Prologue
The air was thick, almost as if it was meant to suffocate the living. The smell of blood and sweat was hugging that very thickness, almost as if it were a coat. Hooves of Jutland horses pounded the earth’s dirt and sounds from all around danced with one another. Men shouting, women shooing small children out of the way, and one powerful endless scream. It seemed that a small cabin hosted countless bodies of women, they rushed out and in without rest. Rushed and panicked women frantically search for another, yelling demands to the men standing in awe. Laughter from the children had finally died away as a final heart-shattering wail broke through that very door belonging to the cabin. Hair made of fire and eyes of emerald stone pushed past a group of men standing in the pathway. The Danish woman rushed her way through the small gathering, spatting insults as she passed. Her hands and arms filled full as much as she could carry. Trailing behind her another woman followed hot on her heels, again with both hands and arms filled full as much as she could handle. Her light brown hair is colored golden blonde under the sun’s glare; her eyes turn from brown to matching gold under her glare, making it clear that her threats do not need to be vocalized. Her glare alone began to wake them out of the standing trance making two of the men grab the items from both the women’s arms and follow quickly. The red-haired woman began to clear the cabin, ordering the men to take the items inside and leave. An older woman stays, she is kneeling beside another. Labored breathing replaces the eerie quiet of the cabin, the only other sounds come from the outside world. Hushed commanding voices slowly fill the room, clean cloth is dipped into fresh cold water and placed on the woman in the center of the room. Four women begin to catch the eyes of the other, the oldest has a knowing look as the youngest is still very clueless. The oldest woman kneeling over the one laboring instructs the three younger women to move a small feather-stuffed bed over. They are to help place her on the bed and her back, they do so with ease.
“Isidora, listen to me. Listen, she needs you up by her head. Guide her, she needs to know you are here.” The oldest woman says. The shortest of the women moves her feet quickly, she kneels on the floor and grasps a sweaty hand. Another scream rips through the cabin, teeth grinding down as her back arches.
“Davina you and Mavis push her legs up. Hurry I see the head.” The two move quickly, one on each side of the laboring woman and they both grab onto her legs pulling them up to their chests. The older woman wipes her hands clean with fresh water and pulls back the woman’s dress to see a head crowning out of her body. The older woman tells Isidora to help push the woman, she looks as though she is slightly sitting up now. The woman screams out with clenched teeth, she lays her head on Isidora’s shoulder.
“Helga, I need you to push. Push, push now Helga. The head is right here, I see red hair.” The older woman demands. The woman curls upward, her head leaning toward her held-up legs, and grunts very nastily. The vein between her eyes becomes noticeable, her face becomes the color of a tomato. The older woman can see a forehead turn into a full face. She begins to place her hands around the neck and helps guide the babe out of its mother.
“Mor, push! I see the head!” Isidora yells. The young woman squeals in excitement and kisses the back of her mother’s head. Davina begins to laugh, she shares in anticipation, she looks over at Mavis seeing her wide smile.
“Kom Helga! Almost there, push! Push!” Mavis yells out. Her body is shaking with emotion. The older woman struggles to guide the babe out and looks to see Helga throw her head back to breathe. Helga’s body begins to shake, her head feels light and airy. She feels too weak to keep pushing. She tries to speak but all that comes out is painful cries as another contraction takes over her body.
“Helga, push. Freya will help you, call her to you.” Davina says harshly, she sees how Mavis looks at her mother and then back at Helga.
“She’s getting too tired, she needs rest. She nee- “The older woman cuts Mavis off quickly.
“No, she needs to push the babe out NOW. Helga, it needs to come now, or I will have to cut it out of you. Push.” The woman snaps. Isidora begins to chant to her mother; she rubs her arms and wipes her forehead with cool water. Her mother shakes her head and grabs Isidora’s hand. The older woman begins to panic inside as the babe is still unmoving, its mother is now far too weak to keep pushing.
