#randviulfsdottir

[eyvorkristinskjald]

The Reindeer (Seas of Change)

Eivor took first watch under the canvas of stars. Fire crackled softly in the fireplace, sending orange sparks up into the Heavens and licking the blackness away.

It was tradition for a new woman like her to take first watch on a hunt if she were to be a shieldmaiden. The solitude and quiet of the night was peaceful as meditating was. A clarity for the mind, soul, and body, even in this harshness of the cold, winter world. Aside from that, it gave her campmates a break from her snore, one that sounded like the wounded bear. A smile cracked her lips at the thought.

The scating of her whetstone against her axe was a calming sound to her ears, the blade glinting silver in the moonlight. It was the axe she was gifted to by Gunnar when she became an adult two days prior, reminded by the fading dull ache that continued to spread through her hips and thighs, coming away with blood. It was a new feeling, but one she would get used to each moon.

Behind her, Rán snored softly in her sleep, her ribs expanding with each breath against Eivor's back. Her lower back rested against the sleeping dragon as she sharpened her blade, legs crossed at her pelvis as she worked.

An incoherent sound started Eivor, her neck perking up at the unexpectant sound. Looking to her left, Runa shifted in her sleep near the roaring fire, mumbling incoherently about something Eivor couldn't make out. Her blue eyes opened briefly until she drifted back to sleep moments later.

The sky bore memories deep within as colors of green, blue, purple, and pink streaked across the darkened ocean above Eivor. A cluster of stars dotted the fading lines. These lights always wondered her, holding no hatred or rejection towards them over her parents' untimely death. She always wondered if they held a prophecy and followed their death.

Sýnin cawed quietly beside her, pulling Eivor from her thoughts. The raven turned her head, pecking her black beak at her. She was trying to get her attention.

"Aye, old friend," Eivor scratched her dark feathers. "I remember the very day Mother and Father left this world."

The raven cawed once more, peering her beady black eyes into Eivor's seafoam blue ones. She was there that night when Kjotve raided and Eivor's life changed before her very eyes. Skjot and Sýnin helped fend off the wolf that maimed her when she was reaching for that lone axe.

Varin weighed his options, looking at Eivor, hidden behind a barrel. He then said, "If I give my life, will you spare my Clan?"

Kjotve loomed behind him, breath hot against his neck. "You have my word," he gripped his broadaxes, an evil smirk pulling the corners of his lips.

Taking a last breath, Varin lowered his raider axe into the earth below and kneeled, lowering arms and hanging his head.

"No, no, Varin!" Rosta cried, struggling to break free. Her heart pounded against her ribcage. "No, Varin! Pick up your axe!" She grunted from effort.

Kjotve picked up Varin's axe. With a swift movement, he slit his throat. Blood pooled just before Varin crumpled forward, face-planting into the snow as life fled from him and eyes dimmed.

"NO!" Eivor screamed at the top of her young lungs, eyes widened at the sight before her.

Kjotve turned from his kill, pumping Varin's axe in the air. "Kill them all!" He shouted, voice echoing across the village.

Rosta finally broke free, kicking her captor in the crotch and killing him with a swift strike of her axe. Then, she charged at Kjotve with a war cry.

Eivor blinked, fire emanating in her eyes at the memory. Kjotve took everything from her. Broke a peace treaty between two Clans, for taking in Gorm after finding him lost in the woods. At the time, Eivor didn't realize it was just a ruse, a reason to fire back.

A snap of branches in the distance broke Eivor's thoughts, her head shooting up. They weren't alone out there. Eivor's gaze turned to her slumbering group, unaffected by the noise.

Rán woke up behind her, dark frills perking up at the sound. A low growl rumbled from deep within her throat.

"Hush, Rán," Eivor stood from her seated position. Her eyes peered off into the darkness ahead of her, gripping the hilt of her newly sharpened axe.

The deep silence was followed by another snap of a branch, echoing through the black void that sloped to the bright colors of the fire behind Eivor. It told her that someone was watching her and the group.

Eivor slipped her axe into the holder at her hip, swaying against her thigh at the movement.

Rán snarled, scaled lips peeling back to reveal white teeth and elongated fangs, glistening with clear saliva.

