NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Becoming a Man
"Pick up the sword," Elijah said as he looked down at Thorfinn who was flat on his back. Thorfinn reached and picked up the sword before abruptly bringing it up as Elijah swung down on him. The crack of wood sounded out through the valley as he blocked the blow "You're faster than you look, I had thought your speed was only limited to running away," he mocked before swinging his sword around and hitting the bottom of Thorfinn's sword flinging it out of his hands and then hitting him in the stomach.
"GAAAGH!" Thorfinn sputtered as the wooden sword knocked the wind out of him. He rolled across the ground avoiding another swing of the sword before he got up and grabbed his own.
"Had that been a real blade you would be dead and my sister would be free of a boy that can offer her nothing," Elijah said as he stood with his sword pointed against the ground, not concerned in the slightest that Thorfinn might be a threat.
Thorfinn roared as he charged at Elijah swinging his wooden sword down towards his skull. Elijah gripped both ends of his sword with both hands before deflecting Thorfinn's blade off to the side while also countering him with a pommel strike to his face, he then grabbed him by the collar of his neck and kicked his legs out from under him. "Dead again," Elijah simply said as he walked off turning his back on Thorfinn.
Thorfinn pushed himself up and rushed towards Elijah intent on tackling the larger man to the ground, Elijah turned quickly and kneed him in the face before spinning around and hitting him in the jaw with his sword. "Dead... you expected to go raiding for wealth and honour when you fight like this? My father would slaughtered you if he knew you were courting his daughter," Elijah said with a disappointed look on his face.
Thorfinn glared at him as if his pride had been wounded, his jaw was bruised and his nose bloody, but he still picked up his sword and pointed it at Elijah "Let's go again," he simply said. Elijah chuckled in amusement before nodding and holding his sword out.
Thorfinn charged and swung his sword in a more controlled manner than before. Elijah avoided the first swing but was surprised when Thorfinn switched his grip on the sword and swung at his midsection; Elijah brought his sword up and blocked it, their clash was short as Thorfinn jumped back before rushing forward with another flurry of attacks. Elijah decided not to bring the fight to a close just yet, he was studying Thorfinn at the moment; his movement was clumsy and he often overextended himself leaving him open but he was fast and his blade moved where he wished it to, which is a good foundation to work upon.
When they clashed again Elijah grabbed Thorfinn by the back of the head and hit him against his blade making him stumble back. "You're fighting as if we are having fun, as if this is but a game, battle is not a game boy, you must use everything at your disposal to win," Elijah said before gripping his sword with two hands and swinging down. Thorfinn stepped back clumsily to avoid it, he then swiped his sword trying to hit Elijah's chin. Unfortunately, Elijah was taller than he was so the sword passed an inch or two away from his face.
Elijah then lunged forward and thrust the wooden sword into his stomach before bringing it around and hitting him on the side of his head, but unlike the previous times Thorfinn didn't go down instead he spun with the momentum and brought his wooden sword into Elijah's side. A grin crept up on his face when he thought he had caught him but the older man's hand snaked out and grabbed the wooden sword before it could hit him.
He then booted Thorfinn in the chest sending the boy sprawling to the ground. 'He's not bad, knows when to dodge instead of block and can take a hit, and even use it to counter,' Elijah thought as he placed his wooden sword on his shoulder. When his sister asked him to help Thorfinn he had mostly just done it to see her happy, in truth, he didn't expect Thorfinn to last long in a real battle, but Elijah could see that he had potential, he would not survive as he was but if he was willing to learn then he could get him into a state where he might be able to survive.
"You are weak, by now you would've died ten times over on the battlefield, I hear the Jarls son is a master of the sword and axe, he would make an ideal husband for my sister," Elijah said with a small smile on his face.
Thorfinn glared at him as he stood up "Be silent!" He spat out as he gripped his practice sword tightly.
"You wish me to be silent because I speak true? You boast of bringing in great wealth from the summer raids but you can't even put me on my back, my sister would be in constant danger if she only had you to protect her," Elijah mocked.
Thorfinn swung at him again, but Elijah knocked aside the swing. Thorfinn continued to attack with increased ferocity as if in a berserker trance; Elijah shook his head in disapproval, substituting a lack of skill with raw strength and wild swings might work against someone who can't fight, but not against anyone with an ounce of experience. Elijah decided he'd seen enough and went to end this fight by countering the laughably predictable overhead strike he was about to deliver.
Thorfinn heaved the wooden blade down at Elijah, but he let go mid swung throwing it straight at him. Elijah was caught off guard and stumbled back while deflecting the sword away from him; Thorfinn took advantage of that opening and hugged his arms behind his legs and pulled his feet out from under him. Elijah grunted as he hit the ground, the air being driven from his lungs. Thorfinn wasn't finished however and he drew his fist back and hit it into his stomach winding him even more.
