Title: Unferth: A Story about Betrayal

Wordcount: 2,444

Pairings/Characters: Unferth and some OMCs, no pairings

Rating: R

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence and gore, patricide and fratricide

Summery: Pre-canon. Unferth has had enough of everyone writing him off. He'll stop at nothing to get away from all of the laughter.

A/N: My Brit lit teacher assigned a short story that took one of the side characters from one of the books we've read this semester and made him the main character. Naturally, I chose Unferth. This is my attempt to tell how Unferth got Hrunting and why he killed his family.

=ooooo=

Unferth slunk out of Heorot Hall, laughter ringing in his ears. He didn't want to stay inside and be continually mocked over the latest tournament. Yes, he was the first to go out. Did anyone expect anything different by now? Yes, his brothers were all the last ones standing. Did anyone expect anything different by now? Unferth walked a short distance into the woods and sat down against a tree, fiddling with a thread fraying off of his pants as he stewed in resentment.

It wasn't like he didn't try. He practiced as much as his brothers, if not more. It just never seemed to make any difference when he was setting up his shield against someone else's. Unferth sighed and stared at the canopy of leaves above him. He shouldn't stay out here for very long. He didn't bring his sword and the wolves were starting to come around again. Wouldn't everyone just be tickled pink if he was killed by wolves. He shoved himself to his feet and skulked around the edges of the houses until he got cold and went to his father's home. Everyone else was probably sleeping in Heorot tonight, but Unferth could think of few things worse.

It took one more week, one more week of his brothers' gloating, one more week of his father's vaguely embarrassed looks, one more week of all of that laughter before Unferth decided he was done with it. He woke up on that last day, packed a bag, put on his mail shirt and his sword, picked up his shield and just walked away. No one so much as asked where he was going with all of his equipment. He walked past one of his own brothers, who looked right through him. Oh well. It wasn't like he would miss any of them, either.

The first two days of travel were fine. They were more than fine, actually, they were nearly wonderful. There was only the inane chatter of the occasional fellow traveler, and there was none of that goddamned laughter.

The third day was unfortunate. Unferth turned a corner in the path and was faced with a dragon chewing on the thigh bone of some unlucky passerby. Unferth would have turned right back around and walked away, but the creature immediately leaped up and ran around to cut off Unferth's escape, snarling and spitting as it inched towards Unferth. Upon closer examination, it was not actually a dragon, it was a drake at very best, a creature that heroes killed all of the time, but that was not a great comfort to Unferth. It was still a large creature with a lot of teeth intent on killing him. Unferth bit his lip as he raised his shield in front of himself. It looked like he was wrong. He was definitely missing Aswin and his spear right about now.

The monster leaped at Unferth, who grunted as he took its weight against his shield. After a flurry of evaded sword swings and narrowly blocked claw swipes, Unferth saw his chance, lunged, and buried his sword in the creature's stomach. The sword was ripped from Unferth's grasp as the monster jerked away, screeching in fury, before leaping right back towards Unferth, blood streaming down its side.

Unferth cursed and pulled out his dagger, focusing on blocking as many of the creature's flailing attacks as possible. Unferth and the creature each made a mistake at the same time, claws raking deeply down Unferth's side at the same time that Unferth buried his dagger in the creature's flaming eye. The creature let out one more shriek before falling to the ground, dead.

Unferth crawled away from the body, spitting curses and clenching his teeth against the pain. He propped himself up against a tree and examined his side as best he could. There was no way he'd manage to walk back to the last village he passed. Unless someone with a horse happened by, he'd be dead.

Oh well, he thought as he painfully pealed off the useless chain and the shirt underneath, wrapping it tightly around his torso, it wasn't like anyone expected anything different of him by now.

Some amount of time later, Unferth wasn't up to keeping track anymore, he heard hoof-beats coming up the road. Huh. He might not die after all if this person was feeling generous. Maybe he'd at least give Unferth his jacket. It was so cold.

