Winter Solstice Winter - Book I in the Viking Blood Saga

Silya and Ailia rode into the outer limits of Bergendal, both riding on Miika’s sturdy back. To Ailia’s delight, the rest of the trip had been uneventful, even bordering on drab. The less that happened, the faster she could get home. She had made up her mind to not ask questions about Soren since it seemed to stir up unwanted sentiments. It made no sense why she should want to see him again or why her heart should flutter at the mention of his name, but it did.

  Silya wanted to keep talking and Ailia didn’t mind listening, so she gladly sat on Miika’s back and soaked in any stories or information her new friend offered.

  “Our Noaida, Geidun, taught us that the Aesira Jewel is a vital instrument in keeping the seasons balanced in Midgard. Its powers are only engaged on winter solstice eve and summer solstice eve—”

  Ailia’s mind wandered. Four months—Where was I? Bergendal looked the same as it always had during winter time—bare, ashen and dearth—but with a little more wear and tear on some of the longhouses. The mountains surrounding Bergendal were completely white, fully covered in snow and ice. Ailia remembered the Bergendal summer, so lush, fresh and warm. Would it ever return?

  Then, glimpses of a small settlement flashed before her eyes. Snow, fire, blood—everywhere, though not here. Ailia had seen things, experienced these things somewhere else, somewhere threatening and cold. Loneliness—Feelings of pain. Where?

  “—and the current Sun Queen, who protects and possesses the Aesira Jewel, has the power to complete this ordinance,” Silya said.

  Ailia couldn’t help but get drawn back into the story. “Soren told me he didn’t know where the jewel is,” she said, trying to remain indifferent.

  “Exactly. We are unsure whether or not Lucia actually received the Aesira Jewel before Eiess stormed the castle.”

  “Isn’t it likely Eiess would have gotten hold of it by now if it was there?” Ailia asked.

  “Probably not,” Silya said. “If she would have gotten hold of it, she would have stopped the sun from rising at all and we would see nothing but darkness. But I have been talking too much. Now it is your turn. Tell me about life in Bergendal. I have only been here a couple of times briefly in passing,” Silya said. She slowed Miika’s pace as they passed a few villagers along the road.

  Ailia waved to them, even though she didn’t know who they were. They looked at her, smiled and waived back. “Welcome,” they said.

  “It’s a wonderful place to grow up. The people here really work together and look after one another.” Suddenly Ailia remembered that her friends had turned their back on her because of her maredreams. “Well, most people look after one another,” she said. “Over there is the Bergendal Stave Christian Church,” she said, pointing to it. “Over there lives the blacksmith and his wife, who is also a midwife and the best baker in Bergendal. Someday you’ll have to taste one of her tarts.” Their home looked terribly run down, she noticed. “Over there is the town’s cobbler. He makes foot wear and he’s also a great tailor. He made these,” she said, lifting up her left foot to show Silya her boot. “They used to look good,” she said, noticing how disheveled it looked.

  “Still, not bad though,” Silya said.

  When they passed a couple of Surtorians, riding on gigantic, black stallions, Ailia thought her heart had stopped beating. They looked exactly like they had in her dreams: black tunics, long, unkempt hair, un-proportionately muscular and their skin was as tawny as amber. She lowered her head and pulled her hood close to face as she held her breath. The Surtorians glanced at them in passing, but did not approach or stop them. Once they had ridden by them, she was finally able to take a breath again.

  “This town must be crawling with them now that Eiess has the throne,” Silya muttered under her breath.

  That made Ailia even more worried that something might have happened to her family. “Take this road here.” She pointed to the right. Her throat felt dry and her voice cracked as she spoke.

  Silya steered Miika to the right and merged onto the next road. It was lined with a wood fence to keep travelers off the field and to keep cattle in—though there were no cattle to be seen. The vast field was divided into sections, each owned by peasants or farmers.

