6 - Skal

Both body and soul were longing for solid ground. We had been sailing down the shore of Norðr for several days now, and had stopped at four more villages after the first battle.

Two attacked us - one was easier than the other. Another village had barely enough food to feed themselves, so we ended up hunting together with their men, which gave us a good food supply for our trip back home.

And the last village had offered to let us trade with them. The best part was, I was gaining even more respect from my men, we got to know each other well and we shared smiles and jokes between us as we sailed towards my new home.

As predicted, word spread fast along the coast. Neighbouring villages spoke about the god Tyr and his wolf companion who'd left Asgard to wander the lands of the humans.

We never corrected them. Instead Freke used their wolf form more often to mess with their heads. I noticed they enjoyed the fearful looks in the eyes of the humans and chuckled as they heard the gasping noises from the women and children. At least for now. I knew it would change, my lover's mood was as unpredictable as the weather in april. One day they might despise them for it.

Our ship carried heavy cargo. Animal-pelts, iron, some jewellery, and weapons were among the items I was bringing with me to my new home.

I smiled to myself as I stood and watched the never ending dark waters. My father had been right, this trip had been good for me. I had learned a lot. Maybe I was more of a man now? At least I felt more confident and I walked with my back straight.

I was happy with my decisions, but my men had started to wonder and ask me of my plans. I knew they wanted to go home, they had families waiting and duties to take care of. So did I.

But the order I gave them was clear. We were sailing to Skal. To my new village.

I needed to mark my new territory - paint my colours on the walls and leave an impression on the villagers before I went back to my birthplace with the news.

I couldn't help but be curious about our destination and I turned to Ivar, who used to be one of my uncle's men. "Ivar, tell me about the place you call home," I said as I reached for a piece of dry fish and started to chew on it's wiry texture.

"The village of Skal, my Lord?" He said with a dreamy look on his face, "It lies inland, but still close to water, on a hill, so you have a perfect lookout and will spot anyone entering the fjord." He rubbed his bearded chin before he continued. "The soil is good for crops, but we rarely have enough food to go around."

"Why?" I asked and felt a sting of worry in my chest.

"Because the weather is sometimes harsh and it rains a lot," he explained, but didn't seem too bothered about it.

"Isn't Skal on the great trading route that crosses all Nordland?" Freke asked with an eye half open, buried under their pelts on the bottom of the ship's floor.

"It is," Ivar said with a nod, "before Brokk took over, we had a lot of farmen passing through for food and rest."

"What happened?" I asked, even though I already suspected the answer.

"Brokk wasn't a good host," Ivar snickered.

I felt Freke move closer to me and I already knew what they were thinking before they opened their mouth. "That, my dear Lord Starke, that is the opening you need if you don't want to be a farmer for the rest of your life," they said with a wry smile, "you can build a strong trading post."

I chuckled at them and bent down to kiss their forehead. "We'll see, min skatt, nothing is written in stone yet."

"No, but in the weave of the Norn's," they teased, knowing how much the comment annoyed me.

"First Freke, we have a look around. Then we'll send a message to my father and see what he says."

"About what, exactly?" the wolf sighed.

"About everything?" I sniggered. "He is still my father, and I'm sure I have ruined his plans quite a bit now, and I want to hear his thoughts on it."

"It's not like we can change what we have done,Tyr," my lover muttered. And I knew there was no use in pressing this subject any further. Arguing with them in this narrow boat was not something I had the energy for.

Even if it was just a lovers quarrel, I knew how annoyed they were with me for being too dependent on my parents advice. Some part of me knew that the wolf was jealous. They wanted to be that advisor to me. And in many cases they were.

My fingers combed their black hair, stiff from seasalt. "So tell me Käreste, if you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

Freke met my eyes and smiled, making my heart flutter, and instantly I knew I should sit back and relax. This would take a while. The good thing was, we had a lot of time on our hands.

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Ivar had been right, I thought and peered up the hill. My eyes grazed the horizon where land and sky met and I could see the hint of a building popping up like a mushroom on a moss covered stone. The village of Skal was not much to the eye, but hopefully we could change that.

I had let Ivar and his friends greet the villagers before us, and alert everyone of our arrival. It had been a wise choice, I realised, relieved as I met the eyes of the villagers. I could tell by the looks of them that they were indeed used to harsh conditions Ivar had described. But what surprised me was, they didn't seem unhappy.

