It gets easier

Chapter 17 / Working hard

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Ylva promised Thorfinn that she would work him hard, and she did, and he allowed it...

And Gudrid had never seen him be more exhausted.

He fixed the roof, the window with a loose hinge, he washed the floors, spent his free time making a new steel pan, and much more.

It was mostly physical work, so it was no wonder that Thorfinn was so exhausted.

She felt bad for her dear husband, of course, but she also admired him for it, and she even tried to help him with what she could and supported him greatly.

She helped him with various chores, especially the ones she knew she was better at than him, and she continued to bring him his lunch like she would when he was working.

In the evenings she would also try to help him loosen up his tense muscles, especially in his neck, shoulders, and back, which she knew how to do pretty well since she had grown up with a mom with a bad back.

So strangely enough, it all caused them to be able to spend more time together.

"Alright, hold her leg like that." Gudrid muttered as Thorfinn held the surprisingly docile sheep in place.

Gudrid sheared the last of the legs, carefully getting to the innermost layers of thick matted wool. She had a deep, concentrated look on her face, and Thorfinn didn't dare disturb her by saying a word.

Next, Gudrid sheared the sheep's tail, moving from there and up its spine. It got a little nervous at one point, but it ended up being no problem, and then they were finally finished.

"Phew!" Gudrid sighed as she watched the sheep go over to the others. She wiped sweat off of her brow, the hair she had fallen out of her bun sticking to her head. "Thanks for the help!" She grinned and Thorfinn chuckled.

"I should be the one saying that. Ylva told me to shear the sheep, but you ended up doing it all."

"Yeah, but I don't mind it." She said as she let her hair fall down and approached Thorfinn. "My family are all Sheppards after all; I grew up doing this, so it's really the only thing I'm really good at, well, that and herding the sheep too."

"Don't say that."

"Okay, what else is there?" She tilted her head to the side, still with a smile on her face, and Thorfinn could tell that Gudrid knew just how charming she was being. "And don't say I'm good at making you feel better, or at being a good wife or anything like that."

He smiled at her. He probably would have said something like that, actually, but what he ended up saying was just as true.

"I'm sure you'll make an amazing sailor, Gudri."

Gudrid blinked, seeming to be taken aback by his words, although she knew she shouldn't have been. It was just like him to say something as genuine and kind as that.

And again there was the thought that it was happening, that Leif could arrive any day, and she and Thorfinn really would leave.

It still nearly brought tears to her eyes.

"I really hope so." She nodded, still blushing, but then a smile got a little sinister. "I can't wait to see the look on Leif's face."

"I'm sure he'll be surprised." Thorfinn chuckled, seeing how quick her mood changed.

"I kind of hope he'll be mortified, but then he has to accept it."

"I suppose that would be a fun expression."

She nodded. "I'll treasure it."

Thorfinn chuckled, loving the playful spark in Gudrid's eyes.

He admired it.

"I'm sure..."

"Now," she sighed, bringing the subject back to their work as she turned back towards the pile of wool. "What do we do with this? She doesn't want us to spin it, does she?"

"I don't think so; she knows neither of us are good at it."

"So you admit it." Gudrid joked, nudging him in the side with her elbow.

He chuckled at her before they quickly got back to work.


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It was in the evening that the exhaustion always showed itself in Thorfinn. That was when everyone saw how hard he really worked.

His body began to ache and he began to yawn. When his nephews wanted to play by jumping onto his back and shoulders, he groaned but still let them, unable to tell them no, knowing it was a matter of a short time before they would part ways, which hadn't been a fun conversation to have with the children at all.

"I suppose it's been a good thing that you've been willing to help, Gudrid. Seeing how spent he is, I can't imagine if he'd had to do it all by himself. That little weakling." Ylva huffed, albeit with a smile on her face.

"I'm right here..." Thorfinn muttered, taking a little offense.

"It's really not all that much; I helped more today than usual, but that's because I grew up learning how to shear sheep. It's easy for me."

"I'm going to miss you in the years to come." Ylva groaned, lowering her head into her palm. "But with that being said... I release you, Thorfinn; you are a free man once again," she said, making it sound like she was freeing Thorfinn from slavery.

"Thank... you?..." He said hesitantly, unsure what to feel about having been seen as a slave rather than an actually responsible brother and family member. Only a moment later did he seem to understand what she was saying. "Wait, does that mean you have no more chores for me?"

"Only your usual duties! But other than that... no, I can't think of anything. Unless, of course, the boy breaks something, then I'll ask you to fix it."

Thorfinn turned to his nephews. "Did you hear that, boys?"

"Yeah!"

"We'll be careful not to break anything, uncle Thorfinn!"

"So until Leif arrives, I suppose you should continue to talk about your plans or just... relax." Ylva continued, and Thorfinn smiled. He was actually sure that Ylva would actually be able to think of something he should do if she really tried. He'd like to think that Ylva genuinely wanted to give him and Gudrid some time to rest before they left Iceland.

"Thank you."

"Hey," Drifa called, suddenly distracted from playing with her dolls. "Does that mean you'll have time to play with me?!"

Thorfinn and Gudrid laughed. "We'll certainly try to find the time."

This time would not only be to relax, but to spend meaningful time with the family before they left them; after all, so much could happen in one to two years, and that was still something that worried Thorfinn, leaving them behind, but it wasn't at all like it had been in the beginning. No, now he was ready.