  “We’re almost at my house. It’s the next one here.” Ailia excitedly pointed the way. When she saw smoke rise from the shaft in the roof, she breathed a sigh of relief. The house was built of oak planks with a straw roof. Everything from the barn to Uncle Brander’s outdoor workstation looked exactly the same, but Ailia felt like something was distinctly different. The entrance door had a round metal handle in the center of it and was situated underneath a triangular archway. A beam between the archways had the following engraving:

  Trust no man so well that you trust not yourself better

  Below the engraving hung the name of the farm ‘Brandersgaard’ inscribed onto an old wooden frame.

  Ailia tried to think of what she would say when she met Aunt Unni and Uncle Brander again. How would she explain that she couldn’t remember how she had ended up inside the glacier cave far away from home? Or that she had been missing the past four months. Maybe they would know more about her unexplainable disappearance.

  “Here we are!” Ailia said and exhaled. I’m home.

  Silya pulled the reigns and stopped the horse a little ways away from the entrance door. “Very nice,” Silya said after jumping off the horse. She led Miika to the barn to station her there, but it was full. Three horses stood in the stable. “These are the King’s horses,” she said in amazement. “Is there something you are not telling me?”

  “No. I’ve never met anyone from the castle and it has been months since I’ve been home,” Ailia said.

  Silya helped Ailia off the horse, took Miika by the reigns, and tied her to one of the many soaring pine trees next to Brandersgaard. “Let me enter first,” she said, grabbing her bow and an arrow and signaling with her head for Ailia to follow her.

  Ailia thought it was unnecessary, but she complied with Silya’s request.

  Silya vigorously knocked on the door and stepped back, her hand clenched tightly around her weapons.

  Unni opened the door. “Can I help you?” she said, and then she gasped when she saw Silya pointing an arrow toward her.

  Ailia couldn’t keep herself away a moment longer. “Aunt Unni!” she blurted out and ran into her arms.

  “Ailia?” Unni said, looking as if she had seen a ghost. “You’re… alive? Where have you been? Oh, we have missed you so much! Are you hurt? You are limping!” Unni gasped. “Brander! Come here now!” she yelled over her shoulder. Unni studied Ailia from head to toe, hugging her in between.

  Brander rushed to the door. “Ailia? Ailia!” he said, nearly pushing Unni over to get to her. “Where have you been?”

  “How many months have I been gone?” Ailia asked, wanting to confirm how long she had been missing.

  “It was four months last week,” Unni said. “Oh, my dear, I’ve been worried sick over you, child.” Tears started streaming down her lightly creased face. She hugged Ailia again and again.

  “I thought the Vikings had taken you away for good, or that you had run away because we were going to marry you off to someone you didn’t want to marry,” Unni said. “I remember in horror the day you vanished without a word, without a trace. Oh Ailia, I thought I’d never see you again. It was the scariest, worst, just most horrible experience of my life.” She started crying again.

  “Where have you been?” Brander asked again, relief and horror written all over his face.

  Ailia didn’t quite know what to say. “I… I don’t remember. I thought maybe you would know what happened to me.”

  “You don’t remember anything?” Unni asked.

  “No, just being here with you and then nothing,” Ailia said.

  Unni’s worried emerald eyes connected with Brander’s.

  “Let’s talk about it later,” Brander said and placed both hands on Unni’s narrow shoulders.

  “Yes.??
? Unni sniffled and clasped Ailia’s hand in both of hers. “Come inside. You must be starving and exhausted. It doesn’t make for a very good combination.”

  “This is Silya. She helped me get back home safely,” Ailia said, pulling Silya’s arm.

  “A pleasure to meet you and thank you for bringing our Ailia back to us in one piece,” Unni said and hugged her warmly.

  “You are welcome,” Silya said, looking hesitant to hug her back.

  “Well, almost one piece,” Brander blurted out. “Would you look at how skinny she is?”

  “We will have to feed you some extra helpings,” Unni said as she brought them inside.

  They unloaded their outerwear in the entryway and sat down in the dim main room. Lanterns lighted the room, one in each corner and a strong hearth burned in the middle of the floor. Unni had decorated every corner of every room with paintings, fabrics, statues and embroideries. One of the walls held Brander’s weapons, which weren’t few, and many more than Ailia could remember him having. He must have purchased new ones recently.

  “We saw horses outside that belonged to King Olav—?” Silya prodded.

