Chapter 7
A man on the other side of the bear stabbed it and it turned away from Finn. The young man saw his opportunity and with both hands, thrust the big sword blade deep into the burly chest. He felt the metal slide between ribs, and he was sure the sword sliced lung tissue and, hopefully, the heart. He yanked the steel blade out as the bear swung toward him again.
"Get back, Finn. You've done all you can," a man behind him yelled, and Finn felt himself pulled backward and out of reach of the maddened animal.
"How can it still be on its feet?" he gasped to Rika's uncle Anders.
"It's fighting for its life. And loosing, but it won't quit until if falls dead," the man said. "Come. My spear is in the beast and I can do no more."
"You can take my sword," Finn said, but he was shaking, the weapon was bloody and it slipped from him hand.
"No. There's no need. See, the beast is going down now," Anders said. "I'll walk you to your house." He picked up the weapon.
"Only my arm is wounded," Finn protested, not wanting the man to think him weak. But, in fact, he was feeling a bit unsteady now. He didn't look at his left arm. He didn't want to see how badly it was injured. Badly enough that it was hurting more and more. "It just needs to be washed and bound." He also called to the big dog that was biting at the bear's back end. After a moment, the dog obeyed and came to him.
"He's been wounded on his shoulder," Anders said, "but it doesn't look bad."
"Good." To the dog he said, "Good boy. You are a brave dog."
The shaggy animal looked up at one of his people and sniffed at the blood dripping from the wounded arm. He gave a little whine of concern.
"Father would have my head if anything happened to this dog," Finn said.
"Or if anything happened to you or the boys."
"Neither of them were hurt I think," Finn said as they walked from the trees to the clearing.
"No. I don't believe so. Your mother would be devastated should any of you die."
Finn had to have been frightened by the danger Niklaus had faced, but he also must have been proud of the boy when Finn informed him, "Niklaus was terrified, but he was facing the bear bravely."
"I didn't see that. I wasn't there yet. Was he alright?" Anders asked as he limped along. He never complained about his old injury.
"Probably wet his pants, but he was not injured," Finn said grimly.
Anders gave a nervous chuckle and said no more about the younger boy. They faced the various women and small children who waited for the results of the meadow battle. Rika was there and hurried to Finn. So did Esther with Rebekah held on her hip.
"It's just some scratches, Mother," Finn said, his other arm going around Rika's waist. "It was a huge bear. It's dead now. Niklaus and Kol are alright."
"Oh, that's a relief! But come, let me take care of your wound," Esther insisted.
Anders held the bloodied sword out to Finn, who took his arm from around Rika so he could receive it.
"Thank you," the younger man said. He then followed his mother to the area outside the home's doorway, where he took a seat. His mother brought some clothes and her sowing kit from inside the house. She also brought a jug of something to drink, something alcoholic from one of the village's stills.
"Take a couple of good swallows of this, son. Cleaning the wounds is going to hurt." She watched as he did as he was told.
Finn then sat as still as he could while he let Rika, Esther and Bennett's Wife administer aid to his wounded arm. It was very painful, but he gritted his teeth and bore it. He had no intention of showing the weakness and nausea he was feeling. This was his first serious battle wound.
While this was going on, Kol came back to the village. In his arms he carried a small, dead lamb, blood on its white wool. It dangled limply as he approached his mother and brother.
In tears he said the bear had mauled it before the boys had seen that the little one had wandered away from its mother. "It tried to get away, but it didn't get far. It's one of ours," Kol sobbed. "I'm sorry, Mother." He had a love of animals, except for marauding bears and mountain lions.
"I would rather it be the lamb than you, sweetheart," Esther said to her youngster.
Bennett's Wife spoke up, "Come with me, Kol. The lamb must not go to waste."
Finn watched the two walk to the end of the long house. It occurred to him that Kol was more concerned about the lamb than about wounded Finn. The woman would save the hide and carefully cut the meat from the little animal. She would make Kol help.
"Was Niklaus hurt at all?" Ester finally asked her son.
"Not that I could see. He went to help round up the sheep and cattle that were running in fright. He was facing the bear bravely, Mother." She nodded and he was sure Esther was pleased to hear that. Or was she? Did it worry her that the boy was brave, rather than ready to run to safety? Did she really love Niklaus more than her other children?
"I'm sorry I'm hurting you," she said as she used a thread to stitch some flesh together.
Finn glanced at the four gouges on his left forearm. His mother was tacking down a strip of flesh. The bleeding had mostly stopped. He swallowed against the nausea and looked away.
"You'll have scars to show your father. He admires battle scars."
"Even from a bear?"
"Of course. A bear is as dangerous as any other armed enemy. Open and close your hand. Good. The muscles and tendon's are intact enough to keep your hand useful."
Rika had left to return to her own home to make sure her father was alright and not needing anything. Finn was relieved as a tear of pain gathered in his eyes. He wanted her to see him as a strong, brave and stoic man. He wanted to be that way in his father's eyes also. As far as he could recall, he had seen his father in tears of sorrow only when Esther had told the man that Freya, the first born, had died, and that had been about sixteen years ago. Would Mikael shed tears if any other of them died?
Several men who had gone to the pasture and who had fought the bear, came to see how Finn was doing.
"It seems I'll live," he said, forcing a smile.
"The bear is being butchered. We think your sword thrust is what finally killed him. The hide will be yours. We have no idea what the creature has been eating, so there is no telling what the meat will taste like, but it will be doled out to the families. They can eat it or not. The dogs surely will."
"Were any dogs killed or seriously injured?" Finn asked.
"Nothing serious. The boys are still rounding up stock. I think there is only one cow missing now."
Finn looked up at the sun. There was still plenty of daylight left. "The stock might as well keep grazing, if they have settled down. So, all we have lost is one lamb."
"That seems to be it," one of the men agreed.
Rika returned and looked at him, assessing how he looked. In her opinion, he appeared pale, but she guessed it was from both the danger and the pain. She watched as Esther bound the wounded arm in some cloth. There was not much old cloth left after all the years the settlers had been away from Europe. However, all the women and female children knew how to spin wool thread and weave fabric on the homemade looms.
Finn looked around and said, "There's work I need to be doing." However, he now felt too tired to do anything.
"There's no need," one of the men still there said. "Tell me what you need to do and we'll get it done. Have another long drink of that brew and go rest."
"It's just my arm," Finn insisted, although he would prefer to spend the rest of the day relaxing under the influence of the drink. He was not used to being wounded and in pain. He had received plenty of bruises in mock fights with his father and with Elijah, but this was different.
"You'll rest that arm a while," his mother said.
Finn gave up the argument and followed his mother into the house. He was surprised to find himself a bit woozy from the drink. He hadn't thought he had swallowed that much. He had been drunk before with friends and his father, but apparently he was more susceptible to strong drink than many. He had actually fallen asleep at one celebration. His mother insisted that he lie on his bed and rest. Little Rebekah climbed onto the bed and snuggled next to him. In no time, he fell asleep. He didn't know that Rika and his mother kept a worried eye on him, hoping the gashes did not become infected and cause blood poisoning.
A/N Finn never was a boisterous party guy because more than a little alcohol put him to sleep. Some people are like that. What will happen next in his life?