Chapter 8:

Nattlina

Ymirra


“How is he?” Torsten said.

“Like the time I rejected you, though this time it does seem hopeless.” Astrid said.

Eiric returned home soon after being forced away by Sigrun and stuffed himself in his room.

“Ah, I’m not sure I should be giving the advice here then.”

“Oh, admitting to failure?”

“When it comes to wining a woman’s heart, I’m more than capable. But I’d trust no one else to help mend a broken heart. You did it plenty back with the others.”

“Ah, so you admit I was more than just a brute?”

“Of course, you were a thief as well. Ow!”

“You’re lucky my child needs me.”

“And that’s why I love you.”

“Eiric, can I speak to you?”

“Yes.”

Astrid enters Eiric’s room. He’s sprawled out on the floor and starring at the ceiling with lost eyes.

Eiric said he would find Sigrun in the new world, but her hatred for him is overwhelming. As much as he cares for Sigrun, he is unsure if he will ever be able to speak with her again.

“Mom. If I said I really cared for Sigrun, even if we just met here, would it still be bad to try again?”

Astrid crawls next to Eiric and lays next to him. “There’s an old saying, if you love someone, let them go. I think it’s a terrible saying.”

“So, I should try?”

“No. You’re right to think you’d be bothering her if you did. Maybe one day she will come around, but that’s something I can’t promise. What I think the saying should be is: if you love someone, you’ll understand them. Someone you love may not always love you back, or even want to look your way. But it doesn’t mean you must love them any less. You can still care for them, even from afar. If you really care for Sigrun, then you can still do a lot for her.”

“But what if I wanted her to be part of my family.”

“That’s something you can’t decide for her dear. There may come a day where you will be separated, all you can do then is pray for their safety and happiness. That is true love. It doesn’t guarantee reciprocation, but I believe it will heal the wounds that ache in you now.”

“Then, I’d like to show that I care.”

“Even if she may never know it’s you?”

“Yes.”

“Ok then. There is something you could do, but we could get into a lot of trouble. What do you say, want to see how much of a trouble maker mom is?”

“I’d love to!”


“Where are you two going this time of night?” Torsten asked as Astrid and Eiric attempt to leave wearing hoods.

“Oh Torsten honey.” Astrid waltzes over to Torsten and whispers in his ear, “We won’t be long.”

“Oh, take your time.”


“Keep up dear.”

Eiric does his best, but still falls behind his mother who hops from roof to roof with ease. Astrid scouts the area, making sure no one is around to interfere with their plan. Her jumps and spins are graceful, her brown hair shining off the light of the moon.

And, though Eiric only catches a glimpse of it, Astrid smiles as she jumps through the night sky.

“Ok.” Astrid lands at the entrance to the graveyard, “I’ve wanted to do this forever. Oh, I can’t wait to see the faces on those bigots.”

Astrid leads Eiric through the graveyard until they find an empty gravestone.

“Eiric. You’ll learn more about this as you grow up, but understand that humans and other races don’t have good relationships. I think of Keldan and his children as part of our community and I love them. But not everyone is the same. It’s why Sigrun’s mother doesn’t have a gravestone here. But we’re going to make one. Your job will be to take care of it if they can’t. I’ll do my best to make the others leave them alone as they visit, your father can help as well. Can you do that?”

“I can. But won’t the others try to remove it?”

“It’s strictly forbidden to do such a thing. Your father can be unmerciful to such things, I doubt anyone would dare. But even if they do, we’ll make another and another and another. Do you know why?”

“Because they’re one of us, demon or not.”

“That’s my boy. Hehe, maybe I’m doing something right. Now then, Nattlina, I’m sorry it took me so long to make this dear.”

Eiric woke to a large commotion the next morning. Astrid seemed overjoyed at the fact as she waltzed out of their house to the small crowd gathering there. For some reason, Torsten was much slower to walk out and seemed drained of energy.

“That’s your handwriting! What if the guards see that name! You even left the mark of demon! Are you insane?”

“Good. Everyone who is part of our community should be respected as such. You can’t accept Keldan’s contribution and deny his existence!”

“It is something he must accept for the sacrifice we make with keeping him here?”

“Sacrifice? You haven’t done anything for him. Maybe it was me, but only this is certain. Anyone dares break the rule of the gravestones, Torsten will make sure to punish you. Right honey?!”

“Right.” Torsten said as he held himself by the door.


Later that day, Eiric watches from atop a tree as Keldan and his children visit Nattlina’s gravestone. Eiric was told that he was escorting Sigrun to a service their family does for Nattlina. They always do it by the river as they never wished to make a fuss about a gravestone.

Sigrun is the only one of the family who doesn’t cry, she holds both her father and Vilgur as they allow themselves to do as she refuses.

“She really doesn’t cry.”

Every morning after, Eiric returns to the gravestone to care for it. He often leaves a flower and says a word or two.

