The End, The Beginning [solo]

[Coci Heavenshield]

The Isles of Tears​

Midvinter​

Early Morning​

The Great Maw​

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Longship​

The cry of the sea birds heralded her nearing the harbour. Her feet trod the cobble stone worn with age, in brown boots that had seen better days. The sea breeze tore at her clothes, a red dress with white trim and a small fur covered her honey shoulders, tussled around her. Long blonde hair styled in the fashion of the Isles, snaked around her head as it too did not escape the rude winds. She does not own much, just a small bag full of her possessions most dear to her and a small head dress that adorns her brow.

The fisherman work tirelessly on the long boats, getting ready to depart in hope to find a catch for the day. They fix the sails, ready the oars and fold the nets. Their broad backs and shoulders rippling with muscles hardened to the work, a core strength of years of toiling. She walks along the ancient wall that keep the sea from the shore and protects the village for the storms. She will miss this place, but it is time to leave.

There is a sadness within her face of fine features, a woman passed the blossoming of youth but still her former beauty remains. Among the fine lines of age, echoes of much experience within the world, she wears them proudly, she has earned the right to do so. Her youth spent in servitude of a loveless marriage, her husband cared for her as she did him, but that was all, and in the dark hours of the night, she would wonder if love truly existed. But it does, she had seen it in others and she knew it was within her, but she had never found a release. She was also denied the love a mother has for a child, at least that might have been some consolation, and the pain and regret of that will remain with her until she enters the gates of the Gods.

The Valkyri longboats rocked gently on the water, their shallow hulls made of oaken wood designed to seat high in the water for speed, graceful yet a vessel of war. She pauses for a moment to watch them, the sails eager for travel as they strain with the wind, water sloshing again the wood like a lovers caress enticing with the touch. She moves along the wall now to the end of the harbour to find her transportation to the main land. A boat, fat and laden with cargo, goods and weapons, secured for trade, toward the bow a small group of Valkyri clutter together among their possession, with faces full of excitement for the voyage. It will not take long to reach the main land, a half day sailing across the chopping waters, before they reach sands of the shore.

Katrin, finds her space and settles in for the start of her new life.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

The sound of the crashing waves against the ship always fills the hearts to the brim with courage, of the seafaring Valkyri. A spray of salt water rose in the air then fell to the deck in a hiss as the white foam bubbled with the air. Katrin felt the sprinkle of droplets on her face, cold as ice and invigorating. She lifted her head up stretching her long neck to take in the scent of the sea, the air pitted with salt. Her body moved with the rhythm of longship, she does not suffer the ills of motion, and she would enjoy each passing minute as she knew it would most likely be the last time she would venture across the waves. She pulled her small bag to her lap and held it tight to her chest as she looked across the waters toward the approaching shore. The longship would soon moor alongside the main land, which would return home laden with goods and travels anew.

Vad väntar mig bortom dessa berg?

Her eyes turned to the horizon, in the distance the hazy outline of a mountain range stretched as far as the eye can see. Large majestic snow capped peak reached into the clear blue skies, spring skies, but the prevailing winds spoke to her .. winter is coming.

Her knees kicked up her shirks as she climbed the stone stairs to reach the upper pathway to the port town. She had been here once before on a trip with her then husband. It is small but provides the means and needs of those that live within its walls. She will not remain her this day, but will begin upon the long road leading to the Capital.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

Katrin’s eye would look up from her parchment as she sketched the high mountains in the distance. The cart upon which she is traveling, meanders along the ancient road. The wheels turn under the power of the stoic brown horse. The sun has passed its zenith and began its downward journey to the west, the last light of day would cast off a yellowish hew across the landscape before it would become shrouded behind the mountains. Her host and driver informed her their journey would end as the sun cast its longest shadows.

