by Jada Turner
The two brothers just hoped that Andor, back on shore in Jutland, could say the same.
Part VIII
Back in Jutland, everyone was in high spirits. Astrid was able to provide the men with every resource they needed. The houses were looking better, their stomachs were full, and they had all learned to hunt and build fire. During the day, Andor assigned the men different jobs that needed to get done before his brothers returned with his mother. At night, the men gathered around a campfire, drank the mead provided by Astrid, and ate their killings from the day.
All of the men adored Astrid. She was a beautiful spirit who provided them with anything they asked for. She shared amazing stories about her life before and gave them news from loved ones they had lost.
“If only Finn had stayed behind. He would have loved to get to know you. Maybe he would let his silly fear go,” Andor said one night.
“His fear isn’t silly, Andor. He is afraid of ghosts, as everyone should be. He just needed to learn the difference, and he will.”
“Do you know how they are?” Andor asked her this multiple times a day. He knew she was unable to locate anyone who wasn’t on solid ground, but he hoped she may have found a way.
“They haven’t made it home yet, but your mother is doing well. She is sick, but she is strong.”
Andor took a long gulp from his mug. He was extremely worried that his mother would pass without him having the chance to tell her he loves her one last time. Mentioning this would make him seem weak in front of the men, so he kept his concerns to himself. He didn’t even tell Astrid, because he was afraid of what news she might bring him if she knew how upset he would be.
Astrid noticed the look of sadness on Andor’s face. She refilled his mug and spoke up so the entire group could hear, “I think I should walk around and see what might need to be done tomorrow, so I know what to bring back in the morning. Andor, can you please join me, so I know what you will want?” She shot him a look, letting him know she had other intentions.
“Hey, Andor!” one of the crew members shouted, “if you can shoot another one of those big bear looking things, that would be great! That meat tasted so good!” He then tumped over to the side and off the stump he was perched on, having drank way too many mugs of mead. All the men laughed.
“I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
The crew seemed to have no idea that there was anything to even be concerned about. Everything at Jutland was going so well, they seemed to forget that half the crew was still sailing and that Andor’s brothers were also out of the picture.
Andor didn’t feel that it was his responsibility to bring the spirit down.
“I can sense that you are afraid, Andor.” Astrid didn’t hesitate to get to the point as soon as the two of them had walked out of earshot of the other men.
“I am.”
“Talk to me, I can help.”
“I fear that my brothers will not make it back in time for me to say my final goodbye to my mother. I fear that Finn and Kristoff may be butting heads without me there. That Kristoff is taking advantage of Finn’s quiet demeanor. I fear that I am stuck here with no ship to ever leave.” He took a deep breath.
“And?” Astrid prompted.
“I fear that I am falling in love with you.”
Astrid took both of his hands in hers. Again, the sensation of her cold hands in his warmth sent electricity throughout his entire body.
“Finn and Kristoff have spirits on their side. Your father made sure he sent you all back for your mother before it was too late. Finn being alone with Kristoff is probably the best thing for him, he is probably growing up so much and learning how to speak up for himself. Kristoff may be hard, but he would never take advantage of your little brother. You are not stuck here. they will be back.”
“And?”
Astrid stepped closer to him. “I am falling in love with you too.”
Part IX
Kristoff and Finn finally made it back home. The ship pulled right up to shore and they were the first off the ship, running toward their house. Kristoff arrived first and he barreled through the door.
“Mother?” He shouted. Fear came through his tone for the first time since they left Andor back in Jutland.
“Who’s there?” the voice of their mother came from the back room. She sounded panicked.
Finn barged in right behind Kristoff and they took off to the back room. Their mother was lying on her bed covered in layers and layers of quilts.
“Are you okay Mother? How are you feeling? We came back for you. Father sent us.” Finn shot a million questions at her.
“Slow down son. What’s this you say about your father? Are you sure that you are okay?”
“It’s a very long story, Mother. We have a whole village just for you. We came back to take you there. We will name it whatever you want. You will be the ruler of the land. We got it for you.”
“Very well, let’s go then. You can tell me everything while we sail. I don’t have much time. Where is Andor?”
“He’s back at the village, getting it ready for your arrival. He is very excited to see you, Mother.”
She reached her arms up toward them. “Help me out of this bed.”
Finn and Kristoff each took one arm, throwing it over their broad shoulders, and lifted her from the bed. They carried her to the ship.
At the ship, Astrid was waiting for them.
“I am glad to see that everyone is well. Andor has been very concerned.”
Finn’s eyes grew wide and his face grew pale. “How...how are you hear?!”
“Are you still afraid Finn?”
Finn nodded. Kristoff and Astrid laughed.
“Let’s get Mother aboard,” Kristoff said. Then he directed his attention to the crew members waiting on the deck. “Go back to my house and gather her things, Astrid will lead you.”
“She is very pretty, but she looks a little strange.”
