Several days had passed since Walkure had sent Wargbiter to his doom. She was thinking of the children now, specificly those she had with her husband herself, not so much his others. She had always been proud, never cared much for what women should do. She understood that what she wanted from life was ofcourse never what most other women did want however. It was amusing to her, she had never even thought to marry. The idea that she could not have had the love of her sons and daughter, now that was a scary thought. She smiled, with sadness in her eyes. Her life before she met Whunjo was nothing short of battle after battle, even as a child. Wether her sibling was still alive was a mystery to her.
She could still remember how her father would shout at her mother each time that she scolded him for being half the man she thought him to be. Her older brother taking well after father, mimicking his behavior at her. Walbar was often beaten by father, .. Walkure could still feel the emptiness in her heart as she remembered how Walbar then repeated the session on her and their little sister.
Then that fateful evening happened.. she had come home from the nearest market. It was one of the more fond tales, she always enjoyed the tales of the traveling shepherds and how she would often be given something to eat. She was practically dancing on her way home till she approached the doorway, she opened it and felt that with her bare feet she stepped into a liquid.. not much of that moment still remains in her mind, except that what she saw next will be with her forever. She could see her brother standing over a body, "Walbar!", she cried, "Is it bandits..?!" Walbar had been a handsome blonde boy, for all his temper, somehow always capable of winning someone over just like father with his pretty face and winning smile. Not that evening though.. his hands were spattered in red, his trousers, his rough tunic... as he turned around. He looked nothing short of a wild animal that had shoved it's muzzle into dead prey to gorge on, "Sister..wheren't you at the market?", he said, he smiled at her as per usual the way he did before and after beating her.. "I just returned..where are mother and father and Alse?", she asked, but deep down she knew something was very wrong here.
There was no point in lying, "Father got angry again.. angrier than usual. So was mother." She yelled, "I cuckolded you.. all three times! It is your own fault, for being such a weakling!! You are a fraud! You tricked me into marrying you! Make me believe I would be happy with you!" Walbar held a hand against his head, he looked in pain for a moment, he was holding a red knife in that hand, "Not sure what cuckold means.. but father was quiet a moment.. That was strange. Then he shouted as loud as he ever did. You strawhag! You filthy dogbreed! You ..you.. I will kill you!!" Walbar held his head with the other hand too and bent forwards a bit, "Mother stood frozen.. I think she realised that father was made furious, very furious! Alse came in the room.. He .. He.." Walkure remembered looking into the room, he could see her little sister lying on the floor. She remembered falling on her knees and she cried like she never had cried before, that pain.. that was worse than any beating.
Walbar continued after a long time, "Mother did not even try to stop father... she tried to run away.. Father ran after her, he was fast. Faster than usual. Mother got caught, he pushed her into the wall, every cup on the board fell as mother was pushed into it... Father then started to beat her, loud beats.. she whimpered, "Stop.. stop ..stop..", but father did not. I knew I had to do it..I took the knife because like Alse and mother he was going to kill me next.. Never saw it coming as I stabbed him in the neck many times.. many many..times.. I still did when he was lying on the floor without moving.. mother still moved, looked at me with wide eyes.. surprised."
Walkure was through the worst of her crying, she ran her hands through the golden hair of her sister that was now lying there peacefully... "What happened to mama?", she managed to ask.
Walbar looked at the knife now, coldly, "She looked up to me and say, "Oh my beautiful , beautiful boy.. you saved me..", and then she dared to smile at me. "He hurt Alse.", I said and she said, "But we live!", her eyes were so wide and she looked happy somehow.. I got angry, "You cuckolding dogbreed!", I yelled. She looked less happy, surprised again, she tried to scream and then I stabbed her too.."
Walkure's world had shattered completely in that time.. they had both been there quietly. Time passed on slowly, it took forever to become night.. "I will go now sister..", Walbar said eventually, "...the house is yours. Bury Alse. .. do with mother and father what you want."
And that was the last time she had seen Walbar. She remembered him gathering food, taking a knife, taking father's shoes.. and then without a word or a look at her he just left the next morning.
And the next few years were hard on her, she had remained in the village for some time, she had to fight off many young boys that came with disgusting advances. Many of the elders stayed away from her, thinking her cursed, .. there were some good people that kept her safe and fed when possible. It was then that she decided to pick up the trade of a warrior, a shieldmaiden. She had never known anything else since. She wondered who lived in that house now.. she wondered if her brother had returned there in all these years wondering if she were still there.. if he still lived.
She let out a sigh, with all the battles she had to wage these thoughts had returned to her. They were all that really stood out from her youth , she knew her trade came as a result of this. Perhaps she would've loved to be like Hagalaz or Sjunnuz in a way.. not the power Hagalaz wielded.. nor really the carefree attitude of Sjunnuz free from most responsability.. no. Just being capable to not be so afraid all the time, this feeling of being left alone again. Enjoy baking bread for supper, enjoy buying a dress at the market, work the field and at evenings indulge in a walk across the streets without always thinking a foe would crawl out of the shadows. She could want this.. but did she dare lay down her sword? Would her husband still want her.. as she had accepted the role of houseguard. Was she still useful without this iron blade to him? It made her a bit angry at him.. and there was the worst fear, would she be like her father?
As she was sitting inside the house alone, she dared to let a few tears flow. Something she would never do with anyone else nearby. Nothing interested her in such moments except to just be free of her barriers that she imposed on herself. She had been sitting there a long time like this. The drying herbs danging from the ceiling gave off a scent she had finally started noticing again after she had cooled down. The fire was turning the wood white and for the first time in a while she didn't feel the need to go outside and be on watch to look at the west for Whunjo to arrive.
Then the door opened.., "Is Hwittirafn asleep?", it was a question she would have kept for Hagalaz.. She nearly dropped a jug as she heard a familiar.. "Hrm-hrm..", her mouth opened a little and she turned her head with a sigh as she caught that familiar scent, she let out another sigh when strong hands caressed her neck and eventually then she looked up at those blue eyes of him. She studied him for a moment, "You're back..", her heart making a leap.. The man who's face she held nodded, "It has been a long time." She turned and they embraced like only lovers could, pounding eachother with kisses and hugging with such force that no vice could've matched them.
"Never make me wait that long again.", she said after a while.
"Never.", he said. She let out a chuckle and held on to him for dear life.
