The snow covers the docks. The water of the harbor is still frozen. Same with the bay and the river attached. The cold is still bitter, but the sun rises. This winter was nowhere near as long as The Longest Night, which the people have started calling that fateful winter that felt like it would never end. It\u2019s been more than a few cycles since then. Since that winter in which I lost my beloved Arngunn, our child, Asfrid, and my brother\u2019s son and Thorkel the summer prior. I try to imagine what Arni and Hrut\u2019s last send-off would have been like. I wasn\u2019t here to see it. Neither was I there for Asfrid or her child. Or even my brothers for that matter, not that we had his body to send on his last voyage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wasn\u2019t here when they needed me. Why couldn\u2019t I have stayed? If I could only have one last moment with my wife and child, I\u2019d give the rest of my days and cherish that moment. What would I say to them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I look out and imagine their boats coming back to shore, but they’re not sleeping on their final rest, instead, they\u2019re standing up, as alive as I am sitting here now. The smiles on their faces are what I am trying to remember, but all I remember were the last moments that they gave me, and instead of cherishing them, I wasted them. My brother might be lost forever. I don\u2019t know if he died holding his weapon, and I can\u2019t recover the body to send him on his last voyage. He\u2019s gone, and it still feels like it\u2019s all my fault. And instead of cherishing those last moments with my wife and child, I was consumed with revenge. All I wanted to do was kill that elf. He haunted my memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now I have all but forgotten him. Instead, I just remember the tears my wife cried on the day that I left. I just wish I could have those moments back. Instead of seeking death, I\u2019d cherish life. But not even the father above can reverse the tree of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if Arni and Hrut stepped on this dock one last time, I\u2019d spill my heart out to them. I have so much to tell them. If they were standing in front of me for one last moment, I\u2019d tell them this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I clear my throat. \u201cIf you were here, Arni, my love, I wouldn\u2019t feel so alone. You\u2019re the only thing I was holding onto. You and our child. I saw all the days ahead with us. Hrut would have many brothers and a sister or two. I\u2019d make sure of it. Hrut, you and your siblings would spend your time learning all the things you need to in order to survive this world. You\u2019d spend time with Aldam, the grumpy old dwarven blacksmith. He\u2019s short and bald, but he\u2019s got a mouth as loud as a bear. You won\u2019t like him very much at first, but he\u2019ll grow on you. In the end, you\u2019ll think of him as a close friend. He knows everything there is to know about making weapons. Of course, I\u2019m sure Arni would spend a lot of time chasing you and your siblings around, getting you out of trouble. Wouldn\u2019t you, love?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I laugh at the thought of that sweet, kind, woman acting like my mother. \u201cLike Thorkel and I, you\u2019d spend a lot of time doing slave work and your arse would be full of welts. But like me, you\u2019d cherish that time. I\u2019d teach you how to fight and swing an ax. You\u2019d make your own sword, just like I had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I take in a deep breath and smell the air. The icy wind brings in that salty scent. I try hard, but no matter how deep I breathe in, I still can\u2019t smell their scent. Arni would always smell like flowers because she spent so much time picking them. Hrut would smell like barf and shit. Most of the time, he cried all night. But there was that time he opened up his eyes and smiled at me. I\u2019ve never felt so alive during those tiny moments. I saw myself in his eyes. \u201cArni, I wish I could smell the flowers you always had in your hair one last time. I wish we were back in the woods and trying to stop our sibling and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I let out the breath I\u2019ve been holding as I see another boat leave the harbor. Tonna\u2019s now in one of the great halls. Feasting with my wife and her sister. I can imagine Tonna and Asfrid might instead be fighting. I don\u2019t think they ever liked each other. Of course, Arni would surely try to break them up. The thought brings both the tears out of my eyes and puts a smile on my face. \u201cArni, please, just give me one more moment. Please let me hold Hrut one last time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBothvi? What are you doing?\u201d I turn around to see little Thora walking out with Svala. It hurts every time she calls me Bothvi, just like Arni used to do, but I can\u2019t bring myself to tell her not to. I suppose she, more than anyone, has every right to. Because of me, she has to grow up without her parents. Instead of having Thorkel and Asfrid here to teach her how to be a Kraken, she is stuck with me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s talking with his wife and your parents. And it would seem your cousin too,\u201d Svala says. Her golden blonde hair twirls with the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy did you two come out here? It\u2019s cold, and the dock is slick.