20 - The Cleanse

All I wanted was to run out into the forest and find the magician who'd cursed my son and my friðr and end his miserable life. But I was held back by Freke's pack, mostly Vidar, but all of them seemed to take turns guarding me.

I was restless. This morning I visited Vidar's house to check on my son, who still layed where the wolf had placed him, sleeping, cuddled up in Freke's fur. By the bed sat my wife, day and night, watching them, prepared to feed him if he woke. I tried to be there for her, hold her and comfort her, promising everything was going to be fine. But like me, her reaction was anger and she pushed me away. When it happened, I had been angry at Freke for not helping Ari, and she was angry that I had forced them to leave Blidsfell in the first place, putting him in danger.

How stupid I had been, I thought, as I looked at Freke, who was pouring his magic into my child, selflessly, for hours and hours. Now, I just needed Noora to understand that I had no other option. They might have been safer in my father's hall, but Bjarke could just as well have travelled there to kill them.

The village of Skal was busy. The wolves were performing rituals, cleansing the land from the curse. Stones were raised, runes were carved into the land and blood was offered to the gods.

As I walked between the houses, I couldn't help but feel different. The people of Skal greeted me with respect. I greeted them back, but this time I decided not to join them in their preparations. My head was spinning, and doing physical work might have helped, but I felt like it was not my place to do so. I was the Jarl, I must have more important things to do?

My muscles were tense, my heart burning for revenge. By the lost eye of Odin, how I wanted to flee this place and run out to that hut and behead the níðingr. My soul and body ached to avenge my loved ones, but here I was, trapped like a mouse in a box and guarded by wolves.

My wife and child's arrival had changed something within me. Suddenly my life had a bigger purpose than before. I wanted Skal to be a safe place for Ari to grow up in and I would do anything in my power to watch him become a strong young man. Right now I couldn't care less about my fate or what had been decided for me. I knew what I wanted, and I was going to create that home for him and my other unborn children.

I stopped in my tracks and watched Vidar talk to the redheaded boy. It looked like he was teaching him something. The tall wolf was hard to get a grip around. He was loving towards Freke, but very stern and demanded respect from anyone talking to him. I guessed that was the alpha in him, the potential which Freke's mother had seen.

I couldn't agree more. Vidar was a born leader. I could see it in the way he guided his apprentice with patience and respect—how he never demanded the last word, but listened to what others had to say. He was a good man, but it didn't change the fact that it hurt my heart knowing Freke might leave with him soon. And if they did, would they come back to me?

I knew Freke wanted Vidar to stay here with us. They had told me so and asked my permission. Back then I had laughed at my lover and I had told them the truth, that I'd do anything to make them happy.

But I had also heard Vidar's words, that he wanted to take Freke with him to Hamrirr territory, to their birthplace and solve the issues within the pack. And how could I deny them that?

"You're in deep thoughts, Jarl," the tall wolf said as he came up to me, leaving the youngling to his training.

"Tyr," I insisted and received a cynical smile.

"Only friends call others by their first name," he snickered and raised an eyebrow.

"You saved my boy, and your Freke's maður, I believe that is good enough reason for us to be friends?"

"But when I have saved your village I will take Freke away from you," he stated calmly. "After that, will you still call me friend?"

It annoyed me how confident he was. He spoke as if Bjarke was nothing, a mere maggot he was about to squish. "It is Freke's choice," I said, trying to stay calm. "If they want to go with you, I won't stop them."

Vidar licked his lips and I could see an amused sparkle in his eyes, "I'm sensing you have something else to add."

"Hurt them and I'll kill you."

Vidar let out a heartfelt chuckle before placing a hand on my shoulder. The man was intimidating to say the least, and I hated the way I was forced to look up to meet his eyes.

"Why would I hurt the person that means the most to me?" He leaned closer and hissed, his mouth close to my ear, "I could have forced him to come home, to stay with me after the ceremony. But because I love him I let him go back to you. That, my dear, Tyr, is a sacrifice I know you won't be able to do for him. So, tell me. Who loves him more?"

I looked at him with a sense of confusion, respect and admiration mixed with fear. "I told you, I didn't know about the two of you."

"But now you do, and what consequences will that bring?"

I shook my head and sighed, for some reason I felt exhausted. "You should both stay."

"Why? Because you want them close?" he said and looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"Yes," I said with a smile, and decided to say the truth, knowing he would notice my lies instantly. "But also, because I want them to be happy," I found some courage in me to look him in the eyes, "and I can tell that they're happy with you."

He tilted his head to the side and the braided long black hair fell off his shoulder, "you would accept me as a part of your family?" he asked curiously.

I nodded, "I would. But I also know you are born a leader, and you would probably get bored by our way of life, without your pack to care for."

I watched as the wolf took a step forward and placed a big, but unusually delicate, hand in the back of my neck and pulled me closer, staring intensely into my eyes. "Is the great Jarl of Skal proposing a merge of our clans?" he teased, and even if the closeness of his body made my heart pound frantically inside my chest, I managed to sound calm when I answered him.

"Think about it, that's all I ask."

"Why?" he huffed, covering my face with his warm breath and still wearing that teasing smile on his lips.

I swallowed the little saliva I had left in my dry mouth and tried my best to ignore the power that vibrated from his body. I was used to Freke's healing, and I had seen how powerful he could be. But Vidar was different. He was so much stronger and suddenly I understood what Liv had meant. Vidar was a true Ulfhednar.

"I heard that Freke's brother is trying to divide your pack," I relaxed my body and straightened my back in the attempt to find my confidence, "this village is frail too. A merge would benefit both."

Vidar sighed to this, but seemed to think through my words carefully before he answered, "the only way this would be possible is if you were to move to us, because no wolf will leave their birthplace voluntarily."

I nodded a few times, "help me kill Bjarke, and I will discuss a move with the members of my Hird."

"Fine," he said with a wide smile that displayed his glistening fangs, "but new rules must be made, and new ceremonies."

"What kind of ceremonies?" I asked reluctantly.

"One of us needs to step down," he whispered as he took one step closer and raised a finger with its claw-like nail to comb it through my beard. "Or we can become maður's, and be equals."

I stopped breathing as I looked into his eyes questiongly. Why would he want that? Clearly for the power of ruling over such a big clan, or was it all for Freke's sake? "I'll need more details first," was all I could say, to the wolf's great surprise.

"Very well, when the deed is done, we will sit down. You, me, and Freke, and we will discuss our options."