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Chapter 12: A Day's Passing

The roads of Kärmave have been muddy due to the starting snowfall and melting and refreezing ice. On their way the group of Aldric, Vidar, Leofwine, and Völundr was passing several settlements, some still untouched, others burned down to the ground by the men of Eirik.

Völundr was looking more and more grim on their way, and did not say any word on the different places they have seen. The only thing he did was averting his eyes on those settlements that were annihilated.

Meanwhile Aldric was sitting on top of the carriage and keeping watch to ensure that they would not be disturbed by any bandit, warriors, or even scavengers. On the horizon he could see another settlement coming closer, and he was climbing down to get to Völundr. "Hey, the next settlement seems to be untouched so far. We can take a rest her for now."

The boar's expression lightened up as he tried to glance ahead and saw the village was indeed looking rather normal and peaceful. "Yes, we should rest here. And I do know a place."

Aldric nodded as he sat down and kept his eyes on the road. "So, you have been here before, Völundr?"

"Well, I grew up here. And I was worried that the same thing happened with it as with all those other places," Völundr told the badger with tears of relief coming from his eyes. "I am just glad that it is still there."

"Currently it is close to a miracle," the badger agreed and looked at the peaceful farmers and their families as they entered the settlement. He took a glance over to a few children that might not even know what happened in the world at the moment.

Völundr eventually brought the carriage to a hold and got off from his seat as he stretched his limbs and went into the yard of some of the houses. He knocked at the door, and waited a little bit for nobody to answer. "Huh? They are not there at the moment it seems."

"Maybe we should return later on. There is a tavern around here, so we can have some food and drinks for now," Aldric suggested as he opened the door to the carriage and peeked inside to see Vidar and Leofwine slowly waking up.

"Ugh, are we there already?" Leofwine asked as he rubbed the sleep of his eyes and then stumbled out of the carriage into the village. He yawned loudly and smiled at the peaceful sight he found himself in. "It is beautiful. Vidar, come out already! We should go and see what the place is like."

The wolverine mumbled something inaudible as he left the carriage and let his feet sink into the cold snow. He looked aside of himself and his sleep-drunken expression suddenly turned shocked. "Oh boy, that place brings back some memories."

"Well, I guess with your history of sleeping with everyone you meet, that is not really surprising," Aldric said as Völundr was now taking the carriage on the farm's property and coming back to them. "I think we should just go to the tavern and then back here, alright?"

Vidar nodded as they made their way to the large building from which the songs of bards and guests could be already heard from the village's entrance. As they took their seats, the wolverine was glancing around carefully and sighing relief. "Thank goodness, nobody seems to recognize me."

"Nervous about that?" Völundr asked with an arched eyebrow before he took a glance around himself. "Well, if you have slept with anyone in this village, do you remember who it was?"

The wolverine shook his head. "I was so fucking drunk that the only thing I remember is waking up with a bloody nose and without my clothes in the snow. Not the first and not the last time that happened."

"Unfortunately," Aldric added as he looked at the bar maiden to get their food and drinks. "Four waters, and a mixed plate, please."

"Anyway," Leofwine interrupted as he leaned closer to Vidar. "If it was just a one-night stand, then it most likely wasn't something too bad."

Vidar sighed and then took the water the bar maiden was bringing, and downed it in one go. "Probably. Usually I at least know the person before I am drunk. Too make sure that I don't get anything, you know."

Aldric shook his head about that statement. "At least you consider one thing while neglecting about everything else," he said and drank from his water as the plate he ordered was put on their table.

After an hour the group went out of the tavern and was returning to the house Völundr left the carriage at, and much to the boar's delight he saw that now an elderly wolverine male was inspecting the hornflincher closely. "Papa!"

The old wolverine turned around and broke out in cheerful laughter as he walked closer to Völundr. "Völ, me little boy, you are back!" He now glanced over to Aldric, Leofwine, and Vidar. "And y' also brought some friends with ya. I'm Magni, nice to meet y' guys"

"The pleasure is all ours," Aldric replied as he shook the hand of the farmer and was almost startled be the amount of strength the grip of the old man had. "So, shall we go inside? It is rather cold outside."

Magni nodded and led the group into his house. It was filled with powerful warmth due to a fire burning in the chimney already, and someone working in the kitchen. "Idunna, me love, we got some special guest today!"

An elderly wolverine female now came from the kitchen and almost dropped the wooden spoon she was holding as she rushed to Völundr and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so glad you are back, me boy. We have so much to talk about, surely. But first how about you and your friends take some rest, while I cook some dinner for all of us."

Völundr blushed a little as he looked at the others after the affectionate welcome he received from his foster parents. "So, welcome at our home," he now turned back to Magni scratched his chest a little. "Where is Unnr? I imagined she would be here with you?"

"She's taking an herbal bath right now to relax her body. Maybe there something we need to talk about," the old wolverine replied as he sat down on a chair and offered everyone a seat. As everyone was at the table, Magni took a deep breath and looked at Völundr. "She's pregnant. Almost ready to give birth."

