"Yer back Aibhi! What has happened?! Is Da with you?!" Brae was the first to rush towards her as she entered the Great Hall, "Are they marching here?! Should we run?"
"If ye'll let me speak, Brae, I'd tell you what has happened," Aibhilin huffed with Brae trailing right behind her.
"Aye, let her speak, Bee" Dolina said in her calm way, though her eye swam with unease, "Tell us, Aibhi, what has happened?"
"The Vikings half way to the village by the time we reached them," she grumbled, crossing her arms and letting her sisters gather around her like ducklings, "We met with their Laird, er, Jarl and father agreed to shelter and supply them so that they might leave as soon as possible."
"They're staying?" Muira squeaked making Aibhilin sigh and feign a smile.
"Aye, they are staying in the barracks, but their Jarl," the word felt strange on her tongue, "and his righthand man were welcomed to stay here. In the guest quarters." Her sisters all started to talk at once, Brae in outrage, Dolina in concern, and Muria in fear. Aibhilin closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose, letting them ramble on. The Great Hall doors opened once more.
"I see yer sister has told ye all the new," her father said all to calmly as he strode in, "I want all of you ta listen to me. Aye, that means you too Aibhilin Duinn MacConnich." She winced at hearing her full name. Ah, she was in trouble then. Looking up at her father almost a bit sheepishly, the young women all listened to what their father said. "These men are our guests," he put up a hand when the girls' voice started to rise once more, silencing them all, "But they will be watched. Yer not to be alone in the same room wit any of them, understood? They are warriors who've been at sea fer who knows how long. I'll no' see any of ye married off to a wolf, aye?" He paused giving them all a concerned smile. "I'm gettin on in years, so donna make me have ta fight some young pup, alrigh'?"
Even Aibhilin had to give a small laugh at that. For some reason the face of the young Jarl flashed a crossed her mind. The odd styling of his pale blonde hair and the way his ice blue eyes had pierced right back through her molten glare. He was so young to be leading a band of warriors and yet he had held steady as any seasoned warrior before their entire clan, and demanded respect. Her face turned a bit red. Why on earth was she thinking about that sly wolf? Fine. She'd only ever admit that she respected his bravery. But she didn't have to like him and she sure as the sky was blue did not trust him. Looking over her pretty sisters as their father explained that the men were to be treated and tended to as guests, Aibhilin came to a conclusion. She'd keep an eye on the young wolf herself. There was no way she was going to let there even be a chance of him getting near her sisters. Everyone had heard the stories of the Viking's and their silver tongues.
"Is that understood Aibhilin?"
"Wh-What?" she stammered caught off guard by her father addressing her. She turned red as her sister snickered. Her father just sighed and raised a brow.
"No quarreling wit' our guest, ye hear me lass?" he grunted, but gave her a grin, "Aye? Now off wit ye. Go help yer sisters." Aibhilin rubbed her cheeks as her sisters whispered teasing comments about just what she was thinking about. Tickling them to drive them off, Dolina stopped her. The reserved lass just smiled her ghostly smile and knitted her brows a bit. The elder sister gave her a questioning look.
"I know I usually show guests ta their rooms, but..." She didn't even need to finish her sentence. Straightening her back, Aibhilin smiled and put a hand on her sister's shoulder.
"Jus' get the rooms ready and I'll show them ta the quarters," she put up a finger, "But get it done fast, aye? I'll no' have those dark, long-lashed eyes around any wolf. He'd gobble ye up in a moment!" With a laugh she tickled her sister, who was sent running off to her duties. With a small laugh to the empty room, the red-haired girl's smile faded. Right then. Time to see to the Laird Wolf then.
Leaving the Great Hall, she started her way to the barracks. He'd probably be overseeing his men. Peering in the large building, she put both hands on her hips and tried to look as intimidating as possible. It probably didn't work, but she felt intimidating. Or at least mildly confident. Somehow on her trek here those blue eyes had tried to drift through her thoughts again and she had slowly and steadily lost a good bit of her calm. What was it with those eyes? She had seen blue eyes before, plenty of them, but his were somehow more impressionable than the rest.
Aibhilin didn't like it. She didn't like feeling all vulnerable and shaken. So she scanned over each man milling about in the barracks with her head high and face impassable, if still a bit red. Finally she spotted him and marched right up, tapping him on the shoulder. The odd tingling feeling from touching just a shoulder was too warm and made the shaken part inside her feel even more unsteady. Placing her hand back on her hip, she tried not to frown so hard.
"Yer rooms are ready, Jarl Hakkon," she said briskly, "If ye'll ever so kindly follow me." The polite words sounded a bit to false on her tongue, but she managed a small smile at least, though it probably didn't look quite right. Ah well. She had tried.
Member
Chev
