Return of the Ancients

Chapter 16 Sterkest Slag

Arn sat at one end of an enormous horseshoe-shaped wooden table. Close to fifty Canites sat around it with Grimvaldr and Freya — as he had learned the queen was named — at its centre. Eilif sat next to her, requested that Arn be seated nearer as well, but the queen quickly overruled her. It seemed that order of nobility determined where one sat. At least I have Grimson close by, Arn thought. The young Wolfen now saw himself as a Man-kind expert, and had appointed himself Arn’s tutor and cultural guide. Perhaps as an heir to the throne, he could choose wherever he wanted to sit, or he just wanted to be further from his mother’s watchful eye.

Arn watched as dozens of attendants brought huge platters of food. He could see now why the table had its shape — the attendants were able to supply food and drink from the front, without having to reach over any shoulders.

Grimson kept up his high-pitched commentary, pointing to different male and female Wolfen and telling Arn who they were and what role they played in the kingdom. As a bonus, Arn also got to hear who had bad breath, who cheated at cards, and who was rumoured to love-chase someone other than his or her life mate.

Arn noticed that the other guests took the opportunity to sneak glances at him, but most looked away quickly when Arn caught their eye. Most, but not all: there was one older Wolfen — an advisor to the king, said Grimson — who went by the name of Vulpernix, who held his gaze. Grimson called him White-eye due to his having one milky, dead eye, and his stare made Arn feel a little creeped out. After a few moments, it was Arn who had to look away.

Arn decided to see if he could find other, friendlier faces along the table. Eilif was seated next to the king and queen, and immediately waved to him when she saw him glance in her direction. She then pointed to the different plates of food on the table, then back at Arn — he guessed she was trying to give him her opinion on which he’d most enjoy… Or was it the ones better avoided? I’ll soon find out, he thought.

At last, the king raised his enormous tankard, and the table fell silent. Even the attendants froze, as if they were automatons suddenly powered off. Grimvaldr looked first down one length of the long table, and then the next. He nodded to each of his guests, and also to Grimson and Arn when he reached them.

Arn noticed Grimson nod in return, and he quickly did the same. The king then lifted his tankard even higher, and spoke to the group in a deep and strong voice that carried to every corner of the large room.

‘In the beginning, there was the light — and from it came Fenrir and the Guardians. May they look over us, and all our charges, until the end of all time.’

As one, the crowd responded, ‘Until the end of all time. Long live the king.’

Cups were raised, emptied, and then slammed down. Only then did the guests reach for the food.

Grimson grabbed several huge chunks of meat and dropped them onto his plate. He then paused to watch Arn, obviously intrigued as to what he would choose.

Arn looked at each of the platters — meat, meat, and more meat. Great slabs of what had to be pork, beef, lamb, and poultry — the selection was enormous. Thankfully, it was all cooked, but though he was far from being a vegetarian, he knew for his own health he needed some sort of fruit or vegetables. Looking down the table, he spied a large bowl that was filled with what he could only describe as lawn clippings.

He nudged Grimson and turned in time to see him stuff a fist-sized chunk of red meat into his mouth. Arn grimaced at the blatant reminder that these things were not people like him at all. He pointed at the grass-filled bowl down the table. ‘What’s that?’

Grimson half stood and looked down the table. He waved an attendant over to request the bowl be brought nearer. Once it was set down, he grabbed a pinch and pushed it into one corner of his already full mouth. He spoke while chewing. ‘Gronus shoots — they’re for digestion, stomach complaints… and also act as an expungent.’

He pushed the bowl towards Arn.

Expungent? Oookay, I think I know what that means… An image of a dog vomiting up grass onto the carpet leapt into his mind. Erk…

Arn pushed the bowl back. ‘So, meat it is, then.’

He slipped the silver dagger from its scabbard, and used it to spear a piece of the red meat Grimson was enjoying. He put it on his plate, and sliced the chunk into smaller pieces. Spearing one of the slices, he put it in his mouth. It was delicious — tender and slightly salty. He couldn’t quite place it — a little like fillet steak and bacon all in one. He speared another piece, holding it aloft while he chewed.

He noticed a quiet had fallen over the table — no sounds of talking, eating, plates being rattled, or even tankards slamming down onto the wood. He looked around. All eyes were on him — or rather, the piece of meat speared on his knife.

Arn guessed everyone had been waiting to see exactly how he ate… especially with his small-sized teeth and mouth.

Feeling self-conscious, Arn raised his free hand, made an ‘O’ with his thumb and forefinger, and said, ‘Delicious.’

The king nodded and repeated the gesture back to Arn. Eilif had pulled her blade, and sat next to the queen holding aloft a speared chunk of meat.

