Edrich of Haluken

We had to call off our plans to tour Amsterdam due to reports of icebergs in the North Sea, We decided an extended trip through Europe would be a wonderful honeymoon. Valla wanted to show me Vienna.

As the wedding approached, life became more frenetic. At our new home all was in readiness. Bodil and Sigrid had agreed to join us and Lady Iris gave her blessing. Lars would be my driver and Jonas would be his assistant. Lars had prepared for the move, He and Nina had taken a few days off and transported their household to the new house. They had their own cottage next to one of the landsmen’s. Jonas and Sigrid had become more involved and I sensed that another wedding would take place within the year.

In our society, servants were allowed to marry at their own discretion. Allowances were made and proprieties observed. But it was really only the business of the two that were in love. Such it was for Bodil and Anders. They had noticed each other visibly upon first meeting.

Anders could see the road in both directions from most places on our land. He was not confined to the gatehouse. He often pitched in with the landsmen to perform maintenance and landscaping. The raven’s would alert us long before a traveler would come into sight. They were more agitated when someone left the road and approached through the forest. The ravens soon recognized me and our people. Ranulf could sit quietly and Raven’s would come and sit with him. Some would even sit on him. He fed them tidbits and they brought him shiny stones from the river in return. He enjoyed showing Ivy how the birds flew to him. They were very cordial to me and I had forbidden the hunting or killing of raven’s on my land. Most would not harm ravens due to superstition, but there are always a few who don’t understand the service that they perform for humans. The clean the forest of dead things. They warn of approaching strangers. The sneakier the interloper tries to be, the more noise the ravens will make.

My own preparations for the wedding included finding an appropriate gift for Valla. It finally came in the form of a Fjord mare that was snow white. She was beautiful and her ample proportions told me she was healthy. Fjord horses are naturally stout but they are incredibly strong and can serve as draft horses with patient training. The breeder didn’t want to sell her but I was persuasive and probably overpaid. When I described Valla’s beauty he finally relented. I had the mare delivered to our stables where Edvard and the men could see to her.

The week before the wedding we were not allowed to see each other. If I had business at the palace, Valla would retire to her studio until I had left. We communicated by notes or through Sigrid and Jonas. It was just a harmless custom meant to heighten our ardor.

On our wedding day Rilla stood by me at the altar with my other brothers. We waited for the three loud taps of the sogneprest’s staff. The chapel doors opened and my bride walked in on Halkar’s arm. The procession approached as maids of honor shadowed the bride and the ring bearer and flower girl followed them. Freida and Beryl carried Valla’s train. It wasn’t long and overdone. Her dress reminded me of the first gown I had seen her wear when we were just getting to know  each other. Small flowers were embroidered over every inch of her wedding gown. Her veil was modest and not one of those contrived masses of fabric that others wore. It was a very modest dress given her position. She looked radiant. Brides are meant to be radiant as a matter of course, but Valla stood out. In fact, I can’t remember a single face of a woman in the vicinity with the exception of Mother and Iris.

The Sogneprest spoke the words and I must have answered correctly because he finally had me lift her veil and we began the ring exchange. Ranulf bore the polished box to the pulpit and Rilla handed each ring to the sogneprest for the blessing. After what seemed an eternity on one hand and a lightning flash on the other, it was done. I embraced my wife and we strolled out, arm and arm to the ringing of chapel bells.

The reception was held in the ballroom of the palace. It was tradition for the bride and groom to leave the table for a short while so all the single men or women could steal a kiss from the bride or groom. I rose first on the pretext of visiting the toilet which allowed the men led by Rilla to kiss my bride while I was away. Later when Valla went to remove her train and veil in preparation for throwing the bridal bouquet. In clan culture blossoms were showered on the bride and groom.

I was ravaged by nearly all of Valla’s friends, some quite young. It was all in good fun and a long standing tradition.

