The northern enigma - Part 5

“Is it me, or is the sea quieting down?” Miranda said.
It was hours after their arrival, shortly after noon. They hadn’t seen a single Viku in all that time and neither had they gone to the upper deck themselves. Instead they had stayed in their small cabin, most of the time in an uncomfortable silence. Although the silence was occasionally broken by the sound of puking.
“It’s about time,” Falco said, lifting his head from a bucket. “I haven’t eaten in hours and still I’m spouting up chunks. Fenrir’s Fangs! Good thing Anya isn’t here. She’s usually the one getting sea sick. She would be laughing so hard right now!”
“Unless she was puking too,” Talisin remarked.
“Yes, unless that,” Falco nodded, standing up again. “Well, as we are all in our Viku clothes and won’t stand out, I suggest you all go up there to get some fresh air. I’ll join you in a few moments. Need to … ehm … settle my stomach first. Better take that bucket with you as well to empty it.”
“Good idea,” Halem said.
As the three of them filed out of the small cabin, Falco put his hand on Arno’s chest and prevented him from following.
“Not you, Arno. We haven’t received your Viku attire yet.”
“Oh … okay.”
When Talisin closed the door behind him, Falco slapped Arno against the back of his head.
“Hey, what …!”
“You stupid, stupid, irresponsible little idiot!” Falco snapped.
“Wh … what?”
“I didn’t say anything at first because I hate chewing somebody out when other people are present, but gods! How could you do a stupid stunt like that! You have endangered the entire quest and everybody in it, including yourself!”
“I just wanted to prove myself to you. Show you that I’m more than just a kid,” Arno said, staring at the ground in a sulky way.
“You did just the opposite. I thought you were a smart, responsible guy! Somebody I could always trust to do the right thing, but apparently I was mistaken.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so mad at me! All I want is to  be just like you! And you were already a great warrior and a hero at my age. I thought it was my time!”
“I am NOT the right role model.”
“Sure you are. You were trained and had adventures and that’s how you became what you are now! I want to do the same. Just like you did.”
“You have no idea what you are talking about! You have no idea what I went through to become what I am now. Nobody should ever have to do that again.”
“You think I can’t take the training? Bring it on, I can!”
“It’s not about training! It’s about losing your entire family, being enslaved and humiliated!”
Falco suddenly fell silent and stepped back, staring at Arno. The boy stared back defiantly, although he was starting to feel rather nervous under Falco’s gaze.
“Alright then,” Falco finally said with a weird smile on his face. “You want to be like me? You want to have my experiences? Let’s see if that can’t be arranged. Wait here, pup.”
Falco turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Arno nervously watched the door. He refused to admit it, but maybe this hadn’t been such a great idea after all. Everybody was so angry with him. Well, at least Falco had said he would help him train.
“But why did he call me pup?” he mumbled.

Falco blinked against the sun when he peeked through the hatch. There was no more trace of the storm, except for a vague veil of dark clouds on the horizon behind them. The sky was blue and a gentle sun fell on his face. It wasn’t too warm yet, but it wasn’t cold either. A chilly, but beautiful spring day. He jumped on deck, looked around and walked towards the captain.
“Ah, there you are!” Oyvald said. “Looking a bit pale, but fine otherwise. I must say, you’re less impressive when you don’t wear your armor, little jarl. Tall enough but not very bulky, are you? Those Viku clothes look good on you though. You look like a real young Viku warrior. One that’s still a little wet behind the ears, of course, but you’ll do. And your mates are just as convincing.”
“Thanks. What did you do with that sloop the brothers came in?”
“We sank it, of course. No use for that ship anymore.”
“Right you are. Where are we sailing to exactly and when will we get there?”
“We’re going to the main island, little … No, I shouldn’t call you jarl anymore. We better get into character, eh? Speaking of which, you’re all crew members. Just warriors. Good enough as a cover. So, as I was saying, we’re going to the main island. It’s called Drengarheim. It means home of the warrior. If we’re lucky, we’ll be there in ten days or so. If not, two weeks.”
“And once we get there, we sneak on land …?”
“Oh no. Lots of ships sail around that island. Trying to sneak on land would be the worst thing to do. We’ll just sail into the harbor of our capital city, Vidargard and from there travel by horse to Lord Lars’s Hall. Nobody will be alarmed by that. Just a Viku ship coming back from a successful raid.”
“A successful raid?”
