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Mud on their feet, twigs in their hair. Hlíf and Sköll had become a well-known duo for the people of Skagen. She hated to admit, but it had taken her a while to get used to the strange people, to the new way of ruling and most of all her new home. In times it was hard to tell who was more loyal: Hlíf to Halfdan or Sköll to Hlíf. So when the new earl had told her that she had to move in with some foreign Skagen-viking, she had done as commanded. For both her as Styrr it had been.. strange times. The first meeting they shared and the strange chemistry that had grown from there made their cohabit always interesting. Easy.. not that much.

Hlíf was shivering from the cold breeze that filled the air. She had spent the entire day outside and was happy that she could go and look for the warmth of her home. So before she walked to the little, wooden house, she made a quick stop by the little stall where they kept their wood. Most of the logs were already cut in smaller pieces. ”Here.” She called Sköll and handed him over some small twigs that would be perfect to light the fire. Hlíf herself took some heavier logs in her arms and started to walk towards the house.

When she pushed open the front door with her elbow, she immediately felt a warm breeze stroking over her cheeks. Hlíf frowned her eyebrows and stepped inside only to see that the fire was already burning. With a questioning look in her eye she stepped closer towards the fire and dropped the wood on the pile that was already there. And while she did so, the door to Styrr’s bedroom creaked open. And then she realised. ”I always forget.” She said and looked the elder man straight into his eyes. Sköll stood behind her, his tail slowly wagging from left to right. Over time the dog had grown some compassion for the man, but would never freely show it unless Hlíf gave him permission. At that moment she did not. Hlíf interrupted the eye contact and took of her coat that was made from hides she had collected herself. She was independent, and had never been taken care of by any man except her father. Styrr probably had lit the fire out of habit -just as Híf had carried the wood inside- and not because he wanted to warm the house before she came home. ”Have you eaten?” she asked him without really looking, and started to take of her heavy boots. When she looked up again, her eye fell on his sword, that was still hanging on his waist. A soft laughter came out of her mouth, and while she did so, she placed her own daggers on the little table in the middle of the room. ”When are you ever going to take that down?” She pointed towards the sword. ”I guess time has made clear that I’m not planning on killing you?” She spread her arms and looked at him with a questioning look in her eyes. He had made her feel embarrassed already once, by overthrowing her in battle. And the daily reminder by seeing the sword, felt as salt inside a fresh wound.

While she was unwrapping the leather straps around her boots, she lifted her head to look at Styrr. ”One day you will remember.” was his simple answer, and at the same time he lifted the corner of his mouth. A grin that Hlíf couldn’t give an exact place. Normally she was good at reading people, very good. But with him, in the house they shared, the past they had.. She didn’t know what the purpose was, of their cohabit. What did he wanted from her? What did she wanted from him? What did Halfdan wanted from them? But she wasn’t in the position to ask such questions, so the only thing she did was frowning her eyebrows and focussed on her shoes again.

When she rose, with her bare feet on the wooden floor, she asked if Styrr had already eaten. But apparently his stomach was just as empty as hers. ”I got us some rabbit meat.” Hlíf turned her head and looked at the fresh kill, already skinned, that was laying in the straw basket. She nodded almost imperceptible, a silent thank-you to him for remembering that she literally had gotten sick from all the Skagen-fish. When he spoke again, about the last time that he had roasted the meat, she couldn’t help from smiling. A sarcastic one, with a raised eyebrow, but it was a smile. ”Even Sköll refused to even put his teeth in that repast.” The dog wagged his tail again when he heard his name. Hlíf placed her hand shortly on his head before she walked upon the basket and pulled the meat from it. It was a succulent, sinewy piece of meat, and Hlíf had to admit to herself that Styrr did a great job. But those were words she would never get over her lips, so she just looked over her shoulder to him.

It was then when she noticed the sword on his waist. She had almost gotten used to him carrying it around at all time. But she had never liked it, and since it was equally her house as his, she had the right to speak up about it. ”There might be others with.. less pleasant intentions.” She listened carefully to him. Was he trying to say that he had already made some enemies in Skagen? Or was he just a very cautious man? The last thinking didn’t sounded a lot like him. But appearances could deceive. He surprised her when he undid himself from his sword and hung it up to a wooden pillar. That was easy. ”Happy?” Hlíf frowned her eyebrows and picked up the knife next to the wooden plank where the meat was on. ”Happier.” And without saying any further word, she started to cut pieces from the meat. A few minutes in silence passed by where his words went through her mind like a raid between two Viking clans. And then she couldn’t keep herself from asking the question that was burning on her tongue. ”You have been visited before? By people with less pleasant intentions?” She didn’t looked at him once, just went on with preparing the meat. ”Oh, and do you have some herbs in this hovel? My taste buds deserve some indulging after a day like this.”

It was like the dog knew they were talking about him. He was softly wagging his tail, looking at Hlíf while he did so. She couldn’t help herself from smiling softly and she stroke him over his head. When she took her hand back, she turned her wrist and pointed with her finger away from the dog. The signal that he was free to do whatever he wanted, to be a real dog instead of a partner on the field. He immediately lowered his head and started to walk upon Styrr, his tail still wagging, his nails audible on the wooden floor. You could see that he was holding back his enthusiasm because he could feel the strange tension there was between his owner and the man. But since he was free to do as he wanted, he knew that he was allowed to go and say hi. So Sköll bumped straight into the man and rubbed his head against his lower leg, asking for some kind of attention. Hlíf turned her head away from the scene and focussed on the meal that they had to prepare.

While the both of them were working together on the same, wooden plate, she knew she had to say something. So she asked him a question, one he answered surprisingly easy. ”Two times, yes. Let us say the previous hersir was not quite fond of me.” From the corner of her eye she could see his face change by expression. ”Then it’s a good thing he is dead.” She said without much emotion. Maybe he was safer now, in a certain way. But he also had to make some sacrifices, and one of them was living in with Hlíf. Or more specific: She living in with him. The things they did to please the ones higher in rank.. Styrr was crouching to take the herbs she asked for, and she focussed on his back while he did so. A soft sigh came out of her mouth as she took over the herbs and started to cut them into tiny pieces. And then something pushed her to the side. Sköll had found his way between them, and raised his nose, sniffing the smell of the food. Hlíf shook her head from left to right and supressed a smile. And then he jumped on the cupboard with his front legs, licking Styrr right in the face before lowering his nose to the uncooked meat. ”Sköll!” Hlíf shouted, and again supressed some laughter. She placed her arm before the dog’s neck and pushed him of the cupboard. When she looked at Styrr she only could laugh harder, not even waiting for his reaction. The slimy trail on his face was just too amusing to look at.