We sat and listened to speeches from Rilla and Sielle who was Valla’s maid of honor. Halkar spoke and wished us the greatest of happiness together. He then read a proclamation that conferred Ranulf’s adoption upon Valla and I.  From that moment on he was truly our son. He had another Bestefar and Bestemor in Halkar and Iris. He joined the family as Ranulf Einar Christiensen.

Our first dance was a dream, I don’t know how I moved around the floor without stumbling or crippling my bride. Mother said I danced as though gilding on air. I couldn’t think of anyone or anything but Valla. It was a dream I feared I would wake from.

At last the evening was over. We were showered by barley and einkorn along with rye seeds. Valla would remove her dress while standing on a sheet. The grains and seeds would be gathered and placed in a bag for the bride to keep. They were symbols of prosperity and fertility. The more seeds, the more children and happiness would be ours. There were a lot of seeds in our clothes and hair. Valla and I remained at the palace but we would sleep in the summerhouse away from everyone. It was a tradition for the married couple to stay at the home of the bride’s family the first night and the groom’s on the second. We were exhausted and needed rest in the worst way. But we had enough energy to consummate our marriage. My release was very satisfying. When we were done I pricked my finger and dribbled a bit of blood into the puddle of seed that had dripped from Valla. The servants would see it and report the fact to Iris.

We had breakfast with Iris and Halkar. We chatted and just relaxed. Three years’ worth of tension fell away like snow from a roof. Valla and I were both relaxed.

“So now you’re an old married couple, where will you go to celebrate?” Halkar asked.

“We will start in Rotterdam then on to Amsterdam and then Vienna, Valla wishes to show me the sights there. I’m told that Vienna is a beautiful city.

After our actual breakfast we each had a piece of our Bløtkake from the wedding. It was a sweet soft cake which I didn’t ordinarily care for. But it was part of the tradition so I ate it.

We rode to my parent’s home in a carriage and were greeted first by our son and then by my brothers. I carried Ranulf inside and he addressed Valla as Mama for the first time. Valla held him and I joined them in an embrace. Ivy looked a bit sad and I knew it was because Ranulf would be moving away with us when we returned from our wedding trip. They would see each other often but not daily. I would make that clear to Ivy and Ranulf both. They would have time together especially when they were out of school.

Bolly had become smitten with the sister of a classmate. Dierdre was a pretty little girl and she obviously regarded Bolly with substantial affection.

Mother, Father, Valla and I sat down and just chatted. The twins came in for a visit under Birgit’s watchful eye. I would miss seeing them grow day by day but I had the prospect of children of my own to consider.

Valla and I walked the grounds but avoided the stables. Jonas and the white Fjord mare would be leaving the next day. She was not meant to see it until we were in our own home. That was when the bride and groom exchanged wedding gifts. The area around the stables was muddy from the spring rains, so it wasn’t difficult to steer Valla away. We dressed in simple clothing and walked to the market street. They had fresh currants so I bought enough to make desserts. Currants were Valla’s favorite fruit. These were the first blush currants and were sweeter than those of the fall. The early spring had boosted the crop. The next morning we boarded a coach for Bergen. We used Father’s regular coach, the men dropped us at the port,  where we boarded the Marguerite for Rotterdam. I had sent letters of transfer to my bank and the Norwegian embassy in Rotterdam and Vienna. I didn’t want to travel with a lot of gold in a money belt. It could take me to the bottom if there was an incident at sea. I carried a few large denomination coins that I could exchange for local currency. The Guilden was still used in the Netherlands and had been since the 1400’s.

I had studied the Dutch currency and exchange rates. I would not be cheated by a greedy merchant. They loved our Krone because they were of a higher gold content than the Guilden coins. The Dutch had a problem with coin shaving which made the weights of their coinage vary . Krone had a milled edge and it made shaving impossible to get away with.

