Chapter 9

Magni's POV:

After Agnarr had slammed the door shut behind him, I scowled at Freyja, the first time I had ever done so. She wasn't usually like that and I think I understood the reason for her outburst, but she had risked her honor and mine against a man who held more power and influence than she could dream of.

"Freyja why would say such things?"

"He was hurting that man?"

"That man is a slave, a thief and..." I paused, not wishing to reveal too much.

"And a what?" Freyja's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

I had sworn to Agnarr that I would never tell this story, but it might keep Freyja from risking her own neck in future against a man who held more power and influence than she could dream of. When honor was at stake, it called for drastic measures. I finally sighed deeply, knowing Freyja wouldn't stop asking until she found out the truth, which deep down I had no wish to keep from her anyway. Agnarr would understand. Sometimes I found myself forgetting that Freyja wasn't actually a Northwoman, she had become so similar to one except for...her God.

Yes, she remained constantly devoted to him. I had found it strange that her people believed in only one God, I had never heard of such a thing, but I had allowed her to continue her beliefs as it was so important for her, while keeping peace with my own.

I finally sighed.

"Alright I'll tell you, but you must swear to me that will you never, and I repeat never, speak like that again to the Jarl and that you will never share this story with anyone."

"I promise." Freyja, for all her attributes, had proven herself nothing if not trustworthy, so with great reluctance I began...

Freyja's POV:

"Nearly twenty-nine years ago Agnarr was born to a powerful Jarl named Bjorn and his wife Gyda. Agnarr had always been prized by his father as his only heir, but that same year Agnarr was conceived, Bjorn had had an affair with one of the slave girls and another son was born to her."

"What became of him?" I asked.

"Bjorn kept him enslaved just like his mother." I felt anger rise in me at that, not that the situation was at all unusual among the Northmen. The child of a slave was always a slave, regardless of his Father's status and in so being was subject to his master in the same way, treated as nothing more than animal and never inherited. However, now was not the time for another angry outburst.

"The child was named Loki."

I found that strange because in the legends of the Northmen, Loki was considered the worst of their gods, a trickster, and as I result had been exiled, forever mistrusted by the other gods. Magni must've noticed my confusion because he quickly elaborated:

"Bjorn wanted him to know he was always a slave, that he would never truly be his son. That role was to be fulfilled by Agnarr alone. So he gave him the name of the most despised of our gods, so he would always be an outcast."

"How could anyone treat a child in such a way?"

"Believe me that was only the beginning. Loki was constantly ordered to be beaten by one of the workmen whenever he did something as minor as objecting to the Master's orders. One day Agnarr, when he was about thirteen, came into the room, and Loki was lying on the floor bruised, battered and barely able to get up, the workmen holding the large wooden staff over him, and Bjorn standing there watching. I'll never forget the way he greeted Agnarr as if there was nothing wrong, simply patting him on the cheek and asking him if he'd retrieved his sword. The two boys had been kept apart as much as possible as they grew, Agnarr had even been ordered by his Father not to go near Loki, but the two of them had always found a way to sneak away and get into whatever mischief boys of their age get themselves into. Yet, after this particular beating they'd grown closer than ever, Agnarr had even promised Loki that when he was old enough he would rip the heart out of the workmen who did this to him, since slaves weren't allowed to take revenge against their master or those working for him."

Understanding slowly dawned on me.

"So that man..."

"Yes Freyja that was Dagr, the same man who constantly abused Loki. It had taken Agnarr so long to find him because he had sold himself into slavery because he was unable to pay his debt."

"So what happened to Loki?"

"Bjorn keeps him as his thrall still today."

The man had kept his own flesh and blood enslaved!

"How could he do that?! To his own brother nonetheless?!"

"He had no choice. When Bjorn was still alive he made Agnarr swear on the name of Forseti that he would never free Loki or else Loki would be sold to another. Agnarr knew that Loki would be safer with him than he would be with anyone else once Bjorn died, so he relented."

Deep down, I knew Magni had a point, but it still felt so wrong. Then something occurred to me.

"Wait, you said Agnarr has kept him enslaved to this day. So that thrall I saw with him..." A feeling of dread rose within me.

"Yes Freyja, that is Loki, Agnarr's half-brother."