Vili and I stood side by side as we looked at the sea of curious eyes, some whispered quietly between each other but their words were clear as a steam to my ears.
"Everyone take your place, it's time to bring the Valkryies fourth to take Earl Bereke to the halls of the Gods." I said to the crowd of warriors, within seconds everyone begun shuffling towards the pire.
"Are you ready to send your father to Valhalla?" I asked Vili, he looked towards the pire, taking a deep breath.
"Yes, it is time for him to meet Odin." Vili said.
"Stand at my side." He asked, but more so stated. I looked at his concerned eye. I nodded slowly. We walked towards the pire. Everyone had made an isle for us to walk down as we headed towards the pire. Lady Astrid, Kili and Bjorn placed their offerings by Earl Bereke. We waited for them to finish before we approached, Vili placed a spear in his fathers hands, his favourite weapon. As Vili made his way off the pire, I spoke quiet words to Earl Bereke.
"Earl Bereke, protector of our people and father to my mate, I bid you safe passage to Valhalla. Soon, you will ride the smoke to the skies and feast with Odin and your brothers. May you find peace, until we meet again and drink to our victories." I said, using my small dagger on my belt I cut the top of my index finger, tracing a small line of blood along his forehead. My blood would signify his importance, although he didn't need it, I wanted to be sure he made it safely to Valhalla. I turned to find everyone watching quietly as I walked down towards Vili who watched my every step. I stood by his side and gave him a small nod as he searched me for guidance.
"Tonight we remember Earl Bereke, a great warrior and father. He died doing what he loved, fighting and protecting our family. Although he is not here in body, he is drinking with us in spirit. Boy did he love his drink. But tonight we do not mourn for him, we drink and feast in his name so that when he reaches Valhalla, our cheers will reach the golden halls. Let's give my father the best farewell he could ever ask for." Vili said, everyone cheered and raised their horns to their fallen Earl. Vili looked down at me as our warriors continued to cheer.
"Would you do the honour of lighting my fathers path to Valhalla?" Vili asked quietly, I hesitated for a moment before nodding. I walked around with Vili to the edge of the pire, the highest point of the cliff face. I looked at Vili as he watched me closely.
"Jump with me?" I asked. His face light up at my question, I walked right to the edge of the cliff with Vili at my side. I looked into his blue eyes that were now full of excitement and hesitation. I pulled his face down into a kiss. After the tension left his body, I pulled us both off and over the edge of the cliff. My shift was the quickest I had ever done, the tips of my wing dipped into the ocean as I thrusted my wings and carried us towards the ocean and into the sky. Vili sat in the centre of my back after my shift with more confidence than earlier, it was as if he was meant to sit there. As I turned to head back to the pire, I heard gasps and chatter as the warriors realised Vili was on my back. I believe that deep down, they all knew something was going to eventually grow between us, we were both always to naive to see it until now. I slowed my body as I thrusted my wings continuously to keep us in the air above the pire, I let out a small growl, everyone stood back quickly knowing the heat of dragons fire would melt flesh instantly.
"Let's give Earl Bereke one final send off!" Vili shouted from my back over the thrusts of my wings. The warriors yelled and screamed in one final send off, louder than before. I let out a loud roar before letting the flame confuse me. My chest glowed red as my horns and spikes followed, as I felt the fire build in my throat, I let out roar full of fire. The fire confused the pire instantly, everyone cheered and farewelled their fallen Earl. I dipped my wings and fell towards the ocean as we took to motion again. The smoke grew quickly around the pire and into the now night sky. A light from the sky above opened, shadows of armoured women on white horses appeared. Making their way towards the pire, the Valkyries have arrived to take him home. I circled back around and headed back, flying over the island. Reaching out to the connection I shared with Vili, I tried something new. To share my vision, to show him what I see.
"What is this?" Vili asked as he flew back towards the smoke, we looked at the pire to see a shadow of his father being pulled and carried from the fire. I heard Vili's heart beat race as he watched his father be taken away by the Valkyries. As quickly as they appeared, they disappeared and the small light where they came from, soon become darkness again. Earl Bereke's soul had reached the hall of the slain. I slowed my body as I head back to the island, the warriors made a large clearing for us to land. I landed on my hind legs with a thud, I out stretched my large wings and let out a roar. Everyone chanted and yelled once again with me, Vili on my back shouted as well and held his battle axe to the skies in joy. I folded my wings in front of me as I fell to the ground, their strength carried my weight. I looked around at the eyes admiring me, I instinctively bared my razor sharp teeth and hissed at the prying eyes as I dropped a shoulder down for Vili to climb off. My inner beast hated being stared at, it was a threat for someone to stare into my eyes for too long.
