Chapter Seven
The night seemed so long. The darkness was all over them, and did not seem to go away. The wood was slowly eaten by the fire, and bit by bit gone. The fire itself was going smaller and smaller.
"Somebody has to make the fire." Gunnarr whispered. "We will be in complete darkness when the fire is gone. We will be an easy prey for them."
But nobody moved or wanted to break the circle. Nobody wanted to challenge Alvar's words.
The sound of the beasts could not be heard anymore. The yellow lights could not be seen. The trees stood still. But The Svears were still on their positions. No sword was lowered, no shield was down.
Eirikr did not know how long they were standing like that. All he knew, his hands started to get painful, his muscles were getting hard, as if blood stopped running, and they could not hold his sword much longer. If he had to swing it, he was not sure if he could do it. His legs were shaken. If there was wind blowing, he would have fallen easily.
"Alright, Men." Alvar finally said to his relief. "Low your swords, but keep keen. And make the fire bigger."
Eirikr sheathed his sword. Without being able to hold himself anymore, he fell to the ground. "What was that?"
Gunnarr shook his head. His face was pale. His shaken hands seemed not to be able to find the opening place of his sheath. Finally he threw his sword on the ground, and sat beside Eirikr. "I felt like Hel was coming to this place, and brought her brother with her."
Some wood was tossed in the fire. Slowly the fire was getting bigger, and the place was brighter.
Eirikr could see how alert the men were. Every small nice made them turned around and grabbed the gilts of their swords. Even the sound of the wood eaten by the fire.
"Where is Hamr?" one of the men asked.
Everybody was turning around, searching for Hamr, but he was not there.
"Had he left us? Run to the wood to be with his brothers?"
"His brothers?" Egill was confused.
"He believed that he could shift his shape. Perhaps, when he heard the sound of the beast, he could not resist himself but to be with him. Had he not said when the moon is full, he could not help himself but shift his shape?"
Eirikr was waiting for laughs. From anybody, even from Egill. But there was no sound of laughs. Not even 'yeah'. Everybody looked at each other. In their eyes, Eirikr could see, that they did not know the answer.
"I believe Hólmgeirr had his reason not to be here. Or to my sword he shall answer the questions." said Birgir. The Protector of the South's face was as red as his hair. It was clear for everybody to see that he was raging.
To leave the brothers in the battles because of cowardice would be punished by death, that was the law of Svears, and every Svear held that law highly.
"Good men of Erlingsäng, and my brother Egill. Have some rest." said Alvar. "Hólmgeirr's matter will be dealt when his time comes. We should take turn to guard this place. Arnbiorn, Ǻke, Dagr, Ǻsbjörn, take the first turn. The rest of you, sleep. But be keen."
Eirikr laid down, and tried to close his eyes. But he could not get rid the sounds of the beasts and the sense that somebody was watching him out of his head. What were those beasts, and what if there was really something out there, watching him. And why him?
The place was becoming quiet. Only the sound of the fire eating the wood filled the surrounding. From the corner of his eyes, Eirikr could see Alvar was talking to Birgir. From time to time he looked at him, and then turned his eyes away.
What was Alvar talking about? Was it about him? He wanted to ask him, but the weariness and the tiredness came and swept him away. Sooner than he thought, the place was getting darker, and he did not remember anything anymore.
"Eirikr, wake up!"
Quickly, Eirikr woke up, and grabbed the gilt of his sword. But it was Gunnarr.
It was the following morning already. The fire was still burning. Instead of swords, the men held their drinking horns.
Gunnarr gave him one of them. "Drink it." he said. "It is warm kvanne water mixed with honey. It will give you strength for the next journey."
Kvanne was a plant which grew everywhere near by the river bank. They used almost part of it. Its root they ate, the long bright green stem as a decoration, or if they put hole on it, the children could make music with it, and its pointed leaves they used for cooking or as herbs.
"How long do we still have to walk?" Eirkr sat.
"A day. If we walk steady and fast, we will reach the gate at the sun set."
"I need a bath." Eirikr said. He sniffed his clad. "I smell like I have been sleeping at a barn full of goats and elks."
"And you need to comb your hair too, young Eirikr." Arnbiorn said. "After all the food you spitted when you were on the ship, it's hard to differ if that yellow colour is the colour of your hair or your food."
"Not mentioning the smell of it!"
The men laughed. Eirikr felt his face was hot.
"But do not worry." Arnbiorn continued. "The colour of your hair is as bright as the rye in the early summer. Many women like that colour. You will have difficulty to get rid of those women. Mind my words."
"Had you seen Vidarr's woman, Arnbiorn?"
"Yes."
"And what did you see in her?"
Arnbiorn drank empty his drink, and slipped the horn under his belt. "It is not my eyes to see what's in Vidarr's woman. As he was my leader, I should put my tongue at its place when it comes to his choices of his pleasure. Come, young Eirikr. Finish your drink. We shall be ready!"