“Where do you think that cargo comes from? We looted a couple of Caledonian coastal villages on the way here. There defenses are a bit weaker since you defeated them in the war.”
“What?!”
“Hey, we needed a convincing cover. Don’t worry, we went easy on them. Didn’t even take any slaves. Just enough stuff to put in the hold.”
“Fenrir’s Fangs! This isn’t getting any easier!”
“It’s all in a good cause, believe me.”
“It better be. What kind of a man are you, Oyvald?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you a mindless, violent barbarian or somebody who knows when to use force and when not? Do you have kids of your own?”
“Yes … I do. Two girls and two boys. I’m proud of them all. Why all these questions?”
“Because there’s a favor I want to ask you. But I can only do this, if I know you won’t go berserk doing it.”
“I am intrigued. Do tell me more, little warrior.”
“Well, I need to cast somebody in the part of an orc …”
“Very flattering!”

Arno was sitting on the floor, when the door suddenly opened again. He startled. Falco came in, carrying a rough pair of pants. Captain Oyvald was standing behind him.
“Get up and put these on!” he snapped, holding up the trousers. “And be quick about it. We haven’t got all day.”
Arno jumped to his feet. He stared at Falco and the captain and at the trousers.
“They are way too big.”
“We cut off a part of the legs to make them more fitting. And you can use the belt you already have to keep them up. Now start stripping already,” Falco ordered.
“But … can’t you leave …” he said, glancing at the captain.
“If you don’t start stripping in three seconds, the captain will take you to the deck and make you do it in front of the crew. You should be happy I don’t do that anyway. It would be more fitting anyway.”
“But … but why …” he stammered, starting to pull his shirt over his head.
“It’s what you asked me for. You wanted to experience my life. How I became what I am today? Then we need to start at the beginning. I have no orcs here, but captain Oyvald has kindly enough agreed to play that part. And I use the term ‘play’ very loosely. It won’t be playing at all. He will be your boss for the rest of this journey and you will do exactly as he says. Just like I had to do with Moorgash. And once we get to Viku, I’ll see whether I’ll let you stay with him until we get back from our mission or whether I’ll take you along.”
“But … he will also train me, right?” Arno said, kicking off his shoes.
“Train? You think Moorgash trained me when he first caught me?”
“But … I thought … he almost immediately … I mean, I know you had to work as a slave for a while …”
“For many months, Arno. In the mud of the brickworks, the heat of the Forge and later there was the horror of the mines. And even when I was trained, I still worked as a slave, scrubbing Burla’s floors, cleaning out traps and emptying buckets with Moorgash’s shit. That’s all part of how I became who I am today. That’s the beginning of the great adventure you seem to think of as just a game. So, If you want to be like me, you better start scrubbing as well. Get naked so you can put on these pants.”
Arno hesitated for a second, but when he saw Falco’s determined expression, he dropped his pants and quickly covered his crotch. Falco waited only three seconds, but it were the longest seconds in Arno’s life. Then, he threw the pair of pants at the kid and he quickly put them on. A few moments later, he strapped his old belt around his waist and reached for his shoes.
“Leave them,” the captain said.
“But … Falco?”
“I already told you, the captain is your boss. Do as he says. Besides, I didn’t wear shoes for almost three years. It toughens you up.”
“And Viku boys on board of a ship rarely wear shoes anyway. Part of your cover, shrimp,” the captain smiled. “And now you’re mine. And leave that shirt, it’s way too fancy for a Viku cabin boy. It may be a bit chilly for you up there, but you’ll soon get used to it. You better, as it will get even more chilly when we sail north.” Oyvald pushed past Falco, grabbed Arno by the arm and dragged him out of the cabin. “Up the ladder, boy. There’s a bucket and a hand held brush waiting for you there. And after that, the first mate will make sure you don’t get bored. He has a whole range of chores lined up for you.”
“But … but … Falco …?”
“You’re getting what you want, little brother,” Falco said. “You better don’t disappoint the captain.”

A few hours later, Miranda walked by Arno, who was sitting on all fours and scrubbing the deck, and went to the bow with the dragon figure head, where Falco was standing. He was staring at the horizon.
“So … “ she said.
“Don’t start, Miranda. He needs a lesson and punishment and that’s exactly what he’s getting.’
“Sure, sure, he does, but … the Viku? Are you sure that’s the right way to proceed.”
“Yes.”
“Okay … if you say so …”
“Miranda!”
She looked at him.
