Eric Olafson, Neoviking 17

Chapter 17: Mother

It was the last hour of our last school day. Mr. Walters handed out the final grades and said.” This is the last time I am doing this for you. When you return next year, a new teacher will try to pound some knowledge into your thick skulls. I am going to be transferred to another school, still on Nilfeheim but they thought I be best suited to try my hand on the even wilder Neo Vikings of the South Pole.”

He then shook everyone’s hand and said a few words to everyone. When he reached me he swiped my grades into my PDD. “Your grades have improved, but there is much room for even more improvement.” Quieter he added. “It is sufficient for the Academy Pre-entry test however so keep it on this level, good choice and good luck Mr. Olafson .”

I was only a little surprised that he knew as he was a frequent guest at Hogan's and I was sure he and my Uncle had talked.

He dismissed us and we went down in the basement past the Cafeteria where Fight Class would take place. Our Instructor, Balder of the Darken was of an eastern clan that was far enough away not to have too many ties with the ones in our region. and he was especially proud of his first name.

It was very rare that someone was named after the Gods. As no one felt they could live up to the name. No one else but me I knew had the name Thor, but it never really came up and no one ever used my middle name. As far as I knew it was taboo to be called Odin, but I knew of a few girls named after Loki. I myself had chosen Freya for my alter ego and thinking of that made my mood sink to the bottom.

Balder was a fair fighter and well skilled in all traditional weapons. Due to my training with Richard and Carl, I was without being self-confident way past his level and he admitted that freely, but there was no such thing as wasted training as Carl would say, while he passed out wooden swords and padding he said as he came to me. “Go home Eric Olafson. There is nothing more I can teach you. Our swimming instructor Gunter Eikson has returned to his rock already and won’t be here until next period so there won’t be any swimming and diving.”

“I don’t mind training, Sir.”

“You train too much in my opinion. It is worthy of praise for a Neo Viking to excel at these skills, but you are not even sixteen yet and there are few that could match you, fighting should never be an obsession.”

So my school year ended rather nonceremonial and I had no real plans for this summer break, but I had not heard from father or any orders to return to the Burg.

After an extended swim, I went back to the Inn. Uncle Hogun was not there and Hein one of his helpers said he went to the Xchange to get fresh fish and other supplies. I actually met Aunt Freydis who was as usual in a hurry to leave. She wore her blue dress and white apron. She had a basket with her things on the counter and smiled with her rosy face. “Oh good my favorite nephew, just the person I need.”

She had never talked to me much so I was surprised but came closer. “What can I do for you, aunt Freydis?”

“I am about to fly out to the Bredenbergs. Snøfrid is soon delivering her first and it’s going to be twins. She is a delicate woman you see and in this case I rather rely a little more on Union Med Tech than usual. She took two devices out of the basket. This is a Sterilization field generator and this one is my Medical Expert PDD. I use it but it has to be updated somehow and I don’t know how. Without the PDD the Field Generator won’t operate. I had to hide my surprise to learn my simple aunt was using a SII Gynecology Expert Adviser. Not that I had ever seen one but it said so right on the housing.”Let me have a look, Aunt Freydis. I am no real expert in Off-world things as you know but I can give it a try.”

It was a wonderful and yet frightening tool as it when activated showed Holos of various reproductive processes and problems. My appetite for a nice piece of fish was suddenly gone. It combined a variety of scanners and med sensors and finally I found, all you had to do is ask the device to go into the self-diagnostic and upload cycle.

It connected to GalNet via Uncles console and I was absorbed in deleting the entries on nonhuman races as I was sure that was not needed and added a few things from the wide catalog of related subjects. It took only a few minutes and wanted it to hand it back to her. “All done, Aunt Freydis. I set it to automatic update so this won’t have to be done again.”

But she was no longer behind me, she was no longer standing there but by the door arguing with a drunk who wanted to get more drink and she refused him, saying the Inn wasn’t open for business just yet. Hein came from out the kitchen where he was scrubbing the floor. Without Hogun to compare, he was neither weak nor small. I didn’t feel alarmed or anything. This sort thing happened more often than not and the drunks usually went their way.

