Echoes in Time

Time to go....

"Right you! Out of bed NOW!" The curtains were yanked open, and sunlight flooded into her room.

"G'way...." she moaned from deep under the quilt. "Let me die, you monster...." her head pounded, and her stomach churned. She was too old for this.  They were ALL too old for this.

The plane had landed late the previous evening, but that hadn't stopped Simon insisting there were PLENTY of bars still open and HOURS of time left to enjoy a little Scandinavian hospitality.

It had seemed reasonable.  A couple of drinks, maybe a little food, after all this was the Land of the Midnight Sun, no one went to bed early! 

As they crawled into their rooms at 4.30am, it didn't seem quite so reasonable. 

As she now sat up, looking like the Bride of Frankenstein, it definitely didn't feel reasonable.

Simon wandered over and sat down on the edge of the bed.  Handing her a takeaway cup, she held it under her nose for a second and sniffed deeply, then gagged. Screwing up her eyes, she took a mouthful of her medicine. He laughed loudly, making her wince.

"Oh lovie, if only your viking ancestors could see you now.  Hardly a specimen of Shieldmaiden fortitude, are we? God alone knows what that poor bloke in the pub would think.  You know, the one with the pigtails and the smile."

She unscrewed her bloodshot eyes and looked at him unsteadily. "Wh..who?" Her mind plummeted almost as much as her stomach. "Wh...what man?"

Simon laughed again. "Oh, this is priceless. Absolutely priceless.  You try and cop off with one of THE most handsome men I -or Grant - have ever seen, and you can't remember?" He stood up. "Well, you'd better try. We're meeting him for a tour of the town in an hour. Get showered and dressed, and I'll meet you downstairs."

"Oh dear God. I did what?" She flushed hot and cold. "Did I... cop off as you so delicately put it?" She was afraid to ask.

"Nope. You didn't he seemed far more interested in your heritage than anything remotely embarrassing you might have said. I just don't know... tall, handsome, sexy eyes... you're just a magnet for them... look at me, I adore you, and I'm not even into women!"

"Oh, Simon, get out, you big lump." She smiled and threw a pillow at him. "You're such a martyr!"

He bowed and  walked to the door, then paused, hand on the carved wooden handle. "You know, if I hadn't known he was actually more into me than you, I'd have said you made a cute couple." He smiled and sighed. "Maybe he's got a friend...."

"Get out!"

The door slammed and there was the sound of cackling from the other side.

Elli lay back on the remaining pillow and watched the clouds scud across the pale morning sky.  Handsome. Yes, he had been. Very. But there was more to it.  As the evening began to  creep back into her conscious mind, flashbacks replayed.

The three of them; Simon, Grant and her, had been sitting in a small bar, downing ale from plastic drinking horns like good tourists, when he'd walked in.

It wasn't quite a "the bar fell silent" moment, but almost.  In her world, there had been an unseen force dragging her eyes to him.  He'd walked up to the bar, leaned against it casually, and ordered a beer.  It was the most casual of actions, but she couldn't look away.

He said a few words to the barmaid and then turned and leaned with his back against it while he waited.  His eyes scanned the room. The usual mix of locals, of whom he knew 90%, and tourists of whom he wanted to know about 1%... no, wait. His eyes swivelled back to the little group in the corner.

Two men, obviously together and a woman, obviously not. The men were handsome, his type. The woman? Well, now, she was pretty. In a womanly way. Curves and smile to cherish. Well, not him, but someone would.  She reminded him of a woman he knew once. A long time ago.

Lifting his drink, he smiled and walked over.  "Hi! You must be new around here. I haven't seen you in here before." He held out his hand to her.

Elli looked up and smiled. "Hi. No, we just arrived tonight. Would you like to join us?"

So he did.  Introductions, at that point, seemed unnecessary. They were just having a casual drink. They'd never meet again, so why bother complicating things? A few rounds later, it started to get VERY complicated.

"So you're a Viking. Come home to see the folks then eh?" He said, raising his sixth beer of the night, seemingly able to hold his drink to the point that they wondered if he was even human.

Elli nodded. "Yup. Shieldmaiden! That's what he calls me!" She grinned, feeling about as far from human as possible at that point. Several drinks in, she was feeling no pain and incredibly brave.

"What would you like to call me?" She slid a little closer and as Simon and Grant looked shocked, she kissed the handsome stranger full on the mouth.

His eyes widened in shock, but equally he didn't pull away.  He didn't want to humiliate her.

"Elli!" They chorused, "what the... sorry. She obviously can't drink like a Shieldmaiden. She doesn't get out much." Simon peeled her away and they stood up.

"Sorry." Elli giggled. "You're just so..."

"Shut up Elli!" Grant hissed at her. "Look, we better take her back to the hotel before she acosts you any more. Really REALLY sorry mate."

Simon nodded and scooped her up, giggling and throwing her head back in abandon. "If I didn't think you'd want to run a mile in the opposite direction we'd invite you to brunch to apologise."  Typical Simon, generous to a fault over his darling little Elli.

The stranger, laughing himself, nodded. "I'd like that. I have a feeling this one is someone special. To you both?"

Simon and Grant exchanged long suffering looks and nodded.

"Ok, so, how about the café on Odins Forth? About 11am? Mind if I bring a friend? I have a feeling he will want to meet... Elli is it?

Simon nodded, "Sure, the more the merrier. 11 sounds good. See you then." They walked away, Grant opening the door.  Before they left, their new friend caught up with them.

"Oh, since we're to be more than just drinking buddies, perhaps we should actually be introduced?"

Simon freed a hand up from where he now carried a sleeping Elli and stuck it out. "Simon.. this is Elli as you know."

"Pleasure." They shook hands awkwardly.

"And I'm Grant, Simon's partner." Grant smiled a little shy as always in these situations.

"Pleasure Grant."

"And you are?" Simon prompted him, as he stared at Elli, again seeming fascinated by her.

"Oh, oh sorry. Yes, bit unusual really. Its an old Norse name...Fandral.  My name's Fandral......"