Private These Are Your First Steps

[Thyri Heavenshield]

Norvegr-fen
Northmark, Midvinter

Tiny bare feet tapped against the wooden floor of his father's hall, the only sound to accompany the crackle of the great hearth. It was in the middle of the night, and everyone was asleep save for him. His sister Thora had left Midvinter, gone away to join cousin Alva on some place called 'Commenor'. Already he missed her greatly, for she would never refuse him whenever he came to her asking if he could sleep in her bed. Being a child, nightmares were a common occurrence.

Passing by her bedroom, he instead made for his parents' room and reached for the door handle, doing his best to stay quiet as the bedroom door was pushed open by the tiny being. He made sure to close the door behind before tip-toeing over to where his mother and father slept, and proceeded to climb up into their bed using a nearby footstool.

Crawling underneath the warm covers the couple shared, the boy poked his head through the other end and laid it to rest beside his father's, sharing the same pillow.

"Daddy," he whispered softly, reaching out to touch his father's nose, his tiny fingers wrapping around its tip and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Daddy," he whispered again.

Once Théo eventually stirred from his slumber, Thyri explained with further whispers, "I had a nightmare, can I sleep here with you and mommy?"

Théodred Heavenshield | Ylva Heavenshield ​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

Beneath the luxurious and rather expensive quilt, as well as the furs atop for added warmth against the Midwinter colds, Ylva Heavenshield sauntered over against her side and opened her eyes in something of a half-woken haze, finding her son prodding his fathers nose for attention and causing her to smile against the covers.

While not typically a light sleeper when sharing the bed with her husband, the Valkyrie woman had been struggling a little with their daughters recent choice to leave their Homeworld and instead become involved in a plight not of their peoples. It wasn't that she was selfish, although the idea of keeping Thora close to hearth was very much her desire, she simply didn't share the optimism of outsiders the likes of the Silver Jedi when there was such a need for their family there on Midvinter where they belonged.

The girl's father however, Ylva's husband Théodred Heavenshield had a different view and had himself once been a member with these Force users supposedly policing the Galaxy. Or at the least, a part of it. The two weren't often found on opposing sides of matters of import when it came to hearth and home, yet this one matter had sparked a good debate between them and it was reluctantly left in the decision of their daughter's control. Much to Ylva's disappointment.

She herself had been trained by a Jedi Master, not just any either, but Coci Heavenshield whom had once stood as the leader of the newly founded Order a good deal of time passed. Despite this, Ylva didn't trust the rest of the Galaxy enough to keep their daughter safe, nor did she learn through their ways but rather followed a much more neutral path, and preferred to keep her Axe and Bow close ever still. More the Warrior and Hunter than any Jedi-type.

Thyri Heavenshield had perhaps shared part of her discomfort with a slightly less chaotic homestead since the girls absence; "Careful little pup, your father is fond of his features and has yet to powder his nose" Ylva whispered in jest of her husband, while hoping to get a rise out of the boy.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

Contrary to his wife's profuse snoring habits, and heavy sleeper, Théo had always been light. The feeling of movement under the covers at the foot of the bed stirred him from his slumber. He knew who is was of course, Thyri had taken to climbing into bed with his parents since Thora's absence. Contrary to popular belief, he was just as worried for his daughter out there in the wider galaxy as the two in bed with him now. But the little bird had to fly and find her own wings. Besides, he had contacted Thirdas to let him know and to keep an eye on her. She was not alone with her cousin there too, so there was family about. That was not the worry though, it was everyone else in the galaxy that posed the problem for his mind.

A warm little hand took hold of his nose, a warm breath against his father's cheek as Thyri whispered to him, not wanting to wake his mother. Ylva ever the tease, spoke of his features, "I can't help good luck", he teased her back, before turning to his son.

"And what do we have here?", he grabbed his son and pulled him close, kissing him on the cheek. "A Nøkken come out of the fen?".

Théo rested his son's head against his chest, his fingers playing lightly in the boys hair. "What did you dream of?", it was best to confront the nightmare and dispel all fears quickly. Inching up out of the bed and resting his back against the bedhead, Théo made sure the covers where around both his wife and son, keeping them warm.


Ylva Heavenshield | Thyri Heavenshield

 

[Thyri Heavenshield]

His mother's comment went over the small boy's head, too young to recognise a tease when uttered. Instead he was snatched up by his father in a warm embrace, causing a childish giggle from Thyri as his father's fingers played in his auburn locks. "I'm not a nøkken, Papa, I'm Thyri!"

Squirming in his father's grasp, Thyri found himself in his lap and settled against his chest, clinging to him like a baby monkey.

"There was this big monster trying to eat all of us, Papa. There were lions and bears and birds and deer and all kind of animals, and everyone got eaten by the monster. It had big wings and fire came out its mouth." He looked up at him and whispered, "I think it was a dragon."

He crawled off his father and buried himself under the covers between him and his mother, huddling up into a ball while peeking out through the opening.

"Can you kill a dragon, Papa?"

Théodred Heavenshield | Ylva Heavenshield ​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

Ylva couldn't help but smile, her right hand pulling at the blanket to bring it closer up over her shoulders seeking the comfort and isolating cover while watching Théodred Heavenshield and their Son Thyri Heavenshield together.

