Frida

Chapter 33 - Join Me

While writing this chapter, I listened to this particular Danish song, so I thought you guys might like it: Søs Fenger - "Du er." It is a song about love, and about how the girl is saying that her boyfriend has taken her heart with him and that he should be careful with it, kinda appropriate for this chapter. You can find it on YouTube if you'd like. 

A deep sound from a rounded horn blared in the wind as Bjørn let the axe fall and slice through the neck of the horse, respectful silence spread out over the circled crowd of people who were gathered to celebrate the annual spring equinox sacrifice.

This was another celebratory day that was new to Frida.

The entire village would gather around a big fire and sacrifice animals to the gods in the hopes of having a good summer ahead of them. The blood of the animals was to be spilled into bowls, and then with twigs it would be sprayed over the fields and paths of the city, spreading fertility to the land.

Frida loved the flourishing agility that beamed from the villagers and roamed over them, creating a tense air between them all that accelerated into the axe that Bjørn held in his hands. A small line of drops of blood splashed over his cheek as the horse fell to its front knees, a giant gush of air escaping its flaring nostrils.

Frida looked at its dark eyes as they widened, their owner well aware of its destiny. A red fountain gushed from its throat, and while two men held its head to gather the red liquids, Bjørn held the axe up into the air, his voice sounding clearly over the big crowd of people.

"Njord, Frej, and Odin. Accept our gifts!"

The silence hung thick among the circle of people, the lonely horn blaring the one sound that chimed along the rushing wind. The air was fragrant, bloomy, and while another throat of an animal was cut open, Frida closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose, inhaling all the small, mysterious and magical senses and smells that were hidden in the air of the spring.

Salt, damp earth, moist and grass traveled through her lungs and spread out over her skin, sending a light chill to spread over her body. She felt a small nudging at her arm, and she turned her head to lay her eyes down upon a couple of mossy green pearls that stared at her from behind Ragnar's shoulder, and a wide smile spread over her face, a drum beating heavily with love in her chest.

Ragnhildir giggled sweetly in her father's arms, reaching her arm up once more to send her mother a quick wave, a move she had learned recently. Frida smiled lovingly at her daughter and she sent her a small wave back, suddenly feeling a couple of icy blue crystals on her.

Her eyes traveled up to meet with Ragnar's, and he curled his lips at her before kissing Ragnhildir's thin blond hair. The baby girl in his arms grinned at him and reached up her hand to grab at his beard, pulling roughly at it, making him squeeze his eyes together. Frida wanted to laugh out, but she quieted herself by covering her mouth with her hand and coughing a little, sensing a couple of eyes from the villagers around them.

Her heart pounded proudly in her chest as she gazed at Ragnar and their daughter. Ragnhildir was very fond of her father.

Very.

It was up to that level where Frida sometimes felt a slight pinch of jealousy in her stomach when she saw how her daughter's eyes lit up when Ragnar entered the room, how her arms immediately hovered over her chest as she expected him to pick her up, and how her whole presence would shine when she sat comfortably on his hip.

Frida always shook her head when the pinching started, because she knew that it was stupid.

She was overjoyed that Ragnar and Ragnhildir had such a loving relationship, but she also knew that the pinching grew not just out of jealousy. It was too out of fear for the day when her daughter had to wave goodbye to her father on Kattegat's harbor, when he was to go raiding in England in a couple of weeks.