\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted to see you, uncle Bothvi,\u201d Thora says with that innocent little smile. In a way, it kind of reminds me of the smile Thorkel would always give.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe wanted to see you, but I wanted to speak to them too,\u201d Svala says as she sits down next to me. Thora sits down on the other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow do you speak to them?\u201d Thora asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I breathe in and fill my lungs with the bitter cold air long enough to hurt before letting it go. I look into the little girl\u2019s eyes and I see both my brother and Asfrid. But someone else too. Someone new. \u201cWell, you just close your eyes and imagine them sailing a boat back to the docks. They\u2019ll get off and hug you. Then you\u2019ll get your chance to say everything you need to say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do they look like?\u201d Thora asks as she brushes her light blonde hair from her face. Her tiny little nose looks like a miniature one of Arni\u2019s. The same one Asfrid shares. Only hers was always sticking up at everyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, your mother had the same nose as you. Your father shares my face. He\u2019d have a beard like mine, too. He would be big and strong. Your mother shared my wife\u2019s golden blonde hair. They also had the same eyes as you. Deep blue eyes. As blue as the ocean. I\u2019m sure your brother would share the same blue eyes and golden hair. He wasn\u2019t much younger than you are now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat about Hrut?\u201d Svala asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHrut had blue eyes too. Same with his hair. It was dirty, like mine instead of the clean golden hair his mother had. He also got a nose like mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remember now. He did have an enormous nose,\u201d Svala says. My eyes fall flat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, papa and mama, and little brother, if you are listening, I hope your voyage went smoothly. I\u2019m stuck here with uncle Bothvi. He\u2019s okay. He\u2019s like a big bear. He even has a cloak made out of bear fur.\u201d She pauses and looks up at me. \u201cWhat else should I say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, you\u2019re doing pretty good so far. You definitely pinned down the old bear. Although you missed the part about his grumbling,\u201d Svala says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, papa, Bothvi grumbles a lot. Just like a bear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Svala laughs hard. \u201cHe also loves to snore. Loudly. I bet ya we all know who can speak the truth on that, right Arni?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Svala\u2019s smile widens. \u201cYep, Arni agrees with me. She says you snore louder than a boar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thora laughs so hard that she hiccups. \u201cWhat else did Arni say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell,\u201d Svala sits up and scratches her head. Her face softens as she looks up at me. \u201cShe says she misses us. She wishes she had one last moment with us, especially the bear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I look at Svala and search for\u2026 Does she really see them? She smiles at me. \u201cShe also says Hrut is growing up fast. He\u2019s already a man. He literally just sprung into a man a few sunrises ago. It was so sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I laugh so hard that I nearly choke. Did I really think she could speak to the dead? I look back at Svala and she beams with joy. And so does Thora. The two of them are wearing smiles that make the sun seem dull when it is out. \u201cLet\u2019s go inside and eat. Winter is finally over. I can feel it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYay!\u201d Thora says as she jumps to her feet and sprints down the dock. Svala runs behind her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey! No running on the dock,\u201d I yell at them and they ignore me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
—<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou’re too short,\u201d I say, with my hand on her head as she tries to punch and kick me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am not too short. You\u2019re just too tall!\u201d She snaps back, then she tries to grab my arm and pull me down, but she is like a baby pulling on a tree. I only laugh. \u201cDon\u2019t laugh! I\u2019m going to be the greatest warrior to ever come out of the Kraken clan!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That makes me laugh even harder. \u201cHow will you do that? You can\u2019t even land a punch on me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou just wait, uncle. I\u2019ll punch you good. So good, you\u2019ll\u2026 You\u2019ll\u2026 You\u2019ll.