The Damaged Soul by Troy Calkins
Chapter: 5

When we finally head back to camp, the fun can begin. I follow my brother and our friends, Solmund, Griotgard, Skardi, and Vog; even Gili and Tyrkir join us as we ditch the girls and our younger brothers, both of them having their own friends. We sneak into the woods so we can travel around to the Valkyrie tribe without being seen.

Then, we slowly creep into their camp but are stopped dead in our tracks. “What are you boys doing?”

Behind us stands Tonna and her staff. Thorkel pushes everyone aside as he walks up to face her. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing. Looks like you were sneaking around our camp.” She whacks her staff against her hand. “Do I have to show you the same lesson that I showed you a long time ago?”

“And what lesson was that?” my brother asks with a grin.

“Oh, I don’t think you forgot. I think you remember all too well the sting my staff leaves,” she says, smirking back.

“Just relax, Tonna. We just came to see you again. Would you like to join us in some harmless fun?” Thorkel asks.

“I don’t know. Especially if your version of fun includes killing defenseless animals,” she says.

“Not at all. We’re just going to play some pranks on the other tribes, that’s all. I promise. Well, maybe snag some mead. And that herb the Builders always smoke. Maybe even replace a drum beat to dance to and get into a few fights,” Thorkel says.

“Okay, that sounds like fun. Where’s your beloved? I’m surprised to see she’s not with you,” Tonna says.

“Who, Asfrid? We ditched her and the other girls back at camp. Besides, she’s not my beloved. Not yet, anyway,” Thorkel says, flashing that smile at Tonna.

“Whatever. And by the way, you weren’t planning on playing a prank on my tribe, were you?” Tonna asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Us? No… Not at all,” my brother says, acting all hurt as he raises up his hands in defense.

Tonna brushes a long string of her brown hair out of her face. “Sure… For some reason, I don’t believe you, but it’s whatever. Now, what do you have in mind for the other clans?”

I must say, Tonna is different. She’s a little taller and her bosom has gotten larger. I don’t remember her having breasts the last time we met. But she has them now. She also wears a tight tunic cut off above the stomach, showing off her rock-hard tummy, and a pair of trousers that cling to her thick legs. It’s hard to pull my eyes away from her butt. It is a nice round shape.

“Hmmm… That’s a good question. I usually don’t plan these things out, I just go with it. We’ll need to scout the campsites out. My main target is definitely the Wolf Clan. They’re a bunch of stiff-necked dogs with sticks up their arses who need a good jostling to loosen them up. I think I’ll skip the Giant Clan. I don’t know if I want them loosened up. The stories I heard about them make my skin shiver. And I just want to get that herb from the Builders. I hear it makes you feel like you can fly.”

“What about the Ice Tribe?” Tonna asks.

“Ehh… It’s a poor fortune to dishonor your host. I don’t want to anger the gods,” Thorkel says.

“Wow. I’m surprised. You’re actually showing wisdom,” Tonna says, getting a laugh out of the boys.

“Hey! I’m not as stupid as I look,” he says, folding his arms against his chest.

“Really? You coulda fooled me,” Tonna says, causing the boys to laugh even harder.

She just gets a dirty look from Thorkel. “Let’s get going. We’ll have to be really sneaky in order for the Wolves to not discover us.”

“Fortunately for you, that’s what I’m good at. I snuck up on you lot, didn’t I?” Tonna says with a grin on her beautiful face.

“You got lucky, that’s all,” Thorkel says as we take off back into the woods and scurry through the outer rim of the campsites until we arrive at the Wolf’s.

We sit on the edge of the woods and watch their camp. It’s hard to make out anything from this distance, and we don’t dare move any further in the light of the evening’s sun.

“What are you doing?” A deep voice cracks behind us. We all turn around to replace that Baldric boy leaning against a tree with his sister, Siv, on the other side. I have to say, there’s something familiar about Baldric. I just can’t put my name on it.

“Nothing… Nothing at all. We were just exploring the forest. That’s all,” Thorkel says, standing up abruptly from his crouching position.

“That’s not what it looked like to me,” Siv says as she brushes her deep red hair across her shoulder. “Don’t you agree, brother?”

