#harald revery

[haraldrevery]

[whitedarkmoonflower]

Hi, could you write something about Sihtric rescuing a princess (Alfred's daughter) and they both falling in love for each other despite the princess is about to marry somebody else.

Princess

Pairing: Sihtric x reader

Authors note: I must admit this request is already for some time in my inbox. I really hope you are still here to read it, dear Anon. Besides that my real life is a bit demanding right now (I mean it positively), I hesitated to start writing as I thought there are already so many fics about this. But when I finally started, there was no stopping 😅.

Warnings: mention of death, violence, and murder, fluff, angst and, yeah, I got a bit horny at the end, so SMUT, 18+, loss of virginity, sad ending. I am sorry, lately I am not good at happy endings.

Word Count: 7,904

Part 2 Good wife

You were sitting by the window in your room, gazing out at the courtyard. The entire palace buzzed around reminding you a bustling anthill. It had been today as your father had announced your betrothal, and the wedding was swiftly arranged to take place within a week. Such haste was quite out of the ordinary, but there was a compelling reason behind it. Wessex was bracing itself for an impending war. Harald Bloodhair, the recently emerged Danish warlord, was gathering his forces near the borders. Each passing day new warriors were joining him, and his army already exceeded thousand men. Alfred was eager to confront him before his army grew even stronger, but he needed allies. Wessex alone couldn’t bring up the sheer number of skilled and trained warriors necessary for the confrontation.

Lord Ethelwold, one of the wealthiest nobles in East Anglia, had long harboured intentions of marriage with you, but Alfred had thus far deemed him an unsuitable match for his youngest daughter. Lord Ethelwold was notorious for his lack of restrain when it came to drinking and whoring. He was arrogant, reckless, and rude, but he was wealthy, and he had men. His household troops alone numbered around three hundred men, but he could rise much more by rallying his vassals. The shift in circumstances had prompted a swift change in your father’s stance. The decision about your betrothal to Lord Ethelwold had been taken without hesitation and the revelation of it reached you on the very day it was announced in the church—namely, today.

You heard a gentle cough from behind, and a familiar voice greeted you “Good evening, Lady.”

Startled from your reverie, you turned your head slowly and discovered Sihtric standing there.

“I apologize if I have disturbed you. I simply wanted to inform you that I shall be on watch this night,” the soft yet resolute tone of your guardian angel’s voice brought a faint smile appear on your lips.

Sihtric had assumed the role of your bodyguard for the past two months shortly after Alfred's spies had confirmed the lingering rumours—namely, that Bloodhair had dispatched a bunch of warriors to Winchester with a cunning plan to abduct a hostage from the royal family. That was when you had first encountered Sihtric, one of Lord Uhtred’s most trusted warriors and a Dane himself. He had been appointed to ensure your safety, along with several other warriors sent by their respective lords at Alfred’s demand to provide protection for all members of the royal family. It was impossible not to notice the tall, robust, and muscular warrior with his black, curly hair braided on the top, but falling to his shoulders in the back. His strong jawline, scars tracing his forehead and right cheek and the intensity in his big, mismatched eyes created an indelible impression. A captivating mixture of confidence, calmness and strength emanated from him. You caught yourself thinking that if your life were indeed under genuine threat, you would undoubtedly prefer him by your side. There was an undeniable aura of reassurance surrounding him as he bowed and extended his greeting in that gentle yet unwavering voice of his: “My, Lady, the honour is mine.”

From that day onward, you were consistently accompanied by at least one of the guards, and during the night a sentry always stood watch by your chamber’s door.

To say the least, you found little enjoyment in this new arrangement. It was a nuisance and an additional burden, further restricting your already circumscribed life as a princess. You were not allowed to move around freely anymore. The guards frequently denied your requests to visit certain places if they deemed this too dangerous. While it was undoubtedly much easier to ensure your safety within the secure walls of the palace, this had inadvertently made you a prisoner in your own home. To you the guards were simply your prison warders, with one strange exception – Sihtric.

The calm and composed Dane appeared to be the only one to understand how you felt practically locked up in the palace. You quickly noticed that the other guards and even the servants regarded him with suspicion, sometimes even with feud. However, it seemed not to bother the young warrior who did not let his demeanor falter at the strange and suspicious glances others were casting at him. You were curious beyond borders about him, particularly since you had never seen a Danish warrior before. Yet you couldn’t deny that he had somewhat intimidating effect on you, especially considering all the different tales you had heard about Danes and their heathen ways. You had expected him to be harsh, surly, perhaps ill-tempered, or even rude and insolent. Instead, you found yourself profoundly taken aback by his gentle, respectful and humble comportment in your presence.

It was Sihtric who willingly joined you on your journey to your cherished spot by the river, where you enjoyed reading while he patiently leaned against a tree, waiting. He didn’t object when you desired to gather flowers from the meadow, and what was even more important, he agreed when you asked him to accompany you to the small orphanage maintained by the Convent of St. Cuthbert’s Sisters. This was a place you used to visit quite often before. You went there to see the children, to read something to them, to play and sing with them. This was a part of your life you were absolutely unwilling to give up. The children's bright eyes would light up upon your arrival, and their fondness for you was evident as they clung to your dress and hands, eagerly awaiting the small toys you always brought or the captivating tales you told them. It was something that filled you with deep joy as you felt needed and loved.

All your other guards had staunchly opposed your visits. The narrow street leading to the orphanage was obscured by barrels, hay bales, and other stuff. It was hidden from the sight of the patrolling guards overseeing the marketplace and the entrance to the palace. It was a perfect place for an ambush, they had explained to you, when you tried to insist. Yet, you kept asking, hoping that someone would consent to your heartfelt request. Then it was finally Sihtric’s turn to accompany you from the church to the palace and you silently prayed that he would understand you as he had done already before.

“There’s an orphanage just around the corner behind the church. It would mean a great deal to me if you would accompany me there,” you asked with a slightly trembling voice as this was apparently your last chance.

“An orphanage? The Lady wishes to visit an orphanage?” Sihtric's gaze held a mixture of surprise and inquiry, his raised eyebrows signalling his astonishment at your request.

“Yes, please. Would you come with me?” there was something in your voice that drew Sihtric’s attention–the pleading tone, suggesting how important it was for you. Curiosity piqued him as he wondered why a princess would want to visit an orphanage, so he nodded and followed you to the narrow street.

You spent what felt like two or more hours there. The children's joy at your presence was palpable, and you couldn't bring yourself to depart earlier. You had brought two small wooden toys – a horse and a warrior and you played with the children and told them stories about how knights in shiny armour fought dragons and rescued princesses in the past days. They were dirty, their clothes nothing more than rags, but that did not stop you from embracing them and cradling the smallest among them on your lap.

You laughed with them and sang with them and when it was finally time to leave, tears shimmered in your eyes. The sisters were doing their best to provide the children with shelter and meal, but there was never enough silver for that. To ease their burden, you contributed as much as you could spare. One might assume that being a princess meant being rich, but in truth you did not have your own silver and needed to seek your father’s approval for any expenditure.

Throughout your visit, Sihtric leaned against the door frame, his gaze fixed upon you with an intensity that, at times, made you slightly uncomfortable. However, you were deeply grateful that he had granted you this moment of joy.

“That was very kind of you,” you thanked him as you both returned to the palace and ascended toward your quarters.

Sihtric raised an eyebrow, a touch of surprise in his gaze as he regarded you.

“You are the first among the guards who allowed me to go there,” you explained, “But I truly miss the children… and…” you hesitated unsure how to approach him with your next request, fearing he would reject it as too dangerous.

“Would you mind accompanying me to visit the children more often? You’ve seen them–you must understand…” you struggled to find the right words to explain the depth of your feelings, but you did not need to. Sihtric's gaze held an understanding that needed no words.

“Lady, I would be delighted to accompany you,” he nodded, his eyes filled with warmth. To your surprise he arranged for himself to be your companion on every Saturday and Sunday, attending the morning sermons and thereafter visiting the orphanage.

Following another Sunday morning sermon, Sihtric walked alongside you as you turned onto the narrow street behind the church. You should have known that something was wrong from the very first steps—the children's usually audible voices were conspicuously absent today, but even if you were oblivious of the threat, Sihtric instantly noticed the change. Without warning his hand took hold of yours, slowing down your pace.

“Lady, we need to turn back,” he whispered urgently.

“What? Why? No, Sihtric, we can’t, you know…” you couldn’t finish your saying as suddenly a figure sprang before you from the rooftop of a nearby building with an unsheathed sword in the hand. Sihtric instantly shielded you, pulling behind him.

The man raised his sword and lunged towards Sihtric with a loud shout, but Sihtric had already anticipated his move. Stepping aside, he evaded the strike, causing the man’s sword to go down meeting no resistance. The man stumbled slightly, but that was enough for Sihtric. Seizing the moment and using his loss of balance, Sihtric’s hand closed around the man’s throat, while his other hand swiftly drew his dagger, fastened to his back. In a heartbeat the man dropped to his knees, chocking, his both hands pressed at his throat in a futile attempt to stop the gushing blood. You screamed in fear, and, in the next moment, more men materialised from the shadows of the small houses. Sihtric positioned himself again protectively in front of you.

“Lady, please remain behind me, I will protect you. Don’t run, as I don’t know how many men might be waiting further down the street,” his voice exuded a calm certainty that was both reassuring and astonishing. To your surprise you felt your breathing steadying and the dread that had already almost completely consumed you receding.

The subsequent events remained a fragmented blur in your memory. The men lunged at Sihtric, their weapons drawn, stabbing, chopping, and shouting incomprehensibly. It seemed to you that the time has slowed down as you watched how Sihtric danced around them parrying their attacks, kicking at them with his heavy boots, throwing them to the ground and chopping at them with his battle axe. In the blink of an eye, it was over. Sihtric turned to you, his face, armour, and hands stained with blood, as he took a step closer, concern etched into his features.

"Lady, are you unharmed? Are you injured?Please, speak to me!" he inquired, but you just stood there immobilized, eyes widened in sheer horror, gazing upon the lifeless forms strewn upon the street, blood pooling around them. It seemed to you that there was blood everywhere. You shivered, you wanted to look away, but you couldn’t. An eerie chill coursed through your body, rendering you frozen, uncapable to move, consumed by an overwhelming sense of dread. You felt Sihtric grabbing your hand, and as you still did not show any reaction to him, his strong arms wrapped around your trembling shoulders, pulling you close to his chest.

“It is over now,” he murmured into your ear, his gentle voice nudging you back to reality, “You are safe, I promise, I will not let anything happen to you,” his soft voice slowly began to lift your paralysis, gradually rousing you from your frozen state. His rough fingers caressed your hair, anchoring you in the present moment.

“Look at me, lady! Please, look at me,” he cupped your face in his palms, lifting your head until your eyes connected, his thumb tenderly stroking your cheek. Tears welled up in your eyes and streamed down your cheeks, and Sihtric’s embrace tightened, your face pressed against to his wide chest, as you started sobbing uncontrollably, your face buried in his armour.

