New Edit: Chapter 25 - Uncle Hogun - proofed and edited

Uncle Hogun
The shock of being caught had completely cured me of that unnatural desire, at least that what I thought and I concentrated on the training. Time had no real meaning. Training was not getting easier. A Keeper who listened to the name of Richard taught me how to use a sword. He introduced me to the different types and showed me that there was more than the widely used broadsword. Even though he appeared no older than perhaps fifty, he too was like the others down here over a millennium old. In an offhand remark he told me that he trained and exercised for almost that long and had fought in clan wars before he became a keeper. His skill with edged weapons had to be unsurpassed merely for that reason. He too was patient with my feeble attempts but his approach was more like a Neo Viking would teach. He was stern and demanding, pushed me and did not mind using the hard wooden training sword to teach me in a painful way when I failed to follow his instructions, but I enjoyed every minute of it and could not wait for the morning to arrive.

One morning however instead of him or Siegfrieda, the Ancient one called me to get up and asked me to follow him. Through one of the dark corridors we reached a dead end, but after he operated a hidden lever part of the rock wall swung open and after he motioned me to follow, we stood outside on the very landing where I had met him first and I learned that he did not appear there by magic or other supernatural means. The wind felt much colder than I remembered, but then I had spent quite a while now beneath the mountain in the warm caves. He said. "Eric, your Grandfather will be here tomorrow to pick you up and take you back to Ragnarsson Rock, back to school and back to your normal life."

"I gave you my word Ancient One. I will not speak of what I have learned."

"I have no doubt you keep your word. You are, as I said before indeed much like your grandfather. I wanted to talk to you about your secret. I know you are suppressing it and maybe you can; but I want you to be careful. Nilfeheim is unforgiving and lacks any compassion and understanding when it comes to these things."

I nodded.

"I also wanted to wish you well and find and achieve what you really want. Try not to see everything in Nilfeheim Neo Viking absolutes, not everything that is not white is necessarily black. I have no powers or abilities to predict the future, Eric. But if you live as long as I have, you will see that there are patterns and certain chains of events usually lead to the same outcome."

I was not sure what he wanted to say but I nodded."Can I come back next Summer Break?"

"I made arrangements for your further education for that time and old friend of mine will find you then and show you a few things, but you can always come here. Only I won't be here then!"

"You said you can't predict the future, Ancient One. Don't predict your own end. They do care about you and I do too."

"I am glad you found some room in that revengeful heart for another old man, but I did not predict my own end. I decided I take your advice and leave Nilfeheim for a bit. I think I want to see how far humankind has developed since I left Earth and I might even apply for citizenship."

That did surprise me and he laughed. "I am retired. I should be able to travel a little. I have seen everything there is to see on Nilfeheim."

"How come you do know Midril?"

"I travel the islands very frequently in the guise of an old Seer and Arguer. It is the common folks who greet me warmly. While I say some wise things, they tell me many things about their clans and what happens in the world."

I said farewell to all the Keepers below and was once more in the actual keep. The First Keeper handed me a rolled document and said. "This document proves that you performed all duties well and to our satisfaction. With it you may in years to come, make your bid to the Circle of Elders should you choose to do so."

"I doubt I will look at them the same way as I have before. To become an Elder was never a wish or desire of mine even before I came here."

"Your grandfather sent message that he is to pick you up today as he must return to Pluribus. You know the stairs well and it takes as long to get down."

He wished me well and then I left the Halls of Hasvik and made my way down the steep stairs. When I reached the landing, I looked towards the rock wall where I knew the secret door was and waved, not knowing if the Ancient one could see or hear me and said. "Take care Old Man and thank you for everything."

I was already on my way down the next flight when he appeared on top of the landing, waved and yelled. "You're welcome Eric."

The weather had not changed from when I came here. The same gray sky and the same cold wind. Then I could make out a black spot and as I descended, the spot grew into the black Volvo flyer and next to it stood Grandfather, as if he had been there the whole time. I made it down the last steps and ran over the hard packed snow atop the ice, stopped at arm's length before him. The wind tugged at his beard and hair. "Do you leave the Halls with Honor?" was the first thing he said.

I held out the rolled paper and he took it, opened it and after reading whatever was there he said. "The Keepers have bestowed great praise upon you and made you an honorary Keeper of Hasvik with the right to wear the garments. He knelt down and then threw his arms around me. "My heart is filled with pride. You have done well!"

