Sigrun Gard (daretodefyme) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2019-02-26 20:53:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, ~2019 february, ~25 points, ~~rhysand (rhysofnight), ~~sigrun gard (daretodefyme) |
Who: Sigrùn Gard & Rhys
What:: conversation
Where: the Settlement
When: the other day
Warnings: move
Status: Doc. Completed.
Sigrùn was sitting by the bonfire in the middle of the Settlement. She was dressed today in jeans and a long sleeved black shirt. Her long hair was up in a complicated weave of braids, and a few streaks of dirt on her cheek.
She was carefully pulling herbs from bundles of plants Ere had brought them, while over a small section of fire a pot boiled a plant for dye for Torvi. Long fingers deftly set aside the useful herbs and tossed the regular plant matter into a bin for livestock.
A large raven sat on her shoulder, beak clicking as it watched her. She spoke to it in low tones, laughing at something he'd reported, her laugh wicked and low. She reached up to scratch the back of its neck.
***
Rhys had slept long and deeply the last several nights. He pretty much ate and drank and slept. It was a soul restoring matter. Even though he’d had some time since Amarantha’s death, there had been so much time spent on organizing things that Rhys had not reseted after it happened. Instead, he’d been running on fumes. So arriving in Madison Valley had been a bone that Rhys had not expected. His body and mind and soul took what it needed - which was sleep.
Now several days later, Rhys finally felt like he had managed to regain some equilibrium. And it was now time to do something with his life instead of mooch off people who had been kind enough to offer him space and time. Crawling out of bed, Rhys stretched his long lean form and straightened his clothing and exited the space he had been sleeping.
In the middle of the settlement he spied Sigrun. She was clearly working on something and talking to a raven. His violet eyes traced her path and he slowly made his way to her side. “Morning,” he stated, wondering whether or not he should greet the raven as well. “I must thank you for the respite. I think I have finally caught up on sleep and I believe it is high time began to repay you for this hospitality.” His smile was pure charm.
***
Sigrùn looked up then reached up to shoo the Raven away. Who defiantly dug his talons into her shoulder instead drawing a sigh from her lips. They'd been better behaved thanks to Odin being here but they were still brats.
She knew that upon arrival a lot of people needed space. It was strange being thrown into a place unlike home, and she understood the need for time. It seemed many came from rough periods of time, her own ward had. She tried to have compassion.
“I am glad you feel refreshed.” She set the basket of herbs at her feet. She turned enough to look at him, “I hope this place is welcoming enough to aid in that.” Sigrùn reached over to stir the pot for a moment, turning her face to the bird, speaking to it in old Norse before it hopped off and headed to find Torvi.
“Where would you like to start? Actual work or learning about things here to help here first?”
***
Rhys watched her talking to the raven and wondered about it. Clearly it was a creature of some intelligence. He made a note to be careful around creatures here. It would be hard to know which ones were intelligent and which ones weren’t. Better to be careful.
Spreading his arms, Rhys admitted, “This place has been more than ideal. It has been calm and quiet.” His mind compared it to the cabin that no one else was aware of rather than his closest friends. Perhaps that was why it had been so soothing to be here. It wa like being at home in his own space.
“Either or,” Rhys said with that charming smile gracing his features. “Whatever makes it easiest for you.” He was more than willing to work now. It made him feel good to be needed and to start giving back.
***
“Munin.” she gestured to the bird that was flying off. “Him and his twin, Hunin, are my boss’ birds. Troublesome. If they bother you, throw something at them. They’ll be fine.” she laughed a little, “They are Odin’s birds, and I inherited them much to my dismay.” she rolled her eyes, though it was evident in the tone of her voice she liked having them. Even if they were a little troublesome.
“I am glad.” she said softly as she shifted on the bench. “Well since we are here, we can do stuff here. I’ll be happy to show you what is going on, and where, though most of our farming isn’t done until spring. We have fish traps to check and other traps, herbs and dried things.” she smiled a bit.
