Grey Souls

Need

Large mighty ships overturned in front of a mighty wall, screams of battle and the dying echoing out, the feeling of lungs quickly filling with chilled water crushing them from the inside out making it impossible to breath. Screams of her name from various people echoed in her mind as she fought violently against the crushing water that turned her every which way making it impossible to break the surface to catch her breath. Blackness followed by flashes of a tunnel, soldiers carrying her to some place she knew not where, cold and numbness overtaking her body her senses blurred and unreliable. A dark room with a single light, a large strong male figure stepping into the light a glorious finely crafted golden crown upon his head his body drapped in fine robes of gold and black and white. She can not see his face but his deep blue eyes twinkle at her in the low lighting. A feeling of utter safety washes over her luring her to a deep slumber. A strong and utterly calm voice speaks in her ear the words uttered in beautiful sounding language she identified as French "Rest."

Shooting upright with a startled gasp Daga looked around her room settling down once she noticed she was still in her room at her father and step mother's home, her son sound asleep on the other side of the soft bed of furs while her daughter slept just as peacefully between them. A horrible feeling settled within her stomach as she took a deep breath before standing from her bed and grabbing her long ink black silken robe wrapping it securely around herself covering her night tunic from view. She quietly left the room heading out into the main room of the Long House stopping short at the sight that greeted her, all the noise falling silent upon her arrival as everyone's attention drew to her.

Her father stood before the hearth his back turned from her as Lagertha sat beside
Aslaug cradling her twin sons closely to her person as she looked up her beautiful face swollen and streaked with the evidence of heavy crying and little sleep. Aslaug held her close her face sad and concerned, Daga looked up towards Bjorn who stared listlessly down at his hands. She knew in that moment that Athelstan was not the only death upon them.

"He is dead." Daga stated rather then asked as she gazed harshly at her mother who silently began crying again before jerkily nodding her head. Daga knew the horrible feeling was a warning that Earl Kalf was dead.
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Bjorn took a moment to let the news sink in before standing tall as he knew his sister would need him for this. Daga had not moved the entire day from the backyard sitting at the bottom of a large hill and gazing intently into the sky, never blinking not even when the sun shone directly into her solid gold eyes. Her hair was a mess and she was still wearing her sleep tunic with her robe covering it one leg pulled under her and the other stretched out straight in front of her. The rays of sunlight hitting her other worldly pale skin making it seem to glow golden almost.

Bjorn faltered in his steps as he noticed Harald on the other side staring sadly yet intently down at the young woman who meant so much to so many, clinching his jaw something would not allow him to walk any further towards his sister leaving him no choice but to turn around and walk back the way he had come shaking with a barely controlled rage as he went.

Daga knew they were there but she did not care, she cared about nothing in that moment. She could feel a piece of her heart die and her soul to darken a shade now a pitiful grey color instead of the pure and vibrant white it once was. She cared not. She knew in having Athelstan killed there would be blow back, not from the Gods oh no but from Mother Nature. There was someone she had to see one last time someone who she knew could help her to understand this turn of events. She gently tugged on the woven bracelet she now wore around her and gripped it tightly in her hand as she focused on his memory going through the realms of her world and those of his to reach him but she finally found him as the wind blew relaxing her as the smell of craving polish mixed with soil and a natural musk that once intoxicate her but now made her simply nostalgic.