Chapter 3
The day would get colder.
The wind was blowing strongly from the north, making the leaves curled up their edges, and even leaving traces of some white small points on their surfaces. The birds made themselves big, and hid their heads under their feathers, made them looked like a roll of old clads. The sun shone brightly, and the sky was blue, but the air was wet and when it touched the skin, the hair on it stood and small points came up to the surface. It's just like the skin of big birds when their feathers were removed before they were put on the fire.
The Svear people had learned from their fathers, and their fathers from their own fathers, that it was the best time to go to the wood and hunting. Because before the earth was covered by the snow, the animals would go grazing to prepare themselves for long winter sleeping. Deers, bears, boars, and if they were lucky they would see lynx. An animal which looked like a tiger only smaller. Its fur was as soft as the backside of a baby's bottom, and its red brown colour was shining as bright as the light of sun on the water. If they got really lucky, then they would see the white lynx. As white as the snow on the top of the mountain, as bright as the sun in the middle of the day.
A kingly gift for offering to Odin, the Val-fader, the one who would receive Einherjar, the fallen Svear heroes and take them to Valhalla, a kingly gift for the elders, and certainly it would be more than a kingly gift for a woman!
But even the Svear people knew, the day was not cold enough to go out and hunt for lynx. They had to wait until the first drop of snow fell from the sky. Then, the lynx would went out from their holes for preys.
Eirikr knew that. Gunnarr knew that, even Hallsteinn knew that. But three of them were now crawling on the ground of the forest looking for traces of lynx. Whether it was its drop or its legs mark, it didn't matter. If those marks were around, it meant that the lynx was not far.
"Again, what am I doing here?" asked Gunnarr.
"My father told you to look after me." answered Eirikr.
"Besides that, I meant."
Eirikr looked at Gunnar. He tried to keep his face straight. He knew, Gunnarr didn't like Hallsteinn so much. In Gunnarr's eyes, Hallsteinn moved too slow, ate too much, and snored too loud. If they had to spend the night together, as guardsmen, in the morning, both of them would have change loud curses to each other. Gunnarr would complain that if there had been enemies surrounding their village, they would have known where the guardsmen were, from hundreds of spear length, because Hallsteinn snored too loud! Hallsteinn would complain that Gunnarr slept like a stone, even Odin himself would not be able to wake him up!
And Eirikr wondered if the two of them really did their time to guard the village or looked for another place to sleep.
But he knew, Gunnarr and Hallsteinn were good guardsmen. Sometimes he would go out and watch them for a distance, and either Gunnarr or Hallsteinn would knew that he was there.
"We are hunting for lynx." answered Hallsteinn.
"It is still too early for hunting lynx, Hallsteinn son of Ansgar! You would not need Linnéa the völva to tell you, if you smelt the air! It is still too warm!"
"Ssst, don't mention her name here." said Hallsteinn. "It will bring us unluck."
Linnéa daughter of Moa was a woman who lived alone in a cave outside of the village. She was a völva – a seer - , people said. She could tell what would happen to a man, only by looking at his eyes or touching his belonging. They said, she talked to the gods, and the gods answered. She rarely went out from her cave on on the hill, but when she did, people knew, something would happen, good or foul.
Nobody knew from where she came from. Eirikr saw her twice or three times. And in his eyes, she was never growing old. She was the same like the first time he saw her, many winters ago. Long curly black hair, with eyes black as black as the night. He felt like he looked into a deep well and saw nothing. He didn't like her. He didn't know why, he just did.
"Why do you want to have lynx skin?" Gunnarr asked. "Especially now?"
"Soon we will pay respect to Sif. I want to have it as an offering to her."
It was the tenth full moon. Svear people would have a feast after they harvested, which they would do in fourteen days after the full moon. And they would give offer to Sif, who protected and gave life to corn and kept their soil fertile, the wife of Thor, who protected the Svear people in battles.
