Fell woke early, crawling out of his furs while trying to make as little noise as he could while not stepping on the other children piled around each other. Feeling his waist to ensure his axe had not slipped out in the night, Fell stepped outside the communal tent, the ever-present smell of woodsmoke entering his nose. Stretching his limbs, he watched as light snow drifted down from the sky, his breath warm as he watched it climb upwards towards the lightly clouded sky.
Turning towards the outskirts of the camp, he walked through the slumbering camp towards Njal’s tent. Njal was not just renowned as a fierce warrior, he was also the tribes’ blacksmith, skilled at maintaining the weapons and tools needed for Freljordian life. To avoid the sound of hammering echoing through the cap Njal always stayed on the outskirts of the camp which also allowed him to watch the border of the camp. As Fell trekked through the light snow that had built up overnight, he heard the resounding clang of metal hitting metal.
A simple tent was setup on a small natural mound made from elnuk hide, the entrance held together with the fang of a frostfang wolf holding a loop of leather tight. Outside of the tent Fell could see Njal sitting on a simple wooden stool next to his small forge, the simple stone exterior holing the remains of cold ashes. Njal was holding a small whittling knife and had begun to carve something out of the bone in his hand.
Noticing Fell approach he glanced up and grunted out a greeting. Used to Njal’s gruff manner, Fell sat down on the fresh snow, watching Njal carefully remove slices of bone from the antler, revealing a miniature version of a hand axe. Despite its minute size and simple material, the model axe detailed a sharp one sides blade and a short handle wrapped in braided leather. Njal grunted again, admiring his finished work.
Standing up, he spoke to Fell.
“Here, take this. I need to get something”.
Gently throwing the bone decoration to Fell, he turned around and went back into his tent. Surprised by the unexpected gift Fell fumbled on the catch, almost dropping the white bone into the equally white snow. Looking curiously into the now open tent, Fell could see various weapons and tools piled in up in the corner placed on top of a fur sheet to protect them from the ground with Njal rummaging through them. Picking up a large round object, Njal turned around to exit the tent. Upon seeing Fell’s curious eyes, he hid a smile, using his rugged beard to hide his expression from the youth.
Exiting the tent Fell could see that the round object was a simple wooden shield. The shield was intentionally simple, no more than a smooth wooden disk able to protect the user.
“Here” spoke Njal, “This is yours now”.
At this he held out the shield towards Fell. Fell rushed towards him, grabbing the wooden shield and immediately slipped his left arm through the straps and held it by the short leader strap in the centre of the shield. The shield was surprisingly heavy to Fell, who upon seeing how the muscular Njal casually held the shield it was light.
“Frostpine wood, hardened in the years of cold” grunted Njal. “Heavier than it looks, but with the strength to match. Will take the blow of a sword head on. Once you're older you can add a ring of metal to the edge”.
“Why would I add metal to a shield?” asked Fell, curious as to why metal would be added to this already strong shield.
“Durability” responded Njal, His words as short and gruff as always. “And if you put metal in the centre and make a boss, you can also use the shield as a weapon. However, its heavier, and by the look of it you can barely hold it now”.
Embarrassed about his lack of strength, Fell looked down at his feet, only to be startled by a strong hand being placed on his shoulder. “You’ll be strong once you’re older, just wait”.
After a brief moment of silence, Njal uncharacteristically spoke again.
“Now, time for your training. Every warrior needs to be able to fight, and you are no exception. Do you have your axe?”.
To this Fell nodded and opened his jacket showing Fystra in its sheath tucked into his belt.
“Good. Follow me” responded Njal upon seeing this and immediately began to walk further away from the camp. Hurriedly tucking away the bone charm into his pocket, Fell ran after the quickly moving Njal.
Njal took a deep breath, and then spoke. “Now, I’m going to teach you how to fight. We will build up your strength, but more importantly, your skill. It may require strength to fell a tree, but without a sharpened axe, strength is useless”.
Internally smiling at the pun, Njal Grabbed a wooden pole leant against a tree. The pole was made of just wood, coated in a layer of wax to help protect the wood against the elements. It was the same length as the haft of a great axe and was more than likely exactly that.
“To improve at fighting Fell, you must practice. Now, hit me.”. Fell was confused, not able to see another pole nearby.
“How?” he asked, “I only have the axe?”.
“Exactly” came the response.
“But what if I hurt you?” responded Fell in a worried voice
“You won’t” Came the curt reply.
Despite this, Fell continued to be still, unable to gain enough confidence to swing the incredibly sharp Fystra at the armour less Njal. Suddenly Fell felt a sharp impact on his head, startling him out his confusion and causing him to stagger back, eyes snapping towards the direction of the below. Infront of him was a grim faced Njal, that pole no longer held vertically in his hand but instead held horizontally at his head level, having just smacked him on the top of his head while his guard was down
“If this was an axe, you would be dead” Spoke Njal, seriousness written into his eyes
Annoyed at this unexpected attack, Fell drew Fystra from its sheath beneath his jacket, and raised his shield on his left hand, prepared to block the next swing from the expressionless Njal. Njal nodded at this, and slowly swung the pole at Fell’s side, forcing him to block with the shield. Njal continued with slow wide swings, allowing Fell time to react. Suddenly he jabbed forwards with the pole, catching Fell surprised and sending him sprawling into the snow.
“Fight back” ordered Njal
Fell gritted his teeth, frustrated by being knocked onto the ground. Getting up off the ground, he readied himself for the next attack. As Njal once again swung towards Fell, instead of blocking Fell ducked below the high swing, avoiding the attack. Suddenly Fell sprung upwards and ran towards Njal, His arm held high ready to swing down. Njal’s eyes opened in surprise as he saw the blow coming, unprepared for Fell to charge in. Angered by the constant blows received, Fell swung the axe downwards diagonally, aiming for Njal’s exposed chest.
In a movement far smoother than Fell expected with Njal’s height and build, Njal spun to the side causing the axe to miss, however with all the momentum Fell was unable to stop the axe. Carried forwards by his speed, Fell shot past Njal, his shield still attached to his flailing left arm. Njal smiled at the sight, bringing up the end wooden pole.
The pole hit the bottom of Fell’s Chin, fully knocking him off balance and causing a huge puff of snow to arise where he landed. Ignoring the pain, Fell stumbled up to his feet, ready to attack again, only to see a smiling Njal who had lowered the staff.
“Well done, you fought well. With speed like that, you could outrun a frostfang given time” complimented Njal, his usually expressionless face covered with a proud smile not even his thick beard can cover.
“Now, its time you go back and get ready to leave, it’s a long trip today and you know what the elder is like if you’re not ready in time” advised Njal, reaching out for the shield from the still alert Fell.
His mind now clear, Fell nodded and slipped off the shield before handing it over the Njal’s awaiting hand. As like before, the thick frostpine shield looked as light as a feather when held by Njal. Brushing out the snow that had gotten stuck into his furs after the fall, Fell began to walk back to the communal tent, carefully touching his sore chin, still smarting from the knock from the pole.
