› disorder

She looked how Rigas left with a small group of soldiers to check out the surrounding small villages that fell under Skagerrak but where to far of to overview every time of the day. She embraced the pole before the great hall, getting that one last look from him that pulled the corner of her mouth up. Looks told much, what they exchanged was more than only a word. He left her to take care of Skagerrak while he had some fun, or at least he hoped it would turn out into some fun. Not until he was out of sight she moved herself from her spot, looking how his body ended with nothing more than an empty place on the street. Her eyes traveled over the other people before she turned around and walked into the building, claiming that throne as her. She hardly stepped up, only when he was away, today was such a day.

It hardly took an hour before one of the Viking warriors came in. ‘Trouble.’ He announced. Gunnvor pulled herself up from her throne and walked outside only to see three man fighting on the little square ground before the manor. There was a woman present, looking fort and back between the three men that just flew at each other without any hesitation. ‘Get me Freyr.’ She commanded one of the slaves, he bow and ran off exactly knowing where her son would be on this time of the day. In that way he was a little predictable, but so was she when she had his age. ‘If you fight before this house you fight for the gods.’ She announced, getting from the few stairs before the manor towards them. ‘You better do it good then.’ She followed, motivating them to fight before the Earls wife. She previous earl maybe had a wife who hardly dared to do anything, Gunnvor wasn’t that kind of a woman. ‘He is claiming,’ the one man began, silencing under the cold stern look Gunnvor gave him. ‘Let’s talk this matter out inside.’ She gestured to the manor. Three of her man took each of them by their collar, forcing them to enter the building, to make an end on their dispute, whatever that could be.

They were fighting again, with words in the time Freyr came in. They hardly even noticed him. Gunnvor looked at her son, studying his every movement until he stood aside her throne and asked what the problem was. He leaned a little forward and Gunnvor looked up to him, smiling softly. ‘A dispute that needs solving.’ She raised her voice a little so they would shut up again, what worked. Gunnvor pushed herself out of the throne and laid her hand on Freyr his shoulder. ‘Sit son.’ She gestured him down before walking away from the little platform. ‘This three men have a problem, over a woman by the looks of it.’ She said, looking to the insecure girl in the corner. ‘Your father isn’t here so it’s up to you for this one.’ She smiled towards her son. He needed to learn, one way or another he would be an earl someday. Gunnvor held still aside the three men for a while, they all looked a little confused up to Freyr so she walked back up to him. ‘I hope you never get in this kind of trouble.’ She whispered, sitting down on his armrest of the throne. ‘Tell him the problem.’ She commanded the three men and by all the gods, they talked louder than woman could …

Remembering the days that she stood between both her parents while they handled disputes like this, giving her a voice of her own was some of the lessons she wanted Freyr to understand. He was young, she didn’t want to burden him with the heaviness being a leader … but, he needed to learn, sooner than later. Her methods of teach him things was always without an introduction, just like now, letting him sit down on her throne, facing him with a problem he didn’t encounter before. In battle you hadn’t time to think, here he did, only not from before. Freyr was sixteen, people looked at him like he was sixteen, even those three man looked at him … not knowing what this meant while she explained the situation before she came back at his side. Should he ever do something alone? No, not as long as she was breathing, for that she loved him to much.

The three idiots before they started to talk through each other like a bunch of market woman betting over a rabbit. Gunnvor rested her arm on the back of the chair, a little amused in how Freyr intimidated her authority over those men. But it worked, his focus changed from the fighting men to the girl, exactly what she would do if it was her call to make. Her little smile got something proud before he focus went to the girl, she didn’t know to who she had to look, Freyr or Gunnvor. She pointed down to her son with the hand that rested on the back of the chair so the girl started talking to Freyr. While she explained the situation her eyes went to the two men, not really knowing what the third one was doing among them. Love … she frowned her eyebrows a little, following the conversation from the man who married the woman to the man who wanted to marry her, or at least was her friend. When Freyr asked the final question to Sven the man nodded, breaking open a new protest. It was understandable. Freyr turned to his mother and she looked down to him with his question before she turned back to the three men. ‘A wife needs to obey the rules her husband makes, that’s the hierarchy we have.’ She answered his question. She knew Rigas wouldn’t laugh when she was in that kind of a situation. ‘What is your relation in all of this?’ She asked the third person. ‘I’m just his brother.’ He pointed towards Rulf. ‘He never would do something to intervene this marriage.’ He tried to help out. ‘And yet I heard otherwise.’ ‘He was drunk.’ The man jumped into defense. Gunnvor signed, knowing marriage should be built on trust not everybody agreed with that. ‘We can’t really solve this for them.’ She said to her son, looking down to him. When those three came out of this building they probably start over again. ‘What do you think to be the best solution?’ She asked curious to him before looking back to the woman and her three men, or at least two men.

