Fan Fiction ❯ Odin's Runes ❯ Strength ( Chapter 1 )

Odin's Runes

By: Kensu_Dragon

 

 

Chapter 1: Strength

Thorir tugged at the bear skins on his shoulder; it was cold, too cold for his lodge. It was getting colder and colder each day. Thorir was a tall, broad, angry, berserker itching for battle, the battle that would take him to Valhalla. He was dreaming of the Valkyrie that would take him there. As usual, he was thinking of a woman. He had always longed for a woman, to feel her touch, her warmth. He faintly registered his father addressing him. Thorir saw his father move slightly then the world went dark. He awoke sometime later to his father asking him, “do you want to lead this village...let alone an army?!”

“Yes father!” he replied with fake enthusiasm.

“How do you expect to defend your future position if you can't defend yourself from a leg of ham?!”

Erik, Thorir's father, was the leader of the Viking village. He was strong, intelligent, and wise, but he did have his bad side. At least once a day Thorir or his little sister would be rendered unconscious, or worse. Thorir hated him for this. Thorir's stomach growled. He looked at his sister, she was hungry. He could see it in his sister's eyes. Thorir sister, Halla, was young and pretty with the exception of her crooked teeth caused by abuse by her father at a young age. Halla was not to smart either, probably also caused by the abuse and neglect. If Thorir ever had a soft spot it would be for Halla. He looked after his sister, ever since his mother, Frye, became ill. Her illness took her vision and the use of her legs. Seeing her hunger, Thorir picked up his axe and went out side to slaughter a fat hog for the day. He eyed out one from the group, and began to walk toward it when he felt a tugging at his legging almost taking them off! It was his sister. “Don't hurt me pig! No don't do it!” she cried. Thorir looked down at his sister simpatheticaly asking “do you want to go hungry?”

“No,” she replied.

“Then move!” he continued to walk toward the hog. The hog just started to squeal when the blade severed the neck. Thorir began to cut the meat in an almost sadistic fashion. He brought it into the lodge and positioned it to hang over the fire. “Make sure that the meat does not char. I'll be back,” he said to his sister. Taking his axe Mijolnir, he exited the lodge and began to walk around with no aim in mind. Suddenly he was jolted from behind by a small force, too small to be a man. He turned to see a small woman being roughed around by Lyting and Sabbi, two dishonorable runts who were only just shy of Thorir's age. The small woman turned to meet them head on. She screamed as she charged at Lyting, taking him down with a solid punch, breaking his nose. “What's going on here?” demanded Thorir angrily. “Their trying to get at me!” The woman announced. Thorir looked at Sabbi who was cowering in front of him. “You better go before I cleave your skull in two.....or three, and feed my dogs with you!”

“And I'll use your entrails for boot laces!” the woman added to Thorir's threat. Sabbi hesitantly turned and ran away from the confrontation. Thorir looked at the woman, 'Hn, what a little hellcat......and quite beautiful.'

“Thank you Thorir. I thought there were going to do a little more than *ahem* kill me. My name is Rea.” Rea was a secretive rune master. She had lived in the village ever since her mother died at the hands of her stepfather. “Do I know you wench?!” Thorir demanded.

“Wench! How dare you!” Rea stomped off.

“There you go again,” said Bjorn, Thorir's best friend, who had been watching all this time. “You'll never get a woman that way. Just saving her then kicking her to the ground. Don't ya know you're supposed to put her in her place AFTER you make her yours?” Bjorn joked, handing him a pint of Honey Ale.

“Sometimes I hate being a berserker. I can't control my temper,” Thorir said downing his ale. “Yeah I know,” Bjorn said pointing at the scar on his neck.

“Oh you aren't still sulking over that scratch are you? You're the idiot that got in my way.” Thorir asked jokingly.

“I'll have you know that it took two full weeks for that to heal. It's a wonder I still have my head! So what are you doing out here anyway? You're usually sleeping the day away or picking fights. Now all the sudden you go for strolls?” added Bjorn.

“I'm looking for some medallions for my axe.”

“Oh. Hey what was that woman's name? She was kinda...ya know. I kinda wanna...”

'SHES MINE I SAW HER FIRST BESIDES I SAVED HER LIFE!' interrupted Thorir. “Ok fine have her, besides she was too much of a hellcat,” Bjorn said in his defense. “So you like her? Why don't you follow her?” Bjorn inquired.

“Who the hell said I liked her! I just said that I saw her first.” Thorir enforced. Sometime later Thorir began to dig through some rubbage near the Communal Lodge with Bjorn, who was also looking for materials that may have been discarded, to use as totems and such. “Were never going to find anything here Thorir, wait what's this?” Bjorn said holding up a round wood chip that had been burned with a 'N' shaped letter on the front. “That's a rune. Mother was a rune master before she was stricken down,” Thorir said.