But Eirikr knew, it was not Hallsteinn's real reason. He wanted to give the fur as a gift to Nenna, the daughter of Hamr, the village smith. His name was actually Hólmgeirr. But since one night, when he drank too much mead, he told stories that he could shift his shape into any animal he wanted just by looking at them. Except on the full moon. He said. If the moon was full, I can not stop or choose to shape.
What kind of animal are you when the moon is full, the villagers asked. We don't want to eat you, so you'd better tell us.
A Skogkatt.
Skogkatts were beasts which lived in the forest around them. They looked like a tiger, only smaller. Sometimes they were as big as lynx, but most of the time they were smaller. To have a Skogkatt in the house was always a good thing. The women loved it, and the beast was good for catching mouses.
Since then, the villagers decided to change his name into Hamr, a man who believed he could shift his shape.
"It is a good thing to give lynx skin to Sif." Gunnarr said. Eirikr lifted his eyebrow. It's not every day that Gunnarr agreed with Hallsteinn. There must have been something behind it.
"I know, even you would agree!" Hallsteinn smiled widely. "Hah!"
"Because She has to work twice as hard to fill your cask and your stomach! She needs to be persuaded to continue doing it for you!" Gunnarr smirked.
"You!" Hallsteinn raised his hand and bong! It landed on the back of Gunnarr's head.
Gunnarr wanted to return the blow, but Eirikr managed to catch it. Gunnarr protested. But when their eyes met, he pulled back his hand. The last thing Eirikr wanted was to have two men cursing at each other meanwhile they were lurking for lynx.
Among the three of them, Eirikr was the youngest. He was only 16 winters, but he was the tallest among them. He was as tall as three man's elbows and a child's elbow put beside each other. Gunnarr was 21 winters, and tall as three man's elbows and a hand, meanwhile Hallsteinn, he was 18 winters, and also three man's elbows and a hand, but he was twice bigger as Eirikr.
But Eirikr was the second son of Magnus, the protector of Erlingsäng, under the rule of Sigurdr. He was not only trained how to use weapon since child on, he was also trained how to defend himself. He might have been not as good as Vidarr, his older brother, but he believed he was good enough. And both Gunnarr and Hallsteinn knew his strength. They would think twice to start a fight with him.
Gunnarr son of Alvar, although he was older than him, he was the weakest of the three. Since he was a child, he was plague with disease. Never a month in his life that he had not been sick. If his body was not as hot as fire, then there was something wrong with his legs. One day his legs were cured and he could walk again, then it would his chest. Many other children would avoid him, because they were afraid that they would get sick too, except Hallsteinn. That fat boy would came to his house and played with him. When he was older, Hallsteinn said he liked to play with Gunnarr because he had not have to run fast to catch or to get away from Gunnar.
Hallsteinn, son of Ansgar, the giant of the Erlingsäng. He ate too much, that's what the people said. In the feast, if he was having good laughs, he could eat the whole deer by himself. He was also a strong drinker. He could drink again and again, that make people said, he had a hole in his stomach. He could not run fast, but he was good with his spear. He could aim anything, even a moving deer, but he was always too far behind the animals. In hunting, he was always asked to wait, meanwhile the other chased the animals closer to him.
And this time, he wanted to hunt lynx. And it meant he had to go far to the south closed to the border of the Göter people land. Young Svears like Hallsteinn and himself were not allowed to go far to the south.
"Ask Magnus to allow you to go, Eirikr." he said the other day. "I want to have Nenna as my woman. I think it would soften Hamr's heart if I give his daughter lynx. I know we said bad things to him when we drank too much, but he is a good man. And he has a worthy daughter. Do you not see how she moves her hips when she walks to the river, oh, it is like birds spread their wings and floating on the air carried by the wind! Or when she ties her long brown hair on her head, or when she lets them flow and blown by the wind, like the ripe whey in field ? Or when she laughs, the sound of her laughter will brighten even my darkest days."
