Battle Through the Nine Realms - Chapter 14 - An Ally From Odin (Patreon)

The look of anticipation of hearing what Magnus was going to say was gone.  Arngrim scowled and wagged the finger at him again.

“Because if you don’t, boy, I will tell everyone that the troll was your fault! Then what kind of hero would you be after they learn two children died because of you?!”

Shaking his head from side to side, Magnus shrugged.

“I wonder how they would feel knowing that you can sense people’s rune slots and that you have runes on you.  Would some possibly come and try to steal them?”

Arngrim’s head snapped back so fast one might have thought he had been struck.  The older man’s mouth hung open, and his lips moved, but no words came out.

He closed his eyes and started to point again before taking a deep breath and forcing it out.

When Arngrim’s eyelids opened, the blue color seemed deeper, almost enchanting.

“You don’t want to play this game with me, boy! You have no idea who I am!”

His tone was angry and threatening, and Magnus knew exactly how to handle this next part.

Laughing, he shrugged and pointed at the sky with a finger.

“Let’s say I did see the All-Father.  I wonder how things would go if you got in the way of his plans.”

Arngrim snorted, snot flying out from the force he exhaled, and the man started to tremble. It took a moment for him to get his breathing under control, and then that same laugh that sounded like a goat came, stretching on for at least ten seconds before he stopped.

A wry grin appeared, and the older man winked at him.

“Touched by Odin and perhaps Loki as well,” he said, sounding bemused. “Very well, I shall play this game you seem well prepared for, Einar.  Tell me what you want.”

He studied the face of the man and saw that he was calm. Amused but calm. It was obvious he was not used to losing whatever argument he engaged in.  Even when Valgard had moved forward in a threatening manner, Arngrim did not seem concerned.

“A few things.  First, no one knows but you and me.  You promise to keep it a secret forever, or may Odin strike you dead.”

Arngrim’s beard started dancing as his cheek muscles flexed and different scowls took turns appearing.  His nose had more wrinkles for a moment than his weathered forehead, but eventually, the man’s face settled on acceptance.

“I will swear by that.  What else?”

Magnus could hear the tone and knew he wasn’t going to get much more out of Arngrim, so he went for the only thing left he really needed.

“You share with me all the knowledge of the world, runes, and whatever else I need to know.  Do that, and I’ll tell you not only what the All-Father looks like but also what he told me.”

Before one could blink, Arngrim’s eyes were wider than Magnus’s fist, and hearing that not only would he possibly hear what he had hoped for but more made the man’s next act less surprising.

Arngrim took a knee, grabbed one of Magnus’s hands, and held it on top of his head. 

“I will take the oath, but I will offer nothing besides those two things.”

Nodding, Magnus tried to ignore how soft the man’s hair felt, especially after how nasty the beard looked.

“Then swear it now.”

A second passed, and a power suddenly flowed through his hand and into his arm.

“I, Arngrim Serhmysson, swear by the name of the All-Father, Odin, that if I break the agreement we have made, my power and runes shall be stripped, and I will be forced to live as a thrall until the gods see fit to end my misery in this land.”

When he finished speaking, whatever trickle of power that had been there was gone, and Magnus nodded.  

“Let’s go sit down.  This may take a moment.”

***

Arngrim had reacted in about every possible way imaginable.  Tears of joy and sadness had taken turns.  Shouts of excitement and lamenting came forth.  Goosebumps had forced the man to rub his arms multiple times, and Arngrim shuddered when he heard of the potential doom.

At no point did Magnus reveal his deal with Odin or the rune he had.  He simply explained that his mind had changed.  Filled with knowledge of fighting and a drive to stop Ragnarök.

Magnus sat there waiting for Arngrim to respond.  Instead, the man was silent, minutes passing slowly as all the information he had learned fought for acceptance and understanding.

The facade that Arngrim hid behind was gone, and the intelligence that Magnus had recognized was on full display as the comical and brash persona vanished.

For the first time since meeting the man, Magnus recognized someone on a mission.

“That is a difficult quest the All-Father has given you.  Are you certain you can accomplish it?”

“I gave my word to him, just as you gave me yours.  Every day since he touched me, I have felt the threads of fate pulling me along a path. As I mentioned, I went into the barrier because I felt that thread.  Who else but the All-Father would have it so that we would sit here now, discussing the future of all Vikings?”

Arngrim nodded and tapped his fingers on his staff as it lay across his knees.  They were sitting on two stones on the opposite side of the road, looking down the path that led to Valgard’s house.

“And only Thora knows?”

“Besides you, yes,” Magnus replied.

Taking a deep breath, Arngrim let it out and grunted.

“Then I will share who I am, and from this moment on, I will expect you to keep my secret as I keep yours.  For a while, I have blamed Odin for allowing this calamity to fall upon me and forcing me to live here, but now I see there was a greater purpose.”

Sitting up straight, Arngrim faced him, those blue eyes vibrating with purpose.

“I am a crafter of runes.  Most could only dream of having the knowledge and ability I possess.  Perhaps right now, in the entire kingdom, there are four above me.  Maybe more, as I have been here longer than I want to admit.  

