Chapter 12—LEAVING

The next morning found the newlyweds waking up within their shared bed. They knew that they may not see each other for a while, as the war waited for one of them. Each one of them had been awake, long before dawn but wanted to stay as long as possible within their hut. Neither one of them wanted to be the first one out of bed.

Varg sighed and gotten out of bed. Making his way towards his clothes that he had left upon the floor, from the night before. Where he had left his bucked skinned pants and shirt. He glanced over his shoulder. Seeing Lyra wincing from the pain the experience that they had shared. He closed his eyes for a moment; he had tried to be gentle with her.

Varg turned his body towards her, seeing that Lyra looked very lovely to him. ‘I wish that I didn’t have to go to war. I want more time with Lyra.’ Then he remembered that she was going to an offshore island, where she would be safer than the village.

“I’ll send a maid in with some hot water.” He gave her a knowing look. “It should help.” He put on a pair of leather pants that he would normally wear to battle. “I will come back with some herbs from Grandfather, which will help a lot.” Just as he had put on a tunic over his well-chiseled chest, he gave her a sad smile before he had laced up his boots and walked out of his hut.

Lyra lying back upon the bed gave a small stretch but ended up wincing in pain. She felt muscles that she had never used before, and they were in pain. This caused her to think back to a time that she had gone to Riverside High School. Hearing from girls, about their own first experiences with guys. She had heard that it was one of the most painful things that they have ever gone through. While others had experienced the pain. But the man was willing to wait a bit before continuing their wanting needs. Causing these girls to enjoy the experience much more.

She had ended up enjoying the moment, once the first wave of pain had subsided. Lyra then realized that she was no longer Lyra Luhr but Lyra Drake, for she is a married woman. She pulled one of the animal-hides her body, covering herself up. She is still a modest woman; nothing was ever going to change that about her.

Varg had just come through the hut’s door, with one of the maids, who was carrying some hot water. He had also come back with some herbs, within a bowl that he was holding. While the woman was pouring the water into a tub, Varg dumped the herbs as the water was rising. Another woman came into the hut, with another bucket of hot water. While another woman followed with what looked like to be some cold water. Then they stirred the water until the temperature was more manageable for Lyra to have her bath.

When all the women were done, they left the husband and wife behind, closing the door behind them. Varg faced his wife. “I need to start packing and move out with my people.” He glanced down as he growled out for the following words, “Along with Rajmund. We need to make our way south and meet up with the other armies.”

Lyra had gotten out of the bed with the buckskin blanket wrapped around her. Walking towards Varg, she gave him a hug. “Please,” she begged. “Come back to me.” She gave her husband a meaningful look, the kind of look that told him that she wanted him back.

Varg feared for his life. He was unable to do what his wife had asked him. “I’ll try.” He kissed her upon her temple. “I’ll try with all that’s within me, milady.” He then kissed her lightly on her lips before walking out of the hut. It was the last time would Lyra see her husband that day.

Varg Drake walked towards the Great Hall. Where all of his people were waiting for him while they ate their meal. He walked through the back door and sat down on his throne. A maid came up and gave him some food for him to eat as well.

When the man from the night before came walking through the front doors of Varg’s Stronghold. The man was a very unhappy person within Varg’s sight, and he had no clue as to why it was so. But Varg cared truly little for the man, who crashed his wedding from the night before. When the war was over and done with, Varg hoped that he would never have to see Rajmund again.

The massive man stopped walking when he stood before Varg. “When shall we be on our way, Wolf-Dragon Lord?”

Varg had never in his life wanted to turn into his other form and chomp down upon someone’s neck before now. Then again, he was afraid of having the taste of bad blood within his mouth if he had done it.

“We will leave once my people have packed up all of what we will need to have on our journey, as well as after we had something to eat,” answered Varg very adamantly.

“Where is your new wife?” asked the stranger with an unflatteringly husky voice. “I had hoped to see her as well this morning. Before we left.” Rajmund spoke with an arrogance to the lord before him.

Varg ignored the man, for he could tell when a man tried to boil his blood in anger. It was something his mother had told him that it could lead to his death if he allowed such a thing to happen. He also knew from his younger days, when the monks had come to his village and learn the ways of the Bible, as well as a few mumbles that Lyra had said under her breath when the monster had come from the loch and tried to take her away. He could not believe that the ordeal had only happened not that so long ago. She was not even afraid of his other from. Varg just could not believe his luck to have such a woman for his wife. It was the closest thing that he could ever felt to be in Valhalla. He did not want to feel any different from what he was feeling, at that moment of time.