Arn smiled and waved to her, but the queen reached across to make her lower her dagger. Arn guessed, judging by the expression of displeasure on the queen’s face, that Eilif was also receiving a scolding. Beside him, Grimson was also spearing his meat.

Arn smiled. Hey, I’m making an impression already, he thought.

Having piled the table high with food, the attendants returned with all manner of boxes, pipes, stringed objects and what looked like shallow drums. Sitting on the floor in the middle of the table area, they began to play music. Arn winced; to his ears, the music was strange, with discordant notes that usually ended with one or several of the musicians lifting his or her head, and emitting a long, mournful howl.

Arn laughed behind his hand. Guess some things never change, he thought.

The remaining attendants brought around large earthenware jugs containing a dark liquid that smelled like herbs in ale. Arn poured himself half a mug.

He lifted it and sniffed. The soft curl of warm spices tickled his nose. He shrugged. When in Rome, he thought.

He lifted the mug to his lips — nearly gagged, and had to secretly let the liquid dribble back into the cup, trying hard not to allow the contents of his stomach to follow. It was so bitter and so vile, he wondered briefly whether it was supposed to be some sort of cleaning fluid. Arn quickly pushed another small piece of meat into his mouth to try and remove the lingering taste — it didn’t work.

Beside him, Grimson kept up a constant stream of questions: about his home, his family, his weapon of choice — to which Arn simply answered, hockey stick, to the youth’s bewilderment. His curiosity then turned to how fast Arn could run, climb, or jump over things. It seemed the young Wolfen was competitive; it wasn’t long before his questions morphed into his boasting to Arn about his own physical capabilities.

Arn looked around the long table. Everything was so strange, yet so familiar. The Wolfen slumped in their seats, belching loudly, slapping each other’s shoulders and laughing — perhaps ruminating over the day’s events, or those still to come. Though the scene looked medieval, it was so… normal. It was easy to forget that these beings were wolves, or at least descended from them.

Arn also leaned back in his chair. Ape, the vile Panterran had called him. Was he so different, then? Perhaps what he was seeing was not so fantastic after all.

He looked up at one of the hall’s high windows just as the moon appeared from behind the clouds. The night made him feel good, the moon even better. Guess, I’m a night person now, he thought, just as the king raised his hand to silence his guests.

‘Young Man-kind, it is said you have a mighty arm, even though you yourself have professed to not being of warrior stock. Is this a truth?’

Arn cautiously nodded, not sure exactly what he was being asked. He looked to Eilif, who mouthed something to him. Was it an encouragement… or a warning?

The king must have sensed his uncertainty, and added, ‘To make war on a jormungandr by oneself, let alone to crack its hide, usually takes Wolfen steel and a mighty arm — or many mighty arms. But I have been told that you managed to do both with little more than a length of bone. How is this possible, Arnoddr-Sigarr?’

Arn felt the moon’s glow on the back of his neck, the energy it gave him. Was his unnatural strength due to the silver orb being so close to the Earth now? Was its gravity somehow affecting him? How could he explain it, when he didn’t understand it himself? He didn’t try.

‘Ahh, baseball… and a lot of luck, I guess.’ Arn shrugged. There was silence as the crowd obviously expected more from him than just some obscure and alien term that no one in the room understood. ‘It’s a game we play, where we throw a ball really hard to another player who has a bat — ahh, a long piece of wood… Anyway, it’s his job to hit the ball. Gives you strength.’

Grimson whispered, ‘I could try that, if you show me.’

The king leaned forward. ‘And this baseball teaches you how to put so much power into a blow, it can put crushing dents into the armour of the strongest beast in this land?’ He looked along the table to where Andrejk sat with his stitched forehead. ‘And also bash in a Wolfen helmet… and head, as well.’

The guests laughed at the king’s jibe. Andrejk joined in, and lifted his mug in a toast.

The king’s face suddenly became serious. He motioned with one arm for Arn to stand.

Arn rose slowly to his feet. ‘Baseball teaches you to throw straight, but as for cracking the creature’s armour, I just think I must have been lucky enough to hit it in a weak spot.’

‘A weak spot? Hmm.’ The king turned to Strom and nodded. In response, the giant warrior stood, pushing back his chair, its feet grating loudly in the now silent room. He walked slowly around the table, his eyes fixed on Arn.

Grimson nudged Arn and whispered, ‘He wants to fight you.’

‘What?’ Arn hadn’t taken his eyes off the enormous warrior as he approached.

Strom stood in front of him, fists planted on his hips, his deep voice ringing out strongly, ‘There are no weak spots on the jormungandr, young Man-kind. I saw the rents in the thing’s skin — there were several. Several times lucky? I think not even once.’