The voyage was very smooth and we dined and chatted with other passengers. There were two other newlywed couples aboard and we celebrated together. One couple was returning home to Rotterdam after having spent a wonderful time in the fjords and visiting Svalbard. It is a beautiful destination in the spring but there is a fly problem later on. Midges and biting flies make life miserable for people and animals alike.

Our friends Elgrin and Maddy recommended places to see and go, and other places to avoid. They spot foreigners a mile away and try to shear them close to the skin. I can see where they’d have trouble with you, you’re quite fluent with Dutch, do you speak Flemish and Walloon as well?” Maddy inquired.

“No but I speak French and Dutch, so if we tour Belgium in the future we should be able to communicate with someone,” I said optimistically.

“What do you do as a career, if you don’t mind me asking Edrich?” Elgrin inquired.

“I am a trained engineer and a founding member of the Norsk Selskap og Engineers. It’s a comparatively new profession but it will do great things for Europe as a whole, I also work in government,” I told him. “And you?”

“I am a chemist, I formulate medicines for the sick. I have studied herbs and other natural remedies to determine their effectiveness. Most are beneficial, some only work because the patient believes it will,” Elgrin smiled.

“Yes, I have some experience with herbal and other natural remedies myself. I am considered a very good healer among the clans people” I told him.

“You were clan born? Saami or Norse?” Elgrin gasped.

“Norse, although I have a good relationship with the people of the Sami clans. I have helped them and they have helped me. I have high hopes for their future in the affairs of Norge,” I replied.

“I met a healer and midwife called Skadia in Svalbard. She spoke of a young healer from the south who was remarkable in his abilities, she called him Peng and said he was a goatherd.

“I still am a goatherd, I keep them at our home in Freyanhjem,” I shared.

“You are him, I have so much to discuss with you, but I don’t want to steal time away from your new wife and mine won’t stand for it either. Do you think we could correspond?”

“I think that’s possible, you may send a letter to Edrich Viscount of Haluken vo Freyanhjem and I will get it regardless of my actual location. I will answer any question I can, and refer you to others who might be able to answer the questions I cannot. If someday you find yourself in Halla or Haluken, I might be able to introduce you to some of the Saami and Clansmen. Now then, lets discuss something our brides will approve of.

Maddy and Valla had been talking with each other and when Elgrin and I finished our conversation Maddy asked if it was true that I adopted a boy I found in the street.

I told her it was, and related the story of Edgar and how happy I was to receive a second chance to save a child. Maddy wiped her eyes and told Valla it was no wonder that she loved me.

I told her Ranulf had repaid my kindness a hundred fold in his actions and character. And that Valla’s father granted the adoption on our wedding day.

“Is your father a judge or a magistrate?” Maddy asked Valla.

“Of a sort, he is the Governor General of Norway. He also holds the title of Duke of Norway. Edrich saved his life and defended him against assassins on more than one occasion. My mother is Lady Iris of Wolverhampton where her father is a Duke. She is also the Duchess of Norway but uses the simple title of Lady because that is how Norway does things,” Valla explained.

“But you seem so normal, I always thought the aristocracy was a bit stuffy, if you’ll forgive the  observation,” Maddy said sheepishly.

“Many of them are, but I wasn’t raised that way. Edrich is of a similar mind. He doesn’t come from the peerage although his Father Karl of Ikast does. That bit is complicated and we can discuss it another time, but I will say that many of the peerage could not pour water from a boot while inspecting the heel,” Valla chuckled.

“We have a saying like that but it is considerably more rude,” Elgrin grinned.

The other newly married couple, spent the balance of their time in their cabin.

When we docked in Rotterdam we were met by the ambassador’s coach and one of his staff. I asked him if he could expedite Elgrin and Maddy’s passage through customs and offer them a ride to their home. They lived in a crisp clean little neighborhood of people who were mostly in the medical profession. They lived in a modest home that had room for children when they were ready.

We said our goodbyes and were driven to the embassy to meet the ambassador.

