The Skabelse

Farewell

A light knock on the door awoke Bjorn from his slumber. "Were moving out. Be ready to meet in the court yard in thirty minutes," an unfamiliar male voice said.

Bjorn let out a breath and sat up, rubbing his emerald eyes. The rising sun had slowly started to make its appearance over the snowcapped mountains. It was a beautiful sight, one that he was not yet used to and he wished he could spend his morning eating breakfast with Rowan on her balcony overlooking the view.

The thought of the Gladeswoman brought him back to reality and he turned and looked down on her, studying her sleeping face. Her dark silver eyebrows were knotted close together and her lips were slightly pursed, making her look worried in her sleep yet still beautiful.

Bjorn wondered what she was dreaming about and decided it was time to wake her up. Leaning down, he brought his lips to her temple and kissed her lightly before softly running his fingers to her tangled hair. "Wake up love, its almost time to go."

He watched her eyelids flutter open and her pupils as they focus on his face.

Running the back of his hand over her scar, he smiled, "How did you sleep?"

Rowan immediately frowned and pushed herself up into the sitting position. "I didnt. I think I hardly got an hour" she said, trailing off.

Bjorn wanted to ask her what troubled her, but knew that they were in a hurry. We are supposed to be ready and meet in the court yard in thirty minutes. "Do you need help suiting up?" he asked, referring to her armor. He didnt think she did, but he assumed he should be polite and ask.

She shook her head and smiled at the kind gesture, "No thank you, I'll manage."

Bjorn nodded and turned around on the edge of the bed, the grabbed his trousers and slid them on. Once he was finished, he stood up and stretched. The cold air from the open window bit at his skin and goosebumps quickly arose. Rowan hardly noticed them, for she was too busy appreciating his hardened muscles.

When Bjorn turned around, Rowan quickly looked away but it was too late, the Rorik had caught her.

He chuckled deeply and walked over to her, placing a gentle hand under her jaw, and brought her face up so their eyes would meet. "You do not have to be embarrassed about looking at my body, it is only natural. After all, it belongs to you," he said, bending down and kissing her head gently.

Rowan smiled sheepishly to herself as he pulled away but said nothing. Bjorn chuckled again and quickly slipped on his shirt, not bothering to fasten it since he would only be taking it off in a matter of moments.

Once he was done, he looked at Rowan once more, "I'll see you in the courtyard." he said, then gave her a soft smile before leaving the room and closing the door quietly.

With a sigh, Rowan stood up and wasted no time gathering her things. Shoving a spare outfit and a few necessary items in her pack, she began chewing on a few mint leaves as she began to strip from her night clothes though the air was frigid and encouraged her to dress more quickly.

Slipping on a pair of tight fitting black trousers and a grey tunic with navy blue embroidery over it, she began to suit herself in her armor that smelled heavily of turpentine and hide. Putting her arms through her leather vest with chainmail accents over her ribs and heart, she fastened it tightly but gave herself just enough room to breathe and move comfortably. She buckled a buckskin belt around her waist, then looped an identical one over and under her shoulders that would hold her blade and two small knifes. Lastly he fastened her bracers, easily lacing the worn strings through their holes. Lastly, she slid in two small but sharp knifes in their holsters followed by her blade on her belt. She had gone through this entire process countless of times, but for some reason this was different and she couldnt explain why.