“We’re pretty self-reliant here. I hope that you don’t mind that.” Sigrun paused to take him in, then shook her head at herself. She was just happy to have another adult to talk to. She adored Clove, who was blossoming into a wonderful adult herself, but Bjorn and Torvi were married and had their little ways that she didn’t understand.
She tended to be the loner here.
“I was working on separating out herbs from general plant material from a harvest earlier this year. We have livestock, and Torvi dyes and weaves fabric.” she smiled, charmingly, eyes bright. “And we have an archery target range, and axe throwing, as well as other training areas, if you like that as well.”
***
Her explanation of the ravens made some sense. So they were someone’s pets. That made more sense. Though he still considered that they must be more intelligent than the average pet. But then, Rhys kept his thoughts to himself. It would be worth exploring later.
His violet eyes took in all the items in the space. He listened as she spoke. It was more like an Illryian camp and he suddenly had the urge to look around for his mother though he knew the Spring Lord had killed her ages ago for some imagined slight. And that was a form of comfort that he was not quite willing to discuss with Sigrun at the moment. Perhaps some day he would, but not yet. For now he would keep his thoughts to himself, a bit of privacy.
“I like that,” Rhys said as he smiled. “I grew up in a space much like this. I like the idea of contributing to it. Where I grew up, there were clear lines of division of labour though - men to one side and women to the other. I’d be happy to learn whatever needs the most help. Some things I admit to having no experience with.” He grinned at her, charming as always.
“So hopefully you’re willing to answer a million and one questions,” Rhys said, giving her a teasing wink.
***
She smiled a touch, “me too. Until I got here I hadn't thought about how much I missed it. It has been a very, very long time.” She looked around the place with pride and love. She really loved what they'd built here.
“Ah, yes. We had division of labor like that too but women had more rights too, and if men died in raids we did the work of them. It changed as things were needed. Now everyone pitches in equally. I simply don't see the point of a division.” She was certainly as tough as any man.
“I don't mind.” She said honestly as she got to her feet. “Come I'll show you around.” She stretched, she'd been there awhile. Then she started off towards the barns, moving easily.
***
“Division of labour along those lines seems to be rather universal,” Rhys said with some disgust in his tone. “I’ve been fighting that battle in my homeland for the better part of a century.” He shook his head.
“At least as a female you were trained to fight and your strength was celebrated. The Illryian have yet to think that females are good for anything. The most stringent strip women of their wings, breaking their bodies and then their spirits to keep them in traditional roles.” His hands clenched in anger at the thought. Part of him knew that in time with firmness things could be changed, but at the same time, he’d rather just rip off heads and make it happen.
Shake off his dark mood, Rhys nodded. “It’s quite a space. I can see that you are proud of what you have created.” He followed her to the barns, the roucous noise of the animals familiar. “What all do you raise here?”
***
“It rather is, yes.” She said a little sadly, “even to this day there is a division. I was lucky. Born to a family who fought and for whom shield maidens were celebrated. Then I was chosen by the gods.”
Then a brow arched, “by wings do you speak metaphorically or literally?” Her lips pressed into a thin line, easy to see that either way it outraged her. Oppression in any form irked her. She fought hard against such things.
“We raise cow, pig and chicken mostly though we have some geese.” They slipped through the trees to come to the barns, everyone was given plenty of room to graze, the cows had a thin layer of snow on their backs. Happy as can be.
******
This was the kind of place that Rhys wanted for the Illryians - where everyone contributed - men and women both. Whether it was for caring for the food and the land, or fighting the battles of the enemies that threatened all of them, both jobs should be done by men and women as far as Rhys was concerned. In fact, Rhys had a suspicion that some of the women would be more ferocious than the men would ever believe.
“I mean literally,” Rhys bit out the answer. “As soon as a woman has their first courses, women have their wings cut so that they cannot be used to fly, confining them to the camp and dependent on men to fight for them.” The anger in his voice was clearly evident. Every time he thought of people taking away the right to fly of those women his anger boiled over. It was about freedom to choose and no one should have such freedoms removed.