The shore was stony but as we walked up the hill the stone turned to mud and clay. Everything was dirty and worn, and it was not a promising sight at all. During our long days and nights on the sea, I had longed for the comfort of a warm bed and a home cooked meal. But now I started to doubt if these badly kept buildings would give me more shelter than the longboat.

The winds were ruthless and it hit me as soon as we walked up to the higher ground. And I couldn't stop wondering why they had chosen this spot in the first place.

The village of Skal was smaller than my hometown, but in the centre stood a Hall far greater than my father's. It was a piece of beautiful craftsmanship with carved buck horns over the entrance. It looked very spacious and well-maintained compared to the rest of the buildings.

"It must be Brokk's work," Freke hissed, hinting at the selfish act of living in luxury, while his people froze at night.

"Probably," I said with a sigh and turned to Ivar, "I need your help." The blond man turned to me. "I need you to walk around and talk casually to the people, explaining I am nothing like him."

He gave me a wide smile and started to shake his head, "I was already about to do that, my Lord. But no need to worry. They can see that in your eyes."

"And call for a meeting soon, I want to hear what they have to say."

He patted my back and walked off towards his expecting family, but I didn't give them much thought. I wanted to see what my hall looked like.

I could feel everyone's eyes following us as Freke and I walked up the muddy path, side by side. I could hear them whisper as we passed.

"I heard he killed Lord Brokk," an old man mumbled in the ear of a woman who nodded and added to the story. "I heard he is the former lord's nephew."

"Is that a Úlfhéðnar by his side?" another one whispered.

"A what?" a child asked with an excited voice and pulled his fathers sleeve. "Tell me father, what is he?"

"Have you ever heard of berserkers, boy?" The older man asked the youngling, "a Úlfhéðnar is like them - fierce warriors who fight for Odin. But he is not a bear, but a wolf."

Our stepps had soon passed them and now two big wooden doors were opened for us.

In the middle of the room a young woman was frantically trying to start a fire, but was clearly too nervous as her hands were shaking too much.

I looked around the big room, giving her some space to finish her chore.

The room had enough tables for a big village feast inside, two chairs stood empty for the lord and his wife, and I could see a wall separating the bigger room from the sleeping quarters.

"No one has used this house since Lord Brokk left," an older man said apologetically and started to clean up the empty room.

"Why?" Freke asked with a frown on their face which made the man take a hesitant step back.

"It was his order," he explained.

"Well, you have a new Lord now," Freke called out loud so that everyone inside could hear them. They placed a hand on my shoulder and continued, "anyone who's hungry or cold is welcome here tonight."

The old man's eyes wandered to me, and I turned my head to give him a nod. "Help my warriors unload my ship and you will all be greatly rewarded," I said before I walked up towards the throne-like chair and sat myself down with a thankful huff.

Soon enough the fire was crackling and warmth was spreading throughout the room. My Hird soon joined us around the fire, warming themselves after our long and exhausting trip. Men I didn't know started to carry the supplies inside, servants started to bring food and drinks, and soon enough the hall was filled with smiling men, women, and even a few children.

I wasn't hungry. Instead, I leaned back in my fur-clad chair and closed my eyes, with a weak tasting cup of mead in my hand. I was tired, but felt full of energy at the same time.

The room was comfortable, it smelled of food, smoke and sweat. They were all familiar scents which made me feel at home, and the blurred voices lulled me to a sleep-like state until I felt a presence beside me.

"They are curious about you," a voice said close to my ear, and I opened my eyes to peer at Liv.

"They should be," Freke snickered, and I agreed, "it's only natural, isn't it? They were raided, their lord's wife was taken, he's been gone for a long time, and now Tyr appears and invites them to a feast and lets them share his fire."

I nodded my head and waved for Ivar to join us. "Say, Ivar, were you here when the village was raided and Brokk's wife was taken?"

His cheeks were red from the heat of the fire and the mead in his blood. His smile had been wide when he sat down by my feet, but instantly disappeared after my question. "They took too much. We've had a hard time recovering ever since."

"I saw burnt buildings," Freke muttered.

"Yes," Ivar sighed, "Brokk took the strong men with him, leaving the women and elderly to fend for themselves. No one really had the time to clean up the mess."

"So they were left here to survive as best they could," I scolded with anger boiling in my chest towards my uncle.

"Do not waste your energy on the dead, Skatt," the wolf said and placed a hand on my arm. "Focus on our future."

I nodded and gave them a smile. "You're right, and I will take your advice and leave my parents out of this. I want this village to grow first. Clean it up and repair the damage. And when we're content, we'll invite my family for a visit."