However Elijah quickly recovered and kicked Thorfinn in the face sending him to the ground; Thorfinn lay there breathing heavily, his face hurt. Elijah had not been kind when hitting him with the training sword, he felt one of his teeth had come loose so he turned his head and apart it out. When he touched his jaw he felt a sting of pain making him hiss.
He noticed Elijah stand up looking uninjured by his attack and he had to admit that it angered him. "You'll stay with me and my family for the time being," Elijah said abruptly as he looked down at Thorfinn. Elijah was impressed by how Thorfinn had managed to bait him considering the gap of skill between the two, he had faked going into a mindless rage to lower his guard, that kind of creativity was rare among their people.
Thorfinn's face scrunched up as he pushed himself up on his arms. "Why the confusion, you'll waste nearly a quarter of the day walking to Kattegat, if I'm going to turn you into a warrior I'll need to train with you as much as I can," he explained.
"But it's planting season on the farm and Ragnar needs me," Thorfinn said pathetically. It was a poor excuse, the true reason was he didn't want to leave Gyda, she was his closest friend and they had shared much together. Even Bjorn as much of a fool as he could be they've shared some good times.
"You become a man tomorrow, you aren't a thrall, but a freeman, Ragnar cannot keep you prisoner anymore than I can force you to come with me," Elijah said with a tone of finality.
Before Thorfinn could speak again Elijah approached him and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him to his feet. "The only reason you still breathe is because I have never seen my sister smile as she has when speaking of you," he said in a low tone.
"I love my sister and I will grant her every happiness I am able to... but not at the cost of her safety, our family is always and forever... you are not and eventually she'll move on if I choose to snap your neck," Elijah said as he increased the pressure around Thorfinn's throat.
"As men, we live a harsh and often short life so that the women we love live long and happy ones, if you are not willing to put in the effort, then I'll throw you from this cliff right now," Elijah said. Thorfinn turned around and realised that he was indeed at the edge —nearly dangling off the cliff.
Regardless he still looked Elijah in the eyes without a hint of fear on his face
"Rebekah will be mine, I will do whatever it takes," He said assuredly.
Elijah looked at him for a while before nodding and bringing him back from the edge "Good, then I shall see you tomorrow... and one more thing," Elijah said as he turned around to look at him.
"If I catch you in my sister's room again before you've wed her then I'll cut your balls off and feed them to my dogs," He said in a calm tone before turning around and leaving.
———————————————————-
(Next Evening)
The hall was bustling with talk and laughter as the Jarls feast had started. Ragnar told stories to him and Bjorn about the time he had to fight a bird the size of a man. Bjorn listened with rapt attention while Thorfinn was a bit more amused —knowing that his stories were nothing but that.
"The eagle picked me up and carried me off the ground to its nest," Ragnar said dramatically as his hands imitated the flapping wings of a bird.
"Why did you not kill it with your axe?!" Bjorn asked enraptured with the story.
Ragnar just shook his head with a grim expression "When I was grabbed, it surprised me so much that I dropped my weapon... and so I was carried all the way to the birds nest where its babies slept, babies that were bigger than you in height," he said with a laugh as he put his hand above Bjorn's head.
"How did you escape!?" Bjorn asked as he was nearly leaning across the table, intent on finding out what happened next.
Ragnar put his arms together and his head up "I sat... very... still, and when the bird came back to feed her young..."
*Snap*
"I bit its head off," he said loudly, making Thorfinn and Rollo laugh.
As Ragnar continued to tell stories Thorfinn looked around the feasting hall of the Jarl. He had hoped that Rebekah might've been present, but it seemed that Mikael had not let her come. She often told him of how she was rarely allowed out and when she was it was never on her own; Mikael would say a great beauty such as yourself shouldn't walk amongst the common lot as they may fall to temptation.
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bang*
The Jarl bashed his cup against the seat of his throne silencing the talking and laughter of the throne room. Thorfinn's attention was drawn to the Jarl who had his wife on the throne beside him and his son standing next to him. Thorfinn was pissed off at the sight of him, being a head taller than his father and sharing the same wavy chocolate curls as his mother. It was also said he was a good warrior and that he'd do well in the upcoming summer raids.
"Welcome my friends, it is an honour to host you all in my home, but before we continue eating and drinking we have a few things we should finish!" The Jarl said loudly getting a cheer from the other men in the crowd.
