The sun is shining through the big window right on his face. He opens his eyes and covers the sun with his palm. As he is staring at his hand , he reflects on his new life.
Yesterday, he was really surprise to see Kai's house. Later that day he found out that Kai was the son of the actual Leader of Artara. The massive woods the house was made of did not faze him cause the vast forest was sure a rich source. The villager's houses were also made by wood but the sizes were significantly smaller.
He liked the nature that was so green and literally everywhere. Some plants were on the walls inside of the 'castle'. That was unusual.
Yrsa gave him Sigurd's room. It has a comfortable felling to it and a simple design and there were no plant growing on the walls. Everything seems to be made of wood: the small table, the chair, the walls and even the bed. Well, till he will find a job so he can move out, why not live in this comfortable room that now is his.
The mother and the father are good parents. Nissa, that knows how to reveal his temper, was also very caring of him.
It is common to attach to people that live together with you. Easy to perceive them as family. It was better to move out soon or to avoid them as much as possible.
He makes his bed in hurry. His stomach started to growl. He did not eat the other day since the fatigue pinned him to his bed soon after Yrsa left the room. When she came back to take him to dinner he was already sleeping well.
He is already dressed but the clothes were not his style. He was only wearing suits in the past. When he sees his reflection in the mirror he decides to not change. Maybe dressed like this will be more exciting. The shirt is comfortable and to his liking. Just the hair is sticking out of the perfect look. He flips his hair back and with a murderous look he glares at the mirror. He sighs dissatisfied. The body is ruining his overall dangerous look. He shakes his head. No need for a dangerous look here.
He is curious to see the closet. Of course, all was leather and shirts. Just a single coat was there.
"He didn't like coats either....." He smiles.
He decides to toss the vest on the other clothes in the closet.
"Now, this is comfortable."
The closet is closed. The balcony catches his attention. The big window slides and his hair that was slightly long is wind-blown.
The view is awesome.
The houses are intertwined with the trees. Cherry trees' flowers are taken by the morning breeze looking like snow flakes falling in winter.
The peace was in the air.
He smiles at the sight of a petal falling on his palm.
"These plants really give me headaches. Should I trim them today?"
He is ready to leave the balcony when this plants that are spread on the entire wall remind him that nature is everywhere.
He closes the door of his room and stairs are few steps ahead. After going down he goes down another set of stairs. A hall is awaiting him. Yrsa and Kai are talking and when they spot him, they stop.
"Sigurd! Did you sleep well? You were asleep when I came back? Are you hungry? Let us go to the kitchen! I bet you are hungry."
A growling is heard.
"I am hungry."
Sigurd follows Yrsa and Kai to the kitchen.
"Just follow along. That is how she is."
Kai smiles. It seems that even if Sigurd has amnesia, he listens to Yrsa with the same eagerness.
Sigurd feel that the woman is very assertive. Nothing like his mother. Is good Yrsa is like him.
A man is arranging the table and Yrsa is checking the food in the pots.
"Your food is delicious as always, Jan!"
"Thanks, madam."
Kai and Sigurd are on chairs around the table watching Yrsa getting exited over the food Jan made.
"Sigurd, do you remember Jan?"
"No."
"Do not worry Jan, he will remember your food. You will always be his favorite chief."
"I miss his compliments."
Jan was fake crying as Yrsa was patting him.
Sigurd looks at Kai.
"I am alive!"
Yrsa and Jan looked at Sigurd with sparkly eyes.
The table is full of food: roasted potatoes, meat, vegetable salad and soup.
"Eat !!"
Sigurd choose the meat. One, two, three bites…. They are watching him.
"You steamed it! The sauce is the homemade paste with spicy pepper and garlic that we made together two weeks ago. I told you this will be delicious if we combine them like this. So tasty!!"
He continues eating like nothing happened.
Yrsa is taking the meat out of his hand.
"What the fuck are you doing? It is my meat! Give it back!"
"Shut up!"
Yrsa puts a finger on his mouth. He revolts since the taste of the meat still lingers in his mouth.
"What !?"
"What did you just say few seconds ago?"
"I said it was delicious and the paste was made by Jan and me. What? You do not like that I help Jan in the kitchen? You were fine with it."
"Jan did you just heard what this brat said?
"Madam food is magical."
"You are right, Jan."
Sigurd realized what he just said. He said it out of impulse. Could it be that he is regaining the memories of the old Sigurd? Thorough food?!
"That is good. You will regain your memories soon this way. Jan will cook you all the foods you like and you better tell me everything you remember!"
Yrsa was serious. How can she not be?
The meal was delicious. He found out from Kai that Jan was the chef of the house since Yrsa almost burned the house last time she tried cooking sunny side up eggs.
The atmosphere was happy for the family except for Sigurd.
The memories should not return. What if the memories will influence him? He had no interest to know the past life of Sigurd.