Eirikr drank his sweet kvanne water. The warmth and the sweetness crept inside his body, and brought him new power. Rose to his feet, Eirikr could see now, that the place where he had slept last night was rough soil surrounded by trees. The air was as thick as yesterday, but the sunlight was somehow able to go through the small space between the leaves, and touch the ground like pillar of lights. The smoke from the fire went up to above, straight like the trees, and only moved like a snake dancing on the ground when the wind touched it.
Strange, he did not hear any birds singing. In Erlingsäng, when the sun could be seen among the trees, then the birds from the forest would sing and spread their wings. Searching for old leaves and small branches to build their nests, or what the children hated more, picking the ripe berries with their beaks.
The sound of steps came from the forest made Eirikr jumped. But it was only Dagr and Försten.
"We did not find any carcasses, Alvar." said Försten. "But we did saw something that we have never seen in many winters. Trees in ten of paces were tumbled down, ripped off from their roots, blood on the ground, on the trees, soil was turned upside down, as if there was a horde of horses galloping. But there was no traces of beasts. We did not see neither their claws, nor their head. And we saw bodies of men. Naked men neither with clad nor armour. Their bodies were broken, torn apart and eaten."
"Naked men? What curse had fallen upon them that brought them to such a shame?! How could their heirs bury them and send their prayers?"
"Had you seen Olaf, good Försten?"
"I do not know if it is a bless or a curse, but we do not see Olaf or Hamr."
"This forest is full of treacheries like I have never witnessed in my life." said Alvar.
"Had we listened to wise words of Linnéa, then we would be spared from this treacheries." the men murmured.
"Indeed we could return to our ship and sail back to bring the ill-news to our brothers." said Alvar. "But do we or do we not have enough love and honour that we will leave our brother, the one we claim to love and will be followed to the Death, alone? Had Vidarr or had he not had the righteous to receive a festive farewell, he who brought glory, gold, silver and many thralls to us? Had we all not listened to Sigurdr's words, that we should strengthen the brotherhood between Erlingsäng and Torkelfors by the bonds of their sons and daughters, like our fathers before us?"
The men did not answer.
"I say, we finish our journey. We take young Eirikr to Torkelfors and let him fulfill his duty. Then we hunt the beasts and make sure they will never touch the soil Torkelfors anymore! What say you, Men of Erlingsäng?"
"I say 'aye' to that." Arnbiorn raised his spear.
"Aye!"
"And then we hunt the Göter, and make them pay their debts!"
The men roared. "Aye!!!"
"And what we will do with them?" Gunnarr pointed the bodies of the Göter who laid on the ground.
"Let them rot!" answered Egill.
"No." said Alvar. "We will bury them, like what we will do to the poor men in the forest. For they had helped us with their last breaths. Svear should not be ungrateful. Mercy should be returned with mercy. But now, we continue. Later, we return to give them proper burial."
The journey this time seemed faster for Eirikr. Neither the men nor he were willing to stay in the forest too long. Nobody wanted to admit it, but each of them knew, the faster they left the forest, the better it would be.
The ground was less and less rough as they were approaching the land of Torkelfors. The trees were less, and the air was not so heavy for them. The men could move swifter than before, and as the sound of birds was heard, their faces were also less tensed.
"Oh my beloved land." Eirikr heard Egill said. "How I missed your fresh ground, and your sweet water!"
Eirikr walked faster to be by his side. "Do tell, good Egill. How is your land?"
"It spreads beside Vänern, vast land blessed by Sif, fertile and green. On the South and on the West we are surrounded by the forest. On the East is the beautiful Vänern, and on the North is big meadow where we have our farm. The soil is so rich that every summer we are blessed with abundance of rye, apples, and wheat. Our kettle are strong and fat they give us milk and meat without end. We always have good trade with anybody who come to the heaven. Our goods is well known through out the land, and our words are as worthy as gold. Our children are big and strong, clever and brave! There is no land like Torkelfors. You will see it with your own eyes, young Eirikr. And you will understand, the love that Vidarr gave to his new land."
Suddenly, the air was getting heavier for Eirikr. Heavier and drier.
Vidarr had been so dear to every men of Erlingsäng and Torkelfors. His sword had been raised many a time with them and his strength had been well known. They spoke his name and his deeds with warmth and love in their words. Eirikr remembered, when Vidarr had been still among the people of Erlingsäng how he had brought laughter among the men around the fire. And how the women ran to him every time he returned from sailing with others. In his hand had been always goods, gold, silver or glasses, beautiful colourful glasses from foreign lands. Gifts from Vidarr had always been kingly gifts. And when he had been on land and plowed the soil, then the soil would have been turned over like a giant had turned it over.