“Hush, hush, my little princess, my love. Everything is going to be fine,” his words resonated in your consciousness, piercing through the fog of fear, and leaving a burning sensation in your mind as you tried to grasp their meaning. You don’t know for how long you were standing there before you finally regained control over your sobs and became fully aware of your surroundings. Sihtric still held you in his strong arms, soothingly stroking your hair, whispering comforting words in your ear. Suddenly, a profound sense of safety enveloped you, and as your tear-streaked face turned to meet his gaze, a faint smile tugged at your lips before your legs gave way and you lost your consciousness.

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It all had happened exactly two days ago. It is remarkable how swiftly everything can be turned upside down. A mere day ago, you were hilarious, brimming with joy and gratitude to the fate that had brought Sihtric into your life. You were sure that without him, you wouldn’t have survived the assault. Yet, now, as you sat by your window, observing the people busying around the yard below, you wished that the kidnappers had succeeded. Anything seemed better than the prospect of marrying Ethelwold, but there was nothing you could do about it.

“Thank you, Sihtric,” you responded quietly and turned away in an attempt to hide your tears, but it was too late. Sihtric had already noticed you had been crying. His big, mismatched eyes filled with sympathy as he took a step closer.

“Lady, I regret deeply what happened. I’m sorry that you had to witness it. I assure you that you are safe now. I will not let anything happen to you,” Sihtric’s voice was filled with compassion and genuine care. His words were soft, laced with reassurance, and you found no reason to doubt him. After all, the young warrior had found a special place within your heart long before the dreadful incident.

Initially it was pure curiosity, that made you feel drawn to him, evolving into a genuine awe, that eventually grew into tender affection and sweet longing. The shift happened gradually as the thoughtful and quite warrior slowly opened to you, revealing different layers of his personality – the loyalty, the warmth, the kindness, all concealed behind the rugged exterior. The realisation of your own feelings for the handsome young Dane came even more slowly. You had never felt anything like this before and not to forget – you were a princess. Falling in love with a Dane, heathen and warrior, was out of question for you. But the longer you tried to deny your feelings, the stronger they grew with each passing day. Still, you successfully managed to suppress them until that dreadful assault in the narrow street. You did not know what unsettled you more – the close encounter with death or the emotional surge that overtook you as Sihtric’s strong arms enveloped you, pressing to his chest and caressing your hair. All you wished for was to prolong that moment indefinitely, to remain cradled within Sihtric’s embrace, melt into it, and let the world around you fade away. The realisation that most probably this will never happen again as you were going to be married in a week time, made your heart ache in almost physical, tangible pain.

“Oh, Sihtric, please! There’s truly no need for you to apologise. I am immensely grateful for what you did. It’s me who should be apologising to you for my foolishness, for doubting that the threat was real. If I hadn’t insisted on visiting the orphanage, if I had remained within the palace, none of this would have happened,” your voice was barely audible as you spoke.

You wanted to scream, to beg him to save you once again, to take you away from this palace and your wretched life as a princess and now even worse – as a peace cow to be married away to the most disgusting man you have ever seen. Yet, you remained silent as you knew that it was not in his power to free you from your destiny.

You continued to gaze out the window, ignoring Sihtric, who observed you with a perplexed expression. Something was certainly wrong; he just couldn’t figure out what it was. First seeing your sad and teared eyes, he thought you must be still startled by the events the day before. However, your composed response hinted him that something else had happened in between.

Initially, when Sihtric was assigned the role of a bodyguard for Alfred’s daughter, he was far from being pleased. He was a warrior and not a babysitter. Nonetheless, Uhtred insisted and Sihtric presented himself before Alfred, hoping that the king might reject him anyway. Much to his astonishment, that did not happen. Perhaps, Alfred deemed it prudent to have a Dane among the guards of his daughter, as it was reasonable to expect that the assaulters will probably be Danes as well. This however did not make the others trust or even like Sihtric. Not that this surprised him; he was used to that. What did surprise him was your non-judgemental attitude. He had expected you to despise him, even to hate him. After all, what else could he anticipate from a princess brought up in a place where everybody seemed to hate Danes. His awe knew no bounds when you greeted him on that very first day with a warm and genuine smile.

Your eyes sparkled with curiosity and nothing in your behaviour made him feel despised or unwanted. Quite the opposite. Swiftly, he found himself growing fond of you – his little princess, as he called you in his thoughts. You were cheerful, full of energy and treated everybody around you with equal warmth and kindness. Your liveliness was contagious, and Sihtric noticed how his mood inexplicably lifted in your presence. Your genuine interest in him, without a hint of suspicion or prejudice, touched a chord within him. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and for the first time, he felt at ease sharing with someone fragments of his life. Your unpretentious and unburdened smile was the last thing that lingered in his mind before he drifted off to sleep each night. Sihtric thought you beautiful, not only in your physical appearance, but in the very essence of your being. Beautiful and utterly unreachable.

The first time Sihtric consciously noticed that his affection had evolved into something more profound and powerful was during your visit to the orphanage. Standing in the doorway, he leaned against the frame, watching you playing with the children. A profound and unexplainable warmth filled his heart, captivating him. His gaze remained locked on you, as if he were drinking in the aura of the love and tenderness that radiated from your being. In that moment, a realisation struck him that he would willingly do anything to witness your unbridled happiness. But even then, he managed to dismiss the feeling as being foolish, naïve, and impossible. Falling in love with a princess appeared to him as the most ridiculous thing he could imagine.

The moment he knew he had utterly lost his inner struggle, when he could no longer deny the intensity of his love for you, occurred in the aftermath of that brief battle. The mere thought that you might be injured and hurt terrified him to the extent that all rationality left him. In that moment he completely forgot everything as he enfolded you in a protective embrace, drawing you close to his chest, cradling and soothing you. The memory of that moment remained etched in his mind. The sensation of oblivion enveloped him as he tenderly stroked your hair, breathed in your delicate aroma, and felt the velvety touch of your skin against his fingertips.

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“Your services will no longer be required after one more week,” Sihtric was caught by surprise by the sudden announcement from the chief guard. “The lady is soon to be wed and will depart for her husband’s estate.”

“The lady is to be married?” Sihtric repeated in surprise as the news slowly sank into his consciousness. His “little princess” was getting married. He had always known his feelings were impossible, a sheer madness beyond comprehensible, he was fully aware of the unlikelihood of them being reciprocated. However, he hadn’t anticipated this fairy tale to end so swiftly and abruptly.

“Perhaps it’s for the best. It was meant to end anyway. Better sooner than later, before the last remnants of my common sense have faded away,” he thought to himself, clenching his fists tightly, his chuckles turning white under the strain.

The remaining week leading up to the wedding passed for Sihtric in somewhat like an indistinct haze. He found no opportunity to speak to you or even to see you. The walks by the riverside had ceased, no more flower-picking in the meadow, not even strolls within the garden. You remained within the palace, always surrounded by attendants, your mother – the queen herself – a constant presence at your side, willing to discuss every single detail of the upcoming wedding, be it the attire, jewellery, floral arrangements, or the feast. Oddly, Sihtric couldn't help but think that this was perhaps a blessing in disguise. What could he possibly say to you? Confess his imprudent feelings and elicit a pitying smile? That wasn't what he wanted. The only sensible thing to do was to maintain distance and to leave the palace as soon as possible, before his emotions would grow stronger, as they were already inflicting considerable pain.

Finally, all was settled. With Alfred’s consent Sihtric was set to depart on the morrow - the day before the wedding. In truth Sihtric was relieved, as he was glad, he would not have to watch the ceremony. His meager belongings were packed neatly in a saddlebag, resting upon a chair within his modest room at the tavern. He had not been given a room in the palace and had stayed at the tavern his lodging paid by the king. He was ready to retire for the night; his leather armour draped across a chair, his weapons arranged upon the table.  It was in this moment that an unexpected knock echoed through the room, startling Sihtric. He hesitated as he was not expecting anybody at such a late hour. The knock repeated, prompting him to pull the latch and swing the door open with an annoyed look on his face, only to be met by a silhouette hidden beneath a dark cape.

“What the hell…” he exclaimed in astonishment, his hand instinctively reaching for his dagger on his back, only to discover it was not there this time, laying on the table amid his other weapons.   

“May I come in?” the voice emanating from beneath the cape sent Sihtric's heart racing. It was a voice both familiar and cherished, a voice he had believed he might never hear again.  Overwhelmed by disbelief, Sihtric took a step back, allowing the cloaked figure to enter his chamber, and then quietly closed the door behind.

“I heard you are departing,” the voice spoke with a hint of reproach, as two delicate hands took off the hood revealing the bearer of the voice, his “little princess”. To say that Sihtric was surprised would be an understatement. He stood frozen in disbelief, slowly shaking his head as if attempting to dispel a dream, an impossible illusion conjured by his own fevered mind. Your eyes studied Sihtric, registering that he was shirtless and barefoot, clad only in his breeches. You swallowed hard as your eyes traced the contours of his bare chest. Awkwardness hung heavily in the air, a palpable silence enveloping the room as neither of you moved or uttered a word. Regret, like an unwelcome visitor, began to creep into your thoughts. What were you even doing here? A royal daughter, a princess of Wessex, standing alone in the presence of a half-dressed man – a Dane and a heathen, no less.

The sheer absurdity of the situation struck you, making you shiver in embarrassment under the cape.  

"I've been dismissed, my lady. With your father's approval, I am returning to Cochem," Sihtric finally broke the silence, his voice striving to remain casual, though it was almost impossible.

“You didn’t even wish to bid me farewell?” your eyes continued scanning Sihtric’s appearance, seeking something within his demeanour, a concealed sign, any trace that would hint to you, that your impulsive decision to come here might not be as foolish as your common sense suggested. Your gaze lingered on his arms, recalling how they had embraced you, before moving to his hands. You could almost feel the tender pressure of his fingers against your skin, his touch caressing your cheek. There had been an undeniable gentleness in his actions, a softness and affection woven into his words. Or had you just imagined it all? You were embarrassed and angry at yourself. There was no rational explanation for your presence here; you were merely making a complete fool of yourself.

“You were preoccupied with wedding preparations, my lady. And besides, who am I to encroach upon your precious time? I apologise if I have offended you; that was never my intent. I merely did not wish to bother you,” it took Sihtric all his inner strength to maintain his composure and stay calm. Yet there was something in his voice that caught your attention.

“No, no! No offence taken! It’s just… I wanted to express my gratitude once more for saving my life,” you stumbled over your words, your voice growing almost inaudible as you added, “And I won’t forget what you said to me afterward.” 

Sihtric raised his eyebrow, well aware of what he had said to you. He had been berating and cursing himself for his impulsive words ever since they left his lips. He had felt relieved as it seemed that you had been too shocked at that moment to register his words, but now it was evident that they had not gone unnoticed. Sihtric’s expression changed instantly, his gaze dropping to the floor in an attempt to escape the contact with your eyes, but not fast enough as you caught a glimpse of the mingled pain and humiliation shadowing his features.

