Touch The Sky

Prolouge

"Grandpa!" a small red haired girl cried out as she burst through the front door of her grandfather's  home. 

An old Viking grinned as he saw his beloved grandchild enter the room. He felt a tug on his heart  as he saw those freckled cheeks and green eyes that reminded him so much of his wife. He missed her every day. Thought of her every day for the past five years. His granddaughter crawled up into his lap and kissed his bearded cheek.

"Solveig! Look at you! You've gotten so big since I last saw you!"  man chuckled.

"Grandpa! You saw me yesterday!" Solveig giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Did I? Are you sure?" he questioned and stroked his beard in thought.

"Yes! You taught me how to make my own axe handle!" Solveig placed her small hands on her hips and playfully glared at her grandfather.

"So I did." He smirked and imagined the look his wife would have given him, "What can I do for my little one?"

The girl's eyes brightened and his heart clenched as they danced with the same colors as hers. Solveig jumped off his lap and scurried over to the shelf and pulled down a beautiful leather bound book. She placed it gently in his lap and sat at his feet in front of the fire. The hopeful look in her eye gave him no chance to deny her request. So he sat up straighter and let his fingers trace the delicate words carved into the leather. A single tear threatened to fall from his own green eyes as his fingers grazed over his wife's name. The small child reached up a small hand and took his, their eyes connecting.

"Tell me about Grandma, Grandpa." Solveig begged and he had no choice but to comply.

"The first time I laid eyes on your grandmother I felt my deranged heart soar. She had wild green eyes just like you, little one."

"But your eyes are green too!"

"Aye, but hers were different, bright green like the most beautiful shimmering emeralds. Perfection."

"Wow."

"She had freckles dusted across her pale cheeks and brown locks of hair that reminded me of the softest furs. The sound of her thunderous war cry was music to my ears. The way she sliced through my men was graceful, yet deadly, a dance of blades. The woman of my dreams was finally in my sights and I knew I couldn't let the chance to have her as my chieftess. I could not let this woman slip through my fingers." Dagur spoke as he closed his eyes remembering the first time he saw Gunhild Haddock.