It's never over // Sihtric Kjartansson

Chapter Five

It had been 3 years since Tove had left Dunholm hand in hand with Sihtirc. She lived in a Saxon village for the first time. It was filled with common folk and farmers. The land was open, the houses spacious and the air clean. Living in Coocham was exactly what Tove needed, no more hiding. Over the years she had become close with 2 of Uhtreds other warriors Finan and Clapa, she enjoyed being able to joke and laugh with people other than Sihtric. And for the first time in longer than she could remember Tove had befriended a woman. Gisela and Tove could have been mistaken for sisters. All of this, a house and silver in her pocket, it was all Tove could have ever wanted, but it was missing one thing. A lover. Tove and Sihtric had been inseparable since they met in the smithy, nothing had changed. Where you saw Tove, Sihtric was close behind. Their houses were side by side, they ate together, the meals she cooked. Everyday Tove and Sihtric would go for long walks, they would only part to work or sleep. No one could understand that they weren't married or betrothed. Tove thought the same thing. Every day her first thought was Sihtric, she was desperately in love with the man. To be honest she always was, she didn't allow herself to admit it in fear Kjartan would find out who she was and she would have to flee. Tove couldn't bare the thought of leaving him. But now they had nothing to worry about and she knew for a fact Sihtric felt the same way about her. Tove noticed the smile he only gave to her, she noticed the moments where he would look at her for just that little bit longer than usual, she noticed the way he would put his arms around her, she noticed how hard he blushed when teased about liking her, she noticed how often his eyes would move to her lips before quickly returning to her eyes, she felt the tension between the two of them. So what's stopping her? If there was one thing Tove feared more than wasps it was rejection. She had played out in her mind the scenario of her confessing her love and Sihtric laughing in her face. She had nightmares of them all laughing at her, of them thinking she joined Uhtred as an attempt to get with Sihtric. Lord Uhtred agreed to let Tove serve him as a shield maiden, she was his only woman warrior. She wanted to prove to him that she served him and not her heart. Though it pained her, Tove's fear kept her from confessing. She thought it would be safer if she kept her mind on track.

Tove was up at dawn as usual, she thought a day spent sleeping in was a day wasted. She had forced her mindset onto Sihtric by dragging him on early morning hunts. Tove planted 3 knocks on his front door. Usually Sihtric would call for her to come in or be ready and open the door but today she was left waiting.
"I'm coming in Sihtric." Tove called, gently opening the door, his axe and boots were not in their usual place by the front door.
"No way." She whispered under her breath. Tove headed for the stable and just as she had thought the horses were gone. All but Tove's and the 4 that worked the fields. Sighing angrily Tove decided to go to the hall and wait for the men's return.
Half an hour had passed before someone entered the hall. It was not Uhtred or his men, it was Aethelwold.
"What are you doing here?" Tove said calmly, startling the Saxon.
"Oh uh. Hello. Um Tove was it?"
"You didn't answer my question." Tove said impatiently. There was something about Aethelwold that Tove just didn't like, other than his entitlement and rudeness that was.
"I am here to give a message to your Lord. Is he here?"
"Not at this moment, no. What is the message?"
"I would like to tell it to Lord Uhtred myself."
"And you will. But what is your message?"
"There is a man in Dane land, well a deadman. He speaks for the gods and has a message for Uhtred."
"A dead man did you say?"
"Yes. I have seen it myself. And Uhtred will see it himself too."
"How much have you had to drink?" Tove said as she scrunched her face. Where was he getting this rubbish from?
"None! I am completely sober and have been for 10 days or more."
"Okay." She said slowly, showing she still didn't believe him.

"Someone's in trouble." Finan laughed smacking Sihtric on the shoulder as they approached the village and saw Tove. She stood hands on hips with raised eyebrows.
"All of you!" Tove shouted, hearing Finans remark.
"Uhtred do you recall what you said last time you went without me?"
"Um... you could come next time?"
"Wow so now you remember." She replied sarcastically. They began to walk back to the village.
"Tove I'm sorry! It's just we planned this and we were going to invite you, honest, but you said you were tired and we didn't want to wake you."
"Oh come on Uhtred, what a lame excuse."
"Tove last time I woke you up you tackled me to the ground." Sihtric pointed out.
"Well you made me jump, I was sleeping and you suddenly grabbed my shoulders. But Uhtred please just take me next time. What's the point of you allowing me to serve you if I never do anything."
"Okay, but Sihtric is the one waking you not me."
"What?" Sihtric threw his arms up in the air with a laugh. As he brought them down he wrapped his left arm round Toves shoulders pulling her close to him.
"So did you go hunting without me?" He asked
"No, but I did have a really interesting conversation with a whiney ginger Saxon."
"Aethelwold is here?" Finan asked quickly.
"How did you know?" Another sarcastic comment from Tove.