Eyes of Fire

Blood of a Deer

  The hall was boisterous with all of the laughing and talking and music. Bjorn's army had arrived earlier that day and were gathered in the hall for a feast along with the families of Kattegat that had chosen to show up.

  I was seated next to Helga, listening to her tell stories as we drank. Garmr was curled up on the pelts beneath the thrones to stay out of the way and not risk getting stepped on by one of the drunken men. The smell of cooked meat and mead permeated the air, and Floki happily came over with two men following behind him. They greeted Helga with smiles and hugs before my father pulled me to my feet and introduced me.

  They paused, seeing the way I looked, but then shook my hand with smiles in a form of greeting. It seemed they were old friends with Helga and Floki that had been to battle together before, and I simply listened to them talk unless they asked me a question to which I replied.

  There was only a pause in the conversation as a cheer went up in the hall, and I took that as the chance to slip away.

  "Skol!" Everyone raised their drinks, and I sighed through my nose while sitting on the pelts next to Garmr.

  "Is everything all right, Hel?" Alsaug asked as she came over and took a seat on her throne.

  "Fine. I just tire of the stares."

  "Well, you are a beautiful woman. Men will stare." She chuckled.

  "I am an oddity, you mean. I am young with the hair of an old woman, and I look like death."

  "You do not." She waved her hand. "I will admit that you do lack much color, but that does not make you ugly."

  "No, it makes me terrifying. The gods have marked me, and it's clear. They fear a curse as any man should."

  "But surely you are not cursed." She took a drink from her chalice.

  "As far as I am aware, no. But who am I to determine why the gods have made me look this way?" I rose my brows, and she simply hummed in reply while taking a drink.

  "Are you sure you wish to go into battle? You've only been here for such a short while. These men and women are but strangers to you." Aslaug looked over the people in the hall while I glanced at my father as he was cackling and patting someone on the shoulder.

  "I will be honest with you, m'lady, I feel the need to prove myself. What better way than in battle?"

~

  There were lit fires, men chanting prayers to the gods as the sacrificial deer was brought to the queen while she was dressed in white and her face painted with black and red. The animal was strung up before Aslaug, and she slit its throat, letting its blood pool into a bowl below.

  Hopefully, the gods would accept this sacrifice and lead us all to victory.

  The queen flicked the buck's fresh blood onto her sons to bless them as smaller bowls of it were passed around to the other warriors to also be blessed. The drums grew louder as I dipped one of my hands into the blood in front of me and smeared it across my face. Those that were already blessed were cheering and laughing with their families and friends.

  The fires danced all around us as the celebration continued. I knelt down to look Garmr in the eye, anointing him with blood on his forehead and snout. The wolf knew well what this meant, this wasn't his first blessing, and threw his head back with a howl. Drunken and laughing people tossed back their heads and joined him in a deafening chorus.

  Now it was time to drink and dance in the name of the gods around the built-up fires.

~

  Cringing and groaning as I woke up, I smelt nothing but....horses....and goats. Cracking open my eyes, I saw that I was laying in a pile of straw, and a horse was grazing right at my side. Garmr was curled up in the straw with me, and I sat up while rubbing my temples.