Translator's note: I know I have been absent for almost 3 weeks now, but I was thinking about a story of my own inspiration that I am writing, and I also had to write a story for a gift, as part of a Secret Santa, and that story was really hard to write. But as promised I will post a chapter today and the next on Monday. And maybe, just maybe I'll post a marathon, on Christmas days.
Chapter 34
After an hour and a half, when the people inside had already finished with their desserts (which never reached the street), the children began to get impatient. Eric came looking for me and accompanied by him (and given that the banquet was over) I entered the main hall. When Helga saw me, she stood up and began to prepare the front of the main table for the children, who were fluttering, could have their moment of glory. I was very angry with her because she hadn't interceded for me even a little. I felt like when I discovered Arlene's treason.
"Be quiet please!" cried Helga "Be quiet!" Eric took two pans, one in each hand, and clinked. People stared at him.
"Be silent!" he pushed his daughter, whose face turned all red.
"Peo... People of Valland's bay village" Audr muttered.
"Louder!" shouted a child.
"Speak louder, sweetie" I said.
"People of Valland's bay village!" she cried, some people smiled, and she blushed all the way.
"Go for it" emboldened her father.
"Some children have prepared a surprise for my grandfather... for the head of the town" she corrected herself. The children took the stage, placing branches that I made Ivar cut, pretending that it was the forest. Eric helped the small Wolfren up to the women's table.
"I, Oscar the Watcher..." he shouted as he pretended to be looking for something on the horizon "I watch the lands Valland's bay village!"
"What do you see Oscar?" asked a boy who hid behind a branch.
"What do I see? The enemies! Harald the stinky send us his horde. I must warn the people in the Village" he jumped from the top of the table, picked up a broom and climbed to the post as a little witch "Hyah! Hyah!" he reached out branches and children.
And the function started. Adults paid full attention, and applauded the kids and their actions, sometimes interrupting with some expression of joy or pride when recognized themselves in the play and sometimes, laughing form them or with them, like when they saw Erik and Leif with chain mails that dragged on the ground (They were their father's) or when Erik scolded a partner in the middle of the interpretation because he had said his part before him, or when Audr fell sulking after stepping on a child after she had "questioned "Ulrich, or when Otto stepped on the fabric that simulated the sea and disarmed one of our supposed boats. The truth is that special effects were not very well at all. But the function met all of its objectives: to entertain the audience, amuse children, inform the uninformed and embarrass some attendees, as Helga and Halvar, which felt quite uncomfortable in some parts of the play, as when everyone applauded the small Audr that playing Sookie Stackhouse, that means, me, took out the essential information from the prisoner to save the ships, or when Audr, again in the role of me, had the bright idea of changing the warning signal and thus avoid slaughter. In addition, Eric also did much ridicule, although it is true that it mattered him a little. He wasn't a man who cared about what people said.
Eric wanted to go home just after the applause and it didn't seem like Halvar and Helga were to stop him (although Halvar considered a big lack of respect that the son of the village chief left the celebration to the first change) but I didn't want, despite everything, to deprive the children of a little fun. So I begged him to drink a couple of beers while his children played with other children for a little while (as I ate a couple of baked apples Eric had saved for me). He stood away from his father standing far away from the group of men who he used to frequent. Neither wanted I to approach the women.
It was snowing so we took the advantage to push children to leave the games. We picked the three kids and got ready to leave the party. Halvar protested, of course, but Helgi helped us out play down the matter in his own way and reminding Halvar, with a bit of mischief, that young people like Eric had better things to do at home and with women like me that in a party full of old glories. Helgi spoke well because he felt much sympathy for me, Eric and our situation, he had to Jora, whom he loved like if she was his first wife. He understood Eric because if he it was for him, he would place Jora to the same right of Halvar the chief. I smiled, Eric took his daughter in his arms, who settled against him, and the five of us together left that buggy trap.
I woke up early in the morning. Eric was no longer in bed and he wasn't downstairs. I washed my face with cold water, dried myself, I covered myself well and prepared to go to the barn to milk a goat to get some fresh milk for the day. Eric was there, he already had half bucket of fresh goat's milk.
"Good morning" I said "You woke up very early" I knew he had troubles to sleep the night before.
"Yes, I wanted to get up when all was quiet" The truth is that in town you could only hear the barking of dogs, the cackling of hens and the lowing of some animals, because the people, were mostly still sleeping it off. Also, it a terrible day, horrible for anything other than being at home. It was snowing heavily and windy.
"And why is that?" I handed the bucket and stood up. He sighed and stroked my shoulders.
"I'm going."
"To where?"
"The forest, a couple of days."
"But you can't do that!"
"It's for the best."