“I agree, sister. To me, it looked like you were all spying on our campsite,” Baldric says. He’s big for his age. I know he’s not that much older than Thorkel or I, but his arms are as thick as tree trunks, and he’s half a head taller than Thorkel.

“Well, you’re certainly mistaken, but that is okay. I heard Wolves have tiny brains,” Thorkel says.

That only earns a huff from Siv and a single chuckle from Baldric with a rather tense smile. “I’ve heard far worse things about Krakens.”

“Hey, don’t lump me in with that lot. I’m a Valkyrie. We neither have small brains nor do whatever you heard about Krakens,” Tonna says.

“Smooth Tonna,” Thorkel says with a rather flat face. She only shrugs.

“Why don’t you lot go back to the safety of your fathers before something bad happens,” Siv says. I must admit, she is rather beautiful, even though her face seems to be as sharp as a sword that really looks like it wants to cut us.

“Or what? Are you going to make us?” Vog shouts.

“We could,” she says, and just then a large pack of dire wolves comes out from deep within the forest led by a large black one and a large red one.

Suddenly, fear whips through me like the northern winds. Thorkel hesitates before taking a deep breath and a step back. “On second thought, maybe we’ll just move along to the Builders’ campsite. That herb of theirs is sounding really good about now.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Tonna says, gripping her staff.

“Wise move,” Baldric says as we get up and walk rather briskly out of the forest, quickly making our way to the Builder’s camp.

“Way to go, Thorkel. Maybe a plan would’ve helped, don’t ya think?” Tonna grumbles as we scurry away with our tails tucked between our legs.

“Who would’ve thought the rumor about them and the wolves were true? I surely didn’t believe it,” he says, scratching his head.

“I could’ve told you it was true. I thought you actually had a plan, and you weren’t telling me about it. But that was just foolish,” she says, giving Thorkel a good whack on top of his head.

“Ouch, what in the name of the gods was that for?” Thorkel asks, rubbing his head.

“For nearly getting us killed!” She brings up her staff again and Thorkel puts his hands up to defend himself, but Tonna only smirks as she rests the staff on her shoulders and lets her hands hang over the top.

“I could’ve taken them,” Vog says.

“Yeah... Me too,” Griotgard says.

“Yeah right!” Skardi snickers. “You both would be food for the wolves.”

“You guys have fun with your Builder herbs. I’m going back to my clan,” Tonna says, as she turns her back to us and splits off in the other direction. I can’t help but glance at her behind as she walks away.

“Great… There goes Tonna. I was really hoping she’d dance with me and maybe more,” Thorkel says.

“What about Asfrid? Aren’t you going to wed her?” I ask.

“Maybe, I don’t know. Probably. I doubt she’d let me marry anyone else. But, for now, I want to enjoy being free of marriage. What’s one night?” Thorkel asks.

“I don’t know. I just… It doesn’t feel right to me. I already plan to marry Arngunn, and I don’t want anyone else,” I say.

“Well, that’s you, brother. I like Asfrid, don’t think I don’t. I just… She’ll be the only woman I’ll share a bed with after we wed. Unless she will let another woman join us in marriage, but I highly doubt that. She doesn’t like to share and I just want to experience the fruit of other trees before I chain myself to her,” he says.

“Whatever,” I say with a sigh.

“Promise you won’t tell her,” he says.

“I won’t. I promise. I would never betray you,” I say.

“Why don’t we just get a slave and have turns with her?” Vog asks.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having a warm cunt to sheath my cock into either,” Griotgard says.

“I don’t know… A slave kinda takes the fun out of it. There’s no chase or… Flirting or… Teasing back and forth. That’s what I like about Tonna. She makes it fun. Besides, she’s really good with a staff. And she can fight. She can fight a lot better than you lot. I wouldn’t mind going at her again. I’m far more prepared than last time,” Thorkel says as he stares off into the distance where Tonna walked off to.

“Yeah, she really embarrassed you last time,” Vog says with a smirk.

“She embarrassed you, too. She embarrassed all of us,” Thorkel says, glaring at the big oaf.

Vog only shrugs. “She is a worthy foe.”

We walk to the Builder’s camp and are immediately welcomed with open arms. Especially by two girls around our age. One with bright red hair and the other with dark raven hair.