Arn was still on his feet, but his legs shook and demanded that he sit back down. He started to sink, and looked from Strom to the king, and then to Eilif, who appeared as worried as he felt.

Strom boomed again, ‘Man-kind, it is honourable for a warrior to be modest. It is not, if one is concealing something.’ He raised one of his huge arms, motioning for Arn to join him at the centre of the room.

Arn swallowed. ‘I’m not concealing anything.’ His voice sounded squeaky, even to himself. I am definitely not fighting this guy, today or any day, he thought.

‘Approach, Man-kind; I do not bite.’ He grinned, his sharp teeth suggesting otherwise.

Arn still didn’t budge.

Strom looked to the king, awaiting a sign. The king smiled, lifted his tankard and drank, looking down into its depths for a second or two. He spoke softly.

‘Sterkest slag.’

A roar went up around the table, and the Wolfen started to bang their mugs on the wood and chant. Sterkest slag — sterkest slag — sterkest slag…

Grimson gripped Arn’s forearm, ‘Sterkest slag!’ Looking down at the youth, Arn could see the young Wolfen’s eyes were alight with anticipation.

‘What’s…?’

There was a distant rhythmic sound of creaking wheels as the attendants returned. This time, there were no musical instruments, food, or beer brought forth. Instead, a trolley containing two tree stumps was dragged to the centre of the room. Both were about three feet in height, extremely solid and freshly cut.

A bench was also carried through by four more attendants, and laid close by. On the bench lay a pair of large, single-bladed axes. They looked heavy; even the four-foot handles appeared to be made of iron. Many of the Wolfen cheered and clapped, and started to chant Strom’s name. Some raised their hands and looked to the king, as if asking for something, or vying for his attention.

‘Sterkest slag — strongest blow,’ Grimson explained. ‘Go.’ He pushed Arn forward.

Ah crap; what the hell have I got myself into? Arn stepped out from behind the table and slowly walked to the centre of the room, feeling the weight of the dozens of eyes upon him. Strongest blow — he felt he had walked into some jock’s football test, except instead of facing the high-school quarterback, he knew he was about to be asked to challenge a creature more than a head taller than he was, and probably twice as wide.

He heard a voice above the chanting crowd — not calling Strom’s name, but his own. It was Eilif. She cheered and made a small fist in the air.

‘Strongest blow.’ Grimson appeared at his side and looked at Strom with admiration. ‘Strom always wins; no one is stronger in the kingdom.’

Arn bent down slightly, and whispered, ‘What am I supposed to do?’

Grimson pointed to the tree stumps. ‘You need to sink the axe deep into the wood — the winner is whoever has buried their axe head the deepest.’

‘That’s it?’ Arn straightened, feeling safer now that he knew he didn’t have to try to swing the huge weapon at the giant Strom… or worse, having the king’s champion swing an axe at him.

Grimson looked at Arn’s arms and shoulders. ‘I like you, Arnoddr, but I don’t think you’ll win today.’

‘I don’t really think I’m supposed to. But hey, who cares?’ Arn shrugged, now willing to play along.

‘You might care. The winner is sometimes allowed to pick another challenge. Strom usually likes the punching contest.’

‘Oh great, that sounds like fun as well.’ Arn shook his head. ‘I wish I could at least see it done first, so I don’t totally humiliate myself.’

Grimson nodded and looked to the king. ‘Demonstration, father?’

Eilif seconded the request. ‘Yes, a demonstration of the art of sterkest slag by one of the elite!’ There were mutters around the able, and Eilif added loudly, ‘A dozen sølvs on the Arnoddr.’

For a moment, there was silence, then a burst of activity as bets were shouted from one end of the table to the other. Arn could hear they were nearly all for Strom, with a few extremely small wagers on him… and only because the odds against him winning were so great.

A young warrior with almost jet black fur spoke up loudly above the excited babbling of the crowd, ‘A thousand sølvs on the king’s champion.’

The bet’s effect was instantaneous — silence, followed by a roar of applause.

Even Grimvaldr shook his head. ‘A fortune, Bergborr, and one that no one will dare to claim.’

‘I’ll take that bet.’

Like a beast with many heads, the crowd turned as one to gaze in the direction of the voice. It was Balthazar. The old Wolfen looked first at Bergborr, then at Arn. His wise old eyes had a look of understanding that made Arn think he knew more than he was letting on.

‘Done.’ Bergborr banged his tankard down, his expression now as dark as his fur. Arn wondered whether he had expected no takers for his huge bet. But now he would make or lose a fortune this day.

