Frida

Chapter 35 - Sing

Helga had acted strangely since Frida had brought the two children to the longhouse. 

Not only did she not say much, she kept sending long stares in the direction of them, glaring at them secretively whenever she did not think Frida was watching her. Even as they dined at the longtable, she ate in silence, smiling innocently whenever her eyes would meet with Frida's.

Elisef, another woman whose husband had left to go raiding in England, too acted weirdly, and Frida felt a bit like she should know why. 

When the food had been set on the table, the brother and the sister eagerly swallowed it almost without chewing it first, and Frida could not help but to feel warm inside as she watched them eat in silence while her hand reached down under the table to stroke Freke's furry head.

He was eyeing them intently, but Frida was surprised when she saw the little girl bending her head under the table to look at him, the almost full grown wolf, before smiling widely, her eyes quickly locking with Frida's as she resurfaced. A strange chilling sensation ran over Frida's skin as she watched the two of them over the table, the flickering lights of the candles sending shadows to dance over their faces, making them appear much older than they had first seemed for her to be.

Frida drank secretively from her horn. The silence that hovered around them was mysterious, and she felt like she was the only one in the room who was oblivious to what was actually going on. As if there was something crucial to the situation that she had not come to realize yet.

"What are you two called?" she dared to voice out over the table, causing all eyes to fall upon her.

She smiled sweetly at the children, trying to ignore the awkward tension that lay thick in the warm air of the room. She wanted to know why everyone around her acted so strange. And she wanted to know why they made her feel so strange.

Both of them stared at her with their grey shining eyes, and they simultaneously reached up to grab their cups, drinking slowly while keeping their eyes on her. When they did not answer her, she felt a slightly gnawing irritation starting to creep at the sides of her skull, and she reached up to press a finger to her temple.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ubbe, Hvitserk and Sigurd appearing at the door, peeping their heads in to see the new visitors. She motioned for them to come over and join them at the table, her eyes never leaving the two strange children. They had not said anything since their first meeting with Frida, and she was starting to get nervous.

Their air was so vivid and wild. She could not make out what they were planning to do or say. So she tried again.

"If I sing you another song, will you then tell me what I should call you?"

The brother and the sister looked at each other, weighing her words between them. Frida felt Sigurd tugging at her dress, and she pulled him up to sit on her lap. The two children watched her every movement. A small wave of relief washed over her when she saw them both nodding, accepting her terms. She reached up her hand to stroke Sigurd's blonde hair gently, finally letting her eyes rest on something else than the greys of the strange children at the other side of the table.

"Sigurd, which song do you think they'd like the best?" she breathed calmly even though her insides were in turmoil.

She felt like this was somewhat important, as if someone was watching her dealing with them. She saw how Sigurd's eyes lit up, and his body stirring lightly in eager as he put his finger to his mouth, considering his options.

The room was quieter than usual. The spring had pulled heavy clouds of rain with it, but as summer had rolled over the skies above them, no rain was drumming on the roof above them. It was only the crackling of burning logs in the fire that lingered between them and the slow heartbeat of the new blacksmith hammering on his anvil somewhere in the village soothingly setting the rhythm of their breathing.