When Varg was done with his food, he called out to his people, “Hahn and Hai.” The two that he had called stepped forward and made their way towards their leader. Once they had reached him, he said to them, “I want the two of you to watch over my wife and grandfather. Do whatever they wish." He gave a look that told them more than what little words that were given to them.

Varg then turned and addressed to the rest that were in the room. “As for those that are staying behind, watch over the village while I’m gone, and the rest, follow me.” He made it clear that he was not going to include anything with an outsider of their village.

Hai stepped forward while many of the people were leaving the Great Hall. Seeing that she was able to talk to Varg alone, she softly asked her leader, “What should I say to Lyra for you?”

Varg had a faraway look on his face; he seemed to be in a different place than where they were. He reached for his belt near his back and brought out a small dagger, something that he hardly ever used. He enjoyed using his double-headed ax, along with his long sword. Varg gave Hai the dagger and said, “She will understand.”

Hai took the dagger within her hands while giving her leader a glare along with questions in her eyes. “Warriors don’t leave without having more weapons.”

“I will see the smithy before leaving the village,” stated Varg, “along with a bow and a thing of arrows.” He also fished something else from another place from his body and gave it to Hai. "I also want Lyra to have that."

The woman warrior gave an angry sigh, “Why is this dagger so important for you to give to your wife?” Hai really wanted to know the reason behind Varg’s actions, one that was more than just a simple marriage with the Thunder God’s daughter.

Varg normally would not talk to other people about his life. But he knew that his people were curious of what he was doing for his wife. “Both of these things were my mother’s,” started Varg. “She told me to never use it, and I was to give them to the woman that has my heart,” answered the Wolf-Dragon. He turned towards the Viking woman that he has known as one of the best warriors around, “Make sure she gets it.”

Hai gave a nod for an answer. Varg made his way out of the Great Hall and walking towards the smithy, picking up a longbow and a thing of arrows. He had also picked up another dagger. Something that was not as symbolic as the one that he gave to Hai, who would give to Lyra.

Varg glanced over his village one more time. Before he turned and followed Rajmund out the gates. He led the people towards the south. Where they would meet up with more Vikings along the way to the battlefield. One fleeting thought from Varg. ‘Odin; watch over my wife, as I fight against Egbert of Wessex, again.’

Thor came up beside him; he was trying to be away from all the war talk, as much as possible. Even though he was a war hungry God but ever since he had met Lyra Luhr, he wanted to see less war. He had been standing outside the front gates. Since he had last seen his daughter and her husband leaving the Great Hall.

He did not want to see his daughter that morning. Fearing that he would back away from wanting to keep an eye on his new son. Thor knew that Lyra would not happy if he had found himself leaving her husband’s side.

He grumbled; as he was walking next to Varg once the leader, had walked out of the front gates. The one thing that Thor hated most of all, it was walking through the landscape. He wished for his charette of goats that would take him into battle, like the good old days. Thor had missed the old ways of doing things. Flying through the sky, scaring the enemies before charging into war. He hoped that he would be able to bring Varg Drake back to Lyra. Without any injury of any kind and they would live a long life together. Thor knew things like that, could only happen within songs, poems, and dreams.

The landscape began to change as the group kept on walking. Varg had a fleeting moment thought about wanting to journey across the countryside with Lyra. Thinking that she might enjoy something like that. He even thought about uprooting his village and move further away from the loch. To be far away from the monster that wanted to take his woman away from him.

Each step that Varg had walked. The ideas had kept coming into his mind, each one of them images of things that he would love to see happen in the future. Varg nearly stumbles from wanting to see the things to happen. He shook his head to shake out the cobwebs from his wandering mind.

‘Odin; help me find a way to come home to my wife,’ Varg had thought very strongly. Hoped that the God would find a way to allow him to come back.

While Varg was deep in thought, so was Thor. He was in deep thought; hearing words from his father, ‘Thor, my son. You think that you are so smart that you have found a way to send your daughter to another time. Without me finding out about it.’

He heard a frustrated sigh. Something that he would always hear but mainly towards his brother. ‘Why have you brought the woman to this man? Why is he so special that you have to have him as a son?’ A bear sounding growl rumbled through Thor’s brain, ‘Don’t you realize that HE is a cursed man! That he is a creature that should not be allowed to have a woman to fall in LOVE! Let alone, breed.’

