Chapter Thirteen

Katla expected to wake alone in her bed, with yesterday having simply been a nightmare, so waking to the feeling of warm breath along her neck, the rise and fall of a muscular chest against her palms, and a certain protuberance that was unique to men in the first stages of men waking pressed hard and unyielding against her thigh. Confusion made her slow to respond as her mind slowly worked through the puzzle and jumbled memories of the day prior. The tree, Bjorn's death, and his resurrection; they all worked together until she was able to put the series of events together enough to slowly draw away.

Bjorn's arms tightened, pulling her closer, his eyes remained closed and breathing still one of slumber; he seemed as loathe to release her as she was to escape him. Katla sighed and leaned into the warmth of him again, letting her eyes close and just listen to the blessedly steady beating of his heart. Bjorn started to stir with the first whispers of dawn breaking through the narrow cracks in their walls. A soft smile broke the harsh lines of his face, softening them, as his eyes opened revealing the piercing blue of them. 

"Good morning..." His voice was husky, soft in the contented moments between waking and sleep, where he could lay languid and nestle against the warmth of the bedding and softness of her body. His hands shifted, slipping down her back to curve about her waist before stroking upwards as if petting a cat. 

"Morning. You must be hungry; after all it isn't every day one dies and comes back from the dead." Katla pressed her palms against his chest, the added pressure enough to indicate her wish to be released. Reluctantly his hand fell away from her, allowing her to scurry off the bed. She took a moment to tug down on her shirt before turning from the bed with suddenly bright cheeks. "You may want to do something about that..." Her hand motion was vaguely south of his waist. 

Puzzled Bjorn looked around the room before falling down to his triumphantly standing cock. A snort escaped him as he pulled the bedding over his hips and shifted in the bed to partially sit up. "Happens with most mornings." He mumbled wary of again provoking her ire as he had the previous morning. She seemed to accept his apology and explanation as she walked out of the small partitioned room. 

"Of course. I will get us food and we can go from there; find you some clothing." She mumbled before ducking out and hurry to the makeshift cooking area. The idea of a variance in their diet had her peering out the small opening that served as a window, the top fronds of the baby carrots waved merrily in the wind; giving no indication of their readiness for harvest. A sad and promising sight. Outside the rewards of their hard won gains, a smeltery and furnace set up waiting for more ore and wood to feed their hungry bellies. Tasks that would keep her busy until she dropped into bed exhausted. 

Katla prodded at the coals, bringing them back to full life before she fed the fire more wood. The scent of roasting meat soon filled the small structure and the soft dragging sound of Bjorn walking from the room, his deer hide blanket dragging slightly against the rough hewn floor as he held it wrapped around his waist. Katla arched a brow and he returned it with a roguish grin. "Best I could do until we find me some pants." He didn't sound sheepish at all, or even embarrassed at the predicament that he found himself in. 

"Yes, well. Eat and then we will worry about the rest." She handed him the first portion that completed cooking before she took her own. Boar for breakfast today. Gods, she was tired of nothing but roast meat and berries day after day. Her stomach, however, was happy for anything offered to fill it. The meal completed she rustled around before finding a spare pair of ragged leather pants; they weren't nice and were in poor repair but would serve until she could gather more deer leather to replace the clothing he lost.

"Here, this should be easier than dragging around your blanket for now." Katla offered the pants before grabbing a basket of wizened mushrooms to feed the pigs. As she stepped out the door a large annoyed looking raven landed. Her glare was levelled at the beast, but as he spoke for Odin, she kept her ire to just a nasty look. Unperturbed, Hugin simply preened at his feathers, removing the loose ones to fall against the ground while rubbing oil from the oil gland at the base of his tail along the others to keep them mostly weather proof and shinning. 

"Bjorn, hurry up. You have a guest waiting." She called, hardly amused at Hugin's blatant refusal to greet her. "Useless bird..." She hissed under her breath as she walked past the creature, just barely avoiding being struck across the back by a suddenly outstretched wing. Angry now, she stomped towards the pig pen to dump their breakfast onto the ground near the fence. Her ire robbing her of the simple pleasure she normally took in watching the piglets dart around. 

