Chapter 6: Silent Tension (Part 2)

 

Torgils took his time, but before he declared any information, he made his announcement by first addressing my brother. “Crown-prince, this has detailed the whole town.” He flipped his hand over and hovered it above an illustrated grid of our town.

But instead of going on with this meet, his voice fell silent. I expected he wanted Wen to inspect the map of our town rather than get to the point.

As if our steward were teaching me a lesson. Not my brother… I believed what patience the crown-prince had left was thinly stretched, and by the look of that clenched jaw, my brother was about to snap.

Taking a step forward, I leaned over the table enough to gesture with a roll of my hand for Torgils to keep talking. I saw him appear to be in a state of momentary confusion.

In desperation, I silently mouthed the words: “Say something.”

“Uh, yes.” Then when he at last got a clue, he offered a description of Vandfjord. “Crown-prince, if you would look here from the budding districts -- which I suspect you’ve seen at the docks -- look over to those trades blossoming across the green isle, and -- please do look -- here, to the businesses that founded our coastal interests.” He paused for an instant to tap within the walled in area on the map. “The residentials, but we have areas settled in the claimed surroundings, and more that had gone beyond the safety of our walls.”

“That much is true,” I nearly jumped when girl-Mikael whispered right in my ear. My shapeshifted mentor refilled my cup as I heard a confession. “I had little influence over how the town prospered, but I was included when the protection of our home was in question.” The one-sided whispering conversation had hushed down to a lower volume for me to barely hear what was said next, but I heard it. “I would rather have less Danes here. Now I hear more are arriving. What to do?”

In just as a hushed volume, I took a risk and asked: “Why wouldn’t you want more Danes here?”

“Ssh,” and I pouted at this girl shushing me when it seemed he could so freely speak. “To answer your question, this was so I could better concentrate on the lives of your people.” He sighed right inside the cup of my ear. “You have no idea the difficulties I go through remembering everyone’s names.” Right after being told my mentor’s woes, I received a poke in the cheek. “While I am in this form, think of me as a woman.”

“Why bother?” When I thought about it, I knew he’d just revert back to being the Mikael all here were familiar with.

And after I thought that, he pinched and pulled on the tip of my ear. In as much self-restraint as I could, I quieted myself by clapping my own hand over my mouth to keep from yelping.

“Yes, please show me how much you regret that little quip.” I didn’t know what a ‘quip’ was, but I had a vague idea.

As an apology, and still through my hand, I smartly added in a muffled voice: “I mean, the Danes don’t plan to stay long, why bother pretending to be a girl and -- oowWWW!”

Right after a rough tug on my hair, and smacked behind the head, he commanded me to, “Hush up.”

“Ow!” And lastly gave me a slap right on the ear.

“Pay attention.” I sensed him back off the very instant everyone turned their attention to my outcry.

In that instant, I stared ahead and put on my best act as if nothing was amiss. But with my eldest brother right beside me, and having been looking down upon me, I supposed he saw everything.

If Mikael had been the man he usually presented himself to be, I wouldn’t feel so humiliated right now. But instead, my brother had likely witnessed me being picked on, no less by a girl who’d no showed to be no trouble when she serviced all the men here.

That made me wonder, ’What did I say to deserve this?’

”Never mind.” Once I heard my mentor speaking to me in my head, I straightened my shoulders and stood erect in a hope that I at least appear to have recovered like a man.

And I silently hoped not another incident like that would be seen this evening.

With that done, I had been just immediately ignored for more important matters to be discussed. I had seen that the focus of everyone had already been shifted off of the one map. That being, the one with the details of our town.

All eyes were on the other map, which had a much bigger collection of detailed territories. Although it had a less descriptive representation of our town, but that was because Vandfjord laid within an expansive spread of the Emerald Isle.

What little we could garner from our town had contained information on the whole regional coast. If we wished to look closer at our town, we’d refer to the smaller map.

As for the large opened scroll, it was laid out and tacked down to have everyone’s unobstructed attention poured all over it… Along with some fresh stains from a few unsteadied cups.

Per usual, Torgils ignored everyone, even the limp handed who either spilled their drink or themselves over the table. I watched the steward lift one shaggy-haired head off the coast of Meath before he dropped the man off the edge of the map.

