Viking - Chapter 12 - Beta (Patreon)

Magnus stood there quietly as Hrein ignored the protest of his wife and daughter, asking him to leave the boy alone.

A space around them had opened up as others saw the way the man glared at the teen boy they knew as Einar.  A lanky brown haired boy wasn’t backing down from a man who most believed would snap the kid in a single blow.

“So… Brennor tells me that what I heard was not true. That you used my axe without permission.”

Unable to keep a straight face any longer, Magnus smiled and started to laugh.

“That wasn’t true. I asked and you said go for it. Protect it like my daughter.”

Those green eyes bulged at Magnus’s response and then he started to laugh, reaching out and slamming his meaty palm against the teen boy’s arm and sending Magnus stumbling a few steps.

“You got balls boy!” Hrein bellowed as he grinned, turning to nod at his wife. “Now then, Brennor tells me you say you want to be a warrior. Is that true?”

“I do,” Magnus replied. “I want to be a thegn or housecarl if possible.”

“Gods boy! Why not ask Odin for a package like a giant while you’re at it? You do realize that you’re skinnier than my daughter?” 

A gasp came from behind but the red headed warrior paid it no heed.  “I’ll train you but there is more to being a warrior than just fighting.”

“I’m up for anything you throw at me.  I just need to do what Valgard requires around the farm.  After that I’ll be free.”

Hrein snorted and shook his head.  “You think you’ll have enough energy after all that?”

“I’m working on the food side.  Whatever I must do to get it, I’ll make it happen.”

A row of white teeth appeared in the midst of the red facial hair as Hrein smiled.  He nodded slowly and the grin grew bigger.

“Something tells me you will Einar.  Now then, I owe you more than just lessons.  Brennor told me what you did and if you hadn’t helped, it would have most likely eaten me because of how good I probably taste.  That would have cost me more when Hragnelf brought me back.  Even now I can feel how much weaker I have become.”

The warrior motioned to the tattoo on his left arm.  “Another death… maybe two at best and this will be gone and I doubt my arm will be able to hold anything of power after it breaks.  So I will send Avitue with a goat next week.  You can eat it or use it for milk. Is that a fair trade?”

Hrein’s daughter had moved quickly behind her father’s massive body, choosing to hide at how she was being used as part of repayment.

“That would be fair,” Magnus replied with a nod.  “As far as your axe, I must say it was the greatest weapon I have ever held.  Thank you for letting me use it.”

Chuckling, Hrein held out his massive hand and almost broke Magnus’s when they shook on the deal.

“I’m going in to drink now.  Thank you again Einar.”

The man’s wife gave him a smile and nod and followed her husband who was already moving toward the Longhouse.  

That awkward moment every teen hates when they are standing there with another one began to form when Magnus put to work a lifetime of talking with others.

“So how goes your shieldmaiden training? I hear that you have been impressing them with your skill.”

Cocking her head caused Avitue’s red hair to spill out over her shoulder, framing her face well.

“You heard I was impressing them? Who told you this?”

Shrugging, Magnus turned and started walking in the direction her parents had gone. He motioned for her to come.

“I heard a few adults mentioning that earlier today but sadly my mind is still a bit muddy after getting hit with a stone a few days ago.”

Avitue moved quickly to catch up to Magnus, having most likely realized that if she didn’t move he was going to leave.  She was a head taller than him, but Magnus walked as if it didn’t matter at all.

Inside he laughed, knowing the poor girl didn’t stand a chance.

“You are different,”  Avitue said after they had walked a few dozen yards in silence. “Even my mother mentioned it and now…” She paused and glanced around to make sure no one was close. “Is it true that you used my father’s axe to slay the troll?”

Magnus spun so quickly it appeared to startle her. 

“I wouldn’t ever say that,” he replied in a quiet voice. “Doing so wouldn’t look good against the word of Reinn and I don’t want to cause problems.  Just know, one day I’ll be a name known far and wide across this land. Perhaps when you deem me worthy, you might be willing to join me.”

Her face matched her red hair for a moment and those green eyes held his.

“You seem very confident in yourself.  Are you certain you are willing to make a boast like that?”

Nodding once, Magnus turned and began to walk again, leaving her there for a moment before she caught up.

“I’ll prove myself to you and the others, have no doubt.  When that day comes, I’ll remind you of what I said.”

His smile seemed to ward off any other questions as they made their way to where a crowd of others were.  More than a few pairs of eyes were watching them, hiding grins behind hands.

“I’m telling you, I don’t want to fight.  Let it go, Guat.”

The larger boy got in Magnus’s face and pushed him again on his chest.

“You stole my honor and now you want to try and take the affection of Avitue as well? I cannot let that stand!”

A crowd had already started to form outside the area where many of the adults had gathered.  Most often left the scraps of men and boys alone.  The culture was built upon honor and no one wanted to stop men from proving they had a backbone.

“I didn’t know she was yours,” Magnus replied, motioning at Avitue. “Did you tell her she belonged to you? Or did you tell Hrein that she was now your property.”

Groans and moans came from the crowd as the older boy’s face went red at the insult that came at him.

“I’ll give you a way out,” Magnus added as he watched the boy’s chest start to heave and could see his fists forming.  “We can fight in the circle with fists.  If you win, I’ll never talk to Avitue again.  If I win, you take whatever fish swam up your ass out and stop being a fool.”

The boy’s eyes bulged and no one said a word.  He had thrown down the challenge and for the Lendmann’s son to back down would be a major lack of honor and respect.

