› hypnotic

bsentmindedly Eydís gazed over the meadows as she repeatedly pulled the needle through the rough fabric. Sewing was a process her hands had grown accustomed to, nowadays her hands seemed to do the work automatically. Her fingers had grown a little raw from working the wool for days now, but she didn't mind. It reminded her of her mentor's hands. The wind softly brushed through her hair while she worked on a kyrtill that was to be sold on the market to the highest bidder. In the distance she heard the soft mooing of their cattle, causing her to look upwards. The sight that followed, made her furrow her brows slightly. A large man had crossed their fence and sat down in one of their meadows. Eydís frowned and put down the tunic she was working on, hesitating about going. The man was of quite a stature and she absolutely was not. He could probably break her in two with only one hand, but that didn't change the fact that he was trespassing. With the most assertive look on her face - which wasn't all that assertive - she walked towards the stranger, only later recognizing him as the local blacksmith. He appeared to be unarmed, just sitting there, so she softened her gaze. "Er, hello there," she spoke hesitantly in her soft voice. "Are you alright?" she then proceeded to ask. Because who in their right mind went to just sit in someone else's field for no reason?   

rom the corner of her eye she noticed how the long grass to her side parted to make way for a small creature. Probably a rabbit or a cat of some sorts, however, it didn't seem like something worthy of her attention. The man in front of her, however, did. She recognized him, although that did not exactly remove the sense of threat she felt at that moment. Just because they lived in the same village did not mean he was not a threat. For a second she pondered about calling for her father, shoving that thought away quickly. Her father had been in a terrible state ever since her mother had passed away. She didn't want to bother him with trivial matters like these. She was a big girl now, she could handle it. The blacksmith turned towards her and she couldn't help but slightly hold her breath. The man looked at her, the skin around his mouth and eyes softly creasing into a friendly smile. He didn't seem like a threat, but nothing ever really was what it seemed, was it? She nodded when he told her he was doing fine and after that he asked for her name. It was quite strange to have a man trespass on your land and then ask who you were, but she was willing to play along. "I'm Eydís," she replied, curling her lips into a polite smile. "I- I was wondering what you were doing here, since this is my family's farm and it's private property," she started explaining, praying to all the gods that the man wouldn't take it personally. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but..." She clumsiliy tumbled over her words, finally keeping quiet when she noticed that her speaking did not really add much. 

till, she couldn't place her finger on what exactly he was doing here. She had heard rumours around the village about the slightly notorious blacksmith. Some had thought him to be mad, and right now she wasn't exactly sure if she should believe it or not. Now, sitting in a random field wasn't the strangest thing one could do, but she couldn't call it normal either. All she knew was that he probably got lucky by choosing to sit in her meadow. Anyone else might have attacked him on sight. She smiled and nodded when the man introduced himself as Svart. A name to remember, probably. His friendly manner of speaking caused her to feel more at ease. For some reason she trusted him, so she lowered herself down to sit next to him. When he replied that he didn't know what he was doing here either, she looked confused. The story that followed, was even more incomprehensible. His cat wanted him to go here? She stared at him in silence for a bit. Maybe he was truly mad. She didn't want to refuse him, though. "It's fine if you stay," she said softly, still puzzled about the man's reasons. "But... your cat? I- I don't really understand why..." she started, asking with a half smile so he wouldn't be offended by her doubt. She just wanted to know what on earth made the guy believe that his cat was a part of some kind of divine intervention.  

he found herself being curious to know more about him. He intrigued her in a way, although she couldn't tell why. He seemed friendly, but it was more than that. Every now and then she looked back at the longhouse, praying that her father wouldn't come outside. He wouldn't very much appreciate a strange man sitting on his land with his daughter. He had always been very protective of her, which she had always appreciated. However, sometimes his protectiveness got him in even more trouble, seeing the worst in people that absolutely meant no harm. With a small sigh she turned her face back towards Svart, fumbling with her hair to undo the thick braid that she wore in her hair. It made sewing all that easier without her long hair in the way. With her hand she parted the strands of her hair, letting it roam freely over her shoulders. She almost looked impressed when the blacksmith told her the cat had saved his life, wanted to ask him how. When he told her that the cat must've been sent by Freyja, she didn't exactly know to call him crazy or admirable. "That sounds like a cat I'd want to meet," she said, baring her teeth in a smile. "I think I saw him go over there," she continued, pointing at the meadow where the cattle was grazing. "And I wonder, how could a cat save your life? You look like someone who can handle himself," she then proceeded to ask. It might have been a little too straightforward, but she was just curious.  