Sigurd wipes his mouth and pushes the chair back. Ready to go outside and see the world? Of course! He forgot a 'thing' that will stop his adventure.
"Mom, Dad!"
Nissa rushes in the kitchen and smiles at the sight of Sigurd.
She is having a shirt knee-length and a tight belt is on her thin waist. A pair of boots completed her outfit. Her curls were bouncing from the way she was walking. A child! No, a strong child!
"SIGURD!"
"Did you give the invitations to the leaders?"
"Not really."
"What do you mean?"
Yrsa rises her eyebrow. The tension in the air makes Sigurd unsure what to do.
"Well, there were some kids playing catch the ball and I left the letters down and played with them for a while. When they went home ,the package was already gone. Well, I wanted to tell the leaders but the building was already closed when I arrived. We can have the party with out them, right? Aha, I remember that I met Talis , Frey and Karlen on my way home this morning. I invited them."
"Remember me to not sent her on missions again. What can I do with this airhead?"
Yrsa sighs.
"So, we are going to have a party?"Sigurd rises one eyebrow.
"Yea. Afterall we are very glad you returned from the death. For now."
"For now ?!"
Yrsa instructs Sigurd where the guest house in the village is located. He will need to go and make sure that Talis, Frey and Karlen are coming and he escort them coming to the party.
"I will send Nissa when the party is ready. I just need to bring more wine and prepare the hall outside. Jan will prepare the food. Now take your horse and go!"
"I can't ride."
Yrsa is surprise by Sigurd's bluntness.
"You will get along great with Arvak. Just go already! Find a way to get there before Nissa comes."
"You …. I am out of here."
"Don't disappoint me!"
Sigurd rushes out and now stays in front of the 'castle ', his nickname for the three-level building.
He swears with passion. Yrsa did not seem to care about his problem and insulted him by brushing him off. He will show the woman that he can ride a poor horse. But where is the damn horse? Or to be more specific , where is the stable?
Must be behind the 'castle'.
He was about to go in search for the stable when Nissa jumps on his back.
"That hurts! Are you a monkey?"
"I am a wolf not a monkey."
"Let go of my neck! I need to go find the damned horse!"
Nissa starts to laugh and keeps clinging to the boy. He renounces at getting her off him and realizes that she was a stupidly strong fool all along.
"Tell me where the horse is!"
"Are you sure you want to ride him? He kicks of cowards!"
"Just tell me already! I am in a hurry!"
He follows the directions of the girl that is still in his back and, as he guessed, the stable was behind the 'castle'.
It was a long stable made of wood, of course. He enters and Nissa jumps off his back. He stretches his back and slaps lightly the back of the girl.
"Let us go! He has a special box at the end of the stable."
"Let's hurry up!"
Sigurd is not hurrying because of the mission. He walks close to Nissa and drags her as fast as possible.
The horses were snorting and the size is something to fear. He started to question his decision of riding Arvak. By what he remembers, Arvak was not that big compared to these horses.
Sigurd could swear that were hundreds of horses he passed in hurry and Arvak and the end of the stable were no where to be seen.
"How many horses are here?"
"I never counted them."
Nissa smiles and points at a horse.
Sigurd stops and looks desperate.
"What now?"
"This is my horse Snow! Do you like her?"
The horse was indeed beautiful. The mane and her body were a shiny wight that could blind anyone. Not for Sigurd who is dragging Nissa after him to their impossible mission of finding Arvak.
The end of the stable in visible and Sigurd seems satisfied.
"Yes, we are finally here! Fucking long stable!"
"We are fucking here!"
Screams Nissa along.
"Never ever copy my language!"
Sigurd started to preach about why she should not do it.
"Your mother will beat your ass and mine if she hears you talk like that. Understood?"
He finishes with the most convincing words that were enough to make Nissa nod in agreement.
After she skillfully saddles the horse that was relatively calm, she admires the work she did with Sigurd.
"You are really good at this!"
"You were even better than me. You taught me."
"Really ?!"
The reins and Sigurd took the horse opened the door that is opposite to the box where the horse was.
"Why did we pass the whole stable when was a door at the end of the stable? We could have enjoyed the outside of the stable!"
"You don't flinch anymore when the horse is touching you."
The horse is linking his nape.
"You either got use to horses or your body remembered how you acted before around the horses."
"Why is he licking my nape !?"
"He likes you!" she continued handing him the reins," Take it!"
Sigurd remains mute and follows Snow's directions.
He will be fine. Now that his body was remembering just his mind was the issue. If he can handle it mentally his body will know what to do, he hopes.
"Good luck!"
He did a cross and thanks Nissa.
"How do I make him run?"
"You do not remember? No problem!"
Nissa smiles playful and her palm smacks the butt of the horse.
Arvak neighs and with no need for trap he gallops in full speed.