“I accept!” Guat shouted as he pushed Magnus backward.  “We go now!”

Valgard and Reinn looked at each other and both men were frowning.  Neither wanted the night spoiled by such a thing but with a challenge given and it taken up the whole village was present to see the fight about to take place.

Brennor and Hrein finished making the circle with the chalk, each of them watching the two boys as more torches were brought out and some fires started to illuminate the area.

Guat had drank at least two glasses of mead and Magnus had known what was coming when the boy approached him, anger and hurt in those eyes.  Seeing Avitue standing near him and talking all night must have been the final straw and now filled with liquid courage the Lendmann’s son was ready to prove whose dick was bigger.

Both boys stood topless in the night air.  The sun was down, and it had gotten a little chilly.  Their skin gave off a hint of steam in the light of the fire and the moons.

“You both know the rules,” Brennan said as the boys moved about in the circle. “No weapons and no killing.  When the horn sounds you can start.”

Each of them nodded and Magnus took the time to continue to feel out the more muscular teen. He was taller and had a longer reach but his steps were off just a little bit from the alcohol.  A good twenty pounds of muscle separated the two of them and Magnus had already considered a ton of ways to end this.

One punch could force this to be over but doing so might make everyone feel it was a lucky blow.  Getting pounded repeatedly wasn’t his idea of a good time.  In the end, he would have to endure some pain and dish out more, making sure to come out on top.

The horn sounded and Guat rushed at him like a bull, his right arm reared back. As the boy came in close, swinging a massive haymaker, Magnus dodged to the left, using his right arm to help block the punch while delivering a shot of his own to the bully’s side.

Guat coughed and took a few steps past where he had been, holding his side.  The boy spun around, wincing as he charged again, swinging with both arms like a madman, not using any technique at all.

Using his arms, Magnus blocked the blows, absorbing the hits and remembering how much bare knuckles hurt.  Even while moving with the punches and backing up, his forearms ached from the pain of each blow.

Swinging with another haymaker, obviously showing how much he loved that move, Guat put everything he had in that punch, hoping to break past Magnus’s defenses.

Instead, Magnus ducked under and moved in close, putting his hip against the older boys while reaching out and grabbing Guat’s right arm, which raced into the empty space no longer occupied by a lanky teen.

A standard hip throw came, and the bully found himself on his back, air rushing out of his lungs.  

The crowd winced as Magnus moved back and waited.

“You can stop this before you get hurt.  I can tell you have been drinking and you’re not as fast as you think you are.”

Rolling over, the older boy’s breathing was strained, the wheeze of trying to collect it heard by all.  Everyone waited to see what the Lendmann’s son would do.

“I’m going to bash your head in again,” Guat roared as he rushed Magnus.

Setting his feet and preparing himself, a twinge of guilt was there because the fool that wouldn’t give up didn’t have a clue who he was facing.

Years of training and sparing had left Magnus with a mind for fighting hand to hand.  Even though the body he now lived in wasn’t rippling with muscles, his mind was still there and everything worked as he wanted.

When Guat came in like a bull, head up and arms spread wide, Magnus’s eyes locked on the exposed chin.  

Driving with his feet and hips, his fist rushed forward, the same thread he had seen before in the woods and against the troll appeared.  Like a magnet pulling something to it, Guat’s chin drew his fist and the crack that came when they connected, one might have wondered who won that moment.

The wide arms and heavy body dragged Magnus down as Guat collided and landed on him. Both boys hit the ground, but a moment after they had crashed to the dirt, the smaller of the two stood up quickly after untangling himself.

No one said a word as they stared at Guat, wondering if he was going to get up.  

Then the horn sounded and some applause came.  No one wanted to cheer too much, knowing that tonight’s celebration had just been soured by Reinn’s son being a fool and losing.

Wincing, Magnus clenched his fist and felt pain lance through his arm.

I think I broke something… man this body needs to get stronger fast.

The sound of steps coming across the dirt toward them caught his attention and Magnus spun, seeing Reinn almost on top of him.

A slight frown appeared, hidden from most by his beard but standing this close, it wasn’t something he missed.

The Lendmann grabbed his injured hand and raised it high into the air.

“The winner of the challenge is Einar Sibbison!”

More applause and some louder cheers came this time and after a few seconds his hand fell, no longer supported by Guat’s father.

“You tried. For that I will not fault you,” Reinn said quietly while the waited on a healer who was approaching them.  “Promise me the agreement I heard someone mention is true.”

Keeping a straight face and nodding at the crowd, Magnus nodded once.  

“All I want is for Guat to see that I’m not a threat to him.  Whatever happened before is no more.  I just want to earn my place as a thegn.”

A grunt came from the man who owned that title.

“Very well.  Tomorrow before you leave, Valgard and I will discuss a few things.”

With those words the man walked with a purpose toward his wife who looked very upset.  She shot Magnus a scowl but when Reinn reached her and said something in her ear the look vanished and her face went white in the light of the torches near them.

“Do you need healing?”

The soft voice of the woman seemed so foreign in his ears and Magnus turned to see that her head was shaved and a tattoo covered her face and head.

“I think I broke my hand.”

She smirked and motioned at Guat who was on the ground, another healer attending to him. 

“I’m sure he got the worse end of that deal,” she said, her sapphire blue eyes studying him.  “Come let’s get you taken care of. There are a lot of children out here who want to congratulate you.”