She grinned. “I won the bet.”
It took me only a moment to realize what she meant. Today was the day before the harvest, making it the last day of the season. And that could only mean Frida had made an announcement recently. I threw my head back with a laugh. “Freyja will be pleased her blessing was stronger. And just in time for the wedding, yes?”
Astrid nodded. “This Frigg’s Day.”
She looked down and her cheeks tinted pink. “Will you be there?”
“If you’re inviting me.”
She looked up and smiled. “Yes, I am.”
I brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. “I promise I will be there.”
“I am pleased to hear this,” a masculine voice said.
We looked up to see her father and mother approaching. Both smiled, and this time, her mother spoke. “We are always grateful for your presence and blessings, Týr.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I will be taking Astrid with me today.”
Astrid stared up at me. “You want to take me somewhere?”
Bjørn grinned. “You are welcome to take her anywhere for as long as you wish. Though I believe her brother would like it if she were there for the wedding.”
I chuckled. “I’ll do my best to make sure she’s back in time for that.”
Today’s plans wouldn’t keep her longer than today, but it was a tempting idea to take her back to my home on the island, and never let her leave. Of course, I wouldn’t do that without consulting her first.
Randi walked up to her daughter and took the flowers. “I’ll take care of these for you, Sunshine.”
Astrid thanked her, and I led her away from town.
“Týr, where are we going?” Astrid inquired.
“Fenrir, Baldr, and I plan to engage in some sparring. Freyja will be there to supervise, as we can sometimes get out of hand.”
She cocked her head. “Why do you want me to be there for that?”
I smiled. “Because I want you there, and I thought it might be a good opportunity for you to practice your magic.”
Her face reddened. “Oh, I practice with Mother. You don’t need to—”
I pressed my thumb to her lip, and the feeling of her soft flesh on mine sent a spark of need flooding through me. “I will make sure you’re the most powerful völva the world has ever seen. Freyja even wants to teach you something.”
The color in her face deepened, and her gaze fell to the ground. “All this special treatment… you know how to make a woman feel special.”
I grinned. “That’s the idea.”
A wolf howled in the distance, and a moment later Fenrir barreled out of the woods. Behind him, Baldr, a lean but muscular man with pale skin tattooed with runic arm and chest bands, and braided golden hair and beard, barreled after him. Before I had the chance to warn her, Astrid gasped and her hands flew up. Fenrir found himself pushed back several paces. Baldr was far back enough to stop in time before the blast touched him.
The attack was nothing like she’d done with the bear, but not too bad of an attempt against a god.
Fenrir stood there, head cocked, as if confused. I laughed. “Serves you right, Fen.”
His words projected into our minds. “What did I do?”
Astrid huffed. “Don’t startle me like that.”
The wolf god snorted and Baldr laughed. The two walked up to us, at a much-less-rushed pace.