I was happy enough to see him, but I already missed the sheltered and fearless environment of the caves below the Halls. I would certainly miss the Ancient One. He was as dignified and honorable as my grandfather, but despite his mind-boggling life span and all the knowledge and wisdom, he was much more approachable and somewhat more human. Perhaps the prospect of return to the burg had dampened my mood more than anything else. I followed Grandfather in to the flyer, where he took off his coat and threw it over a seat. "You kept your promise and I shall keep mine Eric. One day you inherit all that is Ragnarsson but today you will receive my most prized possession." He unbuckled his belt with sword and scabbard.

"Grandfather you bestow me with such a gift of honor, more than the sword I treasure your gesture and the meaning but I shall decline this gift for now. It is so much part of what everyone associates with you. I would not be allowed to wear this sword; it would gather dust until I was old enough. It is Mördaren and it is meant to be worn and I will wear from the day onward you can no longer raise it."

He blinked and there was a tear in my grandfather's eye. "You are fourteen years of age but you speak with wisdom and authority." He girded it back on.

I knew what he meant but the heroes in the old books always spoke using words like shall and though and all the sons of Clan Chiefs in school tried to elevate themselves from early on to talk in this antiquated way Neo Vikings loved so much. I just didn't want that sword. Father would prohibit me to wear it or take it. I did not want him to put his hands on it.

Grandfather started the flyer and once the Computronic took over, he swiveled around. "While you have been at the Halls of Hasvik, I have spent time with the Circle of Elders and to put my affairs in Order, before I have to leave again. Your father has promised to let you return to Fight and Heritage classes. You are also allowed to visit your uncle Hogun after school. He is your godfather after all."

These was good news after all. All this would mean I had to spend only little time at the burg. "Thank you grandfather."

"I must return to Pluribus tomorrow; but I will be back for Yuletide and the big Hunt in four months."

"I can't wait till it is January then."

"It will come as a surprise tom you but your father and forty other Clan Chiefs went off planet to attend a Seafood trade convention on Tyson Planet. Of course it helped that Tyson Galactic invited them with all expenses paid."

My chin dropped to my chest. "Father went off planet? You had him arrested and he will hang?"

Grandfather shook his head, "No Eric. Tyson's Planet is a privately owned world and they went there on a private charter." He sighed. "He is not on Union Ground. What I hear he cursed and complained and did not want to go but he also did not want to stay behind while even the Elhir Chief went along."

I did not try to hide my disappointment but then I said, "Forty Clan Chiefs gone? I wager this is the most peaceful time this planet had since the Stockholm Ark landed."

"I see you learned much from the Keepers and paid attention. I too was amazed by the collection of things they keep in the Hall of Collections from the early days."

Although I heard the Ancient talk about it once during dinner, I never saw that Hall he mentioned, as I did not see much of the Keep above the mountain. I had to be careful now and not to reveal I knew little about the structure on top of the mountain.

He then changed the subject and told me about local politics and a dispute over Free fishers versus Fish Farmers and why the Circle of Elders was upset with a 3rd born son of a little known and young clan living in Oresund, a fisher village located somewhere on the ice of the southern pole. Because that young man received a grant of 100,000 credits to develop his idea of farming flicker crabs in underwater cages.

I feigned interest and asked. "Why would they be upset? Is it not the man's own business?"

"Because the young man did not ask his oldest Brother for permission and refused to share the grant with his oldest sibling, who is of course the first born. The case is tricky as it involves Federal Money and stipulations so the young man cannot be simply executed for his insolent behavior."

"What are your thoughts on that, Grandfather?"

"I sympathize personally with the entrepreneurial spirit and applaud his patience and skill to get through the Grant process, but he violated the Traditions by going over the will and knowledge of his Clan leader"

Inside I was afraid Grandfather would say that and it showed me that, despite all his Cosmopolitan flair and time off planet, he was still a Neo Viking and Elder first and foremost.

He said. "I recommended a solution and it was agreed upon. The Grant has been paid back from the Common Fund and I managed to get the process annulled. The young man will now deal with his Older Brother and Clan chief for whatever internal solution they find."

"In other words his dreams and his chance have been crushed and he was punished for trying to get ahead."

"No Eric, he was punished for not following our laws."

I kept still but my opinion of my grandfather changed that moment forever. He went out of his way to punish a man way out of proportion for trying to start his own business and seemed pleased with his own wisdom and yet he let father go off world and did not follow up on his own promise. Corporate Planets were still within Union Space and they had to adhere to Union Laws. I knew that from Union School. Murder was a capital offense and no Company would or even could object if Union Police came to arrest a murderer. Either grandfather was less honorable when it came to his own family affairs than they said he was or he was simply blind when it came to those matters. I somehow even then understood his reason not to follow up on his own promise. He did not want any troubles with Tyson and them choosing to take their business somewhere else. I knew that Tyson Galactic was the Ragnarsson's best customer and we sold our Tyrannos, Snappers, Nubhirs and Seaweed products to them. My respect and admiration for my Grandfather was never the same from that day onward. He claimed honor and duty came first even before his love to his daughter and me. It became evident to me that it was business and money that stood before anything!