\u201d She pauses to think about it. \u201cYou just won\u2019t like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I chuckle. \u201cIs that so? Well, let\u2019s see it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She tries to move past my arm, but she\u2019s too small. Her little tiny arms can\u2019t reach me. \u201cThis isn\u2019t fair!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRule one, Thora, life isn\u2019t fair, and neither is battle. You can\u2019t expect fairness from either. If you\u2019re planning on hitting an enemy as big as me, you\u2019re going to need to use your head to do so. The mind is a sharper weapon than the sword. Think!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She takes a second before she grins. She backs up a bit, crouches down, and springs forward. Once again, my hand\u2019s in her path. Suddenly she flings up dirt in my eyes and spins off my hand. Her little fist pelts my side with a punch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHa! Take that, uncle,\u201d she says as I wipe the dirt from my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cClever girl. I\u2019ll give ya that one. You took my advice and applied it. Good, but next time you won\u2019t get away with the same trick. I\u2019ll be ready for it. What will you do then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll figure something out. You just wait,\u201d she says with a smirk as she wipes the dirt-stained sweat off her brow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI guess I\u2019ll have to, I suspect supper is ready. Come, little one, let us eat. Your grandmother will want to have lessons for you after,\u201d I say as I ruffle the girl’s hair into a bigger mess than it already is.\u201d Then you should spend time chopping wood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChopping wood? That\u2019s slave work!\u201d she says, sticking out her bottom lip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNonsense, chopping wood helps you develop your swing and builds your strength as long as you do it correctly. Now come, mother and aunt will have lessons for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAhh, I don\u2019t want to. I want to learn how to use a sword and an ax!\u201d she says, brushing her messy golden blonde hair out of her face. The same hair Arngunn and Asfrid shared. I see so much of both of them in her and it hurts, but at the same time, it\u2019s bitter-sweet. There\u2019s a lot of Thorkel in her as well. Her determination is the same as his. She\u2019s all I have left of all of them. She\u2019s so much like Thorkel, I have a hard time not thinking of her as a sister instead of my niece. Because of it, I let her get away with far too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We head into the hall where the family is, squabbling amongst themselves. As soon as mother sees me, she rushes over to little Thora and sighs. Behind her, two familiar elven women walk behind wearing the Elvish magic restricting slave collars. I recognize them and remember them from long ago. One is Valindra and the other is Renna. They serve my mother and my Aunt Sigvor now. I can\u2019t help but feel bitter. Every time I look at the elves, I see that red-haired bastard who killed my brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even so, I know not all elves are the same, just like not all humans are the same, or even Northerners for that matter. Oddly, they seem rather attached to my mother. She has that effect on people. She can be rather scary at times, but she has a way of making people loyal to her. Same with my Aunt Sigvor. Silent most of the time, but she has an enormous heart. My mother is quite the opposite when it comes to being quiet, but they both share the same golden heart. Even their slaves hold them in such high regard. I believe it is because they don\u2019t treat them like most do. They treat them fairly as they treat everyone. Although I\u2019d argue my mother treats her children more harshly than most. My backside will agree. But she does it with love. \u201cBy the gods, girl, have you been wrestling with pigs? You\u2019re as dirty as one and you smell like one. You need to bathe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUncle Bothvi has been teaching me to fight. I punched him good,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, it tickled,\u201d I say, rather too flatly. She punches me in the thigh. I look down at her with a grin. \u201cAre you trying to make me laugh, girl?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She flails at me with punches, I just brush her aside like a gnat, heading past the hearths and into the dining hall where a table of food lies, past the rows of tables against the wall, stretching all the way to the right of my father\u2019s keep. A keep that has been built upon by our ancestors and has been made strong by stone and metal. It is far larger than anything I\u2019ve ever seen in the Northern clans. A keep on top of the highest hill before the mountains. The hill itself is surrounded by walls and towers. And several large houses of my father\u2019s closest friends line the lower level of the hill. My stomach roars. I give it a good pat. \u201cI\u2019m hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thormar, Bodvar, and Svala are already eating with father as