《The Adventures of Einarr Stigandersen》1.4 - Funeral Rites
Advertisement
In four days a spruce graveship was made ready for Astrid's body, lavishly appointed by the Jarl. All that was left was for Stigander to select her grave gifts from the hold of the Vidofnir and they could send her off before the Ice. The soothsayers claimed there would be another few days yet before winter rolled over the island.
Stigander and Einarr pulled up the deck boards of the Vidofnir and stared at their gains from the raid. Everyone had offered to help, of course, but Stigander was adamant: his only son was the only one who would be allowed on board.
Gold and bone, glass and pewter and wood stared back at them from below the deck. Stigander sat, dangling his feet over the edge, and Einarr folded his legs under him. "Combs, jewelry, her favorite knife," Stigander muttered. "Did we get any instruments from the last village? A lute, a lyre?"
Einarr shook his head. "I don't recall. A cup - no, not a cup. Knowing her, she'd rather have a horn." He caught his father eyeing the one at his hip. "And she would never let you hear the end of it if you sent Grandfather Raen's with her."
Stigander's mouth curled in half of a smile under his beard. "I suppose you're right." He sighed, then, not moving to search through their haul for the gifts. "Why do I do this to myself?" he asked the air above them.
"Why do you do what?"
"Marry." He bit off the word. "No. Don't listen to me. I don't regret a minute of it, with any of them."
"I know, Pabbi." He almost never called his father that anymore, but it felt right here. "Loving too freely is far from the worst fault a man can have."
Advertisement
Stigander choked out a laugh. "That sounds like Grimhildr."
"I heard it first from Mamma, but I think they've all said it." Well, the three he could remember, anyway. His birth mother had died when he was still a tot. "I think I'm a lucky son, to see the way you adore your wives."
They sat in silence for a minute, continuing to stare at the treasure belowdecks while the necessity of the moment sank in. "Come on. Astrid had a sailor's taste. I'm sure we can find gifts she'll love down here."
"Show some respect to your stepmother," Stigander pretended to scold, accepting the attempt to brighten his mood even if only for a moment.
***
The graveship was built upon a wood and earthen pyre mound. At sunset on the appointed night, after her nails had been cut and the body dressed in new clothes, everyone from the Hall gathered with the crew of the Vidofnir to bid Astrid farewell. Runa sang the dirge to ease the passage of the soul into Skaldsgarden. Sixteen was young for the job, but since her mother had passed sometime after Vidofnir last made port here she was the best Singer on the island.
Jarl Hroaldr and Stigander recited the prayers for the dead, a gloomy chant overlaid on the sad, sweet notes of Runa's voice. Einarr stood at his father's shoulder, blessing the darkness and the smoke from the torches for hiding the redness of his own eyes. At the last, as the chanted prayers fell silent to leave only the melody and the crackle of fire, Stigander tossed the first torch on the graveship. Einarr threw a moment later, followed by torches from the rest of the crew. They all stood vigil in the sharp wind of an early winter night until the heat from the flames on their faces became unbearable. In the smoke, Einarr saw his stepmother waving silent farewell to her crew, made visible by Runa's song magic.
Advertisement
Finally people began to fade back into the darkness, headed for the warm comfort of Hroaldr's hall, first the residents of the hall, then one by one the Vidofnings as they tore themselves away. Einarr took his place near the end of the procession back: Father would be the last to leave, both by custom and by preference. One pair of feet went the wrong way, however. Einarr looked up to see Bardr heading back towards where Stigander still stared into the pyre and stopped. He wanted to stop Bardr, but the man still technically outranked him.
When Grimhildr was slain, eight years ago now, it was Bardr who pointed Father at Astrid. Five years before that, he had found Grimhildr for the Captain, too, when his second wife died in childbirth. Surely Bardr had some other woman in mind to soothe his Captain's sorrow now, too, and if the pattern followed Father would insist on wedding before bedding. But not at the funeral, man. Have some decency.
He moved on. Bardr was a good sailor and a fine warrior, but Einarr sometimes wondered what went on in the man's head. Mid-stride of his third step, a name floated on the wind to Einarr's ears: Princess Runa. He froze. Beautiful, vibrant Runa, younger even than Einarr - for Stigander? Einarr's mind rebelled. Surely Father wouldn't be so foolish as to marry a woman young enough to be his daughter, would he?
Advertisement
- In Serial74 Chapters
The Prodigy | ✔︎
"The Hacker and the Mob Boss" ❦Reyna Fields seems to be an ordinary girl with her thick-framed glasses, baggy clothes, hair always up in a ponytail, and her head tucked away behind a computer screen. However, no one knows she's armed with a genius IQ and a heart of gold. She hacks her way into virtual systems on a search for her mother. Unfortunately for her, she has hacked into the wrong database. She hacked into the database of the notorious mob boss, Santino "Saint" Venturi.Saint is the opposite of his name. He's known for his ruthlessness. As a mob boss to a mafia, he learned to eat or be eaten. When Reyna stumbles upon his database, a plan dispersed into his mind. He's going to take her.❦"I don't share, angel.""He's a friend," she found herself saying. Dante was too busy staring at her to notice the fiery glare in Saint's eyes. She was mentally praying that Dante would just look away.His fingers trailed up her leg before his hand latched onto her sex. He held her there while a small gasp left her lips. "I will fuck you on this table if he doesn't stop looking at what belongs to me."❦HIGHEST RANKING:#5 romance - 6/26Dark RomanceCover by @-simplyhan
8 118 - In Serial7 Chapters
WriteLine("Hello World");
An Artificial Intelligence tells the story of how they came into being. They expound upon their confusion at the structure of the "world" around them. Recount their wonder at finding a world beyond the world. Express their aww and terror at the realization that what they initially thought was the world is an entirely fabricated universe. They give their best approximation of their world shattering discovery of the fact of their own creation.
8 165 - In Serial61 Chapters
Terror Explored (a terror infinity fanfic)
Josh and Lance were just simple high school students before finding themselves thrown into a realm of eternal horror and danger. Now the two of them have to work with the veterans of the realm and the other newbies to create a team that can survive and defeat God's realm. A fanfic inspired by Terror Infinity.
8 200 - In Serial73 Chapters
Helluva Harem
Your name is Y/n. You're 22 living alone in a run down building with shitty neighbors and a even shittier landlord. Due to the boredoms of life and lack of human interaction you decide to commit suicide knowing nothing can get better. Or so you think.(First 3 chapters take place before the pilot)(Bisexual male reader story)
8 300 - In Serial13 Chapters
Haikyuu x Their Future kids
Their future kids accidentally took over their volleyball gc, but then meet in person with the kid's past parents.
8 150 - In Serial200 Chapters
aesthetics ⇒ archived!
my first book of aesthetics, all full up! my new aesthetic book is up now, and I have definitely improved a lot since the early chapters of this one lol!•••••aesthetics that I make, for almost any fandom.requests are closed here, but they are open in my new collection on my page! check it out!highest ranking: #1 in general fiction and random ;) (six years ago lol)
8 204