But the voices became louder. “No woman and no low man can refuse my will! I got up just to see better and try to find out who it was when Hein screamed.”Nooo!”

Aunt Freydis stumbled back and fell to the floor. She was clutching her stomach and the man in the door held a long Skinner knife, dripping with blood!

I crossed the distance in no time and knelt next to her. She was alive but was losing a lot of blood.” Hein load her into the flier. We need to get her to the Hospital very fast!”

The man growled.”Let the wench die! I am a lord and require mead! Serving me is all you concern!”

It was one of the men who had held me while father beat me to an inch to my life. I did not remember his face or his growling voice at first, but kneeling by my Aunt I recognized the boots! He recognized me as well and roared laughing while he kicked me! Oh, how delightful, Lord Isegrim will reward me for every bone I break!”

I avoided the second kick and said. “You are still but a lackey in the House of Olafson and I am for ill or curse the first born. Stand aside now or be spitted by Mördaren !”

He did stop and said nothing as I rose to my feet, the sword drawn and I said.”Hein you take my Aunt to the doctors by all haste. He will not stop you. This is a coward who hides in corners, stabs women and kicks those helpless to defend.”

I actually had to raise the sword against Hein.” Do as I told!”

He struggled with her body but carried her out the door. The lieutenant of my father’s clan still eyed the sword and then his knife. From the outside, I heard more voices and the usual rough laughing and talking when a bunch of men had a too much to drink and felt they have to prove to the world how strong they were. Another man in Olafson red stuck his head in, Vanslow what is keeping you? You said you be right out with  tankards and bottles!” His name was Vanslow and he backed up to the door. “Get the others in here. The Lords mistake is here holding a sword against me! The rewards will be great if we report to Isegrim we have wiped this offensive stain from away for good!” Four more came in and they all were armed. No sword, but knives and axes. “You dare stand against me? What is it to see five in my clan’s colors drunk in the light of day, trespassing and wounding women? This besmirches the honor of my name and it will not stand! Go then and report to the Lord what transpired and you shall indeed get your payment.” Even I could not believe that this happened with my evil father’s knowledge. I was full of rage but tried to keep myself calm as much as possible. Much had bottled up inside me and I suddenly felt eager cut them up in little pieces. Mördaren no longer a simple sword but it felt like an extension of my own arm. I could somehow feel its very tip, its eagerness to drink blood, but then there was a scream like I never heard before. Uncle Hogun appeared on the kitchen door and seeing him in like a raging giant thunder across the room was a sight I would never forget. “You have hurt my wife! You have dared to hurt my wife. You will not see another day!” A heavy stone wood table in his way kicked away so hard it shattered in thousand pieces as it collided with the wall. The five men were pale as corpses when a sudden crack stopped my Uncle in his tracks. One of the men held a small off world weapon ! Uncle Hogun looked at the smoking hole in his chest, and then kept on going! The man fired again before I had a chance to reach him. Mördaren severed the man’s arm holding the weapon. There was nothing that held me back. I was afraid to look back to look after Uncle Hogun and all my anger, my pain found release. Until a voice reached me through the red veil that had lowered before my eyes and really came to my senses. Four of the five men were dead, not just dead but it looked as if a Fangsnapper had torn them apart! My Uncles body laid face forward on the floor not moving and I saw the two black holes in his back. The man who had shot him knelt by his own arm and simply shivered and rocked back and forth. Two Elders out of breath, Hein and Class and Father himself stood at the door. I still held Mördaren and pointed it at him. “You triumphed over your brother by sending drunkards to harass his wife and wounding her. There he lies shot by one of your best men, who like a coward used a gun! You want me dead and gone now is the time father, I am here come and face me!” Father trembled and his hand on the whip.” You cannot challenge me yet, Whelp!” For some reason, this all seemed to amuse him! “It was no challenge. I will avenge my uncle and you need to shoot me to stop me!” Uncle Hogun groaned.”Don’t give speeches Nephew! Get me to the bloody hospital!” Hein, Class as well as I and even father helped to load Hogun onto the bed if his own flier. Aunt Freydis wound was actually much more severe than Uncle Hogun’s as she had lost a lot of blood. To him the Weapon beam did much damage, but instantly cauterized the wound channel and prevented bleeding. Thanks to his body mass, that no live giving organs was seriously burned he did not go into shock. According to the doctor it was wound shock that usually was the cause of death when hit by an energy beam. It was strange to see Uncle Hogun in the Re-gen tank despite all his might, he looked vulnerable hooked up to all the hoses and see the spidery arms of machines prod and poke him. Aunt Freydis was already gone and on her way to the Bredenbergs. The doctor shrugged and sighed. “Nothing short of actual death will stop her from performing her duty.” I also learned that there were always two Elders on duty so to speak, to act and speak law in times of dispute and in a way we did have a police force now. They were already alarmed by another Innkeeper and on their way to investigate and called father to rein in his men. No word of explanation was given by my father why they were drunken so early and causing a ruckus. The one who had lost his arm was also treated but he would have better been dead. The Elders had preserved his old arm still holding the weapon and they would find him guilty and he would be sentenced to death. Even though father repeated he had no knowledge of the weapon the whole thing did not reflect well on the Olafson reputation. Yet in all this father not once seemed concerned and kept grinning whenever he saw Hogun. He kept completely ignoring me. By the time Uncle Hogun came back from the Hospital, Hein, Class and I had the place cleaned and looking as clean as before, well almost, Pit was trying to mend the completely shattered table with Bondmaster Stick and fix, but he had a long way to go. Uncle Hogun kept the Inn open and everyone wanted to know the story and everyone seemed to know a bit and knew more than what really happened. The general consensus was that they celebrated a big catch and went celebrating without Isegrim’s knowledge. I did not stay around to hear more and helped in the kitchen. It was very late when the last guest left and Uncle Hogun waved me over to the family table. He was sitting by a mug of warmed ale; he liked when he did not feel well or when he wanted to sleep fast. “Sit for me a moment. Uncle Hogun was very serious and he finally spoke. “I saw the footage of the security sensor and you saved my wife’s live. No question about it. Later on you saved mine” He sighed and I began to get a strange feeling in my stomach I knew I would hear bad news once again. “You faulting me for what happened aren’t you?”

