The Sage of Einar

"What are you going to do with us King Einar? We are only women who have lost our virginity and have no value."

Einar smiled and showed two of his fingers. "You have two options. The first is to stay in this place so you can be placed in the kingdom of Ireland with new identities, or the second is that you can follow the army. 

You could find love among some of the soldiers who are single. Do not worry if you choose this option, because I will not ask you to be prostitutes. You will only have to help with the work of caring for the wounded and making food. "

The young woman looked at her companions and chose the second option. "We want to be with the army, because we don't want to be in this damn place, just so you know at night we hear laments from the baron's room.

It's something quite scary, and it really makes us think that it is better to leave this place, and I also think that your army is quite efficient, because it killed the damn rebels very quickly. "

Einar showed a compassionate look. "Prepare your things and take a bath with the soaps that we give you. Remember that if someone dares to harm you, you can see me at any time.

Discipline in my soldiers is something very important that must always be reviewed because their actions could put the army at risk. "

The woman nodded and talked to the group of women to talk about their future in the army. Meanwhile, Einar left the castle and ordered everything to be prepared to sleep outside.

This he did because he was in a state of stress, so he did not want to have to worry about strange noises in the damn castle.

The next day, the army with the guidance of the women set out for the barony of Baltimore, which was the largest of the three baronies in the kingdom of Desmond, because the barony was on the coast.

So there was a small city of almost 5000 people, whose majority of inhabitants were simple fishermen. While the army advanced, the women looked surprised at the white deer that accompanied Einar.

Which seemed to follow him without using a rope. The animal was completely friendly. This surprised them but only one of them who had heard stories from her grandmother knew that the white deer was a good and bad thing.

Although from what I could see it seemed to be a very good thing, so when night came the woman walked to where Einar was sitting stroking the white deer. The woman did not know how to speak Latin but had learned Anglo-Saxon.

So she began to speak "King Einar I hope not to bother you but I would like to ask about your white deer, see when I was a child my grandmother told me stories about the white deer and its meanings according to what she called the ancient Celtic culture."

Einar looked at the young woman in front of him and smiled as he indicated her to take a seat on a nearby stone. After seeing her sit down, the young Einar spoke in Anglo-Saxon. "I am surprised that you can speak this language.

But tell me more about the stories of your grandmother. It is always important to know a little about the legends of the local people. "

The woman nodded and looked curiously at the white deer. "In Celtic culture, white deer have two meanings, one good and one bad.

The bad one represents the breaking of a promise or the damage to nature. It is a manifestation that warns that something bad was done and that you will be punished.

However, the good meaning speaks of the change that is about to occur, so it is a sign that times are changing.

Although there is a meaning that says that the white deer is such a magical animal that it is between life and death so it can communicate with the spirits, I am not sure it is true but I think it is from what I heard from the soldiers.

Possibly the white deer is being used by someone to communicate with you. That would explain why it is so polite, although there is also the remote possibility that someone has had it as a pet and has died.

So, being a trained animal, it behaves towards you that way, but that's all I can tell you, King Einar. I just hope you don't consider it too little information.

However, my grandmother said that it is important to share information. "

The young woman got up and after making a small bow she left, leaving Einar looking at the white deer that he was stroking with his hand. While he looked at him, he could think of the possibilities.

Since it was Kassia, or Erika, until it was simply a white deer that had been trained.

'I have the right to have faith and think that this little animal is someone in my family or just a normal animal that reminded him of his previous caretaker.'

Einar closed his eyes and took a deep breath because before him was the first test he had to overcome, because he had to decide whether to believe or simply deny.

He knew very well that Erika existed because he had seen her many times, but there was something beyond the dark area where he was. When thinking about that, Einar sighed and looked at the deer with a little more affection.

"Kassia."

The deer didn't react, so Einar gulped "Erika."

At that moment, the Deer laid his head on his chest, so Einar used his hands to caress the head of the deer who seemed quite relaxed while listening to his heartbeat.

Without being able to find something to say, Einar sang the song that his daughter liked. He would lose nothing if he did it, because for the first time in a long time he was feeling a sense of hope.

Einar cleared his throat and began to sing. 

"Imagine me and you I do

I think about you day and night ... "

As he sang the song, he watched as the deer relaxed to the point that he lay down with his legs, while leaning his head on Einar. As the song progressed, Einar felt some tears come out of his eyes.

At that moment he did not care how strange it might look or if it was just his delirium, but for those moments that deer stopped being an animal and became his daughter for a few minutes.

When he reached the end of the song, Einar just breathed and looked at the deer with affection while hugging his head "I don't know if you are Erika or if you are only the most affectionate animal with whom I have been able to be.

But thank you very much for allowing me to release these tears. If you are Erika, I can only tell you that your father will use his human life to find a way to free you from that work that you have.

No little girl should have the job of a Valkyrie. I am going to free you Erika maybe not today or tomorrow, but when I can do it, I will take away that burden that you have. "