“Nils Longlund who was no relation to the treasonous Lord was gracious. He handed me an envelope that had come in the diplomatic pouch from Oslo. Inside were confirmations from the Stadts bank and the Dutch equivalent assuring us that our transfers were secure and the money would be available at the main branch in Rotterdam or Amsterdam.

Nils inquired if we would have time to visit at the court of Willem III.

“I knew it would be rude to refuse and he and Christian were on very good terms. We really had no set itinerary and we agreed on the spot.

I wouldn’t want to reflect badly on Christian or Halkar. Father is probably outside of his knowledge but he would encourage me to visit.

“It wasn’t a simple visit, Willem held a dinner in our honor and wanted every detail of the attack on the cortege and the attempt on Halkar’s life.

I attended the dinner in my uniform with all my medals as requested by the ambassador. He attended with his wife Maria. Willem was a very good host and toasted me as a fine soldier and a great man and again as a new husband and wife together. He made a carriage available for our use and his assistant who I suspected was Emil’s counterpart presented me with documents allowing us freedom to roam wherever we wished. In the palace Valla and I admired the artworks that Willem had curated.

Rotterdam was a beautiful city, we toured the countryside as well. Later we joined our luggage at the hotel and relaxed. We had already booked the hotel so we chose that over staying at the embassy. The next day we took a four league journey to the city of The Hague and marveled at the sights. It was after all what we were there for. I saw the same few men repeatedly at several sites and suspected they were there for our protection. I knew of no credible threat to us and it was probably Willem’s security people preventing an international incident. We sat long enough for Valla to sketch a particularly beautiful fountain in the square of a cathedral.

I enjoyed watching her catch each nuance of meaning in the fountain. When she was done we moved on and looked at the architecture and other aspects of the city. People occasionally stared at us but nobody interfered.

I spotted the coach driver speaking with one of the men I had spotted.

“If you have need of food, drink or a toilet I can watch the coach. I believe we are well protected by Willem’s men. I would even venture to guess that driving coaches is not your principle occupation,” I suggested.

“Thank you my lord, my relief will arrive soon. We take every precaution with visitors like yourselves. Not everyone in the Netherlands is sympathetic with our treaty with Norway. The French are always trying to find chinks in the armor here. They will find it difficult with Willem III on the throne,” the driver told me.

“Yes, he struck me as a strong ruler and will do well at keeping the French at bay,” I agreed.

When Valla and I returned to the coach one of the security men was close by and we met our driver’s replacement.

He introduced himself and presented his papers. The security man hovered in case I objected to the change.

“I’m sorry but they are written in our language,” Rucks told me.

“That’s quite alright, I read Dutch fairly well,” I said absently, while I read.

“You speak our language quite well too. Most visitors from other countries expect us to speak their language. The Germans are the worst but the French and the English can be quite rude about it as well,” He informed me.

I waved at the security man who identified himself as Hans. Our driver will be taking us to Graeme Haus where the treaty was signed between our two countries, you may follow or ride ahead and survey the area. I don’t wish to make your job harder,” I explained.

“Dietch did say you were unusual for a foreigner. It’s a refreshing change,” Hans replied. He signaled for a carriage to stop and stepped aboard.  Once we arrived at our hotel we bathed and went for dinner.

As we progressed through our travels I relaxed a bit and allowed the security men to do most of the worrying. I still kept an eye out for trouble but none arose. At the end of our visit to Rotterdam we visited the palace again in regular clothing. I asked one of the guards if he would mind my dagger for me.

He was shocked and called for his sergeant.

Lorenz, the king’s assistant was summoned.

“I’m sorry for the confusion Lord Edrich, on your last visit you were in uniform and wearing a sword and dagger on your belt. Our guards were just being cautious. You may retain your dagger, if you were inclined to assassinate our king you would have seized the opportunity the first time. You men may return to your posts and thank you for your vigilance,” Lorenz told them.

