A/N Thankyou for reading :)
Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Muninn is Odin's raven of Memory. Not important but eh, Huginn is the raven of thought. Anyways enough talking, a viking we shall go.
"What do YOU mean I do not get to use a sword!?"
An enraged blonde stomped his foot to point out his anger. Bergson looked down at the skinny man and laughed. "Only the highest members of the clan get to use the sword. What you do not like your battle axe?"
"How am I to fight when my axe is the size a mole?" Skwisgaar held up his axe for emphasis. The axe was the size of a rodent if not smaller. It should have been used to cut rope or bread but training was training. Bergson shrugged.
"You have to earn a title as a high member of the clan, you can't just claim it." Bergson pointed out. "Now get your gear. You and I are responsible for catching dinner" Bergson smiled and they were off.
…...
Six boars, four sparrows, and three elks later Skwisgaar was famished and did not care if any of the meat was cooked or not. He scarfed his meal unlike his elegant demeanor, and rather like an starved feral animal. His other five house mates pulled their plates closer to themselves and kept their fingers out of his path. After three plates of meat, potatoes and bread Skwisgaar was stuffed. He hobbled back to his room and set his bed up for the night. He didn't even make it onto the bed when he fell peacefully asleep.
The sun was always up too early for an exhausted Skwisgaar. But chores and training must be done. He could not live under someone else's roof for free, even if Bergson forced them to let him stay. At least until his own could be built. Skwisgaar's other house mates consisted of a married couple, (Elis and Agate) their two children, (Jona and Ros) and thier lovely old grandmother, Mother Unni (who Skwisgaar was still trying to woo over). Skwisgaar helped Elis with fishing and any manual labour needed of him. He also watched Jona and Ros when their parents wanted alone time. After several weeks he settled nicely in with his new 'family'. It was on a fishing trip, where he noticed the flowers blooming. It was finally spring. Elis smiled at Skwisgaar's happy expression.
" Oi! The Summer raids will soon be upon us. Excited? It will be your first, boy"
" Yah, I guess. Do we even keep the stuff we raid anyway?" Skwisgaar had heard of Bergson's reputation of being a greedy, heartless and well, horrible. Elis cocked an eyebrow and smirked.
" I see. Well Horrible Bergson is as greedy as they say. But he gives his men their due. Without us, who will get his loot" Skwisgaar accepted this and nodded. He silently went back to help with the netting. Hours passed and the fish was caught, all was left was the quiet ride back home. "How old are ya anyway, boy? You don't look too old."
"Hm? I should be 19 come the end of spring." Skwisgaar looked at the water. He traced patterns on the side of the boat until Elis broke the silence again.
"What did you even do before you were brought here? I am kinda curious. You never talk much" Elis sat back and prepared himself for a story. He received a Pffffft before Skwisgaar sat up.
"I was a trades man. I would travel from Birka to surrounding villages. I would trade things from surrounding countries as well. Lots of people came to the ports of Birka. People with money and weird items. Mainly from the east. But it wasn't rare to get some form the west." Skwisgaar sat back as well. The sun was to set soon, the would be back at the village before sun down. "It was at one of the outside villages were I was picked up and brought here. Lots of big guys." Skwisgaar scratched his chin in thought "Nice fat women but terrible mead. Would go back though"
Elis pondered this, Eh, it would explain how he knows how to fight. He being pretty and all.
When they de-boarded back in the village the sun had barely set. Jona and Ros ran out to greet the men of their house. They ran pass Elis and clasped on to Skwisgaar's legs. He tried to shake and kick them off but they were like leeches on a big healthy cow. Typical. So he stomped of back to the house with two live child boots. Elis laughed and walked off with ease that Skwisgaar envied.
"Ros! Jona! Get off his legs come back inside, it is bed time." Agate called from inside the house. Finally they relented and sulked back to their home. Once Skwisgaar was inside he was on the look out for Mother Unni.
"Well hello beautiful" he cooed once he found her. "Do you need any assistance from a robust young man?" he flexed to show off muscle. Mother Unni rolled her eyes.