Being awoken in the early hours of the morning wouldn't have gone down well with anyone else, yet Thyri wasn't just anyone. The boy was her Son and while Thora Heavenshield was their first born, Ylva had learned through trial and error with the parenting of their daughter, whereas she hoped to do better with their gentle-hearted Son.

In Thora's early years, Théodred had often given Ylva the impression that he thought her too strict, to hard on their Girl. Life for Women wasn't an easy one, so often seen as the weaker sex and prey in the eyes of lesser men; Without the company of trusted friends, it was easy to feel vulnerable in almost any given environment. It wasn't something that Ylva would discuss with her Husband, yet Thora had been given the private talk every now and then about the importance of keeping herself safe.

For Thyri on the other hand, she imagined he might have an easier childhood, as Boys were so much simpler...or so they said. It was easy to envision a warrior's life for a boy, more openly accepted and in places like Midvinter, expected to know how to bare arms. While she wasn't certain whether or not their Son would desire it, the most she had to be concerned about for the time being was an excess amount of energy and bad dreams to disturb their full night's sleep.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

Théo’s eyes narrowed a little as he listened to his son recall his dream. It was so vivid in detail and he could see how this would frighten the lad. He turned to see a pair of blue eyes watching them both from under the comfort of the covers, there was a smile behind them as they sparkled with the dancing morning light that began to break through the window to their bedroom. The blue eyes of his wife he loved so much.

“A dragon?!, now that would be a sight to behold”, such tales only told by the light of the hearth on heavy winter eves. But where had Thyri heard of such things? These were not tales that Théo had spoke of to the boy.

“Well.. would you really want to kill one?”, he doubted it would be possible, although if it bleeds it can be killed. “But I suppose you could kill a dragon”. He nuzzled into the boy’s hair placing a kiss on the top of his head as he rested against his father’s chest. Théo tried to recall if there had been legend of dragons on Midvinter, maybe this folk lore had been lost to the ages along with so much more.

Maybe Nina would know, if anyone was to know, it would be her.

“You know I don’t think dragons exist on Midvinter, or if they did, it was a very long time ago”. No, if there had been his grandpapa would have said, or at least heard the tales but no one had ever mentioned them. Well before anyone’s time maybe, and there probably was not a soul alive today that could tell of any history.

“But no dragon or anything else will ever harm you my boy, your mother and I will make sure of that”, to the death if it is required to save their children. But all Théo wanted in this moment was to reassure his son that he was safe within the warmth of the bed with his parents.

To distract him further, he leaned close to Thyri’s ear and whispered. “Someone is watching us; your mother thinks she is safe under the furs. Shall we tickle attack?”.


Thyri Heavenshield | Ylva Heavenshield

 

[Thyri Heavenshield]

The boy clinged to his father, safe in the knowledge that he would protect him in the case of a dragon attack. He'd seen him hone his swordsmanship out in the courtyard with the other warriors, schooling them in the art of the blade. Thyri was still much too young to partake himself, preferring to gaze out his bedroom window down at the yard below.

"Uncle Bors told me about them," he confessed. "He told me that when he was little, dragons would come and nibble at children's toes at night, and if they were really naughty, they would just eat you whole!"

Granted, these were likely mere fabrications of Old Grey-Boar's amusement. If a crusty old sod like himself was not allowed to spook a few children in his advanced age, then frankly what was the point of living even one more day! Even so, the boy had taken a great liking to the old man growing up, having been around him from the moment he first drew breath.

He took solace in the fact that he had both mother and father to protect him, now that Thora was no longer around. Speaking of mother, when the suggestion to launch a tickle assault on her came in the form of a whisper, Thyri did not waste any time. His nightmares vanished all of a sudden as he took aim at his mother lying next the pair, and pounced on her!

"Tickle!" came his war cry as he landed in her embrace, not so much actually tickling her as he was just ferociously hugging her, but either way he let out a childish giggle.

"Did I get you, Mama?" he looked up at her with wide eyes filled with innocent joy.

Ylva Heavenshield | Théodred Heavenshield ​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

Ylva's smile quickly faded as Théodred Heavenshield whispered sweet mischief into her beloved Son's ear.

The look she gave her husband was that of a playful glare before putting on her best 'Damsel in distress' expression and exclaiming dramatically "Oh dear no, a helpless little Lady like me, you wouldn't!" she grinned widely, unable to keep herself from folding to the playful game of theirs.

She might have considered herself a fighter but she was no killjoy when it came to her Children. Not after Thora had left them at least, forcing her to wonder if she'd been to hard on the Girl in the past.

"Tickle!"

​

Thyri Heavenshield cried while bounding over to her, Ylva's arms open to catch him while also leaving herself unfortunately helpless to the playfulness of their Son; "N-Noo! Not the tickles!!" She pleaded with a laugh, wriggling under him, trying to make it look like a real struggle.

Thyri's giggle only made her laugh more, turning to glance back to Théodred as she held Thyri in both arms; "Yes you did" she replied, looking back to her boy with a proud smile "How could I ever withstand yours and your fathers mischievous trickery!" she exaggerated with enthusiasm.

"You certainly defeated this old Dragon!" She added, though the last remark more for her Husband's amusement than their Son's.