“Hilda, she has been laboring for 3 days, she cannot keep pushing. Cut it out now, she will die if you don’t” Davina growls at the older woman. Hilda takes a deep breath in and looks up; she looks at Helga and then at Isidora. She was waiting for approval. Helga cries out, her body tirelessly trying to push the babe out. Isidora stares at the wall behind Hilda, the mere thought of losing her mother freezes her bones. Everything seemed to move slowly, she could see tiny particles dancing in the air, her heart began to beat in her throat and her blood pumped within her ears. The movement to her right made her eyes slowly refocus. Davina had left her mother’s side; she was running to the nearby table. Muffled shouting pierced through the blood pumping in her ears. The only sound to wake her was the sound of her mother.
“Do it. Cut it out.” Helga said. Her very voice began to crumble, her body started to feel cold. Her chest felt heavy, yet it felt as though she could float through the roof of this very cabin. She felt hands grab her leg and hands grab onto her arms. She silently called to Freya, to come to her and protect her. She prayed the Goddess was hearing her, she prayed that she would come down and stay to hear her babes first cries with her. She begged the Goddess that if she took her that she should wait. She wanted to lay her eyes on the babe before she would leave. Her body felt heavy, cold air nipped at her naked skin. Warm wetness flowed out of her body; her babe had come into this world finally. Her breath hitched; her heart started to falter. New screams reached her ears, her babe has finally arrived.
“It is a girl! Mor look at her hair, it is as if fire kissed her very head.” Isidora cried; warm tears fell from her eyes. There laid in her arms a freshly wrapped babe with hair kissed by fire. She looked at her mother, she was so weak and looked so tired. She saw her mother’s arms rise; she was reaching for her baby. Without hesitation, Isidora laid the babe in her mother’s arms. Helga smiled softly at her newborn baby; her eyes would not dare move from this new face. She felt warmth in the middle of her chest but that suddenly became cold. She felt her breathing get harder. She smiled still, her eyes looking up at her second-born.
“She has your looks… she is a beauty, Helga,” Hilda said with a sad smile. Her eyes began to water but she quickly blinked them away. Her heart began to shatter as Helga gave the babe to Isidora. She could see her chest falter and to no fault of her own Isidora seemed to think everything was going to be fine.
“Mavis wash the babe…Davina…” Hilda began to quickly grab the attention of the girls. Mavis’ chin began to quiver but she took the babe and walked over to the table. Davina stood beside Isidora and touched her shoulder; she silently told her to sit with her mother. Isidora frowned but grabbed onto her mother’s hand. Helga smiled weakly and licked her lips, she felt the Goddess calling her and she wasn’t willing to go just yet.
“Isis, will you name her for me?” Helga asked. Isidora nodded quickly.
“Tell me her name, please,” Helga whispered. Her chin shook slightly. Isidora took a deep breath in and stammered. Her mother tightened her grip and blinked her tears away. Freya was almost here, but she can’t leave just yet.
“Orsolla... her name is Orsolla. After bedstemor.” Isidora said, she let out a small cry. She was so happy, she truly thought her mother was going to be fine after some rest, and then she would help with tending to the needs of the baby. Davina took a sharp breath and looked at Helga, her chest began to slow more as the seconds passed and her face began to pale over. Helga’s lips began to turn from rose pink to a dark red-purple color but there was still a smile resting in them. She felt Freya’s presence above her, it was almost time and she was willing to go now but first, she needed to say goodbye.
”Isis promise me you’ll protect her. Promise me so I may rest easy.” Helga said softly. Her chin wavered slightly, her fingertips felt numb and her chest began to feel empty. Hilda walked over to Isidora with a clean Orsolla and smiled with tears in her eyes. She nodded at Helga and patted Isidora’s shoulder. Isidora took a small breath and looked at her mother, she nodded.
Helga smiled again, her eyes were heavy and her heart began to come to a slow beat. Freya held her hand out to her, calling her. She was here to guide her to her everlasting life, to walk with her on the path to the feast until the battle of Ragnarok. Her eyes closed slowly, her hands losing their tension and her chest stopped moving.
