Author's Note: Again while Playing Valhalla, I stumbled onto a funny glitch of Eivor and the ground shaking in Grantbridgescire. I just had to write a short story about it on here after that happened. Link to the original video on my gaming channel is here - watch?v=IwaG-FkDAzc feel free to copy and paste! If your on web browser

Grantbridgescire , 873

Eivor Varinsdottir was on her way to report back to Randvi at Ravensthorpe after having finished talking to Soma Jarlskona of Grantbridge having secured an alliance when the ground around her started shaking. What was this? Why was the ground shaking? What kind of sorcery and magic was this? Was the gods cursing her? Was something bad going to happen? Eivor knew she needed to get back to Ravensthorpe as fast as possible. It wasn't safe to stay at Grantbridge or Grantbridgescire any longer - especially not when the ground underneath her was shaking. Terrified, Eivor summoned her mount and got out of Grantbridge as far and as fast as she could.

Thankfully once she had left the territory of Grantbridge and its countryside, the ground and the storm and weather around her had to seem to pass. This strange event and curse only seemed to be happening around Grantbridge. Eivor sighed in relief, that it was over and she would be safe for now. But that didn't shake her uneasiness about what had happened earlier. She needed to see Valka and ask the seer what that was all about as soon as possible.

Once at Ravensthorpe, Eivor headed straight to Valka's hut as soon as she could. The matters with Randvi could wait, it wasn't that important. She would worry about that later. It wasn't urgent. This was more urgent. She needed to know if it was a bad omen.

"Valka, I need to speak to you about something. It's urgent!" Eivor butted in to Valka who was inside of her hut experimenting with her brews.

"Eivor! Back already so soon. Are you alright? What's wrong? Talk to me about it" Valka immediately dropped her brews and looked up at Eivor with concern.

"I have just come back from Grantbridge and the ground. The ground was shaking. I rode as fast as I could to Mercia and then once I was out of Grantbridge it stopped. It's almost like the gods are cursing me." Eivor explained to Valka on what had just happened before she came here

Valka nodded, understanding how serious the situation was and that Eivor wasn't playing around.

"That would be an earthquake, you have just experienced what you have told me about the ground shaking. I'm afraid it's a bad omen. Since it happened in Grantbridgescire the bad thing is something to do with someone or something in Grantbridgescire. Do you know anyone or have any attachment to anything in Grantbridge?" Valka asked Eivor, giving her words of wisdom.

Eivor shrugged. Grantbridgescire was just a place with a name in England, until now. She had just formed a friendship with its leader - Soma. Could this omen be about her or was it just about Grantbridge? Would Grantbridge fall again like Soma had said so before?

"Yes. Soma. Soma Jarlskona I've made a new friend and ally in her and she's from Grantbridge" Eivor shrugged thinking none of it.

Valka swallowed, thinking on how best to tell Eivor what the earthquake omen was about without wanting to freak her out. She took a moment to think about it before answering Eivor.

"Then I'm afraid the omen is to do with her. Soma will die and Grantbridge will fall once again. This time to the saxons." Valka replied grimly.

"What? That can't be right. Not Soma, she can't, this is a trick from the gods!" Eivor yelled in shock and disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Eivor. This is what the fates have in mind. She will die soon and Grantbridge will fall. There is nothing we can do to stop this". Valka replied with a straight face.

Eivor didn't say anything. She turned around in distress, her head spinning and left the hut. First she was going to betray Sigurd according to the omens, and now this earthquake was telling her that she was going to lose her new friend Soma too. Eivor walked around hands on her hair taking deep breaths and trying to calm the upcoming panic that was rising in her. She just wanted to scream and shout in frustration. Why her? Of all the people, why her? Why did the fates have to be so cruel to her? Hadn't she been through enough already. Couldn't they just let her be happy once? Apparently they couldn't. Eivor's life just seemed to be all about losing everyone that she loved or got close to. No one would stay in her life permanently.

All she could think of was Valka's voice echoing and whirring through her head. You will betray Sigurd. Soma will die. Soma will die, Grantbridge will fall. Eivor sat down on the logs of Ravensthorpe away from earshot in the woods. She just wanted these voices in her head to stop. She tried covering her ears with her hands to block out the stubborn voices but they stayed there strong as ever, refusing to move and budge. With that Eivor let out a scream.

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed at the voices. But they wouldn't go away. Not until she collapsed in exhaustion from the voices which mentally drained her and passed out onto the mud of the wooded area in Ravensthorpe.