"Hail Warrior." Katla heard the crow's scratchy voice call out indicating Bjorn had entered the animal's sight. Since now the creature seemed prone to talk she turned to walk back towards the house and listen into the conversation to see what too late wisdom the creature had to offer now. " Each time you are struck down, you will forget a small part of your abilities and drop your belongings at the site of the accident." Horror and rage filled her. The bird had known this entire time that death was an inconvenience in this realm; not final just an annoyance. 

"You pig fucking..." The scream of rage rose in her as she forgot the bird was just a messenger. In her rage she ran at Hugin, ready to pluck the damn bird herself. Her flight was stopped by a pair of strong arms circling her waist, restraining her, as she flailed, her voice no longer offering words but just a primal noise of complete and utter anger. 

"Best fly off. She won't be rational for a bit now." Bjorn grunted as one of her flailing limbs caught him under his ribs partially knocking the breath out of him as Katla struggled to get free. Feral and half mad, Bjorn struggled to hold by the sudden hissing and spitting creature that had replaced his normally stoic Katla. Once the bird had taken to the air, he released her only to watch in amusement as she grabbed a rock to lob behind the bird, missing striking his hind end by a handsbreadth. 

"Katla, breathe lille vennen; there is no point in raging about it now. It is done and gone." He crooned, waiting for her sharp breaths to turn to slower longer pauses. The anger that took her slowly dropped, leaving her shaking as she half curled on the ground as the anger that fueled her eased away. "There now.. at least we know where to find my clothing. The morning is warm, if we are fast we can go collect that and the last of the wood to build our fence." Wisely he focused on a distraction; cautious about holding her and potentially losing a limb depending on the mood she was in. 

"Hmph, don't think that dying gives you any leeway in calling me pet names." Katla finally managed a reasonable response as she fought her way out of the anger and crushing pain around her chest. Slow breaths helped; but hearing him calling her obnoxious things like 'little friend' further grounded her. Reminded her that he was alive and well; that her grief had only been temporary and she wasn't alone, that Bjorn wasn't gone, that the worst that could happen would be a painful annoyance. 

"I didn't think it would. Now, let's go pick up my belongings and get our project completed." His bolstering tone had her rising and dusting off her clothing to follow after his determined stride. The path back to where he died was fairly straight forward and along the way Katla paused to gather random branches as they made their way towards the fallen tree that lay over the crude headstone. As they got closer, approached where she could see the broken branches, crushed grass, and listing trees from where the felled trees had crashed during their decent towards the earth. 

Katla felt her breath coming in short, the very rustling of the trees sending her heart to rapidly beating, the sudden cracking of bracken as a deer fled their approach had her jumping, eyes wide as she searched for another tree falling down towards them. Distantly she became aware of a warm, calloused hand curling over hers, lifting her palm to press against a whole, warm chest with a steadily beating heart. 

"Breathe Katla. I am here and whole. All is well." Bjorn could see this warrior woman fighting through her fears, through her trapped memory of his demise. He had seen her face down foes without batting an eye, face her own potentially mortal wound with only a grunt of pain, but this had her near catatonic. "There now, see. The sun shines, the trees still stand. We can pause here as long as you need just breathe." He continued to croon. His deep voice permeating her mind, working beyond the panic that held her. 

Katla blinked as she took a shuddering breath, her limbs tense and step jolting as she continued forward. Her hand remained clutched in his as he turned to lead them towards where he had fallen. The approach threatened to send her panic rising again as she saw the crossed tree trunks where they had fallen and crushed Bjorn the day prior. 

"Cut these down, lille vennen, we need the wood for our fence." He gave her a task to distract her. Someway for her to take out the fear and anxiety that gripped her so tightly that she froze up over simple things like the breeze and fleeing wildlife. Carefully he released her hand, watching as she turned woodenly to start hacking at the logs, breaking them down and gathering the wood into her rucksack in the strange twist of this world that made entire trees fit in the small bags.

"Good thing that bodies disappear no? It would be strange to stare into my own face as I retrieve my clothing." Bjorn kept the chatter going as Katla's axe started her rhythmic chopping. Cautiously he reached down, placing his hand on the gravestone, only to grunt as his pack grew heavy suddenly. Searching through his rucksack, Bjorn quickly changed from the ill fitting pants back into his proper clothing. Weapons were checked along with other items he had been carrying. All was present and account for. 

