Chapter 4 Eira's Birthday: Eira's POV
1241 Words
I didn't have anything fancy to wear, so I put on my regular old leather leggings and a long shapeless top. I tied it with a leather braid I used as a belt around my waist. It was the best I could do.
But I did spend time fixing my hair into a long wavy braid. I even found some wild flowers to weave into my hair. I loved spring. It was my favorite season.
Nanna slept in a corner on a soft fur she used as a bed. She snorted in her sleep, and I giggled at my silly baby dragon.
Hammond went off hunting for my special day, and Brant said he had things he needed to take care of, so he wished me "happy birthday" and left.
It wasn't often I was all alone, so I tried to enjoy my time to myself. But there were only so many wild flowers I could pick before I got lonely.
I kept myself busy by tidying up and placing even more flowers around our home. We all lived in a large tent with partitions for sleeping rooms. But I didn't want to call it a camp when it was where I had grown up.
I managed to find some candles and placed them on their table.
Finally I couldn't think of anything else to do, so I decided to take Nanna for a walk in the woods.
We walked through a glade and passed a doe and her fauns.
Nanna saw a flock of birds and decided it would be great fun to chase them. They took off instantly.
I giggled at my baby dragon. Nanna couldn't fly, so she tried jumping up to catch the birds, but with her bulky body and tail, she didn't get very high.
"Nanna, leave the birds alone. We will go find you some fish," I promised.
At the word "fish" Nanna hurried over to me and wagged her tail like a puppy, expectantly.
"Come on, girl," I laughed. "This way to the stream."
We walked back into the forest and followed the sound of a babbling brook, where we normally did our fishing.
Nanna pounced in the water. I laughed at Nanna's antics as she caught fish after fish. By the time she was full, the sun had reached it's zenith.
"Come one, Nanna. You had your meal, now it's time for me to have mine," I insisted.
The dragon made a contented coo and followed me back to camp.
I arrived back to find both men waiting for me. A deer had already been skinned and was roasting on the fire, where Nanna decided to perch herself.
Hammond held out a package covered in parchment paper. "Happy birthday, Eira," he said.
"What is it?" I asked in wonder.
Hammond only smiled. "Open it and find out."
I was normally a patient girl with grace and poise... but had none when he handed me the heavy package. I tore at the paper with zeal and gasped in shock when I saw a blue dress that matched my eyes perfectly.
I wrapped my arms around Hammond's neck. "How beautiful!" I exclaimed. "Thank you so much! How did you ever manage it?" I asked.
"Well, I've been able to trade the furs and pelts in the villages near by for supplies, and I figured it was time you received something worthy of a young woman as pretty as you," he answered. "Why don't you go try it on?"
I hugged Hammond once more and kissed his cheek, then squealed in delight as I dashed into our tent. I could hear both men chuckling behind me, but I didn't care.
I made it to my room and disrobed in record time, then slipped the dress on. The fabric was soft as silk against my skin, but was also heavy enough to keep me warm. I tied the sash at my waist and spun in a circle. I giggled as the full skirt billowed around me.
As I stepped out of the tent, Brant's breath caught, and Hammond smiled as he looked at his son.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Hammond said. "I'm going to go check on dinner."
I hardly heard him, I was too busy watching Brant.
His eyes were hungrily roaming every curve of my body, that was normally hidden by the bulky tunic I would wear.
I sashayed up to him with more confidence than I felt. I placed my hands on his broad chest and slid them up around his neck. In response, I felt his hands circling my waist and pulling me tight.
I smiled up at him. "What do you think?"
"You look gorgeous," his answer came out slightly ragged and his breathing was uneven. I wasn't sure why, but it pleased me.
I giggled at his response, and something snapped in his demeanor. He became all need.
He crushed his mouth to mine. I moaned in ecstasy and met his kiss with a hungry one of my own.
Brant groaned into my mouth and pulled me closer...
Someone noisily cleared their throat right behind us.
Instantly they broke apart. Both our faces warmed with embarrassment.
"I, uh... have -have something, uh, for you too," Brant stumbled through his words.
Something was off. I knew he had been embarrassed, as was I, by being caught kissing in front of his father, but he was really nervous.
I felt the small tremor in his hand as he dragged me over to the table.
"Um," Brant started shaking a little more. He took a deep breath and squeezed my hand lightly. With the other he picked up a small box. "I don't know how much my father has explained about our traditions, and since we left our village when you were a baby, you wouldn't remember," Brant paused trying to gather his thoughts.
Brant took another steadying breath and opened up the box.
Inside lay a dainty silver braided bracelet. It had sapphire beads and a clear stone heart with a "B" etched into it.
"It is a tradition for a man to make a piece of jewelry with their initial engraved on it, to present to their intended. Not as a sign of ownership, but to tell his love that she owns his heart," Brant explains. He swallowed hard. "Will you be my wife?" he asked simply.
I stopped breathing. My heart pounded in my chest so hard, I was sure he could hear it. A single tear tailed down my cheek. I threw my arms around his neck and nearly choked him, as I giggled with glee.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! I will be your wife! I love you Brant!" I exclaimed with exuberance.
Brant released his breath in relief and placed the sparkling bracelet on my wrist.
"I love it!" I whispered.
This time, Brant kissed me slowly. I could feel his desire and the depth of his love for me. I melted into his kiss. I could have happily spent the rest of my life right there in his arms, and his mouth claiming mine.
It wasn't Hammond who caused them to separate this time. It was an eerie echo of hundreds of forlorn children encased in magic.
"What was that?" I asked, with dread in my heart. I could feel it's pain.
"That," answered Hammond, "was Fritjof. The time has come, my dear, for you to fulfill your destiny."
- Writer