  “Yes, just one moment. I will get the guests. They arrived right before you did.” Brander stepped out of the main room and into the back room.

  “We wanted to make sure you weren’t Eiess’ Surtorians, so we hid our guests in the back room,” Unni said, somewhat nervously. “I have rosehip tea ready, anyone?”

  “Yes, please,” both Ailia and Silya said in unison. A warm cup of tea sounded heavenly, Ailia thought.

  Ailia noticed the main room had subtle changes throughout. Fresh wood covered the entrance walls and the ceiling and walls seemed thicker than before. Brander returned quickly with four guests, two middle-aged men, one of them being Bishop peter, and two women—one young and one elderly. Everyone stood up from their seats to greet the guests.

  “This is the wonderful Bishop Peter,” Unni said, resting her hand on his shoulder. “Ailia, you remember him from church, right?”

  Ailia nodded.

  “This is Ivar, one of King Olav’s former guards. He is not associated with Eiess.” She took his hand in hers and squeezed it, a grateful expression in her face. Then she walked over to the two women and gestured to the older one. “This is Nora, Queen Maud’s former head servant and finally, Princess Lucia,” she said, gesturing to the other.

  Silya and Ailia looked at each other.

  Ailia curtsied deeply. “Your Majesty, it’s an honor to meet you,” she said surprised and impressed at the same time. She’s alive? What is she doing here? Looking at her, Ailia thought Princess Lucia was the most beautiful girl she had ever met. Though Lucia had dark circles under her eyes and a few scabs on her face, she was still gorgeous. With light blond hair and pale blue eyes, slightly tilting upward, she was as fair as a summer morning.

  Silya walked over to Lucia. “You are alive! You are still alive!” Her voice exuded elation. “We did not know whether Eiess had killed you or not, but now I find renewed hope in knowing that you live. Soren will be so pleased!” She bowed and kissed Lucia’s bandaged hands.

  Silya’s last comment stung a little, Ailia had to admit.

  Lucia pulled Silya up by her hands. “We are all equals here and now,” she said with a smile.

  After Ailia had introduced herself to each of the guests, Brander said to Nora, “Well, why don’t you tell them why you are really here?” He sounded unusually excited, Ailia noticed.

  “Let’s all have a seat. This is going to be an exciting evening.” Unni aimed them toward the benches around the hearth. They settled in and glanced at each other over the rising flares, each of their faces glowing and moving with the flames.

  “Well, let’s not wait forever,” Brander said. He sat on his undersized stool and rubbed his hands briskly together.

  Nora started. “First, this information must not be shared with anyone outside this room. I have known about this information for many years, but even Lucia just learned about it. You must all promise that you will never reveal any of what is spoken here tonight to anyone, no exceptions!” she said solemnly. “If this information leaks out and Eiess hears about it, we are all doomed.” Her wrinkly, yet clear eyes pieced everyone in the room.

  “Don’t you think you’re being just a little intense?” Brander said and laughed.

  “No!” Nora replied rather harshly. “No,” she said more softly this time. “If this information leaks out to Eiess, Ailia’s and Lucia’s lives will be endangered and could lead to death, which will result in Eiess’ victory. One cannot be too intense when it comes to these matters.”

  Ailia tried to keep up with all the details, but she quickly became confused. She sensed that this was no commonplace meeting, nor were any commonplace people attending the meeting. What do I have to do with it—if anything?

  “You have all proven your worthiness and shown your commitment to the better cause, choosing to fight for freedom and the power of liberty for all of humanity.” Nora turned to Bishop Peter first, clasping her wrinkled hands as she began to speak. “Bishop, you helped Lucia and I after she escaped from Eiess’ imprisonment. You have fought our fight and put your life at risk.” She then turned to Silya. “Silya, I had not expected you to be here. I am so pleased that you are. You have shown great courage and have been there to support Ailia, guiding her safely back home. You have been a great friend to Soren for a long time. I have known Soren and Silya for many, many years.” She turned her attention to the others.

  How does she know Soren and Silya? Ailia wondered.