The faces of everyone, except Aldric's, were twisted in a mix of surprise, horror, and worry. Völundr swallowed a bit of his own saliva before he spoke up, "Who is the father?"

"Dunno. She was suddenly expecting a child and didn't remember whom she had. Inn keeper said 't was someone named Bui," Magni told his son and rested his head on his hands.

After a bit, everyone was calming down, except for Vidar, who looked nervously around himself and tried to read the expressions of everyone. Much to his relief, nobody was looking at him, so he got up from the chair and faked a smile. "Excuse me, I need to take a leak," he said hastily and went out of the house and into the woods to lean against a tree, pushing away the snow that was in his way. As he looked down at himself, he pressed his hands on his forehead. "Shit, shit, Shit!" he said loudly and dropped into the snow with his behind sinking to the ground. "Are you happy now, gods? I fucked someone and got her pregnant, are you happy now!?" Nobody answered, and Vidar began crying into his robe.

"I suppose it was your tear ducts you meant with taking a leak?" the wolverine heard the soothing voice of Leofwine saying. The otter was coming closer and sat down next to Vidar to put an arm over his shoulder. "You fear that it was you who got her pregnant, don't you?"

For a while Vidar said nothing. Then he gave Leofwine a nod and laid down in the snow. "It is not just a worry. I used the name Bui often to cover myself up. Furthermore, I have been here eight months ago. It is very likely that she bears my child."

"So, what are you going to do?" Leofwine asked as he pulled Vidar up from the snow and embraced him in a hug. "No matter what, I will be there for you, remember that."

Vidar smiled weakly as he stood up and went back into the house with Leofwine and him holding hands on their way in. That smile soon faded as the questioning glances of Magni and Völundr, as well as the indifferent glance of Aldric were directed at him. "Guys, I need to be honest with you all. I think, that, well, maybe I am responsible for her getting pregnant or so."

"Or so?" Völundr said with a slightly aggressive undertone. "You are telling me the drunken one-night stand you had just so happens to be my sister?" he now took a deep breath and smashed his hand down the table. "Get out of our house, or I am going to tear off your balls and cock, so you never stick yourself into someone ever again!"

A terrible silent fill the room as the boar let out his anger. Vidar didn't dare to cut through it and just obliged. As he opened the door, he was only going to the carriage and went inside to sleep on the pile of pillows, after he took off his completely soaked robe and only laid down with his loincloth covering him up. He just dropped onto the pillows and closed his eyes, not even noticing that Leofwine followed him and laid down right on his side.

Enjoying the scents of herbs and the warmth of the water, Unnr was getting out of the bath and dried herself quickly off with a towel as she redressed and got out of the room into the living area of her family's home. Much to her own surprise, it was not just her parents that were sitting on the table. "Völ, you're back!" she exclaimed as she slowly went closer to her brother and put her arms around him.

"Yeah, kind of passing through, so I thought I should visit," the boar said as he replied the hug and then looked at his sister with a bit of worry. "So, you are expecting a child, huh?"

Unnr now ceased the hug and looked down on her expanded belly. "Yes, and it should only be a matter of days till I should give birth," she explained and took a seat between Völundr and Aldric. "So, who is your friend here?"

"My name is Aldric. I am a shaman from Scathsolas, et cetera, et cetera, and I am traveling with your brother and two others to Jokulldal right now," the badger replied as he looked at Völundr. "You know, you have been rather loud, so I am surprised that she did not hear anything from the bath."

"Magic isolation. We're not a bunch magiaphobes like most people 'ere," Magni answered the badger with a warm smile. "I like to relax while bathing, so we asked an enchantress."

The badger nodded at that statement and then looked at Unnr. "We are assuming right now that one of the two people we travel with is the man, who got you pregnant. He should be outside."

Everyone was quiet after the badger's remark, with Völundr giving him a glance that was disapproving and wrathful. "Aldric, are you fucking insane!? She is already pregnant from that snowpissing alicarl!"

"Hiding that from her is not going to help the situation much," the shaman replied as he glanced over to the boar and got up from the chair. "We should at least clear things up instead of sinking deeper into nonsensical drama. That saves us a lot of time and stress."

Völundr shook his head and got up from the chair as well. "I am going to tear of his balls later on."

Sighing at her brother's violent manner, Unnr now got up herself and walked towards the door. "Do I have to follow the scent that is mixed with otter?"

Aldric gave her a nod, before Völundr could stop him and sat back down again. "Yeah, I guess they will explain that to you, once you find them."

Unnr gave him a nod and then went out of her family's house to follow the scents of Vidar and Leofwine. She was glad to have it leading to the carriage right at the building. Slowly she approached it, putting a hand on the handle and then opened it without knocking.

Vidar shrieked up as he saw the female brethren of his looking at him and only eased his expression to apathy as his mind was getting numb again. "Unnr, correct? Well, I am most likely Bui. Or, to be finally honest, Vidar. Prince Vidar, that is, the royal disappointment."