Once the table had been cleared, he turned over his own steady hand to draw attention elsewhere. Where he guided, I followed, as did all chase after his downward palm. Being resourceful of the spills, he smeared a sweetly dark trail from our town toward the great bodies of water. I caught the glances he gave each dotted line around our coast.

Those indicated the trade routes. He lifted his palm, but dipped and traced a finger through nearby channels and seas.

This attention to the waterways had caused a worried brow to rise on that old man’s already too high forehead. Of his raised lip, there was also a frustrated curling, as if Torgils were about to snarl at whatever he saw down on that map. I supposed he had envisioned an unpleasant scenario.

Without knowing what this was all about, I had not seen anything that the steward might have. I hoped he would shed the map in a new light… That being, when he would finally decide to speak again.

Thankfully, before my brother’s patience ran dry -- or his men’s cups emptied -- our steward had done just that.

But as a curse.

"Dammit!” I had seen one of my brother’s men were about to foam at the mouth to spit something out, but before anymore stains were founded on the map, Torgils shut the men up with that heavy voice of damnation. Then came the explanation. “This is our situation," he started, loudly drummed a single finger, and brought our attention down on the patch of sea dividing the Eire from the coasts of Cymru. "Storbrethonian Sea is our only choice. The Eire Sea is cut off."

As soon as he had said that, I knew I had missed something. And seeing the reactions from others, I suspected it was a vital few or more portions of their earlier talks. I wondered, ’How long had they been at counsel without me?’

With the eldest prince here, I knew I wasn’t required to attend. That might have meant I was only being tolerated to remain.

Permitted only because we were blood. I looked up at the crown-prince standing beside me.

This close kin of mine, a large man with powerfully thick limbs, he was a born and raised fighter. Not a warrior yet, let alone a respectable ruler. I saw the hardness in his jawline, but not because he had a difficult decision to make.

Patience. He behaved like a huntsman who abhorred the lack of activity.

No experience.

Despite that fact, he was still the highest authority here. But to me, he was a someone who I shared no relatable features with, just one of the three I acknowledged as our father’s legitimate son.

Related by a single parent. I saw more of the other parentage in him.

He had the light coloring of his mother, blonde of hair that just touched his shoulders. Just as I remembered her mother’s hair, his gold bands and loose strands either waved or curled into locks. Blue eyed too. And in comparison to everyone else in here, he had a fair complexion.

Most likely he laid himself out and tanned from his time under the roof. I wondered, ’Did father kick him out?’

“Pfft!” I glanced away from my brother and spied the girl-Mikael trying to hide behind the broad shoulder of a Danish man. What caught my attention more was seeing the delicate line of the girl’s shoulders tremble.

My mentor looked to be struggling not to laugh.

In my observation of my brother, I wondered: ’Did I miss something?’

Girl-Mikael simply peered around the Dane’s thick arm to look at me. I shook my head in confusion, but he just returned to pouring cups, provoking an attraction with those he came into contact with, and continued to be the great hall’s only form of entertainment this evening.

This was still unbelievable for me to watch my mentor act this way.

”Distracted.” I had to agree, the girl my mentor chose to become was behaving a bit too much for me not to take notice. After a moment of staring, I had been given a gesture by that girl with the use of his free hand to point at the table. ”Eyes on the map.”

With a quite quiet sigh, I dropped the mysterious nature of my mentor and returned to an easier task. That being, observing my brother and what made him outstanding.

He would be considered fair-skinned. The apparent lack of commitment outdoors were the likely result of that... And yet here I was with a shade of white that rivaled my teeth. In comparison to my brother, it was nearly impossible for me to prove my outdoor activity with just my looks alone.

In a strange way, I found our differences unfair. I had gone through much to maintain our survival. How our town prospered was through a maintenance that took a toll on all of us.

Most of my people, including me, showed slim figures as a testament of that struggle.

All the Danes in this great hall were either tall, heavily built, or both. They were giants in every way.

Unlike these Danes, we Dansk all had fought to obtain just one goal.

Thinking back on the bloodshed, I closed a hand into a fist and raised it. I thought about the only thing that mattered on this island. 

Survival.

