THE ONLY EASY DAY IS YESTERDAY
"The Journey of Jeremy Keller"
Part 19
Jeremy drove the pickup west, supposedly following the bikers.
Mandy sat in the passenger seat staring at the passing country side. She
wasn't chasing, she was running from what had happened to her.
Neither said a word for over two hours finally Mandy broke the silence.
"How old are you?" she asked.
"What?" Jeremy responded not expecting such an off the wall
question.
"Have you been around a long time?" she persisted.
"I'm think I'm 27." Jeremy finally said. "Since I was abandoned
as a child, I don't know my birthday."
"How long have you been one of us?"
"I was first killed during the Gulf War." Jeremy answered
Mandy smiled "I knew you were a soldier, but I didn't know
which war."
"Since you brought the subject up," Jeremy said "What's your
story?"
Mandy slumped back in her seat and looked out the windshield
"I was born a long time ago in scandinavia. It was the time of the
Vikings, and everyone was always at war.
"My village was a fishing village, but everyone lived by the
sword." Mandy brought her sword forward. "My father made this
during one of the long winters. He planned to give it to his son, which
he never had. My mother was barren and could not have children, so
they prayed to Odan for a son to fill their empty home. On the day my
father finished the sword he took it down to the ocean to dip it in the
water and thank Odan. My father gave thanks for the gift of skill that
had allowed him to craft such a fine weapon.
"After completing the ritual, my father was kneeling in the sand
finishing his prayer of thanks when he heard a baby's cry. Hidden
behind a pile of drift wood on the beach, he found a baby, foul and
covered with mud and sand. He was about to leave the child where he
had found it, for fear it was a child of demons when my mother saw and
came to investigate. She immediately rescued the baby and took it in as
her own. She claimed I was a gift from Odan, the child they had prayed
for. But my father had prayed for a son, so he let my mother to raise me
as her daughter."
Mandy stretched and thought about her story for a second then
continued. "One day a strange man rode into the village, the men went
out to meet him and determine if he was friend or foe....."
The stranger rode a tall brown horse and was dressed in layers of
cloth and fur. His face was buried behind a long tangled beard and wild
hair that hung past his shoulders. Six large men from the village
approached him with drawn swords. One stood out, he was slightly
taller and larger then the rest, he was also more neatly groomed and
appeared to take better care of himself. He stepped forward.
"What is your business here friend?"
The stranger dropped off his horse and approached the men.
This was always the most crucial time, facing the men for the first time.
The wrong word could mean a fight and spilled blood. The right words
could bring him food, friends and a warm place to sleep for a few nights.
He faced the leader eye to eye but did not make any moves
toward the long sword that was strapped across his back. "I'm a weary
traveler," he said "and seek your fine village's hospitality for a few
nights."
The lead villager looked into the stranger's clear blue eyes both
men seemed to come to an unspoken understanding. "I'm Lars
Henderson" he said "you are welcome to our hospitality."
The two men grasped forearms and the stranger said "I'm called
Erik the Immortal."
Lars looked at the stranger "The Immortal?"
Erik laughed "It is a name my father hung on me when I was a
boy. From the trouble I got into, he was sure I should have killed myself
before my eighth summer."
Lars smiled "Come my friend, you will stay with my family
tonight."
With Lars's acceptance of the stranger, the others put away their
swords and approached with their own greetings. One gathered the
reins of the horse and lead it toward a small stable.
Erik had been at Lars's table for over an hour enjoying a quick
mid-day meal and the company of his host and wife when a young girl
entered the home. Lars paid the child little attention but the wife was
quick to welcome her daughter home and offer her some bread and
smoked fish.
Erik looked at the girl and said to his host "You have a fine
daughter."
"Thank you." Lars replied unenthusiastically "She does her
chores well and is learning to cook."
"My friend," Erik said as he stood up "We must talk"
Lars sensed the serious tone of the stranger's voice and followed
him outside.
"Your child is not your own." Erik stated as soon as they were a
few paces away from the house.
Lars started to get suspicious "How do you know this?"
"I know she was a foundling." he said.
"My woman can't carry children, we lost several early on then no
more came." Lars admitted "We asked Odan for the gift of a son to carry
on the family line, but it was not to be."
"This child is Odan's gift." Erik said "You found her abandoned
where no one could have left her."
"How do you know this?" Lars asked.
"I know." Erik replied "Heed my word, the child is a gift from
Odan, and will live for a thousand generations if she learns the way of
the sword."
Lars looked at the skinny little girl struggling to carry a half
full bucket of water into the house. "I don't understand."
"It is not for you to understand the ways of Odan." Erik said
"Train her well and as long a no one takes her head she will carry your
family with her into times yet to come." Erik then headed toward the
barn for his horse. "Thank you for the hospitality, but it is not good to
reveal even as much as I have." Lars watched the large stranger fetch his
horse then ride on through the village, continuing his journey.
Lars walked into the house and took his daughter by the hand.
"Where are you going with her?" his wife asked suspiciously since he
had never shown the girl any more then a passing interest.
"She is done with chores." he said "It is time for her to learn the
ways of the sword."
The woman sat down in shock as she watched her husband lead
the child out into the woods. As the two walked, she could see Lars
showing the girl the sword he carried and allowing her to touch it for the
first time..........
Mandy and Jeremy both saw it at the same time, a motorcycle
parked at small gas station. He pulled around the side of the station and
waited for the rider to come out. Through their rearview mirror they
watched a dirty biker dressed in patched denim and greasy black leather
come out the small store with a fresh pack of cigarettes. He climbed on
the bike and continued down the road.
Jeremy pulled out behind him and followed at a safe distance.
to be continued........
