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Of course Eivor would have found an abandoned child, and of course she would take her home to Randvi.
She had found the little girl, no older than eight, in a shed, drenched with rain, crying and shivering even too scared of Eivor to talk or look at her. The girl had torn clothes, a dress that seemed to do nothing to help with the cold, cuts and bruises on her legs and arm. A nasty scar across her right eye. She reminded Eivor of the time she had lost her parents, however this girl looked even younger and more scared of the world. When Eivor tried to console her, she flinched away, looking at Eivor as if she could turn into a monster at any time.
Eivor decided to start a fire, to at least warm her up a little. The girl stuck to the corner of the shed they were in,arms wrapped around her, shivering. She laid down her cloak and sat on one end to leave enough space for the girl to feel some kind of safety, hopefully to invite her to sit down. She would earn her trust at her pace, trying to look as less as intimidating, a hard thing to do for the viking. She had just shot a bunny for food and started to dress it. Two small blue eyes watched intensely to see Eivor work the knife through the skin. She saved the skin, maybe the child could use it.
Eivor looked through her pocket, right before she arrived here she had picked some berries to snack on. She took them out of her deep pocket, throwing out some that didn’t seem to live up to her standard, crushed or too warmed up by her body heat. She held out her hand, coaxing the little girl towards her. Maybe it was cruel, but she had to eat something at some point and she could see how emaciated she was. Very slowly one tiny step, then another and another as the girl stood at the other end of the cloak, Eivor held out her hand. The girl looked skittish at Eivor then slowly her hand took one berry and inspected it. Eivor could see the inside tumult going on, should she eat it or not, is it safe, can this woman be trusted. She put it slowly into her mouth, tasting it first, then eagerly eating.
“You want more, little one?” Eivor held her hand out with the rest of her berries.
The little girl looked at her questioning, asking her if it was okay, her head tilted.
“Go ahead, take them all.” She egged on.
She didn’t need to be told twice, in a flash the berries were gone, the majority into her mouth. Eivor chuckled softly at that, some hunger she must have. She patted the space next to her, hesitantly the little girl sat down criss cross applesauce. Playing with her hands nervously after she put the berries she left over in the pocket of her dress.
“Do you know where your parents are?” Eivor rotated the bunny as she looked at the small child.
Tears filled the little girl’s eyes and shook her head looking at her hands. A sigh left Eivor’s lips, this was going to be hard.
“It’s okay we’ll figure something out.” She said more for herself than the girl next to her. Leave her in the next town over and ask around. Or she could take her to Ravensthorpe, they had enough people to take care of her. Maybe even her and Randvi, could take her in? Hell they already took a wolf and a cat in what more could a kid need. She knew the kids of the town loved both of them.
“They are gone,” a small voice interrupted Eivor's thoughts. Maybe Ravensthorpe was the better option. She turned to the girl and held her arms open, if she wanted she could get-
Before she could finish that thought Eiivor was met with a full force body throw of the girl who clasped her arms around her and started crying, with full body shivers.
“Hey, hey, you’ll be okay,” she comforted the girl rubbing the girl’s back, “you want to come with me, I’ll keep you safe I promise.”
She felt the girl nod and positioned the girl better in her lap and cuddled her stroking her hair, that’s what parents did to calm their child right? They are going to have to learn so much. It took a while for the meat to get ready but when it was, the girl had already fallen asleep. She laid the girl next to her and covered her with her cloak, stroking a stray hair out of her face.
Oh what would Randvi say about this, luckily she was already on her way back to her wife, maybe a day and she would arrive back home. Eivor was daydreaming about her arrival when she noticed a big dark gray Norwegian forest cat came sniffing, nose up into the air smelling the meat that was prepared. She ripped a piece of meat off the thigh and threw it to the cat, who sniffed it and ate it, slowly blinking its eyes. Eivor chuckled at herself for the scene that had played out, oh if Randvi could see it. The cat walked towards Eivor sniffing her knee before bumping its head into Eivor’s hand. If this was a sign by Goddess Freya then so be it, she was taking this girl home, home into the care of her and Randvi. The cat curled up against the girl, started purring as it laid its tail over its nose.
Early in the morning, before sunrise, Eivor slowly lifted the girl that was still deep asleep. She cradled her against her shoulder and threw her cloak around her to keep her warm. The cat first protested, the body that she was curled against had been comfy, but soon stopped and trotted behind Eivor as she walked out of the shed. It followed the two all the way home to Randvi.
She arrived late in the evening. The girl wanted to walk a bit, but due to not having any decent footwear her feet hurt, she had lifted the girl up again. That was how Randvi saw Eivor arrive, a child on her back asleep and a tired Eivor. She moved away from the table.
“Hey dear,” she gave her a kiss, “who we have here?” She stroked a brown hair out of the face of the girl sleeping against her wife. The girl stirred, slowly waking up from her slumber.
“Where are we?” the girl said, looking around.
“Home, sweetheart,” Eivor put her down, “this is Randvi, my wife.”
“Hi, what’s your name love?” Randvi knelt down to meet the girl at eye level.
“Mathilde.”
“That’s a beautiful name, for a beautiful girl.”
“Your hair is beautiful.'' The girl slowly held out her hand to touch Randvi’s red hair.
“I think we will be great friends.” Randvi joked to break the ice, she looked at Eivor and took Mathilde’s hand. “Are you hungry?”
“Not really, I am really tired.”
“Did Eivor tire you out with her talking?”
The girl giggled and nodded. Eivor feigned shock, a hand to her chest.
“Let’s go, you can stay in the room near us okay?”
“Can I stay with you?” Mathilde asked, looking at Eivor, she had her already wrapped around her finger.
“Of course my love,” Eivor stroked her hair, “let’s get you tucked into bed.”
That morning the three of them woke up. Eivor by being swatted by a dark gray paw at her head. A small chuckle from her right and her wife staring at her with a wide smile on her face.