“Welcome to our little camp. My name is Stangyth,” the dark raven-haired girl says. “You’re warriors, aren’t you? I’ve always wanted to be a warrior, but my father says it is not our life. He just doesn’t understand.”

“Oh, quit it, Stangyth. Why would you want to do something so barbaric?” the girl with bright red hair asks. “Don’t listen to her. My name is Eormenburh.”

“Well, my name is Thorkel, and these are my friends and family,” my brother says as he introduces us. He has a warm smile for the two beautiful women. They’re a little on the skinny side. Thorkel walks up and puts his arm around the girl with black hair, named Stangyth. “If you want, I can show you a thing or two about handling a sword.”

Her eyes go wide while the redhead named Eormenburh rolls her eyes. Stangyth looks up at my brother. “Really? I would love to learn.”

“Absolutely,” Thorkel says with a wide grin. “Just one thing. I heard you have an herb here that if you smoke it makes you feel as if you are flying. Is that true?”

She nods her head emphatically as her eyes seem to soak my brother in. “Yes! Yes, we have an herb that the Southerners call Tufonder. We call it Dazziweed. It makes you feel wonderful. Let me get some and we can all smoke it together.”

The other girl only sighs as Thorkel follows the raven-haired girl into their camp.

“Oh, don’t worry, he’s harmless,” Griotgard says with a smile as he walks up to the redhead. “I’m Griotgard. I’m his best friend. I can show you how to use a sword too, if you want.”

The woman scowls at him. “I know what your name is. The other boy said it already. And weren’t you listening? I don’t want anything to do with something so barbaric.”

She practically growls in frustration as she walks away, complaining about men. Griotgard scratches his head. “Women are so complicated. I don’t think I’ll ever understand them.”

A moment later, my brother runs back to us alone. “Woah, that was close. I guess her father didn’t like seeing her with me and chased me off with a hammer. Thankfully, I got the herb and a pipe to smoke it out of. Let’s go somewhere and try it out.”

We head back to our tent at our camp and make sure no one’s going to interrupt us. Thorkel has Skardi get a thin stick, wrap the end in a layer of oil-drenched cloth, and catch it on fire. It takes him a moment before he’s back with a little torch. By then, Thorkel has packed some of the herb into the pipe and takes the torch from Skardi before he brings it to the pipe and takes a sharp inhale, drawing the flame through the herb. He immediately breaks out coughing. He hands me the torch and the pipe.

I look at it wearily, but I buck up and take a puff with the flame and end up coughing as well. It makes my lungs hurt. I pass it over to Solmund and it makes its way around. None of them can fight the cough. We pass it around a few times before it goes out.

“Do you guys feel anything?” Thorkel asks.

“I don’t know… What am I supposed to feel?” Griotgard asks as he scratches his neck.

“Like you’re flying, whatever that feels like,” Thorkel says.

“I kinda feel funny,” I say, as it feels like my head is full of air.

“How so?” my brother asks.

“Like my head is without weight,” I say.

“Yeah, I feel that too,” Solmund says.

“I kinda feel a little happy,” Vog says with a straight face as his eyes shift about the room. “I think…”

“I like it, but I like those glowing mushrooms better. They made me feel so connected with the forest,” Skardi says as he sniffs the air. “Like, I could hear and sense everything. Smells were so vibrant and even the colors seemed to pop. I am going to get more of those when we get back home.”

“I kinda like it, actually. Makes me feel light as a feather,” Griotgard says as he runs his hands through his dark black hair.

“Yeah, it’s not bad. Let’s try to get some mead or ale or whatever we can replace,” Thorkel says.

“Well, you’re a man now, aren’t you?” Skardi asks. “Solmund, Bothvar, and I are a few cycles away still.”

“I am… I just… You’re right. I’ll go get us some,” he says as he pushes out of the tent.

“You guys ever think that we’re just in… in like a dream?” Solmund asks as he stares at his hand. His hair is kept long, and he’s got facial hair growing in. Mostly scruff. Griotgard keeps his neatly trimmed in a goatee and mustache.

“I’ve considered that,” Skardi says, rubbing his bare chin. “It does seem possible. Maybe it’s Ornulf’s dream and as soon as he wakes up, it’s over.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Solmund says with a smile.

“You guys are crazy,” Vog says. He always kept his hair short and has grown a wild beard.