“Lady, please believe me. I never intended to be disrespectful toward you,” Sihtric’s voice trembled with emotion as he continued to avoid direct eye contact with you, “Please forgive me if my words, spoken in a moment of deep concern for your safety, made you feel uncomfortable.”

“Oh, no! No, they didn’t. I just needed to … I wanted to ask if you truly meant what you said,” your heart raced within your chest as you took a hesitant step closer, reaching out to clasp Sihtric's hand, as though afraid he might vanish before providing the answer you so desperately sought.

“Lady, please don’t,” Sihtric’s voice wavered as he tried to withdraw his hand, a mixture of apprehension and longing in his eyes.

“Do what?”

“Don’t make me say something, I’ll regret for the rest of my days, even if it’s true.”

“Sihtric, I am losing my mind all this week, thinking that it all was merely a cruel creation of my imagination,” your own audacity startled you. You were almost confessing your feelings to a near stranger, a man you hardly knew and would likely never see again.

“My little princess, my love,” Sihtric slowly repeated the words with a heavy sigh, his gaze finally lifting to meet yours, “I meant every single word, my lady. There’s no escape for me. Regardless of where I go or what happens to me, I will always love you,” the pain laced in Sihtric’s voice was palpable. He loved you, knowing that there was no future for you both. Worlds separated you – a Saxon princess destined to wed an East Anglian nobleman, and him - an outsider, a despised Dane, a heathen, and a warrior with nothing to offer apart from life in perpetual danger and suspense. Despite it all, he found himself incapable of tearing his gaze away from you. Unconsciously, his fingers entwined with yours as you still hadn’t let go of his hand, and his forehead drew near slowly touching yours.

The world spun around you, the weight of Sihtric’s words finally sinking in, a burning sensation coursing through you, just like the first time you heard them. He loved you. It was neither a dream, not a cruel gameplay of your overheated mind. He loved you. In this very moment it was all that mattered. Those few words had changed your entire universe.

“I love you, too,” you whispered, your voice barely audible as you leaned in and pressed your lips to Sihtric's. The kiss was tentative, your inexperience evident in the gentle brush of your lips against his, but it made all the last remnants of common-sense crumble in Sihtric’s mind as he responded with a fervour of a starving man savouring a long-awaited feast. His lips and tongue melded with yours, an intoxicating dance of desire and need. Sihtric’s kiss was soft, yet demanding, his lips brushing, sucking, and gently biting yours with ravenous eagerness and passion, leaving you breathless. Your head was spinning, and dizziness enveloped you as you yielded to his passion. You closed your eyes and your lips parted in a soft moan against his mouth. Sihtric's tongue slipped into your mouth, a hungry exploration that set your heart racing. His hands found your waist, drawing you closer, the heat of his touch searing through your skin. The kiss was an inferno of love, warmth, and raw emotion that left you gasping for air, lost in a realm of sensation you had never experienced before, and you wished for it to continue indefinitely.

Reality crashed upon Sihtric like a tidal wave, jolting him from the whirlwind of desire. With an abrupt motion, he broke the kiss, pulling away from you. His hand cupped your chin, his forehead resting against yours as he fought to regain his composure.

“Princess, this is madness,” his voice trembled, his eyes shut, his breath ragged. “Please, don’t do this to me. Do not awaken hope when there is none. You must leave, now, before your absence is discovered.”

Your gaze remained locked on him, your heart pounding, unable to say anything or even gather your thoughts from the intensity of emotions that swirled through you. Slowly, you reached out, your hand grazing his cheek, your thumb tracing the contours of his skin. Being this close to him made you shiver.

“I can’t…, I don’t want to,” you whispered, your voice a delicate plea. “Sihtric, please… This is my last night of my already so limited freedom, and I want to spend it with you. I want you to be the first man to touch me, to make love to me. Please, don’t reject me.”

There it was, laid bare before him, the true reason you had come, the decision you had made, dismissed and taken again during the last sleepless nights until it had transformed in firm resolve.

Your life had always been predetermined and dictated by obligations and duty; your choices limited by being a king’s daughter. You had accepted that. You knew that the alliance with Lord Ethelwold was necessary for Wessex to stand up against the Danes and you were indeed willing to bring that sacrifice by marrying him. However, there was one decision in your life that you were not willing to allow to be taken from you. And that was the reason you had come, driven by a fervent hope that the man you had irrevocably fallen in love with might feel the same way.

Slowly you untied your cape and let it drop to the floor, your gaze locked with Sihtric’s. His pupils grew wider, and his breath fastened as you placed your hands on his bare chest, letting your fingers travel down to his stomach in a tender brush. You hesitated a moment when your fingers reached his waist and the hem of his breaches and Sihtric quickly seized your hands and raised them to his mouth, placing gentle kisses on your palms.

“Princess, please, stop before it’s too late,” Sihtric leaned in closer and buried his face in your neck breathing in your scent, his fingers intertwining with yours “I am flattered, I truly am. But you don’t understand what you are asking from me.” Sihtric closed his eyes and placed a gentle kiss on your neck and then another one on your jaw, feeling painfully strained in his breeches. He desired you, no, he craved for you beyond imaginable. Your smell, your breath against his skin, your soft lips, and the feel of your body so close to him and yet so unreachable and forbidden drew him to madness. His mind told him to step back, to let go of you, but he couldn’t. With all his willpower he tried to suppress the urge to kiss you again, knowing that if he did, he probably wouldn’t be able to stop himself anymore.

“I am asking you to save me from misery and grant me the freedom of choice. I want to feel love and desire, even if that’s only for one single night. My future husband is far away from being a fairy tale prince. Can you imagine what will be my first night with him? I can, I am not that naïve as you think of me, Sihtric,” you pressed your body to his, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer, making Sihtric groan loudly, lust and desire consuming him.

Sihtric’s lips found yours and crushed against them with the same unsatiable hunger as before, setting your mind on fire. His hands moved down to your waist, holding you firmly pressed against his muscular body, and you were melting in his strong embrace, feeling a shiver going down your spine and your legs getting week and wobbly. He made a step forward pressing you against the door, his lips traveling down to your jaw and then further to you neck, placing greedy wet open-mouthed kisses on their way, while his hands started tugging the laces of your dress with fumbling fingers. You couldn’t help but smile in anticipation as you helped him to untie and unlace everything until the dress slid down your shoulders and dropped to the ground, revealing your naked upper body, and leaving you only with your ruffled silk underpants. Sihtric’s eyes studied your body for a moment, drinking in all the small details, lines, and curves and then his lips were back on your neck.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured against your skin, placing soft gentle kisses down to your breasts, licking and sucking gently at your hard aroused nipples. A strange burning sensation settled in your lower body and slowly consumed you, blurring your mind and vision, making you whine in pleasure your fingers trailing Sihtric’s back.    

“Princess, are you sure, you want this?” Sihtric’s hoarse voice reached through your dizzied mind. You wanted to say something, but not a sound came out of your dry throat, overpowered by the overwhelming sensation of Sihtric’s touch on your body you just moaned tangling your fingers in his hair.

“Say it! I need to hear it,” Sihtric demanded, whispering in your ear as his hands slowly trailed down to your waist and started untangling the lace that was holding your underpants.

“Yes, I want it. I need it. I want you,” you finally managed to form the words, tugging harder at his hair. Your answer sounded like a desperate plea. You were already flying from the touch of his lips and hands on your body and were eager for more. You wanted him. You burned for him. You loved him and trusted him. A lustful smile curled on your lips, hearing Sihtric groan as he kneeled before you, pulling down your legs the last remaining peace of clothe covering you and revealing you completely naked before him.

“My princess, my sweet little princess, you are so breath-taking beautiful. This must be a dream, but I don’t want to wake from it,” he murmured against your skin pressing his nose to your cunt, breathing in your smell, and placing a soft kiss on it. Waves of heat washed all over your body. You had never felt anything comparable to this before.

Sihtric rose to his feet and lifted you in his strong arms with no effort at all. He cradled you to his chest and carried to his bed, placing you gently down and positioning himself beside you, his hand touching your cheek and turning your head to face him.

“If you change your mind, princess, if you want me to stop, just say it. You can stop me anytime. This is all about you tonight. You are in charge, don’t forget it,” Sihtric said quietly, but seriously. “Do you understand? Tell me!” he insisted, locking his gaze with yours.

“Yes, I do. I trust you,” you whispered back, cupping his face with both hands and leaning closer to kiss him. You started by moving your lips gently along his and in the very moment Sihtric’s lips parted as he answered your kiss, your tongue slid into his mouth. Eager to show him what a good learner you are, you licked hungrily into his mouth, your tongue finding his, curling around it, sucking at it, your fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer to you. Sihtric kissed you back with the same passion, setting the world around you in spiralling motion again. He broke the kiss, earning a disappointing whimper from you, a lustful smile on his lips.

“I want to show you something, my love,” he purred in your ear, moving his body over yours, parting your legs and positioning himself between your thighs. His mouth started travelling down your neck to your breasts and further down to your stomach, placing soft kisses all over your body on its way. He did not stop there, his body moved further down between your legs, his mouth continuing to place soft kisses on its way now reaching your inner thigh. You stiffened from the unfamiliar sensation that filled you.

“Relax, my little princess. You will enjoy it, believe me,” Sihtric murmured, his lips moving closer and closer to your core until his wet tongue slid over your clit, licking further through you folds. You moaned heavily, digging your nails in the bedsheets, grabbing them with full force and arching your back off the mattress in obscene pleasure, as Sihtric continued devouring you, his tongue circling your clit, licking and sucking it. His soft moans against your core let you know he was enjoying it as much as you did. Your hips started to move frantically, uncontrollably against his tongue, your climax building up quickly and just as you thought there can’t be any rise in the pleasure washing over you, you felt Sihtric pushing a finger inside you.

“Oh my God!” you whimpered.

“Does it feel good, my princess?” Sihtric murmured.

“God! Sihtric! It feels divine,” you cried out as he continued to move his finger in and out of you, his tongue never leaving your clit. It was the last bit you needed to reach your peak. It washed over you in an overwhelming wave, making you cry out Sihtric’s name, pure bliss pulsing through your veins. Sihtric’s hands took hold of your hips, holding you steady in the place, his tongue continuing licking and sucking at your already over sensitive pearl. You wanted to escape him, to move away from his tongue, but he did not let you, holding you firmly until you surrendered yourself to him feeling another wave of pleasure building up and washing over you even more intense as the first one.

“Common, little princess, you can make it one more time for me. You can be loud. Don’t be afraid. I adore those wonderful sounds you make,” Sihtric hummed, pushing two fingers deep inside you and continuing to fuck you slowly with his fingers his mouth never letting go of your pussy. And you came again against his tongue and fingers, with your lips parted as you screamed out your pleasure.

“I think you are ready now. I am so sorry. It might hurt, my love, but I will be gentle,” Sihtric breathed in your ear, undoing his breeches, releasing at last his stone hard cock and placing it at your entrance.

“Princess, do you want me to?” he asked.

“Yes, Sihtric! Yes! I want to. Please, take me,” you begged. Receiving your permission Sihtric started to push slowly inside you, his thumb circling your clit. It hurt, he was so big, stretching you painfully. You buried your fingers in the bedsheets, trying to hide the pain, not wanting him to notice, but a pained whimper escaped your lips. Sihtric stopped immediately.

