Fate Rebellion

After Rurik and Eilin shared their stories, they'd realized there was a difference in the way their reincarnation worked. 

Rurik, for one, had slowly regained some of his memories, before suddenly recalling all of it in a single flood. 

Eilin, on the other hand, had been a perfectly normal daughter of a Jarl, until the day she met Rurik. After touching him, it was like her previous self-awakened and then possessed her new self while their memories intertwined. 

Plus, there was one other important question. 

"How do you think Mistress ensured I'd be able to meet you, Master?" Eilin asked with a thoughtful frown. She was still sitting by his feet, leaning against his leg. In her previous life, after submission had begun to make her feel safe and protected, this had quickly become one of her more comfortable places to be. 

Rurik scratched his hairless chin, a thoughtful gesture he'd picked up in the later years of his previous career, yet didn't look as natural without the short beard he maintained back then. He'd been thinking about the same thing, but had no answer to give. 

He shook his head, "I have no idea. There's no way she'd just rely on chance. She didn't even seem to know who I became. The only thing she appeared sure of was that I'd sail for England with Harald Hardrada…" He fell into a thoughtful silence, before shrugging, "But just for that I could have been nearly any warrior in Norway." 

Eilin frowned, nodding as she agreed with her master. Since Luna didn't even know who Rurik became, there was no way she could have orchestrated their meeting. 

Suddenly, she started to grin a little as she looked up at him, "Maybe our meeting was simply fate…?" She clearly liked that idea, regardless of whether it was true. 

Rurik raised an eyebrow and looked sceptical. He opened his mouth to say something… but then he closed it again and frowned. 'I know there's clearly a lot I don't know about her, but… could she really mess with something so esoteric as fate?' 

Suddenly, he felt a small tingle of doubt inside him. Who was she really? Was their initial meeting truly a confluence of circumstance? She told Eilin that 'someone' had brought him to the past, but who? Why were they even interested in him? And what was their relation to Luna? Did she even know who they are? 

Question upon question filled his mind, but as soon as the first smidgen of doubt about Luna's love for him, he suddenly slammed down the discipline hammer. 

'No!' he growled to himself defiantly. 'There's clearly a lot of questions she needs to answer, but until I see some actual proof to the contrary, I refuse to believe our relationship was a lie! I will find her. And when I do, I'll listen to her explanation and make my judgement then. I won't fall into a spiral of speculation.' 

He looked down at Eilin, who'd been looking up at him with curiosity at his expression changes. Another bit of doubt snuck into his thoughts, but he quickly discarded that, too. 

'Eilin has always been more loyal to me than to Luna, simply because of her infatuation,' he told himself resolutely. 'There's no way she'd be keeping something from me at her behest… Not unless Luna told her it was in my best interest, perhaps?' 

But then he suddenly cursed. 'Hel, now I'm doing the speculation thing again.' Sighing, he stood up. "Whatever," he told Eilin as he looked down at her. "I'm sure the answers will come, but until we have proof of the contrary, we will trust Luna." 

He looked down at the kneeling Eilin, and once again noticed the fiery devotion that lay behind her gaze. Any doubt that she might choose Luna over him, should it ever come to that, evaporated. He stuck out his hand towards her, "Come on, Eilin. We have a lot to do." 

Eilin grinned widely, and took his hand before elegantly rising to her feet. "What's the plan, Master?" 

"We train, and we network," he told her sternly. "By the time we leave for England, I want my influence to reach even beyond Nidaros, and I want you, myself, and Maria to be the strongest warriors among our peers." 

Eilin cocked her head with a hint of confusion in her eyes. "Maria, too, Master?" 

"Yes," he nodded sternly. "I don't know what's going to happen when we sail for England, but if I have to leave Maria behind, I will leave her with a way to defend herself, at least." 

By now, he was forced to admit that he felt a familial bond with his little sister… one that he hadn't yet felt with anyone before. Not even Elisiv. He did care for his mother in this second life, like she did for him, but he didn't feel the kind of bond he felt with Maria. 

"She's lucky to have you, Master," Eilin grinned playfully, without a hint of jealously. Any woman in service to Rurik would either squash their jealousy early, or be driven insane by it. After all, none could ever rise up to compete with Luna. 

Fortunately, Eilin belonged to the former category—to her, the words Rurik and jealousy no longer existed in the same dictionary. 

They walked over to the entrance way, intending to leave, when Eilin suddenly raised another point. "By the way, Master," she asked, eyes twinkling with desire. "Will you mark me again?" 

Rurik's lips curled up into a grin. He did enjoy the effects of his ability, particularly because the women he marked enjoyed it to. To him, bringing women pleasure was the greatest enjoyment during sex… because he loved being in control. 

"Perhaps," he chuckled as he enjoyed the desire Eilin's eyes. "It will have to wait until my ability awakens, but if you ask for it nicely enough..." 

Eilin didn't seem to mind his playful tone. Her grin widened. "Oh, you know I can ask very nicely, Master…" 

Rurik nodded, his grin widening as he stepped outside. It was time to get serious…