Taking care of loved ones

[Sinold Bragasson]

It was ready.

Against the warm morning rays of the sun, Sinold held his hand's work up at eye level, carefully examining his little master piece. Rays of light bounce off the steel effortlessly, caressing the metal as if Thor himself was blessing this fine piece of metal working.

Sinold nodded and let the weapon sink down to hip level, it was well balanced, lighter than a normal sword, a man's sword, yet its edges were was sharp and could be as deadly. The hilt, adorned with a longship barging through towering waves on one side, a likeness of Thor grappling with the Midgard serpent on the other, fitted fully into his palm, it would sit better in the hands of the one who would eventually wield this sword.

Sadness spread over Sinold's face and he packed together the tools he had used for this little exercise in metal-working: Maybe the one who would wiled this weapon, would do so much earlier than he had intended it. He had fashioned the sword for a special occasion, his wedding to Letha. To use it before would bring bad fortune about the newly-weds, Sinold knew. And yet…

Danger loomed and Letha was without any proper weapon yet. He had not found anything on his travel to the Danelaw, nothing that was delicate and not too heavy, to fit his Unnasta.

This sword would… should he give this to Letha now, before the wedding? The Franks were rumoured to do dastardly things to their captives, especially their women captives, and with the looming fight ahead, there was a real chance that he would not always be there to protect his future bride.

He wished his Letha to be safe, traditions be damned. Making his way to Letha's chambers, the sword carefully wrapped in a rough clean cotton rag, he finally came to stand in front of her chambers. The key to her room pressed against his chest, he could use it, but he first wanted to see if she was inside to let him in herself.

He knocked, a bit hesitantly. "Letha? Are you inside?"

[Halethala]

She rounded the corner quietly, just as he was knocking, he did not hear her approaching from behind him . . A soft smile spread over her face, filled with a little leap of longing, and she took a moment to drink in his presence, to watch him unheeded . . He could have simply entered her room, yet did not. She loved him even more dearly for not doing so.

There was a tenseness in his stance apparent in the way he bent forward a bit more than necessary, the muscles knotted tightly in his upper arm as he clutched tightly at whatever he held in his grip, she could not see what it was from her vantage point.

As he leaned his ear closer to her door and knocked a bit louder, she crept closer and slipped her hands around his waist lightly, tightening as he tensed in her embrace, leaning her head upon his shoulder and whispering huskily,

"She be nae there . . what hae ye for her this time, M'Lord?"

[Sinold Bragasson]

Her perfume betrayed her and Sinold held still when a pair of arms snaked around his waist to "catch" him. Not turning his head, but leaning back into Letha's embbrace a bit, Sinold chuckled*

"Ye be fortunate … had the Franks been around already, I may have used this small present I have made for my lady. can't be safe enough these times!"

He turned in her arms then and leaned down for a kiss. "And what shall I do now, having come aaaallll the way from the smithy to bring this marvellous gift to my bride who isn't inside that chamber? I could take it back, of course…" he pondered a moment. "But it is really important that my Unnasta gets this gift for it may soon safe her life!" Here he became solemn all of a sudden and ran his hand over Letha's golden hair. "Shall we go inside, I really need to talk to you about this."

He tapped the bundle underneath his arm and kissed Letha's brow, the worries about her safety kept at bay by will alone.

[Halethala]

*A teasing smile to her voice* Ye think I do nae know ye well enough by now that I could truly hope to surprise ye, or be silly enough to risk yer blade embedded in me gut?* She caught his hand as it stroked her hair, and kissed it with longing*

"Now what is this gift ye bear?" Her smile faded as she realized his meaning and truly looked at what it was he held. She spoke more quietly* "Yes . . come. I fear we shall have little time together in but a few days . . let us cherish what we can of it."

She took his hand in hers and led him in, to settle in her favorite spot for sleep when worries weighed oppressively ~ on the heavy quilts she'd heaped near the now cold fireplace. Forcing her breathing steady, surveying the apprehension she saw mirrored in his face, she encouraged him . . "I'm afraid I can but guess your intent . . will it be as bad as that, do ye think?"

*Please tell me no, she begged with her eyes. Tell me that all will be well . . lie to me, Sinold . . her thoughts unspoken . . *

[Sinold Bragasson]

How could he lie to her? Not at a time like this… not ever! He sat down into the rather comfortable nest of blankets Letha had created next to the fireplace, sitting close to her, his knees touching hers … maybe he shouldn't provoke his own reactions to her closeness as he did, but there was this small irrational fear deep inside him…. that they might never consummate their love fully, properly. the wait was getting to him, and the heightened tension around the castle wasn't helping either.

