Frozen 3

Chapter 106

Iduna

The night began to fall, it was getting colder and colder. We were approaching, I felt it, but I still saw nothing on the horizon. My hands on the rail for over half an hour were frozen.

"Your Majesty, you should return to your cabin. The wind is rising, it is not safe to stay on deck."

I did not answer anything. The bow of the boat had been pitching for several minutes already and the waves were getting stronger and stronger, but that did not scare me. I stared at the sea, unperturbed. Drops of salt water regularly came crashing on my skin and the wind was breaking little by little my bun. I had only one idea in mind, to find Ahtohallan, and I will stick to it, no matter what.

"Iduna!"

My fingers tightened so tightly around the railing that my nails went into the palm of my hand.

"Iduna! What are you doing? You will catch death if you stay here!"

I felt a powerful hand on my shoulder. All the heat it contained spread through my clothes.

"Come on, we have to stay inside, it's safer."

I turned my head. Agnarr's worried face was only a few inches from mine. Suddenly, a drop came crashing on his nose, then another in his hair. An icy rain soon fell on us. He wrapped his arms around my waist and forced me to let go of the pack. I did not resist and followed him on the stairs leading to the cabins. A violent tremor propelled me against Agnarr. He caught up with me at the last moment and helped me to straighten up.

'Are you okay?' he asked, worried.

I nodded like any answer. Two sailors passed us in the corridor.

"Stay safe, there should be a storm..." one said.

Agnarr opened the door of our cabin and signalled me to go first. I entered and sat immediately on my bed. It was only a small room just big enough to put two single beds and some storage furniture. There was only one porthole and it was always very dark, which is why I did not like to stay locked in. Agnarr grabbed the little oil lamp on the bedside table and lit it.

"Look at you... You're wet!" he says, putting a lock of wet hair behind my ear.

"You are in the same state as me," I replied.

He glanced at the mirror at the back of the room.

"We should...We should change before we get cold."

I saw him rummage through a closet and pull out a clean shirt and jacket. I watched him take off his wet clothes one by one and could not take my eyes off him when he was shirtless. I could only see him from behind, but contemplating his broad shoulders was enough.

"Don't you change?" he turned suddenly.

I looked away immediately and blushed, embarrassed that he had surprised me. My eyes then rested on the window. Nets of water covered the glass, preventing us from seeing anything outside. The rain redoubled in power, I could hear it falling in torrent on the bridge above our heads.

"Yes... of course," I said, finally getting up.

I took the first dress I found and removed the one I wore. I became Agnarr's gaze upon me. My hands began to shake as I unraveled the last ties that held my clothes. Why are you acting like a teenager? This is not the first time we find ourselves alone in a room, damn it! I thought. I saw him rise through the mirror and approach me. He put his hands on my hips and pressed me against him.