  “They have both worked tirelessly for the continued freedom of this kingdom and this people, whether they be thralls, freedmen, chieftains, or kings. I would entrust anybody in their safekeeping. Thank you for bringing our Ailia back safely to us,” Nora said, looking back at Silya. Her heavily creased eyes filled with tears.

  “Thank you,” Silya said, looking puzzled.

  Nora cleared her throat and continued. “Ivar, as a man of honor, strength and dignity, loyal to King Olav to the end—”

  The end? Ailia thought. Does that mean the King is dead?

  “—I am grateful to have you here with us tonight. You were the one who brought our beloved Ailia to Unni and Brander one clear, cold night many years ago. A new babe, so innocent, so beautiful and full of life and love, she was. Only you, King Olav, Queen Maud and Iluxia knew who she was. Much of her being alive today is due to your silence, your diligence and your effort.”

  Brander pitched in, “You’ve always been a man of few words and it has served us all well!”

  Everyone laughed.

  This isn’t what my aunt and uncle told me. Ailia’s stomach twisted.

  Nora turned to Unni and Brander. “Unni and Brander you did not know then what you found out today. Thank you for keeping Ailia for us all these years and for raising her as your own.”

  Ailia was listening intensely. What do they mean about my true identity? Do I have a different one than what I have been raised as?

  Nora continued. “Lucia, my precious princess, your name meaning Bearer of Light, but not because you are the Great Sentinor, but because you do indeed bear the burden of Light, her identity concealed in your name, hidden by your image. This is all revealed in the late Queen Maud’s and King Olav’s writings.” Nora paused and nodded encouragingly to Lucia. “The letter?”

  Lucia took out a scroll and handed it to Ailia.

  “A letter for me?” Ailia asked. “But it’s addressed to Lucia, her Royal Highness of Bergendal. Why should I read it?”

  Unni nodded. “You’ll see,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

  “Now, Ailia,” Nora said formally.

  The room had grown completely silent and they were all looking at Ailia, waiting for her to read the letter.

  Nora continued. “Ailia, read the letter. It was meant for you as much as for Lucia.”

  “I don’t understand; I’m not anyone impo
rtant, I’m just a, just—a girl, a peasant girl,” she said. That’s my identity.

  “No, you’re not just a peasant girl, Ailia,” Bishop Peter said.

  “The bishop is right. You will understand who you are when you read this,” Nora encouraged.

  Unni and Brander nodded, both smiling proudly now.

  Ailia peered down at the letter and started reading out loud. She had to pause several times throughout the letter to try and grasp its message and to get assurance from Lucia and Nora that it was indeed the truth. When she finished reading, she looked up and sighed deeply. Who am I truly? Human or demi-mortal? Just a young maiden or the Great Sentinor of whom Iluxia had prophesied would be born three times to terminate Eiess. She almost dared not think the thought of the latter, for if she did, she could no longer afford to live the life of freedom and preference that she had always imagined and wanted.

  “I had no idea,” Ailia finally said, still trying to grasp the realism of the letter. “I always felt there was something important missing in my life, but I always assumed that void was there because my parents died when I was young and I never had the chance to know them. I just thought I would always feel this void because I couldn’t remember them.” She lowered the letter, feeling the smooth scroll beneath her fingertips.

  “Now you know,” Lucia said, as she stood up and walked to greet Ailia.

  Ailia worried that Lucia would be bitter, harboring anger and resentment toward her since their parents had used her to protect Ailia.

  “I always felt I was not the Great Sentinor—that my mission was different than yours—and now it makes perfect sense,” Lucia said. “I know this all sounds strange and new and I cannot imagine what you are feeling. I am so glad that I have a sister, a beloved relative who is alive and well and who is here, now finally standing in front of me after all these years.”

  Everything did start to make sense now, why she had always felt she did not belong among her friends, why Eiess was after her in her dreams, even though Eiess didn’t know her true identity. The empress probably sensed that Ailia possessed powers far greater than any mortal in Midgard and that was why she was after her. “Does that mean I am a… demi-mortal?” she asked.

  “It is a deceiving name for a reason. It sounds like you’re only half mortal, less than mortal, but what most people do not know is that the other half is a Sentinor,” Bishop Peter said.

