Tyri was an orphan with no home. She never really knew her parents and barely managed to survive in the woods alone. She was fierce and strong, she had to be to survive, but people still scared her. All she wanted was to be left alone. After years o...
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All day, Ivar remained in my home. He made the odd question but, other than that, he remained fairly silent. I knew why he was here and it had nothing to do with me. He was here for his brother, likely just to terrify him as brothers do. And, after a few hours, he got his wish.
Hvitserk reached us at about midday. When he did, he was already talking, not realizing that his youngest brother was there also.
"You will not believe the day I've had." He began. "I was supposed to go and train with my little brother, Ivar, but no one has seen him all day. Everyone assumed he's with Floki but-" As he entered the cave and saw his brother, he stopped talking. His eyes widened a little, stunned silence now filling the room.
"Hello brother." Ivar spoke, finally breaking the silence.
"Ivar, what are you doing here?" Hvitserk had replied.
At this moment I was just absentmindedly sharpening my knives, assuming that this conversation was none of my business.
"I came here to meet your girlfriend." Ivar shrugged.
This phrase made my head jolt up, completely shocked. Without missing a beat I said, "I'm not his girlfriend."
"You're not?" Ivar replied, clearly looking confirmation from his brother. Hvitserk just remained silent as though he was looking for the right words to say.
"Ivar, can we talk about this at home?" He asked his brother finally.
Ivar took a moment to think before shrugging and beginning to crawl outside. Before he left I simply called out, "It was nice meeting you." Behind him. He didn't answer, he just looked back in recognition. But as he turned away I did notice the faint hints of a smile.
Hvitserk walked over to me, a little concerned by my interaction with his little brother. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"I'm fine." I responded. "He seemed nice."
Hvitserk looked at me like I'd gone mad for a moment, like the words I'd just uttered made no sense to him. "Who? Ivar?"
"Yes." I laughed. "I mean, he was a little scary at first but I think he's okay."
"I think you're the first girl to meet my brother and say he's okay." He smiled.
There was a moment of silence as I thought but soon I found the next words to say. "He did say you called me a witch though."
Again, Hvitserk looked utterly speechless. For a moment, I was concerned I'd scared him half to death. But, I just began to laugh. Slowly he smiled as I laughed at his response. "Relax, Hvitserk," I began. "He called you far worse."
"I'm going to kill him." He replied though I knew it was a joke.
"Hvitserk..." I began.
"Yes?"
And so, I continued. This was something I'd been trying to say for a while, something I'd been too terrified to say. But I had to say it. "I've been alone for a long time, and I've done it by choice. I've been afraid of your world, of your people, because the last time I saw them... They left my mother and father in a pool of their own blood and burned my home to the ground. But I don't want to be afraid anymore. And when you're here, I'm not. I guess what I'm trying to say is I trust you. I trust you."
Gently, he reached for my hand and held it in his. He looked me in the eyes in a comforting way that almost made me forget all my worries. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