Rhys looked out at the animals, trying to find his equilibrium after such an angry topic. He was glad he did not have to deal with it at the moment. There would be time for that later. “They look quite content. Do you eat them or just the products they produce?” he inquired, leaning against the fence to look out over them.
***
Sigrùn let the topic drop but she seethed under it all. She hated people who clipped the spirit of anyone. The idea that there were those who literally cut the wings off a woman to keep them tethered to the ground was rage inducing.
It made a muscle in her jaw twitch.
Blue eyes were dark as she looked out over the field. “Mostly just the products they produce. Meat is plentiful here, though we hunt duck and deer. Though if there were ever a shortage we would sparingly use them for meat. Until then, they are spoiled creatures.” A grin found it's way back to her face.
“Though the pigs are all for meat and clean up duty. We do butcher one every six months or so.” They are mostly useful as scrap eaters and bacon.
****
Rhys wasn’t oblivious. He could sense her anger on behalf of the women he talked of. He appreciated that it made her as angry as it did him and she didn’t even know his people. Rhys didn’t want to talk about any more either so he pushed the thoughts from his mind. There would be time enough for thinking about it later - when he had the energy.
“Spoiled creatures seems rather apropos,” Rhys agreed, watching the animals wander and find food. Nothing about them seemed unhappy. They were clearly more than just food - they were part of the group as much as the people who lived in the space. “Do you grow their feed then or buy that?” he asked, looking around to see if there were fields that would be appropriate.
***
Sigrun had seen so many of the injustices of the world in her day. Rise and fall of so many nations and regimes. How they rarely treated women well. It was enough to leave her capable of being angry on any women's behalf.
She nodded, “Both. We have over a hundred acres here. We farm about thirty of them, for both food for us and for them. The fields are on the other side. We also harvest berries and such.” She smiled warmly, “We enjoy the work, as odd as that sounds in this day and age.” She sighed softly.
“I'm sure many in town find us odd but we are almost all from an era long gone by.”
***
“I come from your time and age so nothing about this sounds odd at all,” Rhys said, with a tinge of laughter to his voice. “On the other hand, those who want to live in the midst of all that technology are a bit mental as far as I am concerned.”
He turned and looked at her directly, leaning against the fence, the wind blowing his hair, swirling the curls. He was dressed in that black suit still and he realised he would need to find something better to wear. The weather here was cold - not as cold as winter at home - but enough that his suit would not be ideal forever. “I like it here. You have a good thing going. I’ll learn whatever needed to share in the responsibilities of this place.”
He gave her a charming grin and added, “Though I shall have to get some more appropriate clothing. This might do for being the High Lord and managing my Court, but this would require something a bit different.”
***
“Fair. I've adapted over centuries, I even own a helicopter. The Dome gave us gifts from home last year and that was mine. I had forgotten it at that point. The view is worth it.” She smirked a touch then shifted so she could look at him. She took in his outfit, with a devious grin. “Oh I don't know. Could be amusing watching you try to help manage the animals in such finery.” She was amused, even if the anger still lingered in her eyes.
She half closed her eyes, as if mentally imagining such a sight. She leaned on the fence, slipping one hand through the rungs to scritch a cow behind the ears. She thought about things she missed, she could ride the lightning, but that didn't offer a good view. It was fast, too fast to enjoy.
“Perhaps Torvi will make you something. She helps keep all of us in work clothing. I'm sure she'd come up with something for you to do in exchange.” Sigrùn suggested with a look at him, he was taller than Bjorn so that wouldn't work, “Why didn't you say something sooner?” She laughed, “we would have at least gotten you something to sleep in.”
****
“What makes you think I sleep in clothing?” Rhys inquired with a single raised eyebrow. Now the anger completely melted off of him as the charm appeared. “I have enough magic to make things appear and disappear, but not create things on a permanent basis.” It wasn’t how his magic worked. His powers were powerful, but there were limits to all things.
“I’d be happy to talk to Torvi about clothing,” Rhys said, laughter in his voice. “There has to be something that I can do in return. Of course, I still have the funds that they gave us when I arrived in this location so that may be of some help.”
