Page 18 of Freyr's Hirdman
I hadn’t thought of it that way, but then, if Freyr hadn’t gone through all he had that left him clouded and in mourning, he never would have seen me as more than a dutiful hirdman and friend.
“What goes here?” His booming voice preceded him joining us at the stables. Gullinbursti had its own stall, since the siblings were close. My instinct was to take the reins and lead it there, but Freyr did it himself while continuing to chide his sister. “I am no young knave or maid, you know. I doubt any other gods require the approval of their courtships by kin.”
“A courtship I am only just learning about.” Freya’s expression matched Freyr’s almost identically. “About time you gave this boy a chance. He has only been infatuated with you since the day you met.”
“My lady!” I protested.
She shrugged.
It wasn’t as though Freyr looked surprised to learn how long ago my love had sprouted. He finished securing Gull with a sereneness about him. And… fewer clouds?
“You’dknow,” he said.
“Yes, I would. Goddess of love and all. And Idid.”
“Yet you didn’t meddle? I’m shocked!”
“Who’s to say I didn’t try?” Freya grinned in my direction.
She had long since attempted to convince me to confess my feelings. In the end, it had taken a command from Freyr himself to reveal them instead of my own resolve.
Bygul and Trjegul greeted Freyr by way of the stable’s edge, fighting for his attention, until Trjegul gave up and jumped down to nuzzle Freyr’s legs. Even if the cats had an affinity for me, all animals were drawn to these godly twins that equally exuded welcomeness and a oneness with nature.
Freya pushed from the stable wall, and both cats straightened to attention with eyes on where their mistress might go. “You do not need my approval, no. But you do have it.” She kissed Freyr’s cheek, looped an arm with his to drag him toward me, then looped her other arm with mine. “Come, it is time for the evening meal, and there is no need for you two to make haste back to Alfheim. Join my table tonight. You know the girls will be beside themselves to see you.”
With hair like their mothers and bright blue eyes like their father Odr, Freya’s daughters Hnoss and Gersemi were the epitome of youthful beauty and just as precious in personality. Of course I may have been skewed in that belief, for it was difficult to not enjoy how they fawned over me.
“Ravnur!”
“Oh, you are as lovely as ever!”
“Sit by me!”
“No, me!”
They had originally fought over who might marry me, and when I politely explained that I had no desire for a wife but preferred the company of men, they’d paused for barely a breath before fighting instead over whom they might introduce me to.
“Fricco is here as well?” Hnoss exclaimed.
“Our table is blessed this day!” Gersemi cheered.
While the homestead was impressively sized, the inside was cozy and domestic, no fancier than Freyr’s cottage back in Alfheim. The table was already set with a wondrous bounty prepared by Freya and her daughters, plenty enough for two unexpected guests.
And the occasional scrap snuck to a cat.
“You need a new tunic,” Gersemi continued fussing over me, the sisters having settled on seating me between them, which left Freyr to sit across from me and Freya at the head of the table.
“Oh yes!” Hnoss fussed as well, each practically clinging to my arms despite starting to serve me and Freyr before themselves. “I have been working on a lovely violet one—”
“No, my red one!”
“The violet would match Ravnur’s eyes better!”
“Girls, please,” Freya chided, and then turned to Freyr. “Did we ever bicker so?”
“Still do, if I recall the past several minutes,” he teased. “And where is Odr this day?” He nodded at the empty chair across from Freya, though her end was more the head, for this was her domain before anyone else’s.
“Who knows? He’ll be through again soon.”