"Not that I remember, if you were honest to me or not. I was completely drunk back then," she replied as she took seat opposite to Vidar, and now glanced over to Leofwine, who was sitting quietly on the side. "It is rather surprising that I am bearing the child of a prince. Since we have not seen each other with a clear mind before."

"I am not even sure what to say. I have ruined your life and reputation just because I have to press my loins into everything," Vidar said distantly and without looking at her. "In the end you can hate me as much as you want, I deserve anything at this point."

At those words Unnr shook her head. "At first I was not sure what to do, when I found out I was pregnant. What is the right thing to do, how could I raise a child by myself? I was angry and worried. But, I think now I have just accepted it as something to deal with."

Only a saddening chuckle escaped from Vidar as he was swiping away some tears around his eyes. "It would be much easier, if you would do the same as your brother."

"Yelling and crying won't change the situation. I can only ask of you to help me," she said as she got closer to the two other mustelids and sighed. "But, should I even do that?"

"If, you would allow me," Leofwine now interrupted nervously as he looked at the two wolverines, his face showing off his fear of what he was about to say. "Maybe, you could live with us. You could be Vidar's wife and I would be, well, depending on what you think about polygamy I may just be a 'good friend'?"

Both Vidar and Unnr looked dumbfounded as the otter made that suggestion, but then laughed out loud and dragged Leofwine into a group hug. Vidar's expression returned to something more cheerful, and he gave both Leofwine and Unnr a lick over their muzzles. "I am scared. My own father failed with me, and I ended up doing so much wrong. But, I don't want to be the person I used to be. I want to be a better man. A good father."

"I may suggest, that you take the child with you to Jokulldal. With my upbringing I would only stand out, so raise the child to be your heir," Unnr said to Vidar as she slowly got off and began to look distant again. "It would be the best, here the people already," before she could finish her explanation something could be heard from the outside, and she got up and run out.

Vidar followed her, and glanced over to a spot where Völundr and Aldric where surrounded by five people from the village.

"Ye heard right, yer sis got everyone in her mouth," one of them, a black bear, said with a twisted amusement to the boar as the others gestured the act he was referring to.

"You just reserved your ass a spot above my chimney!" Völundr exclaimed as he unsheathed his sword and held it in direction of the bear.

"Oh, look at 'em, bunch o' magic bqllrswingers!" the bear said as he took out his axe and handled it rather playfully as he was mocking the boar.

Now Aldric readied his staff and glanced coldly at the five surrounding warriors. "Trained soldiers, all with some experience. Not in terms of forming nice sentences however."

"Yer striped ass is mine, wizard!" the ursine now exclaimed as he was about to throw his axe right at the badger. Before he could even move back his arm however, it was grabbed by a strong hand and violently twisted backwards.

Vidar had run to the scene and took hold of the bear with so much violent energy, that the noise of bones breaking could be heard. In the next moment, the wolverine let go and took the axe to hit the bear on the head with the dull side to knock him out.

"Go get them!" Unnr called from the side of the scene with her thumbs up, and smiling like a young girl that saw her first admirer fighting for her honor.

Smiling in return, Vidar now turned to the other four men and licked his lips slowly. "Fresh meat. It is time for some drill!"

Two of the four assailants were already running away at the mad wolverine's eagerness to use the axe on them and disappeared into the woods, or at least tried to ass they were soon falling into the snow. The remaining two still unsheathed their weapons, but showed wobbling knees.

"Leave some for me, will you?" Aldric said as he swiped his right hand around, which was followed by a wind gust blowing the other two into the snow, and covering them in even more white.

Völundr was now sheathing his sword and stepping closer to Vidar, his eyes looking away from the wolverine. "Thanks for dealing with them."

"Can't just stand there, you know," Vidar said calmly as he pulled Völundr into a hug and laughed. "I am just so sorry that I have caused all this."

"Not exactly. They already did that when I was a kid," the boar replied as he pulled out of the hug and walked to the pile from which the remaining two were digging themselves out. He took their heads and smashed them together before he went back to the others. "Vidar, when I was a kid I was interested in magic for a time. But, that is not a popular thing to commence in this place."

Vidar sighed and looked at the three unconscious bodies around them. "Certainly. Still, they are now insulting Unnr about her expecting a child of mine," he now closed his eyes and turned his head to Aldric. "Say, can you commence a marriage?"

The badger startled a little at that question and then looked at the two wolverines. "Contrary to popular belief, there is a difference between shamans and notaries. But legally I could, even if it is rather suddenly."

"Then do it," Vidar demanded as he went closer to Unnr and took her hands. "I know we technically don't know each other, but, I am not going to run away from my responsibility anymore."

She smiled for a bit and put her head on Vidar's shoulder. "I could not demand anything like that. You need to travel further soon. It would not be fair for more lives to be lost, if it was only for my sake."

"Unnr, at the current scale we are not able to change much anyway about that," Vidar said as he put his arms around her. "I don't want our child to go through the same solitude I went through. No, I will be here for you both."

Tears were dripping now on Vidar's for from Unnr's eyes as she clutched her arms tightly around him and pressed all the air out of his lung. "Thank you, thank you."