omewhere in her mind crawled around the question as to why the blacksmith just had the time to wander around aimlessly, following a cat. Most people in Kattegat seemed to be quite busy, always having somewhere to be, something to do. The city of trade never did stand still, and neither did her people. The markets were often swarming with people looking to buy and sell, warriors coming back from raids with exotic treasure and sometimes even slaves. Most commoners worked from dawn until dusk, working their fingers down to dust to keep up with the ever-increasing demand of their product. And so was she. Her hands had adopted a rather rough texture from the seemingly endless process of weaving, dyeing, sewing and then doing it all again. She was still young, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be long until the hard work would get a hold of her. Next to making clothes, she had to spend most of her time tending to the livestock and her younger siblings. Life wasn't exactly easy, but she liked being kept busy. That's what made this particular moment so surreal. She wasn't doing anything, just waiting for something that might not even happen. She felt her body relax a little, her shoulders lowering themselves as if they were gravitating towards the earth. Only now did she notice how sore her muscles were. Absentmindedly, she started rubbing one of her shoulder to make the dull pain go away, while listening to a man talking about his cat. She had never met a man with such an affection for animals before. It intrigued her. Her eyes almost seemed to gleam when he told his story. A long story, perhaps, but she didn't mind. She had always loved stories, there had just never been many people around to tell them. When he made a comment about overprotective parents, she huffed and nodded. "They sure can be," she agreed. At the rest of the story, Eydís just looked at him in disbelief. A cat really saved his life. She was not too sure if it was true, but she liked the sentiment. "It almost sounds as if Freyja is watching over you," she said, with big eyes and a sly smile. "Maybe she graced you with one of her very own," she continued, talking about the cat. The goddess was thought to be surrounded by Norwegian forest cats. Eydís liked to think it was more than just coincidence.    

t had always been her mother who had seen the most of the world. Always going on raids to Gods knew where and coming back with her hands full of unknown artefacts. Eydís would often wonder what she'd seen, but her mother never told. Every now and then in the tavern, her mother would spill one of her tales while she was intoxicated, but she had never been a great storyteller. Eydís herself was quite adventurous in nature, even though she was afraid rather quickly. Unknown languages, strange cultures and new customs all greatly intrigued her and she loved to hear about them, hoping that one day she would also get to see something new. For now, however, it just looked like she would be stuck here for the rest of her life. Luckily, it was something she would be able to make peace with. Eydís smiled at the man again when he reassured her that he believed  his cat was sent by Freyja. As if it had been fate, the great skoggkat parted the grass and showed itself. Her eyes widened and she looked at it in amazement. "Oh, look at him," she softly spoke, trying to not startle the cat. As if such a creature could ever be startled by someone like her. She held out her hand to let the animal get a sense of her scent. "Does it have a name?" she asked, a little louder out of excitement. It was truly a magnificent creature. The cat carried a sense of wisdom, and for a second she believed everything too.    

uring her time at the family farm she had grown used to chickens, pigs, cows and sheep. Dogs and horses she had seen, too. Even normal housecats, but this one was different. It was bigger, stronger, more majestic than any animal she'd seen before. He almost resembled a mountain lion, and yet he seemed so tame. She bared her teeth in a broad smile when the cat leaned into the curve of her hand, purring all the while. She adored animals, usually enjoying their company. Maybe it was weak, but she always let her father do the killing when they needed meat on the table. She couldn't stand the sight of something dying. "Isn't he amazing?" Svart replied, to which she just silently nodded. She worked her fingers through the long, thick fur of the animal, getting a sense of its strong build. She looked at Svart again when he replied that the cat hadn't introduced himself yet. She squeezed her eyes shut just a little, pondering as to how exactly a cat was to introduce himself. "How would he tell you?" she thus asked. As much as the blacksmith had grown on her, she couldn't really make sense of what he was telling her. The cat went to sit in between them, and Eydís kept on petting the feline. "I don't recall the names of Freyja's cats," she murmured thoughtfully. Surely it had to be one of those.     

he cat seemed to calm her down a bit. Its soft purring made her breathing slow down and her worn down hands responded to the touch of the delicate pelt. In her head, she wished for a cat of her own. Something that appreciated her, that showed some kind of affection. She didn't have many friends, mainly because of all the time she had to put in the farm as well as her work at the clothmaker. Her father barely talked to anyone anymore and her siblings were too young to understand what was going on. When she finally got to lie down after a long day of work, the loneliness started to sink in. She had no one and it crushed her. When she asked Svart how a cat would tell him his name, he didn't quite have an answer for her either. She surpressed her laugh and shrugged. "I don't know if cats are that smart," she admitted, focusing her gaze on the large cat. "No offense," she then proceeded to apologize to the cat, as if it had any idea what they were talking about. The blacksmith seemed to recall one of Freyja's cats, and Eydís nodded, thinking back to the stories she was told as a child. Svart argued that the cat might be a descendant of Freyja's cats, to which she nodded again. "That's true. But maybe she'd send her own down for someone very special," she then said, gazing at the blacksmith. "She might have big plans for you yet." She continued stroking the cat again, softly smiling at the animal. For some reason she felt like it could protect her from all harm.  