“I think you men did an excellent job, I’m guessing you hadn’t been trained for that possibility before this. The king is in good hands,” I added.

We walked along with Lorenz and were led to a small anteroom to wait until his majesty could see us.

I compared Lorenz to Emil mentally and wondered what skills they possessed in common. I suspected it was quite a few. A small bulge in his jacket told me he carried a knife and was probably well skilled with it.

In the morning we moved on to Amsterdam and did roughly the same thing. Security shadowed the embassy coach and kept an uneasy watch for threats. None emerged and we spent a lovely four days in the city. Our coach ride to Vienna took four days, but it was well worth the trip. Valla knew the city well and showed me many beautiful sights. Most of the damage from the Ottoman siege had been repaired. We surveyed the traces that remained and Valla sketched some of the more interesting places. The weather was warm and the cafes were lively. We made a visit to Leopold and paid our respects. He welcomed us to Austria and hoped that we would have a good time.

It was over all too soon, but we had enjoyed the trip and made our way to the nearest port. Italy was actually closer but Amsterdam was more easily reached. Another four days saw us in the port and setting sale for Oslo. It was a comparatively relaxed voyage compared to the rapid pace of the coach ride to get us there. The ship made excellent progress and it took only two days to reach Oslo. We took a hired carriage to our house and relaxed. Jonas and Lars would be along  quite soon. We would be able to rest a day before we began the journey to Haluken. We would not stop there but chose an inn a bit further on. There was a raucous crowd of people our own age and they were celebrating a wedding.  Valla and I found a table and I went to the bar to order drinks. Music was playing and people were dancing. A very happy man bounced up to me and asked why we weren’t dancing.

“We’re only guests at the inn, we aren’t part of the wedding,” I explained.

“Don’t let that stop you, bring your lady and take the floor the groom told me. Ivan and Luda were a well matched couple and very hospitable. He told me how he had applied for a bit of farmland in Freyanhjem and how easy the Viscount had made it to secure the land. He boasted that he would grow the most wheat per hectare than any other new farmer. He had worked his uncle’s farm and knew what it took to raise a good crop. Eventually he was pulled away by friends. I went to bed that night feeling very good. Valla made me feel even better.

When we reached our home we greeted everyone. Laurelei’s new baby was present and had very good lungs. Otto quieted himself when I held him and stayed quiet when I passed him to Valla to hold. Valla passed him to Knut and Otto began crying again. Knut soothed him and he was quiet again for a while.

“I do not mean to offend but what is that smell on your clothes?” I asked.

“It’s the new soap my mother sent me for the laundry. It’s quite overpowering at first,” Laurelei informed me.

“That’s probably why he’s crying so much. He can’t see yet but he can smell things. He probably can’t smell your scent through the soap. Do you have any clothes that haven’t been washed in this new soap?” I probed. Laurelei changed to clothes that had not been exposed to the soap. She took Otto from Knut and the boy simply cooed and grasped at her. He nuzzled against her and was asleep in minutes.

“We’ve been trying to figure this out for days. I washed my nursing blouses and a few of Knut’s shirts in the new soap. I guess I got used to its aroma but poor Otto was overwhelmed. Thank you Edrich, I hope he’ll have a nice long sleep.

Otto slept until Laurelei woke him to suckle. Knut slapped me on the back and thanked me profusely.

“I led Valla to the stables and introduced her to the Fjord mare. Now she was overwhelmed.

“This horse can make its way in any weather that won’t kill a human on her back. She’s been bred for walking in snow. We have been working with her and now it is time for you to meet her and start building her trust.

Valla embraced me and we kissed long enough to make Magnus clear his throat.

“Sorry Magnus, we were getting carried away. How are the others settling in?” I inquired.

“Quite well except for the stallion, several of our mares are in estrus and he wants at them. Do you wish to try a cross breed?” Magnus enticed.