“Eric I love you like I would love a son, but you are not my son. I want eventually raise my own children. I don’t care if they are sons or daughters, first or last born. I want children and I only want them with one person and that is you’re Aunt Freydis. No you did not cause what happened tonight.”

He pushed the mug around as trying to find the right words. I got up.”Do you want me to leave Uncle?”

“Sit down and listen!” He snapped and I saw he was immediately sorry for that. “You weren’t even supposed to be there. I cannot prove it, but Aunt Freydis was the target all along. The one carried a gun to stop me in the first place, he never fired on you. It was meant as a show of force. Someone we both know wanted to show me that he could get to me if I ever opened my mouth or interfered again. You getting older and by the time you reach the age, Eric you will be very rich and your word will make and break not one but many clans. There are oaths taken and vows made for and against that day, and everyone who thinks they can twist fate or events to get a share, will do so.”

He spoke hastily unlike his normal settled self. “They wanted to kill Aunt Freydis tonight and perhaps me too. They know you need to live, but that does not hold true for your friends. An old friend will soon arrive and take you to the south for the summer break and there you will be out of reach for them. When the summer break is over Eric, you must return to the Burg or find another place. I alone would stand behind you, but it is for the sake of my gentle wife I must choose and I am sorry Eric but I must choose her over you.”

He then embraced me in his big arms and he cried. “I am only physically strong Eric, inside I am big soft wuss and I it breaks my heart what fate and the gods have thrown on your small shoulders to bear, and I would gladly die for you, but I cannot ask my wife to do the same.”