“I don’t know… I think it could make sense. Wouldn’t be a bad dream,” Gilli says as he pulls on his long brown hair. Even though his sides are shaved, the hair on the top of his head is quite long. His face contorts in concentration as he stares at his own hair. Hair is kinda strange. It doesn’t decay like the rest of the body. I pull my own blonde hair and look at it. Why does it grow? What’s the point of hair?

“It’ll be a better dream once Thorkel gets back with the mead,” Tyrkir says as he sticks out his tongue, trying to touch his nose with it. He’s always let his brown hair hang loose over his face.

I look down at my hands; it feels like they’re bigger for some reason, and everything around my hands seems to vibrate. Is that normal? Is it because of this herb? What was it called again?

“You guys… You guys. I think... I think I’m drowning,” Vog says as he brings his hands to his neck.

“But Vog, you’re not even in water. How can you drown without being in water?” Skardi asks.

“I don’t know. I just… I don’t know,” he says as he claws at his tunic. “I think I drownded.”

Skardi snickers. “That makes no sense.”

“What’s taking Thorkel so long?” Tyrkir asks.

“Should we go out and replace him?” Griotgard asks.

“What do you think, Bothvar?” Solmund asks me, but I can’t take my eyes from my hands. There are rivers running through them.

“Uhhh… I don’t know. Sure,” I say. They all head out, and I finally look up to make out the sun dropping down below the horizon. It looks like it’s falling against the land, creating a ball of fire.

“Are you coming, Bothvar?” Skardi asks.

“Uhhh… Right. Yes. Where are we going, again?” I ask.

“I don’t know,” Skardi says.

“We’re going to replace mead,” Tyrkir says.

“I thought we were going to replace Thorkel,” Gilli says.

“The entire reason Thorkel went out there was to replace mead,” Tyrkir says.

“Oooh... Right. I remember now,” Gilli says.

“For the love of the gods, brother… Get with it,” Tyrkir says.

“You try getting with it. I don’t even know what we’re getting with,” Gilli says, as his hands play with his hair.

“I’m hungry,” Vog says.

I slowly push my way out of the tent but immediately turn and walk back in. There are way too many people out there. Where did they all come from?

A hand grabs my tunic and I’m dragged back outside. Solmund pulls me along behind him. “Come on, we have to go replace Thorkel.”

“But… Okay…”

The four of us… Wait, there are five of us. No... Solmund, Griotgard, Skardi, Vog, Gili, and Tyrkir… That’s one, two, three, four, five, six! That’s six of us. No, wait. I forgot to count myself. That’s seven. Wasn’t there one more? Or two more? Where’s Thorkel and… Tonna! “Where’s Tonna?”

“Seriously, Bothvar?” Vog asks.

“Wasn’t she with us?” I ask.

“No,” Vog says.

“Yes, she was,” Skardi says.

“Do you see her with us?” Vog asks.

“That wasn’t the question. He asked if she was with us and she was. Then she left,” Skardi says.

“But she’s not with us now,” Vog says.

“Of course, she’s not with us now,” Skardi says.

“I wouldn’t mind it if she was with us,” Griotgard says with a grin full of shit. “Thorkel was right. She knows how to handle a staff.”

“Should we replace her?” I ask.

“No! She left us. Remember?” Vog says.

“Oh… I guess I forgot,” I say.

“There you guys are!” We all turn to see Svala, Asfrid, Arngunn, and Semet walking toward us.

“Oh shit. Thorkel said not to tell her something. I don’t remember what it was,” I say.

“Tell me what?” Asfrid says with a look that could make the dead die again.

“Uhh. I don’t remember what I was not supposed to tell you. Wait. Did I say that out loud?” I ask.

“He said not to tell you about the gift Thorkel got you,” Skardi says.

“He didn’t…” Skardi’s elbow rams hard into my gut. “Ouch! What was that for?”

“Hi, Bothvi!” Arngunn says as she steps in front of me with that beautiful smile. She has such a small, cute nose. And her chin, it is so delicate. Those rosy cheeks seem so soft. I reach up and touch that soft, silky cheek. She clasps the back of my hand with her own tiny hand. Much smaller than mine, and she giggles. “What are you doing?”

