A Vikings Final Moment

England, 871 AD off the shores of Northumbria, a man breathing heavily with his ax and shield in hand, and with his eyes growing heavy, gripping his wound turns from the battlefield. He spots a lone dead tree off in the distance on the edge of a cliff. He makes his way stumbling, holding his side.

As he stumbles into the tree, starring at the grey midafternoon cloudy sky, he can hear yelling, screaming, the clashing of swords and shields off in the distance behind him. In front of him lays a fleet of longships, banners flying high, rocking lightly in the waves of the North Sea. Dropping his ax and shield, he slowly slides down the tree, laying restfully down on the ground below it.

To his surprise, he looks up to see something hanging from the branches of this dead, leafless tree. With a limb of the pear tree hanging just low enough, he reaches out to grab one small, lone pear hanging down in front of him. With his hands dirty from battle, he smiles as he takes the pear and pulls it off the limb, a gift from the Gods. The sweetness of the pear and its settling crunch as he bits into the pear brings a small smile to him. For he knows this will be his last few minutes on Midgard.

The Viking takes another bite, resting his head back up against the tree, closes his eye, chewing slowly. He thinks of his wife back home, his two sons and daughter, and his small farm. He thinks of the tales his sons and daughter will tell of their father, the warrior, the Viking. They will tell of his riches and his journeys, his sacrifice and faith, his triumphs and his woes. They will spread the tales of him drinking from curved horns, feasting, and fighting in the Halls of Valhalla. He basks in the glory of the stories his sons and daughter shall make. For he knows one day, he shall feast in their glory, with Odin in his glorious halls.

As the pain grows more intense, his body wearier, he takes another bite of that pear. With his eyes growing heavier and with the shallowness of his breath, he thanks Odin and Thor for the life they have helped provide him. He thanks them for the protection they have granted him as they walked beside him in life. He thanks Tyr for his strength in battle and Frigga for his family, and he gives thanks to Heimdall, for when Heimdall shall welcome him into the Halls of Valhalla.

As he tries to finish the last of the pear, he gives thanks one more time to Odin and Freya for bringing him here. To this lone, dead pear tree upon the shores of Northumbria, allowing him one last meal on Midgard. He gives Odin and Freya thanks for allowing him to thank the Gods for his life. He thanks them for his family, and he gives them thanks for what they have provided to him in this life, for he knows his time in this world will soon be over.

With his last bite, his hand slowly falls to his lap with what remains of that pear, and as he swallows that last sweet, crunchy bite, he smiles with light laughter and a tear in his eye. With a slight tremble, a last shiver of pain, he manages to situate himself to sit more upright. He gains the strength to grip his shield tightly, in his left hand against the ground and his thigh. He then grabs for his ax to his right and lays it across his lap. His tear glides down his cheek as he gives one last grieving smile of pride. He notices the pain in his side has now passed. His trembling has stopped. His eyes are no longer heavy. The sound of battle in the distance is now silent.

He looks up to the sky to see Valkyries in golden light soaring high above on their snow-white horses, galloping through the cloudy grey sky guiding his fallen brothers to the Halls of Valhalla. The Viking looks over to the right to see a Valkyrie smiling upon him. Sitting high on her horse, she reaches out her hand, waiting for him to grab ahold of it, and as he reaches for it, he feels his last breath leave his body.

As he mounts the horse, sitting behind the Valkyrie, he slowly turns to look back at that lone pear tree, his body dirty from battle, sitting proudly against it, eyes closed but smiling. For he knew this is where his body shall lie, where he shall spend his last moments on Midgard with that last pear that tree shall grow, and for his lasting memories. He served his Gods, and now his Gods are summing him home. He feels peace, he feels restful, and he feels pride. He turns to face the Valkyrie and says to her.

"I'm ready to be summoned home, to drink mead and feast in the Halls of Valhalla, to be reunited with my brothers, and to fight for Odin and make our Allfather proud for the time of Ragnarök!"

The Valkyrie smiled with a nod, and to the Viking says.

"The Halls of Valhalla awaits you, Bjorn,"

As they both ascended through the sky with her snow-white horse guiding their way, he could hear deep echoes around him. The sound of Heimdall was finally welcoming the Viking home with Gjallarhorn, his high sounding horn, to the Halls of Valhalla.