“Oh well I don't think there is much else here. Let's go somewhere else.” Bjorn and Thorir began to walk away when a moan came from the pile of rubbage next to the communal lodge, caught Thorir's attention. “Thorir look the rubbage!” Bjorn exclaimed. Thorir walked over to the pile and pushed some trash aside with the hilt of his axe. When he cleared the junk away he discovered a pile of brown bear cloth. Thorir kneeled down to examine the pile when he noticed a small frail hand with two dislocated fingers. He continued to uncover the woman, “it's the girl. The girl that those two were roughing around earlier, over by the village square.” Thorir announced. Thorir took a step toward the young woman.

“Is she ok?” Bjorn asked.

“No, she's badly hurt. She got the beating of her life. Her leg and some of her ribs are broken and a lot of her fingers are dislocated, so is her knee. She needs shelter and warm food or she'll die.”

“Well you like her. Why don't you take her,” Bjorn added.

“My father would kill me,” Thorir said.

“Ya never know, he might think you finally got laid,” Bjorn laughed.

“No he'd be scared to have a grandchild. He says that I can't have a child till he's ready,' Thorir said.

“Well I say fuck him. Take her home, save her life,”

Thorir slung his axe across his back and picked up the girl saying, “She's not too heavy. I think she's malnourished.” The girl stirred as Thorir spoke and uttered a few words he could not distinguish. Thorir continued toward home as Bjorn said “I'll see you later I'm going to get some rest.”

`It's getting late,' thought Thorir looking at the setting sun, `I better hurry home.'

 

Sometime later Thorir burst in to his father lodge holding the girl. He began to walk toward his sleeping area when his father stopped in front of him. “I am your father and you will do as I say, and I'm telling you to take that wench outside!” “She is badly injured and malnourished; if she goes outside she will die! Besides it wouldn't look good if you let someone die let alone a young woman!” Thorir proclaimed to his father. Thorir's father thought for a second, “fine! But you will be the one to take care of her!” Thorir took the girl to his bedding area and softly laid her down next to his small fire. It was still enough to awaken her and make her groan in agony. “I'm going to take care of you till you can do so for your self.” The young woman gasped and passed out. Thorir proceeded to take some meat for the young girl to eat when he was suddenly approached by his father, "if you expect to take care of her, I expect you to take care of yourself from now on."

"And I shall father. I shall have no need for you and you shall have no need for me either." Thorir added.

Thorir's father nodded in agreement saying, "Thorir, do you know what to expect from being alone with out help?"

"I will not be alone Erik," Thorir said.

Thorir's father looked shocked at those words and grabbed his club.

"What do you think you're going to do?!" Thorir demanded.

"To take care of that wench! She's obviously bewitched you with some foul magic.”

"You will NOT lay hand on that woman!"

Halla had ran outside to escape the confrontation as quickly as possible.

Thorir's father stood as he raised his club ready to strike Thorir when

He was paralyzed by a sudden blow from the side of the knee.

"...and you will not lay a hand on him either!" the young woman said clutching on of Thorir's daggers before she collapsed from pain.

Erik grabbed at the dagger and looked at Thorir and exclaimed "you gave this wench a weapon?! You will pay!"

“I will not 'pay', you will" Thorir added

Thorir struck Erik in the form of a high heel kick to the face, breaking Erik's nose and rendering him unconscious. Thorir went to his mother and knelt down beside her, "Mother, I am no longer under my fathers charge. I am leaving here for a short time. I no longer consider myself my father's son."

"My son, I wish you well, take care of your self. I know you will be well. Thorir I see a change in you, I finally see now that you are happy. I see you have met your love, Rea. She is like no other." Frye said.

"Mother, don't speak like that you are not well, you need your rest." Thorir said. Frye grabbed at Thorir's brown beard and said "Thorir promise me you will not return."

"Mother, I must return to make sure Halla is taking care of you." Thorir exclaimed. "Thorir I know more than you think. You won't have need to worry about me. Just take care of Rea, and your sister, I could care less for your father."

Thorir sSabbierd as he looked in to his mothers gray-blue eyes. "I'm leaving now." Thorir said as he broke physical contact with his mother, Frye. Thorir turned and stepped over Erik and picked up the young girl as gently as he could but still managed to awaken her as she moaned in pain. Rea looked into Thorir's blue eyes and said "I'm sorry I could not protect you more than I could, did he harm you?"

