Whunjo was lazily sitting back against a large pillow, he was chewing on a strand of grass as he glanced at his wives and children. At his side was his mother, still having a hard time not to wrap her arms around his neck, "So the mission failed, but atleast you came back with Uhruz and Asatrid." "Hrm-hrm.. failed? Maybe modir.. there are those of other tribes that returned, .. people we would never have known of without the journey." "Ah yes, but the mountainfolk will come down from their ravines and valleys to our aid?" Whunjo shrugged, there was no certainty with the brewing war.
Skafi and Woede got along well, always keen to do mock duels .. Hermod only interested to join if there was a running competition involved... Hwittirafn yet slept between his step-sisters Feyoh, Uylaz while Sjunnaz and Hagalaz exchanged recipes for soup.. Tiw in the meantime sat next to Walkure, both having the same observant expression as they watched Fridleifr make drawings in the earth with a stick.. Svafa on the other hand prefered picking flowers.. His family complete for the first time in .. what may have been a year or a little more? Nobody had cared to measure the length or dared bring it up as if it would cause a new journey.
"They're an eager bunch you've bred..", Whunjo's mother smiled, "Thinking about making more yet?" Whunjo gave her an odd glance not feeling like talking about this with his mother of all people, "Hgrm-hrn.. why ask?" She slapped his shoulder with a happy shriek, "I always had wished for more myself, but it was not to be! It fills me with so much joy my boy is doing his best to fullfill his mother's wish!" A pause followed.., "I'll think about it mom.. , but please .. can we talk of other things?" "Like what?", she sat back proud like a peacock took up a child's boot to knit the leather together.
"The woman's council.." "Magodav looks like quite the catch.. you know she is widow to chief Berebrand? Nobody quite knows where she hailed from. Her name alone is unusual,.. what sort of name ends with an "av".. tsh!" Whunjo chuckled, sensing where this wish for more grandchildren was coming from. "Must have great wealth.. joah?" "She has my son! Try not to choke, but she has fivehundred fighting men at her disposal! Berebrand knew how to be succesful." Whunjo's eyes widened, "Fivehundred? That is a quarter of our tribe.." "Hm-hm! And Fighting men! Those are his fighters, then he has the others too if need be. And she fancies you son.. it's mutually beneficial to have an union." Whunjo needn't think long on that and he let out a, "Hah", before continuing, "Berebrand thought it wise to promote the birth of many young men.., a spirit out to conquer the neighbours. Yet what he did not foresee is the cost and the food needed to maintain so many." His mother nodded, "You always were rather swift with these things." He shrugged, "Always something that surprises and can not be foreseen, but it is hrm-hrm.. logical. They provide the fighters.. we provide the meat and bread. The wardogs of Forseti a fine touch." "And she fancies you.. I know the look she gave you. She is a bit older than you, but not of an age that she can not give you children!" "Hrm, you forgot mother... she is proud and cunning, she will not accept being fourth.
She will definitely not accept Hagalaz. And... shall they accept her? Sjunnaz may.., but I can not give grandchildren if Walkure turns me... infertile.. or if Hagalaz shall poison my meals." "You mustn't speak of it like so, I can warm them to it. I have done so before. Think about it.. or do you have another solution to strengthen that alliance?" "Uhruz...? Call him back from the war.." She sighed, "That poor boy will never be allowed a wife son.. and is he really going to be safe in the hands of a cunning wife?" "Father needs to overcome his wroth.. Uhruz' first kill was his mother, true, but was it with axe in hand? Was it by his own will? He would not have survived infancy without one of the servants feeding and caring for him.. Bless the woman and may white flowers grow on her grave." "Wilgfrydaz was a good woman, she would've been the mother Uhruz had needed...", she stopped talking as Whunjo noticed, but he didn't push further. "Father may be forced to acknowledge Uhruz as he becomes chieftain." She laughed, "Uhruz a chieftain! Those fivehundred men will know what to do for certain, they... hmmm..", she knitted with more focus, "I believe I shall talk of this with your father..."
Then Hermod came running, "Father, come play with us?!" Whunjo got up with a grunt, "Joooaah.. let's have some sport, I can tell the exercise will do me favours in the future."
"Oh son.." "Mother?" "Magodav is still staying at your farm." She rose a hand as Whunjo was about to make a remark, "Careful you!" "Mother... why the farm?" "It's where I know she'll be kept an eye on best, she'll do no harm it's not to her interest and...", she snickered, "She asked so nicely after complimenting about your apparant prowess." Whunjo shrugged and stuck up two fingers at her, she laughed!