slaves scramble to get more drink and food. I grab my own plate, fill it, and take my seat by Thormar with a chair I had to bring down to hold my weight. I even had to replace all the tables and my bed in my room with reinforced metal ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the gods Thormar has changed since Thorkel\u2019s Death. It\u2019s hard not to see him as my aloof little brother who always asks lots of annoying questions and throws temper tantrums. But now, he seems so reserved and full of anger all the time. His eyes bear shadows that never were there before and he eats in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bodvar and Svala have too changed, neither seem as carefree as they once were. Svala picks at her food while Bodvar eats as if it were just another task, no hint of that goofy smile he always wore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My great uncle Alvi and Gudrod walk in, grabbing a plate before they take a seat. I must say, Gudrod is a lot older than when I last saw him. He\u2019s a little older than Bodvar. Almost raiding age. He\u2019s grown a bit taller, still not as tall as Thormar, but close. Still has a baby-fresh face with no hair at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, Bothvar!\u201d He says with that same smile. Some things never change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, Gudrod. Hey Uncle Alvi,\u201d I say with a nod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing great! Alvi has been teaching me all about raiding. Soon, I\u2019ll be old enough to raid myself. I\u2019m only a few cycles shy and then I\u2019ll be able to join your crew. I can\u2019t wait!\u201d His smile reaches ear to ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t really raid\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWill you finally come to your senses, my son, and raid this summer?\u201d Father asks, butting in as he picks pieces out of his bread to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy place is here, teaching Thora, besides, it seems like Thormar stepped in to take my place,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The little girl breaks away from mother and runs around the table as the old woman chases after. \u201cGet back here. You\u2019re taking a bath whether you like it or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll never get me!\u201d she screams as she manages to get to the opposite side of the tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust take a bath already, Thora. You stink like pig shit,\u201d Svala says in a mumble as she twirls her spoon around her food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUncle, will you talk some sense into the boy?\u201d father asks Alvi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uncle only shrugs. \u201cBothvar, I was once in your boots. After my wife and children died, I had no will to continue on. I was lost, and I didn\u2019t know what to do about it. It is good that you have found a purpose in raising little Thora, but you also have to remember your people. Even though we survived The Longest Night, as you well know, many did not. Who knows when another winter will come just like that, or worse. If we do not raid, we will not eat. That is how we get our resources. Thora definitely needs you, but if you want her to gain the honor and glory of her father, you need to show her how it is done by leading by example.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to raid, Bothvar. You are the greatest warrior I know. If you don\u2019t go, who will make sure everyone comes back safely?\u201d Gudrod says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t have said it better myself,\u201d father says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I let out a sigh, but don\u2019t argue as Thora sprints around the table with mother chasing after her, bumping into Thormar. Thormar slams his fist on the table after he spills his drink everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m surprised he doesn\u2019t have his maps with him. He\u2019s been obsessed with those maps ever since Uncle Koll brought one back after summer raids as a boy. I look up at my father. \u201cFather, why don\u2019t you go west? That is what Thorkel wanted to do. Not to mention, from what I have heard, the elves have a good many islands and trade routes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thormar looks up at me from his plate and blinks, then he turns to father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFighting the elves is a losing battle. We have nothing to combat their magic. I also don\u2019t want to fight the Pirates either. Some of them are allies and others use magic as well,\u201d father says as he gives me dirty looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t we use magic?\u201d Thormar asks, seeming to come out of his stupor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know about you, but I certainly can\u2019t hurl balls of fire,\u201d father says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut what if we could get people who can?