"No." Thorir said bluntly

"Ya know your kind enough to take me under your charge, so i know you do have a heart." Rea said as she put her hand on his chest.

Thorir stopped and looked at her hands and set her down gently before he took her hand into his "I must fix your hands or you may never use them correctly again. “Rea nodded and held her breath as Thorir took a short limb about the size of her wrist and placed it under her palm and slowly wrapped her fingers around the limb. Rea closed her green eyes and grit her teeth as she let out a painful moan. Rea opened her eyes and looked at her left hand, "thank you.” Thorir looked at Rea and told her that it was the only the left hand. He took the limb and placed it in the palm of her right and swiftly closed her hand around it. Rea let out a scream as she did not expect the pain that had so suddenly shot up her arm, exclaiming. "Shit that smarts!"

Thorir picked up Rea. "Will you be just a little more gentle!" she said as she hit him. Thorir's face became red with anger that quickly went away when he looked at Rea's tan soft face. Rea looked at Thorir and exclaimed "will you watch where you're walking!"

"No" Thorir said sarcastically.

Rea sighed at Thorir's comment then fell asleep with her head rested on Thorir's chest. Thorir continued to walk as he thought. 'How did mother know her name? She said her name was Rea. Mother talked as if she knew the future. What did she mean by that I won't need to worry about her?'

 

Kalb was walking toward his lodge as he noticed his friend Thorir walking almost aimlessly with something in his arms, "THORIR! What are you doing? THORIR?!"

Thorir stopped and looked at Kalb and walked toward him. "Kalb, I need your help!"

"Ok what do you need Thorir"

"I need to stay in your lodge for a while till I can make my own. Please if I don't get this girl some shelter she will die"

"Ok, but may I ask who this woman is?"

"Her name is Rea; she got the beating of her life."

"Come with me Thorir."

Thorir and Kalb walked to Kalb's lodge. Kalb pointed to a small bedding area with a fire and said "you two may stay over there. It's not much but there is enough room for all of us"

"Thank you" Thorir nodded as he walked to the small bedding area that was composed of a few bear skins and a fire. Thorir set Rea down as gently as he could trying not to wake her. Thorir put a few limbs on the small fire and laid down next to Rea. He began to doze off when he felt a small push on his shoulder two to three times and rolled over to find that Rea was the source of this push, "what is wrong"

"I'm cold" Rea said as she shivered and tried to warm her self. Thorir rolled over and raised his arm. Rea looked up at him and then slowly scooted over and snuggled into Thorir's chest. "Thank you.” Thorir heard Rea begin to hold back her tears in vain and asked "what is wrong now?"

"Well...no one has ever shown me kindness like you have. Even if you're a little...bit of a jerk sometimes.” Thorir looked down at Rea as she ducked her head, "get some rest, your delusional."

Rea looked up at him as he began to close his eyes. 'I wonder why he doesn't acknowledge his kindness?' mean but cute though.' Rea closed her eyes and began to sleep.

 

Rea awoke to a crackling fire and an empty lodge. She sat up and noticed the smell of food as her stomach growled. Rea began looking around for the source of the smell. Thorir was walking outside and suddenly stopped as he heard Rea cry out. He ran quickly into the lodge to find that Rea curled on the floor holding her knee, cursing. Thorir walked to Rea and knelt down beside her, "you need to go easy right now, just let me take care you for now. You just hurt your self more if you try to do things your self." Thorir grabbed her ankle as Rea grabbed a bear skin. Thorir looked at Rea as she nodded signaling that she was ready, Thorir looked down and harshly yanked at her leg as her knee sickeningly ground into place and then bent it a time or two to make sure it was in place. Thorir wiped away Rea's tears, "now it will take a few days for you leg to heal but you're not out of the woods yet. Your other leg is still broken and I think you have some broken ribs." As Thorir gently moved Rea back to the bedding, Rea asked "why didn't you leave me to die?"

"Your life was in danger."

"So, I told you to leave me I wanted to die, I'm unwanted. Everyone hates me; the only ones who might have loved me are dead. Why you? Why now?"

Thorir didn't answer as he set Rea on the bedding and walked to the main fire. He took a leg of ham off of a stone plate, walked over to Rea, set it on a similar stone, and sat down.

"I took you in because I don't just simply let people die."

"So you do care."

Thorir did not answer as he began to tear off the meat in sections, as Rea sat up and began to eat.

"Why do you persist at this?" Thorir asked

"Why you care? I'm curious as to why you care yet deny you do." Rea added.

"Well if you must know, I like to know a little about my..." Rea stopped mid-sentence as Halla burst into the lodge running toward her brother crying, "It's mother! It's mother”