Dreams of the future
Bjorke woke in the early morning light to the sound of chopping wood and the smell of cooking meat. She loved waking up in Edrick’s hut. It was small, with a fire pit in the center. Iron poles held the cooking pots, and a hole in the peak of the roof served as a chimney. A table was pushed against one wall. Bowls and cooking utensils were stacked neatly on it. Beneath the table was a large copper tub that Edrick had made for her. She felt like a spoiled princess whenever he dragged it out and filled it with hot water for her to bathe. He preferred the stream outside, but knew how she loved her baths.
When not in use, the furs for the bed were rolled and stacked against the wall. Tanned hides were pinned up to the two windows. Pegs held them in place against harsh weather, but could be swiveled back to open the windows. The windows were open now, and the morning sun shone in, warming the dirt floor. Bjorke stretched, and wiped the cobwebs of sleep from her face. She inhaled deeply – that breakfast smelled great!
Edrick walked in with an arm-load of wood. “Ah, good, you are awake.” He set the wood down, adding some to the fire, then turned the steaks in the pan to cook the other side. “You had a restless night, my love.”
She had not yet told him of the nightmares. Ever since the Shaman had removed the spy thing from her leg, her sleep was haunted with phantoms and demons. Sometimes, she saw herself, standing over a slain body. Other times, it was as if she were seeing things with her own eyes. But there was always laughter… deep, menacing, horrific laughter. She had yet to see whose body lay at her feet, and was not sure she wanted to know.
Bjorke sat up, and wrapped a fur around herself. “A lot on my mind, I guess.” She wolfed down the food when he handed her the plate, avoiding conversation.
“What is it you want most?” the old elf had asked her the night before.
“To fight by Edrick’s side,” was her answer. “If I could do that the rest of my life, I would be happy.” As she remembered the conversation, the images of the nightmares crept back in her brain. The harsh laughter, her blades bloodied as she stood over a body… a very…. large…. body….. Bjorke gasped in shock, dropping the plate, and she looked up into the face of the man she loved.
