The Fenrir Saga - Part I

Chapter 19

Beonnie

Hild came back, happy as a camper, as her interview had gone really well. The job was as an assistant to an accountant with only a tiny bureau used by almost all vendors in the town, making him overloaded with work. As the town was a bit of an isolated location, finding someone with the proper education had proven difficult until Hild called. He was delighted to have found her, and she was thrilled that she found him, and also overjoyed by the fact that he was completely uninterested in her or any woman, making him all the more appealing as an employer. The papers were to be signed on Monday, which was also her first day of work. Things had indeed worked out for us here.

We decided to celebrate by getting all pampered up, and having a fine dinner at Patty's. So in our finest clothes, admittedly the selection was scarce, we walked down the stairs and over to our booth in the corner. Eager to celebrate, we managed to show up just before the rush again, and again there was a dark presence in the other corner. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed that Vidar was sitting opposite the.. uhm.. presence, with his back against us.

Hild was chitchatting about her new job, beaming at how well it had all turned out when she suddenly paused. As always, when thinking happy thoughts about the future, memories of what has happened before come, and I could see the light break in Hild's eyes before the tears came.

I took her hand across the table. Being inexperienced with human contact, I didn't know what to say, so I just sat there holding her hand while she cried for the first time. The tears were silent at first, but soon they became a self-fulfilling prophecy, pushing her emotions onto a cliff and then over. She sobbed, but then her anxiety level went over the cliff and she had to gasp for air in between, her hand to her chest and throat. 

I was just about to get up and get a plastic bag for her to breathe in, when suddenly the man from across the room came over in a blur, sat down next to Hild, and scooped her up in his arms.

I should have protested; I knew that. I should've snarled at him like Hild always did, but I didn't. I should've done something, but I just couldn't. I was dumbstruck by the expression on his chiseled face. Like a victim of Medusa's stare, I was unable to move, frozen in motion by the love that emanated from the man. He looked at Hild with such care in his dark eyes and held her with such tenderness as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him, and I just couldn't take my eyes off him. Admittedly, I was also a bit shocked to see Hild's reaction of complete submission into the embrace, as if there was no power or strength left in her. He "Shh" -ed and rocked her, and she cried into his neck, and there was something so fragile over the scene that I held my breath to not disturb.

Eventually, I had to breathe, and with a, for the situation, completely unsuitable gasp, I at least managed to break the enchantment placed upon myself. Vidar was now standing behind the man's back with an annoyingly empathic smile as if he had more profound knowledge about the sincerity in the scene. But he couldn't have, we didn't know him, and he didn't know us, so he couldn't possibly know what had happened to Hild just a couple of days ago. I did understand that my irritation probably originated from the fact that I was extremely unsure of what to do, and it annoyed me that he seemed so content with the situation.

The man still kept Hild in his arms and started to pat her on the back to calm her down. He murmured into her hair, and I could only make out a word or two now and then. So, I just sat there watching until I finally managed to make out what he said.

"It will be alright, Hild. Don't worry. It will sort itself out."

I stood up with such haste that I managed to tip a glass of water over, causing some of the other guests to glance in our direction. Seeing only a clumsy girl standing up, they quickly resumed their meals. I, on the other hand, was now fuming. Working up a rage. However, not wanting to draw attention, I hissed instead of yelling.