  “Yes,” Silya said, nodding. “I suppose it does make you a demi-mortal. All along I was traveling with you not knowing—”

  “Did you know anything?” Ailia asked Silya.

  “No. However, I sensed that there was something different about you. When Soren wanted to get away from you, I knew he was not being completely open with me. He must have felt your presence, felt that there was a connection between you two. He must have become scared and left, thinking he needed to be true to Lucia, who he thought was—well—you,” Silya said.

  Soren. What of him? He had told her they were… Spiritus Amor. That thought made her feel uneasy. However, if she was completely honest with herself, she had felt that connection, too, even though at the time she had dismissed it as a foolish sentiment. But now that she knew why she had felt the way she did, suddenly she didn’t know what to think of it. Did it mean her destiny had been set? Did it mean she had to marry him? Would he expect her love and affection immediately? She didn’t remember her first two lives, but he did. That thought sent a surge of panic through her. What if she didn’t love him in this life? And what of Geir, her fiancé?

  Ailia looked at Lucia and thought she saw a tinge of pain in her sister’s smiling eyes. Did she love him? Had she been told she would marry Soren and now she had found out she would not? She didn’t know Lucia well enough to read her subtle expressions.

  Unni left the room for a brief moment and returned holding a small gold and silver Borre-style designed chest. “Ailia, this is for you from your father, King Olav,” she said and handed it to her.

  Ailia lifted the chest out of Unni’s hands.

  “It opens like so,” Nora said, helping Ailia unlock the box. Inside was the ring that King Olav had written about in the letter.

  Lucia, standing right next to Ailia, lifted her right hand ever so gracefully and showed Ailia her ring. “See,” she said. It was an exact match.

  Ailia reached into the chest, grabbed the ring, and put it on. Lucia and Ailia looked at each other and smiled and then they embraced as sisters for the first time.

  “This is not all,” Nora said. “There was another scroll inside this one. It was addressed to you, Ailia.” Nora handed it to her. The scroll’s seal was still intact. “From your mother, Queen Maud, before she died” she said.

  “Thank you,” Ailia said, receiving the letter, reading her mother’s handwriting ‘Ailia’. She lifted it close to her heart, clutching it with her hands, fighting back her tears. She had dreamt of hearing her mother’s words her whole life, or of having something, anything from her. Now, that something was in her hands. “I think I would like to read it alone—later, if that’s all right?”

  Brander started objecting, but before he could get a word in, Unni interrupted. “Of course, we understand Ailia,” she said. “Right, Brander?” she finished, speaking under her breath, peering over at him with one brow peaked.

  “Oh, well, uh, yes, we understand,” Brander said.

  “I must remind everyone in this room—” Nora said. “—that no one else must come to find out about what has been spoken here tonight. The fewer people who know, the less risk there is of Eiess finding out. As you all know, Eiess can enter your dreams and pull out important information, so anyone she knows, any Sentinors, demi-mortal or not, could possibly leak the information. Tell no one, especially not Soren yet. He is one of the Sentinors Eiess is incessantly pursuing.” She looked at Ailia and Silya as she spoke.

  Ailia’s felt slightly relieved to have been given more time to process this, but oddly enough, her heart dropped in her chest. Either way, she couldn’t tell him. He wasn’t here anyway.

  “And I must add this: Surtorians roam the streets of Bergendal day and night, so you must be very careful where you go,” Nora said. “If they spot Lucia, Lucia will be taken back to the empress. So be on the lookout day and night.”

  Unni prepared repast for everyone and they had a great time getting to know each other. Shortly after repast, Bishop Peter thanked Brander and Unni for the lovely evening, excused himself and bid farewell. “One must retire early to bed and be early to rise,” he preached to the guests.

  The remaining party ended the evening by playing the board game Hnefatafl, with Brander winning. He prided himself as the master in Bergendal of Hnefatafl and had never lost a game, or so he claimed. Unni started pulling out the bench-beds to sleep on and set them up against the walls inside the main room.

  “Why don’t you two sleep over there,” Unni said to Ailia and Lucia, pointing to the far back area. “You probably have a lot to catch up on.”