She pulled her light fur around her body to keep away the biting cold. The snow thick on the ground the more they travel north. The tall pines lining the road are coated in a light fall of the snow powder, a union that would join to send the aroma of the trees through the air. Already Katrin has seen much new things with her lavender eyes. The pine forest of trees thick and heavy with age, avian creatures of earthy colours: browns, greys and greens, with long feathers that would make any noble jealous with their pageantry. Ground creatures large and small, furred to contend the clime. Oh so different to the creatures of the Isles.

The bundle stir beside her, the tell tail scratching and pecking meant she is awake and wanting the freedom of the skies. Katrin moved her hand to lift the cloth that covered the box. She moved her arm into position ready for Loinnir as she placed the box to the side. The beautiful snow white owl, sat for a moment adjusting her black eyes to the dulling light of day before a swift move of her wings to perch on the out stretched arm of Katrin.

"God morgon, min vän. Är det dags för dig att jaga?"

Katrin raised her arm high to encourage the bird to take flight. Her wings opened to their full expanse before Loinnir pushed off to the air. She watched her until she could see Loinnir no more. Loinnir will find her on the morrow as always.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

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Airethorn​

The gates to the walled village stood before her, high and guarded. The cart on which she travels, without hesitation, passed them and entered the village through the trader's entrance. Katrin's eyes looked up and along the wall marvelling at it, she had not seen such a thing. The Isles of Tears have a natural barrier of protection, The Maw. Over time, she will discover that this is the way of it for the most part, the clans of Midvinter at constant warring over borders and power, the natural instinct of a warring race. Sinews stretch, the blood is summon at the call of the warrior, a cry issuing for battle and blood and victory.

No cobble stones lay on the ground, but hard earth as solid and any rock from countless years of wear. Some children run along beside the cart, curious to look upon the new arrival with the honey colour hair. Katrin could see for most part, the village are of dark complexion and so she is something of an oddity. She smiled at them. Usual village life.

Her accommodation for the night, humble would be a word to give it grandeur, was warm at least as a large hearth swelled with flames. A small Inn with few rooms and even few patrons. The night it but pass with time and on the morrow she will leave for the Capital.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

The smells of the kitchen seeped through the gapped floor boards, she could hear the cooks at work and chattering about much gossip of Airethorn, she was sure one voice mentioned her arrival, speaking of a honey blonde woman she had seen enter the village on a cart. The fire in hearth crackled and spat with the flames, of which they cast a warm yellow glow to the walls. Katrin sat upon the bed, her parchment set beside her along with her charcoals, her legs tucked up around her chest and her shoulder wrapped in a thin shawl, to comfort her body through the night. She set her chin to her knees and stared into nothingness, the patterns in the grain of the wooden door began to take shape, her imagination creating figures and creatures with the gnarl knots, no long lacquered but wore and thin.

Katrin allowed her mind to drift. To faraway places to the north, west and east, to places she had only heard about from others in her clan that had travelled the mainland and spoke of their adventures, of vast mountains, lakes of mist and creature great and small. Her eyes became heavy, she assumed with fatigue, and she allowed them to close, at least for a little while.

Her brow knitted, as the first signs of battle rang in her ears. The clash of metal on metal, that shrilling noise that puts ones nerve on edge, faint voices all blended into one, of screams and cries, fear and blood lust. A voice rose above the rest. A man, commanding and rallying summoning the forces of war to his side, Katrin could see him almost, a tall solid figure of a man with his fist held high, blood flowing down the fuller of his broadsword and dripping to the earth. A cutting wind thrashed at his long silver hair obscuring her view of his face. Katrin began to breath heavy, her breasts heaving with the intensity of the vision, as surrounding the man are countless white riders, ghastly to look upon. Savage creatures mounted on savage horses, only existing for one purpose, death. The silver hair man turns as if he senses Katrin’s eyes upon him, the battle around him blurs and only vague figures of being cutting with swords and arrows finding their mark frame him. Only the form of his eyes did she see before a wall of fire engulfed the vision, she gasped for air as if she had been holding her breath and her mind tried in vain to hold onto the image of him.

Katrin’s eyes flashed open and fell deep into the flames of her hearth, the wood still crackling and spitting on the stone.