"You little shit !!!"
Sigurd's voice is heard as he was already gone.
. . . . . .
In the 'castle' Kai and Jan heard a scream. They run at the window and what to see? Sigurd was riding perfectly.
"Why is he screaming?"
"You are right, lord. He rides very well."
Nissa waves at them "
"HE RIDES SO WELL!"
"HE IS A PRO!!
Kai and Nissa scream at each other with enthusiasm.
. . . . . . ..
The horse is by no means stopping. Sigurd sees few of the signs Yrsa told him to look at in his way to the guest house. In his head is a mess.
'I AM GOING TO MAKE THAT LITTLE GIRL REGRET HIS DAY SHE WAS BORN! SHE LITERALLY SLAPPED THE HORSE! I BET NOW HIS ANGRY! HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSE TO SPOT THIS BEAST? I WILL KILL HER!!!'
"Arvak, calm down! EASY!"
Arvak was galloping enjoying the run while his rider was almost losing his mind.
Sigurd was to proud to scream at the people that were watching him in admiration on the side of the road.
'When will this horse get tired ?!'
Contrary to his terror thoughts he was smiling.Of course people were waving happily at him.
The last sign, the cherry tree, was left behind at an ultimate speed. At this point he just hoped to not fall off the horse and come alive. The memory of how to stop the horse was now were to be found in his brain.
Soon the village was left behind and a glade is crossed by them. The wind was blowing his hair and the adrenaline was giving him the dopamine necessary to enjoy the ride through infinity and he beyond.
Just as he wiped a little his eyes, that were teary because of the wind, he saw the forest to which they are heading.
The forest is having trees. The trees are close to each other. If by any chance he would hit his head on one of the big trees if he losses his balance he will have no guarantee to be reincarnated again.
That was his new life.
'If I die, I will die proudly on Arvak.'
He closes his eyes for a moment because of the tears falling.
Not sure if was because of the wind or he was really crying for the first time after he killed his father.
His fingers are piercing the reins and his jaw tenses. He will not fail. Maybe he will be able to cross the forest too.
Ground crushing sounds are coming from behind. He cannot look back.
A man on a horse is riding next to him but he cannot see his face properly. Just the long hair that was dancing in the wind was the last think he barely say as the man was already in front of Arvak grabbing the rains. He pulls his horse to stop and Arvak slows down abruptly. The man lets go at the rains as Arvak rises on his back feet.
The man dismounts quickly and catches the rains again. He pats the horse. Arvak grazes under the gentle pat like nothing happened.
'The horse in not moving.'
"Were you scared?"
Sigurd wipes the tears and and dismounts just to fall poorly on the grass.His clothes are green on his knees and elbows.
His fingers are bleeding a little from the way his nails pierce as he was griping the reins the whole ride.
"I am not scared! Who are you?"
The man squats down and takes his hand into his as he examines Sigurd's palms.
"Let go!"
The man was to focused to hear him or just did not care about Sigurd's protest.
Sigurd watches him. The man was not really a man but more of a boy with a well worked body. Not to muscular but not to slim. His face was fine like a women's but the beard gave away his masculinity. His hair was black and stupidly long.
The boy rips from his shirt some long strips and wraps both of his hands.
"Why the fuck did you rip your shirt? It was just a little blood."
Sigurd was already thinking that the boy was more than aloof when it comes to the way he responds.
His eyes met Sigurd's. The green eyes of the boy were reflecting in Sigurd's blue eyes. The boy reaches to Sigurd's hair.
"What are you doing?"
The boy pulls a few cherry flowers and some grass from his red hair that was tangled.
"What is your name?
"Karlen."
Sigurd feels the need to need to breath peacefully.
"Can you show me where Talis and Frey are? Or are they coming to the party?
Karlen rises and mounts on his horse.
"You must be Kai's son, Sigurd."
"Yea. Yrsa sent me to escort you to the party."
"Well seems that I will escort you."
"I will escort you!"
"How? You cannot ride do you?"
"OF COURSE, I CAN!"
"Follow me."
Karlen nonchalantly kicked the grey horse.
'He is a wolf in sheep's clothes.'
Sigurd stands up and mounts on Arvak. His palm slaps the horse's butt. He riches Karlen in gallop.
"See I can ride perfectly!"
Karlen speeds up and Sigurd copies Karlen kicking Arvak.
They race till the 'castle'. When they got close to the entry, Sigurd clenches his teeth. He needs to stop the horse. How?
"Stop the horse! Karlen yells, "Pull the reins!"
Sigurd leans on the back and pulls the horse with all his power.
Arvak traps and then steps making Sigurd breath mentally.
The party was already started.
"Let's party people!"
Nissa is on a table with a mug. She is staggering.
Leaders, villagers, and the family will have one hell of a party.
And the last one sober shall take care of the drunkards.