he longer she sat here with him, the more she believed the blacksmith somehow. The skogkatt had quite a presence, although it also just might have been her being her usual, gullible self. Sometimes it just helped believing the gods would do something like this. Her father would probably call her crazy if he saw her sitting here like this. Petting a cat with a stranger, in the middle of their pasture. Svart asked why she would apologize, to which she shrugged. "I might be wrong," she said. There was always a chance she didn't know what she was talking about, wasn't there? "In case he ís that smart, I wouldn't want him to be mad at me," she continued, chuckling. The sun had gradually warmed up the cat's fur, making it feel warm in her hands. It was a pleasant feeling. She bared her teeth in a smile when Svart tried to make sense of things. She let out an audible laugh when he suggested one of the sheep doing a backflip. "I've yet to see the day those lazy animals do anything at all," she said, still softly laughing. The blacksmith had something about him, something easy that made you lay back and relax for once. It was something she appreciated. "Eydís!" she then heard, coming from inside the longhouse. Her eyes widened. It was her father's voice. "Eydís, where are you?" he yelled, again. Eydís quickly got up. Her father hadn't gotten outside yet. She looked at Svart, hinting at the stable, where he could hide. "I'm outside!" she then retorted, her voice a little shaken. Although her father wasn't the most bloodthirsty man in all the land, the man would still fight tooth and nail to protect what was his. Usually without reason.   

odfearing wasn't the word for what she felt. The gods intrigued her. She loved hearing the countless stories about them and appreciated the idea that someone was watching over her somehow. Her faith, however, was shaky. Sometimes she just didn't believe that there was any higher power, that she was on her own after all. Svart seemed to believe against all odds, something that she admired. She always cowered in the face of uncertainty, but he didn't seem to. She wondered what he had seen and done to make him see things the way he did. The remark he made, made her raise her eyebrows. The blacksmith seemed to really believe that his cat was some kind of higher presence. He was friendly and she had grown quite fond of him, just sitting here in the meadow, but she was also pretty sure that he was just a tad bit mad.

When she heard her father, her heart rate seemed to skyrocket. Luckily, Svart had understood her hint and quickly made his way towards the stable. Her father came outside and walked up to her. "What were you doing? I thought I heard someone laugh," he inquired, looking around in confusion. Eydís fidgeted with the cord on her dress, shrugging. "I was just petting that cat. I didn't hear anything," she said, pointing at the skogkatt. Her father nodded. She wasn't an excellent liar and she knew it, but she did her best. Her father told her he was going to go back inside, to which she nodded. As soon as he had left, she made her way to the stable. "I think he knows someone's here," she whispered, as if her father could hear her from inside the house. She didn't want Svart or the cat to go, but she definitely didn't want any conflict.  

 relieved sigh escaped her lips when her father decided to turn back. Ever since her mother had passed away, he didn't do a lot around the house anymore. He usually spent his time inside, doing nothing useful and leaving most of the work to his children. He only came out when he really had to. At first she had understood, losing the love of his life couldn't have been easy. But it lasted and lasted, until a year had passed. His grief had turned him into someone else. Someone who was passive and bitter. It made her sad to see him like that. He had started drinking a lot, too. She was scared of the anger that had taken control of him, although it was hardly ever turned at her. It frequently got him into trouble and she didn't want to see him get hurt. Cautiously, she had moved back to the stables, hoping her father wouldn't follow her. She was sure that he doubted she was telling the truth. He was depressed, not stupid. She raised her eyebrows at the blacksmith when he asked if he could stay here until nightfall. Was he being serious? He really wanted to spend the rest of his day in a stable? "He might check in here as well..." she started off, doubting the idea. "But nothing's fun without risk, right?" She went to look through a crack in the shed, searching for the skogkatt. "Besides, we still need to find out what your cat is doing here."

or some reason, she wondered how her mother would have reacted to Svart sitting there, in their meadow. She would probably have attacked the man right on the spot, and it was terrible, but in that moment Eydís was kind of happy she was gone. Her mother had never been easy on her, and she would definitely call her out for lying to her. Punishment would be likely as well. The woman was all but nice, but still Eydís had wept when her mother had passed. She still wondered why. In a certain way, she had admired her mother. She was ambitious, strong, everything that Eydís had never been. It was strange that she had been the one who had died, and not Eydís herself, the weak one. And her father? He might use force to try and drive Svart off their land, although she was sure the blacksmith could handle him in combat. The negative consequences would probably fall on her as well. She dared to smile again when Svart made his remark, although she was afraid her father might hear them again. " We should be a little quieter, though," she then proceeded to warn him. Svart made himself comfortable on the hay, and she smiled, still trying to find the cat that had to be lurking outside somewhere. Svart asked if there was anything lying around, and she looked at him unknowingly. "Not that I know of," she slowly said, still thinking what it could be. "He can sense things like that?" she asked. This cat had abilities that just continuously amazed her.