***
Sigrun paused to look at him, her eyes bright as she burst out into laughter. “Mmm fair enough, I suppose that was my fault for assuming.” Her lips parted in a half smirk, tongue catching against her canines as she laughed, far be it from her to assume. That was her fault. “Remind me to throw you a few more furs then.”
“I’ve got some skill in magic but nothing like that. I’m all offense with a touch of defense but offense is more my talent. Ever need a lightning bolt, let me know.” she grinned widely as she leaned against the fence a little more then hoisted herself to sit on the top rail.
“We don’t really need the money - save it for something you might want that we don’t have. Torvi’s shrewd, don’t underestimate her on that regard.” she winked as she rested her hands on either side of her. She took in a deep breath, happy for the crisp air.
***
Rhys grinned. He was glad to have made her laugh. How could she have thought he would consider sleeping in his suit - that just sounded highly uncomfortable. And Rhys did not care to be uncomfortable. “I will gladly take the additional furs. I wouldn’t want to,” Rhys allowed his eyes to skim his own body before meeting Sigrun’s again, “freeze off anything important.”
But he turned his discussion back to the topic of magic. “It depends on what you consider offensive and defensive,” Rhys said. “I consider mine both. I’ve yet to learn to throw a lightning bolt on the other hand. I shall leave that matter to you.”
Nodding at her willingness to let her keep his money. He knew he would find a good use for it. There would always be a purpose for funds. Most of the funds he owned now were purposeless so it would be nice to have funds reserved for a purpose. “I will not underestimate her in the slightest then. But for now, I believe I’m supposed to be helping, not just admiring the beauty of this landscape.”
***
Sigrùn indulged in the moment, she rarely let her hair down, metaphorically speaking. “Can't have that happen, now can we? Frozen toes are no joke.” She winked because she knew he meant something else.
“Well mine are mostly meant to hurt. Though I suppose they can be used in other ways.” She only shrugged a little, though, as she pushed to stand up on the rail and hop down easily.
She trusted he would follow as she headed into the barn. It was warm in here, cozy really, and spacious. “We're pretty relaxed, taking time to enjoy this place is just habit.” She opened a door and a strangely modern idea was in one wall of the feed room. The wall had been painted with chalkboard paint, with each animal group getting a section. Feeding and turnout schedules were written, with notes on any individual who needed different than standard care.
***
“My,” Rhys deliberately paused and winked at her, “toes are very precious indeed. I refuse to consider losing any of them when I have kept them safe all this time. You never know what pleasure they might bring to others.” Amusement and arrogance danced in his features. He knew precisely what he was implying and he hoped she was thinking along the same lines.
Rhys did follow her, admiring the organizational system that had been put into place. He noted the information on the wall, reading through it carefully. “Do you take turns updating this then?” he inquired, gesturing at the wall. “It seems to be an ideal communication method.”
***
Sigrùn lifted one shoulder, “Goodness we can't be missing out on that potential delight now can we?” Oh she knew, this was fun though. She leaned on the wall, arms folding under her chest, eyes glinting.
“As needed, though usually we just need to change things up as the seasons change. If something comes up whoever noted it changes it. It is useful and much easier than trying to memorize it all.” A slight shrug, “I've been thinking of implementing a version for everything else.”
***
“It seems like a good system,” Rhys commented. “I’ll be happy to contribute. I like things neat and orderly. Seems like you do here as well.”
The more he saw, the more Rhys felt like he was in the right place. Everything in his body called this home. He was only missing his family. A faraway look came into his violet eyes as he thought of those he loved the most. Perhaps…
Rhys shook off the thought. “So I see where the animals eat, but where do you lot eat?” he inquired.
***
She nodded then pushed off the wall to head out the door. She moved quickly, if only because she tended to take long strides..not usually thinking about anyone else. It was easy for her to just get lost in the steps and the walk.
Sigrùn stretched as she walked towards the tallest building in the Settlement. She held open the door and grinned, inside was hard carved everything - from the long oak table to the chairs - with a fire pit running down the center. The tables had runes and knotwork, tapestries hung from the ceiling beams, there were modern lights hidden in old style design work so they had good light but not garish looking.
