I think from that night one, Eric looked at me in a different way. Well, that I was still the same person, but emotions got added into the mix, and then there was the fact he remembered I was a girl after all.

We didn't talk about that kiss we had shared, but I knew he thought of it everytime he saw me... I could see it in his eyes each and everytime his locked onto my own.

It was a tournament of sorts now, and the sons of the village competed to see who was the best one in battle. Of course, I never entered... but this time I was just for the hell of it.

Of course, the boys laughed and towered over me, saying they would crush me. Yes... but I was faster than them. They were at a disadvantage. I could strike fast and hard, they slugged around as I liked to say.

Eric didn't want me to enter, saying, to my intense and utter annoyance.

"But you might get hurt. You're a wom-"

It was at that point I went to kick him right between the legs, but this time he grabbed it and flipped me over. There was a difference with him- he could strike as hard and fast as I could.

And it was also a test for Eric by his father- if he truly could take over from him when the time came. Eric couldn't afford to lose, and quite literally.

It was quite amusing to see the young men stabbing at each other with staffs instead of spears, their shirts off and muscles rippling as they always did.

The boys probably wished I would do the same, but they could dream. I was content to wear a tan leather garment that covered just about enough of me up.

There were whistles as I walked into the circle, and Father was laughing, shaking his head- he had agreed to let me compete... because he didn't think I could win.

These men needed to be taught a lesson big time.

I stood with the others competing now, and Ryan, one of Erics friends who also had blonde hair said to me with a grin. "You know you won't win Freyr."

"We'll see." I smirked, deliberately hitting him with my hair as I moved off towards the new gap in the crowd.

Eric was walking towards me now from the arena, the victor as per usual. He never lost a single battle, no matter their age or size.

"Shall I be fighting you?" he asked me now with a smirk, setting his staff down next to him. I nodded and smirked myself. "Not just fighting me, losing to me."

"Loser talk." He said, then clapped my shoulder as he moved off, leaving me to fight against some young man I didn't know. But he was very easy to beat.

Erics words soon came to fruitation, and it ended up with me and him in the final, and Father was watching intriguingly, as if thinking about something serious that would affect us all.

"I'm not going easy on you." he smirked as he stood before me, and I raised an eyebrow. "Likewise 'brother.'"

He went for me now, but I cleanly dodged and smacked him hard on the back of the head with my staff, making him yell. "Ow! Bitch!"

"That's me love." I teased, waving my staff at him, and we started up again. He did succeed in hitting me on the back of the legs, and his friend Marco called with a laugh. "Careful! She probably bites!"

I 'accidentally' landed on him when I fell over.

We went on longer than the others, and I had seen a few openings in which I could take Eric down. He may have been so very much taller than me, but it also gave him away when he moved.

But if I won... would Father start to think of me taking over instead of Eric? That was impossible... but the way Father was watching made me realize- he was considering it. No, this wasn't my role. It was Erics. He'd worked so very hard for it as well... he deserved it.

Eric managed to grab me now, and I could easily trip him over, but I let him push me to the floor and pinned me down, chest heaving as he said. "I win."

Of course, the boys were going to laugh at me for losing, but I didn't really mind. This was a decider of the future, and that was his. Not my own.

"Oh?" I grinned now and flipped us over, my staff at his neck. "You should keep your guard up. The enemy wouldn't be as kind as I am."

Eric chuckled, shaking his head a little in disbelief, then I got off him and pulled him up.

Even though he had won, I saw accusation in his eyes.

Later that night when I was laid out in my wolf fur bed, feeling rather battered and bruised with my eyes half closed, I heard footsteps, then-

"Why did you let me win?"

I turned over now and sat up to see Eric stood there, looking accusingly at me once more.

"What are you talking about?" I asked innocently, and he chuckled, shaking his head. "I know you Frey. I know your moves and how you think in fights... there was at least four openings you could have taken. Why didn't you?"

"I didn't see them." I lied, getting up, but a moment later and walking over to the side where my cup of water was.

"You never were any good at lying Freyr. Just... tell me why." he asked now, and I turned with a sigh. "Because of Father. Because of everyone watching."

"So?"

"Eric... you know Father needs someone to take over, don't you?"

Eric looked confused, but then nodded. "What does that have to do with anything?"

I laughed at his ignorance, then said. "He's been considering me too. Haven't you seen him looking, watching us fight like that?"

Realization hit him now, and he just said. "But... no offence Frey, but I'm his son. I'm the heir. No one else."

"I'm just saying." I sighed, going to lie back down, but he stopped me and said.

"Thank you."

A small smile escaped me at that, and I shrugged. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"Take up Fathers offer?" he said seriously and I laughed at that. "I've no idea what to do with controlling a group of Viking idiots. You, the other young men and your friends are impossible well and truly."