Things had improved even after Grandfather was gone and father had returned from his trip two weeks later. Father ignored me for the most of the time and that in my opinion was a very good thing, besides I spend the mornings of the weekdays at School like every other kid in the Union and two afternoons every week at fight and heritage class

After school and after fight class I was now allowed go to Uncle Hogun.

He operated a Guesthouse with a combined pub and restaurant right at the sea port of Halstaad Fjord he and his wife Aunt Freydis owned. Aunt Freydis also was a midwife. While this was a virtually unknown profession on most other Union worlds as Mr. Walters said, here on Nilfeheim babies came the old fashioned way and no one would even consider Arti-Wombs or anything like that. She was a very kind woman with very little to say. I was not that Uncle Hogun would not allow her to speak, Aunt Freydis had very few interests outside her Midwifing duties and there was simply nothing to talk about for more than 2 minutes. She did mother me in a warm simple manner whenever she was there. She took her midwife duties very serious and was always in great demand. That was why she was gone more often than not to help some woman somewhere to deliver.

Uncle Hogun was my Father’s younger brother and traditions and the Old ways were as important to him as any other Neo Viking. He was stronger and bigger than Father and conceivably one of the strongest men of our world. I was almost certain of that as I had never seen anyone taller or bigger than him.

While I was in there I had seen him arm wrestle other men and he always won with ease. Once just a week ago even against two burly warriors at once.

Once a week, the cargo floater from the exchange would deliver barrels of ale, beer and mead along with other supplies. While his helpers and the delivery men would struggle with the big and heavy barrels, he would lift them as if they were empty.

Greifen told me that other Inns often had strong men employed to keep order and to throw out those men who had too much to drink and became rowdy.

He said, that there was no one on all Nilfeheim who could get drunk enough to find the courage to cause real ruckus in Hogun's Inn.

The other day he had thrown out two strong and grown men by grabbing one at the belt and the other by the neck and transporting them outside with the same effortless ease as if he had nothing to slow him down at all. The rowdy men who had just moments ago tried to start a fight were as tame as Nubhir Wolf Puppies and did not try to fight him.

When I arrived after school he would sit down with me at one of the wooden tables, since the Inn was not very busy during that time, and help me with my homework assignments. I found out he was much more educated than the let on. He would teach me about our clan's history or instruct me in his backyard how to use our traditional weapons and to throw an axe.

I had returned from the Halls of Hasvik now almost a month ago and we were well into the second year of Shortsummer. The weather was for the most part sunny and warm and we had moved into the back yard.

"Uncle Hogun," I started a question after we had thrown hand axes on a swinging "pour-a-wood" target. "Why is it we Neo Vikings use such archaic weapons. I mean we live in the 50th century and I heard you could order an Energy blaster right from GalNet. I know from School Earth had much more advanced weaponry than axes and swords long before even the Galactic Ascent. Would that not make guns and blasters traditional weapons as well?"

He sat down on the wooden bench next to the back door and made a gesture toward the swinging target. "You keep throwing and while you do that I will tell you!"

So I went to the target, about ten or twelve meters away and retrieved the small throwing axes, he bellowed with his mighty voice inside the house after one of the servants and ordered himself a tankard of Mead. He motioned me to throw, nodded and smiled as both axes hit true. "First of all we are not Neo Vikings. That is a term the Off-Worlders gave us after we joined the Union."

I wanted to correct him that this was actually done before we joined but I kept silent.

"We are Norse. The word Viking means nothing more than traveler in the old language. They would say we go Viking and that meant to go on a trip. Either to pillage or on a trip to trade wares."

He got his tankard with Mead and took a long draught then wiped his beard, belched in such a manner that I was sure Odin would be jealous, got up kicked my feet a few inches apart. "This is how I told you to stand! It gives you a better position. Throwing an axe into a wooden target is easy. If that target is a man who tries to do the same to you, that's an entire different story. However to be prepared for exactly that, is the reason for all these exercises. Don't be stiff as frozen fur in the Darkwind, relax and be light on your feet. Now go through the movements. Count with your breath to three, and get it into the rhythm of the swinging target and then throw."

"I hit it before!"

"I want you to hit it every time and all the time. No misses, no two out of three. In battle there are no second chances or do-it-over. There are no scores and points given. You hit first and you live, you don't and you're dead. That is the old way, that is Olafson tradition and that is how you will learn it from me!"