“Welcome to the Great Hall. We cook in here or out over the fire. We do have a fridge and freezer but we try to cook as old school as possible. Torvi had an issue with a microwave once, and I don’t trust Bjorn near a stove. ” She laughed a little. There was a door to the back room, which led to said appliances hidden behind carved walls, and a door in the floor led to a root cellar stocked with onions, garlic, potatoes and apples.
***
Keeping up with Sigrun’s long strides was easy enough. He followed her into the Great Hall, taking a deep breath as he entered. It was all familiar. Rather like the camps and Rhys felt at home. It settled further into his bones that here he could be himself - be relaxed. Well, as relaxed as Rhys ever managed. As long as he kept busy, there would be no need to worry or think too much about home.
The description made sense other than the information about the microwave which he immediately quiered. “Microwave?” he asked, an eyebrow raising. It was a term he didn’t recognize so he had to assume it was some form of gadget he didn’t know. The fire pit and tables were pure camp and he expected he would be very comfortable here. Maybe he didn’t know how to cook yet, but this kind of place inspired him to want to try.
“I like your home.” Rhys nodded with satisfaction as he looked around. “I’m surprised you don’t have more people clamouring to want to be here.”
***
“It's a modern cooking tool. It's not nearly as great as an open fire in my opinion.” She shrugged a bit, then moved to check out how a slow cooking roast was doing.
“Trust me when I say most people here want easy things not things earned from hard work. Almost everyone is from modern times and want modern things.” She gave him an exasperated sigh.
“But I don't mind. I can be picky here. So I'm careful and only those who appreciate the place can stay.” She handed him a bowl of seasoning and a brush made of horse hair bristles..”time to learn I think”
A playful grin danced on her lips.
***
“I will take your word for it,” Rhys said. “I have yet to find something in this modern world that does something better than the way I’d do it at home. Though perhaps I can find something. It will be a nice challenge.”
Rhys agreed with the sigh, but didn’t comment on it. He knew that people liked things easy - it was why so many of the sheep of the Fae had been trapped Under the Mountain. They all assumed it had been an easy solution. Rhys had known better, which is why he had been able to save those he had. It was still a stupid thing and a senseless loss of like.
Those violet eyes looked at Sigrun as he looked at her and the brush she handed him. He hadn’t been oblivious to her checking the food, but he hadn’t expected to be handed a challenge so quickly. On the other hand, he’d had his rest. Time to earn his keep. Rhys took them somewhat gently and then nodded at her grin. “Right. You explain, I’ll do.” Determination displayed on his face.
***
“Humanity likes simplicity.” She shook her head gently, shrugging deeply. Then a dark smile curled her lips as she watched the look of surprise that flashed across his face so fast she almost missed it.
Her long fingers tapped over her arm for a moment then she sat down on a bench, long legs crossing, arms folding. “Baste the roast.while using the crank to turn it slowly. Once you've coated it fully you can stop for the moment.”
Simple. No way he could fuck it up. She grinned wickedly though but this was just the beginning.
***
Rhys wasn’t stupid. He noted the smile and he knew that she was going to be watching carefully. Rhys looked at the roast with determination. If he could cower most of the world with his power and rule a bunch of misfits, he could baste a fucking roast.
After a moment of careful examination, Rhys worked through the process, turning and basting with a bit exaggerated care and making only a slight mess. It wasn’t pretty and there was a bit more of the herbs on the floor than on the roast, but he was satisfied. Nodding, he stepped back, carefully setting the brush and the bowl aside on the table.
“Humanity and many others, fuck up a lot of simple things,” Rhys pointed out, hoping she wasn’t going to laugh at his juvenile efforts.
***
Sigrùn was mostly amusing herself. She just wanted to see if he'd try it with determination or haphazardly. Her lips twitched into a grin, playful. She thought about teasing him but decided not to.
“They do. Simplicity is hard enough, why complicate it?” She sighed shaking her head. “I'll show you some real work, it's harder than basting a roast and will take time. Hopefully I won't need to ban you from the kitchen.” She smirked as she made herself get up.
