BTtNR - Book 3 - Chapter 026 -

Einar couldn’t take his eyes off the rune-covered metal ball in his hand. An orphoite core… to give this away…  Arngrim may crap himself whe

Einar couldn’t take his eyes off the rune-covered metal ball in his hand.

An orphoite core… to give this away…  Arngrim may crap himself when he sees this.

Next to him, Avitue continued to breathe slowly, sleep having taken over quickly.

Shifting slightly, he took one last look, put it back in the pouch, and closed it.

That was an item on his list of impossible things to come by… how old must it be and have been in Orin’s possession?

Knowing that it could be used to make an epic rune with the right materials had made his heart race for a while. 

Bartia, to her credit, hadn’t asked once about what he had been given. Even better was that Avitue hadn’t pressed the issue when he mentioned his promise.

Odin… every day I am grateful for how you seem to be laying a trail before us.  Grant us mercy as we set forth on this next part of the path.

Closing his eyes, Einar let sleep have him, knowing there wouldn’t be any nights as good as this one for a long time to come.

***

“At least four more!” Bartia shouted. “We need more warriors!”

“Shield maidens, to me!” Avitue called out over the sounds of battle. “Shift Left!”

Einar cursed under his breath as his axe sliced through one of the Skarn-Gnawers he had been fighting solo. Its centipede body was covered in scales that required one to precisely strike with a spear to penetrate or use wyrd like his to carve through it.

“Viking down!”

“Protect his body!”

His flaming axe cut off the other mandible, removing the nitric-dripping bite that ate through flesh with ease.

“Ragna! Assist them!”

The foe he faced shrieked, and then it tried to turn, scurrying back into the tunnel from which it had emerged.

Not giving it a chance, Einar fed more wyrd into his weapon, cleaving through its defenseless back, not having to worry about the acid or bite that had made landing a killing blow possible.

Green ichor was everywhere as he bisected it, turning to find someone else to help.

Everywhere Einar looked was chaos, the simple tunnel and section they had taken to look for these creatures had descended upon them from all sides, boxing them in quickly.

[ Rune Experience Acquire ]

Another message came, signaling that a second of the three he had cut in half had finally died.

Still with at least twenty more attacking, he moved to support the rest of the packs near him.

***

“Eight dead. Two seriously injured and if I’m honest, I’d suggest just killing them right now due to the boon,” Thorodd stated. “The fact they’ll be down for so long from losing their arms and then having them reattached, if it were my call, I’d take the death.”

Sighing, Einar nodded.

“Talk to them, let them make the choice. I won’t force that upon them. How many corpses?”

“Salvageable ones? Thirty-four? Thirty five maybe. If you count the ones that won’t produce anything worth keeping, another sixteen maybe. It’s hard to tell with all the pieces strewn about.”

“Find a way to save all that we can. Just make sure everything is dragged closer to the wagons. Three days into this mess and we’re already taking heavy losses,” Einar said. “We’ve got at least another two and a half weeks.”

“And you're certain you don’t want to have words with those dwarves for not helping?”

“This wasn’t their fight,” he replied. “We picked it, and they knew going into that tunnel what lay inside. None of them felt the potential rewards were worth their life or the items they’re paid to help ensure they get to the capital.”

Thorodd grunted as he moved toward the tunnel.

“I’ll be back. I’m going to be the bad guy and ask if someone wants to die.”

As the second in command left, Einar let himself have a moment to sigh.

Eight dead… I know we need these items for armor and reagents, but this was horrific.  Osvif warned about the acid but no one seemed to think it would be that bad.

“You look like you’re sucking on a lemon,” Avitue said as she appraoched. “Joys of being in charge?”

“You lost two warriors, and three more were slightly injured. Tell me, does this seem like a worthy trade?”

His wife punched him and frowned.

“You are spoiled, Einar Sibbison,” she growled. “Most Vikings don’t get the choice of what to hunt or go after. We simply obey the instructions of the jarl over us.  You, however, get to choose where we go next and seek out creatures for items to make us stronger. Every Viking in the kingdom with a lick of common sense would gladly trade fighting trolls and shadow wolves over and over for a chance to do this.  Don’t think for a moment that anyone besides yourself considers this a bad trade.”

She’s right… damn you Odin, you gave me a smart one.

“Forgive me, pack leader Sibbison. I had forgotten the truth of everything you said. Still it’s my job to ensure that acquiring these items doesn’t cost the runes one has or risk them damaging a slot forever.”

Avite grunted and her frown grew.

“I know you have a list and rotate through it, putting those who are stronger and less at risk of such a thing in the front or on guard duty more often. Jepi, Vidar, Thorodd and I have all discussed this. Everyone of them knows how much you feel the death of everyone under your call. You must learn not to carry that weight. Ever since I’ve known you, Einar, you have acted like someone with something they cannot put down on their shoulders.  Quest or no quest from the All-Father, you cannot carry this alone. Let us help…. Let me help.”

“What kind of a leader would I be to simply toss away lives though. Each warrior here must be ready on the day Ragnarok comes and I would be a fool to think they can do such a thing if I blindly send us into fights. Even now you know what comes next on the list and the danger it presents.  Perhaps next time we’ll fare better than today.”

She smirked and shook her head.