“She is a spirit from the afterlife sent by Father to guide us home to you. She has been back with Andor helping him get ready for you.” Kristoff explained.
“Oh Andor, he is going to fall for that dead little girl.”
Finn gasped, “Mother!”
They got their mother aboard the ship and then went to help the men carry all of her things back. They carried blankets, robes, and jewels. Finn was sure to keep his distance from Astrid, he was still very much afraid of her.
Once all of her possessions were brought aboard and all of the men returned to the deck, Astrid bid them farewell. “I look forward to seeing you back on the beaches in three days time.” And she disappeared into thin air.
Finn shuttered.
Part X
Andor was pacing back and forth along the shore. All of the crew was sitting around drinking, as all of the work that needed to be done was complete. Now it was just a waiting game. While the men saw this as an opportunity to party, it only made Andor more anxious. He had no work to distract him, and Astrid had not yet returned that morning. He began to doubt her honesty. Maybe it really was all just a ploy.
His mind was racing with different possibilities. Maybe the people of Jutland were going to attack any minute. Maybe Astrid had killed his brothers and he was next. Maybe it was a way for Kristoff to get rid of him once and for all. Andor felt that he couldn’t trust anyone. It drove him mad that no one else was questioning their predicament.
He picked up a stone from the beach and threw it as hard as he could out into the water, letting out a grunt as the stone left his hand. He marched up the beach back to where all the crew members were gathered.
“How long have we had sunlight this morning?”
A few of the men looked up to the sky and one of them spoke, “It’s been about two hours, sir.”
“Where is Astrid?” one of the men asked.
Andor frowned and grumbled under his breath, “great question.”
“Well we have enoug
h booze to last us a few more days!” All the men laughed.
Andor reached his breaking point. His face was deep red and veins were bulging from his neck. “Do you think this is a joke? We could be left for dead! That’s funny to you? Stranded here with no family? Yeah, hysterical.” He stormed off back to the water and began hurling rocks again.
Silence fell over the crew. It was sobering to hear what very well might be the truth.
Andor refused to look back up the beach, the sight of the men was nauseating. Even when he thought he heard Astrid’s voice, he didn’t look. She forced me to fall in love with her and trust her, he thought, just to take advantage of me.
“Andor.” The sound of Astrid’s voice grew closer. He still did not turn. “Andor.”
Finally the voice sounded like it was right behind him, but he still was not convinced. It’s just my imagination, he thought. But then, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder. His entire body relaxed and he felt infinitely calmer. He turned around and saw her standing there.
“I didn’t think you were coming back.” His voice was soft and scared, not the normal deep sternness that he usually evoked.
“I was with you brothers and mother. Everyone is well. They are on their way back now.”
Andor felt relieved. “Thank you.”
“Andor,” Astrid spoke with urgency, “you know what this means, right? For us.”
“No, what’s wrong?”
“Once they return, once the journey is complete, I have to leave. I will have to guide someone else.”
Andor felt his heart sink into his stomach. He knew nothing would ever really work between the two of them. They both existed in different times, in different lives, but he was not ready to say goodbye. “How long do we have?”
“Three days.”
“Then we must make the most of every minute.” He took her hand and led her down the beach away from his crew. The turned into a small ocean inlet that was hidden by houses and rocks. Andor wrapped his strong arms around her petite waist and lifted her off the ground. He kissed her with more passion than he had ever expressed in his entire life.
Astrid kissed him back with an equal amount of passion and she ran her ice cold fingers through his hair. His back was pressed against a boulder and they were being splashed by salty ocean water.
“The water is cold, are you okay?” he asked.
Astrid laughed, “I’m always cold.”
Andor laughed too and nodded. “Right,” he said , and he continued kissing her. He placed light kisses along her jawline, on her forehead, and on the tip of her nose.
Things became more and more intimate between them. Andor’s entire body felt alive. Everything they grabbed at each other, wanted to be as close as possible. He wanted to be able to feel her entire body against his.
When things began to get more serious, he stopped. “Is this okay?” he asked. He didn’t know what would happen if things went any further. He didn’t know if that was even possible.
“I don’t know,” Astrid admitted. “I’ve never been in this situation. This is my first time back to this life.”
“Should we try?”
Astrid nodded and began kissing him again. Andor continued until the two were completely connected.
“I love you, Andor. I love you so much. I wish I had known you before.”
Andor nodded and felt a tear form in the corner of his eye. For the first time, someone was able to make him feel more emotions than just anger and bitterness. They spent the rest of the day entwined in each other's arms laying on the rocky beach, using Andor’s robes as a blanket. The sound of the waves crashing onto the shore lulled them to sleep. It was the first real rest Andor had since he and his brothers set sail months ago.
Part XI
A strong ocean storm formed over night and the men were unable to row on. The only could row to make sure the ship didn’t blow of course. Kristoff was running around the deck making sure everyone was okay and that the ship was able to continue on. Rain and sleet was pounding down on everyone and the waves rocked the ship back and forth violently.