Eivor grabbed her bow, slinging it against her back. "Stay put and keep watch, Rán," she ordered. "I will return."

Sýnin spread her pitch-black, feathery wings, launching herself into the sky. She disappeared in the clouds but provided air support.

Eivor crouched beneath the dark green brush, downwind from where the trespasser walked. The night air was warm against her cheek. Her heart thundered against her chest like Thor's hammer against the menacing dark clouds on a rainy day, reverberating against the hollow of her ribcage.

Years of training before her parents' death taught her to hunt downwind, light on her feet even as grass or hard snow crunched under boot. She never made a sound, making her the perfect hunter, even at her young age. Sound carries over snowdrifts, so she learned young to move downwind, remaining undetected and unseen.

Eivor crept silently, peering through dark the green brushes. She stilled her heartbeat with slow breaths out of slightly parted lips. She felt the warm breeze chap her lips.

"Show me who's creeping into our territory," Eivor said under her breath.

Sýnin circled above her. It was as if the raven heard her whispers, cause she divebombed from the sky. Her slanted black beak was first, velvety wings pressed against her small body, aiding her descention.

A scream shot out of the brush twenty feet in front of Eivor, Sýnin taking the trespasser by surprise. The scream was feminine, and she saw the silhouette of a woman come into the clearing out of the bushes.

The strange woman was trying to shoo Sýnin out of the way as she pecked at her head, pulling her out of hiding. Her wings flapped relentlessly to keep her from being knocked out of the sky.

Suddenly, Eivor lunged out of the bushes. A shout emanated from her throat as she knocked the woman to the ground, her blade pressed against her pale neck.

In the cover of night, Eivor could tell it was Randvi, hailing from the Reindeer Clan. A Jarl's daughter. They were enemies to the Raven Clan, fighting for survival from Kjotve just like the other Clans. This Clan hasn't allied with any others yet and shouldn't be invading the Raven Clan territory unless allied.

"You have some nerve showing up here," a low, raspy rumble erupted from Eivor's throat. "Why are you here, Randvi?"

Randvi held her gaze, peering and unwavering. She looked to be a couple of winters older than Eivor, a couple of inches taller. Her face was angular, black eyeliner coating around her intense blue eyes. Her right eyebrow and cheek bore the Celtic knot tattoo in black ink. Red hair flowed down in waves along her back and shoulders, pulled into a half-up ponytail.

In response to Eivor's question, Randvi shoved her off with a force that nearly unsteadied her. Randvi stood from the ground, gripping the hammer at her hip.

Eivor skidded back a few feet from the shove, only to be stopped by planting her feet in the earth below. Randvi was a much stronger opponent than the ones she trained with back in Stavanger.

"What brings you to the Raven Clan territory?" Eivor asked again. "This isn't your Clan."

Randvi still had her hackles up, knuckles turning white from gripping her hammer. "Why should I tell you? Your beast of a raven set upon me first!" As she spoke, she summoned sharp crystals from the rocks surrounding them, flinging them at Eivor.

Eivor blocked them with her blade, the shards clinking as they made contact. "You invade my hunting grounds, attack me, and expect parley? Your life-wine will paint these trees, Reindeer!" Eivor gripped the hilt of her axe until her knuckles turned white.

Randvi scowled, crystals shining in the dark as they appeared to her side. "Your Clan raids our villages with impurity, Raven. It is long past time you were taught a lesson."

She flung the shards toward her with a swipe of her arm. Eivor twisted aside, charging with a roar that reverberated her scarred vocal chords. Their weapons collided with a shower of sparks.

"Your Clan invades our winter fields, doe!" Eivor spat, the cords in her neck bulging against the strain. Her lips pulled back in the tussle, revealing menacingly pointed teeth.

Randvi bared her own. "Only because your raids left us starving! We fight to survive while that mongrel Kjotve destroys us both!"

Eivor shoved her back with a strangled grunt. "Aye, his cruelty knows no bounds. But why spare you, when your arrows have ended Raven lives?"

Randvi wiped a cut from her lip, glowering. "Because together we might end him, where alone we fall. My Clan's vengeance you can have- I only want Kjotve's head!"

A battle cry hitched in Eivor's throat as she struggled against her. "Why should I trust you? Your Clan took the lives of my people, who's to say you won't do it again?"