‘YOU don’t know that, FATHER,’ roared out Thor within his head. He knew he was going to end up with a headache after the talking was over and done with. ‘My daughter was nearly attacked recently, and Varg Drake was the one that rescued her.’

‘I know,’ answered the older man within his mind, sounding way to calm for the Thunder God to believe. ‘I’m the one who will order it to be done.’

‘WHAT!’ Thor had growled out so loudly. Causing everyone to look towards him and found that the God looked like he might be starting a war on his own war. One that no one knew who would be responsible for his anger. ‘Why would YOU do such a THING like THAT? You could have gotten MY daughter KILLED.’

A dark chuckled was answered before Odin’s voice came. Which told Thor anything else. ‘Simply Thor, she may be your daughter, but she is no granddaughter of mine! I was allowing Loki’s son to be the one to marry your daughter,’ causing Thor to stop breathing for a moment.

‘I was going to use them to strengthen the bloodlines of our family. Like my ancestors have done in the past.’ Thor had never felt this angry towards his own father before, in all his life, until that moment. He knew from that moment; how Loki had felt about their father, he really wanted to kill him. ‘She would have had the most powerful children on Earth. Who would have led the people back to worshiping us again! BUT that MUTT had to BLOW it for ME.’

Thor really wanted to head back to where he had come from and kick his no-good father. Where no son had to do so and then apologize to his mother and never come back to live or visit again. Leaving his wife and other children behind. An uneasy feeling had come upon him; it was something that he had felt before. Something that his own father had done to get people to listen to him again.

‘You will NOT use my daughter in your schemes, old man. Loki was right about you.’ He was really building up his anger. Whenever he sees his father again, he may not have a father for long after the encounter. ‘You are NOTHING but a major pain in the ass, with all your scheming.’

He took a deep breath while watching the landscape passing by, as he walked the rolling hills. ‘How in all that is graceful and kind like my mother, married a man like you?’ In all of Thor’s years, he never once realized the kind of man his father was until that very moment.

‘Arranged marriage,’ stated his father darkly. ‘My father wanted me to marry her because of her everlasting beauty and grace. The kind of woman that needs to rule beside a grand warrior king, like me.’ Odin sounded very boastful in the mind of Thor. ‘Your daughter would have thanked me. One of these days. Knowing that Loki’s son would have ruled the land, with war and fear driven. Something that you and Loki have done, not that long ago.’

‘I have changed, father,’ growled out a terribly angry looking Thor.

Varg nudged Thor with his shoulder to get his attention. “What’s going on, Thor?”

‘Go ahead. Tell your new son that he doesn’t have long to live.’ Then, his father laughed the evilest sounding laugh he had ever heard from him.

Thor roared out in pain and anger, and it carried throughout the land. “My father is not happy with me,” stated Thor. Varg gave him a questioning look, urging the God to keep talking. “He did not want me to bring Lyra through time.”

He took a deep breath and looked into his new son’s eyes. “Odin was the one that sent the monster to your village.” The Wolf-Dragon’s eyes lit with fire while Thor went on to say, “It was Loki’s son who was sent to take Lyra and make her his.”

Varg glanced away from Thor with blazing fire within his eyes. His blood was boiling, and his mind was clouding over with deep-seated anger. He wished that he was on the battlefield at that moment. Varg was ready to fight some people with his long sharp claws. “Anything else?” asked the Wolf-Dragon with a deep hunger for blood.

Thor sighed, shaking his own anger from his mind and trying to keep his father out of his head. “I’m realizing for the first time why my own brother has hated our father like he has done.” He took a deep breath. “I just wish that they were not like this.” His eyes closed for a moment. “Long before my brother and I had learned to use any weapons, everything was calm and better than what they are now. No fighting, yelling, or trying to outdo each other in everything under the sun.”

Varg turned back towards where he was able to see what was before him. “I don’t know anything about brothers or fathers,” started Varg. “Why did Odin want Lyra to marry her cousin?”

“To keep the bloodlines stronger. It was a lame excuse for not telling me why he didn’t want you to marry my daughter,” answered Thor with eyes that became more flame-like.

Varg gave a smirk. “We showed him, didn’t we?” Thor gave him a questioning look with his eyes for the younger man to go on. “I was able to marry Lyra before any more interruptions had occurred.”

Thor laughed wholeheartedly. “That you did, son.”

The two men kept on walking, but what they did not know was that they were overheard by Rajmund. The broad stranger was starting to have second thoughts about the Wolf-Dragon's wife. ‘I’ll keep my ears open from now on,’ thought the strange man while he walked in front of the two men. He had talked just moments ago, leading the group south to the standing stones.

