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Eivor’s return from securing another alliance with one of the English kingdoms was a joyous moment for the Raven Clan. Children, who had grown so much in her absence rushed to the docks with smiles on their faces and laughter in their lungs as the mighty drengr hauled herself from the cramped, wooden longship.
“Eivor returns!”
The blonde-haired warrior’s lips grimaced slightly as one of the younger children wrapped their arms tightly around her midriff, oblivious to the still-healing wounds hidden underneath her thick cloak. She allowed herself to revel in the warmth of the child for a few seconds before awkwardly patted the top of his head, exhaling in relief as they relinquished their hold to chase a butterfly that had caught their eye.
Glancing behind to watch her raiders reunite with friends and family filled Eivor’s heart with sadness; it had been months since she had seen her brother and he still showed no signs of diverting from his present course. As the long nights closed in and the arguments had increased in frequency and intensity, she had feared that she would never see her brother again, instead replaced with an imposter, a stranger. With a heavy heart borne from weeks of fighting and the tragic death of young Coeberth, Eivor slowly trudged up the embankment towards the longboat. She nodded as she passed the occupants of their settlement, grateful that they at least recognized that she was not in a hearty mood.
As she walked through the darkened doors, taking in the smells of timber wood and candle wax, she forced herself to school her features lest she worry Randvi with her downtrodden expression.
“Eivor! You’ve returned!” The woman who had captured her heart appeared at the doorway, a relieved smile gracing her delicate features as Eivor forced her tired and weary body forward.
“Randvi.” Eivor breathed as she walked towards the alliance map, her hands gripping the smooth wood tightly as she glared at the map. She felt a brush of fabric as Randvi joined her and she tried not to show how deeply tired she was when she looked up.
“The region is ours…..but at a grave cost. Ceolbert is dead.” Saying the words out loud left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“I know, my scouts sent word.” Eivor was both relieved and bitter by this news; relieved that she did not have to look into the woman’s eyes as she told her how Coebert met his end and bitter that the task had fallen to a scout. The guilt which had surrounded her for several days gripped her heart in an icy grip as she watched Randvi replace the sword piercing the region of the map with a black, wooden raven. She was beginning to question the costs of their actions.
“Eivor?”
The blonde’s head snapped upwards as Randvi whispered her name. Seeing the concern in her eyes made the guilt even more palpable.
“I’m sorry, did you say something?” Randvi waved away the apology and leaned closer, scrutinizing her closely. Death was a way of life for their kind and to see the strong woman so affected by Ceolbert’s passing worried Randvi greatly. If circumstances were different, she would have taken her in her arms and soothed her fears with gentle kisses and lingering touches, but alas, until she was able to formally sever the marital bonds with Sigurd, she was unable to do what her heart wished.
“Are you alright?”
Eivor nodded and with a monumental effort on her part, forced a weak smile to grace her features before pointing at the map. “What of Cent?”
Randvi wanted to protest, to force Eivor to stop for a moment and recover from her experiences since landing in this land. But that was not in her nature; Eivor processed grief through violence and sending the drengr into a another fight may be what she needed but still, she hesitated.
“Should you not recover your strength? I may find myself on the wrong end of a dagger should I send you out harmed.” Seeing the flash of pain pass Eivor’s face made Randvi regret her words but before she could apologize, the moment had passed.
“There is much to do—”
“It can wait for one-night beloved.” The term of endearment hadn’t meant to be uttered into the cold air but Randvi found it difficult to care, not when Eivor looked at her with such tired eyes.
“Randvi.” Her name whispered like a prayer spurned the woman forward. Placing her hands on Eivor’s shoulders she pushed her gently towards her own quarters, ignoring the groan of disapproval Eivor muttered at being forcibly moved. Realizing that she did not possess the strength to resist, Eivor sagged against Randvi and allowed the woman to guide her towards the bed, sitting heavily upon the soft fabric as Randvi blew out the few candles dotted around the room.
“This is not necessary.” Eivor muttered as Randvi sat beside her, gently tugging the leather straps until they gave way under her insistent hands.
“You have done so much for our people since arriving in this strange land.” Randvi replied as she gripped the heavy cloak and removed it with a gentle tug, placing it at the foot of her bed before beginning to dismantle Eivor’s leather armor.
“Fought wars that were not of your making, made allies with those who would call you their enemy.” The thick leather soon joined her cloak and Eivor shivered at the cool air touching her heated skin.
“You have given more of yourself than is needed, than is required Eivor. Let us, let me help you now.” Randvi’s fingers slipped through blonde hair, slowly combing through tangles as Eivor relaxed into her touch with a soft sigh.
“I fear I will be poor company tonight.”