Randvi scoffed, and shards of crystal showered down like rain. "You have some nerve, Raven! You've taken as much of my people as I have yours!"

Eivor dodged the crystal shower, panting. "Shut your hole and fight, doe! Or are you not powerful enough?" She lit her axe blade on fire with the tip of her fingers. Flames encircled it like a coiling snake's tail.

Their weapons clashed furiously, neither willing to yield. Eivor momentarily got the upper hand, smoke from her flames clouding Randvi's vision. She sneered, a cocky chuckle escaped heaving breaths, her axe pointed at Randvi's neck.

"Yield, doe, before - argh!"

Eivor skidded back a couple of paces, dodging another barrage of crystals, jerking aside. A sharp pain slit through her right eyebrow, slicing it. A gush of blood trailed down the side of her face.

She snarled, retaliating with swift axe strikes, flames whooshing with each movement. But Randvi dodged nimbly, landing a heel into Eivor's chest that sent her staggering back.

A sharp puff of breath was forced out of Eivor's chest, panting heavily. Beads of sweat trickled down the side of her face into the scratch, adding to the slight pain.

'She is strong, I'll give her that,' Eivor thought darkly. She saw an opportunity when Randvi her boot to her chest.

Acting fast, Eivor gripped her ankle, surprising her. Flames licked her ankle from the curled fingers of Eivor's hand, burning it as it sent Randvi collapsing on her butt with a cutoff grunt.

Randvi pulled her leg towards her, unsteadying Eivor from the forceful yank. She shot out her foot once more, catching Eivor in the face. Randvi grabbed her fallen hammer, crawling away as Eivor rubbed her bruised face.

Eigor regained her footing after a minute, rubbing her eyes free of dirt. A shocking cry escaped her lips as shards sliced down her face from not paying attention. Two more crystals grazed below her left eye, the other splitting her upper lip, cutting through it to her gums. Blood blinded her momentarily.

She clutched the stinging wounds, glaring daggers at Randvi through bloody fingertips.

Eivor let out a roar of rage, cords straining in her neck. She barreled forward recklessly, sparks of earth shooting forward. But Randvi only sidestepped, avoiding the barrage of earth hurtling towards her.

Crystals flew in the moment, slicing through the air. A small shard nicked her right cheek, and Randvi's hammer swung towards her as she shielded herself from the crystal shower. Then, a sickening crack sounded as the steel made contact with her nose, shattering bone.

Eivor fell back with a pained yelp, bloodied hands clutched to her gushing nose. Fresh blood leaked profusely through her fingers, hot and sticky. Her eyes watered, but through blurriness, she saw Randvi triumphant, bloodied crystals gleaming in the moonlight.

But Eivor wouldn't let that triumph last long. After a while, Eivor started staggering, faltering in her steps.

Randvi smirked, taunting. "You shouldn't have challenged me, young Raven." She said, circling. "I have more training under my belt than you."

Rocks rumbled past like earthquakes. Eivor thrust a bloodied palm out, sending jagged shards tearing towards Randvi. But she countered with her own crystals, the projectiles exploding into pebbles on impact.

Twin jets of flame burst from bloodied palms, lighting the pitch black sky orange. The flames licked at the warm air surrounding them.

Eivor panted, hot puffs of breath forced past chapped and bloodied lips, her only means of breathing right now.

However, when the twin jets of flame escaped her palms, Randvi dodged gracefully dodged them just as she did the earth pellets. It was like she possessed the magic of air. She closed the distance, her hammer nicking Eivor's cheek, but missed a retaliating fire blast that singed her red braid.

If Eivor didn't know any better, she would've thought that Randvi was air magic by her swift movements, not crystal magic.

They grapples fiercely, nature powers proving useless at close quarters. Randvi gained the upper hand as Eivor faltered from the exhausting battle.

She rammed the edge of her blue-clad knee into Eivor's exposed gut with a loud and forceful "oomph", causing the inexperienced girl to stumble back.

Eivor went down on one knee, panting heavily. A fresh trickle of blood dripped down her nose and chin, in lighter comparison to the drying blood.

Randvi loomed over her for the finishing blow. But it never came.

