It was just before the sun came over the horizon when Jon awoke in a familiar place. The dirt floors and cedar wood walls, coupled a familiar sight with its slight smell, making him remember just how much he already missed his childhood home.
Jon slid out of his bed, feeling the cool, hard compacted dirt under his feet. The air had a scent of fresh bread baking along with the delectably salty tell tale smell of smoked bacon being cooked. As Jon began to get hungry, he rubbed his eyes and walked to the main room in the house.
As Jon looked down at his feet to pull on his boots, he saw three tomes lying on the ground right between his feet, boots laying right on top as if someone placed them there. The sight brought back the memories of his night in Woden's hall and all the foreign invasions of his mind along with them.
Jon picked up his tomes and put them in a new deer skin bag his mother had made from the deer he killed on his first successful hunt. The bag had a tanned leather strap sewn onto it and a nice string to close the bag, which was made from braiding together three long straps of soft leather hide, one strap being very darkly stained, one being tanned to a light almost yellow, and one being regular soft leather brown.
As Jon admired the new gift, he came back to reality as he heard his name being called from the same direction as the wonderful smell of breakfast. Jon hurriedly pulled on his boots, slung his bag over his back like a quiver and hurriedly moved to the kitchen.
As Jon came crashing into the kitchen his mother, Lagertha, his father, Raska and little sister Hilda were all staring at him with eyes wide, spoons full of egg and bacon, still as a room of statues. The awkward pause lasted until Hilda's eggs slid from her spoon and everyone busted into a hearty laugh.
"I will miss these little moments together my son.." Lagertha blurted out as tears welled in her eyes. Everyone around the table sighed and looked at their plates as tears and mixed emotions filled their faces.
"I will miss all of you as well, but I will be back. With luck and the Jarls' kindness I may be able to move you closer than what you are now. I love you all, let us enjoy this meal together now." Jon croaked out as he fought off the frog forming in his throat and the tears invading his eyes. Together they ate and conversed until the sun finally began to peak over the hills.
"Now that the sun is here I need to be leaving. Jarl Svygard will not be happy if I'm late for departure, he may even leave without me. I will miss you all, I already do. I cannot wait to return to you with good news. Be safe and I hope this winter is easy on you all." Jon said as he lay a fat, hefty purse of gold coins on the table with a solid thud. Those coins were from his raid last winter and gifts he had won from the Jarls' naive and often drunken men he had gambled with all winter.
Because Jon was leaving to be taught by a Jarl, his father was no longer obligated to go on a raid this winter, as a man of the household was serving in his stead. "Father, will you be raiding this winter?" Jon was too curious to stop himself from asking.
Raska became four shades paler than he was before and as he looked at Lagertha sweat began to bead on his brow. "W-well son, your mother and I have decided it's best for an old coot like me to leave my shield and sword hanging up before I end up like old master Gu.. I figure the village needs someone to teach the boys and girls how to swing a sword and thrust a spear properly now that he is gone.." Raska looked down at his plate and began to poke and swirl around a piece of egg before dropping the spoon and finishing his cup of breakfast ale.
Hilda was silent the entire time, only to get up, look at Jon, tears welling in her eyes she finally spoke, "Jon, please make it back home to us. I missed you last winter and I don't know how long you are going to be gone, but I made this for you, it will keep you safe on your journey." As Hilda said this, tears were rolling down her little cheeks like two little unending streams. As she brought her hands from behind her back Jon saw a corded necklace with a big, beautiful, glossy, black stone with a white Berkano rune carved next to a red Tiwaz rune. These runes symbolize Honor, Sacrifice, Justice, Safety, Wisdom, Healing and Change.
As Jon looked at this item he felt the power flowing through the runes. He saw in his mind's eye that his little sister was going to be a powerful practitioner of Northman magic. She would be a powerful Volva one day. As he snapped back to reality, he was looking into his sister's eyes, no more than six inches from their faces touching.
Jon finally spoke in a whisper, "Hilda, show no one these things. Go into the woods and meditate, ask for Freyja, she will help you. You have power that you need to develop. This necklace you made me is a powerful item. Above everything tell no one. Not even mom and dad, if anyone finds out, they may hurt someone close to you to use your power."
As Jon spoke, Hilda cried less and less as a resolute look appeared on her face. She only nodded, but the energy coming from her was all Jon needed to understand how serious she was now. She started eating voraciously and finished her food before Jon could start to say goodbye to Lagertha.
"MO-OOOOMMMM! I want to go outside and play now! Can I go outside and play?! Please, Please, Pleeease?!" Hilda said as she scrunched her face and bat her lashes at her mother in an attempt to beg her into getting her way, yet again.
"Fine little one, but be safe and take your bow. If you find any rabbits, remember the stew pot is empty tonight. I love you my little Hilda." As Lagertha finished speaking, Hilda jumped up quickly, kissed her mother and father on the cheek, hugged Jon around the stomach and ran outside, grabbing her short bow and quiver on the way out without slowing pace or missing a step.
"That girl is going to be a crazy shield-maiden when she grows up.." Raska said jokingly while shaking his head and smiling.
Jon smiled at his father and hugged both of his parents close. Looking at Lagertha, Jon said, "Mother you need to watch this one, he might go crazy sitting in one place for so long. Don't let him drink too much or he will be drunk every night and miserable every morning! Oh and make sure dad teaches those kids he will be training all the techniques I used to beat his ass in a sparring match a while back!" As Jon said this a large hand quickly found itself firmly planted on the back of his head as a crisp smack resounded.
"Ah, maybe that will knock that memory out of there! Haha, years of beating your ass in sparring matches and you remember one time.. Ahhhh how proud you are making us.. we will miss you son. Now go forth and bring pride to our name!" Raska said as he puffed out his chest and turned his head up to the sky out of pride.
Jon relinquished his grip on his parents and put on the runestone necklace as he turned to leave. He fixed his sword and axe to his belt, put his bow on his back and put his quiver in the bag with the tomes in it, and then Jon walked out of his childhood home, one hand in the air waving goodbye to his parents until he heard the door close firmly behind him.