“You are here are you not? You do not need to be anything more than that.” Seeing that the woman was seconds away from sleep, Randvi hurriedly removed Eivor’s outer clothes and boots before handing her a spare woolen tunic to sleep in. She turned to allow Eivor to dress in private and busied herself with securing her quarters (with Dag on the warpath, she doubted Eivor would want to be seen in such a vulnerable position.)
“You should rest also Randvi.”
“Me? I have not endured what you have Eivor.” A soft chuckle caused Randvi to spin in indignation but her words caught in her throat at the sight in front of her. She wasn’t sure whether it was the fact that only a thin fabric covered Eivor or the fact she was in her bed that had rendered her speechless; probably a combination of the two.
Eivor shifted under the heavy gaze of her friend and subconsciously reached for her armor that lay just out of reach. She was used to being stared at in awe but this was usually in the heat of battle, not here in such a private setting. Randvi managed to un-muddle her mind and blushed at having been caught out - thankfully, Eivor did not mention it.
“I-I do not wield an axe or lead raids Eivor. I only-“
“Support this settlement when Sigurd and I cannot. Make sure our people do not go hungry, that they are protected and cared for. Randvi, I may return with alliances and riches, but you make sure a settlement exists for me to return to.”
Hearing such words come from Eivor’s lips had Randvi shaking with emotion. She had feared that her role was only to unite the two warring clans but hearing Eivor speak with such conviction gave her hope that she could be more.
Eivor stood from the bed and walked towards Randvi, gripping her arms tightly and smiling at the other woman. “You more than anyone deserves rest, so rest table maiden.” The two shared a smile at the ridiculous nickname before Randvi pulled away to dress for bed, leaving Eivor suddenly faced with a curious decision. She was no stranger to sharing a bed with another; she remembered sneaking into Sigurd’s quarters as a child when the night was too dark and the nightmares too real. Neither mentioned it the following morning or as the years passed for which she had been grateful. This, however, was new territory.
“I… should I ...uh.” Gentle laughter filled the air and calmed Eivor’s nerves as Randvi walked to the left side of the bed.
“Are you nervous mighty drengr? Does the fire that burns inside you now grow cold?” Seeing only mirth and kindness reflected in her eyes, Eivor summoned her courage, drew back the covers of her brothers’ bed and clambered in, shivering at the cold cloth and instinctively moving closer to Randvi.
“Eivor of the Raven Clan, bested by a cold bed.” Randvi laughed.
“I do not enjoy these comments against my honor.”
“My apologies Eivor.” The two women shuffled closer and Eivor clenched and unclenched her fists as she struggled with their placement.
“I wanted to thank you Eivor.” Randvi’s soft voice pulled Eivor out of her mind, and she stared at the woman beside her. “For going to Ceolbert when he needed you. Although only here for a short time, I enjoyed his company greatly. I am saddened at his passing, but take comfort knowing that he wasn’t alone.”
“He…he would have made a good Ealdorman.”
“Yes, he would have.” The two lapsed into silence, their thoughts fixated on the young man and what could have been.
“I…I denied his killer Valhalla.” Eivor’s admission filled the space between them and Randvi reached out to grasp one of Eivor’s hands. “He murdered Ceolbert to orchestrate his revenge. We fought and I….I withheld his axe at his final moment.”
“Eivor….” No words could be shared which would ease the anguish Eivor was working through.
“I do not regret it. He does not deserve to feast in Odin’s hall.”
“You delivered justice as only you could. It will do no good to dwell on the events of the past.” Eivor nodded in agreement and gently squeezed Randvi’s hand in gratitude before reluctantly withdrawing. It was becoming harder to stay awake; the warmth of her closest friend slowly seeping into her bones and dragging her towards the inevitability of sleep.
“Have I ever told you about my first hunt?” Eivor shook her head and allowed her eyes to close as Randvi recalled the disaster that was her first encounter with a bear. Halfway through her tale, just as her arrow had become embedded in a tree and not the hide of the animal, Randvi realised that Eivor had fallen into a deep sleep, her breath softly ruffling the stray strands of hair which had escaped from her braid.
A loving smile settled on Randvi’s face as she hesitantly reached out her hand and ran her finger along the woman’s brow, down the side of her face and along the scar to her lips. She knew that she could never perform such an action when she was awake; the woman’s staunch adherence to honor prevented her from acting on the feelings they both knew she possessed, at least not right now.
A wave of exhaustion overtook her and her hand dropped to lie beside Eivor’s, their fingertips barely touching as she settled against the cushions.
“Sleep well my drengr.”
A few moments of silence passed before Eivor closed the gap between their hands, their fingers interlocking as she pulled Randvi’s hand to her chest.
“Sleep well my Randvi.”