Eivor shot up, a ragged yell escaping her lips. She refused to falter now. She met her gaze defiantly, and without warning, punched out a swirling plume of flame from her hand.

The sound of sizzling flesh and Randvi cried out, flames blistering the side of her face, blistering her left eye in raw red marks. Clutching her face, she staggered back a few paces from Eivor.

"Yield, doe," Eivor panted, chest rising and falling with exertion. Triumph was in her bruised eyes. She would not bow.

But it wasn't over for Randvi yet. She swung her hammer one last time in a single, swift move, knuckles white as snow.

"Never!" She bellowed out across the darkness.

Eivor's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. She wasn't able to dodge in time, and the hammer's head connected to her shoulder with a sickening crunch that matched her broken nose. The force had her small body flip in mid-air after making contact, and she landed on the hard ground with a wet, strained coughing gasp as the blow jarred her insides, ending with a painful "oof" escaping bloodied lips, tasting copper in her ruined throat.

She wheezed there, cheeks puffed out and red, sprawled on the ground. Blood dripped from her mouth, staining the corners of her chin as she coughed again.

Darkness edged the corners of her eyes as blurriness followed, sharp, rending pain shooting through her shoulder. Then, nothing, as black void taking over.

[eyvorkristinskjald]

Eivor skidded back a few feet from the shove, only to be stopped by planting her feet in the earth below. Randvi was a much stronger opponent than the ones she trained with back in Stavanger.

"What brings you to the Raven Clan territory?" Eivor asked again. "This isn't your Clan."

Randvi still had her hackles up, knuckles turning white from gripping her hammer. "Why should I tell you? Your beast of a raven set upon me first!" As she spoke, she summoned sharp crystals from the rocks surrounding them, flinging them at Eivor.

Eivor blocked them with her blade, the shards clinking as they made contact. "You invade my hunting grounds, attack me, and expect parley? Your life-wine will paint these trees, Reindeer!" Eivor gripped the hilt of her axe until her knuckles turned white.

Randvi scowled, crystals shining in the dark as they appeared to her side. "Your Clan raids our villages with impurity, Raven. It is long past time you were taught a lesson."

She flung the shards toward her with a swipe of her arm. Eivor twisted aside, charging with a roar that reverberated her scarred vocal chords. Their weapons collided with a shower of sparks.

"Your Clan invades our winter fields, doe!" Eivor spat, the cords in her neck bulging against the strain. Her lips pulled back in the tussle, revealing menacingly pointed teeth.

Randvi bared her own. "Only because your raids left us starving! We fight to survive while that mongrel Kjotve destroys us both!"

Eivor shoved her back with a strangled grunt. "Aye, his cruelty knows no bounds. But why spare you, when your arrows have ended Raven lives?"

Randvi wiped a cut from her lip, glowering. "Because together we might end him, where alone we fall. My Clan's vengeance you can have- I only want Kjotve's head!"

A battle cry hitched in Eivor's throat as she struggled against her. "Why should I trust you? Your Clan took the lives of my people, who's to say you won't do it again?"

Randvi scoffed, and shards of crystal showered down like rain. "You have some nerve, Raven! You've taken as much of my people as I have yours!"

Eivor dodged the crystal shower, panting. "Shut your hole and fight, doe! Or are you not powerful enough?" She lit her axe blade on fire with the tip of her fingers. Flames encircled it like a coiling snake's tail.

'She is strong, I'll give her that,' Eivor thought darkly.

Their weapons clashed furiously, neither willing to yield. Eivor momentarily got the upper hand, smoke from her flames clouding Randvi's vision. She sneered, a cocky chuckle escaped heaving breaths, her axe pointed at Randvi's neck.

"Yield, doe, before - argh!"

Eivor skidded back a couple of paces, dodging another barrage of crystals, jerking aside. A sharp pain slit through her right eyebrow, slicing it. A gush of blood trailed down the side of her face.

She snarled, retaliating with swift axe strikes, flames whooshing with each movement. But Randvi dodged nimbly, landing a heel into Eivor's chest that sent her staggering back.

A sharp puff of breath was forced out of Eivor's chest, panting heavily. Beads of sweat trickled down the side of her face into the scratch, adding to the slight pain.

(Author's note: Full scene will come out soon)