Fire and Blood

Bálburunn

"Floki, I do not understand. Why must we meet with Ragnar and his son?" The child prods, following her spindly guardian through the dense forest. She grips the string of her bow as she steadied it while she walked, arrows of her quiver shuffling. Her copper curls fall behind her as she tries to keep up.

"It is a secret, my child." He giggles. "Do you not like Ragnar?"

She frowns. "Ragnar is strange, but I do not dislike that about him. His child will be even stranger."

"He is only a few years older than you. Björn is a strong boy, from what I hear."

"I am stronger." Her piercing green eyes met her father figure's eyes. He gives a grin that stretches across his face. He kneels, placing a hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"Odin blessed me when he crafted you from the flames of his forge. You will indeed grow to do great things, Bálburunn." He searches through the small cloth bag he had been carrying with him, pulling out a wooden mask. "Now, put this on."

Too used to Floki's actions, Bálburunn places the mask over her face without question. The two hide behind a wide tree as footsteps approach. Both Floki and Bálburunn can hear the high voice of a child.

"Floki? Like Loki, the God?" The child asks, causing Floki to snicker. 

"Yes, only different." Bálburunn recognizes Ragnar's soft voice.

"How is it different?"

"Floki is not a God."

"Why did he not come to the Thing?"

"Because..." Floki turns to the redhead, nodding as he slowly crept up to the path. Ragnar's eyes flick over to the movement, twinkling mischievously. "Because he is shy."

Floki and Bálburunn jump out, shouting, causing the small boy to look up with wide eyes. Floki removes his mask, letting out a high-pitched giggle.

"Floki," Ragnar smiles, "this is my son, Björn."

"Hello," Floki grins, walking close to the boy. "How are you?"

"Well, thank you, sir." The boy's eyes dart over to the redhead, who remains masked.

Floki's eyes dart between the two children. "Take off your mask, child."

"Björn, this is Bálburunn. Floki's daughter." Ragnar smiles at the girl and removes her mask, revealing freckled skin and sharp, green eyes. She stares down at the boy, causing him to shift uncomfortably. "Her fury is much like your mother's when she was that age. You would be wise to make friends."

The blonde boy stares at her. "Pleased to meet-"

"Let me see you," The skinny man's bony hand hovers over Björn's face. "Ah, you have your father's eyes, unfortunately."

Ragnar's eyebrow twitches, "Why 'unfortunately'?"

"It means he will be like you, and therefore he will want to do better than you. You will hate him for it!"

Björn frowns as Ragnar playfully hits Floki with his hiking stick.

"How can you know all that just by looking at my face?"

"I know many things about everything just from looking at them. I can tell which trees make the best plants for boats. I can look inside the tree." The skinny man whispers.

"Floki is a boatbuilder, among other things." Ragnar's eyes twinkle as he looks at his friend.

The men were busy chatting. Floki rushes over to a tree behind them, rambling about what boat it would help him make. Bálburunn heard a snap from the other direction. She slowly grabs her bow, nocking an arrow, staring in the direction of the sound. Suddenly, a large, brown bear appears, lazily scourging for berries. Its ears twitch at the sound of the men's voices. The bear stands up on its hind legs, looking for them. Bálburunn quickly released her arrow, hitting the bear right in the neck. It roars in pain and anger, causing the men to look up.