Epilogue

EPILOGUE

“ M y first granddaughter.” Despite the whisper, Wolf’s voice was suspiciously hoarse. Eyja didn’t move and carried on pretending to be asleep. Her father had been the first one to congratulate her on the birth of her daughter a week ago and she knew he’d been delighted with the new addition to the family. “About time, too. I’ve only had grandsons so far.”

“You will enjoy having a little girl, you’ll see,” Sigurd, the other grandfather, replied, sounding just as awed. “And she’s so pretty. Which is no surprise, of course, as she is the image of Frigyth.”

Well, Eyja, for her part, thought that Emma looked just like her father, but after all, it could be argued that Moon was the image of his mother, so she kept her eyes firmly closed. Let the men think what pleased them. They clearly doted on the little girl, which was the important thing.

“You know what this means, my friend?” the Icelander asked. “You and I are now part of the same family.”

She thought she heard the Dane clear his throat. Was he crying? Perhaps. She knew Moon’s father had been orphaned at a young age and had craved a family while growing up. Now he had one, a large, happy one.

“That we are,” he said. “I never dreamed I would ever have such a?—”

“When you have finished mooning over Emma, you might want to come and help with the preparations outside.” Her mother entered the hut and whispered to the men in mock disapproval. “Just look at you two! One would swear you have never seen a baby before.”

Eyja fought hard against the smile wanting to bloom on her lips. Indeed, between them, the two men had welcomed their fair share of children and grandchildren throughout the years. You would have thought they’d welcome this one with more equanimity.

They vanished without a word of protest. Once the door was closed, her mother came to sit by the pallet.

“How long have you been awake listening to the two of them blabbering over Emma, then?” There was laughter in her voice. Eyja opened her eyes and frowned.

“How did you know I was awake?”

A smile. “You’re my daughter, that’s how. You will see how it is one day with little Emma.” Ah, yes, probably, and Eyja couldn’t wait. She held out her hand to her mother, who gave it a squeeze. “How do you feel? Will you be able to join us outside?”

“Yes, I should be fine.”

“I will carry her if need be.” Moon entered the hut, all masculine presence. Today his hair had been braided even more intricately than usual. With his neatly trimmed beard and his new leather tunic, he looked mouthwatering. “I will not have my wife missing the celebrations intended to thank her for the gift of my daughter.”

Eyja smiled at him. The birth had been quite a scary and difficult moment, because the little girl had been breached but Moon had been with her all the way, encouraging her, calling her his warrior wife, promising her she could do it.

“One day you will be able to tell our children what you did at Stamford Bridge, how you saved?—”

“ Children ! This is the last child I’m having, do you hear me, Halfdan the Mighty?” she’d cried, as another, seemingly useless contraction had ripped through her. “You are not touching me ever again!”

And in that moment, she’d meant it. Until she had been handed the most beautiful baby she had ever seen, that was. Then she had grabbed her husband by the collar and ordered him to forget every word she had said in her delirium.

“Worry not, Imp, I already have,” he’d purred, “except for one thing. How you called me ‘Halfdan the Mighty’. I rather liked that, if you must know. And soon I will show you that I can live up to that name.”

Soon. Unfortunately, she already knew it would take longer than she would like before that could happen. She had suffered quite bad tearing during the birth and lost a lot of blood. For days she had not been allowed to do much more than feed the babe and see to her personal needs. Helga, who had taken over her grandmother’s role as village midwife as well as healer, had come to visit her this morning, to remove the stitches and had declared her over the worst.

Yes, thankfully, Eyja was starting to feel better and looking forward to her life as a mother in their new home. The move was planned for the following week, as Moon didn’t want her to overtax herself.

In the end, with her husband’s help, Eyja had built a hut with her own hands. Work had been slower than anticipated, however. The sight of a bare-chested Moon was just far too tempting, and she had found herself waylaying him more than once while they worked. Then in the last few months, heavy with child, she had been unable to do as much as she would have liked. Fortunately, her brothers had come to the rescue and the hut had been finished in time to house their babe.

When they moved in, they would leave Moon’s old hut to Rorik and his new wife. His handsome cousin, who had seemed more suited to single than married life, had surprised everyone by proposing to the blacksmith’s daughter a few weeks ago.

“Come, everyone is waiting,” her mother smiled, picking Emma up from her cot. “Bj?rn has just brought three casks of ale, Frigyth and Agnes have made piles of oatcakes, the children have woven garlands of flowers, Magnus has got the fire going, Dunne and Ingrid have embroidered banners to decorate the tables, and Caedmon... Well, I think he’s made something special for the new mother but you’ll have to see for yourself.”

Eyja’s throat went tight. “Please. It’s too much. They shouldn’t have gone to all that trouble for me.”

Although she had attended dozens such celebrations over the years, she felt uncomfortable being the center of attention today.

“Nothing is too much for you, Imp.” Moon lifted her in his arms and planted a kiss on her lips.

“Your husband is right. Besides, if it makes you feel better, it’s not all about you. Rune and Eowyn have come to visit for the first time in years, to show the grandchildren their grandmother’s country. We mean to make them proud. So come, let us celebrate.”

Celebrate they did, all day under the pale winter sun and long into the night, surrounded by their families and friends.

After everyone had gone back to their huts, the new parents, their daughter cradled in a fur between them, watched as the moon shone over the sleeping village.