The person on the horse sucked in a surprised breath as he rounded the corner. Unferth couldn't find the energy to move at all or open his eyes. He heard feet hit the ground and move quickly towards him.

"Unferth, what have you done?" Oh damn, that was Aswin.

Unferth's eyes flew open with shock and he saw his brother kneeling down next to him.

"Let me see that," Aswin reached over Unferth and moved his arm away from his side before pulling away his now blood-soaked shirt. "Unferth," Aswin growled touching his fingers lightly against the oozing slices in Unferth's skin. Unferth hissed and flinched away and Aswin took back his hand before pulling off his own shirt and knotting it tightly around Unferth's torso. "What am I going to do with you," Aswin muttered sitting back on his heels for a moment, glancing between his horse and Unferth.

Aswin sighed and ran a hand through his hair before scooping Unferth easily into his arms and carrying him to his horse. Unferth gasped and bit back on a scream as Aswin hoisted him up into the saddle. His vision went black for a moment and he clutched wildly at Aswin's arms.

"Come on, swing your leg over," Aswin demanded, impatient and annoyed.

Unferth hissed through clenched teeth as he dragged his leg over to straddle the saddle. Aswin swung up behind him and wrapped an arm around him to keep him on the saddle. Unferth curled into himself and clenched his jaw so hard he thought his teeth would crack as Aswin kicked the horse into a canter.

Everything was a blur of pain and cold and color after that, though they must have arrived at a town at some point, as Unferth awoke on a bed next to a roaring fire in a small cottage.

"Ah, you're awake," came an old, cracking voice. Unferth turned his head slowly to see and old, hunched man with the palest eyes he had ever seen. "How are you feeling by now?"

"Terrible," Unferth managed to croak.

The man tutted and bustled around behind Unferth before setting a pot over the fire. "Your brother said he couldn't stay," the man turned around, wiping his hands on a rag. "He had to go home and let his father know what had happened to you. Said you disappeared a few days ago and he found you on the road like this."

Unferth only grunted in return. Of course his brother hadn't even stuck around to see if he lived or not.

"Well, he'll be back in a day or two to take you back home. No need to worry." The old man patted Unferth's knee.

Unferth didn't manage to keep from curling his lip in disgust. "No need to worry," Unferth would rather be dead than go back home.

The old man got a curious expression on his face as he turned back to stir the pot.

"How long've I been here," Unferth managed to slur.

"Just overnight," the man turned back around to smile at Unferth. "Don't worry, you haven't been out for long."

This man wasn't much for worrying. Unferth shifted slightly and winced at the pull on his gashes.

"Try not to move," the man scolded gently. "This will be done in a few minutes, and you'll feel better after you eat."

Unferth grunted noncommittally and settled down. The man took the pot off of the fire after a bit and carried a bowl of its contents to Unferth.

"Sit up now and let's see if you can eat anything," the man stood at the side of the bed, watching while Unferth pushed himself up, grunting with pain.

"There you go. You think you can feed yourself?"

Unferth glared at the man, holding out shaking hands for the bowl. The man raised a skeptical eyebrow, but he set the bowl in Unferth's hands, albeit cautiously. Unferth almost did drop the bowl, but he grit his teeth and held onto it for the sake of his pride. He would not be hand fed like a child.

The man watched him eat and took the bowl away when he was done. Unferth was feeling exhausted already, so he gingerly laid back down again and passed out.

The next two days passed slowly, painfully, and all too fast. A boy arrived at the old man's house mid-morning the third day, sent by Aswin to tell him that Aswin would come pick up Unferth and leave just as soon as he was done drinking in the tavern.

Unferth couldn't help his expression at the news. The old man watched him with curious eyes and went outside for a moment, coming back in with a sword and scabbard.

"You lost your sword in whatever fight gave you your injury," he said, "so I thought you may as well have my old blade. Lord knows I don't use it anymore, and I never had any children of my own."

"Really?" Unferth's brow furrowed, "Are you sure?"

"Positive," the man's eyes twinkled. "Now let's get your bandages changed once more before your brother takes you home."