"The Journey of Jeremy Keller"
Part 19
Jeremy drove the pickup west, supposedly following the bikers.
Mandy sat in the passenger seat staring at the passing country side. She
wasn't chasing, she was running from what had happened to her.
Neither said a word for over two hours finally Mandy broke the silence.
"How old are you?" she asked.
"What?" Jeremy responded not expecting such an off the wall
question.
"Have you been around a long time?" she persisted.
"I'm think I'm 27." Jeremy finally said. "Since I was abandoned
as a child, I don't know my birthday."
"How long have you been one of us?"
"I was first killed during the Gulf War." Jeremy answered
Mandy smiled "I knew you were a soldier, but I didn't know
which war."
"Since you brought the subject up," Jeremy said "What's your
story?"
Mandy slumped back in her seat and looked out the windshield
"I was born a long time ago in scandinavia. It was the time of the
Vikings, and everyone was always at war.
"My village was a fishing village, but everyone lived by the
sword." Mandy brought her sword forward. "My father made this
during one of the long winters. He planned to give it to his son, which
he never had. My mother was barren and could not have children, so
they prayed to Odan for a son to fill their empty home. On the day my
father finished the sword he took it down to the ocean to dip it in the
water and thank Odan. My father gave thanks for the gift of skill that
had allowed him to craft such a fine weapon.
"After completing the ritual, my father was kneeling in the sand
finishing his prayer of thanks when he heard a baby's cry. Hidden
behind a pile of drift wood on the beach, he found a baby, foul and
covered with mud and sand. He was about to leave the child where he
had found it, for fear it was a child of demons when my mother saw and
came to investigate. She immediately rescued the baby and took it in as
her own. She claimed I was a gift from Odan, the child they had prayed
for. But my father had prayed for a son, so he let my mother to raise me
as her daughter."
Mandy stretched and thought about her story for a second then
continued. "One day a strange man rode into the village, the men went
out to meet him and determine if he was friend or foe....."
The stranger rode a tall brown horse and was dressed in layers of
cloth and fur. His face was buried behind a long tangled beard and wild
hair that hung past his shoulders. Six large men from the village
approached him with drawn swords. One stood out, he was slightly
taller and larger then the rest, he was also more neatly groomed and
appeared to take better care of himself. He stepped forward.
"What is your business here friend?"
The stranger dropped off his horse and approached the men.
This was always the most crucial time, facing the men for the first time.
The wrong word could mean a fight and spilled blood. The right words
could bring him food, friends and a warm place to sleep for a few nights.
He faced the leader eye to eye but did not make any moves
toward the long sword that was strapped across his back. "I'm a weary
traveler," he said "and seek your fine village's hospitality for a few
nights."
The lead villager looked into the stranger's clear blue eyes both
men seemed to come to an unspoken understanding. "I'm Lars
Henderson" he said "you are welcome to our hospitality."
The two men grasped forearms and the stranger said "I'm called
Erik the Immortal."
Lars looked at the stranger "The Immortal?"
Erik laughed "It is a name my father hung on me when I was a
boy. From the trouble I got into, he was sure I should have killed myself
before my eighth summer."
Lars smiled "Come my friend, you will stay with my family
tonight."
With Lars's acceptance of the stranger, the others put away their
swords and approached with their own greetings. One gathered the
reins of the horse and lead it toward a small stable.
Erik had been at Lars's table for over an hour enjoying a quick
mid-day meal and the company of his host and wife when a young girl
entered the home. Lars paid the child little attention but the wife was
quick to welcome her daughter home and offer her some bread and
smoked fish.
Erik looked at the girl and said to his host "You have a fine
daughter."
"Thank you." Lars replied unenthusiastically "She does her
chores well and is learning to cook."
"My friend," Erik said as he stood up "We must talk"
Lars sensed the serious tone of the stranger's voice and followed
him outside.
"Your child is not your own." Erik stated as soon as they were a
few paces away from the house.
Lars started to get suspicious "How do you know this?"
"I know she was a foundling." he said.
"My woman can't carry children, we lost several early on then no
more came." Lars admitted "We asked Odan for the gift of a son to carry
on the family line, but it was not to be."
"This child is Odan's gift." Erik said "You found her abandoned
where no one could have left her."
"How do you know this?" Lars asked.
"I know." Erik replied "Heed my word, the child is a gift from
Odan, and will live for a thousand generations if she learns the way of
the sword."
Lars looked at the skinny little girl struggling to carry a half
full bucket of water into the house. "I don't understand."
"It is not for you to understand the ways of Odan." Erik said
"Train her well and as long a no one takes her head she will carry your
family with her into times yet to come." Erik then headed toward the
barn for his horse. "Thank you for the hospitality, but it is not good to
reveal even as much as I have." Lars watched the large stranger fetch his
horse then ride on through the village, continuing his journey.
Lars walked into the house and took his daughter by the hand.
"Where are you going with her?" his wife asked suspiciously since he
had never shown the girl any more then a passing interest.
"She is done with chores." he said "It is time for her to learn the
ways of the sword."
The woman sat down in shock as she watched her husband lead
the child out into the woods. As the two walked, she could see Lars
showing the girl the sword he carried and allowing her to touch it for the
first time..........
Mandy and Jeremy both saw it at the same time, a motorcycle
parked at small gas station. He pulled around the side of the station and
waited for the rider to come out. Through their rearview mirror they
watched a dirty biker dressed in patched denim and greasy black leather
come out the small store with a fresh pack of cigarettes. He climbed on
the bike and continued down the road.
Jeremy pulled out behind him and followed at a safe distance.
to be continued........