\u201d Thormar asks. It\u2019s hard to believe my little brother is a man now. He has Thorkel\u2019s ambitions. They both wanted to raid west. Part of me wishes we had. Of course, Thormar has always wanted to explore the unknown. That\u2019s one of the few things the two shared. Now, he\u2019s old enough to raid and has been already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd how do you propose we do that?” Father asks as people enter the hall. Koll and Einar Alriksson, along with Throst Thorhallson join us at the table. My father\u2019s closest friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe could capture slaves who do magic. We could train them like you train a dog. Those collars the elves use prohibit their magic, so we could maybe find a way to use collars to control their magic,\u201d Thormar says. My mother continues to chase Thora around the hall before the little girl gets caught by my father, who holds her into a headlock and further messes up her hair as she laughs while struggling to get free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mother takes Thora from my father and practically has to drag her away as she kicks and claws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Father turns his attention to the visitors after they\u2019ve been given food and drink. \u201cGreetings, my friends. How is the kin?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAsk me after I\u2019ve drunk enough ale,\u201d Einar grumbles. \u201cOne son always has his nose in books. My oldest is an excellent warrior but should read a book or two. Sadly, my daughters show the most potential. At least if they don\u2019t kill each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat about your sister\u2019s son? May she feast in the halls of the gods,\u201d my father asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a coward. The boy will never survive in a fight. He can\u2019t stomach it. Passes out every time he even sees a drop of blood,\u201d Einar says, disdain dripping from his words. He\u2019s graying in his prominently black beard and long hair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His twin brother, Koll, slaps his arm. \u201cCould be worse. I can\u2019t get a moment of silence in my own home between my three wives and all the children I\u2019ve lost count of. My children\u2019s children are now getting old enough to argue. Veleif\u2019s four daughters are enough to drive me crazy. Toss in Gili\u2019s daughter and my three grandsons who are now old enough to raid along with Tyrkir\u2019s baby boy who never stops crying, and my house has become a battlefield. Let alone all of their wives and my daughters who never stop fighting each other. When they\u2019re not arguing with each other, they join forces to argue against me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Father laughs. \u201cYou\u2019re the madman who married three wives. I can hardly handle one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe thing is, they get along quite well with each other. They\u2019re nearly inseparable. I couldn\u2019t marry one without the other two since they were all the bestest of friends from childhood, but women just love to argue. And the worst thing is, they\u2019re all smart and cunning. Women should never be allowed to be so smart. I feel as if I\u2019m in a constant game of war with them. And I always seem to lose.\u201d Koll sighs and takes a long drink from his mug and wipes his mouth with his sleeve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After letting out a loud belch, he wipes his mouth and continues. \u201cIt\u2019s bad enough that Ingithora and Svanhild get enough sex from each that they\u2019ll hold out on me just to spite me when I anger them, which is all the time. I don\u2019t even know what I do to anger them. And Amora is rarely ever in the mood. What is the point of having three wives if none of them want to have sex? Madness, I tell you. Thank the gods they don\u2019t care if I fuck the slave girl,\u201d Koll says before he downs the rest of the mug. My father wears a keen smirk as he sips his ale. Koll slams his mug down with another burp. \u201cOf course, that is when Ingithora and Svanhild don\u2019t hog her. Melissa, the slave, is a good woman. Tender and kind. She knows how to treat a man. She also apparently knows how to treat a woman\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank the gods my wife isn\u2019t like that. She doesn\u2019t play those games. I just wish she\u2019d give me a son already. I\u2019ve put six babies in her and they\u2019ve all come out girls. How is that possible?\u201d Throst asks as he runs a hand through his red hair and leans back in his chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Koll slaps him on the shoulder. \u201cYou can have one of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAye, maybe we can marry off my daughter to one of your grandsons. My youngest two are about the same age,\u201d Throst says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Koll shrugs. \u201cIf your daughter agrees to marry one of my grandsons, I\u2019m all for it. I know the little bastards would love to have any one of your daughters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throst only shrugs. \u201cI know Alfeid has always had an eye on Gudrik and Asdis is always seen with Starolf. They\u2019d be perfect for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Father just shrugs and takes a sip. \u201cSo, my friends, what are your thoughts about the summer raids? My son thinks we should sail west.