"How it will be for the best? Just watch the weather! I'm sick of your hunts!
"I'm not going hunting. I will be out until the end of the party" I wanted to interrupt but he silenced me with his finger "You heard them. You are my slave" I frowned because I didn't think of myself as a slave to anyone, much less of him. I loved him with all my heart, he and his sons, and because of that I was with him but if I wouldn't want, I would have gone away either alone or with another man, it didn't matter if he liked or not "I am your master. And if I don't go to the party, you cannot go. I will spend two days in the forest and you will be calm and warm at home."
"How could I be calm if you'll be alone in the woods with this snowstorm?"
"I'll be fine" he confirmed "Better than here, I won't allow you to dine in the street with the snow falling above you"
"The snow is falling above both of us" I said "I rather spend two hours on the street than knowing that you will be two days out there. Please, Eric..."
"It's my call"
"What about me?" He held my face and stroked with his thumbs.
"This gives us time to miss us" he said. I made a raspberry, he smiled and leaned down to kiss me. I let him because I managed to grab his hands.
"You are not going to go. I won't let you" He laughed and in an easy movement he lugged me over his shoulder like a sack. He approached the horse and left me over it "What are you doing?" he climbed into the back of the animal and we went outside "Eric, I'm serious" I threatened "And besides that the children cannot go alone."
"The children can go easily that my mother will take care of them" he went to the door and none too gently dropped me on the soft snow "I'm already looking forward to come back" his eyes burning with lust. He cheered the horse and galloped.
"Eric Northman! Eric!" I shouted after him "You big bastard![1]" I shook all the snow from myself, and I kicked to the snow for a little while. But as it seemed that he wouldn't return and my feet were beginning to freeze, I went to get the milk, and went back inside home. I ran and opened the trunk. I sighed in relief when I saw that Eric had taken his bag. This man was going to tear my nerves.
Eric's departure and the children waking up late gave me time to think. Too much, perhaps. I realized how disturbing my life was right now when I tried to find in my brain the word in English for "curtain" and I didn't remember. I just didn't remember it. Then I noticed other things just as disturbing. The first is that for days I hadn't remembered my vampire and the second is that it has been almost a week since I missed my brother Jason.
While I was preparing the flour to the bread for the next days I began to think about Eric the vampire. Around this days I only remembered him when comparing them from one to another, especially in bed. And Viking Eric didn't like it for a bit. I read in your mind on occasion. Of course he didn't know I compare him with a future version of himself, but it seems that I get lost in my thoughts so much as to make him think that, indeed, I am with another at that time.
"Hello Sookie" Erik greeted me.
"What do you mean by "hello"?" I asked reluctantly "Kiss me now. Go, go wash your face" I said after kissing him and hair his hair down his head.
"I'm so hungry" Leif rushed breakfast and I had no choice but to give a campion.
"Hello, Sookie!" I said "You are very beautiful today, Sookie. Have you slept well, Sookie?"
"Have you slept well, Sookie?" asked the little sweet voice. I sighed because I could not get carried away by my anger.
"No, my life. Go and wash yourself too and then everyone for breakfast, huh?" I rubbed my eyes and I kept doing what I was doing.
"What a snowstorm!" Leif said after taking the dirty water and throw it away. Perfect. "Where's father?"
"Good question" I answered. He was collecting the bowls from the table when the doorbell rang. I opened and stood in the doorway one second "Ah, hello, Helga."
"Hello, Sookie, good morning" She said politely. I pulled away and although I didn't invite her with words to come inside, I did it with the gesture. At the end of the day, she was Eric's mother and the head of the village.
"Is Eric here?" She asked when she had closed the door and left the cold outside.
"The truth is that he isn't."
"Oh, is he in the barn?"
"No, he is not in the barn. He's gone".
"And will he be gone for a long time?"
"So he told me, yeah"
"Sookie..."
"Look, Helga, I do not know when Eric will come back. He has taken his horse, his bag and he has gone to the forest. I cannot tell you more."
"I understand. Halvar will kill a pig for tonight's dinner" She informed me and made a I give a damn face "So I come, to tell Eric to come to help."
"Well, you see" I stared and coughed to keep talking "If you're going to command me to go to help, I will, of course, because I have no choice. But if you are going to ask, if you're oing to ask like yesterday me to give you a hand..."
"I won't ask."
"Good, because I have things to do at home."
"Can we go with Grandma to the slaughter?" Leif asked. I smiled, I stroked his chin and nodded.
"Cover yourselves well" Helga said. They left me alone and I started to pick up and fold clothes. They returned before lunch, accompanied by their grandmother, and they began to tell me how much the sow have screamed while it was bleeding. The acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree, just have to see the passion they feel for the blood.
[1] She said this in English.