The king banged a fist down onto the table, making the remaining plates and cups rattle and jump. The crowd settled and turned towards him.

Grimvaldr looked up and down the table, taking in each of his diners’ faces. ‘I will allow Arnoddr a demonstration. We must give the Man-kind some time to gather his strength, seeing there is so much coin riding on it.’

He continued to scan the assembled faces, stopping at a large young warrior. He nodded to him. ‘Sorenson, stand and show us your arm.’

The young warrior whooped and stood up from the table. He raced around behind all the other seated Wolfen, occasionally patting one on the shoulder, or pushing a head forward good naturedly. Arn liked him already.

Sorenson was tall, but still many inches shorter than Strom, and as he approached the centre of the room, the king’s champion threw back his head, and laughed heartily.

‘You, little brother? I should have known.’ He and Strom punched knuckles in a gesture that was eerily familiar to Arn, and reminded him of the camaraderie displayed at a million sporting events he had seen back home.

Strom bowed theatrically and motioned with his hand towards the axes — the first choice was to be the challenger’s. Sorenson nodded and walked to the bench. He selected an axe, and judging by the way he dragged it from the table, Arn could tell it must have been extremely heavy.

Sorenson walked back towards Arn, and slapped him on the shoulder.

‘Use the force of the swing, and never ease your grip,’ he said, his sharp eyes examining Arn’s face. ‘And beware the impact; it has broken many a strong Wolfen’s arm, whose hand was loose.’

He walked away before Arn could thank him, and positioned himself in front of one of the stumps. Spreading his legs, he allowed the axe to lean against his thigh for a moment as he wiped his hands up the length of his pants. His fingers flexed and closed around the steel, getting a feel for it. Cheers and jeers came from the crowd, and Grimvaldr sat back smiling, his arms folded.

Sorenson looked to the king, who nodded once. The young Wolfen started inhaling and exhaling — slowly at first, then faster and deeper. Then he let out a mighty yell and swung the axe in an arc from the floor, over his head, and then down onto the centre of the stump. The strike echoed around the stone room, and was only drowned out by the cheers of the seated Wolfen.

Arn had expected the wood to be cleaved in two, but it must have been like the toughest ironbark, as the axe only penetrated to about a third of the way. Sorenson raised both hands in the air, obviously satisfied with his swing. Strom raised his eyebrows, showing he was impressed with his younger brother’s arm.

Then came the chant: Strom — Strom — Strom… The king’s champion bowed and walked purposefully towards the bench, taking up the other axe and swinging it back and forth one handed, the heavy weapon somehow looking smaller and lighter in the giant Wolfen’s grip. He rolled his shoulders and looked to the king, waiting.

The king nodded. Strom turned to the stump and started to growl low and deep. The crowd fell silent. Even among his kinsmen, he was a fearsome sight. When he roared, it made Arn cringe slightly. He lifted the axe and swung it.

The blade buried itself more than two thirds of the way down into the iron-hard wood. Arn had felt a shudder from the impact as it travelled from the axe to the stump, and then down through the heavy stone floor.

There were gasps, then cheers and applause. Strom released the handle and turned to the king, first bowing to him, and then to his opponent. As he straightened, he held out his hand. Sorenson laughed and grabbed the forearm of the large Wolfen. Strom in turn gripped the shoulder of his younger brother, and spoke with a smile. ‘Next time.’

Sorenson nodded and spoke softly, ‘Probably not until you are an old Wolfen, I think.’ He returned to his seat, getting slapped on the back by many of the seated warriors as he passed by them.

The two stumps were left side by side — Sorenson’s axe buried about a third of the way down, and Strom’s more than double that.

The familiar creak of wheels from behind Arn heralded the arrival of another two stumps and axes. Grimson nudged him. ‘Your turn, Arnoddr. Just use your baseball magic again.’ He gave Arn a gentle shove.

Reluctantly, Arn stepped forward. As he stood by Strom’s side, there was another furious round of betting. Arn guessed that the sight of him, next to the massive bulk of the king’s champion, inspired renewed confidence in those who were betting against him. He could also see that Bergborr now had a smug look of satisfaction on his face.

Arn turned to Strom, who bowed to him. As before, the giant motioned towards the axes. Arn looked to Eilif who had her hands clasped together in front of her chin, looking like she was ready to start praying. She mouthed something he couldn’t understand.

Arn flashed her a tight smile, drew in a deep breath and walked like a condemned man to the bench. He examined the enormous weapons laid out there; to his eye, there was no difference between them, and he placed his hand on the closest.