“Where is Thorkel?” Asfrid asks, with her hands at her hips and her foot tapping the ground.

“We know nothing!” Griotgard shouts.

“We were actually just looking for Thorkel,” Tyrkir says.

Gods, her skin is so soft. It’s like touching a flower petal.

“You guys are acting funny,” Svala says as she eyes us wearily.

“You’re acting funny!” Vog says.

“Yeah, Svala, stop acting so funny,” Gili says, mimicking Vog.

“Don’t mimic me!” Vog snaps as he punches Gili.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Svala asks as she crosses her arms against her chest. “And Bothvar, stop touching Arni’s face like that. It’s weird.”

“I really like it,” Arni says as she leans into my hand.

“It’s so soft,” I say.

“You’re so weird!” Svala says.

“Yeah, that’s kinda odd. I don’t like it,” Asfrid says as she slaps my hand away.

“Aww,” Arni says with a sigh, sticking out her bottom lip. Semet pulls at her dress and whispers something in her ear, and she nods with a smile.

“Seriously, what is going on with you all?” Svala says.

“Hello,” Thorkel says as he stumbles up with a mug, the contents spilling everywhere. He wraps his arm around Asfrid. She gives him a very cold look. “Howsh, it going…”

“Where have you been? And what is this about you not wanting to tell me something?” she asks.

“Don’t you go… hiccup… don’t tell. I’m a little. A drunk right now. Hiccup.” He has to lean on Asfrid to even stand up straight.

“What the bloody goat turd, Thorkel? You were supposed to bring us all mead!” Tyrkir says with a growl.

“Oooooh. I… hiccup… I knew I forgot something. I’m a little drunk. I think. And that herb we smoked… Wow!” he says before he turns to Asfrid, his face only a finger length away. Then he plants a kiss on her cheek.

Her eyes go wide and her cheeks flush red. Then, suddenly, she bucks him off of her and full-on punches him in the face. He falls over like a tree being chopped down. “I am so mad at you right now! You do not get to kiss me. You ditched us, and now you’re so drunk you can’t even stand up straight. I’m fuming mad. You better have a really nice gift for me or you’re gonna think that punch was a bee sting.”

“What herb?” Svala asks as she looks at us with a cat-like curiosity while Asfrid marches off. Thorkel rolls over on his stomach and throws up everything he drank. Svala winces before she looks at us with determination. “I want some.”

“I don’t think you can handle it, little cuz,” Gilli says, patting her on the head. She reels around and punches him in the stomach. He doubles over on his knees. “Uhh, what was that for?”

“I told you a hundred times not to pat me on the head like that!” she says with a huff. “Now you piss brains better share or I’ll tell mother and she’ll tell your mothers. You know they’ll tan all of your hides. Or better yet, I’ll tell your sisters.”

“Goat shit, she has us. I certainly don’t want to face their wrath. They’re all so scary,” Griotgard says.

“Especially if she tells our mothers,” Gili says as he straightens up, climbing to his feet with his eyes wide as gold coins. “You’d think it’d be nice to have three mothers, but it is not. I’m three times more likely to get caught and then I get punished for it three times over. It’s a nightmare.”

“Then you better share,” Svala says.

“Fine,” I say.

“I think I’m going to check on my sister,” Arni says as she looks at me with those beautiful sea-blue eyes.

“Are you sure you don’t want some?” I ask.

“Yeah, maybe next time,” she says, smiling at me before she leans up and kisses my cheek. Then she skips away with Semet. My hand goes to the spot where she kissed me, and I can’t help but grin. I’m never washing my cheek ever again. I swear I’m going to marry her someday.

Thorkel finally picks himself up off the ground and rips his tunic off, going bare-chested as everyone walks back into the tent. “Hey… Guess what! I almost forgot to tell you all.”

We all shrug. Thorkel grins with half-lidded eyes. “I saw little Thormar smooching on that girl… What was her name…”

“Signy Styrkarsdottir?” Svala asks.

“Yeah! That’s the one.” He giggles.

Svala tilts her head. “What’s so funny? Those two have been getting close for a long time, now. I actually like Signy, although I don’t know what she sees in Thormar…”

Thorkel’s grin widens. “I sicked Bodvar on them. The little shit dumped a bucket of water on them and took off running. I think Thormar’s still chasing after him.”