Leofwine was sitting back in the home of Völundr's parents and resting in a chair as he was holding his belly from the cooking of Idunna. It was a rather solemn atmosphere in the room, with Vidar going with Unnr to her room and Aldric working in the kitchen on some potions. Having not much to do, he took his sword and went outside into the snowy village. Looking around, he went a bit into the woods and put the sword gently into the snow and knelt down before it as he put his hands on the hilt and tip. "Alright, I think that I can get this done. The snow should cool off anything that may go wrong." He now closed his eyes and began channeling his magic on the blade. Moments later it began glowing and he pulled his hands off in pain as the sword melted through the snow. Trying to ease the pain from the burns on his hand, he put them right into the cold white next to him and waited till it was not feeling to bad anymore to take his blade from the snow.

"Enchanting without training can be foolish, young man," a voice said from the woods, as Leofwine was about to return into the house. A massive brown bear was stepping closer to the otter, dwarfing most other of his specimen and carrying a sack full of things on his back. "But you seem not too clumsy with the process. Many novices burn their whole arms."

Remembering back to how Vidar ended up doing exactly that, Leofwine took a deep breath and began to reply, "I do have a moderate understanding of it, so I wanted to give it a try. Also, someone close to me forged the blade, but got hurt while trying to enchant it."

"Ah yes, Vidar is one strange soul, isn't he?" the brown bear said as he took of his sack and opened it to reveal an assortment of items and weapons. "Though, he has a good heart. Things went not how they were planned, but maybe you want show him how much you care?"

Leofwine's jaw was almost dislocated as he closed it again and tried to handle the realization that the bear knew that he was with Vidar. "Alright, what paranormal stuff did I land into this time?"

"Paranormal is a good word choice, considering the details. I am Asbjörn, and I am someone, who wants to help you and your friends to succeed on this journey," the bear replied and sat down on the ground. "If either Seleukos or Eirik have their way, the future would follow a path that in the past led to a great tragedy. It is in our interest that the world does not repeat the same mistakes a third time, hence why we interfere to some extent."

"Who is 'we' in that regard?" Leofwine asked as he took a glance at the stash of weapons the ursine carried effortlessly on his back.

"The name you mortals have used most commonly is Sovereigns. For most we are something like gods, though not exactly the same," the bear explained as he pulled out a sword made from some strange metal and handed it over to the otter. "I am rather curious. Would Völundr be able to do the same which his name-sake was capable of? Well, most likely not, since this is Laevateinn, a rather enigmatic blade, which should be rather interesting to use."

"Laevateinn? What is the special thing about this weapon?" Leofwine asked as he looked over the blade on which several runes shone in a light glimmer from the metal.

As an answer Asbjörn took the blade and just held it in direction of a massive snow pile. A moment later a fireball shot from the sword, and melted right into the cold snow. "It is also functional as a magic staff, of sorts."

"Might be helpful," Leofwine stated as he took the weapon back from the bear and gave him one last bow. "Thank you so much, I will make sure he will use this weapon with greatest care."

Asbjörn just shrugged as he got up from the ground with his massive sack of items and stepped back into the woods. "He has to make sure of that himself," he said and then disappeared into the white.

"This day is turning ever stranger," Leofwine said to himself as he walked back through his snowy footprints and back into the hut, where he saw Aldric sitting with several vials of potion on the table. "You are already done?"

"I only made simple healing potions in case Unnr needs something against the pain. Vidar is with her right now, to make up time, I think," the badger said as he leaned in the chair and took a deep breath. "How likely is it that we meet the adopted brother of someone, who is pregnant from Vidar? I am wondering, if there are some strings being pulled in the background, or if it is just pure randomness at work."

Leofwine glanced to the sword he just got from Asbjörn and now walked towards Aldric as he put it on the table. "Say, have you ever heard of beings that are referred to as Sovereigns?"

"Actually, I completely forgot to tell you about Yishai, didn't I?" Aldric laughed a little and took a look at Laevateinn with his green eyes. "Ah, the runes read actually several spells that are supposed to evoke fire. Might you ask me, because one of them has come to you?"

The otter nodded as he glanced on the blade and then back at the badger. "So, what do you know, Aldric?"

A silent moment passed before the shaman spoke, "As I understand, the Sovereigns are beings beyond our comprehension, even beyond the divine. Well, my opinion is that they may try to help, but not to interfere on a great scale, so we are essentially still going to clean up most of the mess we are in now."

"Things used to be so simple before all this. Do you think Vidar maybe has some time?" the otter asked as he took Laevateinn from the table and looked at the door leading to the room smelling the most of his lover. "This sword was meant for him, so."

Aldric just shrugged as he stood up from the chair and went towards the door leading outside. "If not, I am at the inn and take some rest now," he said calmly as he left the building and stepped into the white snow outside.

No sound was heard in the house, safe for the claws scratching on the wood as Leofwine took Laevateinn and walked to the door behind which Unnr had her room before he slowly opened it.