She'd been comfy. She slipped into the back to grab a basket full of fresh veggies, and a pair of knives. The wood table he'd set the bowl on had obviously been used as a butcher block, too.
Sigrùn handed him a knife, then adjusted his grip, her touch cool but a little static-y. A hint of something in her veins. She'd show him how to cut each of the veggies: carrots, potatoes, celery, onion and leek. Before she'd take a couple of her own to work on. “I actually find cutting veggies oddly relaxing.”
***
“I think people complicate things as their brains can’t accept that simple really does work,” Rhys pointed out. “Everyone thinks the simple can’t possibly be true - it’s too easy.”
Rhys watched as she pulled out the vegetables and provided clear instruction. He noted the static sensation that her touch seemed to have and wondered about it, but said nothing. Rhys tended to keep his thoughts and opinions to himself unless needed. It saved him quite a few times of trouble.
After the few minutes of instruction, Rhys caught on and immediately started cutting the vegetables. Oddly, despite never having done it before, Rhys caught on quickly and his vegetables were neatly cut and all the same size as well as quickly done. It was oddly soothing. “It’s about the finese and the routine of it,” Rhys agreed, noting the same sensation.
***
Sigrun only smiled a little as he settled into a rhythm. She really liked the work, it kept her hands busy and her mind occupied with the work. “Simple is sometimes too good to be true but rarely.” she shrugged a little.
“Humanity. I’ve lost touch and sometimes forget how the think.” she laughed a little, the curse of long life. Forgetting the simple things and the way people work, it never was a big deal until she had no choice. Then she found herself wondering sometimes how to manage.
“It is, isn’t it?” she asked before she fetched a bowl and some herbs and a bottle of olive oil. “I will say though, that modern times has advantages. Such as a variety of spices and oils instead of just salt and fat.” she laughed as she tossed the veggies into the bowl, tossing the oil and spices over it.
***
“We’ve more spices,” Rhys commented, watching as she worked, noting the different herbs that she used and making a note so that he could use them again the future if he wanted to recreate the same kind of taste. “Salt and fat were not our primary choice. We liked spicey food. Unusual among the fae for our tastes.”
At her note of removal from humanity, Rhys nodded, thinking it through. “I am not human, but I think it is a general reaction to things that seem so easy. No one believes the easy path will work. Some of us make it complicated because we think we don’t deserve it the easy way. It’s like we all expect that we deserve the worst. Perhaps if we gave ourselves more grace, it would go better.”
Rhys stretched out his long legs, encroaching on her space as body looked for more space. “Do you often eat communually then as well?” he asked, assuming the answer.
***
“I was from by the ocean, salt was our primary source of seasoning with fat being also in abundance. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t think I could go back to it now.” she laughed as she thought about it, stretching back to grab a thin pan with holes in it to lay the veggies out on. She dumped teh bowl onto the pan and spread everything out.
“Giving ourselves grace would be a smarter move, I think.” she paused for a moment and thought about her answer, “And, perhaps learn to make life not so difficult for the sake of being difficult.” a wry grin curled her lips, “I love trouble, to an extent, and I don’t expect things to just fall into my lap, but sometimes, throwing every possible obstacle in the way isn’t a good way to live, either.”
She regarded the pan and the vegetables then sighed a bit, “Though, I am not sure that’s a lesson people will learn. They haven’t in my lifetime and that’s not short.” a slight shrug, “though some take pleasure in simple things, and hard work, which is heartening to see.” she didn’t move as he encroached on her leg room, merely allowed it. “Mm. Yeah, we try to. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, depending on work schedules. We try to rotate who’s turn it is to cook so no one’s stuck doing it all the time. We all try to make enough for everyone, so even if you miss dinner, there’s food if you want it.”
***
“I live near the sea as well,” Rhys admitted, “but in comparison I would go back to that place in a moment. Of course in some ways we are quite modern in comparison to where you have come from. It is still not as modern as much of Madison Valley. We’re closer to this than that.”