Sometimes she asked herself why people asked for advice on things like that. They started fighting before the Manor, what was almost begging for attention from their earl, who wasn’t here at the moment. Rigas would have rolled his eyes on this one. If she had a problem like this … by the gods she wouldn’t go to an earl with it, let along make a scene. But this fragile woman was caught up in the middle of it so if she did this for someone she did it for her. Gunnvor recognized the faces, not always the names, what she could tell about this woman was that she didn’t came here often, otherwise she would remember a name covered after all that uncertainty. None the less, they had the right to be here and at the other hand it was good practice for Freyr and he really took it as serious as it was.

She asked Freyr his opinion, with that he turned to the wife again, asking her of there were any trouble in her life of marriage they needed to be aware of. The woman answered his questions, fast, like the earl himself sat there on that throne. Her gaze often went to Gunnvor who only looked with that neutral stern look from her back. This wasn’t her dispute to solve. The room went quiet for a moment, everybody looked to Freyr, inclusive Gunnvor. And when he finally spoke her distinct green eyes went back up to the four persons in the room waiting his advice. The solution that came, Gunnvor smiled, proudly. She rested her hand on his shoulder and placed a kiss in his hair before she stood up. ‘You heard him.’ She announced, walking over to the three of them. ‘Let me remind you, next time you fight before this house I won’t be so generous. This is a house of honor, of the gods, we treat it as such.’ She walked down the stairs with that kind of look that made them nod fast. ‘If I see otherwise on the arrangement the heir of Skagerrak made for you, I will pull you before the earl himself, be wise to remember that.’ She warned them. It wasn’t because it was Freyr, that they could just ignore everything he said just because he didn’t stand on the head of this household. They all turned back to Freyr, waiting for him to say they could leave. Gunnvor nodded towards him, nothing more to said about this matter.

Freyr had a rough start in all of this, he was young, his father taking over from the previous earl changed a lot for him. Gunnvor never had trouble with it, she supported Rigas in every way she could but for their son it was a little different. People started to look different to him, approached him different. He never talked about it much but she knew him all to well. Her mother instinct was fierce and she wouldn’t let him do something he would regret, she wouldn’t let anybody hurt him. In that way she was far more a female warrior than she was a Countess. She hoped that his kind of things, giving him some reins would lead him onto the right path. Rigas had the fullest faith in his son, Gunnvor was far more protective. Just as Rigas followed her so often she did that a lot with him, because there was nothing she adored more than her own flesh and blood.

She gave those man a soft threat, nothing more but something they would remember when they would go sleeping tonight. Gunnvor often was seen as the silent one, observing every inch of everything. But underneath all that silence laid something different. Freyr let the men go with their woman. Gunnvor looked how they walked out, her chin a little lifted to keep her distance when they thanked her after thanking Freyr. When they were out Gunnvor turned her head towards her son. His words brought a smile upon her face. ‘Your father wouldn’t even handle this. You aren’t a man if you can’t solve your own problems, he would probably kick their asses right out again.’ She went in on his words. Rigas listened to every problem there was, he was only not that patience with debates like this one. When Freyr was close enough she lifted her hands and cupped his face. ‘I’m proud of you Freyr. You grow up way to fast.’ She stroke one cheek with her dumb before she let her hands rest on his chest for a bit. ‘One day you will have all of this and you will be just like your father, fierce but respected.’ She stroke his hand over his chest and looked down for a minute before she looked back up to him, with that proud smile on her lips, just to state the obvious. She could remember the day he was nothing more than a little body wrapped in fabrics against her chest, and look at him now, he was just like she always dreamed.

She imagined her life to be totally different. She always thought she would stay in Skagen for starters, being the first female who would be crowded to earl. She never thought about a husband or children, she never wanted anything else than to fight and to lead. That all changed when Rigas captured her and took her with him to Skagerrak. Since then she hardly thought about her real home, despite the lingering vengeance underneath the surface. She still wanted it badly but there were things that just were more important now, Rigas, Skagerrak and certainly her son. She hoped, some day that she could maybe travel back to Skagen, to see how much support she still had there, to see what has become of the village her father died for. But when she looked to Freyr she forget all of that, she didn’t want to put him in danger, he …. Of all, just held her enough on track. But she knew the older he would get the more she would want to take back what was hers.

When she told him how fast he grew up, how tall he got in such short time, how much he started to look like his father he replied the obvious. A smile spread over her lips and she nodded slowly. ‘Well, I’m saying it now.’ She stated, giving him a playful kick against the side of his head. For sixteen years Freyr was the center of her life and one step closer to his seventeen she knew she had to give him more. He would want to go on raids one day, conquer as much as his father did. She saw herself already standing on the battlefield, with both her son and husband presents. Somewhere in her mind it looked like the perfect picture, a picture she loved.

