the fire was barely burning, only charred embers of what it had once been
& the room it was meant to illuminate was bathed in darkness with the only
real light coming from the shining crescent moon which peered in through
the window left open to catch the first spring breeze.
at the sound of a voice, rollo stirred, still half in his slumber. but the voice
was familiar, beautiful and soothing enough that he did not wake as he
usually would at the sound of a thread.
( he realized suddenly why, because it was
L a g e r t h a ’ s pleasant tone waking him up )
he sat up, the furs that were his bedding fell around him like water from a
man’s bare chest.
”Lagertha?”
his voice was rough with sleep, and full of very welcome surprise at who had
awoken him in the middle of the night. peering through the darkness, barely able
to make out the pleasing form of the woman he would always love, rollo moved
aside in his bed without a second thought. leaving a space between warm furs and
soft linens for the woman to slide in to. his heart raced and he licked his suddenly
very dry lips.
( was this all a dream? it seemed better than a dream.
even in his dreams, he was always the one chasing her )
”You are always welcome in my bed and my home.”
“Join me, before you let in the spring chill.”
his hand pats the bed, and he tenses when wondering if he was allowed to touch her
in the night. it would be a dream come true. having to sleep near her and pretend she
was not there would be a n i g h t m a r e.
“No that I am complaining, but is there a reason it is my
bed you sought tonight?“
perhaps it was the remnants of mead in her bloodstream
that prompted the query to leap from her lips. still, no matter
what beverage was swirling her thoughts, it was the subconscious
that remained at the wheel. loss had been the plague on her life,
riddled with it, & to know she was to leave all she had left, to have
little comfort when she left Kattegat once again.
it was s e l f i s h. she was a fool to yearn for the gentle comfort
of another, to revel in the closeness that her life lacked. it was a
craving for the nourishment her current bond was devoid of, to
know that the touch upon her skin was of more than just carnal
need. weakness appeared to sicken her now, even more so with
the sight of a groggy Rollo before her.
( what boundaries existed,
red & bolded, were all but
ignored presently. )
❝ thank you. ❞
her response was barely above a whisper, advancing when
the bells in her skull screamed for her to halt, to return to the
solitary nature of her own bed chambers. how pitiless she was
to creak open a door she would soon abandon for duty.
even with every fleeting thought against her, the shieldmaiden
projected little hesitation, nestling next to the large man’s frame,
so dangerously close. fingers yearned to toy with the ends of his
ragged mahogany locks, azure optics colliding with the darkness
of the warrior’s, a smile, although small, parting her lips.
could she truly voice her reason?
what would be the ramifications of that weighted truth?
❝ your company. i would rather not spend this night alone. ❞
wretched was the forlorn nature of her eyes, an obvious
contradiction to what remained of her earlier smile.