“Do you want me to stop? Princess, look at me! Just tell me to stop, and I will,” his voice so full of genuine concern made you want him even more. You craved for him and wanted to pleasure him just as he did it for you just before. You shook your head.

“No, I want you. Just give me a moment to adjust,” you pleaded and Sihtric leaned in to kiss you, his lips brushing gently against yours.

“I love you, my little princess. I love you with all my heart. I want you to know that,” he whispered, as his lips descended on your nipples, sucking gentle at them, and setting you on fire again.

“Sihtric, take me! Don’t hold back. I need you! You are the best, that could ever happen to me,” you murmured, placing your hands on his hips and trying to pull him towards you.

Sihtric resumed his movement pushing further inside you and you screamed out shortly as you felt him forcing into you until the very end of his length, tears welling up in the corners of your eyes.

“Husch, my love. That’s it, you have me,” Sihtric whispered kissing away your tears as you felt something warm dripping down your thigh. Before you even managed to register what had happened, he pulled out and pushed slowly back again into you, and then again and again, his pace slow and gentle in the beginning, but fastening with every thrust, transforming still lingering pain into absolute, indescribable pleasure as his length stretched and filled you, making you mewl and whine under the movements of his hips against yours. Your nails were digging into Sihtric’s back as you tried to hold onto him, and your hips started to move against his making him thrust even deeper into you.

“You take me so good,” Sihtric groaned, continuing his movements, his breath getting faster, “You are perfect, just made for me and I love you so much!” he murmured softly against your mouth, kissing you jerky.

“Oh my God, Sihtric! It feels so good! You feel so good!” you breathed out, wanting to praise him, to let him know how good he was to you, your breath getting faster and shallower with each trust, your obscure moans filling the room and mingling with Sihtric’s grunts.

“Cum for me, little princess. I want you to cum on my cock, screaming my name.” Sihtric hissed, locking his gaze with yours, “Let yourself fly! I am holding you,” his hips kept rutting against yours, his breath heavy and unsteady, being close to his own high. He wetted his thumb with his tongue and moved it to your clit, rubbing it gently and with that last touch he pushed you over the edge. Your orgasm, the fourth and the most intense in this night, hit you like a heavy storm. You felt your inner walls clench around Sihtric’s cock as the waves of pleasure and relief washed over you, making your body shake and tremble against his as you came moaning loudly, arching your back and crying out his name in pure bliss. Sihtric continued to fuck you slowly through your orgasm, letting you savour each and every wave of pleasure, his eyes drinking in the sight of you writhing beneath him.

“You are so good to me. I am so close, my love,” he whispered, “I will not cum inside you if you do not want to,” he whispered his nose nuzzling at your neck.

“Sihtric! My love! I want you, all of you, everything of you,” you moaned grabbing his hips and pushing yourself against him. This was all he needed, a few more thrusts and he came instantly with a loud growl, spilling himself deep inside you, pressing you into the mattress with his weight as he collapsed over you, breathing heavily into the crook of your neck. You stayed so for a while, your arms around him, your fingers brushing through his hair, his lips placing soft kisses on you neck and shoulder. With a heavy sigh Sihtric pulled out and laid beside you, his arms still around your waist, pulling you closer to him, cradling you in the crook of his body.

“Stay with me,” he purred into your ear, his voice dripping with longing “I know this is madness, princess. This entire night is a whirlwind of madness.”

“Sihtric, I can’t,” you replied, your voice a fragile whisper. “I love you, and that will never change. But I can’t. My father… Wessex … we need that alliance,” your heart ached at these words.

“I love you too, my little princess,” Sihtric’s voice was hoarse. “There will never be another in my life. I am all yours, and I will be waiting for you,” the seriousness and confidence in Sihtric’s voice made you shiver. You turned to face him, your lips trembling as they met his in a tender kiss.

“I can’t ask that from you,” you whispered, cupping his cheek.

“That’s not just a promise; it’s a certainty, my love,” Sihtric's arms enveloped you in a tight embrace. “I will wait for you, and whether in this life or the next, you will be mine.”

Tears welled up in your eyes, blurring your vision as you rested against his strong chest, feeling the truth of his words echoing in your mind.

Part 2 Good wife

[ulfrsmal]

Day 28: Cockwarming

Trigger Warnings: Subspace.

Explicit ⫽ Harald/Leif ⫽ No Archive Warnings Apply ⫽ one-shot

Leif caressed Harald’s hair gently, more to keep him with him than to force him to come out of whatever reverie he’d fallen into. This kind of game always left him in a different headspace, one that Leif had learnt to revere as nigh-on holy. It showed too much vulnerability to exhibit anywhere else – tangible proof of how much Harald trusted him.

Read On AO3

⫽ Special thanks to @aquagirl1978 for the prompt list and the banner above. ⫽

[maximuswolf]

Harald Revery - Uninhabited Island [IDM]

Harald Revery - Uninhabited Island [IDM] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiFcp-P2D4s Submitted September 16, 2024 at 09:46AM by bratix https://ift.tt/ycqFJro via /r/Music

[mattmahder]

"Forest Shine" by Harald Revery https://ift.tt/2FElZYW

[inmyfxith]

If only I had protected you

Pairing: Bjorn x reader / Harald x reader

Summary: After spending six years away from Norway, Ragnar's quest is the perfect opportunity to return to a normal life.

Words: 2 717

Part. II, Part. III.

There was no sound from the forest, complete silence on the morning you were celebrating your sixth year in West Francia. By the grace of the gods, you had managed to build yourself a small hut outside the city walls, in a place far enough away not to be disturbed by the emperor's soldiers. You missed your old life in Kattegat, as well as the people you had left behind years before. But Francia was different, more peaceful but less welcoming. Kneeling in front of your little garden patch, you were harvesting the plants you had planted a few months before to prepare something to heal yourself or simply to survive in case of force majeure.

As you were about to cut a few sprigs of medicinal herbs, you suddenly thought about your life and what you had gone through to get there. From your journey to England with your father alongside the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok to the day you were sold as a slave to a Frankish lord. He was an old and wealthy man, an earl from a land you did not know and had never heard of. The more the months passed and the more you learned to behave like a good slave, he had taught you the language of his people and in exchange, you had torn his heart out both literally and figuratively. Staring at your hands, you could still feel the warm purple liquid sliding through your fingers. He had refused to give you your freedom so you took it for yourself.

The cawing of a raven hovering overhead snapped you out of your reverie. At the time, you didn't take Odin's warning seriously, not out of disdain but rather because your mind was elsewhere. Picking up your knife and plants, you went back inside your little house before methodically sorting the fruits of your harvest.

After a few minutes, someone knocked on your door. It was a Frankish woman with her little daughter, who had come to you for help. For several months already, you had been providing some of the inhabitants of Paris with herbs and remedies to treat the ailments that their God could not soothe. From childhood illnesses to insomnia, your miraculous solution was the mixture of herbs and oils that you knew how to make. You would only accept to help people who you could trust or who had, for one reason or another, heard about you from someone else. Thus, you never had any problems with what the Christians called witchcraft because for you, and the people of your culture, you were doing nothing more than using your knowledge for the good of all.

After giving her something to ease her daughter's ailments, the young woman shared with you what she had heard in the market a few hours earlier. The Vikings were back, the cruel Ragnar Lothbrok had once again made his way to Paris and would come after anyone who got in his way. You didn't allow yourself to smile at her, her eyes expressed so much fear that it would have been wrong to show how grateful you were to the Gods for giving you another chance to see your country. Once your patient had left, you stood for a few minutes at your little wooden door on which you had carved a few runes to protect yourself from the Frankish soldiers.

That's when you remembered the raven, it wasn't a bad sign, on the contrary. Odin, the father of everything, was sending you a message, maybe it was time for you to see the Scandinavian coast again. Noises in the forest drew your attention, footsteps as if someone was trying to be discreet but was not. Uncomfortable, you went back inside your house before locking the door with what you could. And when you began to hear the male voices outside, you knew they were men from the North. The gods had led them to you. You were not stupid, however, and so you grabbed your ax from under your bed. It was not the ax you wielded on your expedition to England, for all your belongings had been sold in markets in England and Francia.

The voices were undeniably coming closer, holding your ax tightly to your chest, you began to pray to Odin, Freyr, Thor, and even Ullr that they were Ragnar or some of his men before disappearing behind a wooden cabinet in the corner of the main room. You gasped as you heard the front door crash to the floor and the footsteps of a man walking across the room, obviously looking for something to steal. You weren't sure who the man was, you couldn't see him so you stayed hidden until he left.

The footsteps eventually faded away and after a few minutes of silence, you emerged from your hiding place, still holding your ax firmly. You walked towards the door, but the feeling of panic that had taken over and was still present made you lose your nerve. Your legs were shaking and, with your head elsewhere, you didn't notice the glasses scattered on the floor.

The noise was not very loud but enough to attract a small group of men inside your house. Unfortunately for you, none of their faces were familiar, neither Ragnar nor any of his men. You managed to wound one of them before being thrown against one of the walls by one of the men. He was much taller than you, stronger, his blond hair fell over one of his eyes and several tattoos covered the shaved side of his head. With one of his hands, he held your wrists firmly above your head while his other hand was busy pulling your dress up your thigh. Your only reaction was to scream in your native language which made him stop for a moment. He turned to another man, slightly shorter than him with brown hair in a long braid, who seemed to be their leader. He simply nodded before your attacker resumed what he had started. You tried to push him with all your might with your pelvis before begging that you wanted to talk to Ragnar Lothbrok or someone in his family.

Miraculously, the Northmen agreed to take you to King Ragnar not without tying both your hands and feet. As a result, you spent part of the journey thrown over the shoulder of one of the warriors, making the journey more unpleasant than it already was. After a few minutes, you saw a kind of camp in the woods where Vikings were working on wooden structures. The warrior holding you threw you to the ground, as if you were just a bag of food, under the curious gazes of the men and women around. You quickly straightened up, trying to get the grass and dirt out of your mouth. You were now on your knees, hands tied in front of you, desperately waiting for Ragnar or anyone else to recognize you. One of the warriors, the one you had wounded, approached, pulling your hair back violently to force you to look at him, he whispered to you that he was going to look for the king, and you felt uncomfortable as you felt his hot breath against your ear. In a fit of bravery, or rather insolence, you spat at him, getting nothing more than a slap that made you lose your balance.

Ragnar finally appeared in your field of vision but the emotions you saw in his eyes did not reassure you. There was joy, sadness, but mostly anger. You would have preferred to feel only joy. He came a little closer, suddenly grabbing your throat with one of his hands. Ragnar was so much stronger than you that your attempts to free yourself from his grip were futile. After a few seconds, you began to lose your breath and almost suffocate. Then he asked you a question, a simple question while his eyes were still filled with anger and almost disgust. He asked you if you had betrayed him in England.