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That night they all sat around a table, Whunjo's mother had excused herself and as they sat there sharing stories of things gone by and they were all connecting with eachother more deeply.. they even managed to get a laugh out of Walkure and all were happy to be there. Whunjo was working his way through his third bowl of stew, .. the man hadn't eaten so well in what seemed a lifetime ago. Woede laughed aloud balling a fist and punching it in a cheesewheel! Aside for Hagalaz swiftly reprimanding him, everyone of the children cheered on and on! Svafa had seen fit to stick flowers in the hair of her father, something that was meant as good luck.. Fridleifr added that now the smell of boar would be less present in the room! More laughter and Whunjo himself rose from his bench to lift the boy up... "Listen...", he said as he propped him on his knee, it was mouse quiet and while Fridleifr looked up Whunjo dipped a finger on his tongue and stuck it in the boy's ear, "Ah no!!" Laughter rang from those who saw it.
The hour was late, but it was decided that the children were allowed an evening of staying up a bit longer.. they played a few games and one after another started to fall asleep. It was quiet in the room, near midnight perhaps when it was only the wives and Whunjo. A long expected moment perhaps.
They were looking at him expectantly, one more stern, the other demanding and the last relieved. "You won the children back with such ease!", Sjunnaz started, her hands over her heart, she stood up and came to sit upon Whunjo's lap to hold him.
"I know you two..", she said to the other women, "You want him for yourselves this night." Hagalaz stopped collecting dirty bowls.. Walkure instinctively laid her hand on the pommel of her blade. "Oh spare me..", Sjunnaz continued, "I can't fight you Walkure and I have no interest to play at politics Hagalaz. You are both my superior in these fields and at best I could only make the poultice to heal my aches and wounds. Yet do you not see this is an evening for him? Do you not see he came back to this tumultuous household?" She grabbed his chin and looked at him, "He loves us, we love him. The children love us. Even if we do fight each other so often when the doors and windows shut the night and we are in the same room for too long. Remember though, when he was gone we made it work. It was difficult, unpleasant and dangerous, but we came through. I do not want to go back to fighting over a man we have chosen long ago and has chosen each one of us .. " She was quiet a moment, "I thought I'd be angry at this man. What sane woman wouldn't be?" Then she shrugged, "But when I saw him.. I simply wasn't." He smiled and laid his hand on her back.. he waited for the others to speak their minds..
Hagalaz and Walkure then glanced at one another.. Whunjo motioned at them to come to him, there were no words as the other two did. He could see that behind their composed and martial veneer two women were there, simply needing to feel their man by their side. Whunjo couldn't tell if they had second thoughts after all these years of this marital arrangement they were part of. Hagalaz he placed on his other leg, Walkure came behind him and lowered her head to lean against his.., "Wonderful women.. all three of you.", he said after a moment, "My heart beats for all of you, always has and will. You are the lights that bring warmth to life. I can offer myself, but to one at a time and this first night at the reunion I decide you all will sleep with the children and I shall be awake and on watch. I have been away long hrm-hrm.. and my shift has arrived.", so he made his decree and broke the conundrum.
None of the women seemed in the mood for it, but there was a silent mutual understanding. They were all in pain in that moment, yet such was hardly uncommon in their lives. Tomorrow with the new sun they would pick up life and continue to restore what they could and build where they may. They had seen to cleaning up the house and head to bed.. Sjunnaz curled next to the twin girls finding some peace there. Hagalaz and Walkure seemed to have a silent competition to yet vie for attention, but as it was clear Whunjo was not to pick any over the other they went upstairs.. Only then there was a knock on the door and a tentative voice rang from outside, "Yoohoo!", it sounded. Whunjo immediately felt a cold sweat settle on his back.
Hagalaz went down tossing Whunjo a glance as she saw him blanch, she could've pulled the lock out of the door in suppressed anger as she knew this was a woman. The door swung open and she looked as surprised as the raven haired woman standing there. A milk white beauty Hagalaz noted, ... Walkure had taken a few steps down too ..her eyes falling upon the rather revealing clothing that accentuated her curvy body. "Excuse me, this must be the wrong house!", the woman said with genuine apology when she beheld Hagalaz, "Forgive me, I did not mean to upset you!", taking Hagalaz expression as to be meant at her.
Whunjo stepped forward, "Chief Magodav..", he said.. Walkure and Hagalaz could've bolted down Whunjo with lightning from their stares had they such an ability. The woman looked suddenly very pleased, "Ah! So the right place after all! I am not interrupting anything I hope!", she laughed too, "I love what you did with your hair!.. Now if you do not mind I would appreciate a comfy bed without any mites in them... as for the other women in the back..", she continued pointing at her shieldmaidens.. Hagalaz couldn't help herself any longer, "Enjoy your shift husband.", she spat with barely suppressed anger and stomped up the stairs to go to sleep. Walkure on the other hand stood there, her lips curled inwards, but she said nothing as she also turned around to go to her place to rest.
"Did I say something wrong?", the woman asked with what seemed to Whunjo as mock confusion. He gave no reply except a, "Let me show where we have room.. hrm-hrm.."
Magodav looked upstairs with supreme smugness on her smiling lips and a mischievous light in her wizened eyes.