Finn stayed below the deck with their mother. She was in good spirits considering the circumstance. She was just happy to be with her sons.
“Is this what it’s always like? You boys are crazy! Just like your father,” she sighed, “just like your father.”
“Are you okay Mother? Do you need anything?” Finn was worried that the storm might be the last straw for her. He wanted to make sure she made it through this and that she was able to arrive to Jutland with them and see her middle son.
“Finn stop your fussing. I am fine, just let me rest. Will we be there soon? Go ask Kristoff.”
“We are probably delayed. The storm makes it hard to move forward and I’m sure it blew us off track some.”
“I just want to see Andor before I pass.”
“We’ll get you there. Don’t worry.”
Just then a huge wave hit the side of the ship and Finn fell onto the bed. He apologized over and over and she just laughed.
“What a great adventure!”
Finn laughed nervously. He wasn’t sure that they would make it in time if this storm kept up.
Part XII
As the sun was setting Andor and Astrid stood as the shoreline and watched the sky. There were dark clouds in the distance and the could hear the low rumbling sound of thunder. Astrid sensed that Andor was worried about the storm. She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.
It didn’t matter that they were in eyesight of the crew, because everyone was passed out from a day spent drinking.
“They’ll be back soon.”
“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” Andor said. “I want to see my brothers again and I want to say goodbye to my mother before she leaves us.”
Astrid nodded.
“But I’m not ready to let you go. You’ve changed me.”
“You changed yourself. Your father is so proud of you and I know your mother will be too.”
“Will I ever see you again?”
“I hope so.”
Andor kissed her lips lightly. The sun was just about disappeared on the horizon and that meant it was almost time for Astrid to go back to the afterlife. He gave her one last squeeze and whispered, “I’ll see you tomorrow” into her ear.
Astrid took two steps back from him after one last tight embrace and then left. Andor trudged back up to the house and joined the rest of the men sleeping on the ground.
He tossed and turned for the first few moments of the night. Never in his life had he felt so torn about his desires. His wants and needs were always obvious to him. Until this point, Andor knew he wanted riches, his own ship, his own crew, for Kristoff to give him the respect he deserved, and to make his mother happy.
All of those things were right there in front of him, but now Astrid was in the picture. Andor never loved someone like he loved Astrid. Maybe because he was always at sea and didn’t have the opportunity to meet someone. But even that made no sense, Astrid made him feel things. He was in touch with his emotions like he never had been before. Not even when his father was still alive. Having his brothers return with his mother was going to bring him immense joy, but having to say goodbye to Astrid, maybe forever, was going to bring him immense sadness.
He eventually was able to fall asleep knowing that he had at least one more day with Astrid. It wasn’t worth worrying over yet.
He began to dream about what life would be like if Astrid had been alive at the same time.
He dreamt that they lived here in Jutland together after he fought one hundred men on his own to take it over. They invited his brothers and mother to come live with them. Everyone was so thankful that Andor was considerate enough to invite them to his land. He spent his days hunting and providing for his family. His brothers were impressed that he learned how to hunt and they didn’t. Ast
rid would prepare all of the game over a fire she built herself. She wasn’t like other women, she was independent and didn’t need a man to help her, but she loved Andor so much that she chose to marry him. He dreamt that he and Astrid were able to conceive children. They had two sons and one daughter. The boys were protective of their little sister even though she was tough, just like her mom.
He smiled in his sleep imagining how great that life seemed.
“Andor! Andor!” he loved the sound of her voice in his dreams just as much as he loved it in real life. Then he realized that it really was her voice. The sun was up, he slept soundly through the whole night.
“I have to say goodbye now, wake up. Please please please wake up so I can kiss you one last time.”
Andor opened his eyes and saw Astrid standing over him. “What? They aren’t back yet, why are you going? Don’t we have one last day?”
Astrid’s face was sullen, if she could cry, she would. “They told me that your brothers would be back before sundown. I already have been assigned to my next guider.”
Andor jumped to his feet and wrapped her in a huge bear hug. He lifted her up and carried her out of the house so that they didn’t wake up the other men. He carried her all the way to the ocean inlet where they first made love and he kissed her and kissed her, barely leaving time to breath.
“Thank you, Astrid. Thank you for everything. I will never forget the love we have. I hope I can see you again someday.”
“I love you too. I hope your mother is well. I hope she enjoys the land you created for her.”
“Give my father my love. And Kristoff and Finn too, I know they would want that.” Andor began to cry. It was the first time he really cried since his father died.
“I have to go now.” Astrid gave him one last kiss and then vanished.
Andor sat on a boulder and spent the rest of the morning alone watching the horizon., hoping the ship would appear soon. His heart was broken and the arrival of his mother was the only thing that would bring him any happiness at this point.