At the time, you had stayed in Wessex with King Horik and Athelstan after Ragnar left. With a small group of men, you had gone hunting when a small army of Anglo-Saxons attacked you. To save your life, you followed Athelstan through the Saxon lands before finally being caught. With some difficulty, you managed to untie part of your dress to expose your shoulders still marked by the abuse of the Saxon soldiers. Some scars were more recent than others and Ragnar finally let go of you before turning to the leader of the small group of warriors who had brought you to him.

You lay down on the ground and tried to catch your breath between two or three coughing fits. Then a man approached, helping you to stand up, he untied your bonds before carrying you to a less exposed place. You didn't exchange any words, he just laid you down, as gently as possible, on a bed in the middle of a tent before slipping away without even looking at you. Your eyes closed mechanically, and, exhausted by the day you had just lived, you fell asleep.

The song of the birds and the warmth of the sun on your skin gently woke you up. The rays came through the opening of the tent, where the one who introduced himself as King Harald was standing. When your gaze met him, he approached you before asking you to enlighten him on your identity and especially on why you were in Francia.

"Well, my real name is Y/N, but my master gave me a Frankish name when he bought me so you can also call me Y/F/N. My father was one of Ragnar's warriors and one of his friends by extension, so I followed him on an expedition to Wessex many years ago now. Some things happened and the group broke up. I stayed in England with King Horik's troops and was captured by King Ecbert's men before being sold as a slave to a Frankish earl."

Your monologue was strangely sincere, you didn't usually reveal so much about yourself and especially not to someone you had only just met. This is probably the reason why you added a few words in a more than insolent tone.

"Shall I continue or is your curiosity satisfied enough?"

Without really waiting for an answer from the king, you stood up before walking towards the opening of the tent but Harald caught you by the arm before you could get out. The look in his eyes betrayed a feeling of anger that was unusual. Without really meaning it, he explained that he was sorry you weren't being honest and that he would have liked to finish what his brother had started. Disgusted and shocked by his words, you left the tent hoping to find Ragnar, but it was Lagertha who appeared before you. With a motherly smile on her lips, the shieldmaiden took you in her arms before welcoming you back with your own.

Lagertha had acted as a second mother to you until she left for Hedeby, and you had not seen her since. Before becoming a warrior, your father was a farmer sharing his land with Ragnar, which undoubtedly forced a relationship between your two families. After a warm reunion, you told her what you knew about the Franks and why you had to talk to Ragnar. You knew the language of these people, so negotiating with them would be easier for you than for them. But Lagertha encouraged you to give up this possibility. According to her, Ragnar was no longer the same man, so she asked you to be discreet about what you knew.

To make yourself useful, you spent the day helping the others get the boats across the mountain. You were pulling on one of the ropes when King Harald and his brother Halfdan called Ragnar to show him something. Like the other warriors, you followed them to one side of the mountain. There, the city of Paris stood before you. Ragnar had kept his promise, he had brought his people to the political headquarters of Emperor Charles. That's why, the next day, you set sail to plunder the city. Ready to recapture the adrenaline of battle, you sat in the corner of the ship, sharpening the blade of your ax. Your expression must have betrayed the nervousness that washed over you as the boat moved forward as Bjorn settled in beside you.

"Do you remember the first time we went to sea together? And the song we created?"

Still focused on your blade, you began to sing the chorus of that song, softly, so that only Bjorn could hear what you were singing.

"... We will sail to the shore, we will prevail, we are Vikings..."

Bjorn winced before teasing you about your singing.

"Hm... it was better in my memories when you stood at the front of the boat."

You exchanged a mischievous look.

"Don't tempt me Bjorn" your reply preceded a small tap against his leg before you burst out laughing. But the Frankish boats quickly brought you back to reality. You grabbed a bow and arrow before placing yourself in the front row of archers. You managed to hit a few of your enemies while avoiding injury, just as you did when their ships boarded yours. You fought the way your father taught you to fight, that is, by swinging your ax. But your efforts were not enough for the Vikings to win this battle.

Exhausted by what you've done, but still able to stand, you used your medical knowledge to keep your newly found family alive until you returned to Kattegat. After caring for Ragnar, Lagertha, and Torvi, King Harald requisitioned you. It took you a few minutes to think it over before you agreed to help him. You didn't do it for him and even less for his brother, but you wanted to help a suffering brother in arms.

The return to reality, in Norway, had been most brutal. In a way, you were hoping that everyone would recognize you, that they would hug you and wish you a safe return to your family. But the reality was quite different. The looks people gave you were cold, distant, as if they were disappointed in your return. Yet you recognized some of the faces in the crowd, people who looked at you from head to toe, making you feel more than a little uncomfortable. You had experienced this feeling of being judged twice before, first when you arrived in the courtyard of King Ecbert's castle and then in the slave markets of Francia.

Unlike the first two times, you were not chained, you were not dirty and your clothes were not torn. Yet that didn't stop your people from staring at you. So you found a quiet place to hide until people forgot you were there. Finding Kattegat made you happy, but the behavior of its population spoiled everything, even making you regret leaving your little cabin in the woods around Paris. After a few days in this more-than-awkward atmosphere, you have made the first really important decision of your life. King Harald was about to leave Kattegat and return to his kingdom now that his brother was safe to travel. Therefore, you joined him on the main deck as he was about to embark.

"Do you think Tamdrup can still accommodate an extra soul?" Your voice betrayed the embarrassment that accompanied your request, but for the first time since you met him, you read in his eyes a form of compassion. Without exchanging a single word, he took your hand in his before helping you into his boat.

"After all, your talents will no doubt be more than useful to me." His voice was soft as if you had just met and everything that had come before had been erased from your memory and his. As the boat moved on and Kattegat slowly slipped out of your field of vision, a part of you suddenly slipped away, as if your past had remained on the deck of the city that had partly seen you grow up.

[norxxcoffee-blog]

Part 2 of whatever this thing is

Sorry about the scrappiness of this- didn’t have much time to finish and post it. Also, I decided to stop calling the characters by their names in their own languages- (e.g. Sverige) they didn’t fit as well to me as the other names! :) Anyway, I’ll shut up now...

'Sve,' he hissed, twisting round to face his brother. 'Sve, look.' 'My name's not Sve.' came the disgruntled reply from across the campfire. They were staying with a strange band of warriors, the ones who had given him his name, and his new friend was still distrustful of their great axes and braided hair. The leader was the wildest: a tall, broken-nosed man known only as Harald. He came from across the sea- had sailed there in a long painted ship- and referred to his homeland as Kongeriget Denmark. 'I'm-' he had blurted out at Harald's words, before a rough hand clapped across his mouth. 'I know what you are, boy. But the others cannot understand. So you must not tell them. Promise?' He made his promise in mutters and mumbles from behind the hand. 'But how do you know?' he asked when it was taken away. 'How are you different?' 'I am their-' The man hesitated then, looking for the right word. 'King. I am the king. Your king.' And when he said your, he did not mean it as a ruler. He meant it in a way that could not be described, a way that was the bond between the two of them and their land, the same connection that Sweden had described when he was first found. So Denmark did as he was told, and called himself by his strange human name. 'What is it? I'm trying to sleep.' Sweden's voice snapped him out of his reverie. 'Over there! That light!' He pointed up at the woods, from which a soft, greenish glow emitted. Sweden came up at his shoulder, rubbing his eyes between yawns. No sooner had he appeared then Denmark seized his hand, pulling him up and into the forest. It was a lot darker there, amongst the pines and birches. 'Why are we going so slowly?' said Sweden. He sounded irritable, just as most people sounded irritable when speaking to Denmark. 'We're hunters,' replied his brother, dropping his voice to a hush. 'We have to sneak up on the light.' He felt as though he had covered his fears quite nicely, if Sweden's affirmative grunt was anything to go by. Silently (or perhaps not so) they crept through the woods, edging closer and closer to the green orb. It floated some way off the ground, casting shadows that resembled monsters and demons as long as their imaginations were in control. 'Sve,' he whispered at last. 'Maybe we should go-' A loud crack cut off his words, sending them both sprawling to the ground in terrified reflex. Denmark took the opportunity to go wild, yelling and waving his tiny dagger for all he was worth. 'Come out, whoever you are! I have a sword!' 'And I have this.' The reply was spoken by an unfamiliar voice- a smooth, distinctly cold voice. 'Den, you idiot,' said Sweden, creating a new nickname whilst his brother was distracted. 'Get back here now.' The green light paled and dimmed, until they could both see a small hand beneath it. Then an arm was visible, then the other...a pair of legs, a head, a face... 'Who are you? Actually, what are you?' Sweden was tempted to slap Denmark for his stupidity, but refrained so as not to make a bad impression on the newcomer. 'I am Norge. Norway.' Norway's hair was bone-white-blond, his eyes deep and blue as the northern sky. 'Sve, he's like us,' breathed Denmark, awed. His face was slack with wonder- the most mesmerised Sweden had ever seen him. 'I know.' He put out a hand to Norway, and felt it- the pull of a brother. A friend.

[sauditrendnet-blog]

Harald Revery - Beautiful Places (Unofficial Music Video)

New Post has been published on http://www.sauditrend.net/harald-revery-beautiful-places-unofficial-music-video/

[haraldrevery]

Harald Revery - Clouds and Roads (VIP Mix)

[hal-music]

Harald Revery - Mystery Card

[stormyrecords-blog]

