Page 13 of Drengr
I pointed at her bowl. "You eat. I will explain it. Njal said that Peritans need to be fed regularly, so I have to make sure that you eat."
Holly rolled her eyes at me, but tried a spoonful of haensa soup. "That's delicious. Now explain."
I suppressed a laugh at her insatiable curiosity. "The Valkyr is stocked with large amounts of building block nutrients. These are combined in a complicated process to create a copy of the ingredients it needs for meals. It can make artificial meat, vegetables, fruit. Since all things in the universe are made up of the same building blocks, it can generate dishes from every planet, every culture, as long as it knows the formula. Torsten, the most technically talented Vikingr on this crew, has started programming the Valkyr with Peritan food formulas. Before we depart, all females will be asked for their favourite meals so he can make sure they're included in the database."
"Depart," she echoed, looking up from her half-empty bowl. "Is that the plan? You're going to leave?"
"We," I corrected gently. "If you decide you want to come. Many unmated Vikingar will stay behind until they find their own mates, but Captain Njal wants everyone who has been successfully matched to come with him. He wants to find a new planet to settle. A newJörð. Steff suggested that we start a settlement on Peritus, but we'd get into trouble with the Intergalactic Authority. We're not even supposed to be here. Peritus is under intergalactic protection, and we risk punishment by being in contact with you all."
Holly set down her spoon. "Intergalactic Authority. Other species. New planets. Forgive me, but everything you say brings up so many more questions."
"Which is why I should stop talking about such things. I was told that this is a Peritan tradition for mates?"
I pointed at the candles and plants that Holly had put into a glass of H2O.
She grinned. "Yes, candle-lit dinners are a very romantic tradition. Not many people do it anymore, but I always thought it's terribly romantic. My..."
Her smile disappeared in an instant. The warmth in my heart dimmed as if clouds had pushed in front of the sun, hiding all light.
"How much do you know about me?" she asked.
"Almost nothing. What did they tell you about me?"
"Less than nothing. Steff only told me your name when she led me to this room."
I nodded sagely. "Then we should get to know each other. I assume this is what this is for. A first meeting to see if we really are mates."
I didn't tell her that I'd been convinced of that fact ever since she walked into the room. I felt it. She was my mate, as much as it hurt to admit it. I'd been in love with Randi, my kvenn, but I'd never felt this instant connection with her.
It made me strangely angry. The universe had denied us this bond. Now I was bound to another, a female so perfect that it hurt. Why was I being tortured so? Hadn't the loss ofJörð been enough?
"I'm a teacher," Holly said with a smirk, "which explains all the random questions I keep asking. I live in Dumbarton, twenty minutes outside Glasgow, but I guess you won't be familiar with Scottish or even Earth geography. Let's see, I don't have any children, I am kind of unemployed after I quit my job and haven't managed to find a new one yet. I like to make resin jewellery in my free time and, you should probably know that I'm widowed. My husband died eighteen months ago. And yes, before you ask, I'm ready for a new relationship. He told me several times while he was in hospital that I should find someone new after he was gone. It's taken me until now to feel like I can move on. And..."
She clutched her necklace before meeting my eyes. "I'll put this out here from the start. I'm not going to forget about my first husband. I will sometimes mention him, and there are traces of him in my life. They will never disappear. The good memories I have of him will always stay with me. And my new partner needs to be okay with that."
Her expression was fierce, as if she expected a negative reaction to her words. I gave her a sad smile and pulled a piece of cloth from my pocket; part of the shirt I'd taken off for the last time.
"I know exactly what you're talking about," I said quietly. "And now I think I know why the gods have matched us. The same horrible thing happened to us. I lost my kvenn. Until yesterday, I still wore the shirt she made me. This is the last remnant of it. I was able to take off the shirt, but I cannot let go of her completely quite yet."
Holly reached out to me, gently settling her hand on mine. The grief shimmering in her golden-flecked eyes was the same I felt. We were the same.
"What was her name?" she asked.
"Randi, daughter of Kvani. She was a fierce warrior."
She smiled sadly. "Randi and Brian. We won't forget them, but they would want us to move on."
Or maybe they were waiting in Valhalla for us. But I didn't say that. I knew she was right. I had to get over my guilt and start to live again. Njal had been trying to tell me that for a long time now. I just hadn't been ready to listen.
I cleared my throat. "Let's have some more food. And talk about happier things."
"You never ate your soup."
I looked down at my full bowl, no longer steaming with heat. "You are right. I forgot. Your presence distracted me."
"Charmer. I will stop asking you questions so you can eat. Instead, how about I tell you a bit about my life?"
And so she did and I lapped up each word, her words more nourishing than the haensa soup.