No, Eirikr never saw Nenna the way Hallsteinn did. She was a strong woman, and worked very hard for her father. She was very good in skinning the animals, preparing fire, and the dried fishes made by her, hmh, they were always delicious! He believed Nenna would be a good woman for Hallsteinn. He even believed Nenna would be a good woman for any man in Erlingsäng.
But still, entering the forest of the Göter was not easy. And breaking the law of the elders would have severe follows. Either they died in the hand of the Göter, or being punished by the council.
"My father would not allow us, Hallsteinn. None of us passes the 20th winter, and you know the rule. No man may enter the forest of the Göter if he is not yet 20 winters."
Hallsteinn wiped his mouth. He always wiped his mouth when he thought hard or when he was nervous. "Ask Gunnarr to come." he mumbled.
"What?"
"You heard me." he said.
Eirikr held his laugh, but at the end it came out.
"Don't laugh."
"Gunnarr, son of Alvar?"
"Yes, him."
Hallsteinn must have been very desperate that he asked him to ask Gunnarr to accompany him hunting. Hallsteinn and Gunnarr were like oil and water. They fitted only ill to each other.
"I will ask my father." finally Eirikr said.
"Bless you, Eirikr! " Hallsteinn grabbed his hands. "Bless you!"
And now here they were. On the ground of the forest, cold and Eirikr started to get hungry. They were out from the village early after the dawn broke, and now the sun was high as half of the sky, but not a single lynx they saw. Some deers, and even elks, but they decided not to hunt them. They wanted to have a lynx first, and if they still could, perhaps they would hunt other animals.
Hunting a lynx was not easy. The beast was fast, and it could climb trees as high as possible, that arrows or spears could not reach it. An angry lynx was also dangerous. It had teeth that could go deep into the flesh and tore it apart. Its claws were sharper than a sword and if they reached the flesh, it would also go deep into it, and just like its teeth it could tore the flesh apart.
Suddenly Gunnarr stopped. "We have to go back, Eirikr." He pointed at a tree not so far from them. "I am not mad enough to walk behind that sign."
There was a silver pointed helm on the tree, and an armour. Under it there was something written:
Das Land des Todes
Das Land der Goten
Eirikr didn't know what it meant, but the elder said it's the sign of the Göter. Beyond that sign, the land belonged to them. Anybody who entered would be punished by death.
"We have to return, Hallsteinn." Gunnarr said again. "It is madness if we go further only for a lynx skin! Save our own skins, and we will return another day for the lynx!"
Hallsteinn looked at Eirikr, and then Gunnarr when he finally agreed.
Eirikr patted him on the shoulders. "Now we can look for that elk. I am hungry!"
"Or fish." said Hallsteinn.
"Or fish!"
They stood up. But before they could straight their body, right exactly in front of them, two pair of brown eyes stared at them. A big white lynx, as tall as Eirkr knees, and with fur as white as snow.. Stood in front of them like a Sigurdr, their chieftain sat on his chair. Tall and proud. Looked at them the way Sigurdr looked at them sometimes. As if it wanted to say "Your sight is not worth of my attention."
They looked at each other, and before they were able to decide what to do, the beast turned around and ran.
Without thinking Eirikr chased it. He lifted his spear and tried to aim at the beast. But the beast ran faster than him, it was some paces in front of him. It's not possible anymore to hit it. Vaguely he heard Gunnarr's and Hallsteinn's voice. "Run, Eirikr, run! Faster! Don't lose it!"
Suddenly the beast jumped and started climbing. Very quickly, it was already on the very top of the tree.
Eirikr threw his spear on the ground, and then started to climb. Jumped from branch to branch, until finally he was closed enough to the beast.
The beast was on a small branch which shook heavily. It looked like it didn't have a way out anymore. It bared its teeth to Eirikr, and his claws were out. It looked very angry.