“Don’t worry. This is not a real Moorgash situation. He’s not in any real danger. I made a very clear deal with the captain.”
“But you hardly know the man.”
“This ship isn’t very big. It’s almost impossible for any of us not to be within sight of Arno. And he’ll still be sleeping in our cabin. He’ll be perfectly safe.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“But that doesn’t mean the punishment isn’t real. By the time Oyvald is done with him, he’ll be wishing he’s back with Pumori. Just what he deserves. Anya must be sick with worry by now. Stupid kid. Anyway, he gets what he wants. An inkling of an idea of how it is to be me. If he takes his punishment like a man, I may even allow him to tag along a bit longer.”
“Well, he’s not complaining or anything.”
“His chores are just beginning. We’ll see in a couple of days.”



Pumori didn’t see anything, but the voices were crystal clear.
“She is yours now. You can do with her whatever pleases you. Just don’t kill her. That’s not a nice thing to do.”
“Really? Anything?”
“Yes. You did good, Pumori. Capturing her. Punishing her for her betrayal. She’s nothing but deceit. She needed to be replaced. Erin needs a fresh start. And carrying her on that branch like a captured wild animal in front of all her troops, that’s something she will never recover from. Take her north to you new castle. And make sure she does not leave there ever again.
“Yes, Falco-lord.”
The darkness lifted. Falco wasn’t standing in front of her. Nobody was. And she wasn’t in a castle either. She was sitting on a fallen tree in the middle of a wood. Somebody was walking up to her from behind. A hand touched her shoulder and she shivered with pleasure. Suddenly she jumped up, shaking off the hand, and turned around.
“No!” she said. “No touch Pumori without permission!”
The big wolf man stared at her in surprise and then smiled.
“Falco-Lord say: Pumori never touched again, unless Pumori give permission. Pumori not give Permission to cool, handsome Wolf man. Who Wolf Man anyway?” she said, cocking her head a little.
“I’m the man who made you what you are today, Pumori.”
“What? Not true! Never see Wolf man before.”
“You know what? You’re right. Saying that takes away too much of your own accomplishments. Let’s just say, I’m the one who gently pushed you in the right direction. And you were smart enough to pick up on my hints and do the right thing.”
“What …? Pumori not understand!”
“Come. Let us sit together. It talks easier. Don’t worry. I won’t touch you until you give me permission.”
Pumori hesitantly sat down beside him on the fallen tree.
“Fenrir wolves, my little herald. Fenrir wolves are the key to everything.”
“How?”
“With what material do you think Arvik experimented to create you and the wolf hybrids? I whispered in his ear and he was all too eager to listen.”
“So … you is … Fenrir?”
“Of course.”
“But … you is evil god! You wants kill Falco-lord! Pumori no more listen!”
She pulled away, but he jumped up faster and towered over her.
“No, Pumori,” he said. “I told you before; I don’t want to kill Falco. On the contrary, I want to help him. That’s why I created you, so the werewolves could be created through you.”
“Fenrir want help Falco-Lord?” Pumori asked doubtfully.
“You of all people should believe me. I’ve done nothing but help him. And sending you to him was one of the best things I did in that regard.”
“Now Fenrir-lord are telling little lies! When Pumori first meet Falco-lord, Pumori try to kill Falco-lord. So, if Fenrir send Pumori, what not are true too, Fenrir want Pumori to kill, not help.”
“Oh, little herald of mine. You’re so hard to convince, while the evidence is right in front of your eyes."
He waved his hand, and a young slave Falco, appeared in front of them. He was just standing there, staring at something in the woods.
“Claw,” Fenrir said. “The Falco my father wanted to create. The one that was supposed to become Moorgash’s human warrior and general and would conquer Midgard for him. That was so silly. I knew it would never work, but I played along.”
“How?”
“Isn’t that obvious? By having Moorgash cut that scar in his chest!” he growled.
The scene changed and suddenly, an even younger Falco was tied to a huge tree. Goblins were swarming around and Moorgash placed a knife on his chest. Pumori flinched when he started cutting and Falco started screaming.
“Moorgash offered his soul to Loki, but Loki wasn’t the only one there,” Fenrir said.
The scene became wider and Pumori saw two rough statues on either side of the tree: one of Loki and one … of Fenrir.