"I would imagine it would give you time to feed your ego. Appraising your appearance." Katla managed her teasing reply, sweat soaking her until she shivered in the cool morning air. Her gaze darted up to see Bjorn fully dressed and approaching to help gather the last of the wood. Supplies complete they returned to the homestead. 

"Why would I need that? The look you give me is enough to make my ego, among other things, swell." He teased and laughed as she shoved at his shoulder. Her own sharp laughter his reward for taunting her. The haunted look remained in her eyes, but seemed to ease the closer they got to their home. 

A soft droning buzz rose over the air and Katla looked towards the sound before tracking the noise. As they worked through the low brush a small half decomposed lean-to appeared next to a ring of stones indicating that once there had been more than just them in this land. A large hive, filled with busily humming bees hung from the support beam, just in front of a chest. A puzzle for her to sort out. 

"I could try.." Bjorn started only to stop at her glare before she drew her bow. The wooden arrow settled and knocked she aimed at the top of the hive. 

"On the count of three, run..." Katla spoke slowly. Waiting for him to start the count, the steady drone of his voice offering her a pace to set her breathing. As he spoke that last number she let the arrow fly and watched as the hive crashed to the ground, sending a cloud of noxious green over the chest, and the low thrumming turned into a loud angry buzz before suddenly disappearing as if it had never existed. 

"Or, perhaps not." Bjorn muttered as he watched the bees fall. Once it appeared safe he crossed the distance to loot the chest. A few useful goods of feathers, flint arrows, and a few more amber beads. His shoulders bowed under the weight of her pack. "I am out of room. You will have to grab the last of it." 

Cautiously Katla crept forward peering at the two objects left behind, a hunk of honey comb, and a queen bee seemingly frozen in stasis. Both items she shoved into her pack to carry home. The promise of the sweet honey and the potential to make more a soothing balm to the whole mess of the day. With a huffed sigh of relief she turned towards home, following silently in Bjorn's wake. The sight of him safe and whole ahead of her, became a reassurance as they reached their homestead and unloaded their packs. 

Katla kept the bee in her pack along with some of the wood. Her next step was grabbing her carpenter's hammer, the information that slammed into her brain had her bracing against the crafting bench. So many remember or newly learned patterns and items to craft. The beehive became one of the more important items to create as she walked outside, finding a spot near their soon to be crop field to set up the hive.

That settled she walked over to join Bjorn in setting up the new fence as a simple perimeter around their home enclosing the house, small garden, forge, and kiln; leaving only part of the boar pen outside the thicker fencing. The last bit they worked on together was setting the sturdy gate before adding a line of torches to better illuminate the new courtyard. Once completed they both grinned at each other in the loaming daylight. 

"Dinner?" Bjorn spoke the same time as Katla, with both of them having similar priorities. She gave a soft laugh in return as she put away the carpenter hammer and headed towards the house. 

"Dinner sounds good. Hopefully soon we will have more than just roast meat" Katla sounded hopeful. The promise of sweet honey and the crunchy carrots enough to make another meal of roast meat tolerable. Tonight she sat side by side with Bjorn and didn't mind the way their shoulders touched, or the way he seemed to take up more than his half of the rough log bench. 

"I look forward to seeing more of your cooking skills." Bjorn taunted as he tore into his dinner. The roast deer meat slightly charred at the edges where Katla was distracted while roasting and took a bit longer to remove the cooked meat from the fire. "And honey has so much potential for all sorts of uses." He tried to keeps his tone from being lewd, even as he eyed his companion. 

"Sticky mess is what some of that potential means." Katla replied, offering a teasing grin, before rising to put away her gear for the night. "Sleep well, Bjorn. There is much to do in the morning." Her soft voice held a note of regret as she retreated back to her solitary bed. Two nights of sleeping beside him made her bed seem cold and lonely. Only stubborn pride had her slipping back onto the bed and under the covers and curling up to find what sleep she could with her turbulent thoughts.