Valkya

Just like every morning, Valkya woke to the song of swords. She yawned and blinked up at the ceiling, cold and hard the stone stared back. She sat up, every muscle aching in the process, maybe she had pushed it a little too far. "Dagny!" she barked, and a few seconds later a meek young woman scurried into the room. "I'm hungry!" The thrall inclined her head and after pausing for a second, disappeared through the door.

Letting out another yawn, Valkya staggered over to her chest. Slamming it open, she quickly picked out a few clothes, including a thick pelt to keep herself warm. By the time Dagny had returned Valkya had dressed in her hide garments, and without hesitation wolfed down the meal that had been brought her.

It was then, that the door swung open again, "Freyja Valkya, what are you wearing?" her aunt exclaimed in shock. "What does it matter?" "What Does it matter? What does it matter?" the older woman asked, flustered. She then began rummaging through Valkya's chest. "Do you plan on meeting our guests in that?" The young girl's eyes narrowed, "What guests?"

Her aunt spun around a green dress in her hand, "King Halfdan of course, your father told you about this week ago." Valkya glared furiously, "This is the first I'm hearing of it!" "Well it doesn't matter now," her aunt said, throwing the dress at her, "wash and dress properly. We'll all be waiting in the hall."

Valkya gritted her teeth as she sat in the nearby river scrubbing herself. Why did she have to marry some Norwegian vatnisse, there were plenty of eligible men on Burgundaholmr. Some of them were powerful enough to kill a bear, with nothing but their fists. She would show those weak foreigners that this was no place for them.

It wasn't long before she returned to her room, inside the imposing fortress of Gamleborg. At her command, her personal slave, Ligita, began tending to her, first by drying and braiding her hair, and then by dressing her. She, contrary to her own wishes, had begrudgingly allowed the green dress to be put on her. Ligita had also begun to put some jewellery on her but that was where Valkya drew the line. Grabbing the woman by the hair, the much younger girl wrenched her slave to the ground, "Know your place, slave!" and stormed out of her room.

Striding into the fortress's courtyard, Valkya, filled with rage, kicked one of the men in the back of his knee and broke his nose. The men in the yard quieted down as Valkya walked past them seething. "Freyja Valkya!" one of them cried out, he was tall and built like a bull, "If you wish it we'd gladly cut the throats of all those Norwegian dogs." The girl's eyes narrowed, "Do you think I'd break the law of hospitality?" she asked scornfully. The man frowned, but inclined his head nonetheless, "No." Valkya smiled, and without looking back, entered the hall.