💙02 - Ashes Beneath Me [Runes of Wyrd - vol 2]🤍

In the pic, from left to right Min Shieldthrower Mikki Þríkungr Album : https://suno.com/playlist/d3b85d17-41e5-4f6c-bfbc-4086191ed19e 💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍 The day of departure had finally arrived. From the first light of dawn, Trondheim had awakened in unusual unrest. The docks overflowed with sailors, merchants, and ordinary townsfolk who had gathered to watch the royal drakkars prepare to leave the fjord. Children climbed atop supply crates to glimpse the warriors while old men already whispered prayers to the ancient gods beneath their breath. At the center of it all stood Skörta Eldrún. The new queen walked slowly along the harbor wrapped in a heavy black fur cloak, watching her people chant her name with growing admiration. Many no longer saw merely a ruler before them. They saw a shieldmaiden. A queen willing to cross the sea herself in order to protect her kingdom. Yet beneath that almost legendary image, Skörta could feel the weight of the crown pressing harder upon her shoulders with every passing moment. Her gaze briefly drifted toward Erik. Her son stood tall beside the royal advisors who would guide him during her absence, doing everything he could to appear worthy of the responsibility now resting upon him. He already looked like a king in the making, though Skörta could still see the child hidden beneath the posture. So she smiled. A perfectly controlled smile. Because long ago, Skörta had understood that her greatest strength was neither her sword nor her authority. It was her ability to conceal her fears. Not far from the crowd, Min Shieldthrower had already settled aboard the royal drakkar. Sitting quietly beside the oars, she stared toward the gray horizon of the fjord, lost within her own thoughts. The wood of the ship creaked softly as someone sat down beside her. Mikki Þríkungr. The old druid let out a quiet amused laugh before glancing toward the sailors loading supplies. “Ahhhh... letting other people work for us. Now there is true wisdom.” Min lowered her head slightly, clearly hoping to remain alone. But Mikki never seemed capable of understanding such signals. “If I am the one causing that reaction, I may start feeling offended,” he added with childlike amusement. This time, Min allowed herself the faintest smile, finally lifted her eyes toward him. “Mikki... I do not know what awaits us. And I think that frightens me.” The druid searched through his satchel before pulling out a small bottle of mead stolen from the previous night’s feast. He took a discreet sip before offering it to her. “Here. Just a small drink. Between us, of course.” Min gently pushed the bottle away with a polite gesture. Her mind remained elsewhere. Mikki observed the harbor for a few moments before speaking again in a calmer tone. “You are afraid your jarl will discover the truth. Aren’t you?” Min slowly turned toward him. Her gaze searched his face, trying to understand how far the old druid’s awareness truly reached. Yet Mikki still wore that same strange expression of an old man privately laughing at a joke nobody else could hear. “I do not know what you think you have seen, but...” “Tss tss tss,” Mikki interrupted while raising one finger. “I see far more than people imagine. And your eye is not merely some anomaly. I can see it.” Part of his smile faded. “You are not a simple servant, Madame Shieldthrower. You were chosen.” Min sighed softly and looked away again. “Chosen for what exactly? I barely understand why any of this is happening to me at all...” “Because the gods adore making things complicated. It is their only true talent.” Despite herself, Min let out a tired laugh. But her expression darkened once more shortly afterward. “Helena still hates me.” “Oh no,” Mikki answered with sincere amusement. “Helena hates absolutely everyone. She simply does it with greater passion when it comes to you.” Min shook her head faintly. “She believes I am responsible for her mother’s death.” Mikki did not answer immediately. “And is she right?” This time, Min took longer before speaking. “Perhaps... a little. But it was never intentional. Ingrid attacked me after she realized Mikal Finnvard had feelings for me. I only defended myself.” The druid swallowed another mouthful of mead before wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “Well... at least we now know where Helena inherited that terrifying temperament.” A brief smile crossed Min’s face before fading once more. “Mikal Finnvard saw everything. He protected me... but Helena never forgave me.” Mikki studied her more carefully now. “And yet... that still is not what truly frightens you.” Min immediately looked away. The old druid’s mischievous smile slowly returned. “Do not worry. I will say nothing about your son.” Min lifted her head sharply. Her eyes widened with shock. For a moment, even the noise of the harbor seemed distant. Meanwhile, Mikki appeared almost proud of himself. Then he calmly rose to his feet. “Well then... someone must stop Torstein from drinking the reserves before departure.” And with that, he walked away laughing quietly to himself. Min remained motionless for several moments. Around her, sailors loaded the final crates while Johannes silently helped tighten the ropes along the ship. Beneath the cold morning light, the man looked calm. Almost human. But Min could no longer think clearly. Mikki frightened her. Not like a warrior. Not like a monster. Like someone capable of seeing directly into another person’s soul without effort. She quickly wiped away the tears beginning to form beneath her eyes before taking a long breath. There was no turning back anymore. She had to follow her son. Her jarl. And perhaps, one day, finally confront the truth she had spent years trying to escape. At last, Min rose to help the sailors prepare the ship for departure. A discreet smile had returned to her lips. But her mind still remained far beyond the fjord. 💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍 I hide behind smiles The sea feels so cold His eyes know too much (He sees all) I cannot breathe now The gods watch in silence (Silent gods) My hands still tremble I hear Ingrid scream (In the dark) I still see her blood, on my hands Carry me... Bruno trusts my voice (His mother) But truth breaks all things Helena still burns (Burns for years) Inside her silence (Silent fire) Mikki smiles softly (Ancient eyes) Like he knows my soul (Knows your fear) I fear what comes next (Fimbulvetr) Before Ragnarök... If truth devours us... Ashes beneath me Ashes inside me I carry the storm And all my secrets still scream tonight Ashes beneath me Ashes inside me I walk through the dark (Walk alone) While love and blood slowly tear me apart I thought silence could protect them But silence only feeds the dark. If the truth must destroy me then let it destroy me standing. The fjord calls my name (Calls again) The wolves now awaken (Hungry wolves) I hear Sköll breathing (In the night) Beneath mortal skin (Hidden face) The old gods are dying (Dying slowly) Their shadows still crawl But I will not kneel (Never kneel) Before frozen skies Ashes beneath me Ashes inside me I carry the storm And all my secrets still scream tonight Ashes beneath me Ashes inside me I walk through the dark (Walk alone) While love and blood slowly tear me apart Ashes beneath me Ashes beneath me