Valkyrie

Chapter Three: Season Four

Loud and piercing screams disturbed me in the night. I gasped, rising from my slumber to see Hvitserk had rolled off his side of the bed, and cornered himself. His eyes widened and he shook violently. He screamed with such fear which I’ve never heard from a man. I got off the bed and ran over to him. I rubbed his arms gently, calmly soothing him down.

“Shh, shh, Hvitserk…” I said, quietly. “It was just a night terror.” 

“No!” Hvitserk fearfully said.

He lifted his arm and pointed to the other side of the darkened room. I turned slowly to see nothing or no one was there. It was dark and vacineted but not dark enough to see. I turned slowly back to Hvitserk,

“There is nothing there…” I said, sternly. 

“Yes…” 

“Ok, what do you see?” I said. Hvitserk continued to shake, resulting in shallow breathing and tears.

I wrapped my arms around him and cradled him gently, I lowered my lips to his ear, “Tell me what do you see…” I can better understand Hvitserk’s mind if he would tell me what he sees in the mind’s eye.

“My beloved Thora’s burnt body, she speaks to me,” He cried. 

I sighed softly, “What does she say?” 

“Revenge her!” “A large snake processeds her…” “It looks like Ivar!” He grumbled. “It’s right behind you!” Hvitserk became alert and fearful, removing a dagger from his side and swinging it in the air. I quickly backed away and witnessed Hvitserk’s madness unfold in front of me. He put his hands to his head and let out a loud, horrific scream.

As I watched him slip slowly in front of me; I could not help but to think back at the lively, young blonde child that played innocently among the banks of Kattegat. Youthful and full of wonder and lust for life. I fell to my knees and cried in my hands. Hvitserk was gone. 

The terror and the screams lasted all night. Within the rising sun, Hvitserk subcomed to exhusation. I rested next to what was left of Hvitserk, encircling my body around his to keep him from jolting out of his sleep. Naturally, my body has a mind of it’s own during the night as I woke to find myself on the floor with the blanket around my feet and Hvitserk was nowhere to be found. I was beyond exhausted, but I could not sleep all day. Work had to be done.

It was a cold and mucky day in Kattegat. It rained in tiny droplets yet saturating everything. I’ve asked around town if they have seen Hvitserk: everyone had a different story. He was in Freya’s Meadow, he was visiting the Great Hall, the stories were endless. Some were too disgusted by his disgrace to even care to tell me where he was. I was getting aggravated.

I withdrew my sword from my side and pointed it to one of the shop keeps. “Where is the Prince of Kattegat? Tell me, or I will cut your throat!” I growled. Shaking, he pointed to the gates leading to the banks. Of course! Hvitserk loves the banks. I turned my head to the gates and then back to the shop keep, putting down my sword and running out of Kattegat.

I found Hvitserk sitting on the outer banks of Kattegat- trembling from the drenching rains. He was soaked from head to toe. He shook violently as he drank from a flask. He was not in better condition than yesterday. My heart suddenly gave out and a weight lifted from me. My Hvitserk. I began to run towards him, calling his name.

“Hvitserk! Hvitserk!” He became startled looking around. Searching for the voice. I kneeled down beside him and held his cold, clammy face in my hands. My hands were numb against his and my teeth chattered from the bitter rain. 

“Hvitserk!” 

He jumped and screeched in fear, fleeing from me. I crawled on the sand, trying to catch up to him. I got up and went behind him. His body was stiff and tight from the amount of stress he was under.