Eric laughed at that, for I spoke the truth. But now he asked, and hesitantly for the first time ever.

"Have you... thought about the other day?"

I knew what he meant straight away, and I looked away for a moment- I had been... but he didn't need to know about that.

"No." I lied, and he chuckled. "You're lying again."

"No I'm not." I laughed, and I was silenced instantly as he took my face in his hands, then said quietly. "I love you Freyr."

All I could do was blink in surprise at that- Eric wasn't the kind of guy that handed out the truth about how he was feeling. He kissed me once more now, lifting me up onto the low bed so he reach me better, since I was small, I was almost leveled with him now.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. I didn't view him as a potential lover, but from the way he was kissing me back, he obviously did.

"Eric, stop..." I said now, pulling away. He frowned at me now. "Why?"

I tried to push him away, but he was much stronger than me, and I said. "We're near enough brother and sister."

"Not by blood. We're not family." he told me now, and that hurt me when he said we weren't family.

Eric realized too and groaned. "I didn't mean it like that. Freyr..."

"I know." I nodded, then let him kiss me again, arms going around my waist, and he made me jump as he pushed me onto the bed, grinning and brushing the hair from my face as he kissed my nose and said. "You are the best thing to ever happen to this village. To me."

"Big words for you." I chuckled and he cocked his head. "How so?"

"I'm not one of your one nighters Eric. Actually, you're not going to get that far."

That devilish grin was all he needed to do, then he kissed up my neck and said. "I have my ways."

"I bet you do." I giggled as he pretended to bite at my neck, then said. "I'm leaving for Denmark to fight tomorrow."

"What-!" I almost yelled now, and he sighed. "Don't be like this. I'll be fine."

"Why can't I come?" I whined, not wanting to let him go now that that day had finally arrived. Eric chuckled at that, then kissed me for a moment before saying. "Because it's dangerous. And Father wont risk the danger of you getting killed. And I agreed. You're staying here with Mother."

"I refuse to accept that." I hissed and he sighed once more, a thumb on my cheek. "I asked him about this."

"About-?"

"Whether I could love you. And he agreed to it. He thinks it's good for both of us." He rolled his eyes at the end, and he wasn't the only one.

As he started on my neck once more, I asked quietly. "How long are you leaving for?"

Eric didn't say anything to that, and I guessed correctly no doubt- a good while. Father had left for an entire year before...

That couldn't happen again could it-?

"I don't know. Six months or so Father told me." Eric finally said, and I felt a wave of sadness go through me. "Don't go. Stay here please?" I asked him now, but he put his head on my chest, probably listening to my heart once more. He always did have a habit of doing that.

"Frey, you know my answer. I see no point in saying it outloud." he just said in that clipped, hard voice of his. I sighed and put my arms around him now, head on his blonde one. "I hate you sometimes." I said now against it, and he chuckled. "Likewise."

I lay there with him all night, neither of us saying a single word. The silence spoke louder than anything we could say, and I was surprised- I had been expecting him to try to get me out my clothes, but he didn't. Although, I knew when he came back (I refused to think about 'if') I was in trouble. He was going to pin me down then.

At some point during the night, I nodded off.

The next morning, I woke up feeling morose, and I wasn't the only one. Mother didn't want her husband to leave again, even more so her son.

Eric did play the idiot when it was time to head up to the boats, making me jump onto his back like I did when I was younger. It was fun trying to strangle him.

The massive longboat was ready by the time we got there, and Eric and his father were the one of the last few to board. I was set down now, and I picked up the new metal helmet of his and stared at my reflection- so much for being a baddass. I was nearly in tears.

Eric crouched down a tad now so he was level with me, then he sighed. "Stop worrying."

I nodded, then kissed him passionately before the whole boat and my 'parents.' They didn't seem surprised, but from the jeers Erics friends were sending at us, he was going to have to put up with them laughing about what they had seen. Jealous bunch. None of them had a woman waiting for them.

So up theirs.

"Hurry and be careful yeah?" I asked him quietly now, and he said. "I'm no fool Frey."

"You are. You're frostier than the mountains in winter to everyone else."

"Hmm, fair point." he smirked, then kissed me briefly before tapping his head, and I slammed the helmet on with a smirk, making him scowl as I probably gave him a headache.

Mother put her arm around my shoulder and hugged me, saying quietly. "They'll be fine. You wait, six months you'll find them back on this beach."

"I hope." I muttered, then ran over to Eric as we went to get on, and I took of the other necklace I wore, one with a wolf fang on the end of it and put it around his own. He didn't say anything, but merely gave me that half smile of his and got on.

I went back to Mother now and watched morosely as the ship sailed off, and I could no longer tell which figure was Eric.

Guess the waiting game began well and truly now...

And the next one I've fished from the depths of my laptop- hope you like and reviews are very much loved.