Vili climbed off my shoulder and walked around to my large head, I tilted my face to meet his small body. He slowly reached a hand out to my snout, I snarled quickly as he quietly hushed me.
"Thank you, my rose." He whispered as he placed a large calloused hand on my snout. I purred quickly for a moment, my beast enjoyed the close contact with Vili. I pulled my head back and begun to shift back to my human form, there was mead to drink and food to eat. A mist swarmed my body and I slowly grew smaller once again. Within seconds I stood as a human before my warriors once again. A warrior shoved a large drinking horn full of mead into my hand as a crowd swarmed where I landed. After a few minutes music had started with the local bards, drinking was well under way and the food was almost ready. A loud echo of laughter caught my attention as I saw Keon at the centre of a town full of food and drink, he was surrounded by warriors as they exchanged stories.
"I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but I'm glad it finally did. You two are perfect together." A soft voice said behind me, without looking I knew it was Fiona.
"We fought it, for awhile. But once the connection is felt, it's impossible to ignore. Its like a drug, you just want more. A single taste is enough to draw you in." I said as I faced Fiona, she smiled and looked down then across to Ivarr.
"I know the feeling, but I'm yet to taste the flame." She said, eyes locked on Ivarr. I smiled as I looked at Ivarr who soon sensed the eyes on him.
"Well, if it eases your mind, the flame desires to be tasted and felt. Don't be alarmed by its exterior, inside you'll find something beautiful." I said with a small smile, Fiona looked at me confused for a moment before realising the meaning of my words.
"I... I couldn't. He is a God, he deserves a Goddess." She said as she took a sip of her drink.
"What makes you believe he wants a Goddess? What makes you believe you are not a Goddess?" I asked, she was visably uncomfortable under my gaze.
"He, deserves someone like him. That can make him happy, I know that the companions have a mate. Like you and Vili, he connection. What am I supposed to do when he finds his mate? I can't bare to see him with another women." She said, shaking the thought from her mind. I smiled and shook my head.
"Fiona." I said as I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You and Ivarr share a similar connection to what I share with Vili. I have never seen him so happy. He burns brighter when he's with you, and so do you. Do not let your mind destroy what your heart desires, follow your heart. Feel who and what it beats for and if that is for Ivarr, chase it and hold onto it." I said, I smiled at her as he eyes shone in the night. She looked over at Ivarr who now stood alone and watching her. She looked at me quickly and nodded before walking over to him. I smiled and took a sip of my drink.
"Defender of the realm, queen of the realm, Odin's chosen warrior, match maker. What else could you possibly become?" Vili said as he came and stood by my side, looking at the couple.
"I am a jack of all trades, my powers are limitless." I said as I turned and faced him with a large smile. He laughed and took a skull of his drinking horn, spilling mead down the sides of his beard.
"Hmm, what a waste. At least when I skull a drink I don't waste any." I said, sarcasm laced in my voice. Vili wiped his face with the back of his hand, looking at me with a face full of curiosity.
"My my, is Freya challenging me to a drinking competition? If I recall, last time we had a drinking competition, you passed out drunk in the snow covered grounds naked as the morning!" Vili said, challenging me.
"And if I recall, you slept in your own vomit that night." I said raising my eyebrows, a smile grew rapidly on Vili's face.
"Bring the mead barrel and two horns!" He shouted, a small crowd heard our conflict and begun to circle around us. We locked eyes as two warriors placed a large barrel between us, they removed the lid to reveal a full barrel of fresh mead. They handed us a horn each.
"Right, you both know the rules. No stumbling, gagging or spilling too much. The first one to finish three full horns wins." A warrior stated as Vili and I smiled at each other.
"Three? What kind of a competition is that? I've seen Freya drink five horns in a row with no problem!" Keon yelled as he partly stumbled, watching us from the front of the circle, he was drunk already. The warrior laughed and agreed.
"Right, the first one to finish eight horns wins! What are the winnings?" The warrior asked.