I could not cry. My eyes remained dry but I wished I could have simply ended it all. I knew Hogun was right. This was no accidental stabbing. They could not have known I left school so much earlier, but Uncle Hogun’s routine was the same and to watch the Inn until he left. Yes this sounded like a plan they came up with at the Burg. Hogun would lament the loss of his wife, or be dead as well, ambushed with an off world weapon. Without Hogun who was watching over my inheritance, my father would once again gain control over much and without Hogun watching out and three weeks of summer break he could have tortured me every day until I broke and did whatever they wanted. The more I was thinking about it the more it made sense. Uncle Hogun with all his strength was in mortal danger because I remained in his house.

“I see what you see Uncle and you are right I can neither ask you nor Aunt Freydis for anything like that. I will not return to the Inn or ask you for help in anything. I am getting used to being dumped and not needed and the target of my father’s evil and greed.”

“I am not dumping ... well yes I do, but I have no choice.”

“I understand Uncle Hogun. I would not want either of you get hurt or live in fear because I am around. I pack my things now and leave right away.”

“You can stay of course till your new teacher arrives; he should be here in a few days.”

He then said.”Eric this was not the first incident. It was the first you noticed. My flier suddenly malfunctioned, caused by a Harpoon charge wired to the Arti grav. I escaped by sheer luck. Jan and Hein almost died as they ate a fish cake send for me, it was poisoned. No one remembered how the cake came to be on the counter.” He threw his hands in the air.”I hoped it would ease but no it got worse. Now they attacked my wife.”

He sighed. “I have contacted Mr. Silverzweig and he is now in charge of your Off Planet accounts and all this and I have before the elders declared that I have no interest in controlling or checking over that what Ragnarsson was. I don’t want to be a big clan leader. I want to be a simple Innkeeper and I must provide safety for my family first.”

I was sitting up all night in the Inn at the table. I did not know where to go or what to do. I did not want to go back to the Rock. I knew if I would go now, no one would ever see me again until I confessed or declared before the elders that I stepped back and accept Lothar as the real heir.

Part of me thought it would be a good idea. I wanted to go join the Fleet. I could care less what Lothar had and what not, but having father wins after all this time. Triumph over mother, Uncle Hogun and everyone. No I must not give in! I would survive somehow and then kill them all! A dark cloud came over my thoughts as I sat there all by myself. Maybe I needed to be even more evil than my father. I killed four men and I knew without a distant weapon or a trick. I could kill the entire Circle of the cursed Elders, forget about the Loki cussed traditions and kill everyone in that cold rotten Burg.

Not leave anyone alive, not the Servants, not the Low men, everyone who carried or was associated with that Odin spat on name Olafson!

I barely noticed the old man that walked in the door with the first morning light. It seemed Uncle Hogun did not slide the bolt to lock the door, but he rarely did anyway. I sighed and expelled these thoughts. I could not be a criminal if I wanted to join the Union fleet.

“Go home old man it is way too early and we are not open. All rooms are booked.”

He was deeply shrouded in a hooded Fangsnapper-fur coat and despite the thick coat appeared thin. He walked supported by a walking stick and his entire body was bending forward. I did not see much of his face but a few whisks of gray hair and a sharply hooked nose that stock past the furred brim of his hood. It was still Short Summer so I wondered why anyone would dress in a fur coat like at this time of year. He looked around and noticed me. Now I could see his face. It was the face of an old man deeply wrinkled, his chin covered by a thin ragged looking beard of a gray yellowish shade. His eyes had almost no color and had an enormous intensity to them. He reminded me instantly of the Ancient but it was not him. This man did not have the kind and warm twinkle in the eyes. His where cold as that of a fish.

He walked towards the table reserved for Hogun and his family and sat down, completely ignoring me “Young warrior. A nice strong tea be nice, with lots of honey and a good helping of Vodka.”

“We don’t serve guest that early and I don’t even know if we have tea.”

“Oh you do, you do!” Was his answer.

Before I could make it to the kitchen door, Uncle Hogun came out holding two steaming plates with breakfast. He saw the strange guest and said.” Odin’s blood. Egill Skallagrímsson. Is it really you?”

The old man pushed the hood back.” Of course it is me.”

“I bring you some special tea right away. You still drink tea right?”

“I still do. Even at my age I still manage to hold a cup and drink tea.”