"This robust young man needs a bath. What did you do? Take Grubber's job and sleep with the horses?" One not to go back on a challenge, Skwisgaar upped his flirt game.
"How about you join me for that bath and I will show you something that could compare to a stallion" He waggled his eyebrows. Mother Unni turned three shades redder and hit him with a spoon. Elis and Agate, who were silent spectators, laughed loudly. Rejected (again) went to take the fore mentioned bath. "Don't worry boy! She will come around one day!" Elis yelled after him.
The following days were slower, due to the food being stored and harvested. The high clan members were to busy building boats and preparing for the summer raids to train him. Skwisgaar was utterly bored.
"Oi! Grubber." He went to the stables to visit his loyal and annoying friend/ servant.
"Yah, Skwisgaar? What can I do for you?" Grubber beamed. Over the weeks Skwisgaar had been in their village Grubber had attached himself to him. Following him day in day out unless there were chores to be done or fish to be caught. Skwisgaar tried to ignore his annoyance but to no prevail.
"Go and see if you can find me a lyre. You know the village better than I." He handed Grubber a leather bag filled with silver bars. Grubber felt the weight and was stunned by how heavy it was.
"How did you get so many?" He asked suspiciously.
"PFFFFFFT!" Skwisgaar rolled his eyes and looked down on the lanky man. "Elis brought me some from the fish trade when he went to Birka in Mid winter. Said I deserved a cut. Now go get me a lyre" Grubber nodded and ran off to the closest instrument merchant. Bored once more, Skwisgaar took up drawing shapes into the dirt. He was able to draw a crude version of Bergson being eaten by a boar by the time Grubber returned.
"Here! Best one the merchant had" Grubber beamed again. Skwisgaar looked at it and gave a half smirk. He tousled his hair and prepared to play.
At first his fingers were stiff from not practising for a while, but once he was warmed up his fingers danced across the strings to rhythm fast and hard. Grubber was amazed and looked upon Skwisgaar with awe struck eyes. Skwisgaar looked amazing, eyes closed head rhythmically swaying with the melody. Only when Skwisgaar felt like he had enough did Grubber choose to speak again.
"Where did you learn to play" He asked in awe and amazement.
"PFFFFFFT. I taught myself. That much perfection can not be taught or leaned. Still pretty good huh?" Traced the intricate carvings of Odin and his ravens. He traced Muninn as he remembered his time at Birka. How unhappy he was but found solitude in his lyre he left back home. Well his old home. It wasn't as nice as the one he was holding now, some of the strings were dead, and it had a large crack in the centre, but according to his mother his father left it there after he was conceived in a brothel. He began to play again. Fingers dancing like fire uncontrolled and chaotic but every finger seemed to find the right place. The melody was faster , more harmonious, and a little sad. Jona and Ros went out to listen to him play. It was a rare time when the two children did not insist on clinging to his long legs or try to braid his golden hair. When Skwisgaar noticed their presence he picked up the tempo. The children were entertained by the happy melody and began to dance. Soon villagers came to watch the children dance and the Lyre be played. More children danced with Jona and Ros. Soon adults began dancing as well. Other musicians tried to accompany Skwisgaar but non could keep up with his fast speed, so they stayed a slight fraction behind and a slight lower to try to harmonize. One could not simply tell, but the musicians knew as did Skwisgaar who blew it off with a smirk. None were as good as him.
All too soon the sun had set and off the villagers went to their homes with children in toe. Skwisgaar picked up Jona and carried him on his back while carried Ros. The went to house and put the children to sleep. Grubber had a long way to go back home. He was on his way when walking out when Skwisgaar stopped him.
"Hey, you can spend the night in my room. To thank you for going off to buy my lyre." Skwisgaar noticed Grubber looked really tired, he did after all look after all the horses. So one nice deed for the kid couldn't hurt. Grubber gave a tired smiled and walked into Skwisgaar's room. "I don't share beds with people unless I sleep with them, so you get the floor. But you can have the fur lining and a one blanket, so you can be a little more comfortable. Grubber just smiled and gave a weak thanks before passing out on the floor. Skwisgaar soon followed after.