“King Erik and I had a disagreement.  He is content sitting behind walls, building up gold, and defending the barriers we have erected.  Fighting no longer fills his heart or that of the leaders and crafters who surround him.  His son died and suffered a great loss of power.  The last major attack we sent into the realm of Jotunheim had gone poorly.”

Shifting on his rock, Arngrim scowled.

“Back then, I was in the hall with the king.  He should have gone with the army, but instead, he sent his son.  Leif was not ready for such a task, and the war leaders who tried to tell the king that were dismissed.”

A single tear rolled down Arngrim’s cheek.  

“Two thousand Viking warriors died that day.  So many skeppares, thegnar, housecarls and Hersirs died.  When we summoned them all back to the capital, the losses were impossible to describe.  Power beyond most men’s imagination we destroyed.  Runes were broken, and bodies lost the ability to hold runes in their slots.  Even worse were the giants who kept our warriors alive.  Not ending their lives but torturing them for months.”

Shuddering, Arngrim frowned as he stared up at the sky.  

“Leif was one of them.  Every day, King Erik had the healers try to resurrect more.  It was three months before his son returned, and the damage done to his mind was so great the man sits and drools in a room.”

A hand snaked out and grabbed Magnus’s arm.

“There are things worse than death and the loss of power.  Our enemies know the gift Odin has given us.  Trust me when I say a quick death is preferred.  It is far better to kill yourself if it comes to that than to be left alive for them to torture you.”

Letting go of Magnus’s, Arngrim gripped his staff with both hands and squeezed so tightly his fingers turned white.

“After that, I was banished for my continued attempts to spurn the king to not lose hope and to fight back.  Others suffered my fate or worse.  Since then, King Erik has allowed some to venture into other realms and fight if they desire, but he hasn’t sounded the horn that will bring all the Vikings to his side.  It is no wonder then that the All-Father fears Ragnarök is upon us.”

Releasing his death grip, Arngrim turned and smiled at the teen boy beside him.

“It would appear, however, that not all hope is lost.  I will do what I can to help you.  My knowledge shall become yours, and as far as money goes,” he said with a grin, “I have more than enough to help you become the warrior you need to be.  You have three years.  We must work hard.  Are you really ready, Einar, son of Gunnar Dagsson?”

Hearing Einar’s father's name for the first time felt weird. Something reacted inside him, but Magnus wasn’t certain at all what it was—perhaps a memory from when Einar had been in control and alive.

“I am,” Magnus proclaimed.

Nodding, Arngrim groaned as he stood up and held out a hand to the teen boy still sitting.

“Then let us return to your house.  I will play the role of the crazy old hermit and state that I feel the gods want me to help you become the warrior they desire.  Valgard will not turn down my financial aid, and I will offer him something that will guarantee his silence.”

“A rune?”

Chuckling, Arngrim nodded at Magnus’s question.

“You are much smarter than before.  Perhaps we should hit every teen in the village in the head with a stone and see if Odin visits them.”  He paused for a moment, and then a massive grin appeared. “Maybe Reinn will let me hit Guat for him.”

Both of them laughed along the path to where Magnus’s home was.

***

“You’re certain?” Valgard asked, his voice and hand trembling as Arngrim held a rune out to him.

“The gods have spoken, and I found this in the field one day while planting,” Arngrim replied, taking a moment to laugh like a goat for a second. “They said I needed to help young Einar be the warrior we needed. Even more, the vision of giving you this to help with that came. Do you wish to deny the fact that we see how the gods have touched your son?”

Biting his lip and chewing on his beard, Valgard shook his head, still struggling to take the rune that Arngrim was offering him.  

“Take it,” Thora said, nudging her husband forward slightly.  

When Arngrim didn’t pull the rune back and laugh while teasing him, Valgard let out a sigh as his fingers wrapped around the stone.  

“I will summon the town rune binder and have them come in secret,” Arngrim stated.  “He owes me a favor for the drink I have shared with him over the years.  Now, if you will excuse me, I’m tired and in need of a nap.”

Cackling, the robed man walked away, swaying from side to side while glancing all around him.

Valgard turned and showed the rune to Thora, who stood there in just as much shock.

“Can I watch when you have the rune added to your body?” 

“Of course!” Valgard replied.  “If I weren’t afraid of people being jealous, I would invite others, but you shouldn’t miss out! The day you get your first one, I want to be there as well.”

Smiling, Magnus pointed to the axe that was outside, wedged into the stump they split wood on.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to go out and find some wood and create a few things.  The only way I’m going to get stronger is by working at it.”

Thora nodded and pointed to the pile of sacks and barrels in the house.  

“I’ll get dinner started so I can feed you two men.  Something tells me you both are going to eat everything we have.”

Valgard moved to where Thora was and encircled her in his arms.  He put his forehead against hers and then whispered something in her ear.  

Magnus saw the slight swoon she did, and as they kissed, he turned, giving them both a moment of privacy.

Footsteps coming up behind him warned him of the slap he received on his back.

“Let’s go gather whatever you think you need,” Valgard said, smiling. “I want to help my son succeed.”

Magnus gave him a smile and a nod.

Odin… whatever you’re pulling, perhaps you’re not the bastard I thought you were.