"Bjorn Ragnarsson, Thorfinn Fjallsson, approach," Jarl Haraldson called out. Ragnar slapped both of our shoulders and urged us onwards, we both stood and approached the Jarl and his wife.
The Jarl then presented a sword in both hands with salt and earth on the flat of the blade "May you accept this gift of salt and earth, so you are always reminded that you belong to both the land and the sea," The Jarl said as he presented it to them. Both Bjorn and Thorfinn leaned forward and pressed their tongues against the cold iron of the sword, tasting both the dirt and the salt.
The Jarl put the sword down before presenting two arm rings "These arm rings bind you to me, your lord, your chieftain, any oaths sworn upon them must be honoured and kept, do you understand and swear to this, he asked them.
"Yes Lord," they both said.
"And do you freely give your loyalty to me, your lord, your chieftain?" Haraldson asked.
"Yes Lord," they replied again.
"Good, then put on your arm rings and emerge into Manhood," Haraldson said as he handed them both arm rings. Once they had done so he gestured to his wife who ushered their offer.
First, she kissed Bjorn on the lips who got shy and rushed back over to his father. When Thorfinn approached her he noticed her give him the same look that other older women had given him at times; when she pressed her lips against his he felt her slide her tongue across his lips. Thorfinn opened his eyes widely as he was sure this wasn't the kind of kiss Thorfinn had received. She quickly withdrew and the crowd cheered for Thorfinn who went back to the table with Ragnar.
"Now let us enjoy the feast, eat heartily and drink until you can no longer stand," He said as he lifted his cup up, everyone else doing the same.
"Skol!"
"Skol!!!"
But before everyone could resume eating and drinking Ragnar stood up drawing attention to himself. "I for one would like to know where we will be going for the summer raids," he said loudly, deferring a grunt of agreement from the men surrounding him.
"Can this not wait?" The Jarl asked with a sour expression on his face.
"I would also like to know... we all deserve to know," Rollo added.
The Jarl breathed out before nodding "We will go east again, to the Baltics and into Russia," he said. There were mumbles among the men in the hall but nothing more.
"If I might make a suggestion," Ragnar said as he walked forward stepping in front of the men and before the Jarl.
"Why do we continue raiding east when there is nothing to take, they are just as poor as we are, it would be a wasted effort to go for such little gain," Ragnar said addressing the men in the room more than he did the Jarl.
"What might you suggest... Ragnar Lothbrok, I take it you have a suggestion if you so casually interrupt the feast in such a manner?" The Jarl asked hiding his anger behind a mask of indifference.
"We go west instead... I've heard of lands wondrous to the ears, lands where gold and silver fill the halls of massive structures made of stone!" He said grandly.
The Jarl barked out a laugh at him "Yes we've all heard tales of such lands, but even a child knows it's impossible to travel over the open ocean," he stated.
"It is possible... I have found a way," Ragnar said ambiguously.
The Jarl leaned forward in his seat "When you go outside and look to the ocean what do you see?" He asked.
"Lord?" Ragnar asked with confusion.
"Ships... my ships, not Ragnar Lothbroks ships," He said venomously.
"When you look behind you what do you see?" He asked again.
"Men sworn to me, their lord and chieftain, not sworn to Ragnar Lothbrok," Haraldson said glaring at Ragnar.
"Lord I only mean-"
"You've had your say Ragnar and now I will have mine, these are MY ships, they are MY men and I will not send them west to die at the bottom of the ocean, there is no honour in that, if they are to die it shall be in battle with an axe in their hand," Jarl Haraldson said before leaning back.
Ragnar kept his frustration under control and sat back down. The feast continued without further incident though Thorfinn noticed that Ragnar had been summoned by the Jarl at some point. After drinking, laughing and telling stories to each other the night finally came to an end and those who hadn't passed out from drinking decided to make their way to their beds.
As Thorfinn, Ragnar, Rollo and a tired Bjorn made their way back to Rollo's home Ragnar whispered something to Rollo who nodded. "Come boys, we are going to finish your ascent to men," he said as he ushered them onwards.
"Must we Father I am tired," Bjorn complained.
"We must often look to the gods for guidance, it is what our people do, it is our way," Ragnar said as he leaned close to Bjorn squeezing his shoulder as he did.
"How will we speak to the gods when they feast in Valhalla?" Bjorn asked.
"There is a man... a seer... he has a connection to the gods, through his mouth will we hear their words and what they have fated for us," Ragnar explained. After his explanation they finally reached the seer's home, Thorfinn recognised it as he had been there earlier in the day. He did not like the seer much, he spoke of things that Thorfinn did not understand; He was told that he had to choose between Rebekah and entering the halls of Valhalla, a cruel choice. If such a thing were true then Thorfinn must be cursed, or perhaps Loki is playing a trick on him.