new arrivals may 5th 2017

stormy records13306 michigan avedearborn, mi 48126313-581-9322 oh my word - the mother of all email updates. so many great titles this week!!we're open mon-sat 11am to 8pm so stop on by!and if you need anything put on hold - simply call or email us. thank you!!! IN ON FRIDAY MAY 5th Slowdive S/T new album (hoping for silver vinyl) on lp and cd - their first in 22 years!!silver vinyl  $18.99black vinyl  $18.99cd $12.99Slowdive’s second act as a live blockbuster has already been rapturously received around the world. Highlights thus far include a festival-conquering, sea-of-devotees Primavera Sound performance, of which Pitchfork noted: “The beauty of their crystalline sound is almost hard to believe, every note in its perfect place.” Bonnie Prince Billy covers Merle Haggard lp  $27.99Bonnie "Prince" Billy, also known as Will Oldham, is a longtime fan of the "Okie From Muskogee" Hall of Famer, having covered a Haggard song at his first public performance 25 years ago. He also interviewed the legendary songwriter for a magazine feature in 2009 and included a cover of "Because of Your Eyes" on a 7" vinyl release in 2011.Best Troubadour is the culmination of that decades-long love affair with Haggard's music, featuring 16 tracks from various stages of Haggard's lengthy career. Oldham recorded the songs in his home with the Bonafide United Musicians. Moon Duo 'Occult Architecture Vol. 1' CD $13.99Moon Duo 'Occult Architecture Vol. 2 (Blue Smoky Vinyl)' LP $18.99Meaning all things magick and supernatural, the root of the word occult is that which is hidden, concealed, beyond the limits of our minds. If this is occult, then the Occult Architecture of Moon Duo’s fourth album - a psychedelic opus in two separate volumes released in 2017 - is an intricately woven hymn to the invisible structures found in the cycle of seasons and the journey of day into night, dark into light. ALICE COLTRANE new lp  $32.99cd  $17.99Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda’s devotion to spirituality was the central purpose of the final four decades of her life, an often-overlooked awakening that largely took shape during her four year marriage to John Coltrane and after his 1967 death. By 1983, Alice had established the 48- acre Sai Anantam Ashram outside of Los Angeles. She quietly began recording music from the ashram, releasing it within her spiritual community in the form of private press cassette tapes. On May 5, the record label Luaka Bop, founded by David Byrne, will release the first-ever compilation of recordings from this period, making these songs available to the wider public for the first time. Entitled ‘World Spirituality Classics, Volume 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda', the release is the first installment in a planned series of spiritual music from around the globe; curated, compiled and distributed by Luaka Bop. SUN RA singles vol 1 $37.99vol 2 $37.99vinyl versions of collected singles comp Strut present the definitive collection of singles released by Sun Ra across his illustrious career, spanning 1952 to 1991. Released prolifically during the 1950s and more sporadically thereafter, primarily on the Saturn label, the 45s offer one-off meteorites from Ra’s prolific cosmic journey, tracing the development of his forwardthinking “Space-Bop” and his unique take on jazz and blues traditions. The collection is hugely varied, ranging from Ra’s spoken word recitations and his early work with Chicago vocal groups to the different phases of his Arkestra, small group and duet recordings. The singles are also unpredictable vehicles for Ra’s music, combining different tracks from different sessions and occasionally making available music which was recorded many years beforehand. As with his LPs, most 45s were only pressed in small runs and have since become extremely rare and sought after. Only a small handful of copies of ‘Love In Outer Space’ b/w ‘Mayan Temple’ and ‘The Blue One’ b/w ‘Orbitration In Blue’ have ever been seen; some have only been discovered in physical form in recent years; some were planned and pencilled but allegedly never made it to vinyl (including ‘Saturn’ and ‘Velvet’ from the Jazz In Silhouette LP) and some appeared as limited one-off magazine singles and posthumous releases, including ‘Hell #1’ aka ‘Out There A Minute’. The set is the most comprehensive collection of Ra’s singles to date. Sleeve note writers Francis Gooding and Paul Griffiths brilliantly illustrate the role of the single within Ra’s career and break down each release with detailed track by track notes. Working with Sun Ra LLC and Sun Ra archivist Michael D. Anderson, Strut has also assembled the best possible master sources for each track. ‘Singles’ will be released in various formats across two release dates. All formats feature fully remastered tracks, rare photos, original 45 artwork, Francis Gooding’s extensive sleeve notes, an interview with Saturn Records founder Alton Abraham by John Corbett and detailed track by track and session notes by Paul Griffiths. ALBERT AYLER - Prophecy lp $28.99ESP-Disk present a reissue of Albert Ayler's Prophecy, originally released in 1975. Recorded in concert at the Cellar Cafe, NYC, June 14, 1964. Three weeks before this trio recorded ESP-Disk's first jazz album, the epochal Spiritual Unity (ESPDISK 1002CD/LP), it was captured "live" by Canadian poet Paul Haines, who also recorded the New York Eye and Ear Control soundtrack (ESPDISK 1016CD/LP). This is one of the most influential groups in jazz history, a coming together of like-minded innovators who would be considered crucial influences by succeeding generations, so there is no question of the immense value of this material. Yoked, in the CD era, to the one-sided 1965 LP Bells (ESPDISK 4076CD), made with a different band in a very different style a year later, it is perhaps best appreciated on its own. Personnel: Albert Ayler - tenor saxophone; Gary Peacock - bass; Sunny Murray - drums; Paul Haines - engineer. Presented here on opaque yellow vinyl. Ciani, S: Lixiviation LP  $28.99LP version. 2017 repress. The American Delia Derbyshire of the Atari generation. With a sonic portfolio that boasts commissions for the Xenon classic pinball machine, the sounds for the Meco Star Wars theme, the Atari TV commercials, and the electronic sound effects in the original Stepford Wives film (1975), amongst many others, the mutant electronic music CV of Suzanne Ciani is proof that in a 1970s commercial world of boys toys, monopolized by a male dominated media industry, a woman's touch was the essential secret ingredient to successful sonic seduction. A classically trained musician, with an MA in music composition, this American-Italian pianist was first introduced to the synthesizer via her connections in the art world when abstract sculptor and collaborator Harold Paris introduced Suzanne to synthesizer designer Don Buchla who created the Buchla Synthesizer, the instrument that would come to define Ciani's synthetic sound. Cutting her teeth providing self-initiated electronic music projects for art galleries, experimental film directors, pop record producers, and proto-video nasties, Suzanne soon located to New York where she quickly became the first point of call for electronic music services in both the underground experimental fields and the commercial advertising worlds alike. Counting names like Vangelis and Harald Bode amongst her close friends, Suzanne and her Ciani Musica company became the testing ground for virtually any type of new developments in electronic and computerized music amassing an expansive vault of commercially unexposed electronic experiments which have remained untouched for over 30 years... until now. Finders Keepers Records present a new creative archive based relationship with Suzanne Ciani, who, as one of the very few female composers in the field (save Chicago's Laurie Spiegel, Italy's Doris Norton, and a post-op Walter Wendy Carlos) turned a hugely significant wheel behind-the-screens of many early computerized music modules throughout the 1980s, dating back to her formative years studying at Stanford's Artificial Intelligence Labs in the early '70s. Suzanne Ciani's detailed and academic approach to music and electronics coupled with an impeccable sense of timing and melody (and a good sense of humor) shines throughout this new collection of previously unreleased recordings. Lixiviation complies and re-contextualizes both secret music and commercial experiments of Suzanne Ciani made for microcosmic time slots and never previously documented on vinyl or CD. Gas: Narkopop 3LP+CD   $74.99Triple LP version. Includes CD. Comes with a 24-page booklet in a hardcover book. In the body of work of Cologne artist Wolfgang Voigt - who, like few others, has informed, shaped and influenced the world of electronic music with countless different projects since the early 1990s - Gas stands out in particular, a saturnine sound cosmos based on heavily condensed classic sequences. Even after nearly 20 years, the sound of Gas doesn't seem to have lost any of its luster, as shown by the commanding success of Kompakt's fall 2016 re-release of the essential back catalogue as a box set (KOM 370LP). The overwhelming feedback from a loyal international fan community and worldwide media outlets attests once again to the sheer timelessness of Gas. Which is why it will feel like hardly a day has passed since the release of the last official album Pop nearly two decades ago in 2000, when Wolfgang Voigt resumes this specific creative path with the upcoming new full-length Narkopop. Even in the here and now, the unmistakable vibe of Gas immediately hits home, taking the listener on an otherworldly journey with the very first sounds, drawing them into an impervious sonic thicket, down to the depths of rapture and reverie. From wafts of dense symphonic mist emerges a floating and whirling feeling of weightlessness, before the listener steps into an eerily beautiful forest of fantasy, pulled in by the allure of a narcotic bass drum. While earlier Gas tracks were often based on the hypnotic effects of looping techniques, the ten new pieces on Narkopop unfold their magic in a more entwined manner, sometimes with the sonic might of an entire philharmonic orchestra, at times subtle and fragile. A main characteristic of Voigt's oeuvre, the coalescence of seemingly contradictory stylistic aspects such as harmonious and atonal, concrete and abstract, light and heavy, near and far is also a decisive feature of Narkopop. In accordance with the transgressive spirit of his collective work, Voigt carries the aesthetic conceptions of his music over to the realm of the visual. Based on his abstract forest pictures, the Gas artwork addresses Voigt's artistic affinity to romanticism and the forest as a place of yearning. For the first time, a closer look at the cover of Narkopop reveals signs of architectural fragments which hint at another, maybe parallel world behind Voigt's forest. Truth is the prettiest illusion. Diez-Ena, Javier: Theremonial LP $23.99Magnetic field, two antennas, twisted hands searching those hidden notes in the ether. Javier Diez Ena's Theremonial is a record with only theremin sounds, but it is not a theremin solo album. It's not a soloist piece, it's a kaleidoscopic range of sounds. Once you listen, you will discover rhythms, melodies, basslines, textures, harmonies, noises -- Yes, believe it or not, all that sonic magma comes exclusively from a theremin. No sampler was used in this record, every sound has been played with the instrument, sometimes in its natural spooky way, sometimes filtered through a weird variety of effect pedals. There are theremins playing the role of the bass drum, or snare, or bass, even theremins turning into guitar chords, shakers -- maybe this could be the first record where the theremin assumes all the musical roles usually related to a band. The theremin and its truly hard tuning sounds just as it was formerly recorded. Two strong flavors stand out in the potion: darkness and exotism. On the dark side you'll find songs like "Luna Hiena", run by an ultra-bass trembling sound, like the siren of a ghost cruise ship crossing the sea through a foggy night, an up-tempo version "Luna De Hiel", the klezmer noir feeling of "Cracovia Afterdark" or "Berlin Ghost Opera", the collision of two Berliner spheres apparently opposed like opera and industrial music, Neubauten style. "Ruidos De Ultramar-Ultramarumori" could be the sound of a theremin combo formed by Kurt Weill, Tom Waits, and The Young Gods. On the sunny side, the influence of exotica music can be detected: the sound of "Hanalei Dawn" moves the listener to a gorgeous dawn at Hanalei beach (Kauai-Hawaii). "Sunny García" pays tribute to that great Hawaiian surf champion, whose not so sunny temperament took him to fight other surfers in the sea for the perfect wave. "Waikiki Spleen" recreates the strange melancholy of a tiki addict in his first trip to Honolulu. "Roll Li Ning Roll", built from some harmonized loops and an eastern flavored melody, is a tribute to popular '80s Chinese gymnast Li Ning, with loops and loops without risk of dizziness. "Noche De Fiesta En Urano" is a bizarre cosmic trip, the background was recorded in one take, the odd impression is the result of divide and pass the theremin sound through an old Moog Taurus II synthesizer and some parallel delays. Garson, Mort: Mother Earth's Plantasia LP  $26.99The Great Thunder present a reissue of Mort Garson's Mother Earth's Plantasia, originally released in 1976. Garson is well known as one of the pioneers of electronic music in the late '60s and some may have heard of his contributions to quite a few pop hits back in the day when he wrote and conducted orchestral arrangements for a few popular artists. During the second half of the 1960s, Mort Garson and his sidekicks Paul Beaver and Jacques Wilson among others, discovered the newly invented synthesizer courtesy of Robert Moog and made it an integral part of the future pop music even before Wendy Carlos released Switched On Bach in 1968. Plantasia was recorded and released a few years past Garson's monumental works: The Zodiac's Cosmic Sounds (1967), The Wozard Of Iz's An Electronic Odyssey (1968), and Lucifer's Black Mass (1971). Plantasia, originally released in 1976, has been labeled "warm earth music for plants . . . and the people who love them." So you as the listener can imagine that this is a rather bright affair, far from the dark and seething atmosphere of the earlier electronic pieces. A shining diversity of stylistic devices used as the foundation for dreamy and colorful compositions, which works like a soundtrack for a non-existent movie. The warm, yet haunting Moog melodies can still create a rather sinister vibe in their most playful and surreal moments, similar to what you would expect from a mid-seventies horror flicks from Italy. It is a feeling that, despite everything seeming peaceful and relaxed on the surface, something utterly dire is about to rise up. These are certainly just a few passages and when Mort Garson and his mates move on from lush orchestral soul arrangements to something white men always consider to be tribal music of the North American natives, you will drift with them from one scene of your inner mind movie to the next. At this point in the seventies, the technical requirements had already been a bit better with new inventions such as electronic percussion which gets used here and there, conjuring memories of records by German electronic pioneers from the same era, such as Cluster, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream. And despite the twinkle-toed harmonies and big arrangements, which point at the big band music and orchestral pop Garson originated from, the whole work is futuristic and intriguing. Kitajima, Osamu: Masterless Samuri LP  $26.99Oom Dooby Dochas present a reissue of Osamu Kitajima's Masterless Samurai, originally released in 1980. A more world music and definitely a more progressive fusion rock approach is what defines Masterless Samurai, the second album by Japanese prog warrior Osamu Kitajima. On Masterless Samurai, he takes his vision of merging Japan's traditional music with progressive rock and jazz music of the west even one step further than he did with his previous albums. Excessive flute lines of Eastern origin, funky intricate grooves, and fiery synthesizer eruptions are the basic ingredients for most of these impressive instrumentals. The fusion elements are strong in this sound and all the exotic elements from Japanese classic music pull each song far out of the mass of similar acts emerging in the late '70s. Leave behind the Pink Floyd comparison and go for the Canterbury jazz-rock scene, with Caravan and Soft Machine as leading figures, and Osamu Kitajima definitely fits in between these giants due to his creative vision of a progressive world rock music. Don't take the rock elements as utterly physical heaviness; the album rocks but in a more delicate way. The sparkling lines of the electric piano can tell where this record goes. And even a rather gentle tune, like the instrumental ballad "Floating Garden", shows a wicked and progressive edge with expressive sax runs and cool twists and turns, despite the all-in-all relaxed atmosphere. Jaikishan, Shankar: Gumnaam LP  $26.99Twitchin' Beat Records present a reissue of Shankar Jaikishan's Gumnaam, originally released in 1965. This is the soundtrack to the classic 1965 Bollywood movie, of the same name, based on Agatha Christie's book And Then There Were None (1939). Originals in fine condition of the rare first Indian pressing score amazing prices among collectors of 1960s stage and screen music vinyl. It is exactly what you might expect from such a record: The musical elements span from classical Hindustani music, popular folk dances from India, lushly orchestrated screen music, exotica sounds, and the pop music of its era, with hints of country, Latin, surf, and swing. A colorful and all-over-the-place, joyful musical effort, featuring well-known vocalists such as Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, and Mohammed Rafi. Despite the delicately entangled arrangements of the songs, there is always a cool vocal line and harmony to attach the corresponding tune to the listener. A very entertaining record if you have an ear for exotic pop and screen music. Also features: Sharda, Usha Mangeshkar, and Mehmood. Caretaker: Everywhere 2 LP  $26.99The second of six albums issued under the title Everywhere At The End Of Time, The Caretaker's fictional first person account of life with early onset dementia, takes a more wistful tack as our protagonist gradually realizes that all is not well and begins to rummage deeper into the recesses of his memory, masking emotions of grief, loss, fear, and uncertainty by deeper dwelling in the recesses of a decaying mind. As The Caretaker's short term memory functions begin to more rapidly erode, the loop-based punctuation of previous installments begin to subtly unravel, leading his mind to drift off and ponder fuller segments of tea dance strings and horns which appear uncannily more inviting, seductive, and now even more tangible than the abbreviated reels of earlier editions. Loop points wilt away in autumnal greys and russet rustles as new information becomes more difficult to process, back pedaling down memory lane toward an opaque smudge of half-forgotten/remembered spaces, places and un/familiar faces which provide more comfort and clarity than the world around him. It feels strange to recommend undergoing this experience, albeit in such an impressionistic and detached manner, but it somehow feels like a conversely enlightening one for these strange, disingenuous and unpredictable end times that we inhabit right now. Artwork by Ivan Seal. Mastered and cut by Lupo. Rahbek, L: City Of Women LP $22.99Editions Mego welcome Danish artist Loke Rahbek (Damien Dubrovnik, Croatian Amor, Posh Isolation) to the fold. Known for countless creative and commercial endeavors, Loke presents City Of Women, his first solo full-length under his own name. As with all of Loke's output, City Of Women harnesses the radical with the aesthetic in a manner of extreme pleasure for all who encounter. Harnessing his thorough knowledge and experience in extreme electronics, melodic encounters, and sultry showmanship, Loke ties together disparate threads of various underground movements to create a singular and deeply personal journey through industrial temptation, noise refraction, and melodic seduction. This is 21st century pop music. One which dismantles previous held borders of sound to present a wide palate of sound, song, abstraction, and intense emotion. Recorded throughout Europe; Assembled in Stockholm at EMS studios and in Copenhagen 2014-2016. Mixing assistance by Malthe Fischer, Copenhagen; Mastering by Bonati, New York; Cut at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. Additional instrumentation by Anton Rothstein, Mikkel Reher Langberg, Alex Zhang Hungtai, Kristian Emdal, and Elias Bender Rønnenfelt. Artwork by Rahbek, Emdal, and Lukas Højlund. Pinhas/Heldon: Single Collection 1972-1980  2LP  $29.99RSD 2017 release. Double album compilation of the first singles (1972-1980) of Richard Pinhas and his legendary bands: the mythical Heldon, Schizo, and T.H.X.. And, as a bonus, an excellent long, hypnotic, instrumental version of "Marie Zorn" (1999), previously unpublished. Jute Gyte: The Sparrow 12"  $18.99Adam Kalmbach, the sole musician and producer behind Jute Gyte, is the most important musician in metal since Death's Chuck Schuldiner. Adam has crafted two side-long pieces. The first of these, "The Sparrow", is a kind of modernist black metal symphony that might share some signifiers with the despair-loaded blizzard hymns familiar to fans of Norwegian black metal. The second piece, "Monadanom", is from a suite of ambient microtonal guitar pieces that Adam has been incubating for us since early 2014. It is oceanic, not in the usual new agey sense most often applied to ambient music. VASwingin' Dick's Shellac Shakers Vol. 1+2: Hot Jive, Jumpin' Jazz & Big Band R&B 78s CD  $16.99Inspired by the beat of the big band and the swingin' hot rhythms of the '30s and '40s.... This collection of swing comes from the vaults of "Swingin' Dick's 78 Social". Renown the world over as "The Original Gramophone Operative", Swingin' Dick shares his collection of shellac shaking phonographic 78rpm records for your edification. Join the enigmatic Dick as he spins his unique brand of hot jive and R&B swing! Swingin' Dick's Shellac Shakers Vol. 1 + 2 of 78s will have you jumpin' and jitterbugging to the sounds of a bygone era, in all its gramophonic glory. Features: Horace Henderson & His Orchestra, Mezzrow-Ladnier Quintet, Fats Waller, Stuff Smith & His Onyx Club Orchestra, Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra, Rex Stewart's Big Eight, Slim Gaillard, Count Basie & His Orchestra, Jay McShann & His Orchestra, Woody Herman, The Harlem Hamfats, Sidney Bechet & His New Orleans Feetwarmers, Albert Ammons, Cab Calloway & His Orchestra, Gene Krupa & His Orchestra, Roy Eldridge & His Orchestra, Oran "Hot Lips" Page & His Band, Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra, and Lucky Millinder & His Orchestra. Bacalov, L: La Seduzione LP  $33.99Sonor Music Editions present a reissue of La Seduzione, originally released in 1973. An Italian soundtrack holy grail and one of the most highly regarded scores by the majestic Oscar Award winning maestro Luis Enriquez Bacalov. This is the original soundtrack for the drama/erotic film of the same name directed by Fernando Di Leo and shot in beautiful Sicily, Italy. The music on La Seduzione totally destroys all his soundtrack productions with a big orchestra selection, featuring some of the best Italian grooves ever - terrific funk beats, mind-melting scats, Brazilian influenced music with loads of dope exotic vibes. A gigantic Italian music masterpiece finally available for the joy of collectors. Features compositions by I Ninhos Pega ("Tucumania" and "Pinha Tamburim") and Rosa Balistreri ("Mi Votu E Mi Rivotu"). 180 gram vinyl; Edition of 500. VA: Guitar Golden Triangle 2LP  $32.99RSD 2017 release. Limited double LP vinyl gatefold edition of the long out-of-print CD from 2005 compiled by Alan Bishop. Never before presented or heard outside a minority of the Burmese community, this unbelievable collection of raw garage rock, psychedelia, folk, blues, and country music is a product of Shan and Pa'o musicians hailing from Myanmar's largest province of Shan State - an area larger than the entire state of New York expanding across sub-tropic tablelands with an average elevation of 3000 feet, perfect for the cultivation of poppies for which it is very well known (in fact and fiction) as the center of the "Golden Triangle". Discover the music of Lashio Thein Aung (AKA "Jimmy Jack" and the "Burmese Texan"), Khun Paw Yann (a "Black Shan" Pa'o rocker), and Saing Saing Maw - the original Shan legend who wrote and sang garage psych rock songs, backed by a tight unit of organ, bass, drums, and perhaps the most stinging electric guitar in Burmese history. There is little reliable information about these mysterious pioneers and many Burmese have never heard any of these tracks. The tracks on this double LP set are from the 1970s and 1980s and are almost impossible to find in any form or quality. They were transferred directly from old cassette tapes and a few cuts have dropouts (some of them quite severe). Most of the master tapes are thought to have been lost or destroyed many years ago so these recordings may be the only link to a phenomenal and forgotten era of Southeast Asian music history and therefore essential for anyone interested in folk, rock and pop styles from lesser-known regions of the globe. Also features: Khun Kan Chwain, Khun Kaung Kay Maung, Nan Phin Sar, and Khun Hla Maung Law. VAFunction Underground: The Black & Brown American Rock Sound 1969-1974 CD  $18.99"The CD includes a 24-page booklet with extensive notes on an overlooked and important portion of rock n' roll's history. Nearly