But he was not Vidarr. He was Eirikr, the second son of Magnus, with no knowledge of battle or land. Last night, which could have been his very first fight, he had faced with shaken hands and week feet.
A tapped on his shoulder made him turned around. Gunnarr. His face was pale, and the sweat running down from his hair. But he was smiling. "Soon you will be a man of your own, Eirikr." he said.
"How do you know what inside my head, Gunnarr? Had I not known you, I would have thought you were son of a forest creature of some kind, who could walk inside my dream."
"Son of a forest creature? Indeed, my mother is unknown, but my father is not. Were a sick man son of such a creature, then doomed would be the forest." then he laughed. "Soon you will say that my hand would shine a light and on my back, I have wings to fly, like a fairy."
Eirikr looked at Gunnarr. True, that Gunnarr's mother was unknown. People said, one day Alvar returned from one of his trading journey with a boy in his arm. He said, the boy was his son. But he never told a soul who his woman was. She must have been a woman from a foreign land. For Gunnarr did not have red or golden hair like others, but dark brown hair and hazel eyes, instead of blue.
But what was a fairy?
"Then how did you know what was inside my heart?"
"Your face has revealed your secrets, my friend."
Did it? Eirikr sighed. Perhaps. Gunnarr knew him long enough to understand the meaning of the signs that his face had made.
"Gunnarr, what is a fairy?"
"My father once told me, that somebody from a foreign land, far on the island beyond the mountains and sees, told him a story about creatures who dwell in the forest among the elves and the dwarves, and build their houses in the old old trees. Bare eyes will not see them in the day, but during the night, when they dance and sing under the moon, we can see them shining brighter than the lamps. Their bodies are covered with colourful glimmering dust, and anybody who is touched by dust will walk under their spell."
"And they have wings?"
"Just like butterfly. Pray, tell me. Do I shimmer under the moon, or carry wings behind my back?" Gunnarr's eyes were twinkling.
Eirikr smiled. "Of course not."
"So my friend." Gunnar tapped his back. "I am Gunnarr son of Alvar, and not a forest creature of some kind. And you are worried too much."
Perhaps Gunnarr was right. He was worried too much.
The steps that the men made were getting swifter and lighter. As the trees were not so closed anymore, the air was not that thick either. And as they were farther and farther away from the place where they witnessed the perils, their feelings were also lighter. They started making jokes again, and soon laughter was heard among them.
They stopped once for rest, and then they continued the walks.
The darkness covered the way, when the men reached the red gate made of wood. The light from the moon that hung low above the trees helped only a little for them to see clearly. The torches were on every side of the gate, and some paces away on each side of the gate was towers, from where there was a shout:
"The men of Erlingsäng have arrived!!!"
The heavy gate was opened. Two men pushed each of the door aside, and then one of them ran to Egill.
"Egill, do you come back alone? Where is Olaf?"
"I tell the tale when I see Arnvidr." Egill said. "Brothers, behold the men of Erlingsäng. Sigurdr has sent us some of his best men."
"And among these mighty brothers, who is the brother of Vidarr?"
Egill moved his head to Eirikr's direction.
That man looked at Eirikr from the head to the feet, and back again to the head. "Fair and tall indeed he is. And yet so few winters that he has!"
Egill patted his shoulder. "Come brothers, Arnvidr must have been waiting for us."
"Good Egill and good Alvar,." said Eirikr. "If it would not be such a burden, I would like to bath myself before I meet Arnvidr. As my respect to the father of my future woman, and to the people of Torkelfors."
The guard looked at him. "What had happened to him?"
"It was his first journey." answered Egill.
"Poor Torkelfors, and poor Arnvidr!"
"And yet he stood his ground when the perils came." said Egill. "And such light feet he has. He will be a good hunter when his time comes! Good Alvar, perhaps it will be better if Magnus' son and your son bath themselves before they entered the Long Hall of Torkelfors."
"If good men of Torkelfors can show them the way to bath, then they shall be gone." answered Alvar.
The guard called a name, and a boy came running. He then took Eirikr and Gunnarr to the bathing place.
For a moment Eirikr thought that Gunnarr and he would be taken to a bathing house, but no, they were brought to the lake.
"Is this Lake Vänern or my eyes are blinded by the light of the moon?" asked Gunnarr.
"Yes, this is Lake Vänern. You will behold her beauty when the sun comes out tomorrow, Stranger."
Lake Vänern, the heart of life of every Svears was now in front of his eyes. The Lake that told many stories and songs, and its water gave so many lives to the Svears.
The soft light of the moon touched the surface of the water, gave its pale lights. The water was shimmering in the darkness. The trees around it were standing still like a horde of giants and giantess watched over its beauty.
Then soft sweet smell reached Eirikr's nose. A kind of smell he never knew before.