“So you are the teacher that is supposed to take Eric. I wondered who it would be; the Old Arguer was not specific.”

“He never is specific, that Old Geezer. He runs around pretending to be an Arguer and all he foretells are things he knows will happen!”

“How old are you now anyway?” Uncle Hogun asked as he opened a locked cabinet under the counter and revealed a modern Serv-Matic and rows of spirit bottles, most clearly not of our world. The machine produced a steaming cup of tea in no time and my uncle poured a more than generous helping of a clear spirit in it and served it to the strange visitor.

“I am not entirely sure but I think I am well into the fourth quarter of my fourth century.”

It was not entirely proper for me to simply burst out but I said.” You are over 450 years old then?”

He croaked a dry laugh.”Indeed young whelp. This is not so unusual nowadays as I understand.”

Hogun said.”Eric, this is Egill Skallagrímsson. He lives all by himself on a small rock in the Southern Strom Sea, and does that for a very long time.”

Egill declined his head.”This is so. Some call me a Hermit. The clan of Elders calls me the Holy One and some say I have mystic powers. Myself I am not really sure what I am other than an old man living all by himself with a few peculiar traits and opinions.”

He sipped his tea and looked at me. “So you are the young Warrior that made such an Impression on that Old Arguer last year.”

Then unfastened a stained and dirty looking little leather bag from his belt, nestled with the string closure and emptied what it contained on the table. Perhaps a dozen or so ivory colored rectangular things fell on the table surface

“Ah yes, you are the Son of Isegrim and the lovely daughter of Ragnarsson.” He nodded forlorn. His long, spidery fingers pushed the ivory cubes around and sighed. “It is such a shame what he had done to her. There is so much movement and trickery going on that I am surprised to find you all alive!”

I wanted to say something. I wanted to ask what was going on and why this old man was talking that way, but Uncle Hogun gave me a stern look and placed his index finger on his lips, then shook his head. So I remained quiet and the old man kept pushing the little pieces around. “I never saw anything like this. We must talk young Eric Olafson. We must talk indeed and I need to throw the rune stones again for you, when we are at Skalil Rock, the pillar of Nilfeheim.”He brushed the pieces back into the leather bag and then drank more of his tea.

Into the silence Uncle Hogun finally said. “What about me, Old Seer. Have you seen a son or a daughter of my own in your runes?”

“I told you before that you need to take your wife and go with her to a doctor. You will never get a son or any children if you do not both go there. Once you done that I see a house full of children, sons and daughters too!”

I never seen Uncle Hogun blush before but my giant uncle seemed embarrassed.”It’s something we Norse rather not do, talk to an Off-Worlder about such things.”

“I expected you to be a little more open minded, after all you have been off world for quite a spell before you returned and got married.”

This surprised me, but also explained a few things. Uncle Hogun had been off planet!

Hogun spread his humongous hands.”It’s not so much me. I find it difficult to talk to her about that.”

“She is a Midwife for Odin’s sake. She knows more about these things than even perhaps the local doctor. Take her to the clinic, no one on Nilfeheim will ever know. The doctors take their oath very serious. In such things the Off=Worlders are even more traditional as we are”

“I will follow your advice, Old man.”

“No you most likely will not. I am certain you will ask me the same thing when I return in a few years. But surprise me, proof me wrong.”

The Old Man got up started to go to the door and turned.” What are you waiting for young Eric, are you not coming?”

Hogun nodded.”Go with the Old Wizard. He is the one you spending your summer break with!”

Uncle Hogun handed me a back pack.” In packed a few things for you and your other things will be safely kept.”

I simply I followed the Old Man outside I decided it was simply best to give up any questions and render all control over my life to others, but I did remember the Ancient one taking about this. As he did say he had arranged for my further education and visited Hogun in his guise as Arguer to predict all this

Despite his advanced age he was quite fast on his feet and headed for the harbor. I had to run to catch up with him.”Why am I going with you and where are we going?

“You need to learn to ask one question at a time, young Eric. Once you receive an answer you might ask another.”