“Tell me, Einar. Besides you, who else seems to fight almost perfectly against any new foe they encounter? Do not say Osvif as we both know he stumbles and falls.”

“None.”

“Correct,” she replied. “Which means none of us has experience against these things. Each fight is like a new warrior, thrown into battle against a foe and learning when to attack or when to dodge. We both have seen veteran Vikings crushed beneath a troll’s weapon or fist, each of them having faced that beast many times yet still unable to fight the creature as easily as you do.

“And do not get me started on the stories I have heard of you taking two blows in a row from trolls so large that it would have crushed any other warrior.”

Einar smiled and held out his hand, pulling her close when she took it.

“I often thank Odin for giving me to you. Perhaps he has shared a little of his wisdom with you.”

“Bah,” she scoffed. “Had he done that, I would have been smart enough to ask for more before I bound myself to you.”

Laughing, they kissed, ignoring the passing of workers and warriors, all transporting carcasses of the dead centipedes.

***

“OSVIF!”

Einar’s shout was too late as the pair of Hrim-Lindworms dropped onto his friend from above, each of them breathing out a breath of air so cold it froze whatever it hit.

His friend tried to dodge, and even as flames began to surround his right hand, Osvif’s shield and left arm turned a deep blue.

The closest worm slashed at it, shattering the defensive item and the arm attached to it.

A howl came, part roar and part agony as Osvif’s right arm erupted in flames as the pair attacked. He sent a firebolt at the closest one, striking it in the face and causing a cloud of steam to appear as a high-pitched wail came.

The other Hrim-Lindworm took a bolt of fire on its back, chunks of flesh and ice spraying around the cavern they were in.

“I got him!” Thorve called as she raced toward Osvif.

“NO DON’T”

His words caused their healer to stop, and Einar motioned to Thorodd who whistled.

“Shield circle!”

Every warrior present immediately moved close, creating a small ring of protection as they knelt down, letting the healer and caster stand in the middle.

Ragna sent another bolt of fire as he helped against the one Osvif had injured.

Einar watched as his best friend slumped against the wall, blood pooling on the stone floor, the blue light of the lantern dancing off the liquid surface.

“Einar, he’ll die!”

“I know!” he roared back. Thorve, you’re the only healer here. Kojala is at the cart with the others. I can’t risk you, but I can risk him.”

The temperature in the air shifted as every Viking knew what it meant for Einar to sacrifice his friend.

Angry, he pushed it down, summoning the flames around his hand and watching the stone ceiling that was shrouded in darkness.

“That’s the third set,” Thorodd said.”What’s the plan?”

“How many mushrooms do we have?”

Warriors held up fingers on their weapon hands and in a few seconds he got his answer.

“Seventeen.”

“Then pull back. Make the circle move to Osvif. Then we exit this place.”

“You can sense them, can’t you?” Ragna asked. “I can which means you can.”

Nodding, Einar continued to scan the ceiling, not doing what he knew would be a death wish if he was right.

“Yes, get Osvif and then we leave. I’ve got one ice shard. That’s more than I expected us to get.  Seventeen Runeblight Fungus are plenty.  Staying here is foolish.”

In less than half a minute, Osvif’s body was recovered, Thorve shaking her head when she checked to see if he was still alive.

‘Someone grab that ice shard and let’s go,” Thorodd said.

As they moved toward the entrance they had taken in the cavern, Einar’s head pivoted to the left and then the right.

He caught a small reaction for Ragna and both men’s hands erupted in flames, illuminating a little more of the room.

“FASTER!” their runecaster shouted.

Each Viking moved without delay, a circle of shields jogging as one as blue shapes began to drop from the ceiling, scrambling down stone walls, not making a sound.

“A dozen!”

Einar nodded, not needing anyone to keep count as he began sending fire bolts at the closest ones, keeping an eye on the entrance.

A pair of four more started to descend as they drew close and he unleashed flames upon the ones on the left as Ragna attacked the ones on the right.

Twenty seconds later the group of warriors was moving down the tunnel they had taken, listening to a few high-pitched wails from the ones burning to death.

***

Einar held out his hand and smiled.

“That… sucked,” Osvif said as he took it and accepted the help to stand. “Before I could do anything, they were on me. And that cold…”

His friend shivered twice, frowning the entire time.

“How are we going to fight the frost giants if something like that can freeze my arm and shield off so easily?”

“We get stronger and acquire better runes and items,” Einar replied. “Here, this one is yours.”

He tossed the ice shard to his friend who snatched it from the air.

“Seriously?! What about–”

“No one gets a say but me and none of them are going to question it because they all know I let you die.”

His friend began to reply and then a grunt from behind caused him to stay silent.

“Don’t listen to him, boy,” Thorve said. “He’s giving you the one he collected. Still, Einar is right. The fact he was willing to let you die the way you did while ensuring everyone else was safe was needed.”

“Because they think I’m special.”

“No, because they all can see his love for you,” their healer replied.

Einar saw how his friend looked at him before his eyes widened.

“She’s right,” he said, clasping a hand on Osvif’s shoulder. “Outside of Avitue, I care more for you than anyone else. You, Osvif, are a brother to me even though you’re uglier and shorter.”

Both men laughed and then embraced.

“I love you too,” Osvif whispered. “Even if you are a bastard.”

Einar couldn’t help himself, laughing far harder than he should have, knowing those words were true in so many different ways.