Slowly Eirikr drew his sword. He only had one chance to aim it. One chance only. If he missed it, the beast would jumped down. And he could not jump to follow it. He had to be very careful and precise. Just like his father always said, "Aim the beast's neck, Eirikr. That's his weakness. And you have only one chance."
With all his power, he threw the sword. Zack. The sword went through the beast neck. For a moment the beast stared at him, and then those brown eyes went deemed and just an old leaf, it fell.
Eirikr climbed down. He was surprised to know how high the tree was. How did he get there?
At the time he removed the sword from the beast's neck, Gunnarr arrived.
"By Odin, Eirikr! Had I not known you since you were little, I could swear that you flew!"
"May be I did." Eirikr chuckled.
"Indeed you have light feet. But wings certainly you do not. Otherwise you would be Eirikr son of Hamr: he could shift his shape into a bird!"
"Or a lynx."
Gunnarr laughed. "Just pray that it was not Hamr whom you killed."
Both of them looked at each other and then to the ground. No, it was not Hamr, or any other man. It was a beast. They grinned at each other. They must have lost their minds to have that doubt.
Hallsteinn came with heavy breath. "By Odin, you had it! I will not forget your deed, Eirikr son of Magnus. I will not forget your deed!"
Eirikr cleaned his sword and shielded it.
"Come, we clean the beast and then go home."
"After the fish." said Hallsteinn. "I want to catch some fishes."
"What has come into you?" Gunnarr looked at him. "Lynx, and now fishes. Who will cook the fishes for you? If you ask me, there is no other woman in our village who can cook fishes better than Nenna, daughter of Hamr...hmh, her fish..." he stopped his sentenced. He looked at Eirikr, and then he screamed. "It is not true. By Frejya! Hallsteinn! Hah! I should have known!"
Hallsteinn's face turned as red as his hair. But he laughed.
"Good choice, Hallsteinn, good choice!" Gunnarr patted his shoulders. ""May Sif and Frejya send blessings to you, my friend!"
Hallsteinn nodded. His round's face was filled with a wide grin.
Quickly they skinned the beast. Carefully they removed the fur from its flesh, and then buried the flesh. The Svear believed if they didn't eat the meat of an animal, and no Svear would eat the meat of a lynx, a wolf or a tiger, they had to bury the flesh. Otherwise the smell of the rotten flesh would invite the children of Fenrir, the giant wolf, to come to the village and attack them.
With light feet they walked to river which laid through the forest and flowed to the Vänern lake. It was a big river. Six or seven boats could be laid beside each other, and they still could pass the water. The river was rich with fishes, its water was sweet and clean, so clean that they could see their own faces on its surface. And the freshness in it would soothe the tired feet.
Hallsteinn talked about catching the fishes whose meat were red only, because Nenna liked that kind of fish more than the others. And he also wanted to collect some oysters, not any kind of oyesters, but oysters with colourful houses, so that Nenna could make necklace or bracelets, or she could put them on his robs.
Eirikr listened to him with wonder. Hallsteinn must have drunken too much mead last night, that he could not think about anything else but Nenna, or may be it's true what some men said that women had strong magical power in them, so strong that it could fill the head of men with nothing but only wild thought about them.
Like Vidarr who's willing to leave the village and lived together with his woman in her village. Some said it was because the father of Vidarr's woman did not have sons. But after hearing Hallsteinn speaking about Nenna, he was not sure anymore.
And Gunnarr answered every thing with: "Sure you do." or "Indeed". And sometimes he made noises that Eirikr could not tell the meanings.
The sound of the water was getting louder as they got near by it. But the wind brought strange smell. Blood. There was smell of blood and rotten flesh.
They looked at each other, and then ran to the river. The water which was normally as clear as the sky, was red. The air was thickened by the rotten smell and the cry of the the kite. Slowly a body was floating, passing by them.
A Göter. They could tell from the armour he wore and the silver pointed helmet on the head.