Aswin walked in just as the old man was tucking the end of the bandage securely away, the poultice he had put over Unferth's wounds making them sting like mad.

"Let's go," Aswin growled as soon as he walked through the door.

Unferth cast Aswin a resentful glance as he took the shirt the old man handed him. Unferth pulled himself unsteadily to his feet with the bed post and limped after Aswin, who was already out the door, impatient as always. Aswin grabbed Unferth by the hips and nearly threw him onto the back of his waiting horse. Unferth gasped and shook his head, black sliding in around the edges of his vision for a moment.

"Unferth!" The old man called as Aswin swung up behind him. "Don't forget Hrunting," the old man stretched up and buckled the sword around Unferth's waist. "She was made for revenge," the man said with an all too knowing look in his eye, "I trust you'll use her well."

Unferth nodded, brow furrowed, sliding the sword belt down off of the edges of his gashes. The old man stepped away as Aswin shifted irritably behind Unferth.

"Fair travels," the old man raised his hand as Aswin moved the horse into a walk. Unferth nodded once more, fingering Hrunting's pommel, before Aswin whisked him away.

"Accepting favors from old men now, eh Unferth," Aswin bit out spitefully.

Unferth bit his tongue and tried not to let the movement of the horse jar him too much.

The trip back was terrible, to put it lightly. Aswin pushed the horse to keep up a quick pace the whole way and every hoof beat sent a shock of pain through his side. By sunset Unferth was exhausted, but Aswin was determined to make it all the way back home that night. When they finally did get home, Unferth was practically asleep on Aswin's shoulder. Aswin pulled him off of the horse, carried him into the house and set him down on his bed. He was so tired he fell asleep just as his father began to tell him how irresponsible and childish it was of him to run off like he had.

Unferth woke up in the morning and pulled Hrunting out from under his hip, grimacing in discomfort. Everything seemed to hurt. He curled up around Hrunting and watched everyone else move around the house and ignore him. Why even bother bringing him back from the old man's house if they weren't going to pay him any attention?

Unferth waited until his father and his brothers had all left the house before stumbling out of his bed and sitting down to eat with his sisters and his mother. They all stared at him wide-eyed as he ate, but he ignored them. There was no reason for him to pay attention to anyone if they didn't pay attention to him.

Unferth fell back into bed after he finished eating and drifted in and out of consciousness for the rest of the day, thinking when capable and stroking Hrunting's hilt. His sisters studiously ignored him, and he returned the favor. He got up and ate again before any of his brothers returned and then laid back down and pretended to sleep until early in the morning, when everyone in and around the house was asleep.

When he was completely certain that no one in the house was left awake, Unferth got up and pulled Hrunting quietly from her sheath. He made sure that no one was awoken by the soft noise and then paced unsteadily towards his father's bed. He did not hesitate as he plunged Hrunting down point first into his father's throat. He died instantly, the only sound the soft squelch of the blade as Unferth pulled it from his father's bloody neck.

Unferth moved through his brothers' beds, killing them all the same way, saving Aswin for last.

"You couldn't fight it off this time, could you," Unferth whispered as he stood above Aswin. Aswin's eyes opened an instant before Unferth drove Hrunting into Aswin's neck. Aswin's eyes held pure shock for a fragment of a second before they went glassy with death.

Urferth freed Hrunting, Aswin's flesh sucking against the blade. Unferth's expression was stony as he stared his dead brother in the face.

Unferth wiped Hrunting on Aswin's bed, then took off his own shirt and scratched his wounds open again, biting his lip against the pain. It was a weak cover, for sure, but it would provide enough doubt that people wouldn't be able to condemn him for his family's death. Unferth was a fast talker. He wasn't particularly concerned. Who would have expected Unferth to best his brothers, anyways?

Unferth threw open the door and ran out screaming into the street, raving of assassins and thieves in the night. All of the neighbors came running and Unferth kept himself from grinning savagely by sobbing into his hands.

His father and his brothers were all dead. Here came a glorious new life.