Her explanation of life and the corresponding grin made Rhys grin back at her. “I believe that trouble finds me,” Rhys admitted with a bit of a shrug. “I keep thinking I’d just like a quiet simple life. And somehow I keep getting embroiled in things that are neither remotely quiet nor simple.” Rhys shook his head at himself. There had to be a reason… Perhaps he was attempting to protect others from things so he took on things that might possibly hurt them.
“I don’t think giving everyone a long life is the answer either,” Rhys said with a shake of his head. “Most would take that as a time to waste doing stupid things rather than learning lessons. Even those who know they have a long life, tend to spend some long period of it being rather stupid.” Rhys grinned at her, legs stretching out further as he slouched down.
“Good to know. Well, I am happy to be shuffled into the rotation and learn a bit about helping keep all this moving.”
***
“My original time, from where I was first born, was very old. Gods above it’s been a long time, early 400s? I don’t know. I’ve lost track. When I was brought here it was only a few years off from this time, so it wasn’t a huge change.” a shrug of a shoulder as she looked over at him. “We were farmers, raiders, seamen. I was chosen by the gods and then stopped being human.” she shrugged again.
“Trouble lands on my doorstep enough that I enjoy it enough, but often I end up wandering into it trying to sort things out or protect people. Simple life doesn’t suit me too much anymore. Even here I have some days I miss the fighting.” Sigrun was a complicated woman. There was much about her. Though she preferred simple things to making it harder, she did like trouble.
“No, and I certainly had a chunk of years where I did stupid things, though my boss was a bit tough and stern so it was a lot shorter than it could have been. I think long life can be more of a curse than a blessing. Most people don’t understand that.” she ran a hand over her hair and sighed. She nudged a leg of his with her knee.
“Perfect. We’ll throw you to the wolves and see how you come out.” she winked.
***
“Fae have not changed their ways much since we first came to our home,” Rhys said. “At least not in my memory. Aside from the fact that they were no longer allowed to enslave humans.” There was disgust in Rhys tone at the idea of enslaving humans. It was weakness that made the Fae need to conquer and own humans, to prove their superior nature.
“You can have my trouble then if you enjoy it so,” Rhys pointed out, making a shoving motion as if wanting to push his trouble to her. Rhys was tired of trouble. Tired of being the only one who saw it. Tired of being the only one who thought that things were going to be trouble. Life had never been simple - well except for life before living in the Illryian camps with his mother. But that was more than five centuries ago and childhood should be simple.
The nudge of her knee made him nudge back. Rhys was not going to give up his space. Not yet any way. “Being the heir to a Court does not make for a simple life. I don’t think being a Fae leads to a simple life.” He shook his head. He could not change it now and he did not particularly want to. There were good things that he would not wish to give up.
Her joke though made him laugh. His head tipped back as he laughed, white teeth flashing, violet eyes sparking with pleasure. “I will attempt to bend the wolves to my will then.” He gave her a wicked grin. “I’m quite good with animals.”
***
He’d encroached on her space first, what followed was another nudge of her own, blue eyes sparkling. “I am enjoying my own trouble, I do not need everyone else’s.” she teased him as she settled into the banter.
“Being a Valkyrie is simple. Mostly just fighting, guiding souls to the right Hall after they die and so on. My life only got complicated after Odin started us as a mercenary group and has sent me all over the earth to do work.” she didn’t mind, she complained with a grin, she liked the work. Even if some of the enemies were trying, even for her. She hoped to never see them again.
“Mmm careful, all my wolves aren’t pushovers.” she grinned as she nodded. “We’ll do dinner for today then add more stuff in for you.”
***
¨But I have so many extra to offer,” Rhys said with a bit of a pretend pout. ¨And I do so love to share things. Tell me you’ll take just a few.” His eyes twinkled as he looked at her.
Rhys shook his head slightly. “At least you know simple. Fae have no idea of the definition of simply much less, how to do it.”
He laughed at her statement. “I’ll keep an eye on the wolves then,” Rhys said, and nodded, letting them fall into a continued easy conversation, idlying away the time.
***