And then again. And more.
Before they could see who or what the bodies were, a sound of horn reached their ears. The horn of Erlingsäng! It called the sons of Erlingsäng to run to it.
Eirikr and Gunnarr drew their swords, Hallsteinn lifted his spear. They made a circle with their backs against each other. For a moment they were on the position, until finally Eirikr said, "Hallsteinn, you go first. Run to the Hall. I will return with Gunnarr."
Hallsteinn nodded and then left them.
"What happened?" Gunnarr asked.
"I don't know." said Eirikr. He turned around to see the cloth the bodies. Except the Göter, he didn't recognize the clads of the other bodies. They wore red long clad, and a rob. The sons of Erlingsäng wore brown clad of animal skin, not red.
Gunnarr"s voice was trembled when he answered. "They were from Torkelfors, Vidarr's village. They are Vidarr's people."
Eirikr was never to Torkelfors. When Vidarr got married four winters ago, he was sick. He had had to stay in the village with his mother. He had never seen Vidarr since. He didn't know the look of Vidarr's woman nor his children.
"Run, Eirikr." Gunnarr said. "You are stronger than me. Our brothers might need you!"
"No, I am not living you."
"Run! Go! I still can hold my sword!" Gunnarr nodded.
Eirikr looked around them, and made sure that there was nobody else, and then he ran. The fastest run he ever made in his life, passing Hallsteinn and leaving him behind.
The sons and the daughters of Erlingsäng were coming from every wind direction to the Long Hall. The horns, which were blown from each guard towers, filled the the air and carried by the wind far to the forest and the lake, called everybody to come.
The Long Hall was full when Eirikr entered. Sigurdr, the chieftain of Erlingsäng was sitting on his thorn. On his right and left were standing four protectors of Erlingsäng. Magnus - his father, who watched the West, Tyggr, who watched the North, Alvar, who watched the East, and Birgir, who watched the South.
In front of them were two men clad in red. Their clads, hair and body were covered with mud and blood. One of them even had wound on his arms, and it was still dropping blood.
"....they came from the West in the death of night. Only a few of us were still awake and able to warn the others. They came in wave, as if Njörd himself had sent them to us. Death, death has came upon us! We were slain like a boar in an open field."
The Long Hall was full with roar.
"Silent!" Alvar said.
Slowly the Long Hall was quiet down.
"Where were your men, Egill son of Einarr?" asked Tyggr. "Had Torkelfors lost the love of her sons, that she was abandoned by her own sons when she needed?"
"Alas, for Torkelfors, her sons were on the ships when the raiders from the West came, the unworthy sons of Göter! Only a few of us remained. Vidarr, Arnvidr our chieftain, and a hand full of warriors. The rest were sons of Torkelfors who do not have enough winters yet. We fought like Thor had been with us, but our strength was less than theirs. They drew us and slain us without mercy, not that we begged any. Vidarr lead us to hide in the forest, and sent his falcon to bring the ill-news to our brothers on the ship. But alas, when they arrived, the unworthy sons of Göter had already burnt down our village, and they found our hiding place in the forest."
Egill walked to the front and handed Sigurdr a helmet.
The men and the women cried out when they saw it. It was Vidarr's helmet. They recognized it from the two horns on it. They were bent and on the middle between the horns there was a falcon. The helmet that was made by Hamr, as a wedding present, four winters ago.
Suddenly Eirikr felt weak. His knees seemed not to be able to hold his body. "My son!" he heard his mother cried. "My son!" He turned around to see her. She was running to the front, but before she was there, a man stopped her. Eirikr forced himself to move and went to her.
"Eirikr!" his mother fell into his arms.
Eirikr held her tight, and tried to meet his father's eyes. But his father didn't look at them. Eirikr could see that his father's face pale and his lips were getting smaller, but he didn't say a word.