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The men all look at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, you\u2019re finally going to raid once again, Bothvar?\u201d Einar asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d Einar asks. \u201cMost of the men in the village heard of some of the exploits of your self-exile all those cycles ago. We heard of your victory against the Bone Eaters from the Valkyrie clan. They talk of you as some type of god who can\u2019t be touched on the battlefield. They say you slaughtered them like cattle. Never even getting a scratch while leaving a mountain of corpses. There are stories of how you killed a bear with your bare hands and fought hordes of yeti and those Shadow Stalkers in the mountains. They\u2019ve seen that yeti horn and the antlers you have. Let alone the fact that you have saved us all from starvation. Surely, you\u2019re not afraid to raid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t kill any yeti. I was friends with the yeti. If it weren\u2019t for them, I would\u2019ve been killed by the Shadow Stalkers. Those fiends will kill anything they come across. And I didn\u2019t kill the bear with my bare hands, I killed it with an ax and a bow. Besides, I made a promise to look after Thora and teach her how to be strong. Isn\u2019t that our way?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, it is, and that is why we raid. To provide for our young. This is our way. It always has been,\u201d Koll says with a stern look. \u201cDon\u2019t you want to provide for Thora?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t you also make a promise to avenge Thorkel? How will you do that if you don\u2019t raid?\u201d Father asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBesides, we all know too well what happens when we do not have enough to provide for our people when winter comes. The Longest Night may prove to be the first of many,\u201d Throst says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grit my teeth as I ponder the old men\u2019s words. What they say makes sense. If we were more successful in our raids, maybe my beloved Arni, my baby boy, Asfrid, and Thorkel\u2019s son would still be alive. But still, what about Thora? Can I leave her alone? I\u2019m supposed to guide her and train her to be like her father. The girl suddenly bursts into the room in trousers and a shirt far too big for her. Her hair soaking wet. My exasperated mother walks in behind her with Sigvor silently snickering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPerhaps,\u201d is all I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy the way, I\u2019m the one who wanted to sail west,\u201d Thormar speaks up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs that so? What do you hope to find out west? Have you not heard of the monsters that swim in the deep seas out west? The Kraken will bring our ships down to the depths if the Charybdis doesn\u2019t get us in its jaws. Not to mention the pesky Merrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre the Merrow not merpeople? I\u2019ve heard tales of the beauty of mermaids. Surely, they aren\u2019t the same thing, are they?\u201d Thormar asks. The little brother I remember from our childhood is slowly coming out from the walls he\u2019s built. He used to be so curious about everything. Always asking questions. But now, if I hadn\u2019t brought up going west, he would\u2019ve left the topic buried in silence. What has happened to my little brother?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey are different. Think of the Merrow as savage merpeople. They eat human flesh and will hunt anything that enters its waters,\u201d Throst says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t seen a mermaid before. I wouldn\u2019t hold weight to such nonsense unless I see it with my own eyes,\u201d Einar says. Uncle Alvi snores as he sleeps, sitting up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe also have to look out for Jotnar ships. The giants have massive ships that could trample our own. They\u2019ll take you alive and eat you like the Bone Eaters,\u201d Throst says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI heard they sacrifice humans to their giant god they worship. A giant that is the size of a mountain and could squash a house with its foot,\u201d Thormar says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere do you hear these tales?\u201d Einar asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour son, Eystein, told me. He said he read\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo not listen to my son. The boy reads too many books. He knows not of the world because he hardly steps out of the house. How can you know of the world if you haven\u2019t seen any of it?\u201d Einar asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut he knows lots of things. He told me that if I take the seawater, boil it, and trap the steam in something, we can drink the steam. He read that in a book,\u201d Thormar says at Einar with a challenging gaze. \u201cTrandil and I have even gone to the dwarf Aldam for his help in making a device we can take out on raids that will allow us to make seawater drinking water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Einar huffs. \u201cTrandil and Eystein are fool boys who don\u2019t know their heads from their asses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut they\u2019re your blood. How can you say that about them?