His heart raced in his chest, as he picked up the axe. Surprisingly, it was light… in fact, much lighter than he expected. He knew it shouldn’t have been; he had seen Sorenson, and even Strom, straining to lift it. Was he once again under the influence of the strange energy the giant moon seemed to be affording him? The thick blade was carved with runes, and its polished surface threw back a distorted image of his face. I look sick, he thought.

Arn turned and walked back to the stumps. He carried his axe in one hand, and even managed to spin it slightly in his grip. Strom raised an eyebrow and stepped back to give him room. He placed his hands on his hips, and a smile broke across his face. He looked like he was enjoying the challenge.

Arn rested the axe head on top of the stump, and took a few deep breaths. Sorenson’s words drifted back into his head: use the force of the swing… and beware the impact.

He felt calm; he was ready. He looked to the king.

Grimvaldr was smiling, and Eilif now stood behind him, her hand gripping his shoulder in anticipation. The king nodded once.

Arn turned back to the stump. In his mind, he saw himself lifting the axe and swinging it with all the strength he could muster. It would be just like being at a carnival and swinging the wooden mallet to try to drive the puck all the way to the bell at the top of the pole.

I can do this, he thought. I can ring the bell.

He raised the axe over his head, and swung.

It passed cleanly through the stump and buried itself deep in the floor beneath it. The clang of steel on stone was startlingly loud, and many of the warriors leapt to their feet to obtain a better view.

The two halves of the large stump teetered, then toppled over.

Arn let go of the axe handle and stepped back, as surprised as anyone else. No one said a word; perhaps they were waiting to see how Strom would react to being beaten, and by a creature much smaller than himself.

A single pair of hands applauded him — it was Eilif. Arn felt a small hand on his forearm, and looked down to see Grimson staring wide eyed up at him.

‘I knew you could do it. You must teach me this baseball magic, Arnoddr.’

A huge hand grabbed his other arm and raised it into the air. Strom turned him to the king and roared, ‘A mighty arm on this one indeed!’

Strom felt the muscles up and down Arn’s arm and shoulder, as if searching for some secret, some hidden muscles. He gave up and leaned forward. ‘And you must teach me as well, Man-kind.’

At last the crowd found their voice, and one by one the Wolfen got to their feet and clapped. Many rounded the table to speak to Arn, or to Strom, or simply to see the axe embedded in the stone floor.

Grimvaldr also nodded his approval, and the queen hung onto Eilif to ensure she didn’t run over in a manner that might have been undignified for a daughter of royalty.

But there was one Wolfen who remained seated. The dark-furred Bergborr looked sullenly over his mug. It had been a mighty blow to the stump, but a mighty blow to his purse as well.

Strom still hadn’t released Arn’s arm, and gave it one last tug, almost lifting the other off his feet. He slapped Arn on the shoulder and said to the room, ‘Imagine if we could get this Man-kind to wield a sword?’

Eilif, at last breaking away from her mother, shouted, ‘He would be a mighty warrior in the defence of Valkeryn!’

The king scratched his chin. ‘Hmm, just so. What say you, Arnoddr-Sigarr; would you wish to learn more about the Wolfen ways — learn to become a brother warrior?’

The room fell silent again. Everyone waited for Arn’s response.

‘I’m not sure — I mean, I guess. I’m not really a fighter. I might just get in the way…’

The king raised his hands. ‘We are born with two strong arms, fang and claw, and more importantly with honour and courage. But what good are they, if they are never used to defend your home, your kin, or your Wolfen pack? We all must fight — the safety of the realm depends on it.’

Arn nodded, and the king stood up. ‘Then it’s settled; we will teach you our ways, and in return you will teach us yours.’

Arn watched as the attendants dragged away the axes and stumps, and three of them leaned on the handle of his buried axe, finally levering it free after several attempts. Teach them my ways? What could I possibly teach them here and now? he wondered.

Eilif skipped around the outside of the huge table, clapping as she skipped, and stopped beside him, grabbing his hand. Arn felt something cold and wet press against his cheek, and turned to see her pulling her head back. The inside of her ears had gone pink, and she looked away with a shy smile.

‘You are already a champion, Arnoddr-Sigarr — king of the Man-kind.’

Arn smiled at her, but before he could thank her for the compliment, the queen dragged both her and Grimson from the room. As they left, Eilif looked back at him, mouthing something he couldn’t understand.

A mug of the vile ale was thrust into his hand, and he raised it in a toast, but only pretended to drink. Throwing up might not have been a good look at that moment. He now felt welcome among the Canite Wolfen — well, among most of them, anyway. The older Wolfen, Vulpernix — the milky-eyed one — sat staring stonily at him.

Arn stared back into the milky eye. So maybe not everyone’s a fan of baseball, he thought.