"Do tell, Boy. What is this smell? Does Lake Vänern spread not only her beauty but also such a sweet smell?"
"It is but the smell of Aude's garden."
"Aude? Was she or was she not the woman of Vidarr?"
"Yes, she was."
Eirikr looked around, but it was only darkness that he saw. Was Vidarr's house some paces away from where he was standing right now? For the smell was so closed, filled his chest with peace. As if he had reached...home. The smell was as strong as the smell of his mother's bread, different, but at the same time the same. Ah, his head was full with words, and yet his mouth could not speak them.
"Come, Eirikr. Let's taste the sweetness of Vänern." Gunnar put down his shield, and opened his buckle. "I thought I was going to meet Odin when we were on the boat, and now, I will touch the sweetness of Vänern!
What a fool woman Linnéa was. For she would never understand how life would be beyond the meadow of Erlingsäng!"
Gunnarr said to the boy. "Go, and fetch us some soap and clean clad, Boy!"
Eirikr followed Gunnarr. He undressed himself and then jumped to the lake. Oh, there was no other joy then being touched by fresh sweet water of Vänern. Her flow caressed all of his tired muscle and bones. Like having soft hands, that gave him touch of his mother on his shoulder at the end of hard day of planting rye her flow washed away all his fear and weary.
The boy returned with soap and clean clad which he put on the grass beside the water. And then he left them.
Gunnarr swam around, and then like talking to somebody who was not there, he started singing.
I heard a distant whispering wind
It must be a bird of some kind
How long was it
Since the first time I heard your voice?
It must be some numbers of days
I saw a ray of sunlight
It went through my head
How long was it
Since the first time I saw your eyes?
It must be way back behind
I felt the wind touched my skin
Is it the same wind that blew your hair
In the deem light of ray
when you came to my dream
and bid me the last pray
There was a sadness in his voice, a sadness that could not be spoken but only in songs and poems.
Who was Gunnarr talking to? Who was 'you' in his song? A woman somewhere in a place he could not reach, or was it his mother?
"I am hungry." Gunnarr said. "I have enough bath, now." he went out of the water. "Will you come, Eirikr?"
"No, I want to be here for a while."
"Make sure you find the way to the Long Hall." he put on the clad. Singing, he walked away, leaving Eirikr alone in the water.
Ah, Gunnarr. A man of words, people said. He could go on and on talking, if nobody stopped him. A man of song, for he had a good voice and enjoyed songs and dancing.
Like a fish in the water, Eirikr swam around. He wanted to go a little bit further to the middle, but quickly he changed his mind. The water was as sweet as it was tempting, he'd better be careful, for he did not know what kind of beasts which might live inside the water.
Eirikr dived for once more, washed carefully his hair, and decided to finish his bath, and ran after Gunnarr. Slowly the water was too cold for him.
He was walking to the bank, when he heard steps. He turned around, and there she was. A small figure glimmering under the moon light. Her long white gown was blown by the wind. Her red hair was open, flowing in the air, glowing like red stone on a ring. Her skin was as pale as her white gown. In her hand were yellow and purple flowers which she held loosely.
She saw him too. Standing beside the Lake Vänern, watching every moves she made. Wet and showing every part of his body.
Eirikr saw how her eyes caressing his body, but he did not care. Nothing else mattered, but the way she moved, and how the wind played with her hair. He did not want to lose her figure, her shadow. Who was she? Was she like what Gunnarr said, a fairy? For now he was under the spell that came from her gaze. Or was she one of the Asyna, Frejya herself, down from island of Asgard, greeting him? If she was, he would nothing but be glad to follow her to Asgard.
Suddenly she moved away. Ran into the darkness, and let her flowers fall by doing it.
"Wait!" Eirikr called, but her figure was swallowed by the darkness. And before he ran after her, he heard Gunnarr's voice,
"Eirikr! Arnvard is....good gracious, Eirikr, what has come into you?"
Eirikr turned around. Gunnarr was standing not so far from him in red clad. He looked down to his legs.
"What?" Eirikr looked down to his legs following Gunnarr's eyes. His penis was like a sword which was drawn from its sheath, standing and hard.
"Odin had blessed some men, and some other men he blesses plenty more." Gunnarr threw the clad at him. "Whomever you have seen Eirikr, that woman is indeed a blessed one!"
Eirikr put the clad on. His eyes wandered in the darkness tried to find a glimpse of white light. But to his vain, he did not see anything.
"Come, Eirikr. Everybody is waiting for you."
Eirikr put the buckle on, and then with heavy heart he followed Gunnarr.
The moon was now high above at the sky, brightening the meadow, and making the small road to The Long Hall clearly. Somewhere deep in the forest, a beast howled to the moon. His sound was long as if he was in deep grief.
And somehow Eirikr knew, he would never like that sound, or the owner of that sound.
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