Laughter erupts from everyone’s lips. Even Svala can’t hold back. “You’re terrible. Sometimes I think we go too far, but Thormar takes things too seriously.”

Skardi pulls out the herb and packs up some for Svala and hands her the pipe. She looks at him with her eyebrows scrunching together. “And what am I supposed to do with this?”

“You’re supposed to smoke it,” Skardi says, giggling.

“Don’t you think she’s a little young for that?” Gilli asks.

Svala turns on him and raises her fist. Gilli nearly falls over the cot. “That’s what I thought. Besides, I’m not that much younger than Bothvar and Thormar. Bothvar is sixteen, Thormar’s only a cycle younger, and I’m only a cycle younger than him. I’m plenty old enough, and if you say otherwise, you can say it to my fist.”

“Okay! Okay… I’m not your mother. Do what you want,” Gilli says.

“Now how am I supposed to smoke this?” Svala asks.

“With fire, how else do you think you’re supposed to smoke it?” Skardi asks, making us all laugh.

Svala raises her fist and Skardi flinches before rushing out of the tent. “Let me go get you some.”

Thorkel walks in. “I feel a little better.”

“Now are you going to go get the rest of us some mead?” Tyrkir asks.

“I don’t know… I don’t think I want anymore,” Thorkel says, rubbing his face. “My face hurts.”

“I’ll go get some,” Vog says as he walks out.

“Finally, a cousin who is worth something,” Tyrkir mumbles.

“Hey… I heard that,” Thorkel says.

“What about me?” I ask.

“Well, I wasn’t referring to you, Bothvar. Just this bum,” Tyrkir says, pointing his thumb at Thorkel.

“Speaking of Thormar, where is he?” I ask Svala.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” she says as she looks at the herb in the pipe. “Well, that’s not true. I saw him with Tandril, Starolf, Gudrik, Hosvir, Thorvir, and their friends in their tent talking out their asses how they’re going to get themselves a ship and sail west.”

“What a bunch of dunga,” Griotgard says.

“At least Hosvir isn’t following us around,” Solmund says.

“Yeah, true. He’s so annoying,” Griotgard says.

“That’s what little brothers are for,” Thorkel says, messing up my hair.

“Or nephews…” Tyrkir says. “It’s weird having Starolf and Gudrik as our nephews. Especially since they’re not that much younger than us.”

“At least Starolf and Gudrik aren’t as bad as Hunbogi. Sometimes I want to smother him in his sleep,” Gilli says.

“You and me both. Veleif should’ve left him out in the woods when he was born,” Tyrkir says.

“That’s a little… cruel,” Svala says.

“Don’t tell me you don’t secretly wish he’d fall off a cliff,” Gilli asks.

“Well, he is a bit crazy and mean, but… okay, maybe just a little,” Svala says as Skardi comes back in with a small little stick with the end on fire.

“Here, use this,” he says as Vog comes in behind him with a big bucket and some mugs.

“Yes! Thank you!” Tyrkir says, jumping up to his feet from the cot with a smile. “At least one cousin is reliable.”

He takes a mug from Vog and dips it in the bucket and chugs it. Solmund, Griotgard, and Gili follow in.

Svala bursts into a coughing fit as she blows out smoke. Thorkel comes up and takes the pipe from her. “Give me that. Who said you could smoke it? Nevermind. I need a hit.”

He hits it and lets out a sharp cough. “Anyone else?”

Skardi takes it next and smokes it. Once again it starts to make it around. I reluctantly take another puff.

Thorkel puts it out. “I need to fuck someone.”

He storms out. Griotgard and Vog, all chug their mead before they follow him.

“Men! Always thinking with their dicks,” Svala says as she storms out too, leaving Gilli, Tyrkir, Solmund, Skardi, and me.

“Do you guys want to play a game or something?” Skardi asks.

“Ehh… Not really. I think I’m going to go take a piss and replace Oddny,” Tyrkir says as he empties his mug and tosses it onto the ground. He rushes out and is gone.

“That’s not a bad idea. Besides, I have two beautiful women waiting for me. I think I’m going to go put sons inside them and have them out before we’re wedded in the fall.”

“Do you think they’ll replace any girls?” Solmund asks. I only shrug.