“Will the foals be too large for our mares to birth?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t think so, Fjord horse foals are about the same size as regular foals. I bit larger but the regular mares can handle the, If we could get Rodhest’s speed and the Fjord stamina, they would be fantastic mounts. But it will take time to find out,” Magnus reminded.

“I say we do it, as long as there is no danger to our mares,” I agreed.

When we went inside, Valla presented me with a polished wooden box with my initials inlayed in the top.

“I opened the box and pulled back a felt blanket and saw the most beautiful dagger I had ever beheld.

“I had the maker bring in German steel and he did something to make that pattern in the blade. The stone in the pommel is an amethyst. A jeweler fitted it to the knife and then the maker finished the handle. I noticed that your dagger seemed very small in your hand. I know it has sentimental value because Karl presented it to you when you first met. You can keep it in the box and carry the new one. At least you can grip the handle properly,” Valla explained.

“This is wonderful. It seems a shame to conceal it in my sleeve but it has a beautiful balance and handsome appearance. The blade is very fine and incredibly sharp,” I told her.

“How do you feel about carrying one under your skirt?” I probed.

“I already do, Father presented me with one I could strap to my thigh years ago. It was nothing to do with you. Halla is a beautiful, peaceful city, but there are some who care nothing for those qualities.

I had to agree with her on that point. And Halkar would have insured that she received all the training she could manage.

After a quiet few days in our new home It was time to retrieve our son. I left Valla at home as her menses had come on. I presumed I would have to work harder at giving her a child to raise. With the wedding and the travel, Valla had been under a lot of stress. It was not until we spent a night in our own bed in the Haluken valley that she truly relaxed. She was usually up with the birds but the morning after we arrived she slept late into the day. I retained my regular schedule and rose at my usual time. Knut and I met up and went over plans for the new children’s home which was now underway in Freyanhjem. There would be classrooms for the youngest children. Older children would attend the school in the village. Most would be from Halla although a few would come from Haluken and surrounding areas.

I learned that the men at the mine had adopted a mascot, in the form of a small Swedish boy who wandered in off the road. He had no home or family. The men took it in turn to care for him and teach him his numbers and letters. But a mining camp is no place for a small boy. Prølle wasn’t much younger than Ranulf. I learned about him at my last visit to the mine before the wedding. The men all agreed a children’s home would be better for him, than being raised by a bunch of rough handed men in a wilderness with no other children. Prølle would be the first resident of the children’s home.

But for now I would concentrate on Ranulf’s wellbeing.

He was very happy to see me, as were my brothers and Ivy. Ivy was sad because he knew this meant Ranulf was leaving. I promised to come get him at their next break in classes. That would be at the end of May. Not a long time to wait and Ivy seemed satisfied about that.

I stayed two nights with my family and allowed Ranulf and Ivy to say goodbye. Ranulf hadn’t finished classes for the year and we went to the academy so he could say goodbye to teachers and friends. He hugged Ivy one last time for the time being and we mounted my horse and rode away.

“Papa? Can I have a brand like yours and my uncles?” He asked.

“I don’t know son, I would have to ask the Headman or the Noaidi if it is allowed. You weren’t born to the clan or even clans people. But I will ask and we will follow the guidance those men can give. When we get home, I will undo your braids and trim your hair. The village and clan boys don’t wear the braids of city boys,” I told him.

As it happened we crossed paths with Chefan and two Noaidi, one was from my clan and the other was Sami hill clan.

We sat and made a fire. I produced tea and we brewed it. This is my son Ranulf, he came to me by Freya’s grace. He wishes to receive a brand like my own. Can this be done?” I asked.

The three men conferred and agreed that it could be done, but Ranulf would need to be inducted into the clan. It was a simple ceremony, he would walk from the wintering ground to a clearing nude. Valla and I would carry him through a birch arbor in the clearing. Then the words would be said and the arbor set alight. The smoke would carry the bond with his clan to the gods. The Noaidi would heat the brand in the coals of the arbor and Ranulf would be branded.