everyone in the world can rattle off the great African-American musical forms. Jazz, blues, R&B, soul, hip-hop, house, gospel. One influential genre is always left off of the list: a folk music known as rock n' roll. Rock n' roll was a term originally coined to market the white-friendly version of a genre that already existed; prior to 1965, the line between rock n' roll and R&B was thin: Ike Turner recorded and released 'Rocket '88' ' in 1951 and, while its Chess Records release reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart, it is regarded by many as the first rock n' roll record. The Great Divide between R&B and rock n' roll came after the Beatles and the British Invasion decimated the Top 40 chart in 1964. Simultaneously, R&B entered a new phase, soon to be labeled 'soul,' which upped the music's gospel quotient and turned its frantic twang. So somewhere in the mid to late-1960s, rock n' roll became perceived as something for the Caucasian kids. When Jimi Hendrix and Arthur Lee made the scene, they were said to be black musicians entering into a white world. While that couldn't be farther from the truth, that false dichotomy has existed in America's popular conscious ever since, to the point where the idea of a black rock musician is on the level with the idea of a black cowboy. In the mid-1960s, funk replaced soul as the rhythm that was going to move the world. We know all its progenitor - James Brown, The Meters, Kool & The Gang - and their innovations: the syncopated, 4/4 dance between the bass and drums, horns repurposed as percussion, chicken-scratch and wah-wah guitar. We can trace where they came from. But there is one crucial funk influence that no one seems to want to acknowledge -- a devil-may-care attitude we can attribute to rock n' roll. It's not a stretch to say that funk is the African-American answer to psychedelia and hard rock rolled into one. The idea of 'progressivism' that took over rock music after psychedelia's heyday in the late 1960s belatedly spilled over to funk. In the early 1970s, as the underground/psychedelic fire burnt out in the white rock world, it roared to a blaze in the black musical community. Nearly every American city with a large black population boasted self-contained funk bands that didn't consider themselves simply revues or backup groups, but rather fully-operational ensembles. In these bands, everything from composing, arranging, record production and distribution, was handled in house by band members. These are the bands whose music comprises this anthology, and while they're all different, they're unique in one way: they kept their ears open for new developments in funk and rock music. This anthology presents earnest questions as to why we know so little about these bands and the movement of which they were a part. While we don't anticipate that we'll ever find a definitive answer as to what these ensembles' true goals were, then, we do know that they took their charges seriously. And they knew they were onto something different, something that, though only they and their immediate kin might recognize it, was more interesting than the status quo. Function Underground shines light on an important and overlooked part of rock n' roll's history and talented ensembles that toiled in the shadows, derided by their peers 'Do you realize that Hendrix was dead before most black people in America knew he was a black man?' Ebony Rhythm Band drummer Matthew Watson questions rhetorically. 'We was scorned. In that era, everybody else in the black community was wearing three-piece suits, processes and Afro wigs and that shit. We was the first guys to wear bell bottoms. The first guys to wear big hats. We were off into a whole other thing.' "( ...show less... ) The Creation 'Action Painting' 2xCD+Book $27.99The Creation 'Action Painting' 2xLP+Book $28.99Biff! A violin bow scrapes across the strings of a guitarBang! The hiss of a an aerosol can releases paint on to canvasPow! As the violin bow pierces the canvas.Presented here for the first time are the complete Creation studio recordings. All 42 tracks (CD version) have been remastered from the original tapes by Shel Talmy, and given fresh stereo mixes where previously unavailable. New essays by Dean Rudland and Alec Palao tell the band's story and dive into their complete studio sessions. Scores of previously unpublished photographs adorn the accompanying 80 page hard bound book (CD version). We've rounded the whole package out with four tracks by pre-Creation freakbeat quartet the Mark Four, making Action Painting the definitive collection of this legendary UK band. Pharmakon 'Contact (Black & Cream Vinyl)' LP $18.99In trance states, music and the body are used to transcend the physical form and make contact with some outside force. Chardiet decided to structure the compositions of each side of Contact after the stages of trance: preparation, onset, climax, and resolution. Doug Tuttle 'Peace Potato' CD $13.99Doug Tuttle 'Peace Potato (Clear Vinyl)' LP $17.99Massachusetts songwriter Doug Tuttle returns with his third solo album, "Peace Potato", once again on Chicago label Trouble In Mind Records. His 2013 solo debut (after fronting his longtime psychedelic band, MMOSS) was an insular and foggy psychedelic masterpiece punctuated by Tuttle's stinging guitar leads, accented by flashes of bedroom Fairport /Crazy Horse brilliance, towing the line nimbly between elegance and ragged assurance. We last saw Tuttle on "It Calls On Me", his 2015 sophomore album, which pushed his songwriting towards further clarity and melody "Peace Potato" shakes it all down with Tuttle's strongest batch of songs yet. "Peace Potato" introduces itself with the horn-laden, honeydripper,"Bait The Sun", a classic Tuttle tune; downer pop melodies coloring a hypnagogic landscape. It is indeed that state of lucid dreaming, somewhere between the onset of sleep is where Tuttle firmly plants the seeds of "Peace Potato". Songs stutter to life and grind to a halt, to calculated effect, stitched together into a patchwork of full tunes, song fragments and waves of melodic euphoria.Throughout all, Tuttle's guitar picking and soloing echoes the greats of decades prior, Harrison, Thompson, Clarence White, with a conscious eye to the unsung bedroom and basement weird pop genius of sung and unsung artists like Harumi, Sixth Station, The Bachs and Jim Sullivan. Tuttle played every instrument and recorded the entirety of "Peace Potato" in his Somerville bedroom studio; a ubiquitous location in these modern times, but the ease at which Tuttle's songs fold and unfold, suggests something more than your usual home-recorded musings."Peace Potato" is released on black (and limited color) vinyl, compact disc and available via all the usual digital platforms. RAYS 'RAYS (Yellow Vinyl)' LP $17.99On RAYS' debut album the band spins eleven tunes of wiry, urgent post-punk, one foot planted firmly in the nihilistic apathy of 70 & 80's punk (Wire, Electric Eels, Pere Ubu, Eno, Television The Fall), Australian punk past & present (UV Race, Terry, Victims, Babeez), and the addictive strum of 80's & 90's New Zealand/Flying Nun pop; all of whom have found their own way to meld the ferocity & thuggery of punk with a singular melodic voice. RAYS are no different; the swirling jangle of "Attic" starts the album off, sardonically extolling the joy of 'attic life' with Hannan's monotone conveying an underlying sense of dread & isolation. "Dead Man's Curve", with it's hook-filled, organ-laden chorus plays like a lost teenage tragedy song, celebrating the desperation & angst of reckless youth. Smith, Elliott - Either/Or: Expanded Edition (Vinyl)                $28.99 Either/Or is widely regarded as Elliott’s best album, and remains his best-selling. To commemorate the 20th Anniversary of this masterpiece, Kill Rock Stars proudly presents Either/Or: Expanded Edition. This album features the original tracks carefully remastered from original tapes under the supervision of Larry Crane, owner of Jackpot! Studios and archivist of the Estate of Elliott Smith. The additional content features five live multi-track recordings from the Yo Yo A Go Go Festival in Olympia WA in 1997, as well as three previously unreleased studio recordings and one b-side gem. The double LP is packaged in a gatefold jacket that includes an insert of the original liner notes, a postcard of the original master tapes, and several never-before seen photos. This gorgeous collection is an essential listen for longtime fans and newcomers alike. Bardo Pond - Under The Pines (Vinyl)                $28.99 So complex and substance-affected was their evolution, Bardo Pond have been creating their dreamy riffs for 26 years alongside a myriad of side projects and their prolific Record Store Day releases. Returning with a career defining album, ‘Under The Pines’ sees them delve into the subconscious with their transcending cosmic post-rock. Over 41 minutes The Pond’s fermentation, their languid throb and textured groove (flute, violin, Isobel Sollenberger’s haunting vocals) sounds like cathartic dream pop wrapped in a delicately constructed barbwire shroud. “Playing fuzzed out stuff of stoner dreams since the mid ‘90s,” (thanks Pitchfork) and beyond the mentions of free jazz, the avant garde, Sun Ra and The Book Of The Dead, Bardo Pond’s remarkable career and exemplary output has seen them gain fans from all corners of the pond. In 2010 Lou Reed and his wife Laurie Anderson invited them to perform at the Vivid festival they curated at the Sydney Opera House, not forgetting they were recently handpicked to support Jesus & Mary Chain at London’s Roundhouse as part of Mogwai’s 20th Anniversary and Stewart Lee chose them for the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival which he curated just last year. Hailed for their space rock, drone, shoegaze, noise and/or psychedelia, and in a super lengthy interview in Ptolemaic Terrascope enthused (back in 2001) that they were somewhere between John Cage’s silence on 4’33 and Japanese noisenik Merzbow’s total ear splitting cacophony. One of their finest albums to date and nearly three decades on, Bardo Pond are in it for the long haul and remain one of the most significant underground rock bands of our time. Children of Alice - Children of Alice $26.99 Children of Alice have been quietly producing amorphous and intoxicating soundscapes as part of the Folklore Tapes collec- tive for a number of years now, beginning in 2013 with Harbin- ger of Spring on the shared Ornithology release. This poetic conjuration of rebirth and new growth was the first unfurling of post-Broadcast creation from James Cargill, one half of the personal and artistic relationship at the heart of that epochal and increasingly feted band. The name Children of Alice was chosen as an act of tribute to the late Trish Keenan, for whom Alice in Wonderland and in particular Jonathan Miller’s sum- merhazy 60s idyll of an adaptation, was a presiding inspiration. The name invokes her abiding spirit and also creates a sense of continuity with the evolving Broadcast soundworld, which became more concentrated and individual as it refined itself and adapted to new configurations. The group (or perhaps we should call them a collaborative triad, since they occupy island territory far removed from the familiar shores of rock, though still keeping it in vision on the far horizon) consists of Cargill along with his former bandmate Roj Stevens (who played keyboards in Broadcast) and Julian House, co-founder of Ghost Box records, whose distinctive graphic design work also gives the label its signature look, and hidden prestidigitator behind The Focus Group.This LP brings together their entire output to date, on their first widely available release. Trinosophes upcoming shows Coming Soon5/4: The Real Diptopia (with Doc Waffles and Eddie Logix)5/5  Dave Rempis solo and with guests, Molly Jones record release show5/22: Elgar Trio5/24: Cinema Lamont presents a film screening of "Cinema Nuevo" (Brazil) Related 5/6: Chatoyant at Robinwood Concerthouse, Toledo, OH5/8: Chatoyant at Satellite Records, Kalamazoo, MI 5/9: Chatoyant  at ACLU benefit fundraiser- Chicago5/10: Chatoyant at Independent Media Center- Champaign IL5/11: Chatoyant at Dream Theater- Louisville, KY5.13: Chatoyant in Columbus, OH5/26 Viands at Trip Metal Fest EL CLUB UPCOMING SHOWS  (most shows all ages - ticket will say all ages or not)remember - tickets are cash only. this saves us all the service charges!! detroit cobras sat may 6th $15.00red kross wed may 10th $15.00southern culture on the skids thurs may 11th $15.00north mississippi allstars wed may 17th $20.00tim kasher wed june 7th $12.00 MARBLE BAR (all shows 18 and over) kikagaku moyo thurs may 11th $10.00pile friday may 12th $10.00mary timony plays helium wed june 14th $16.00 UFO FACTORY   (all shows 18 and over)mega bog, tasseomarcy wed may 10th $10.00she-devils sat june 3rd $10.00!!! (chk chk chk) friday june 16th $16.00

[haraldrevery]

[haraldrevery]

[haraldrevery]

Harald Revery abandoned project

[haraldrevery]

Harald Revery - Eventful Sunset

2016