The capital ship of the Krupp family creaked eerily with the passing of the day, sailors of Velheimer and Calemberg descent worked tirelessly upon the craft. Eske however was away, within the cabins of the ship he sat at his desk and wrote away within his journal, the day moving unending to him as he wrote, planned, strategized, and prepared for the inevitable battles to be won and fought. His room was unlocked and his weaponry was off to the side against the wall, the Ulfmaerr colors faded by use and time.
A young and brutish woman from the Kingdom of Hedryll had also found herself in similar circumstances. Inkeri, one of the very last of the Årud bloodline, had came to aid in the war effort with her fellow kin. In the interim, she had forthwith found herself on deck, testing the vicinity of her catapulting throws of her twin axes. One rooted into the wooden mast of the ship, and the other followed soon after, embedding itself a few inches above it's brother. After that, she would repeat, repeat, and repeat again. Her training wasn't exactly quiet, with each throw and lunge, multiple grunts and exaggerated gasps escaped her.
With each grunt, Eske would grow more and more distracted, so much so until he finally decided to pound the table, gather up his spear and shield, and head out to confront the loud noise. His heavy steps creaking the wood as he barged out onto the deck, taking in the full sight of what he saw before him. Once he exited he was just about to yell before he saw who it was, smiled, and simply waited and watched her as she worked.
The Northern woman had found herself in a continuous loop, continuously impaling the mast before her. Inkeri was never easily distracted, though Eske had caught her attention as he emerged. After sending the present axe in her hand to the mast once more, she turned with a similar smirk, her now sweaty brow knitted together as she looked the familiar man up and down.
He admittedly was likely caught staring at her, ways. However he digressed and stood tall, leaning against the doorframe, his simple clothes of his family colors upon his chest as he observed her.
"Hael, Ms. Inkpot."
"Hael, Ms. Inkpot."
As he spoke, the woman's smile abruptly dissipated. Inkeri, or Inkpot, as she was called, moreorless turned into a completely different person, though erratic and sudden changes of personality and emotions were never too new to her. With the small presented flare of her nostril, the woman veered her piercing blue eyes from Eske to one of her planted axes, took a few functioning strides to grab hold of it's handle, extracted it with another grunt, and hurled it in his general direction; it would make contact relatively close to the outer door frame.
He watched as it flew and struck home next to him, his eyes slowly moving to observe it before peering back to her. His own piercing blue eyes filled with a mild sense of curiosity, "You know it seems as if you were trying to kill me there, beautiful?"
He ran his finger along the edge of the embedded axe.
"Yup, that was a violent toss."
His expression seemed careless to the fact she nearly killed him.
He ran his finger along the edge of the embedded axe.
"Yup, that was a violent toss."
His expression seemed careless to the fact she nearly killed him.
Inkeri stood in a statue-like stance, not far from the mast now. The young woman's features had softened, though her frosted complexion had somewhat turned into a deep red, quite noticeable due to the change of tones. After waiting a moment or two, she would respond, her tone brittle and cold, "After all this time, after all this bloody time, ye' choose to show up now?!"
"I didn't exactly choose to win a war then get pulled into another with no rest, Inkeri," he stated simply as he started moving towards her, his spear and shield hung tight to his back as he walked, his arms crossed over his chest.
"An' I didn't choose to get left behind-..Again," she said in reply, her words filled with expression, though her tone remained the same.
"I told you exactly where I was going and what I was doing. I even told you how long it would be till I believed I would return, and here I am, promise kept." He said with a definitive tone, his youth still prevalent and his stature certain. He moved closer still till they were a few meters apart. Just staring at her.
At that, Inkeri's gaze fell to his feet, kissing her teeth. The Northerner herself still looking the same, though her hair seemed to have grown longer over the passing months the two spent apart.
"I've gone mad since I last saw ye'. I'm a mad woman."
She would raise both hands to her head, digging her nails into her scalp.
"I've gone mad since I last saw ye'. I'm a mad woman."
She would raise both hands to her head, digging her nails into her scalp.
"Well you and my aunt will have much to talk about then I suppose, do you see and hear the God's whisper to you as well, Inkeri?" He now stood directly in front of her, nearly a foot apart. His gaze looking down at her with neutral eyes. His mind seemed to be in overdrive but he did not act just yet.
"Not the God's," she said in response, her gaze still peered below. The woman's complexion soon returned to normal, skin as white as snow. Inkeri had been talked down, much like a child would be after throwing a tantrum.
He exhaled shrilly, moving to place his hands on both of her shoulders, pulling her into an embrace. His facial features remained solemn as he attempted to pull her close and give her that big ol' Velheimer's hug.
The Årud was embraced, her features softened in the process, her arms wrapped around him as her face buried itself within the adorned cloth on his chest. She let out a sigh.
"When we win this war, Inkeri, I feel I will need a Sol-Kvinne to rule by my side. Shall you be there for me?" He said it abruptly and outright. His voice hinting a bit of a passionate overtone, was this love being expressed by the man?
The ship danced along the ocean waves as she tilted her head to look up at him, her lips presented a faint but sincere smile. "I will be there for you. Always," Inkeri went on to say, matching the same overtone as she spoke. The woman's blonde locks picked up with the starting breeze, similar to how the ship danced with the open water.
"Good my dear, I wouldn't have it any other way."
He kept her held tight to him, his weaponry masking them from sight from behind Eske, he would simply place a subtle small kiss upon her head.
As her head was kissed, Inkeri moved to then plant a kiss on his lips soon after, lips curling into a smile.
The sun soon began to set, sinking under the horizon, and as the two remained together as one, reunited, the night passed them by until they found themselves in the morning. This was a war, but the two surely slept well that night. There were no worries in the world for them as long as they had each other.
"Good my dear, I wouldn't have it any other way."
He kept her held tight to him, his weaponry masking them from sight from behind Eske, he would simply place a subtle small kiss upon her head.
As her head was kissed, Inkeri moved to then plant a kiss on his lips soon after, lips curling into a smile.
"You've got to do better than just that."
"Oh? And how do you propose I do that, min elskede?"
"Let's go to yer' chambers an' I'll show ye.'"
"Oh? And how do you propose I do that, min elskede?"
"Let's go to yer' chambers an' I'll show ye.'"
He blinked in confusion yet soon understood. With a tilted smirk he pulled her by the hand back into the cabins of the ship and brought her to his room. The door was open and inside one could see that there was no loot or treasure, simply maps and books lying around next to a neatly made bed.The sun soon began to set, sinking under the horizon, and as the two remained together as one, reunited, the night passed them by until they found themselves in the morning. This was a war, but the two surely slept well that night. There were no worries in the world for them as long as they had each other.