  They walked over and sat down on the floor close to the bench-beds, anxious to get to know each other even more.

  “So what happened to your hands?” Ailia asked concerned. “I hope it doesn’t make you self-conscious that I ask.”

  “Not at all. I was outside for too long and I developed frostbite. Bishop Peter had to saw off part of my pinky and ring finger, but he was able to save the rest.” She showed Ailia the bandaged up hand. “I lost three of my toes too, both pinkies and the one toe on my left foot next to the pinky toe.”

  “Oh, wow, did it hurt? It must have hurt. That was a silly question,” Ailia said with compassion in her voice, yet unable to hide her distress.

  “It hurt, but it is healing well,” Lucia said. “How is your foot healing? Silya said you were attacked by wolves?”

  “Oh, it was the scariest thing I’ve experienced. Well, at least until I was almost drowned by the Nukkern!”

  They exchanged many stories and details of their live
s into the night. Finally, they decided to go to bed. Lucia fell asleep first. Ailia tried to sleep, but she couldn’t wait any longer to read the letter her mother had written to her. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she opened the sealed scroll. She went out to the main room again to get some light from the burning hearth.

  My dearest Ailia,

  Please forgive me for giving you away at birth. I have spent endless nights worrying about you, thinking about you and asking myself if, by giving you up, I had done the right thing. My intent in doing this was to keep you safe, so you may grow up and finally fulfill your destiny. I am harrowed up inside that I will not have the opportunity to raise you, to see the magnificent person you will become and to know all your quirks that will make you so endearing and unique. I wish I could hear the words ‘Mamma’ spoken from your precious lips, hear your tender voice laugh for joy and cry for comfort. I had yearned for you to come into my life for many, many years and it has caused me much pain to have to give you away, even on the same day that you were born, without holding you or being in your awesome presence.

  I had hoped I would meet you one day, but now it appears I will not survive this second pregnancy. The decision to send you away was the most difficult decision Olav and I have ever had to make, but I also believe that out of our great sorrow and pain, will come our greatest joy. I would not change my decision if I had the chance again; I would not give all my pain away, all my sleepless nights or all my lonely moments, to have you back. If I did, you could not have the opportunity to fulfill your destiny and that is the most important thing I can provide for you.

  Your identity is your most important possession, knowing where you came from and who you are. You must keep your identity a secret from the world, no matter what. Only a few can know who you are—the few who will support you, guide you and help you fulfill your destiny and your perilous journey, for it will be a perilous one.

  I have compiled and written detailed and sacred scrolls that will teach you the truth about who you are and where you came from. Not even your father knows the whole truth. These writings also contain vital information about our Aesira lineage and what you need to do in order to defeat Eiess. You must find these writings. I have not written down where they are hidden intentionally, in case this letter falls into the wrong hands.

  Lucia is a good person, Ailia, but I must warn you. I have had a vision in which she betrays you. That is hard for a mother to say, but the most important thing is that you succeed as the Great Sentinor.

  Understand this, my daughter: from the moment you were born, I knew you would succeed. I believed in your greatness. I believed you would finally conquer Eiess and correct the evils and suffering she has caused since nearly the beginning of Midgard. I will always be a part of you, taking every step with you, speaking every truth with you and fighting your battles with you, right there beside you, in front of you, behind you and in your heart.

  Your loving mother, Maud.

  At the bottom of the letter was a saying:

  A wise woman seeks after the words of her parents in life and in death.

  Ailia could hardly believe she finally knew who her mother was and that she had read a letter from her. She dared not believe that she was a princess and even more, the Great Sentinor. It seemed too much to take in for a peasant girl from Bergendal.

  Her heart pounded as she thought of the great responsibility that had been placed on her shoulders. The letter from her mother rang true in her mind and in her heart. She knew she could challenge and destroy Eiess, but what she didn’t know was how. She needed to find the Aesira Scrolls and Aesira Jewel, so she could figure it out.

  The forewarning about Lucia surfaced for a moment. Lucia would never betray me, would she? Ailia pressed her lips against the letter as tears flowed freely from her eyes. She was happy. She had come home.

  19

  Forgotten Past