“Let’s go see,” Skardi says. We follow him out and go look for them. After searching the entire camp, we finally hear something behind Vog’s tent. Moaning, groaning, and slapping of flesh. We head over to see the guys all surrounding a slave I recognize. An elven woman who, I think, is Vog’s father’s slave. Thorkel slams into her while Vog tries to get his pecker in her mouth.

Tears run down her eyes, and she doesn’t look as if she is enjoying it. They are not being very nice to her. Not at all. They’re saying some terrible things to her, calling her all these awful names, especially things that have to do with elves.

I don’t like it. It makes me feel sick to my stomach watching. I walk away. Part of me wants to stop it, but I can’t. Thorkel is my brother, and it’s not my slave. But it’s not how I imagined sex would be like. Not at all. When I think about having sex with Arngunn on our wedding night, she’s enjoying it. Happy and blissful. There won’t be tears in her eyes, and I certainly do not want to hurt her.

I can’t understand how anyone would enjoy that. I replace my great uncle Alvi walking with Gudrod, Bodvar, and an older woman with two girls of her own around Bodvar and Gudrod’s age. I don’t think I’ve met her before. My uncle and the older lady seem to be getting on well. He even steals flowers out of another woman’s hair when neither is looking and gives them to the woman he is walking with. She appears to like it very much. Bodvar sees it and tries to steal a flower too, but gets caught and shooed off. He settles for a red dandelion weed that sprouted up and hands it to one of the girls.

I decide not to interrupt them and walk away. I wander a bit, searching for answers. I replace myself going to the docks to look at the stars but realize I’m not alone. A girl about my age also sits here. She looks up at me with big green eyes and then scoots over, giving me room. Her dark brown, silky hair is done up in a ponytail. I sit down next to her and look out at the stars reflected down upon the water. “I’m Almedha, what’s your name?”

“Bothvar,” I say.

She nods. “So, Bothvar, what brings you out here when everyone is back there?”

“I don’t know, honestly. Just trying to figure things out, and you?”

“I could say the same. What are you trying to figure out?” she asks. She has such a crisp and melodic voice. It sounds like the songbirds in the forest.

“I don’t know how to explain it. I’m not sure I understand,” I admit.

“It takes courage to admit what you don’t know,” she says.

“What are you out here for?” I ask.

“Avoiding my mother. And my responsibilities. It’s not very honoris and I’m getting much delictum.”

“What does that mean? I’ve heard it before,” I say.

“Well, at Forsa Village, we have five core beliefs, Kathikon, which means duty. Duty to ourselves, duty to our purpose, duty to our family, duty to our people, and duty to the world. There’s a lot of duty, to say the least. It is our duty to protect our people and ensure their survival. It’s our duty to provide for our families and keep them safe. It’s our duty to replace purpose and to fulfill it, whatever it may be. Our duty to the world is to ensure it is not ruined by others. We are keepers of the land and nature. Our duty to ourselves is to maintain our honor and leave no regrets. Honoris is the second belief. It means what it sounds like, honor. Honor is earned by self-sacrificing acts that are for the better of the clan and the world itself. There is no greater honor than to sacrifice oneself and die in order to save and protect the clan and the world. It is also a great honor to save the life of another clan member. A lesser honor to save the life of an outsider. Killing in battle brings no honor, but it is a duty that is served and must be done for the greater good of the clan.” She takes a moment to look out at the calm sea that reflects the stars above.

“And the other three?” I ask.

“Delictum means shame or guilt. It is acts of cowardice that accrue delictum. Or hurting innocents. Shaming your fellow clan members or family earns you much delictum. Apolutrosis means redemption, which is another of the five pillar beliefs. The only way to achieve Apolutrosis is with officium, which means service. You must serve the clan as best you can. In order to do so, you must be willing to sacrifice your own wants and needs for that of the clan and the world at large. It is all about self-sacrifice. About duty. It’s rather simple, really.”

“Yeah, I can see that now. It makes much more sense,” I say. My brother and our friends accrued much delictum when they hurt that elf slave. They need to get Apolutrosis. “Thanks. I think I found what I was looking for. You’re really wise. I’m glad I met you.”

She smiles. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help, and in a way, you have made me understand my own delictum and how I can earn Apolutrosis. I thank you in return.”

