At home, miserable with pneumonia, & couldn’t read the sad headcanons of @dreamwritesimagines FoH Queen any more. Here’s some fluff instead!
It seemed ages longer for y/n. Ivar gone on the raids, the birth of her child, the winter snows come & gone. With the wee one & helping Kattegat’s people through the harsh winter, one would think she wouldn’t have time to miss her. She was just a creature, after all. But, miss her she did.
The babe had turned one moon when Eitr abruptly reached out to y/n, ruffling her hair with her beak, the gentle touch still amazing Ivar. Then, she’d fluffed herself over to stand on the crib rail. Fanning her wings high & wide, the falcon had moved from foot to foot as she chirped & chuffed out a message known only to her & the tiny babe. Then, after casting a glance at Ivar, she’d snapped her wings & taken to the skies.
It had been a whole year.
Making his way through the docks, he spied his queen & their child. Oddly, she wasn’t staring at the sea as she was wont to. The trees and hills beyond Kattegat held her gaze; so lost in her thoughts was she that she didn’t note his approach.
“Little Shark?” Y/n jumped at his voice, but the toddler in her arms shrieked with glee, leaning towards him in a demand to be held. All too happy to do so, Ivar scooped the baby into one arm, smiling at the drooling babbles sent his way.
“Husband, you startled me. We’ve just stopped in to see Floki. He showed me the carving of Urda he’s making for the harvest festival.”
Ivar hummed in acknowledgement as he pulled his braids from the wee one’s tight grip. “Lithasblot will be here before we know it.” Shifting his weight, he reached out and stroked y/n’s cheek. “You still search for her.”
Abruptly, she yanked her gaze from the sky, busying herself with smoothing down the tuft of blonde baby fuzz that refused to lie down.
“I know she’s not coming back. Freyja simply lent her to me for a short while. It would be foolish to expect such a fierce creature to be content doting upon me.”
“Well, I’m a fierce creature, & I enjoy doting upon you,” he growled a kiss under jaw, smiling when both his queen & his baby giggled.
“Yes, but I still set you free, my love.”
“And I always return to you, my queen.”
A startled shout, then another, caught their attention. The darting movements of people hustling away from something had Ivar shoving them behind his back, pulling an axe at the ready. A scatter of motion to his right had Ivar freezing in place, eyes wide.
“Little shark,” he whispered. Y/n peered over his shoulder and gasped.
Sitting on the side of one of the boats sat Eitr, as sleek and beautiful as ever. And beside her sat two young chicks, fluffy and round. Eitr chirped to her, & y/n hustled forward. The falcon chirped proudly, her head swiveling to look at her chicks. The two eyas fluffed their wings, & funny baby squawks chattered from them. Tears filled her eyes as y/n turned back to her faithful friend.
“It’s good to see you, my friend. Freyja has blessed us both. Your children are beautiful.” The familiar cooing song sent the tears spilling down her face, pooling into the corners of her smile. Suddenly, her own baby pealed out a cry of delight, tiny fingers opening & closing towards the birds. The two chicks set about clucking & chirping in earnest, & the three young ones set about a serious conversation, baby sounds of both kinds filling the air. Eitr puffed up her breast proudly as both y/n & Ivar laughed at their antics.
Another shout from the silenced crowd drew their gazes. A flickering cloud grew before them, erupting into a flock of falcons. The fierce breeze of their passing danced in the sails and stirred up y/n’s hair. A terrific roar of jubilation sounded from the crowd at the return of Freyja to their queen & their people.
“A feast!” Iva declared, hugging y/n to him as the baby’s chubby hands clapped happily. But Ivar had eyes only for the blinding smile of his queen as she stroked a finger over Eitr’s wing. When she turned to coo to the two chicks, he leaned toward the falcon, who stared at him intently.
“Thank you for coming back to her.”
That night, y/n placed an extra fur over the sleeping baby due to the open window. For while Eitr slept contentedly with her chicks in a nest Floki & Gala carefully crafted for their room, she never wanted her faithful friend to feel trapped. Just like her husband, she wanted this beautiful, fierce creature to always feel free.