“And what do you say young Ranulf?” Chefan pressed him.

“I will do it, I want to be like my papa,” he said bravely.

“I will have to discuss it with his mother, but I think she will agree.

We finished our tea and talked of other things.

Papa, why do I have to be naked for the ceremony?” Ranulf asked me as we rode for home.

“We are all born naked. You will be born into the tribe during the ceremony. Are you shy about your body?”

“No Papa, I just wondered if there was a reason. I like to be naked whenever I can, will Mama allow me to be naked at home?”

“We will have to discuss that with her. I can make you a loincloth for the warm seasons if she objects, but I don’t think she will. We will have to work harder on your bowman-ship. You are learning but you need practice and I have set up a range to practice.

“Will I ever be as good as you?” He queried anxiously.

“In time you will surpass me as sons are meant to do. You will at the very least be my equal with a bow,” I told him.

He tipped his head back and smiled up at me. I kissed his forehead and we continued our ride.

I had learned the skill of the bowyer as a boy and continued after meeting Father. I had honed my talents and I was very good at selecting wood for the bow. The Yew trees didn’t grow as large in our country, but you could harvest a branch from one without killing the tree. Yew can be poisonous to animals and humans but is nonetheless revered by our people. Odin is said to have hanged himself from the yew, Yggdrasill. I covered my hands and arms with a lotion before working a bow. Yew was not used for fires by my people, the smoke was bad for people.

Ranulf slid off the horse and ran to Valla. She scooped him up and cuddled him. Laurelei and her children greeted him warmly and the boys were off to watch the horses. The girls went to well but stayed together. Magnus had a young daughter Lada, she was nine and knew about horses.

Valla and I walked over to see what was happening.

Graymane was servicing Mariah as the children watched. Rødhest waited patiently for another turn with the stallion.

“This is the second time today that he has serviced Mariah. His favorite is Rødhest and she wasn’t easy for him to conquer. She fought him and never fully submits. But she will stand for him. I count four times today and Graymane is just getting started. Perda has not come into season yet but she will bring some good blood to a foal. We will have colts to trade next spring. We mustn’t let them breed to close to home. There is a man who owns Belgians down the valley. He would like to have Graymare’s services for his mares. He has a very nice stallion and supplies horses to the politi and the guard.

Rødhest and Mariah were sleek European horses with perhaps some Arabian blood mixed in. Their foals would take on characteristics of the stallion and those horses would hopefully have both speed and stamina.

The scene was having an effect on Valla and myself.

Laurelei pulled her children and Ranulf away for lunch. Karl and Ranulf linked arms and followed along.

I walked back to our home with Valla and did my best to sire another son.

Later I went looking for Ranulf and found him and the other children running through the near wood in nothing but their boots. They seemed to be having fun and I left them to it. Only Lada blushed. They all came to me for hugs and I gave them freely. I told Ranulf  he had another hour and to listen for my horn.

He ate a hearty meal and slept well in his own bed the whole night. I had expected him to join us at some point, but he was very tired when he went to bed.

With other children to play with he had something to occupy his mind.

It was his third night away from Ivy that he crawled in with Valla and I. After that he slept well.

Valla and I were dressing a few weeks later and I stepped behind her and embraced her beautiful body. I inhaled and exalted. “I will send for a midwife,” I told her. You are carrying my child.

Adraff arrived and confirmed what my nose had told me. She believed it was a boy but only one. Valla had wanted twins but that wasn’t the case. Still she was very happy. When Adraff had left, I embraced Valla from behind again and held her still flat belly.

“Will you tell our parents or should I,” I asked.

“I will write our mothers each a note. They can tell our fathers,” Valla smiled. It was a very old, even ancient smile. Generations of women had smiled that same way. It needed no explanation.