“Loki entered him, but so did I. While my father talked and manipulated and tried the impossible in Utgard, I stayed in the background and helped him survive. Just little things. A little more endurance, a little more strength, a bit more protection, Fenrir wolves that looked away when he went out stealing. Those sorts of things. Not that he needed it a lot, but it made his life a little more comfortable, so he could learn and prepare all the better for the task at hand. A bit like it was with you. You two have a lot in common. You’re both being guided by me, my little herald.”
“Are that really true?”
“Of course. He never scars, but that scar never went away. And why do you think his favorite curse is ‘Fenrir’s Fangs’? He’s one of my favorites and I want to help. That’s why I sent you.”
“But Fenrir not send Pumori! Pumori was slave of Tarquinians! They take Pumori.”
“I admit it wasn’t easy. I had to be very subtle about it. My first attempt to get you near him failed. Miranda brought you back to your owners.”
“What? Fenrir mean, Miranda were supposed to help Pumori when Pumori were little?”
“Of course. I was trying to make it so that she would have to flee Tarquinia with you and finally end up in Griffnar, where you, she and the little Falco would have met and you two would have grown up together. If that had happened, maybe that whole vampiric conspiracy would have failed. Or you and he would have both ended up as slaves of Moorgash, performing as a double act or something. But as you know, Miranda chose a different path and I was forced to do the same.”
“Stupid, evil Miranda-warrior!” Pumori snapped.
“No, no, my little herald. Miranda isn’t evil. She just made a choice and it’s not her fault she wasn’t quite so noble and heroic as I had thought her to be. She’s a good ally for Falco now, so you shouldn’t hold a grudge anymore.”
“Pumori still do!” she said stubbornly. “Although Miranda-warrior do try to make things better,” she admitted.
“In the end, you still came to Griffnar, but it had been a lot more difficult than I had expected. Especially with you almost killing him. But my symbol is always on his chest. Falco will have a connection with wolf kind for ever, which is all the more odd considering his nickname as a child. That connection made him take pity on you and take care of you. All’s well that ends well, little herald.”
“Could be true,” Pumori whispered. “Why Fenrir always call Pumori little herald?”
“I didn’t do that. You did!”
“Pumori did? But … oh! The orc village!”
“That’s right. You played my herald with a lot of enthusiasm.”
“Oh! Pumori worry about that. Think, Fenrir be mad!”
“Mad? I was proud! That was the time your instinct told you your true lineage. Exactly at the moment I hoped it would.”
“How Fenrir can know Pumori be there?”
“You think it was a coincidence a young Fenrir wolf guided you through that wilderness? That you ended up exactly behind my statue? I hoped you would seize the opportunity and to my joy, you did! My little herald.”
“Fenrir help at orc village too?”
“Only with little hints and pushes in the right direction. You did most of it yourself! Well done! You have become a great leader.”
“Pft. Not that great.”
“How do you mean? You led the Claws in the war.”
“Yes, but Arno-cub not wants to stay with Pumori. Pumori fail with Arno-cub and not know why. Pumori not that great a leader.”
“You worry about that? Arno wasn’t good for you. He was too gentle. Too kind. He tried to keep you from punishing that treacherous Maud. We both know that’s Falco’s weak point as well. He isn’t always as tough as he should be. So, it was better that Arno left, before his weakness infected you all. I led him on a different path. One that is better for everybody. Now you can concentrate on your true task. This castle, your werewolves and becoming more powerful, becoming the mighty Pumori I always knew you would be.”  
He made a move to embrace her, but pulled back when he remembered his promise.
“Are okay,” Pumori smiled a bit shy.
They embraced and Pumori sought and found his lips. After a long and passionate kiss, Fenrir pulled back.
“What Fenrir do?” Pumori asked. The large wolf men was beginning to fade away.
“My time is up for now. I have to go. But remember what I said before. The world is not ready yet for Falco to win in the way he wants. And if wolves don’t like the world, they change it. But wolves can only change the world, if the pack is big enough. Think about that.”
Pumori reached for him, but Fenrir was gone. She startled, waved her arms around and fell of the tree she had been sitting on in the woods surrounding the castle.
“Pumori?” Cailida asked, leading her horse in the clearing. “Are you okay? I came looking for you and I just saw you fall off that fucking log!”
“Ehm … Pumori mean to do that. Try out new sneaky techniques.”
“Mm. I bet you did.” Cailida said. “I really wish I could see your dreams lately.”
“That are silly. Pumori go back to castle now. Are almost evening.”
“Bye Pumori. Pleasant dreams tonight!” Cailida grinned.