Again I threw and the axe smacked with a cracking sound into the wooden plank. He nodded again. "Now I want to see that again, hitting the same spot!"

He took the other axe and a honing stone and began to carefully sharpen the gleaming blade. "As you know we originally came from a planet called Earth, now better known as Terra. The original settlers that came here and took their lore and culture to this new and harsh world. Life was hard, especially when they started out."

I threw the axe again and retrieved it. "I know about that part, Leif Erikson gathered his people and all the worshipers of the Aseir as they were not welcome on Earth and came here to live true to the traditions and free of alien influences and all the things that made mankind soft."

He tossed me the honing stone. "Sit down and take care of your axe while I answer your original question." He put his axe back in the leather bag and tied the strings. "Yes Leif did that, but the nature of this world was more unforgiving than expected and it has little to give in the long time of Longnight. Especially to a culture that rejects all modern technology. Each clan started to have their own idea just what the traditions should be and who should be allowed to live on the rocks in the Burgs and who had to live on the ice up north. When a Contact ship from Earth came, a few clans banded together, captured it, and with it started to pillage other colonies around this neighborhood of space. Other clans refused to use this modern technology and called the others traitors to the true spirit of Leif, who had already been long dead by that time."

He basically repeated what I had learned inside Muspelheim.

He stopped his narration to take the stone away from me, and then he dipped it in honing oil and gave it back. "As you can imagine the other human colonies did not really like to be pillaged, robbed and killed. So they called the Union Navy for help. Battleships came and made a swift end to our planet’s short space pirate career. They gave us a choice after they destroyed our few pirate boats. Be forever isolated on our planet without any contact to the other worlds or to join the Union and accept Union law and with it Union help. It took the Elders back then very little time to choose the second option and Nilfeheim became a Union world."

"However the Elders back then did not speak for all clans as they do today. Other clans who didn't like the idea of using modern technology to go Off-world to pillage and pirate others in the first place also didn't like the idea that Nilfeheim now was a Union world. Not that they had anything against the piracy and pillage part but the way it was done, was against the old traditions, meaning the rejection of machinery and technology of course. Every clan had their own idea how much technology was good. Being on a new world, new traditions formed as well and clashed with the old ideas and as you know our kind we are not the best diplomats and arguments usually ended up in fights."

I simply nodded and kept pulling the stone over the edge of the axe in the way he had shown me.

He actually got up and said," Wait here!" then he disappeared inside the house only to reappear with a green metal box and out of it he took a modern weapon. I had never seen one in real but I knew them out of the Virtu Shows in our theater and of course from school.

He said. "This is an old Directed Energy blaster. Legal on many planets." He aimed the weapon and a bright bolt of light crackled through the air and the heavy wooden target we had used to throw our axes had a huge burning hole in it and the massive rock wall that enclosed the back yard had a large red glowing crater as well. I was quite stunned by the damage the weapon had done. He said. "That was not even close to the highest setting. It takes little skill to use one of these. Physical strength and agility make no difference. Can you imagine what would have happened if the Clan wars would have been fought with weapons like these?"

I understood. "I think no one would be around today."

"That is exactly right. The clans that went to space and were now forced to stay on this world had plenty of these and used them to force their will on the other clans. Quite a few of the real old clans completely vanished in that time and new Clans arose that haven't been of the old lineage. It was one of your ancestors I believe, someone of the Ragnarsson Clan, who went to the Union post and complained.

Long story short it was that Ragnarsson who assembled all Clan leaders to a big meeting and even the most thickheaded chief knew no one would survive another long night with all the fighting and no outside help at all. So the then new Circle of Elders was elected and a long document of rules, The Nilfeheim Laws of Tradition, was produced. It tightly regulates how Clan differences should be fought and what is and what is not tradition. First rule in that book is to fight only with the ancient weapons. No guns or blasters are allowed as any distance weapon is to be considered less "honorable" than a hand weapon. According to our custom, all free men are required to own weapons, as well as permitted to carry them at all times. These arms also indicative our social status: The Great Clans, like ours, will have a complete ensemble of helmet, shield, chainmail shirt, and sword when we are to assemble on official business and meetings. Those not born to the old families are the Bóndi as you know. All the men of lesser clans' small families will have at least a harpoon, an axe and shield, and everyone even the Low men and those of no clan association carry the Seax, our Skinner Knife."

He glanced in his empty tankard. "I don't think ever talked that much on a single tankard."

"Can I shoot the Blaster? Just once?"

He nodded." Yes but not here. These things are terribly dangerous and we are in the middle of town. Those bolts easily go through walls and we could hurt someone. Tomorrow at the beach I let you loose a few bolts." 