Return of the Ancients

Chapter 34 I Fear it Has Only Just Begun

They crashed through the last line of brush at the edge of the fields leading to the castle, its spires just visible over the rolling hillsides.

After running through the night and most of the day, they stumbled and shuffled forward. Fatigue weighed heavily on their bones. Sorenson put Grimson down onto the ground, and the young Wolfen woke as his feet touched the grass. ‘Are we home?’

‘Soon. Look.’ Sorenson pointed. ‘Riders already approach.’

Arn was half carrying Eilif, who was breathing raggedly.

‘Thank Odin, it’s over,’ she murmured, as the banner of the king’s riders appeared over the hill.

Arn looked at Sorenson, whose face looked grim. ‘It’s not, is it?’

Sorenson shook his head. ‘I fear it has only just begun. They had gravilents in their forward camp. They are hard to control, but very effective in breaking through an army’s front line. They wouldn’t have them so close to the kingdom, if they didn’t intend to use them… soon.’

Arn and Sorenson stood in silence. The Wolfen warrior’s eyes were glassy — and Arn wondered whether it was fatigue, or regret for leaving his brother behind.

Arn reached out to grasp his shoulder. ‘I’m sorry about Strom.’

Sorenson just grunted.

‘Do you think that he could still be…?’

‘No… they wouldn’t take him alive. Strom wouldn’t let them.’ He gripped Arn’s forearm. ‘You are a brave creature, Man-kind, and you have a good and strong heart. Worry not about Strom. He is crossing the rainbow bridge to sit with Odin and the other champions of Asgaard. When the time is right, his sáál will return to us again.’

Arn turned and tilted his head. ‘You believe in an afterlife then, and ahh, reincarnation?’

Sorenson spoke without turning. ‘I don’t understand that word, but all Wolfen believe that a good spirit will be granted a place in Valhalla, and when Odin calls upon that sáál again, he may be granted another life. Perhaps again as a Wolfen.’

He looked at Arn. ‘Perhaps you were once a Wolfen in a previous life… or maybe will be one in a life yet to come.’

Arn smiled, but could see no humour in Sorenson’s features — the Wolfen believed what he said.

The Wolfen riders were upon them then, and the first few leapt from their horses to run the last steps to embrace Sorenson. Arn saw that one young Wolfen, the dark-furred one he remembered from the king’s banquet, also dismounted and raced up to Eilif.

Arn was left by himself. He watched as Grimson was lifted onto one horse, and the tall dark Wolfen led Eilif to another. A horse was then brought for him, and Arn climbed up into the saddle, at first with difficulty, but finally he managed to sit upright.

Instead of simply lifting Eilif into the saddle, the dark Wolfen leapt up first and reached out his hand to her. Arn didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt awkward and intrusive for watching this moment of intimacy. It felt weird; he didn’t like it, and… what? He didn’t quite know what he was feeling. He turned away, but couldn’t help looking back.

Eilif eyed the offered hand, and then shook her head and waved it away. The dark Wolfen looked taken aback — humiliated, even.

Eilif glanced about, and then spotted Arn staring at her. She marched purposefully towards his horse. In a moment, she was beside him.

‘Scoot forward.’ Arn did as he was told, and she leapt nimbly up into the saddle behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

He cast a furtive look at the dark Wolfen. The expression, if looks could kill, came to his mind as the spurned warrior’s eyes burned into him like twin flamethrowers. At that moment, Arn knew that not all in Valkeryn were happy to have him as part of their inner circle.

Arn tore his eyes away and spoke over his shoulder. ‘Who’s the dark rider? Is he a special friend?’

‘No one but an ambitious warrior.’ Eilif snorted dismissively and kicked her heels into the horse’s flanks. ‘Let’s go — I need a bath.’ She pretended to sniff Arn’s neck. ‘… And so do you, phew.’ She laughed and hugged him tighter.

Arn smiled. He couldn’t help it — he liked her.