Four years have passed since the death of Léofwine and the disappearance of Léofara. Those painful memories are a book with chapters, deep and horrible, and so Mearhe leaves them on the shelf to gather dust. Today she moves in calmness with eyes only for the nature around her, with skin that feels the wind and eyes that open for the light. Her mind has naturally moved back into the present, into the moment that is the gift of life.
MOUNTAINS OF THE EASTFOLD, ROHAN - December T.A. 3014
A smile spread across Mearhe's lips as she saw the white sky blending perfectly with the white trees, mountains tops and ground outside. She let her tongue move across her pink bottom lip before taking her bow, arrows and her sword and making her way out of the small cave.
A tall man with broad shoulders and long blond hair braided by his woman every day, dressed in a large fur cloak, walked towards her. The man everyone called 'Wulf' let his eyes wander up to the large mountain forcing itself between clouds.
"I am ready!" A familiar voice reached his ears. Wulf looked down at his woman standing in front of him. She was dressed in fur and leather and held her bow and her sword proudly. The smile on her face filled him with warmth and joy. Only Mearhe could make his body forget the bitter cold of winter.
"It is time to go," Wulf exclaimed with a smile as he gently caressed her face, moving a strand of hair away from her cheeks. Her hair was long again, soft and shining of gold and silver in the light, and often braided beautifully. Mearhe looked up at him with a smile.
The snow cracked under their feet as they walked side by side deep in the forest. Wulf stopped for a moment to listen, letting out a deep breath, white smoke left his mouth. The familiar sound of the stream could be heard in the distance.
The water was cold and clear, it poured down from the mountain, over small rocks at a quick pace. Standing by the stream, they both kneeled and bent down. They drank like animals, not wanting to make their hands wet.
The sound of bird wings flapping against the trees stopped them from drinking. Mearhe looked up and saw a beautiful raven. The bird landed on a branch, its black eyes reflected the light as it kept watching the two humans by the stream. Wulf lifted himself up and bowed his head to the raven. His greeting was met with a low croaking sound.
"A good omen!" Wulf exclaimed.
Wulf and Mearhe moved forward, their ears listening for any sound. They could hear a branch snapping in the distance, and their heads turned in the sound direction. Mearhe quickly pulled her bow over her head, getting an arrow in her hands, ready to aim. While walking slowly, they heard another branch snapping, this time much closer.
Suddenly a loud growl echoed through the forest. Wulf looked down at Mearhe before running towards the sound. She ran in the same direction as the growling sound was heard again, yet this time it was even louder and angrier. Mearhe hunched down behind a rock before letting her eyes roam the forest clearing.
A big black bear stood there, swaying and growling at Wulf that was now standing in front of it. She gasps at the sight. The bear lifted itself up on its back legs and growled loudly at Wulf who simply held an axe and a knife in his hands.
The man tried to move closer to the wild animal but the bear roared again, before hitting Wulf in the chest , making him fall to the ground. He tried to crawl away but the bear followed. When the bear was almost standing above him, Wulf roared back at it, as the animal was hovering above him on its back legs.
Mearhe licked her lips and breathed calmly, still holding her bow and arrow and trying to aim at the bear. She took one more deep breath before releasing the arrow which flew through the air and embedded itself in the bear's left shoulder. A huge roar echoed through the forest as the sharp arrow hit.
Wulf roared back a response and jumped forward, attacking the bear's shoulders and neck with his knife, cutting the animal's skin numerous times before the bear backed away. Blood oozed from its wounds, staining the snow and wetting the fur, as Wulf kept circling around, ready to attack the now weakening bear.
In desperation the bear charged at the man. Wulf lifted his axe hitting the bear on its skull. The groans from the bear filled the forest, before it went silent. For a few moments the animal stood still. In a frenzy, he kept hitting the bear's thick skull with the axe, before he let out a loud roar in victory as the big black bear fell at his feet to the ground.
Covered in blood, Wulf kneeled down and laid one of his hands on the still warm animal. Closing his eyes he whispered words of thanks to the gods. Mearhe walked by his side, looking at the bear. Then he stood up and towering above her, he smiled and gently smeared her cheeks and forehead with blood, before landing a small kiss on her lips.
" God Jólablót, Mearhe!"
A croak filled the silence, followed by a flapping sound. The black raven landed on a rock nearby. For a few moments it stood still, his dark eyes fixed on the man and the woman standing by the dead bear. Mearhe bowed her head and the bird flapped its wings. It croaked again before flying away.
“A good omen indeed!” She whispered.
Art by me
