Valkyrie

Chapter Six: Season One

Chapter Six: Season One

It is a quiet, chilly morning in Kattegat. Vikings are not one to merely enjoy the blissfulness of such quiet. We like noises and we like war cries. Yet, no one really seems to mind it. Especially Ivar who dozed in and out of sleep alongside his brothers. It is a good day to just relax and take in the beautiful colors. In which, little Ivar would not appreciate it.

I stepped out of the Great Hall and went back to my house. I need to help my mother prepare for the winter. During this time, we harvest food and cook and dry out livestock. Since Aslang has appointed me to be the head of the boys; there is not much time to help my mother prepare. Sometimes I need to sneak away during the boys’ downtime. 

I came back a little later to find Aslang upset that I had left the boys by themselves. Her large, blue eyes were widened and her cheeks burned with fury. 

“Something could’ve happened to them!” She yelled. “They are the Princes’ of Kattegat!” She then screamed. Aslang began to approach me with her hand at the level of her eyes. I merely back away, knocking over the chair. 

“You stupid girl!” Aslang slapped the back of my head and took a deep breath behind her teeth.

“Take the boys somewhere and get out!” She commanded. The boys did not hesitate to rush to my side. While getting the boys out, I kept repeating to myself in my head: I promised Ragnar. Remember Ragnar.

I took the boys to the bayside. Their favorite place to be. They could not go in the water, but they liked to catch fish with their bare hands and hop over rocks in the shallow end. Ubbe and Hvitserk liked to do that. Sometimes they get a little wet, they can’t help themselves, I learned. They are just boys. 

I just got done telling the boys a riveting tale of Heimdall. Heimdall: The Protector of Asgard. A God that protects all the other Gods, by standing watching on a rainbow bridge that leads into Asgard. He requires less sleep than all of the others. He has perfect eyesight and hearing in case there is an introducer; that he won’t miss them. When an introducer does approach, he summons everyone with his horn. 

The story put Sigurd and Ivar to sleep. Ivar is settled gently in my lap and Sigurd is sitting outside my lap with his head on my leg. I dare not to move, for I might wake them. I sat perfectly still, letting the riffs of the water keep my boys asleep. Ubbe and Hvitserk are much older and they do not require as much sleep as Sigurd and Ivar. 

Ivar awakened from his slumber. He outreached his arms and stretched and yawned. He then nuzzled back into my lap, laying his head on my chest. I curled my arm around him and gently placed my head on top of his. Aslang’s voices still ring in my head from earlier. The need for protection consumed me as I desperately tried to find a way to protect myself against her. She has grown dramatically more violent and her temper scares me and the boys.

“Will you allow any harm to come to me?” I asked Ivar. Ivar sat like a stone in my lap, his eyes hardened and with a cold tone he responded with a simple:

“No.” I smiled to myself as I held the youngest Prince to me. Sigurd got up and looked at me,

“I won’t let any harm come to the future Queen…” Sigurd spoke gently. 

I giggled as I pulled Sigurd close to me, placing a small kiss on his forehead, and nuzzling my head on his.

Sigurd removed my arm from him and got up and went over to the lily pads. I was left with Ivar who began to coo and fidget. He is becoming restless from sitting. It is not so easy for him to get up and go somewhere. He would need to crawl and if he crawls, he’ll get dirty.