Later that day, Sven returned from his duties to attend to me. He was flanked by two wolves this time. One of them I hadn’t noticed before, but the white wolf I recognized. The second wolf’s pelt was dark gray, and he had bold eyes the color of honey. Sven seated himself on a wooden chest and let out a sigh. He seemed in no hurry to talk, but I was brimming with questions. I decided to start out with a lighter topic.
“I’m curious,” I asked, “Why is your ship called the Munin?” Sven laughed.
“Your home has been ransacked, you have near-fatal wounds, you’ve been captured by brutal raiders, and all you want to know about is the namesake of the ship you’re on? I don’t think you’re right in the mind, Aric.”
I realized that my question had been silly, but I didn’t want to appear foolish. “I know it’s a strange thing to ask under the given circumstances, but really, why?
“Well, if you truly want to know,” Sven began, “My people worship the great god Odin above all others. Odin is the leader of the Ǽsir, the gods of war. He watches the lives of mortal men through the eyes of his raven servants, Huginn and Munin. Being the god of war, the raven is Odin’s symbol, since ravens feed off the dead. The Huginn is another ship in our fleet, identical to ours. Magnus named his craft the Munin so that Odin would always watch over us and bring us good fortune in raids.”
“That’s…interesting,” I replied, thinking about what he had said. These people must truly be savage pagans if their chief god was the god of war. I was disgusted. Without thinking, I blurted out another question, one I’d been burning to ask.
“How do your people live with themselves? You plunder and kill to make a living, destroying and stealing, feeding off of others. You’re no better than common brigands!”
Sven’s face reddened with anger, but he restrained himself and was silent for a moment.
“You foolish prisoner! You know nothing of my people! Nothing! Thievery to us is absolutely abhorrent, one of the most heinous acts a man can possibly commit! To raid is not to steal, no more than to fight in war is to murder. No, a raid is a fair fight, and the winner takes the spoils. Is that not right and just?” Sven calmed toward the end of his rant, and his breathing slowed.
I was surprised by his response. Perhaps the Norsemen were not as barbaric as I had thought. They truly thought what they did was justified, a way to make an honest living.
“I… I’m sorry… I didn’t know…,” I began. “You must forgive me. My patience has been tested like never before today, and, as you can imagine, I’m very angry at what has happened to me. I just think it’s so unfair!” I cried, now on the edge of tears. I leaned back and looked away. Sven said nothing.
The white wolf I had met earlier today came over to me and lay down at my feet, gazing at me with her wide blue eyes. I felt the urge to reach down and pet her as Sven had, and I ran my fingers through her soft coat, marveling at her beauty. She set her head down on the deck and closed her eyes, letting me stroke her. Her fur was thick and warm, especially around her muscular neck.
“I’m sure you remember meeting Hati earlier today,” Sven said. Apparently he was willing to forgive me for what I had said, for the present, at least. “She’s very gentle, but be careful around Skoll.” He indicated the dark gray wolf at his side. “Skoll can be rather… protective, but he’s fiercely loyal and bold.”
These wolves made me curious. Why did Sven have them, and how had he befriended them, so to speak? These and other questions were still screaming to be asked inside my head, but I didn’t want to question Sven any further.
Still running my fingers through Hati’s fur, I gazed out over the ocean. The sun was a blazing red-orange ball of fire, its hue spilling over into the wispy clouds in the evening sky and reflecting dazzlingly in the waves. I’d seen my share of ocean sunsets, but they never ceased to take my breath away.
Activity on the ship began to quiet down as nightfall approached. Raiders tore into dried and salted fish and loaves of crusty bread for their dinner, causing my stomach to give a deep grumble. Sven noticed how I hungrily eyed the food and went to fetch some with a nod. Skoll stood up and followed him.
For the first time since my capture, I found myself able to relax. I leaned back against the side of the ship and let out a deep sigh. Hati, seeming to agree, gave a soft growl-purr noise and closed her eyes. Sven returned after a few minutes with several dried fish, loaves of bread, and goblets of water.
“There you go,” he said with a small smile as he handed me my share. “Can’t have our valuable captives starving now, can we?”
I mustered a weak smile and tore voraciously into my dinner. I’m sure the fish tasted disgusting compared to the elegant fare I was used to, but I was so ravenous I scarcely noticed. Sven thoughtfully chewed a roll as he watched me devour my rations. I slowed down as I moved onto the bread. It was so dry and crusty that it was impossible to eat quickly. I had to take sips of my water often to soften the bread in my mouth.
As mealtime drew to a close, the last beams of rich sunlight flickered on the water before the sun vanished beneath the waves. Raiders rolled out small, thin mats and a few had sacks of feathers for pillows. Luxuries were few aboard the Munin. Suddenly my eyelids felt as if they were made of lead, and I lie down upon a sack of provisions and fell into a deep slumber.
Chapter 4 coming soon!
However, some of your dialogue needs work, and be original and make realistic wolves. How likely is it that some random chap has two around him like they're dogs?
Gender:
Points: 1451
Reviews: 21