Against the number of battles with our enemies, even though we lost land in the process, I believed us still being alive counted as a win. I could find glory in that.

“Tch,” I flinched, clenched my teeth, and pursed my lips tightly shut right after being painfully flicked behind my ear.

“Be hurt,” I heard in a lightly sweetened voice of a girl. “Be mindful,” was continued in my ear by my mentor. “Be respectful,” was said, but instead of listening, I tried to figure out how he had snuck away from the men to blindside me so quickly. “If you do not, worse shall come,” the girl whispered.

A huff later, I looked back up at my raised fist next to my brother.

Snow.

If my brother were to be considered fair, then I was of something else entirely. All that I had to do was hold my hand up, look past and at my brother.

Compared to me, he was dark-skinned.

“Wen,” with the silent motion of my lips, I said my brother’s name.

And I heard the frustrated sound of a girl behind me heave out a sigh. After girl-Mikael expressed his displeasure, I had been grabbed by the elbow to have my fist yanked down and away from the crown-prince.

My brother looked down at me, and I lowered my hand further out of his sight. I saw a face of disapproval stare down at me.

Then again, he appeared more to have an offended look.

”You dared to compare with him,” was my mentor flittered into my head to think about.

After a moment to think about it, I wondered, ’Does he think that lowly of me?’ I had expected Mikael to answer me, but he chose not to do so.

Knowing I was in the wrong for something as unfair as this, I bit down on my lower lip to keep silent, bowed my head for me and my brother not to look at one another again, and I returned my attention to the table.

For a tiny moment, I was thankful the crown-prince chose not to speak of my offense.

But after that short peace had passed, I had nearly jumped with a stiff tension and shook like a submerged fallen log having bobbed up out the stream for air. I heard it again.

The roar of thunder.

Having my eyes casted downards, I looked over myself to be assured I wasn’t doing anything unnatural. In this darkness, it would be difficult for me to notice the spark of black light.

Being here, surrounded by many in this lowly lit room, I could easily re-envision the siege. Bodies littered around me of those violently shaking, jerking, and writhing men. The only way I could tell who had died was if they were not struggling to scream.

And of those who had been far enough away from me to get back on their feet. I still remembered how my horse’s flesh spasmed beneath me.

The paralyzing stroke of fire coursing through every fiber of my being was still felt. Each time I saw the flash or heard the crash of a storm, I remembered.

The black lightning struck us all, but I was at its center. I endured the same horrific pain as those who died from it.

Within a blink of an eye, I looked up at single portal of our great hall’s roof. I thought I saw something.

Then I stood witness as a strobe of white light glared down through it. Soon after the lightning showed itself, I heard the rush of its thunder trying to catch up with it.

A sizzling noise began in earnest, and was visibly marked by the eruption of smoke. Rain began to come down through that opening and assault the burning hot strip of emberic charred wood contained in our hearth.

I wondered, ’Did anyone else see how I burnt them? How the tiny drops of rain burst into rising steam from their bodies? Was I clouded in the same way?’

“Tale ud!” As my thoughts were broken by my brother’s shout, I caught that he had looked away from me -- probably some time ago while I was lost in my memory -- to more calmly speak in his own tongue towards our steward. “Er du faerdig med at snakke?”

There were others who spoke up, but I took a timeout from their discussion when I felt the cool tingle of something wet stream down my face. I turned away from everyone to hastily wipe away the tears and recover my resolve.

”You should leave,” I heard in my head. I rejected the suggestion with a shake of my head. ”You are emotional now. Leave.”

Again, I showed my defiance with another shake of my head, and once I dried up, I faced the table. I mentally told myself, if I were to be of any value, I had to remain and hear out what this meeting was all about.

There were enough hints of behavior, displayed maps, and more that showed this wasn’t just a welcoming feast for my brother. As the one who ruled this diminutive portion of a great kingdom and greater empire, I had to know what was going on.

After a moment of mulling over the words Wen used, I sorted out that half of it was a question or suggestive command. I wasn’t too sure. I believed he either asked if the talking was finished or that someone’s mouth was going to be shut.

If he had said the latter, I had an idea that command would be would be done in violence. I would very much like to avoid that happening to me or my people. I would even prefer not see that happen to one of the crown-prince’s Danish entourage.

