[2]

Eleven months have passed since my coming to this new world.

"It's hard to believe she's popping out another one already…what was it three months after Freya and I were born that she was knocked up again, then again Mikael bending her over and taking her almost every chance he gets.' I express in my head, as I hear Esther's screams and Ayana's birth coaching and Mikael's pacing back and forth.

"Mikael, you can enter…the birthing is over." I hear Ayana's quiet shout from Esther and Mikael's chambers in the recently finished longhouse…that's kinda a shack…but a thousand times better than the hut/yurt we had spent the last 10 months living in.

When the house becomes quiet and settles down, Mikael walks into the main area of the long house from his and Esther's chambers, a bundle held in his arms.

"You both are older siblings now, Vidar you're an elder brother now, and you'll need to grow big and strong to protect your siblings." Mikael says as he lowers an ugly little shit that looks like a squished up blob down for Freya and I to see.

I give Mikael a nod of understanding as I stand up on my tiny legs and reach out towards him and the baby and do my best to say Dad but it comes out as, "Da."

Though it makes Mikael smile and laugh so I mark it down as a win as Freya makes a gurgling sound that almost sounds like a word.

"You are already talking and standing on your own…strength. Vidar, Freya, meet your brother Finn. Your mother named him." Mikael says proudly as he moves so Freya can have a better look at the future mama's boy.

"Since you're old enough to be weaned off of milf…you'll be seeing less of me…as it's raiding season, I have battles to wage and you Vidar need to learn control… for that Ayana has volunteered to take you in and raise you as her own…since your mother will have nothing to do with you. Remember, my son no matter what happens, no matter the distance between us you are my son…my first born son and that I love you…just as much as Freya and you will always be a Mikaelson." Mikael says to me and Freya but mostly me as he frees and hand from holding Finn to rest his rough, warm strong hand against the side of my face.

Mikael stares at me with a sad look in his eyes before he takes back his hand and walks off with Finn, Ayana quickly takes his place standing in front of me, her usual soft smile on her face that she had whenever looking at me.

"Come child, from now on…you'll be raised by me…under my roof." Ayana says softly her voice sweet and loving as she hunches down and takes me in her arms.

Looking at Freya who is starting to cry even though she doesn't understand what is being said she definitely understands that we're being separated on a more permanent basis.

My eyes sting as the door to my old home closes and I can no longer see Freya.

"You will see her again, little Vidar." Ayana comforts me and slowly rubs circles on my back soothingly, which makes me bury my face into the crook of her neck and shoulder as I start to cry, enjoying the comforting familiarity of the way Ayana always smells like lavender, fresh dirt and an assortment of herbs.

On the way to Ayana's hut we're stopped by no less than half the village, many happy to finally meet Vidar, the son of chief Mikael.

One highlight of the touches and the gifts is that I meet a blonde haired girl named Lagertha Lothbrok and from what Ayana whispers to me as she catches us staring at each other is that she was born a winter before me.

Entering Ayana's hut which is made of hides and a floor made out of somewhat rough flattish floors I notice that Ayana's hut smells like Ayana with something else mixed in…something I couldn't quite decipher.

'You know I've always wondered how Ayana can touch me and I can touch her but she doesn't experience the same weakness as Esther did and, I only get a sense and a pleasant warmth that runs throughout me when we touch.' I wonder idly as I unconsciously reach up and touch the wooden carved pendant dangling from a leather cord around Ayana's neck that looks a bit like the carved charm Anakin gives Padmé in the Phantom of the Menace movie.

"Come, let's eat Vidar." Ayana says to me as she sets me down on a fur covered cot and moves to fill a large wooden bowl with some sort of stew she left cooking near the fireplace in her hut.

'A guy could get used to this.' I sigh in my mind and even though I find it a little weird but also an enjoyable experience as Ayana would eat a spoonful of venison and vegetable stew then she'd put the stew in her mouth chew it up and then transfer it into my mouth through the use of her lips and tongue.

Days blended together and I only got to see Freya intermittently at best and Finn even less so, but I got to spend most everyday playing with Lagertha when Ayana was busy tending to the village folks and our allied neighbors.

We almost always play hunter/tracker/prey together where one of us would act like an animal and the other would hunt the other down, we'd also play at being Shieldmaiden and Berserker that is Lagertha's favorite as her mother is a Shieldmaiden currently off raiding with Mikael.

Returning home from practicing archery with Lagertha and a few other kids in the village, finding Ayana in the middle of rubbing one out.

Watching in perverted fascination as Ayana's naked chest heaves her dark brown nipples standing tall and proud, as beads of perspiration run off her dark skin.

It's not the first time and certainly won't be the last as she's even rubbed one out as we share the bed inside of the one roomed hut.

"Welcome home my son." Ayana greets me as she settles down from her release and opens her arms to me for a hug.

"It's only been a few hours mom." I reply back while feeling my face heat up as I pretty much lay on top of her, my face pressing against her sweaty chest.