The two wolverines were lying on the bed with each other in light clothing, and Unnr resting in Vidar's arms, while the young prince had a hand on her belly. He noticed that Leofwine had entered and smiled gently at him. "Hey there, um, I guess it is kind of awkward, huh?"

"It's not like you are cheating on me, I guess, but yeah it is awkward," Leofwine said as he but the blade of Asbjörn against the wall and then walked over to the two wolverines. "The blade is Laevateinn, by the way. It is for you."

"Ah, that's so sweet of you, Leof," Vidar said as he pulled the otter into a hug and then laughed as he held both him and Unnr in a hug. "I am, just hoping that everything will be fine. Everything has just been falling apart because of me."

Now Unnr moved around a little to give Vidar a kiss on his cheek and then closed her eyes. "You are trying to make up for your mistakes. It will work out in the end, you'll see."

Vidar sighed weakly as he closed his eyes and looked at Leofwine and Unnr with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "I hope you don't mind that I am holding both of you here. Feels cozy."

"I guess I would prefer not to disturb your unison," Leofwine said as he pulled himself out and gave Vidar a quick kiss. "After all, you already know me, so you should get to know the mother of your child without distraction."

"Spoiled the fun," the male wolverine chuckled as he pulled Unnr closer into a hug and gave her another lick as he closed his eyes to get some rest with her, while Leofwine got out of the room and left the two their privacy.

A slight breeze went through Völundr's room as he opened the window and looked out into the white landscape that has engulfed the land over the past few days. Taking a deep breath, he put on his clothing and leather armor and wandered out to see if anyone was awake already.

Idunna was already up and preparing the breakfast table as she was noticing her adopted son in the room. "You are up early, Völ. Your sister and Vidar are still sleeping, and your other friends have not come yet."

"Hard to sleep, if you learn that the guy you have been traveling with had something with sister, you know?" the boar replied as he took a seat and drank a bit of water as his eyes glanced over to Unnr's room. "Well, I guess I am becoming an uncle then. I just pray that you are safe in this place. Did any of Eirik's men come by already?"

Now Idunna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "They have. Since we heard from other settlements of what happened, there was no resistance anymore. Except for a few, which have been hanged in the woods."

"Why can't the plague get him?" Völundr looked into his mug and then stood up again as he walked towards his sister's room and opened the door. Slowly and carefully he stepped towards Vidar and gently shook him on the shoulder.

"V-Völundr? Is it morning already?" the young prince asked with a noisy yawn filling the room right after before he scratched his belly a little, before he blushed and put the covers over his and Unnr's face. "I told you to knock before, didn't I?"

The boar laughed about the reaction and then walked right outside and closed the door behind him to knock at it and get back in again. "So, it is time for you to get up and eat something."

"Be glad that I am still wearing something," Vidar replied as he got out of the bed and gave Unnr a quick lick over her nose.

Her eyelids slowly opened as she stretched her limbs and took a careful step out of the bed to look at both Vidar and Völundr, just to chuckle and walk out of the room to the breakfast table.

"So, are we all good now?" Vidar asked as he looked down at his feet and scratched the back of his head. "I, I am just sorry for all this."

"Don't misunderstand, it is only because Unnr is happy that I am not tearing off your tail," Völundr replied as he crossed his arms and gave the wolverine a stern look, before he broke out in laughter. "Which is a good thing, because we can have a party once the baby is there."

Vidar looked relieved as the boar was taking things with humor, yet he was only slowly moving towards his robe to put it on to be decent for the breakfast table. He took a seat next to Unnr and kissed her on the cheek. "How do you feel this morning?"

"Hungry," she replied as she stuffed herself with her mother's baked goods and downed a mug of milk in one go. "The young one got a lot of appetite, and so do I after all."

With a chuckle Vidar looked at her before his eyes wandered over to the door with a sigh escaping his muzzle. "I kind of feel bad for Leofwine, to be honest. He and Aldric probably got some breakfast by themselves."

"He seems to take it rather well, though," Völundr said as he went to the door and glanced through to see, if somebody was approaching. His eyes narrowed down as he closed the door and ran into his room to grab his sword right away. "Mother, Unnr, wake father and hide! We got some trouble at hand!"

The two female wolverines seemed as if they wanted to ask what was wrong, but Vidar got up right away and got his own weapon to follow Völundr outside. There he and the boar saw one and a half dozen men waiting for them outside, all armed with swords, clubs, or spears. "I assume those are not friends of yours, are they?"

Völundr shook his head as he carefully stepped closer and glanced over to the group's leader, a wolf with countless scars showing from his body. "Fuck off, Ketill. I got no time for your shit."

"Shut y' muzzle, ye stinking swine. Me men got their asses whooped yesterday, and ye're going to pay," the wolf exclaimed as he unsheathed his blade and glanced over to Vidar. "So, found th' fucker of yer sister?"

Now Vidar began growling as he held Laevateinn towards Ketill and gave him the bird. "I am Vidar, son of your king! I command you to back off, or else I am making you."

"Oh, th' prince?" the wolf now laughed like he heard a joke and turned to his men. "Oh, bow down before th' majesty, who returned from th' dead!" he now turned back to Vidar and began to show his teeth. "Even if ye were, we bring ye into a dungeon or a gallow just 'n case. Eirik pays well."

