999 A.D
The smell of wood smoke drifted through the house like incense.
The blazing wood-fire sent its warmth and light far out through the longhouse, flashing crimson shadows along the stone walls.
Sat delicately on the carved wooden stool, her legs crossed politely, Astrid's sapphire orbs never left the polished shard of metal that showed her reflection, just as water did.
The mirror had been a gift from her father, something he'd salvaged for Astrid when he and her mother had been on a raid.
Truthfully speaking, Astrid could recall little of her father, she could remember he was a strong man with kind eyes and an infectious laugh, but Astrid had only been a child when he had died.
But one thing that had stuck in her mind, had been his attitude towards death.
He had once told Astrid he had no fear of death, that when the time came, he'd welcome the Valkyries to summon him home, that he wouldn't enter Odin's hall with fear.
Astrid liked to think her father was in Odin's hall, toasting horns filled with the strongest of ales and sharing valiant battle stories with his fellow warriors.
Peering at her mother through the polished metal, the corner of Astrid's lips twitched in surprise.
It was not like her mother to be affectionate, to offer to brush and style her daughters hair.
Yet there Sigrid stood, clutching the brush made of bone between her toughened fingers.
As nice as the gesture was, every stroke of the brush tugged painfully at each strand of hair, not that her mother seemed to notice or perhaps mind as she carelessly hummed, dragging the brush back and forth.
With her lips tightened into a firm grimace, Astrid managed to hold her tongue as her mother put the brush aside, fingers moving to tightly twist the curls into a simple crown braid.
It was no secret her mother was in a putrid mood, and at that moment, the last thing Astrid wanted was to worsen her mother's mood.
Fastening the braid securely, Sigrid smiled bashfully at her handiwork.
"You look beautiful child, any man would be honored to have you on their arm." Sigrid commented proudly.
Meeting her mother's swirling azure iris' in the mirror, Astrid struggled to hold the comment that so dangerously wanted to seep off her tongue.
"And what an honor it would be for me, mother. A breeding mare for my brutish warrior husband." Sarcasm dripped from her each syllable.
Instead of striking her daughter as Astrid expected, Sigrid simply let out a sigh, running her fingers through her daughters loose curls. "My sweet daughter. Those are some rather brave words, you forget who your mother is."
Taking a seat beside her daughter, Sigrid watched as her daughter's rosy lips curled into an amused -grimace. "Ah yes, my mother. The almighty shield maiden, Sigrid Ragnulf."
The mocking tone in her daughter's voice made Sigrid cast a sharp look to her daughter. "Watch your tone, Astrid." She warned gently.
Astrid made no comment as Sigrid let out a sigh, her coarse hands cupping Astrid's warm cheeks. "You are not made to be a shield maiden, Astrid."
She frowned, hurt by the comment. "So what was I made for, mother?"
Placing the brush on the side, Sigrid clasped her hand with Astrid's, the skin of her hands coarse and tough from hard labor. "You are a great beauty, Astrid. Not a great warrior. Make the best of your situation."
With that, Sigrid stood up, pressing a gentle kiss to her daughter's head as she smiled. "Why don't you fetch the pail of water. Show me that although you may not be a great warrior, you do possess great strength."
...
Clutching the wooden pail between her fingers, Astrid played ignorance towards the twinging pain that settled in the deep depths of her lower spine.
Almost as if she wanted to prove to her mother that she did have great strength, no matter what the pain in her back shrieked, Astrid had carried the empty barrel all the way to the spring water stream without any help.
As she walked along the rocky pathway, the pail folded under her arm, she had kept her back straight, her chin up, completely aware of her mother's stare as she carried it out of sight and down the rural trail.
And though she wouldn't show it, the empty pail was heavy, her fingertips turning white as she desperately tried to hold on, struggling to get good grip.
She dreaded to think how heavy the pail would be when she had filled it with water.
With a huff falling from her lips, Astrid, rather ungracefully, dropped it to the floor, letting it land with a loud clunk as it rolled to the side.
Taking a seat on the large boulder that looked onto the stream, Astrid took a moment to catch her breath.
Crossing her legs so her soft leather shoes wouldn't get damp from the stream, Astrid glanced down at her hands that were turning a roguish pink, her fingertips a startling white.
As she turned to look back at the barrel resentfully, she jumped at the sound of the wind howling, pulling her cloak closer instinctively as the sound of soft footsteps approached her.
Turning to face the approaching friend or foe, Astrid failed to hide the frown when she noticed who was coming to the stream.
Knowing if she said nothing at all to her betrothed her mother would be far from pleased, Astrid climbed up from the boulder, standing straight to greet him. "Hello Niklaus."
He stood tall, a barrel of his own under his arm, the weight of it unaffecting him. Placing his barrel on the ground, he sent Astrid a strained, tight-lipped smile. "Astrid."
Now that he was close, Astrid couldn't deny he was an extremely attractive man. Sure, Astrid had seen him from afar, but never up close. In some ways he was a lot like Kol.
Well-built like a true warrior, his physique was a stark contrast to his delicate yet handsome features. Niklaus possessed curled, dirty-blonde hair and dark blue eyes, while his skin was a brilliant shade of pearly-white.
However, it was his lips that caught Astrid's attention, lips so pink and shapely that they almost seemed feminine.
"It seems we haven't actually spoke before." Niklaus spoke up once again, his voice void of any emotion, making Astrid come to the conclusion he too was not so pleased about their arrangement.
She nodded, her light blue iris' never leaving his as she bent down to grasp the pail, beginning to fill the wooden barrel with fresh spring water.
"Yes, we haven't. I find it rather strange, especially when we are to be wed in a week time." She admitted.
Niklaus had to admit he liked the sound of her voice, it was different from Tatia's.
Tatia's voice could be considered gravelly and flat, filled with a teasing undertone so you never knew how she was truly feeling.
While Astrid's was soft-spoken and smooth, reminding Niklaus of his first taste of honey.
Seeing her up close, Niklaus could understand why Astrid was remarked as a great beauty in the village. No wonder even Kol, his flirtatious baby brother, seemed besotted with the brunette.
Astrid had thick, soft curling brown hair and large blue eyes, she had a slender but womanly figure with smooth and unblemished skin, and a warm and sweet smile. But she was not Tatia.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when she stood, placing the lid over her pail of water as she placed it under her arm, lifting with her knee's.
Knowing how heavy the pail would be, especially now it was practically full to the brim with water, Niklaus frowned. "Should you be carrying something so heavy?"
Standing up straight, Niklaus had to admit she was a good little actress, hiding the pain it caused as she sent him a pointed glare.
Clearly he had touched a nerve in his attempt to be chivalrous towards his wife-to-be.
"Tell me, why shouldn't I be?" She arched her slender brows challengingly, keeping a firm grip on the pail.
As much as he tried to hide the amused look, the corner of his mouths uplifted as he sent the girl a half crooked smile. "I just mean-"
"You just mean what? I can't carry heavy things because I'm a girl?"
He chuckled.
"I'm surprised you can carry anything with those arms. There's nothing on them." He teased, glancing down at her slender, womanly arms. They were the complete abstract of his, muscled and tense from fighting and training sessions.
"Perhaps not yet."
With that, she turned on her heel, heading back down the stony, up-hill path towards the village as Niklaus watched in amusement.
She was something, but she would never be Tatia, the thought left him with a heavy heart.