Memories of the Past... Chapter 8 revamped

AN: I know that the last chapter was rushed and not explained well. I have re-written it tonight keeping some and changing other material. I hope this makes a little more sense to the readers. Again, I made an error assuming we all knew about death, rebirth, and a duality of souls. I have made this chapter more of a conversation chapter. The next will walk you through the changes Eric undergoes before their return to the realm of Earth. Have a great evening. And again I appreciate all the critics both good and not so good. It is how I improve and I thank you all. I also know I can not make every person happy with my story and I know some do not want the idea of Sookie being an old soul reborn but this is the direction I wanted to carry the story. I want a strong Sookie instead of the typical Sookie that always needs saving. I want a warrior Sookie damn well capable of standing on her own so I am giving her ancient knowledge to allow her to do so. Also, Eric has suffered in pain for over a thousand years and I think it would be nice to see the man given a little something to make him happy. If you do not like where the story is going I understand but I will do my best to please as many of the people reading it as I can. Much love and appreciation to those that read my stories. You are the reason I keep writing! Also, please not this is my very first attempt at writing anything EVER!

The room spun and it felt like I was outside myself looking in. There was an aura around my body that seemed to light up the entire room and I could see myself floating tall and erect several feet above the floor. All the ancient ones were standing in awe their mouths open as they watched Eric fall to his knees in front of me with tears of blood streaming down his face and anger flaring in his eyes.

The next thing I knew I was standing before Freya in her great hall at Volkfang. It was just she and I around a great fire. She had a motherly look in her eyes and I could tell she had intended for her and I to share a private moment. A moment where no one in all the worlds could hear or see.

"My dearest Sookie, I had to restrain your past life memories since the day you were born. However, you are becoming more adept with magic every day. I know you will soon tap into those memories and would rather share them and explain them to you than you question everything. I know you heard what I told Northman. This is your choice to make my dear for if you prefer not to know your past lives I will keep the veil intact and erase all memory of tonight from all in attendance. You still have your free will and Northman must still love and respect you in order to have your love. It was hard for me because you were part Fay and part human. The soul that left my side in Volkfang to return to earth was lost to me for many a year after you took your first breath of life. You had to open yourself up to the old religion in order for me to come to you. When you did this you allowed me the chance to explain why you have always had a warrior spirit, been strong willed, and had a stubborn streak a mile wide. It is because your soul is an old soul. When a soul is reborn for the most part they never remember their past lives. Yet traits do carry over into the life from those before. You are still your own person and you are still Sookie Stackhouse but now you can see all the past lives you have lived and learn from them. The reason you are so drawn to Northman and he to you is because in one of those past lives you were his wife Sookie. You were Sunya and the reason he could not resist your smell is because he could smell that upon you."

"Hold the damn phone, are you telling me that I am Eric's wife reborn? That is a hell of a lot to take in Lady and I be damned if I am going to be fated to the asshole out there just because of some rebirth bullshit. If that is the case then just let me be and let my memory stay as it is. Also, does he love me because he can smell that part of my soul or does he love because of who I am? I do not want this to be something that neither of us have a choice in!" I was yelling at a Goddess and my face was on fire.

Freya simply laughed at me which just angered me even more. "Sookie my love all upon earth have lived at one point in time or another. Some souls find each other again and some do not. You and Eric just happened to do that. You being with him is and always will be your own choice. I can tie people together through time but I prefer to let love happen where it will."

"Ok so let me get this straight in simple terms. My soul has been recycled so to speak and now I find out that the recycled soul I was born with has lived before as Sunya. Not just any Sunya but Eric's wife Sunya. This is what he smelled not the Fay blood and this is why he was drawn to me? So did Eric have a choice in loving me or was it something he could not resist?"

"Northman is a strong man Sookie. He chose to love you before any of this was ever reveled. Yes he was drawn to you but not in such a way as to affect his own free will. It was your love, protective nature, and unwillingness to bend that he fell in love with. You two are one of the most stubborn couples I have ever seen and believe me little lady I have seen a lot. So tell me what you want do you want to remember your past or do you wish to go on with life as you have known it? The choice is yours and if you choose never to remember I will lock the doors on this and sill your memories forever. No one will ever know of this not even Eric."

I thought carefully about this and rolled the idea over in my head. This gift from Freya would allow me to know the deepest secrets of Eric, I would know where my soul has traveled through time, and I would be blessed. "Can you give me this knowledge without everyone knowing it?"

"I am afraid once the veil is lifted my dear the traits that had been subdued would be evident to all around you. So no there is no way to keep this change in you a secret. You will be magically stronger than any witch on earth, you battle skills will be greatly enhanced, and even your physical appearance will take on subtle changes. Those closest to you will notice."

"Will I still be me or will I be lost to the memories of my past?"