Völundr now glanced to Vidar and then to Ketill. "So, you betray the crown for some maniac? You were the captain of the nearby fortress, yet you throw away your honor and morals for money?"

"Gotta survive somehow, lad," was the wolf's reply as he now gestured his men to stay in place. "We can make 't easy. Ye submit, I will not kill you."

Now Vidar glared at him and turned the tip of his blade right in front of the wolf's face. "You dirty traitor, I am going to have your head!" Violently the wolverine pulled his arms back and swung Laevateinn at Ketill, just to miss the wolf and get punched right in the gut for it.

"Nah, yer head will be mine," the canine said as his sword was about to go down on Vidar, before suddenly the snow around them began to rise up and cover him within seconds. "Th' fuck?" With force he tried to move, but the snow was solid as ice by the time it only left his head free.

"Stay away from him, or I will kill you so violently even the fleas on your ass will die from it!" the voice of Leofwine yelled as he run towards the scene with his own emerald green blade glowing in a warm light. "Vidar, Laevateinn is a weapon that can channel your magic. Try using it!"

Now Vidar got up again and grabbed his sword and the he glanced over to the otter. "So, how does it work? I am only able to use magic, not an expert that can instantly figure it out."

"Just channel your magic and try to focus it on the weapon, it is like Aldric uses his staff," Leofwine explained as he carefully sidestepped to make sure none of the armed men would make their first move.

"So, I am just holding it like a stick, think hard about a fire, and then it sh," the sentence was cut off by a loud bang as the sword fired a flaming projectile to an empty spot at the side, which exploded on impact into countless embers. Half of the men Ketill brought with him were now backing out of the action and deserting the scene.

The others however now began to draw their own weapons and walked towards Vidar and Leofwine. A lynx was jumping onto the otter, while two younger wolves were trying to take on Vidar, and a fox was trying to get a strike on Völundr.

Effortlessly Leofwine let his sword clash with that of his opponent, resulting in the emerald blade emitting so much heat that the other sword was just melted through and giving the otter enough time to use the feline's surprise hit him with the otter-headed hilt of his weapon. It was seeming easy to him, till he felt an arrow piercing into his shoulder and causing him to drop his sword into the snow.

One of the remaining men, a small and pudgy beaver, had already taken another arrow out of his quiver and now aimed right for Völundr, while the remaining men tried to free Ketill from the ice.

Instinctively the otter run towards the boar, who just pressed the vulpine's head into the snow with his hoofed feet, and pushed him out of danger as the arrow was fired and went through his upper arm, causing him to cry out in pain and fall to his knees.

Völundr rushed right for him and broke apart the arrow, causing more pain in the process, before he put his hands around the wound and channeled his magic into it for it to close before he let it go through the earth to push up the ground of the archer. "Saved my life there, Leofwine. Thanks," he said hastily and rushed to Vidar in order to help him with the wolves.

Ketill meanwhile got free from his icy prison and took his sword again to join in the fighting with the other three men that he had with him. As he was about to rush towards Leofwine however, he could feel a strong wind pushing him back and blowing over two of his men.

Aldric had now joined the scene and was swinging his staff around while moving around his feet and arms in a dance-like fashion. The shaman stopped several meters before Ketill and held his staff up towards the sky.

Meanwhile Vidar took the distraction the badger created to hit both of the wolves with the blank side of Laevateinn twice, and stepped over their now unconscious bodies to face the last few men opposing them. "Give up, or this is going to end badly for you."

"I doubt so. We are still five against four," the wolf said as he held his weapon ready and now took a small object out from one of his pockets. The next moment he threw it right at Vidar, who blocked it with his sword, just to be engulfed in a cloud of gas.

"Aaah!" Vidar was crying out as his eyes, nose, and lungs began to experience a burning sensation, making him blind and unable to smell the anything. Painfully he stumbled backwards and fell on his behind.

Aldric now swung his staff around, causing a strong wind to blow the poisonous gas back at Ketill, who however quickly dodged and now rushed towards the badger. Reacting just in time, Aldric was however still hit across his chest, and lost his balance in the process.

Völundr tried to run towards Ketill to help out the shaman, but was quickly disturbed by the last three warriors and struggled to fight them off.

Leofwine on the other hand, was able to make it between Ketill and Aldric in time, as he held his glowing sword ready to strike. "You saw the magic embedded into my weapon. I can cut through your armor and weapons like butter."

Ketill only chuckled as he made a step backwards and glanced over to the beaver archer, who was now taking aim at the defenseless Vidar. "Yer toy is us'less, once yer lil' prince got an arrow through th' head."

Noticing the beaver, Leofwine's eyes widened in horror as the archer took aim at Vidar, while Aldric behind him was losing blood and only slowly handling to use a healing potion. He channeled his magic once again, intending the snow to create a wall.