"Silent!" Sigurdr's strong deep voice was heard in the Long Hall. The Hall was suddenly quiet. Even his mother didn't make a noise anymore. Only her body was shaken.
"Do tell, good men of Torkelfors. How Vidarr, our son, whom Thor himself would be proud to have him fighting side by side, had fallen."
"A simple man would have been fallen by a throw of a spear. But Vidarr was a mighty warrior. Not one, but a dozen swords of Göter had slashed him, and yet he was able to take down three of them with him. And four wounded. He swung his sword like Thor came down to the battle and gave his blessings. All his enemies were not dare to get near him, if they had to do it alone. Coward as they are, the unworthy sons of Göter came together to fight against one mighty son of Torkelfors!"
Sigurdr took the helmet, and then gave it to Magnus. "Then we should give Vidarr a big feast to lead him to Valhalla. Let Odin know that He would not regret to welcome him!"
"Yeah!" The Long Hall was full of cheers.
Eirikr looked down to his mother. Even she was smiling. The best thing that happened to A Svear was when his death was celebrated with a big feast, and a festive burial.
"Therefore Sigurdr son of Anundr, our chieftain Arnvidr son of Halvard sent us here." Egill's companion spoke. "He asks the sons of Erlingsäng to come to Torkelfors. One to help us rebuild our village and strengthen our force, and two, there is a pressing matter that has to be spoken."
"Then speak, Olaf son of Orvar!"
"Before Vidarr died, he told us not to send his woman to accompany him to Valhalla."
Again the Long Hall was roared with voices.
Eirikr looked around. What did it mean? Why were they angry?
Sigurdr raised his hand. "Why? Is his woman not worthy enough to accompany him? Can her womb not give him heirs worthy of his land and gold?"
"Four winters they spent together, and yes, her womb is still empty. But Vidarr loved her as Thor loves Sif."
"And yet, he loved his horses more than his woman!" Magnus broke his silence. His voice was trembled.
"And Vidarr loved Torkelfors and Arnvidr no more and no less than he loved Erlingsäng and you, Magnus son of Torsten. Arnvidr has no heir, except his daughter, Aude. Were his daughter sent to accompany Vidarr to Valhalla, then his line would be broken. What would become of Torkelfors without Anrvidr heir? For there is no other worthier leader than Arnvidr."
"Poor Arnvidr!" Magnus said. "Poor Torkelfors!"
The people started talking to each other. Some cursed the daughter of Arnvidr, for there was no more unluck than not to have heir. Some said how big was the unluck of Vidarr to have fallen and to have gone to Valhalla without his woman.
"Vidarr's last wish was to have his brother to fill the emptiness in his house, and to continue the line of Arnvidr."
Suddenly the Long Hall fell into silent. Like a stone fell into a well without bottom. No single noise was heard. Not even the sound of breath.
Eirikr realized every pair eyes in the room were at him. Piercing every part of his flesh. Even his mother removed herself from him.
The two men of Torkelfors turned around to his direction.
"Then doomed is Torkelfors." Olaf sighed. "So few winters he has, and so few flesh on his bones!"
Eirikr felt his face was burnt. Yes, he did not have so many winter yet, but he had enough flesh on his bones. Not as much as Gunnarr or Hallsteinn, but enough. He had never been in any battle, but he had proven himself as a good hunter. Not as good as Vidarr, but enough to provide himself with food.
His father gave him a sign to come to him.
But before he moved, suddenly the door of the Long Hall was open. A figure entered the Hall slowly. A woman. Her hair was as black as the night, and her clad was white. Her hip was tied with a silver belt. The chain around her neck was also silver. Her face was as white as her clad, but her eyes were black. Even blacker than her hair. Nobody could tell her age, because her face looked young, but if they looked into her eyes, they could see many winters had passed her.
Linnèa, the völva, had came down from her hill.
And suddenly, for Eirikr, the air in the Long Hall was never so heavy in his chest like today.
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