"I promise my dear you will still be yourself only stronger and more powerful." Freya took my hand in hers and pulled me to sit beside the fire. "I will only offer this one time Sookie. If you decline you will live out your days as a human and I will never bother you again. It is a gift but also a curse because you will have to protect yourself from others that want your knowledge. I can say this much if you truly love that vampire down there then you are going to need all the strength in the worlds to face the battles the two of you will endure through the ages. If you wish the veil lifted then I will always be just a call away from your side."

"I do love him and I would like to be with him but Freya I must be honest there was a life I dreamed for myself from the time I could dream. I wanted a home and a family of my own. I wanted children and grandchildren that I could watch grow. If I do this will I still be able to have any of that or am I giving up that dream for another?"

"This gift is all encompassing. You will be Goddess touched my dear. You will be immortal much like Eric but without the need for blood or the fear of light. Your gift will allow you to conceive a child with Eric but mind you only one. That child will age till 21 and then will become like you. As far as grandchildren go well that is too far off to think of now. I can only make these promises to you at this time."

"So I can have the man I love, a child, no fear of dying from natural causes, and I will not age?"

She simply nodded and I stood up to pace the floor while I thought all this over. I was truly being blessed this night and at the same time I was hesitant because I did not want to give up any piece of me to do it. It was then I realized I was not giving up any of myself but gaining more of me than most would ever know. I smiled at her and she took my hand in hers and the world began to spin. We were once more in the hall and Eric was making threats about my safety and how he would tear the world apart if anything happened to me.

I heard Freya speaking to Eric. "Do you know what is happening? Eric the reason you could not resist Sookie is because she and wife's souls share a symbiotic relationship. It has been a thousand years and Sunya has been at my side resting and waiting. The warrior spirit you see in Sookie is because of the influence of the Viking lineage in her soul. This is my gift to the two of you. Sookie has had a portion of her spirit withheld from her. This was done not only for her protection but because you had to prove yourself worthy of her love and of this gift. I am now dropping the veil between her spirit and her mind as she has chosen for me to do. She will know all the past and see all the future. She will no longer be a mere human but will now be born again with my blessing upon her. Death and sickness will no longer darken her door. This is the gift I make to her for enduring your stubborn ass and loving you even when you at times did not deserve it."

I suddenly felt the blast of heat generate and spread as light filled my body and spread out. Then I collapsed. The last thing I felt was falling and bliss and Eric's arms around me. When I opened my eyes again I felt more alive than I had felt in my entire life. I had memories pounding in my brain and a pain so intense I screamed out and my body shook violently. I saw Freya standing behind Eric looking down at me with as if she were looking down at her new born child. Smiling she stated, "The change has begun and it will hurt only for a while. If she fights it Eric it will only hurt more. You should exchange blood with her as it will ease her passing from mortal to eternal." I felt rage wash through my body but it was not my rage it was Eric's. He picked me up in his arms and turned to Freya.

"What have you done?" He growled and I could hear the threat that accompanied the question.

I reached through the fire and pain and touched his face. I strained to whisper the words I needed, "The choice is mine Eric. Help me!" Then I felt his body relax and the rage die down. He carried me toward the table and others moved food and wine from it. Before all the gods and goddesses of old I changed and they watched as Eric and I shared blood. He drank from me at my neck and I suckled his wrist. The waves of pain ebbed to a slow drum. I felt the sudden desire to have Eric inside me. I could tell the desire was flooding through him as well. The audience faded from my mind and as he pulled back and I looked into those ice blue eyes full of love and amazement. I reached up and kissed his lips and let the desire in my heart flood through the passion of the kiss. Before I knew it he was on top of me and the crowd moved closer to watch. Eric unlaced my corset and for the first time I felt no shame. I was ready to be taken and I did not care who saw it. I unlaced his pants and reached in to wrap my hand around the gracious plenty that had filled me so many times before. I heard a groan escape his throat and he leaned forward to kiss me. The passion seemed to flood the entire world as he raised my dress and took me right there on the table. With each thrust of his body I felt more and more alive, stronger, and complete. The passion and desire in our union filled the room and before long the entire room was undressed and in the throes of passion. The dining room was soon flooded with couplings of every kind. All acts of love and pleasure were the ritual of the evening.

Breath upon breath brought us both closer to the edge. The moans and grunts filling the room only seemed to heighten the passion. The next thing I knew I felt my body convulse as I reached orgasm and Eric spilled his climax inside of me. No sooner than were we done the room climaxed shortly after. Each God and Goddess presented themselves in front of us and kissed me. It was a sign of respect and well wishes. When each had given their approval and blessings Freya was left standing at the throne and playing at her feet were two of the largest black cats I had ever seen. Freya was naked all but a sheer cloak around her neck. She smiled and motioned for us to come forward.