"Aargh!" Instead however, the beaver was impaled by several dozen spikes of frozen water, which destroyed his bow as much as they did destroy his internal organs. In several painful seconds, the rodent soon fell limb as his blood turned white to red

"N-No!" Leofwine let his weapon fall to the ground, as the realization of what happened began to squirm through his entire mind. "I was not, I just wanted to." Losing his grip on the situation at hand, the otter was now seeing the images of his dead mother and his first murder before his inner eye as fell to the ground.

Meanwhile Völundr's sword cut off the head of another fox, while he still tried to fight off the other two soldiers. His body was already cut at several places, and he felt the pain. Much to his horror, he saw that Ketill was already aiming for Leofwine with his weapon, and in his fury he took a risk as he grabbed the right arm of the men to his left to have no weapon blocking his sword going through his heart.

The last men of Ketill took the chance and hit Völundr violently with his club against the face, causing the porcine to stumble back a little, before he shook it off and charge at him.

Ketill ignored the losses as he was stepping to the side of Leofwine and taking his sword with both arms as he aimed for the neck of the otter. As he was descending his blade however it was blocked right before it could hit Leofwine, and soon the wolf's confidence was wiped away as he saw what interfered.

Vidar was holding Laevateinn with both of his hands, and effortlessly pushed away the weapon of his opponent. A blue light was shining from his eyes and blue flames engulfed his sword and arms as he stepped between his friends and Ketill. "If you even dare to touch him, I will make sure that you would wish to be killed."

Seeing how his lover just saved his life, Leofwine snapped out and quickly turned over to Aldric to see in relief that the badger was just now taking the healing potion and getting up again. With a quick motion he grabbed his sword again and run towards the man Völundr was fighting with and channeled his magic to let the snow below his feet torn to a puddle and then freeze back to ice again.

The boar now had an easy chance to bash his opponent backwards, before he took his blade to cut him right in half.

Feeling again how his body was revolting against the images of violence, the otter avoided looking at the scene and instead helped up Aldric, who was now looking angrily at Ketill and keeping his staff ready as he went next to Vidar. "You lose, captain Ketill. Your men either fled, got knocked out, or died. Now only you are left."

At those words the wolf broke out in laughter. "If ye would know, stripefucker. That whore and her lil' bastard will be dead, if ye try anything."

With fury making his flames grow even stronger, Vidar swung Laevateinn violently against Ketill's blade and caused it to shatter on impact as his left grabbed the wolf on his throat and pulled the canine closer to his face. "What are you planning? Speak, or I tear you apart!"

"Why don't ye turn around?" the wolf said with a wicked grin as a scream could be heard from the house of Völundr's parents. It immediately died, as Vidar's claws tore through his throat and severed the head from the body.

Instinctively, the wolverine run towards the house and had his sword ready to kill. As he smashed through the door, he could see that Magni and Idunna were leaning against the wall and badly beaten up, while on the other side of the room something had happened, that brought up Vidar's hatred even more.

Unnr was lying there, badly wounded as three figures, one of them being the black bear from the day before, kicked her violently and used clubs to beat against her body. She was already bleeding from several parts of her body, and hyperventilating.

Filled with an indescribable fury, Vidar jumped right on top of the bear and sunk his teeth into the ursine's throat before he tore it apart and jumped off to swing his sword to cut the other two apart. Now as he was stained in the blood of his foes, Vidar's eyes returned to normal and his flames went out as he knelt down to Unnr. "I am here Unnr, I am here!"

While her breathing was normalizing a little, Unnr groaned in pain as she was held by Vidar and began crying. "It hurts so much! Get Völ!"

"Sis!" Just as he was called, Völundr run into the house and towards his sister, channeling his magic on the way to her. "It is all going to be alright, just keep still."

While the magic the boar put though her body was closing the open wounds, Unnr was still squirming in pain despite the healing forces going through her. "They hit my belly! They were hitting my child!"

"Völundr, focus your magic on our child!" Vidar demanded as his body was shaking in terror and his eyes watering with tears.

The boar did just that, but despite his best efforts Unnr was still crying out in pain, unable to do anything. "Just damn this! I can't! I have only treated external stuff before, not internal!"

"Get the healing potions!" the wolverine yelled as he pointed at several flasks full of liquid that the badger brew together the day before, while he turned back Unnr, feeling that she was losing her grasp on this world more and more. "Please, stay with us!"

"Save, our child," was all that came out of her mouth as the life in her eyes was slowly fading away and snuffed out as soon as Völundr got to her with the flask of healing potion in his hand.

Trying to make her drink, the boar soon was beginning to cry as he realized that it was for naught. Violently he threw the flask into the corner of the room and unleashed a violent outcry.

Magni and Idunna, seeing that their only daughter was now lying limb in the arms of Vidar, got up from the ground and slowly dragged themselves to Vidar and Völundr. With a firm hug Magni tried to ease the pain for his adopted son, yet he himself was no longer able to hold back his tears.

Idunna even collapsed into tears as the scene before her was just too much for her to bear. Eventually Magni had to put an arm around her as well to keep her from passing out.

"Guys, we got the local doctor!" Leofwine exclaimed as he run into the house with Aldric and an old male elk following him right in.

