Lifeline - Vikings (Ivar)

prologue

From a young age, I'd been different. I thought differently, acted differently, saw the world differently. I knew, as a child, that I was destined to do something great... I just never knew exactly what that would be.

I have one memory, so vivid even now, of my long forgotten childhood. It was 1955 and I was 8 years old. I can still hear the crackling of the radio. I still smell the raspberry bon bons beside my grandma, her customary scent of cigarettes and lavender perfume permeating the air.

She struck the match, making my little figure flinch, and held it up to the stick of tobacco that hung between her pink lips. As she took a drag of the cigarette, her other hand swirled the glass of whiskey that she always kept close. The ice cubes clashed together, hitting eachother like rocks on the shore.

"Come, child," She smiled, pulling my hand closer. "Let's have a look what your futures gonna be ay?"

I smiled brightly, my ringlets of red hair tumbling down my cheeks as I jumped with excitement. I'd always wanted to know my destiny, to know what I was meant to do. Her brows furrowed, making me a little concerned, and I could see the fear in her eyes. "What's wrong Gramma?" I asked softly, blue shoes kicking the maroon table legs nervously.

"I-" She paused, looking up at me to calm herself. "Your lines are just so strange, sweetheart." She explained. Her fingers traced each little line carefully, explaining their meaning. "You're warm and compassionate, but you think with your head not your heart. That's good, you'll need that in life kiddo. But I do see that you're going on a journey, somewhere far from here, and this journey will be lead by love."

I wrinkled my nose, sticking my tongue out and shaking my head. "Ew!! Love is icky!"

She laughed, cupping my cheek in her hand. "That it is little one, but if you find the right person... Sometimes, it can be the loveliest thing in the world." I nodded at her wisdom, understanding that she knew far more than I did. "Your lifeline stops half way through. It looks like a fork but... There's a gap... In most people, a gap so early in the lifeline means they'll die young. But in this case, it more likely means rebirth."

"Gramma?" I asked again as she zoned out, trying to understand what she was saying and why it worried her so.

Her smile was weak as she held my hand. "It's just strange," She answered. "Because your lines are just the same as mine." And with that, she turned her hand over to show me her palm. Although it was wrinkled, it was almost identical to my own. I looked up at her in confusion. What on earth could it mean?

I didn't realise it at the time, but I didn't know very much about my grandmother at all. I knew even less about my grandfather. Back then, it didn't seem like a big deal that I knew little about their lives. However, knowing what I know now, I realise that it was a much bigger deal than I had previously thought. You see, my grandmother was right about everything. I wasn't just in a distant place, but a distant time! And if that had happened to me, then what happened to her?

This is very inspired by Outlander but not at all following the Outlander storyline because I like Vikings better than aristocrats, fight me :)
-Rhi