(no subject)

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan is sitting on the fence of the goat pen, staring into space and absently scratching one of the goats behind the ears.

(And occasionally swatting the others away from attempting to eat his clothes, when they tug hard enough that he notices.)

Please feel free to distract him from his own thoughts. They're not very cheerful today.

Comments

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Do you know if they have names yet?"

That is Ragnar, coming up from the direction of the sparring grounds with some sort of wooden club over his shoulder.

[athelstanthescribe]

"They're Gyda's to name", he says with a shrug. "I think she did give them names, but I don't remember them."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"I didn't ask her, the last few times I talked to her," Ragnar says. "Instead, we talked about Lagertha and Björn turning up again, and about her plans to go live in some world."

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan glances down and pushes another goat's head away from his sleeve.

"No", he says to it firmly, then back to Ragnar, "Has she found one?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Not yet, as far as I know," Ragnar says. "She may be going about it a bit too directly, too."

Ragnar bends down to the goat and earnestly looks into its eyes.

"No eating people's clothes, you hear?"

[athelstanthescribe]

"I don't see why she thinks she has to find one, if she only means it to be temporary. She can learn what she needs to here."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Yes, it doesn't really make sense, but I feel I can't forbid her" Ragnar says. "Perhaps she thinks that being alive means she has to have a world."

He leans on the fence beside Athelstan and tickles goat ears.

[athelstanthescribe]

"If she's going to find a new world", he says quietly, "I still think it would be better for her to close the door on the old, and live her life there."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Then we would have to lose her again," Ragnar says, "but at least we'd know she'S alive, for the time being, and gets to live as she wants."

He turns his head to look up at Athelstan.

"That is what her new life is for, after all."

[like_quicksilver]

"Don't eat Athelstan!" Gyda shouted, coming in with a bag of food for her goats. "There's no meat on him!"

She laughed as they started following her to their food trough, where she unloaded her sack into it. Her clothe's her usual mix of modern and home, a homespun tunic and more modern skirt with an unusual amount of pockets. She doesn't know why it has this many, but they may come useful for things.

Having 'saved' Athelstan, she turned her attention towards him, noting his expression. "What's wrong?"

The goats eating his clothes may've been troublesome, but it still couldn't account for his expression.

[athelstanthescribe]

For her, he musters a smile, and it's very nearly convincing.

"Oh, nothing." And everything. "Just one of those days. How are you?"

[like_quicksilver]

Nearly, and Gyda's not sure if she should be glad it's a smile atleast, or worried because it's still clearly strained.

"You have a lot of those days." She knew him well enough for that. "I'm well. Have you seen the posters for the county fair? I'm going to see about entering, I'd like to see about growing okra and maybe some craft as well."

She tried to smile. "Has father told you, they'll soon be able to sail to England and take you back home."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Yes, he tells me your mother and brother will be coming with him", he says with a nod. "It will be good to see them again, after so long. What are you thinking of crafting?"

[like_quicksilver]

"Some embroidery." She answered. "I entered with some bands last time, but I'd like to try something more advanced this time." It was a craft her mother taught her, and something she wanted to keep trying with.

She looked down at the goats, mirroring his action by scratching one behind her ear. "You should give them my love, if possible, next time you see them." In the back of her mind, she never stopped wanting to go home. For all she loved her father and Athelstan, there was something in her that wanted a more settled home..in lieu of the one she had to leave.

[athelstanthescribe]

"If Ragnar's found a way to tell them about your existence here, then I will", he promises.

[like_quicksilver]

She nodded, knowing that was the best either could hope for. "Father told me that mother's earl in her own right, and of course Bjorn now fights in the shield wall." She recalled when she was still alive, how often he talked of wanting to find, and was upset each time father denied him.

[athelstanthescribe]

"He's more than old enough now", Athelstan agrees. "And if any woman could take and hold an earldom, it's your mother."

double thread!

[soldier_blade]

No doubt Athelstan would recognize the woman who soon joined him at the fence as Sonya, but not the one he'd grown to know: there were signs of age around her face, marking her at around 40 or 50 years old, and her hair had grown to the length of the small of her back. Yet, she still carried herself with the air of one who was a survivor, and hadn't allowed the years to stop her from combat.

Sonya was about give the man a nod for greeting, but froze. Though she'd felt 'connections' to some of the people she supposedly 'met' in another timeline, none were as strong as when she finally got a good look at the man standing next to her. The feelings of de ja vu were so strong, they were like flashbacks, but none that she ever remembered in her own timeline.

"Afternoon." She forced herself not to sound as shaken as she felt. "This is going to sound strange, I feel we've met before, but I can't recall your name."

[athelstanthescribe]

He finishes reclaiming his sleeve from a goat yet again, and looks up at her.

"...Sonya?"

[soldier_blade]

"Gen-" She nearly said, out of habit, but quickly stopped herself. This was a non-military zone, she had to get out of the habit of being addressed as General Blade when the rank held no authority here. "I mean, yeah, that's me."

She didn't mean to stare, but the flashes of memory were so strong: not unpleasant, far from it, but they were clearly from 'someone eles'. "What's your name..we've met before, I can feel it, but I don't know your name?"

It felt almost wrong, really. Clearly this person meant a lot to the Sonya from the other timeline, enough that her memories 'crossed wires' with her, but she didn't even know his name.

[athelstanthescribe]

"I'm Athelstan", he tells her. "And yes, we've met before, many times."

[soldier_blade]

"That's what I've getting." She frowned, pain swelling up in her chest. How many friends of hers were still alive that she felt this connection to-Jax and Vera of course, but few others. "Cassie said that another version of me has been coming here for awhile-a few years if her notes are correct. The more I'm here, the more I wish it would've been the same for me, only first arrived here a few weeks ago."

She turned her attention to the goats. Jax and Vera owned a farm just a few hours drive from Base-it was the only place she felt 'safe'.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Another version?" He frowns. "Are you Cassie's mother?"

In a truer sense than the other Sonya is.

[soldier_blade]

"From another timeline." She clarified. "And yes, I am. Cassie was the one to tell me of this place, but prior to that, I've never heard or been here before. Yet she told me that 'the other me' had been coming here for much longer, and was younger than I am now."

Talking with Athelstan just confirmed this. She would've had to have come year for years to built the feelings and flashes coming from him.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Correct", he says with a nod. "I doubt you'll meet her, there seems to be some safeguard in place preventing such things."