Freya
It was quite the gale that had set their naval vessel so far adrift in the northern waters above the Arctic Circle. The Captain, a brave man, but unaccustomed to the deep winter chill in the air, did his best to keep his crew busy and his ship afloat as he desperately searched for the stars that would take them home. Unfortunately, the stars above his head would never match the sexton device in his hands. The ship had gone far beyond the realm of men.
With a frightening swiftness, the storm ceased and a deathly stillness surrounded the vessel. The men onboard were as frozen as the sails dead above their heads. The Captain looked around, reaching out tentatively to the man beside him. Indeed, he was covered in ice crystals and cold to the touch. He recoiled, stumbling back against the wheel. A breeze whipped through his hair, as long, porcelain arms wrapped around his shoulders. His breath caught in his chest. He tried to pull away, but the arms were too strong for all the delicate appeal.
“Wh… who are you?” He attempted to demand of the hidden figure at his back, “How did come upon this ship?”
“My dear man,” a silken, alto voice nearly purred into his ear, “I came to the lost warrior that called for me.” Before he knew what he saw before him, the Captain found himself lost in the soft lips and entwined embrace of this mysterious lady.
The Captain opened his eyes to find himself asleep in his quarters. He felt the soft motion of the waves beneath his back and could smell the warm, spicy air breaking through the cracks in the shuttered windows. He sat, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. A dream…
Suddenly, a faint, short cry pierced the air. The Captain almost didn’t hear it. He shrugged it off, standing and making towards the door. As his hand grasped the door handle, the faint cry became a loud giggle. The Captain turned, hand falling to his dagger. There, in the corner of the room was a chest. Its lid was open, fabric spilling out the top. The Captain inched his way over and peered inside the chest.
Beaming up at him, a smile on her lips, was a baby girl. It didn’t take much for the Captain to realize that his long… entertaining dream had not been a dream after all. He picked the tiny girl child up from the chest and brought her out of the cabin.
“Come, Lenore,” the Captain sighed, “Time to go explain this one to my wife.”
