4. Ivar
327 Words
4
Ivar
I caught the scent as soon as I stepped out from under the shadow of the king’s stronghold. Sweet as a flower, but foreign. My feet started towards it almost immediately, and though I didn’t mention why I wanted to cross the field in front of the castle, Lars was in a good mood and it was easy to convince him to fall into step with me.
“Fine day,” Lars remarked, using his sword to hack off a few daisy heads. I grunted my agreement, keeping our path in line with the scent while pretending I had no aim.
“You’re quiet,” my fair headed brother elbowed me.
“I dreamt again last night.”
“You’re always dreaming.”
“This was different,” I murmured. The closer we got to the grassy dip before the trees, the stronger it was, and the more my head cleared.
“The woman? You must go down to the village and find a woman.”
“I want no woman.”
Lars scoffed. “No, just a phantom creature. A fantasy of lonely nights. A good lay will exorcise this foolishness.” He glanced at me when I said nothing to defend myself, looking a little guilty. “How many times have you dreamed of her?”
“It is more than a dream.”
Lars snorted again and turned to tease me, but stilled, his mouth falling open. He’d caught the same scent.
“Do you—”
“Come,” I said, hastening my steps, now that I knew I was not imagining it.
And I saw her. A bare-armed maid. Pale, with white gold hair crackling about her face. She sat haloed by flattened field grass, stared up at me with wide eyes.
“What is here?” Lars strode forward, holding his weapon. I caught his arm before he could attack. The woman didn’t even glance at him. She was too busy staring at me.
I felt as if I opened my mouth, her name would appear on my lips. For we had never met, but I’d seen her a thousand times. The maid in the grass was the lady from my dreams.
- Writer