I began to pull my cover up she shook her head and motioned for us come forward. In her hands she held an intricate necklace filled with red agate and a single large red amber stone in the shape of a tear drop. The red amber had to be at least five karats. I walked toward her and she held her hand out for me. I removed the necklace that hung about my neck gave it to Eric and walked forward to receive her gift. I kneeled in front of her and pulled my long golden hair to the side. The Cats rubbed their bodies against mine and purred. Freya spoke to me in mind. "You are one now and joined in a union of souls. Magic and wonder will all be yours. The necklace I present to you will allow you to call upon me in your hours of need. I will always answer you for now you are truly my daughter. To the world you are Sookie Stackhouse to us you are more. Stay with me tonight and enjoy the pleasures of my company and in the morning your change will be complete and you will finally feel at peace."

"Yes my lady it would be an honor for Eric and I to share your company for the evening." I said aloud so Eric could hear. I turned to look over my shoulder as my lovers chest swelled with pride. He walked forward we all walked behind the thrones through a set of curtains and we were standing in the middle of Freya's hall in Volkfang. The hall roared with cheers from warriors fallen in battle as we entered the hall. Shield maidens pounded their shields and the lovers and wives of the warriors stood cheering at their sides. I felt home for the first time since my Gram had passed away and left me feeling alone in the world. I felt alive and Eric still had not said more than two words to me but his hand upon my back and the look of pride and love in his eyes was all the words I needed to know that he was happy. Freya then took my hand and we followed her to her quarters with hoots and whistles to our backs. I was nervous and excited for this was sure to be a night to remember.

Eric sat in a chair across the room and watched as Freya and I made love to each other. He waited patiently until the Freya invited him to join us. The union of the three of us was nothing like I had ever felt before. I was blessed and so was Eric. Never again would we need to be apart. Our blood bond had been renewed and I felt like my life was returned to me. I had two worlds swimming in my head and yet I did not feel like one was exclusive from the other. I thought to myself how this was so damn weird that it almost made sense to me. I had always felt a presence within and around me. Like there was a part of me clawing at the surface but restrained and I was unable to tap into it. I could smell salt water, feel crisp unexplainable cold, remember battles, child birth, and could hear the cry of The Valkyries.

A time later Freya got up and kissed us both on the lips. "My children I take my departure for there is other issues in the world that require my attendance. Enjoy your night here in my chambers. Remember Sookie if ever you need me all you have to do is ask and I will be there.

"Lover you know where we are don't you?"

"Of course I know you fool we are in Volkfang. I lived here with Freya waiting on my rebirth."

He dropped to his knees before me and took my hand in his. "Lover you and I shared a blood bond again tonight and now we are joined forever. Is that what you wanted Sookie or was it just to ease the pain?"

"Of course it was what I wanted Eric or I would not have asked. I love you."

With that tears streamed down his face and pulled me close to him and nuzzled his face into my stomach.

"I am finally a woman made whole. I feel blessed to have the honor bestowed upon me and to be chosen as I have been. I am stronger and now death will not touch me and the issue of my mortality between us is over. When we tire of the world we can always retreat here all I need to do is call upon Freya. She is my Goddess and my mother for now I am a part of her as well. I love you Eric Northman and I now expect you to spend the rest of your days with me. No secrets and no protecting for now I am again your shield maiden."

He grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. "Lover I am truly blessed but I have yet another question to ask you. Will you be my wife and take my name finally?"

"Eric I would love to take your name but you know there are going to be those that do not understand this when we return. We should take our time and do things in a way such as to arrest suspicion and to keep us from starting an all out war on earth with this news. Why don't we ask Freya to join us in union before we depart back to the island in the morning? Then later this year we will have a wedding for all those in our society."

"You are right and there are still many details to work out. Lover we will have to decide where we will live now since you are mine and I am yours. I prefer to stay at my home since it is far safer than yours and we will not have your ex living next to us."

"I understand but I think we should build a home of our own. A neutral place that we both can feel as if it is ours. Until then we will take turns staying at each home as needed. Now let us retire for the evening because though we are here in Volkfang the sun is about to rise and you will need your rest and I need to sleep also. We will work out the details of our lives in the coming weeks but for now let us fall to sleep in each other's arms."

The fire in the fireplace died low the candles seemed to flicker and then die out one by one. We lay upon fur and Eric pulled me close to his body. The normal cold chill of his skin was replaced with warmth I had never felt from his body. I was shocked but was too tired to ask questions at the present. I simply wanted to sleep and wake to sound of his breathing. BREATHING, Eric Northman did not breathe! What in the hell had happened here this night. My eyes flew open and I knew he was more than a simple vampire as I was more than a simple human anymore. What a wonderful new life we were about to embark upon.