“I hope I’m not bothering you. Thank you for caring for Sigrun.” Eiric looks around as he hears strange movement in the area but finds no one, “Oh, I brought sunflowers today, I hope you like them.”


One morning, Eiric found the gravestone desecrated. Disrespectful words are painted on with red paint, and the grass around the gravestone is torn out.

“How could they.”

“Loser!”

“Demon lover!”

Two young boys yell at Eiric as they wave the bottle of paint they used to write on the gravestone.

Once again, Eiric’s mind goes blank. The anger that rushed through his veins once before filling hos body once more.

“No.”

Eiric runs off, returning in only ten minutes with a heap of flowers from Astrid’s garden and a bucket of water with a rag inside. He hurries along as Sigrun often visits the gravestone in the morning and doesn’t want to be caught.

“I did it.” Eiric scans the gravestone before dashing away just in time before Sigrun appears from the distant hill.

Wiithout a trace of the defilement, Sigrun is able to visit her mother once more.

“Ah! I forgot the bucket.”

Sigrun scans the area, confused by the bucket and the large number of flowers. She pays it little mind however, using the wet rag to clean some more of the residual paint that Eiric couldn’t get out.


“Are you sure it was them?” Torsten said.

“I am, they had the paint.” Eiric said.

“I see. Good job son, I’ll see what I can do though but it will be difficult with only an eye witness. Eiric, you made the right choice, I’m proud of you.”


Eiric continues his morning visits just before training and his new duties around the house as his mother grows their gardens.

There was no incident until one morning.

Two adults with hoods stand over the gravestone. The sun has yet to rise, Eiric is up earlier than usual.

“Excuse me. Can I help you?”

“What? That’s Torsten’s kid, don’t touch him. Poor kid, I can’t imagine being the child of demon lovers and heretics.”

“Get lost kid, we’re just going to purify this graveyard.”

“What? You can’t that!” Eiric rushes in front of the gravestone, “It’s important to them.”

“Important? Those demons will kill you the second they get a chance. Out of the way.” Eiric is pushed away, one of the men kicking the side of the gravestone and chipping it.

“Stop!” Eiric pushes them away readying his stance though he doesn’t carry a sword with him.

Wait. I could hurt them. But I’m protecting the gravestone. I, I.

The two men attempt to push Eiric out of the way but are repelled, Eiric dancing around their weak attempts and managing to push them away.

They change their plans, one distracting Eiric as the other aims at the gravestone and whispers, “Ein Shot.”

A small boulder is shot at the gravestone, aiming to shatter it on impact. Eiric’s body moves on instinct, his speed just enough to catch the boulder with a kick but some pieces still hit the gravestone.

He’s outmatched. Their plan will continue the same and he will fail. Out of options, Eiric hugs the gravestone.

“Hey! Move out of the way!”

“Wait! If we hurt the kid Torsten will have us killed.”

“So what? We can get rid of him, he’s cursed with parents like that.”

“Stop. Killing a kid is going too far, let’s get out of here.”

Eiric holds his embrace on the gravestone until he is sure the two men have left. His body relaxes and he begins cleaning the gravestone.

“I’m sorry.” Eiric cries as he wipes Nattlina’s gravestone, “I couldn’t protect you.”

“Why?”

“Sigrun!” Eiric hops to his feet, “I-”

“Why! Why would you get hurt for her gravestone? You’re a human! It’s you! You leave the flowers and clean the gravestone! Why! I don’t want you to. Nothing you do will make me not hate you.”

“Why? Because she’s your mother. I’m not doing it to convince you. But I do care about you. I can’t say why, you’d never believe me. But I do. And I’ll protect this gravestone a million times over if I have to. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect it, I’ll ask my mom if she can help me fix it.”

“Why do you care about me?”

“I… you remind me of someone who was dear to me. I made a promise to find them again.”

“I’m not them. I don’t know you.”

“I know. I still care about you. Sigrun, you can hate me. But I won’t stop. I’ll do my best to protect this gravestone, and I’ll do my best to help you and your family. You don’t have to speak to me or like me. I only want one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Vilgur told me that you never cry. I’ve never seen you cry here as well. A long time ago, I thought I may never find a family. Ms. Hilda told me that it was okay to cry, that we needed to so that we didn’t hurt ourselves. I don’t want you to hurt yourself, but crying alone is difficult. You may not want to cry to Vilgur or Mr. Keldan, but you can cry to me. I won’t say anything. I won’t tell anyone. You don’t have to say anything. But if you need cry, I’ll always be there to for you.”

Sigrun remains quiet as she glares at Eiric. He only nods after saying his peace, leaving so Sigrun can have her time with her mother. He’s soon stopped, small arms wrapping around him.

“Just for a moment.”

“As long as you need.”

“Mom…mom.” Sigrun sobs. Her sobs louder than any he has heard before, but Eiric remains still refusing to move an inch.

Sigrun, for you, I will always be there. 

Ymirra


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