Season of the Midnight Sun

He needn't explain anymore. Sigrid had been awakened by this night terrors. She placed her hand on his cheek. He smiled at her. Her kindness and ferocity was what he needed and he hugged her close optimistic about their happy future together.

Thorrin and Sigrid married though their marriage was hard fought. During their betrothal period, Ingolf, an older man known for his sour disposition, came forward to claim Sigrid's father had arranged a marriage before to him before his death. No one had heard of this agreement until his declaration. Such an agreement would've been communal knowledge in such a tight knit village. It was a thinly veiled attempt to obtain her land and goods as well as gain a pretty young wife. The family went to the village elders and met in the common house where the elder council convened to resolve the situation. Thorrin stood before the council proudly holding Sigrid's hand. With his axe in his belt, he was ready to kill for her.

"Vidar and I made this arrangement three springs before his death," Ingolf claimed.

"He did not!" cried Sigrid. "My father would've told me."

Thorrin squeezed her hand in support but also as a reminder to hold her tongue while the men handled this transaction. Upon the glare of the council, she hung her insolent head and remained quiet.

"You weren't privy to all of your father's decisions, girl," replied the man older than her father.

Torsten stepped forward. "Did Vidar provide a dowry as a promise of betrothal?"

He remained quiet. He couldn't lie to the council.

Torsten looked at Sigrid. "Sigrid, did Vidar or your brother ever give Ingolf a dowry?"

"No. Never. They never gave a dowry to anyone."

Torsten continued. "Vidar is not here to bear witness to that agreement, her brother is missing at sea with no signs of return, and Sigrid is testifying that no dowry was given. Sigrid and her family's land have been under our protection in their absence. We consider her family. With no other family and no agreement in place, Sigrid is free to make her own decision on who she wants as a mate."

"She's been coerced," replied Ingolf.

"With love and kindness," Frida retorted.

Remembering her place, Frida stepped back into the family circle, but her arms remained crossed and her eyes never left the elders. Though the respected council held power, the men did not want to be on the wrong side of Frida. Frida was the most skilled midwife of both man and beast and highly prized for her healing arts.

Thorrin's crazed scowl frightened Ingolf. He could tell the young man had changed after his first raid. Thorrin could kill him with one swing of his axe. The older man backed down. And with that, the council rendered their decision and blessed Sigrid and Thorrin's betrothal under one condition: Torsten was to be appointed steward Vidar's land and pay the land's tax. Torsten agreed.

There was a great feast in Klartvann's communal long house to celebrate the marriage of Thorrin and Sigrid. They were given blankets, a goat and two hens. Before Thorrin and Sigrid left to return to their home, Frida cornered her eldest son. With a loving face, so happy and proud, she took her son's face in her strong but kind hands and looked into his unworried eyes.

"Be gentle with her."

"I know, mother."

Frida smiled. Her son knew of the abominations that occurred under Vidar's roof. Her new daughter had confided in him. There was love and trust between the two and Frida knew their relationship would work. Her son had fully returned home.

When Thorrin and Sigrid decided to steal away from their wedding feast, Roald leant them his horse to ride home. Sigrid was excited as she had never ridden a horse. Mounted on the saddle blanket, Thorrin helped his beautiful bride with berry stained lips, blushing cheeks and a crown of flowers in her hair, up on the dun colored horse. Sigrid looked down upon everyone cheering them on. Overwhelmed by love and happiness, she turned to kiss Thorrin as he took the reins. He kneed the horse into a walk and then a trot, and when the horse was spurred into a gallop, Sigrid's laughter could be heard throughout the dale.

When they entered the family home, Thorrin immediately went about stoking the glowing embers in the hearth, adding tinder and wood until a flame caught to warm the chilly house. Sigrid sat on the bench by the hearth and quietly waited. When Thorrin finally raised the flames, she took a long straw and poked it into fire and carefully lit a floating wick in an old clay oil lamp. Thorrin watched as she nursed the flame to life before picking up the lamp and walking to their corner separated by room a screen. He was happy that his family would sleep in Klartvann's longhouse overnight to give the newlyweds a chance to explore each other. He watched her distorted shadow as she disrobed before putting on her night dress. Thorrin walked over to their area to draw a corner of a curtain. She was standing, lit by the oil lamp's light which burned on a small stool. They stood before each other, gazing at each other with silly grins on their faces. He found such beauty in her vulnerability. He disrobed in front of her, grinning at the sight of her staring as his half erect member before she looked away.

She turned to pull back the blankets and sheet and crawled upon the bed where she remained on all fours. She reached back lifting her nightdress to expose her hind region before steadying herself on the bed once more. Thorrin stroked himself at the sight of her. His fingertips brushed her butt cheeks but the thought of Vidar fucking her like a common animal caused him stop. He reached down to help her up. Confusion filled Sigrid's face as she rose to her feet.

"I want to see your pretty face. Come here."

Blushing under his gaze, she walked into open his arms for a loving embrace. She was so happy to be in his strong arms and pressed against magnificent body. He held her close and caressed her as they swayed from side to side. Her hair smelled like the purple flowers which bloom in rocky crags after the first spring rain.

He said, "I find great comfort in your arms."

