Ch 5 The Dinner

Dinner was a horrible affair. I sat with my eyes cast down to my plate. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but refused to meet their stares. "Val, Eirik and his men will be staying with us for the next few weeks while we fortify the village defenses and restock for winter. You should give him an official tour of the Keep tomorrow. He hasn't been inside it since he was a boy." That caught my attention, as she knew it would. My eyes darted up to glare at her. "I'd love to, except there won't be any extra guards on hand to chaperone." I shrugged my shoulders slightly and went back to playing with the food on my plate. I heard a man clear his throat, and I looked up to see Eirik smiling from ear to ear.

"I happen to have an extra man, he was slightly wounded today, so he needs to rest. Following us around the Keep will not be too much strain on him. Gregor, you wouldn't mind, would you?" The man he spoke to looked up from stuffing his face. "Of course not, it would be my pleasure!" My mother smiled. "See, it all worked out in the end. Val, eat up. After all the… excitement…today, you need the energy." I took a few bites to satisfy her. "So Eirik, what are some of your hobbies?" My mom asked, trying to keep polite conversation going. "You mean besides pillaging?" I asked under my breath. My mother either didn't hear or didn't want to acknowledge my comment. Eirik however, thought it would be fun to provoke me further.

"I do love a good pillaging. Especially the women. See, when I find a particularly spirited girl, I like to throw her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and steal off into the night with her. You might want to be careful, Little Red; you are looking pretty delightful. I haven't had a good raid in a while…." He winked at me. I nearly choked on my wine. "Valkyrie, your mother told me you've been trained in archery and horseback riding. Tell me, do you enjoy the outdoors?" I sent another glare across the table to my mother who seemed to be having a wonderful time. "I suppose I do," I gave a short answer, hoping he would drop the conversation. Eirik placed a hand on my shoulder, absentmindedly playing with a strand of my hair. I tried to shrug him off but my mother kicked my foot under the table. "Valkyrie is a natural at both archery and riding. I guess she gets it from her father." My eyes narrowed at my mom. "Eighteen years without any information on my father and suddenly you are an open book. How lovely. Tell me, do I also have his hair and his smile?" I rose to excuse myself to grab another glass of wine, but the man named Gregor handed me a glass. "Thank you." I took big sips of the red liquid, feeling my head get a little 'swimmy.' Eirik never stopped staring, and it was irking me to no end. "From what I have seen, Little Red, your smile favors your mother. Your hair was a surprise to everyone, or so I've heard. There hasn't been any red-headed Settlers since the fall and very few Vikings have been born with that color. There is an old story about the warriors you are named after… the red hair could mean you have a great destiny like those warriors. Speaking of your name, did you not wonder why you had a Viking name, not a Settler name? 'Valkyrie' doesn't seem as domesticated as 'Rebecca' or 'Lilly' or any of those other frilly names. I'm surprised you never thought to ask about it. Maybe this whole awkward situation could have been avoided if you had been a little more observant?" I practically slammed my cup down. "Observant? I'm sorry, how dare I trust that my mother wouldn't keep something as important as a secret fiancé from me. As for my name, I have asked. She said it was in honor of my grandmother. I know! This whole awkward situation can be avoided if you and your men would just leave. Just revoke the betrothal and we both will be happy."

My mother kicked me harder under the table. "Valkyrie, I know you don't mean that. You've had a very long, trying day." She glared at me, willing me to stay quiet. Eirik was still smiling, unbothered by my outburst. "Little Red, I wouldn't want to miss being verbally attacked by such a beautiful creature. Please, do continue." My mother shook her head and tried changing the subject before I could jeopardize her plans. "Val also is a wonderful artist and gardener. You should see her sketch books! And all the vegetables we serve were grown by her. She's got a green thumb for sure!" My mother rattled on, not giving either Eirik nor myself a chance to talk for the remainder of dinner.

After dinner my mother took me aside to beg me to behave. "Valkyrie… please. You have every right to be angry with me, but do not take it out on Eirik. Don't provoke him like that!" My jaw dropped. "Provoke him? Did you hear what he said to me? He basically implied that he-" I stopped short when the man in question sauntered over to us. I pleaded to my mother with my eyes. 'Please don't leave me alone with him!' She smiled softly and hugged me goodnight, "Don't stay up too late. I'll see you in the morning. We have a conversation to finish." With that she turned, walking out of the hall. I was about to follow her when Eirik took my arm again. "Where do you think you are headed? We have a lot of catching up to do. Besides, you promised to draw me, remember?" I snorted, turning to look at him. "Catch up? I was just alone with you an hour ago. I promise, my life is not so exciting that I have new things to talk about. And I never promised anything. Or are you going to push me into that as well?" Eirik handed me my sketchbook, leaning down to speak into my ear. His breath tickled my earlobe and made my face flame red again. "If I wanted to push you into anything, I would. Take this as a gentle nudge. You ARE going to be my wife; I am simply making our journey to the Alter a little more pleasant. Please, do me the honor of drawing my picture. We can talk about our real interests, get to know each other again. It has been such a long time, Little Red."