“I don’t have to follow you either, Old Man. I might as well go back to the Inn, take my things and live somewhere by the Mountains. No one really cares about me. You are another old man who comes into my life and wants me to do things. I have no idea what it is or were we are going, but for one time I would like to know where I am going and what is expected from me.”

He actually stopped and turned. “You do have the mind of your mother. She always was a very free spirit and she had a very sharp tongue you know.” He wiped his nose with his sleeve, “I know about your family as I know about almost all families on Nilfeheim. I knew your mother, her mother and her Grandmother. I know the Olafson clan all the way back to Lothar Ironfist Olafson. I am not a Wizard mostly because I have no idea what a Wizard is supposed to do or know. I am living on my rock and unlike your Ancient Friend I was never hiding myself.”

He nodded.”Yes I am supposed not to know about anything that goes on under Muspelheim. What is important that I am the Eldest, the one whose seat is always empty, and other Norse usually follow my command and advice. Even though I do not interfere with the Circle of Elder business on a daily basis.”

I was about to tell him where he could stuff the Elder business of his. I had enough of these self righteous men who thought they could run the lives of everyone. No one dared to question them but something made me stop.

And he turned once more and nodded.”Wise decision Eric the Warrior. You are wrong there are those who care greatly about you. That Old fool I told you about came to me twice in all my life to ask me to teach a young man. You see I am a Hermit by choice. I like being alone and having a snot nose around might not be my idea, but you see I care a lot about that Old Fool and he cares a lot about you. Which leaves you and me in the same boat, you don’t like Elders and rather spend the school break in the Hills of Bifrost and I don’t like company or rather join our mutual friend on his grand tour around Union Space. There was another person however who asked me to teach you a few things if I can, long before the Old man did and I gave her my word. So can we agree on that?”

I nodded.”I think we can, Sir, but do you say she?”

He didn’t seem to have heard my question and we had reached the boat slip at the fishermen’s terminal. Only one sub was tied there at the moment. I couldn’t identify the type and that was strange, like any other boy of my age I knew every Sub type and could identify them.

He laughed.” Yes I can see it in your face, young Olafson. You can’t identify her.”

“No I sure can’t. I never saw a sub with a tower that far back, and it has no harpoon turret either.”

“This sub is even older than me, but don’t let that scare you. It is well maintained and has some surprising features. It has no harpoon turrets, because it is not a hunt boat but a war boat. Besides if I ever do I hunt Tyrannos the old way and while you with me you will prepare for the ancient challenge and I will teach you all there is to know to mark the test so no one can oppose it.”

I followed him aboard the old submarine. “Did you really know my mother?”

“Yes I did and I have something for you that might make this a memorable day for you.”

He fished something out of the inner pocket of his shabby coat. It was a single holo Pic print, rolled up. The kind they send out for Yuletide with a single Image on it. I unrolled it and the three dimensional picture of a young beautiful woman in a maroon velvet dress with golden seams came to life. She held a small child in her arms.

A voice I never thought to hear again said. “I hope this reaches you in that lonely old tower of yours. Behold, this is my Firstborn, my son Eric. Promise me you shaggy old Wizard to teach him some of the things you know, and let him, when he comes of age, listen to your great wisdom. He is born into this beautiful but hard world. He is, as you well know son to a very hard father who will demand much of him, but if you teach him like you have taught me, my dear gone brother and my beloved father all the things about the ancient Rite of passage and the truth he will triumph so he can rightfully choose whatever path he wants to go. Happy Yuletide Old Man, yours Ilva Olafson.” The woman kissed the child, the rest washed away as my tears in could not hold back dripped on the holo emitter. This was Ilva my mother! I watched it several times again, while the Old man had taken the sub under water and we were on our way. My mother had known him and he had trained Grandfather and her brother, the son grandfather lost in a Sub Accident. She had asked him to train me and not some chance meeting, not some person with ulterior motives, but mother and I as if she had spoken directly to me I would not just try my best to make grandfather proud. I would learn everything there was to learn about the ancient challenge and then demand to be tested before those cursed Elders. My revenge would not have to wait till I was sixteen. I would kill father and that brood infesting my Burg!”

Chapter 18 »