The doctor was looking at the corpses that Vidar left on the ground, before his eyes went over to the dead body of Unnr. Gently he put a hand on the belly, and concentrated on the touch. "We need to hurry! Bring her to her bed!"

After what felt like an eternity, Vidar was finally calmed down as he sat down against the wall and waiting for the door to Unnr's room to open. Currently only Leofwine and Unnr's parents were with him as Aldric and Völundr helped the doctor to safe the child.

Leofwine was leaning against him and waiting just as desperately for someone to come out with the child alive and well. The beating of Vidar's heart was making him ever so nervous, and as he glanced over to Magni and Idunna, he saw they were just as destroyed by the loss of their daughter.

Twenty minutes had passed, and then finally Völundr came out of Unnr's room with something in his arm that look like a white, small fur ball, which was making whimpering noises as the boar held it towards Idunna. "It's a boy! It's a boy! A healthy, little baby boy!"

As Idunna and Magni glanced at their grandson, their grieving expressions eased up a little as a glimmer of hope and happiness filled them.

Slowly Vidar got up from the ground and wiped the tears of his face as he stepped towards the newborn and his legs gave in in relief as he saw his own son alive and well. "Praised be Freya! Praised be the gods!"

"We made it in time," Aldric said as he got out of the room and pressed the elk several gold coins in the hand. "Völundr and I were able to keep the boy alive thanks to the healing potions and his magic. Yet, we do need to commence the burial for Unnr."

"It'll be a crematory ceremony. Völundr, would ya help me?" Magni now asked as he got up from his chair and went outside with his son to prepare the burial.

Aldric meanwhile took a deep breath as his expression showed some empathy for the family of Völundr and Vidar. "I will bury the bodies of the fallen outside, so we can at least avoid issues about that later on. Then I will help with preparing the ceremony," he said and walked slowly out of the house.

Vidar ignored it all as his eyes were fixated on his son, and leaking tears of both grief and happiness. "I am so sorry that I couldn't safe her. If I just had acted faster, maybe we could have saved her as well."

"We were 'll powerless in that situation. It's all falling apart in Kärmave ever since your father left. Instead of the soldiers protecting the peace, they abuse their power and do horrible things," Idunna said as she gave her grandson a lick over the forehead and gave him to Vidar. "Do you have a name for him?"

"Kjeld," the prince replied as he clutched his child to his chest and smiled gently as he got up from the chair and towards Leofwine. "And, I want you to raise him with me once we fixed everything, Leof."

The otter remained quiet at that proposal and then got up from the ground to embrace Vidar and Kjeld with his arms. "I will be with you, forever."

"In the meantime, I and Magni 'll make our way to Scathsolas with the boy and keep him safe," Idunna said as she took the child back into her own arms and walked towards the kitchen to prepare a bottle of milk.

Embers ascended towards the heavens, as the flames engulfed the body of Unnr and the chanting of Aldric filled the silence of the woods. Several of the villagers have come to pay their tribute to the deceased, and joined in the dancing movements of the shaman, and some even chanted with him.

Vidar was sitting on a tree stump and holding Kjeld in his arms as he stared blankly at the fires that were taking the mother of his child. Engulfing in silence, he got up and walked over to Magni, who was now returning to the house as the ceremony had ended. "Magni, we need to move further tonight to not further endanger anyone. You should also try to make your way as soon as possible, too."

"Ay, we'll be on our way just around the same time then. We'll keep Kjeld save and protect him with 'll what we have," the elderly wolverine replied as he took his grandson and put a hand on Vidar's shoulder. "Take care of Völ, will ya, Vidar?"

"Gonna keep him safe," the younger wolverine said as he turned towards the waiting Völundr and Leofwine, which were still watching Aldric as he was now finally finishing the dance. "We need to disappear from this place. The sooner we are in Jokulldal, the sooner this nightmare will end."

"Yes, this country needs the crown on someone, who brings back its peace. Eirik must die to achieve that," Völundr answered as he slowly walked towards the carriage and looked back at the cremation scene of his sister. "Farewell, Unnr," he said with a tear escaping his eyes as he stepped into the carriage.

Leofwine soon followed and dragged Vidar with him to continue their journey and leave the tragedy behind.

At last, Aldric stepped away from the ashes and walked towards Idunna, who was holding a necklace in her hand and looking at the spot where Unnr was cremated. "Her spirit rests peacefully now. But for those of us alive the struggles will continue. It has only been a single day, and yet so much happened. But I am glad that we at least were able to save the child. Please take good care of him."

"Thanks, Aldric. And please, take care of Vidar and Leofwine. Kjeld already lost his mother, and I don't want him to lose a father as well," Idunna replied as she gave the badger the necklace and a tight hug. "And take care of Völundr. He's all that we have left. Give him this necklace once he has come to terms with Unnr's death."

"Certainly," the shaman replied as he put the necklace into a pocket of his robe and walked towards the carriage to take the driver's seat. A long journey was still ahead of them, and the situation grew ever dire the closer they were to their destination.