A Whisper to the North

Chapter LV ✠ As the Ice Melts

Una held part of a broken icicle to her jaw. Alaric had found ice to be more useful than herbal medicines to help ease swelling. She could feel the dull pain under her jaw intensify and then subside with the cold numbing sensation of the ice.

"How much longer will this pain last? I can't march into battle with a sore jaw. I'd be leaving this hour by tomorrow's time, and It feels just as sore as it did four days ago when I woke up." Una laughed but grimaced.

Alaric walked over to Una. She was sitting at the end of a long table. A single goblet of mead was seated close to the edge of the tabletop, surrounded by dried berries and fish strung up that day. Alaric put two fingers gently over the bruise under her jaw.

"Easy!" Una clenched.

"Well, it appears the swelling is completely gone. It's just a bruise now. It should be gone in a week or two. It's not that noticeable until you bend your head back." He took his hand away.

"Humph. I hope he can't sit right after what I did to him."

Alaric smiled and shook his head.

"Unfortunately, I think the opposite is true. He seems very invigorated now, even excited that you are going off with him to fight those dragons. You've given him a reason to live now. He finally has found a worthy opponent." Alaric said, sitting at the end of the table.

He took his hand and traced the edges of the table, following the grain of the wood with his fingertip. He sighs, knowing that once Una leaves, it might be over for him. He wants to tell Una so severely, but he fears upsetting her before she goes with Njord. Perhaps it would be better for him to leave in the middle of the night after Una and Njord leaves with his army.

"What's on your mind?" Una asked.

Alaric looked up and met Una's green and gold eyes dancing in the fading light of the evening.

"Why do you always ask that." Alaric laughed and folded his arms over the table.

"I can just tell. You go completely expressionless as if you had seen a ghost." Una giggled and sat back in her seat.

Alaric smirked and sat back in his seat as well.

"I was just thinking."

"Thinking of what?" Una smiled.

"If I'm already bored now, I can't imagine what it will be like without you here." Alaric turned his head to look out the window.

"I can't say that I'm entertaining in the least, but I appreciate the sentiment. Perhaps your grandmother, Idun, has a fun spirit? I'm sure you can find things to do around here." Una said, looking up high into the ceiling beams that were elaborately decorated with figures.

"Why do you think he wants me to stay here and not go with you?" Alaric asked.

Una looked back down and stared at his hands, neatly folded on the table.

"Well, isn't that what your goal was, to meet your family here?" Una said.

"It hasn't been exactly the warmest reunion. I honestly feel very unwelcome here. I should have stayed in Mercia with Gareth and Laurel, but curiosity got the best of me." Aaric said.

"I think it's good that you have come. You had to go through a lot back there. Besides, I needed a protector coming up here. Without you, I'd still be riding in circles trying to find this place, to find that king bastard, Njord." Una smiled.

"Oh, Una. You didn't need a protector at all. I think you could have eventually found your way here. There seems to be many from Wealas here." Alaric said.