towards us!
Bryn's POV:
Ok. So I was going for more of a smooth entrance. I hadn't meant for it to happen, but the rock was out to get me! Next think I knew I was tumbling down the hill.
"Ow!"
"OOf!"
"Ow!"
"Oof!"
I finally came to a dizzying rest on my back at the bottom. Once my head stopped spinning and my vision cleared, I saw Father standing over me, hands on his hips and eyebrow raised.
I gave a nervous chuckle.
"Hi Daddy."
Agnarr's POV:
"Don't hi daddy me young man, where is Gyda?"
"Back at the house."
"I see and why aren't you with her?" Bryn gave an exaggerated sigh before pushing himself up and shaking the sand out of his hair.
"She wouldn't play swords with me."
"Bryn do you realize how dangerous that was. You could've killed yourself just now!" My temper began to boil within me. He was my only son and the most important thing in the would to me, if I had lost him... no I couldn't think about it.
"But I didn't!" he stared back defiantly, in a very familiar imitation of me.
"You know what. You're grounded, no leaving the house for two days."
"Why am I not allowed to go outside and play without someone watching me?! What are you so afraid of!"
Why because Sigurd and Valdis would steal you from me the moment you were unguarded and use you as nothing more than a bargaining chip for retaliation against me?! Why?! Because you're mother cheated on me and Fathered you by another man who couldn't care less about you even though you are his blood! Why?! Because I love you and want to make sure you're loved and taken care of everyday because that is a Father's job!
How could I explain anything like that to him, something so complex. It would devastate him.
"It doesn't matter. I am your Father, I know best! Now go home!" Tears welled up in Bryn's eyes and my temper diffused as quickly as it had built. He was only a child. Before, I could say anything else, he raced away.
I looked at Freyja, whose own eyes were currently watering and she put a hand over mouth, as if she couldn't belief what I had just done.
"Excuse me" she whispered and began briskly walking back to town. I sighed. Just when I started to make progress with her, my temper ruined everything. I couldn't remember a time I'd felt worse.