\u201d Thormar asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey may be my blood, but they\u2019re still foolish boys,\u201d Einar says, slamming his fist on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAye, but you have to admit, brother, the water thingy does have its merits,\u201d Koll says, slapping Einar on the shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My father slams his mug on the table after emptying it and stands up. \u201cI propose we go out for a hunt. Winter is over. I bet we can find a big fat boar or maybe some bear coming out of their sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA hunt sounds fun indeed,\u201d Throst says with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, I need something to kill before I head home. I know my wives surely have some scheme brewing,\u201d Koll says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, a hunt sounds needed. Let\u2019s kill us a bear. I need a good challenge,\u201d Einar says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you coming, Bothvar?\u201d my father asks. I nod as I finish the food on my plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to come,\u201d Bodvar says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMe too!\u201d Svala utters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Father looks at the two of them through his cool blue eyes, combing his beard with his fingers. \u201cI suppose you\u2019re both old enough to go out hunting. Just stay in the back, be quiet, and do as I tell you to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Father looks up at Thormar. \u201cYou\u2019re coming too. But stay back with Bodvar and Svala.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait, a second. I will not have my two youngest out on these wild boar chases,\u201d mother says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to come!\u201d Thora shouts as she jumps on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo!\u201d I snap rather quickly and a little too intensely. Thora jumps back and trips. I grab her shirt before she falls back on her arse. \u201cYou\u2019re too young and too reckless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAhhh, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo buts,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thora sticks out her bottom lip and pouts. She glares at me. That little face of hers melts my heart like a hot forge, but I won\u2019t budge on this. \u201cWhen you get Bodvar\u2019s age, I\u2019ll think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d she says as she climbs off the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCome, child. Let me read you a story about the goddess Idunn and the tale of how Flosi tricked her and tried to take her to the giant Thiazi,\u201d Sigvor says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid she escape? Is she alright?\u201d Thora asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re just going to have to come and find out,\u201d Sigvor says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I make sure they get Thora to chop wood when they\u2019re done and try to ingrain the proper way of cutting wood to her, which she, of course, shrugs off. I rush up to grab my hunting supplies, but stop at the beam Thorkel and I found Thormar pounding nails into. The beam is covered from top to bottom with nails and hammer indents. I remember when Thorkel and I found Thormar hammering what feels like a long time ago. He told us father told him to do it whenever he lashes out with his anger. Thorkel thought it was amusing, but looking at this beam covered in nails and dents\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I look down at Thormar as he finishes his food and then talks to an elven male slave, he took during his time raiding while I stayed back to raise Thora. I don\u2019t remember the slave\u2019s name. Thormar seems so reserved and lost. What happened to my little brother? He\u2019s no longer that curious and kind boy I remember. Why were Thorkel and I so mean to him? Never including him in any of our adventures. Always teasing him and pushing him away. Even Bodvar and Svala have given him a hard time. Especially Bodvar. I\u2019m beginning to fully understand the consequences of my actions. What seemed like such harmless teasing has really taken its toll on my little brother. Each word left a cut on him and those cuts have become scars and this beam shows all of the scars my brother has endured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBothvar, are you coming?\u201d Bodvar asks as he throws his hunting bow over his shoulder. I shake the thoughts from my head, nod, and grab my gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aratheon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Prevous-Chapter.png?resize=223%2C63&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aratheon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Next-Chapter.png?resize=223%2C63&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n