"And I in yours."

He pulled her towards the bed, sitting first before she joined him. He kissed her and their mouths opened from passion. He gently pushed her down upon the bed and climbed on top, supporting himself as not to crush her. He had heard talk of using oil in a woman's nether region to better the experience so he reached towards the oil lamp and dipped his fingers into the shallow well and with his oily hand, he reached beneath her nightgown and upon finding the crease at the apex of her legs, he began to rub back and forth. She sighed and began to wriggle, her breath quickening as she became more excited. And when he removed his hand, she caught it and guided it back. She spread her legs for she wanted more. His oily fingers delved further into her womanly warmth. Sigrid released a sigh and a whimper as she became more excited. He pulled his hand away. She threw her arms around him and covered his face with hot little kisses

"Nooooo, noooo," she whined. "Don't stop. Please. Don't stop."

He thought she'd be skittish but she wanted this. She was panting like a cat. She wanted to do this with him which excited him. He hurriedly lifted her night gown over her head which covered her head like a shroud. His mouth clamped upon her pink tipped breast. She felt and tasted so good. He ripped the nightgown from over her head to look into her dewy eyes. They're mouths melded together once more. He reached down between their bodies to grasp his hard flesh and guided it into his new bride. She closed her eyes and moaned as he penetrated her, going farther with each insistent stroke. He loved that her passions matched his. She clung to him, kissing him over and over then threw back her head and arms begging for more. They were caught in a lust that they created together. A delicious tension crested with Sigrid as her orgasm burst forth. Her cries of ecstasy filled the house. Thorrin's lost it and came with his wife, coming deep inside a snug vagina for the first time. He was making unintelligible noises as his cock jerked out it's seed. Sigrid continued to kiss him and they held each other in a sweaty mess as they recovered from sensations coursing through their bodies. A short time later, Thorrin rolled off. Sigrid head laid upon his chest. He stroked her soft hair littered with crushed petals from her wedding crown.

Sigrid sleepily said, "How will we ever be quiet when mother and father return?"

"We'll fuck in the fields."

She gave a brief giggle and cuddled closer to him with a satisfied sigh before falling asleep. He kissed the top of her head at which time she. Naked, all loved up beneath the blankets, Thorrin grinned watching the oil lamp's flickering flame until he dozed off to sleep.

It was an overcast day in late summer when Sigrid and Thorrin met by the fjord after their chores. Thorrin had begun to train Sigrid how to defend herself with a staff. She was eager to learn. But every time they sparred on a fallen birch tree hovering above the fjord water, she was the one who was knocked into the water. Today, she was determined to knock him into the water. With dark sooty war paint smeared under her eyes, and her white tunic dress knotted above her knees to keep from tripping on it, Sigrid's bare feet were solid placed on the tree. Her hands tightly gripping the staff Thorrin had hewn from hard oak wood. She was a frightening sight but to Thorrin, she was everything. Thorrin stood a few steps away, twirling his staff before taking a defensive stance. With a war yell, Sigrid ran towards him and attacked. He blocked each of her blows as she struck high and low before he easily tapped the side of her thigh.

"Now you're lame," he said. "Again. Be angry but don't let it get the best of you. Give me your hate. Give me your hate!!"

With a ferocity he'd never seen from her, she yelled and thrusted her staff towards him. He swerved his torso to dodge her blow when she suddenly jabbed his foot. Unbalanced from lifted the struck foot, Sigrid used his unbalance momentum and struck his bicep as hard as she could with her staff which sent him into the water with a great splash. Sigrid raised her arms and yelped in joy as she jumped up and down on the log before Thorrin broke the surface of waist high water.

He sputtered before saying, "That was dirty."

"That's how battles are won."

"True. You won. Help me out."

She extended her staff which he grabbed and with a swift pull, Sigrid tumbled into the water. Thorrin's laughter echoed from the fjord's steep walls. Sigrid stood. Her wet hair hung over her face while white linen sheath was plastered to her body. Annoyed by Thorrin's laughter, she yelled, "You're the son of Loki!"

She blindly swung at him with clenched fists which he easily dodged as he laughed and backed up towards the shore. Sigrid brushed the hair from face before looking towards the shore. Her eyes widened and she covered her breasts her arms. Thorrin slowly turned around to see Roald sitting on his horse watching the frolicking newlyweds.

"So, this is how you spend your day?" he said. "Splashing about like a couple of selkies?"

Thorrin cheerfully replied, "Hello uncle. How fare thee?"

"I fare well. And it looks like you do too. I can see Sigrid is doing her husband well."

Sigrid modestly moved behind Thorrin where she stared at Roald over her husband's shoulder.

"Helvig is financing a raiding party leaving in the spring. He's offering ten pieces of silver to every man willing to go. What say you?"

Thorrin stood there deep in thought. Ten pieces of silver could buy horse, a cow and maybe a steer. Then he felt Sigrid's trembling body pressed behind him. Her breath puffed against his wet skin.

"I'm happy you have such confidence in me, uncle, but no, I'll pass. Maybe the next one."

He looked at the young married couple melded together in a lovers' glow. "It's all so fresh and new, isn't it?" Roald said. "Enjoy it. Fare well, Weed."