He putted his arms around her when he spotted that little bit of fragility in her face. She didn’t act like this much, Gunnvor tried to be the loving mother who was also a feared warrior but when she was alone she just couldn’t resist. And those rare moments where the moments that Rigas and Freyr immediately recognized. She rested her head on his shoulder, one hand wrapped around him. ‘I don’t doubt that.’ She reacted right away after his words. She was already so proud of him, the things he did, how he was with the people here, the animals. He would be a good earl, they would try, certainly, they did that with Rigas to. But in the end they would respect him for who he was. When he pulled back she gave him a tender smile. With his smile she turned around and walked to the entrance of the great hall. ‘Always something to do.’ She answered, looking over her shoulder to him. She didn’t want to do something that needed to be done, she wanted to spend some time with him. Between everything he did and everything she did there were often only dinnertimes, short talks within. So today, she wanted to turn it all around him. ‘How are the horses doing?’ She asked, her eyebrows softly getting up, knowing how much he loved those animals. She had one to, when she was young, but it got forgotten if there was so much else you had to take care of.

It sparked her mother heart, seeing him react with this kind of enthusiasm on something so simple than the wildlife Skagerrak had to offer, the horses, the wolves. She only remembered the fish out of Skagen, how difficult they were to catch sometimes. When she had some spare time from training she went with a good friend, it was enjoyable, a break from the touch life of being a daughter to an earl. That’s why she never stopped Freyr from chasing his dreams, his love for horses. She wanted him to have just so little or much as see had. To begin with he never choose for this life, being a son to an earl, an heir to the throne of Skagerrak. But here he was. Taking everything away wouldn’t be responsible. He needed to be a normal boy, in that way he only could become a greater earl.

When he answered her question, with that enormous load of energy in his voice her mouth curled to a smile in an instant. He really loved those animals, more than he loved anything else. Seeing how much the subject changed in him made her ask if he ever held anything back for her. She never pressured him, forced him but it was a typical instinct to always be worried about the children. Although he wasn’t a child anymore, it still stayed. When he suggested that they should go take a look she nodded. ‘I wasn’t saying it to just stand here.’ She said, squeezing him in his shoulder before turning back into the great hall to one of the man who stayed behind. ‘Keep me informed, or if there are problems.’ She commanded calmly. He bowed, deeply, taking the place as a guard between the two thrones. Gunnvor let her gaze fall over the rest of the great hall before she turned back around to her son. ‘Lead the way.’ She smiled. She knew where the stables were but in this one he had the full control. Gunnvor always was prepared for any kind of danger, she stroke her fingers to her back, feeling the dagger she kept there at all times.

The weather was nice, it wasn’t dramatically cold and even a little bit of sunlight that sparked her pale skin. Maybe it did her good, to be outside, spending time with her son. She walked often through the village but it was mostly with a destination. Aside that she rather had the calm spots. When she looked aside to Freyr he was just in the center of his cheerful mood. And that made her forget all her other worries.

From when he was nothing more than a little boy Freyr always admired the wildlife, he was always happy when he was surrounded with nature. It wasn’t that she learned him to be so centered into nature but she loved that he did. When he just could walk he walked always towards the stables, or the pastures. Gunnvor had a hard time keeping him away from there for his own safety. But when he got enough of age she just let him go, turning him in what he was just now, a boy who still loved the green nature and the power a horse contained. Although her love for the animals was different, Gunnvor admire those four legged creatures. They had beauty, strength and just a lot of fighting spirit. But they were as fragile as they came. If you didn’t treated them right they turned around. You needed to understand and Gunnvor never truly could read a horse like Freyr could do it. She just used them in traveling or riding but other than that … they were just animals. And there she was wrong, or at least Freyr would say she was wrong.

So when they arrived at the stables after a walk with small talk she really enjoyed. It was something she didn’t do for a long time, just walking, talking with Freyr and enjoying his presents without the leverage of ruling. She felt guilty for not doing it more often. The closer she got around the stables she hardly came the more the people started to look. Some make a short bow, others just nodded and turned away fast. But the most greeted Freyr with sympathy, friendly and in that way she knew he was appreciated here. More than anything she wanted that Freyr didn’t suffer under his father becoming an earl, seeing this eased her conscious a little.

Freyr hopped on the fence, leaning on it while looking at the horses. Gunnvor pulled herself also up and leaned over it with crossed arms. ‘They look good.’ She approved of this condition, saying what he said, they looked well trained. ‘Your friend, does he do it alone?’ She asked curious. She knew he had a friend here, training the horses. The name on the other hand … she lost it for a minute. One of the horses got curious, walking over to the fence and Gunnvor smiled softly. ‘Do you have a favorite?’ She asked with a curious look aside before giving the animal a change to smell her hand before she stroke her fingers over his head. Get kicked by that and you were probably dead … or was that her motherly nature speaking again. One way or another, she wanted to see Freyr with them, hearing his stories. On that way she not only got in contact with the animals but also with her son. She felt way to far away from him sometimes, something she truly missed.