"First one to finish, decides who's chambers we spend the night in." Vili said, loudly with a large smirk. I heard giggles and chatter at the comment, the warrior looked at us both with a intrigued smile.
"The winner picks who's bed to lay in tonight and who finishes first tonight!" He shouted, everyone chanted and egged us on. I laughed at his words, I was going to win this.
"Three... Two... One... SKAL!" Everyone shouted. Vili and I quickly filled out horns and begun drinking, the cold liquid burned my throat as a gulped it down. The crowd laughed and cheered skal as we drank. I finished my first horn seconds before Vili and started on the next.
"One down, seven to go!" The warrior yelled. I felt cold liquid run down the sides of my face and into my amour, I looked at Vili who locked onto my eyes. We both finished at the same time.
"Don't worry love, I'll clean that up off you tonight." Vili winked as we both dipped our horns again. I laughed as we started to drink again. The warriors watching the sceptical lashed out with Ohs and laughter at Vili's smart comment. Six horns in and my body begun to feel ill, my vision quickly became blurred and my footing uneasy. I looked at Vili who held onto the barrel to support himself from falling over, his face was becoming pale as we drank. I dipped my horn in for the seventh time, I looked at the horn rippling in my hand as my vision became disoriented. Vili slowly dipped his horn into the barrel, stumbling backwards slightly. The crowd Oh'ed once again, everyone watched us intently.
"Still going to lick that hot sticky mead off me later." I said with a smirk, Vili's face drained of colour at the thought of hot mead. The idea made me even feel ill, he brought the horn up to his lips one last time before tripping and falling backwards into the ground. The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Freya wins!" The warrior shouted, holding my hand into the air. I stumbled as I cheered with the crowd. I laughed and looked back at Vili who cheered from the ground. I stumbled over to him before collapsing onto the ground next to him.
"I guess I'm spending the night in a castle then?" Vili asked after we finished laughing.
"Oh please, you've slept in my bed more times than I have." I laughed.
"I don't think we'll even make it up the stairs at this stage." I added. After we finished laughing, we laid on the ground next to the mead barrel and looked at the sky. Vili took a deep breath and let out a big sigh.
"I can't even begin to explain how happy this makes me, how happy I am with you. I could never see myself any other way." Vili said.
"I could see us in a warm bed surrounded by food." I said as I smelt the food being served.
"You know, we could make that a reality tonight. Unlike you, I don't live in a huge ass tower. I can have food brought to us." Vili said, I turned my head to face him. Even with blurred vision he was beautiful.
"Done deal." I said, reaching out my hand for him to shake. He laughed as he did so.
"Are you going to lay there all night or are you coming to eat?" Keon asked as he stood over us both.
"Do you mind?" I asked as I stretched out my arm for him to help me up. He yanked me up with ease, stumbling slightly. Everyone here tonight was going to be drunk, if they weren't already. I wondered how we might get back inland if the sailors were all drunk. Keon pulled Vili up from the ground, partly catching and supporting him as the blood rushed from his head. His wobbly legs made him look like a new born foal walking for the first time. I burst out in laughter at his steps.
"If I knew I was baby sitting tonight, I would have stayed home." Keon said in a gruff voice as he walked with us to the tables. The smell of food hightened my dull senses, I was starving. Vili and I sat side by side in amongst the warriors, tonight there was so special seating plan. As the last of the food was served we all begun to dig into the food before us all.
"I would like to thank the Gods and our dear companions for the feast tonight and helping us send Earl Bereke to his fathers. Tonight we all step foot on the island of the Gods were Thor, Odin, Freyja and all the others have stood before. Thank you, companions." Lady Astrid said, the crowd fell quiet as we all listened to her words. She raised her horn to us, as we all followed. I gave her my best drunk yet still a queen smile, she nodded and smiled lightly. I may be a Queen, a ruler, but vikingr ran through my veins in the purest form. We all started eating the various food before us. Roasted meats, vegetables, salads, it was incredible. As I ate laughing at the stories Vili shared with his warriors, I felt eyes bare into me. I scanned the crowd quickly before finding the eyes, Kili stared daggers into my soul and I didn't know why. His eyes were full of hatred and sadness. He stared at me a moment longer before directing his attention to his brother who sat beside him. My mind wondered, why would Kili be upset with me?