"Every moment you're not with me learning by my hand I worry for you and those around you, I know you've made a lot of progress but unless Freya or I are around…like with that hound the other day." Ayana replies to me as she lovingly caresses the top of my head.

"I know…" I mutter as I feel sad as the guilt of accidentally killing the hound by draining it…siphoning it's life force.

"I'm good when Lagertha is around too…" I whisper back to her.

"Yes…she certainly has an effect on you…did you tend to your garden today?" Ayana asks me and I nod up and down in affirmation.

"Ouch!" I snap as I feel a pain in my knees, elbows and hands.

"Freya fell down again…I swear that girl is either touched or cursed." Ayana mutters as she takes my hands finding bloody scrapes like someone fell on rough ground and their hands slid against gravel.

"You should be wearing your bracelet that I made to block your and Freya's link." Ayana says to me with an arched eyebrow making me look away from her and her mom look.

"I don't like not being able to feel her…she doesn't like it either…plus I…might have accidentally drained it…to the point it turned to ash…" I reply while looking away from Ayana's pointed look.

"Haa, my sweet Vidar…" Ayana sighs and gives me a few soft pats on the top of my head, before she stands up from the bed and walks over to a shelf with healing salves and ointments, grabs a bottle of ointment that she makes a lot just for me, and walks back over applying the magical healing/cleansing ointment to my hands and knees with a soft loving smile on her face.

"Sorry…mother." I whisper softly and watch as Ayana swoons at my words.

"I believe we'll need this again tonight." Ayana mutters exasperatedly as she sets the bottle down on a stand near the bed and lays down.

Laying on the bed of furs next to Ayana…feeling like four years passed in the blink of an eye, since I came to live with Ayana, and Mikael has sent word that he'll be returning soon.

Mikael's visits over the last few years have been sporadic at best…not that I mind he spends time with me when he's home and makes it so I can spend more time with Freya but since, Esther is in the later stages of her pregnancy…she's even more venomous and hateful towards me than usual.

'Ayana's been a really good surrogate mom, even if she did raise me to be a bit independent, like teaching me how to take care of myself…like going to the bathroom and not in my own drawers…which no writers ever say is actually really difficult because you have to train your muscles to keep stuff in, instead of letting it slide right out of you…something that naturally happens over time as babies start walking on their own and stuff like that.' I mindlessly drone on and on while lying awake as Ayana snuggles against me for warmth.

Turning and snuggling against Ayana's naked chest enjoying the soft warmth of her bare body as I throw my right arm and leg over her, and slowly fall asleep.

"Vi!" A young blonde shouts as soon as I enter my dreams and tackles me in a hug.

"Hello my sweet little sister." I greet Freya who nuzzles her face against mine.

"Mother is talking horribly about you." Freya complains to me with tears in her eyes and I smile at her as I wipe away her tears.

"It's fine Freya as long as you know me, and know me to be true that's all that matters." I say softly to Freya in a comforting voice as I hug her.

Freya looks into my eyes and nods shyly before a broad smile splits across her face.

"Father will return in time for our birthday." Freya informs me happily.

"It'll be nice to see father again." I reply to Freya with my own smile matching her's.

"Let's play tag Freya." I say to Freya as I roll over and run towards the woods looking over my shoulder.

"You're it, dear sister!" I shout to Freya who smiles and reaches out with her hand catching me with a telekinetic grip which I absorb and keep running.

"No fair!" Freya shouts out a giggle and starts chasing after me.

"All is fair in love and war dear sister, and there is none that love you as much as I and would go to war for you like I would." I tease Freya with a laugh of my own as she catches up to me and I dodge her sloppy lunge.

I stop and let Freya catch me and we fall to the soft ground in a fit of giggles.

"Vidar…I feel something bad coming…promise me that we'll love each other always and forever." Freya whispers to me as she clutches my silk tunic in both of her tiny fists.

'She senses Dahlia coming for her…' I internally mutter in my head as my heart skips a beat.

"Always and forever my dear Freya…we'll always find each other no matter how much distance separates or whatever obstacles stand in our way we'll always find each other and fight our way through armies if need be." I reply to Freya, my voice growing thick as I squeeze Freya tightly in a hug.

"Always and Forever…our family words." Freya whispers as her eyes go milky white for a second before they clear up and Freya plants a kiss against my cheek, our dream world, the flowery meadow inside of the woods, fading away to darkness before we wake up.

Waking up to Ayana's beautiful smiling face, as she pressed a chaste kiss to my lips, "Good morning my sweet boy, did you have a nice time with Freya last night?" Ayana greets me in a mix of warmth and fondness.

"Mmm." I hum and nod in confirmation as my face splits into a smile.

"Good, I have some very good news for you…my familiar has spotted your father's fleet of longships at the ford of wear the ocean meets the river, he should return before the month ends." Ayana informs me with a happy but complicated smile.

'Yes, Father will be home by our fifth birthday.' I cheer internally only to feel a cold dark shiver wash over me, causing me to jolt in bed and bolt out of my and Ayana's hug booking it to where I felt Freya and her fear.