***

Back in the Viking village, Lyra had just finished her bath and dressed in a turquoise looking dress. With a gold chained belt around her waist. She was making her way to the Great Hall, where she will be having her breakfast. Like Varg had done before, she entered through the back door and sat down upon her own throne seat. Which was made for her.

Hai has been waiting for Lyra to come into the hall. Once she saw that the lady had sat down. She made her way to the platform of the building and stood at the other side of the table from Lyra, waiting for her leader’s wife to notice her.

Lyra looked up once she had noticed that someone was standing before her and said, “Hi, Hai.” Then, she noticed that the woman did not look too happy to be near her and went on to ask, “What can I do for you?”

The woman before her bowed at the neck, making Lyra to believe that this was not a very friendly talk. Then, Hai looked back up and said, “I was given something to give to you from Lord Varg.” She heard the bite and bark behind the warrior woman’s voice as she brought out a dagger from her parcel that she carried at her side and laid it upon the table before Lyra. Hai went on to say, “He said that you would know what it means.”

Lyra shivered from her seat from the chilling words that she had heard from Hai. She just could not understand the reason behind her anger. Lyra gently reached for the dagger and picked it up. She saw the dagger for more than what it truly was. The rain guard had a slight curve to it on each side. Pointed towards the blade a bit with a Celtic symbol of trinity in the center. The pommel had a Celtic looking cross with a double edge blade.

Lyra sat back against the back of her seat, with a sigh that escaped her lips. She placed the dagger onto her lap, as she thought back of what she knew. She knew from her history work that a warrior would not give up their weapons for anything. Or for anyone unless to protect another’s life who met everything to that person.

Lyra glanced up towards the woman who had given her the dagger and asked, “Whose dagger was it before it was his?” She had to know because of it being a Celtic dagger, and Varg mainly carried things that were Viking in nature, along with another object. To Lyra, it looked like a coin, but it was different. She would have to look at his closely later.

Hai responded with a questioning look on her face. She saw that Lyra seemed to care about her beloved leader. “They were his mother’s.” She saw the flash of understanding in the other woman’s eyes before she went on to say, “She told him that if he had found the woman who has his heart, he was to give the dagger and the compass to her. It looks like they belong to you now.”

Lyra gave a small smile towards Hai. Leaning towards the other woman so others would not be able to hear, she asked, “After I eat, are we going to start heading out to the island that Carriage is supposed to take us, along with your man?”

“Hahn,” asked Hai. Lyra gave a nod, causing the Viking woman to go on, “Yes we are, once you have finished eating and after a few maids had packed some things for us to go along with our journey.” She glanced over her shoulder for a moment before facing Lyra again. “I just hope that Varg knew what he was doing when he told us that we would be going upon this excursion.”

Lyra also hoped that Varg Drake knew what he was doing when he requested for her to go traveling across the western terrain to get to an island that was placed somewhere between Ireland and Scotland.

She knew that there were many islands that surrounded the United Kingdom. She wished that she knew more. She thought about it. 'Then again, I'm not all that great with geography.'

Lyra wanted to find the lost historical places or even people but not to live a part of it. Then again, there was hardly any chance that archeologists would find anything about her. They had not had the resources to find many of the ancient people. Unless a homeowner had done some digging upon their own land and stumble onto something.

Archeologists were still trying to unlock the secrets behind Stonehenge. They could only fathom that it was nothing more than a calendar, for winter and summer solaces. Another thing they have come up with is that it might have been used for religious sort of gathering place. Kind of like an early primitive church. No one really knows. Lyra had many of her own theories about the place, but she had no way of knowing if they were any closer to the truth.

“I would like to ask you something,” said Lyra as she was trying to find her way back to the real world.

Hai gave her lord’s wife a thoughtful look. “And that would be?”

“I would like to bring another person with us.” Lyra saw a glare coming from the other woman. “I would like to bring Celeste with us.”

Hai stood before Lyra with her arms crossed over her chest, looking like she was giving it a bit of thought. “Lord Varg never did assign a maid, nor did he think about allowing one to come along with our little trip. Why do you think you want to bring her?” Hai wanted answers to her question from the look that she was giving to Lyra.

The out of time woman leaned over towards the table more to be able to answer the Viking woman. “I want to bring her because of her help that she had so freely had given me.” She sighed and glanced around the hall for a moment. “I feel like I could trust her, and I would like someone to talk to while being on the run.”