All in all, I did not wish for there to be anymore bloodshed than was needed to survive. But I had heard of both our Danish and Norwegian methods of sending a silent message involved creative mutilations.

That had been how our conflicts began with the other Norse. The Ironside had relatives, aunts, who’d been tortured and left to rot for the Scanians to discover.

”They were not a pleasant sight,” I once again heard the voice of my mentor in my mind. ”The immolation of one such aunt of the Emperor was painful for even me to watch.” I knew of only one direct relative of imperial house of Akra that had been burned alive. But Mikael left me confused by what followed his confessions. ”A sea hawk flies over the frozen seas to hunt down those responsible.”

Try as I might, I was unable to understand how a bird would’ve stood any chance against the house of Yngling and Lade. Unless this was another of Mikael’s riddles. If so, I found this one to be rather morbid.

Moving my disturbing thoughts away from what he might’ve meant, I shifted my black eyes around those at the table. In particular, I watched as the steward gave his thoughts a shaky voice and had first brought our attention to the vital points on the mapped channel and more.

"Meath… no, Dyflin. The Solvkrigskonge has a harbor of ships just as fast if not faster than ours," he reviewed the advantages of Dyflin and their silver king in a recovered softening tone.

In a way, I felt as if our often silent steward had attempted to subdue his state of alarm. I honestly had yet to understand for what reason he should be worried.

All I saw was a map with unchanged borders. And he gave us common knowledge on our enemies advantageous locations.

Nothing new. I glanced up at my brother in wonder, ’Is this news to him?’

“Pay attention.” At the whispered command of that girl, Mikael, I turned away from my brother. As I watched our steward continue tracing a finger through the seas, I mentally took note that my mentor crept up behind me once more and quietly mentioned: “He will reveal a mystery.”

Hearing that from him, I focused on what Torgils had to say.

“The Solvkrigskonge…” That was if our steward ever managed to say whatever was so important. I watched him as he took a deep breath, looked over the map again, lifted his gaze to probably meet the crown-prince’s stare, and only then he finally said something I didn’t already know. “More warriors come. The kind that seek their final rest under Erling’s reign.”

That had perked my ears straight up. I wondered, ’How did he come to discover this information?’ And with a harsh sting, my thoughts had been interrupted.

For some unknown reason, that damn girl went for the kill by flicking both of my ears!

This time around, I swiftly turned to face this girl-Mikael to shortened his damn flicking fingers with a nasty bite. While those digits dangled far too close to my face, I snapped at them, but I only ended up chomping on air and giving him a low rumbling growl instead.

My mentor spoke in a hushed voice for my sore ears alone to hear. “Forgive me, but you were too tempting a target. Those perky ears…”

As the girl-Mikael evaded me, he giggled in a way that reminded me of a flooded brook babbling uncontrollably across the fields with chaotic glee. More specifically, when the air pockets beneath the tide of mud had bubbled up to burst free in a sadistic guffaw.

I nearly chased after my elusive mentor, but before I could run after him, he darted and dove behind the large bearded bear. The glare I received from that Dane was only a fraction of scowls directed at me by all those that deviant girl manipulated. I was aware of the eyes on me, but I was more intent on snapping at his digits before they performed any more tricks behind my back.

“Laurel!” With one shout, it had all become that much worse when I noticed my brother glowering down at me.

One last glance towards the giant man-bear, I caught girl-Mikael sticking his tongue out at me. Then he vanished behind the burly Dane.

In a resigned acceptance of my failure in keeping myself from being distracted, I lowered my head and folded my hands down in front of me. I experienced enough humiliation today.

”A disruptive girl, protected by the ring of lovely men.” I tried to ignore the voice in my head, but this was not the same as hearing someone speak. The words spoken were within my mind. ”Had you stayed your hand, I would vouch your brother had done his royal duty to punish this lowly girl for you.”

This had caused me to frown. I believed he was right about how my brother would have reacted.

Just as Wen was crown-prince, I was his youngest brother. Our father’s blood ran through the both of us. And as our father wasn’t presently here, we had to represent him.

Like these Danish, I should have tolerated the teasing. But I let a girl get to me.

If only I had more control...