He placed the wrapped weapon onto the blankets between them, carefully pulling back the rag that hid the sword. Finally it lay in the open; he picked it up with both hands.

"Open your hands… this …I made this sword for our special day… for our wedding day. It is a wedding sword, given to the bride so she can defend her new home and children. I wanted to give this to you in the fall, but now, with the Franks around… I don't know if I'll always be here to protect you. And you have no weapon to call yer own. So here, take this sword now… protect yourself should I not be able to!"

Sinold looked into her eyes and then laid the weapon onto her palms. "I made it a bit lighter than a normal sword for a man… you should have nae problem wielding it, as I know you can, Letha. I would… wish that its blade only sees the first blood during our wedding ceremony but we may not have that luxury now any longer. use it, don't hesitate to. I have confidence in your skills, as does Sergeant Gerben. he has taught you much, aye?"

There was a great sadness in his eyes for a moment, but then he smiled and took Letha into a warm and loving embrace, the sword now wedged between their bodies. "All will be well, I just don't want to see you unprotected, beloved!"

They sat like that for a long, long moment – a moment Sinold would always treasure from now on.

[Halethala]

Obediently she open her hands flat as the precious gift was set upon them, eyes wide with admiration, drinking in each detail. The waves carved so exquisitely she could almost hear their roar, a scene of epic struggle on the other side of the well crafted hilt. It felt . . perfect . . the weight as familiar as if it had been hers since childhood. Gently, she closed her fingers over the blade, and breathed a prayer that it nae ever be tainted with unnecessary blood . .

"It's . . it's beautiful, Sinold. The very steel cries out that ye've poured your very heart into it's making." Hot tears squeezed out from her tightly closed eyes as gathered her then in his arms. Unable to return the embrace, the sword still gripped in her hands, the razored steel threatening to draw it's first blood from her, she leaned against him, absorbing from him a confidence she no longer felt with a blade.

She wanted to protest that Master Gerben had perhaps not found her a fit enough pupil, or had other more pressing duties to fulfil, that she had yet to learn from the great master . . but she kept silent.

"Would that it remain unblooded until our wedding, Sinold. Perhaps the threat is merely just that . . an empty threat, and we've worried all in vain . . " She knew, somehow, it wasn't, yet . .

As he released her, reluctantly, she cast her gaze back down at the gleaming metal . . . if she would need it, it would be used, and used as well as she could . . he would be proud, she would make sure of that . .

[Halethala]

"You had best be on your way, Deorheorte . . but before you do, I have something I want you to have . . "

Settling back onto her heels, she pulled a dark cord that lay around her neck over her head, freeing it from her tresses with a shake, and reached over his head to nestle in around his own. She picked up the pendant that now lay over his heart, explaining.

"I had some things I wished to secure from the village before they would no longer allow us to ride there." Seeing his face cloud darkly, "Oh! Do not worry, they would not allow me to travel alone, and I could nae ask you to come with. A rather solemn, quiet Ranger accompanied me, one who'd seen many winters. Our ride to Summersville was nearly silent, though a comfortable silence at that, much on each of our hearts, yet when I asked if he knew where I may seek what I had in mind, he were most helpful . . "

Sinold looked down then to see the silver encrusted cobalt blue vial.

"Tuck it close to your heart, Love . . it is a charm of protection from my homeland. "

[Sinold Bragasson]

Sinold let his fingers run over the pendant, mapping its design. It was elegant, exquisite work, made by a true craftsman. the blue reflecting the color of the sky and that of Letha's eyes (OOC:I hope). He held it up against the dim light, shaking it a little… there was some fluid in it, quizzically Sinold looked at Letha, first tugging the blue vial into his shirt next to his heart, his hands then tangling with her hair, mapping her face, then running along her rams and grasping her hands with his.

"I will wear it always, beloved! A charm from your lands you say? I am sure it is a mighty charm, wherever your homeland is." A strange realization struck him then – he didn't yet know where Letha came from, where exactly her home lay. So much still he didn't know about his bride. But here and now he vowed to find out more about her – before it would be too late.

"I want to know more about you. All about you, Letha. In turn you will learn about my customs … like this sword for example. Not only will you use it to protect our family should I not be able, this is also what you will use during our wedding. To show all assembled that you are capable of using the sword in the manner I described, you will need to kill something with it. Usually, it would be deserving servant or slave … well, since I think such is frowned upon here, we will take a goat. It will be your duty to behead that goat … after which we both will sacrifice its meat and blood to Freya and Odin, and we will drink part of that blood ourselves to sanctify our bond."

Sinold looked closely at Letha, knowing this custom might be very foreign to this woman, yet he hoped she would not object to it. Expectantly he looked into the depth of her beautiful blue eyes.