“Run?” asked Hai. “I don’t know what you are talking about, ‘run.’ We aren’t running through the fields, hills, streams, or the moors.” The warrior woman placed her hands upon her hips. “We have lost elders and children while moving through the moors.” Hai shook her head from side to side. “I have even lost my little brother in one.”

Lyra sighed. She knew that things were different in the time that she was in versus the time that she had left, but she forgot that there might be a language barrier too. “Being on the run means moving from place to place so as to not be found by those that are looking for you,” answered Lyra. She had to run away from bullies, and they only found her when she was tired from moving around so much in high school.

Hai leaned forward, nearly hovering over the table. “You have a strange way of speaking at times—nearly more than Celeste, and she is excusable for she is from another place.” She gave the other woman a strange look. “What about you, milady?” she purred, hoping to get her answers from the woman before her. “You talk much different from your own father.”

Lyra nearly stopped breathing, trying to come up a reasonable explanation of what she would say. Then, a thought had come to her, “I had traveled a lot.” There was a point in her life that she wanted to be a writer. “He wanted me to experience life that he was unable to do.” She waved her hand, just like any lady would to allow the other person to use their imagination and to dismiss Hai from her sight.

Once the Viking woman was away from Lyra, she relaxed. She had gotten her answers from Hai. The dagger was a wonderful gift, and she knew that she would have to take extra care of it. While the dagger was still resting in her lap, she went on with her breakfast. When Carriage came into the Great Hall, he made his way towards the throne area and sat down upon his Grandson’s seat and started eating his own meal.

When the two of them were done with their meals, Carriage turned towards Lyra and asked, “Did the herbs help you this morning?”

Lyra began to blush but was able to say, “Yes, thank you. They seemed to work.”

“Good,” replied the old Druid with a hidden smile. “You know that we have a long walk ahead of us, don’t you?”

She closed her eyes for a moment. “I know this, Carriage, but I still don’t know where we are going.”

The Druid chuckled with a hint of mystery. “I can’t tell you that, Lyra. You never know who could be listening, and we don’t want someone that isn’t Varg to find us.”

“Understood,” stated Lyra. “But can I bring Celeste with us?”

“I don’t see why not,” answered the elder. “She is under our protection to make sure that no harm comes to her.” After a while, with a thoughtful look on his face, he continued, “I don’t see a reason why can’t bring her. I will let her know in a moment about her coming along.”

She gave a small nod, and then Lyra had an idea to ask Carriage about Stonehenge. She really wanted to know. “I do have a question.” Lyra looked into the Druid’s eyes, hoping to get a true answer from him when she asked him, “Do you know anything about the standing circle stones that are near the river of Avon?”

Carriage thought about the question that Lyra had asked. “I know what you’re talking about,” started the Druid. “It’s a meeting place for Druids, farmers, and rulers.” He went into a faraway look, like he was able to see beyond that what was in front of them. “It was built by a man named Merlin. He helped King Arthur of Camelot. It was used as a meeting hall and used as a calendar room.” He took a breath. “It told the farmers when it was time to plant their seeds or harvest their crops.” The man sighed. “Oh, times were simpler then. The land was full of peace.”

Lyra, with eyes full of wonder, asked, “What can you tell me about Merlin and Arthur?” A thought then hit her. “I thought that they would not be around for the next three hundred years from now.” She gave him an extremely hard looking glare. “There are people from where I have come from who would have argued with you, saying that they were around in the late 1100s.”

Carriage laughed. “No, they were around a long time ago.” His knowledgeable eyes sparkled in the low candlelight of the hall, causing Lyra to not believe him and think that he could see the future. “Well, Merlin was a man of scholar and wonder. Always wanted to know all the answers to his many questions about how the world worked.” The Druid took a breath. “He never stayed in one place for long unless he was teaching Arthur to be a great king.” Carriage moved back into his seat and glanced towards the young woman. “As for King Arthur, he enjoyed doing the work of Jesus and tried to find the Holy Grail when he had become the age of twenty. But he never found it.” He became sad once the final words left his dried lips. “After his time in a faraway place of Jerusalem, he sent some of his men to another faraway place, and they never came back again.” Then, the Druid glanced over towards Lyra and said, “It’s time for us to go while we still have the sun.”

Lyra smiled, and together, the two got up from their seats just as Hai, Hahn, and Celeste got up from where they were sitting and walked towards the two of them. The five of them gathered some leather bags and headed towards the front gates and started walking towards the west and slightly towards the south, with each step taking them closer to the coast.