I nod and smile as we both get up. She holds out her hand and I shake it. “I hope we meet again, Bothvar.”

“Me too, Almedha,” I say with a smile before we part ways.

As I head back, I hear the screams and follow them to replace men whipping and beating two elf slaves, an older man and a younger woman, both with bright blue eyes. “That is what you get, you pointy-eared bastards. Try to escape again and I’ll cut your tongues out, or worse.”

I look away as the poor elven slaves barely cling to consciousness. It’s hard to imagine why they wouldn’t want to escape when they are beaten and treated as such. Cruelty like this wouldn’t make anyone want to stay. But what can I do? They aren’t mine. But it would certainly earn me delictum to do nothing. I walk up to them. “How much for these slaves?”

The men turn to look at me and all laugh. “Boy, go home to your parents. You don’t have the coin for such a purchase, nor could you afford to keep them.”

Another man steps up to the one who spoke. “Gunni, that is Earl Beorcol’s son.”

The man named Gunni, a bald man with a goatee, looks at me carefully. “So, you want to buy them, ehh? I will accept no less than twelve pieces of silver for each.”

I untie the coin purse from my belt and hand them a few gold pieces. “A few gold coins should cover that. I’ll have someone come get them.”

The man bites a gold coin and nods with a turd-eating grin. I walk back to the clan to replace the slave named Valindra. I tell her to go get some others and fetch the two slaves I purchased. I told her to tell Sigvor to help them with their wounds and that they are my gifts to her. She nods and carries out my orders.

I head back to the tent and replace Thorkel stumbling in at the same time, falling onto the bed. I head inside and sit down on my own cot. “You’ve accrued much delictum Thorkel.”

“What? What are you talking about? Go to bed,” he says as he turns away from me.

“You hurt that elf, girl. That is an act of shame,” I say.

“She’s a slave and an elf. Who cares,” he says.

“I care. It doesn’t sit well with me,” I say.

“She’s an elf. Her people are responsible for killing Asfrid and Arngunn’s parents. They are the enemy. Who cares about them?” he says with a growl. “Now be quiet. I’m going to bed.”

It doesn’t take long before he falls asleep. Is he right? The elves did kill Arni and Asfrid’s parents. Does that make what Thorkel and our friends did okay? No… Almedha didn’t say anything about vengeance or revenge. It was about honor, duty, shame, service, and redemption. But do these core beliefs hold true for slaves? What about elves? Especially since many of our clan members have died at their hands. I don’t know; I need to think on it some more.

---

The next day on the way back home, the slave Valindra comes to me as I watch the shores drift by. “Lord Bothvar.”

I laugh at the title. “You don’t need to call me that. Bothvar is just fine.”

She nods. “You have my thanks for last night. You reunited my friends and me with a long-lost friend. The old man’s name is Larongar, and he is a close friend of ours.”

I nod. “What about the girl?”

“She, I don’t know, but Larongar was helping her escape. We will take her in and help her.”

“How did you come to be enslaved?” I ask.

“All of us grew up in poverty within our city, Isyelnaes, which resides in the Shifting Sands desert to the south. Most grew up in tents outside the great walls. We had to steal to eat, so we all joined together and became thieves, but we were betrayed by a man as greedy and lustful as they come,” she says, meeting my eyes.

“I see. I’m sorry for your hardships. I cannot blame you for your thievery. I suppose when it comes to hunger, most of us would do the same,” I say.

She nods. “I should go check on them. They should make a full recovery, thanks to Lady Sigvor’s help. She is very kind.”

“Just as long as you don’t cross her,” I say with a laugh. “She along with my mother and their younger sister can be quite spiteful to those who wrong them. Trust me, my siblings and I have spent many a days suffering their punishments.”

She smiles. “Even still, I’m sure your punishments were out of love.”

“Ehh, more out of our own stupidity, but sure,” I say with a smile. She also smiles before she bows and takes her leave. I have to say, she is quite beautiful. There’s something about elven eyes. The way they seem to glow. At least the ones who can do magic.

Looks like Thormar found himself a stray dog at the meeting. He won’t let it out of his sight. Bodvar has taken to calling it Ruffles. Thormar hates that name so Thorkel made sure it stuck.