"I'll wait outside Ragnar," Thorfinn said before he could be dragged inside. Ragnar nodded and clapped him on the shoulders before going inside with Bjorn. Thorfinn leaned against the wood of the house as he looked out into the forest outside of Kattegat; the snow had nearly finished melting and soon crops would be planted and the men would go raiding. The Jarl may not believe in Ragnar, but Thorfinn trusts him, he would risk traversing over the open ocean if Ragnar says he has a way to navigate.
The wind started to pick up and Thorfinn hugged his woollen kofte close to his body. He watched as the trees swayed and danced, but a frown came upon his face as he saw a figure in the trees. The amount of skin he could see told him that the person was barely clothed and from the shape of their body he could tell it was a woman. Thorfinn pushed himself off the house and began to walk towards the forest; Kattegat was not a big place so he could easily make it there within a few minutes.
Thorfinn trekked up the hill and passed the treeline, he could no longer see the woman that had danced through the trees before which confused him greatly "Hail!" He shouted as he looked around.
"Are you injured?" He asked, with how cold it was he didn't see how a woman could be out here unclothed unless she were in trouble.
Thorfinn looked around some more but found nothing. He took one last look around before planning to rejoin Ragnar, but something caught his eye. He thought it was the pale skin of the woman he had saw but when he got closer he noticed it was just a tree.
Thorfinn had to admit the tree was beautiful. He had heard about the mythical White Oak Tree that made its home in this forest but he had never had a chance to visit. "Truly a wondrous creation, like a sapling from Yggdrasil itself," he said as he placed his hand on the tree.
*Kak*
*Kak*
*Kak*
Thorfinn looked up as he heard the sound and found a falcon looking back down at him. It looked at him intently as it yelped out; Thorfinn knelt down and sent a quick prayer to Freyja as a sign of respect for his patron. It was a great honour to receive a visit from one of her chosen forms.
"Goddess Freyja... Will I truly be barred from entering the portals of Valhalla should I choose to be with Rebekah?" He asked, but in the end, the Falcon did not answer and only looked at him before flapping its wings and flying away.
Thorfinn stood up and placed his head against the White Oak, he could feel the warmth of the tree engulfing him and he breathed out in content. Placing a kiss on its surface he turned around and made his way back to Kattegat, he wondered if this was a vision being granted to him. Ragnar had said he had received a vision of Odin when he was raiding last year, and it was this vision that grew his ambitions.
As Thorfinn made it back to the seer's home he saw Ragnar waiting outside carrying Bjorn on his shoulder. "Where did you go? I almost left without you," Ragnar said as he walked passed Thorfinn making his way towards Rollo's house.
"I thought I saw something in the woods, it was nothing," he explained, earning a nod from Ragnar.
"Did you not wish to see the seer? Learn what the gods have in store for you?" Ragnar asked as Thorfinn walked beside him.
Thorfinn shook his head "I met with him earlier in the day, he did not have much to say," he lied.
"Ragnar there is something I must tell you," Thorfinn said finally deciding to broach the topic of his departure.
"Speak your mind Thorfinn," Ragnar replied.
"Elijah Mikaelson has offered me lodging in his father's home for the moons leading up to the summer raids, he will train me with sword and axe," Thorfinn explained.
Ragnar did not reply immediately and instead took a moment to think about it "I wish you good fortune then, I know Bjorn and Gyda will be sad to see you leave," he replied shocking Thorfinn.
Ragnar chucked at the look on his face "What is that face for Thorfinn, is that not what you wanted to hear?" He asked.
"It is... but I expected you to try and stop me, as planting season is beginning," Thorfinn replied.
Ragnar shook his head "You are a hard worker and a good farmer for your age, but you are a man now and you must decide your own fate."
He then turned to Thorfinn "When your mother left you with me many years ago she asked me to protect you, it is why I said no when you asked to raid with me, your mother wished for you to have a long life. The life of a Viking is short and harsh and not what your mother wanted for you."
"But I know what you feel inside you, the list of adventure and wealth... the ambition. Learn well from Elijah, the Mikaelsons are renowned warriors and can teach you much, if you show me you can survive before we set sail I'll allow you to come with us," Ragnar said as she put an arm on his shoulder.
Thorfinn smiled at Ragnar "I'll show you Ragnar, you best save me a space on your boat as I'll be joining you west."
Ragnar smiled "I have no doubt you will."
"Now come, let us sleep, it has been a long day and I imagine they will not get any shorter."
(AN: Thorfinn will be moving into the Mikaelsons... training, supernatural beasts, maybe a little sexxxxx. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter)
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