Eric Olafson, Neo Viking (Vol 1)
Copyright© 2000 by Vanessa Ravencroft
Chapter 11: Uncle Hogun
The shock of being caught had completely cured me of that unnatural desire, at least that was what I thought, and I concentrated on the training. Time had no real meaning. Training was not getting easier. A man who listened to the name of Richard taught me how to use a sword. I knew he was not a keeper, and I was firmly convinced he was the one who had trained me before.
He introduced me to the different types of swords and showed me that there was more than the widely used broadsword, even though he appeared no older than perhaps fifty. In an offhand remark, he told me that he trained and exercised off-planet and was trained by the Union fleet, but he was otherwise as silent and as secretive about his origin as he was when he trained me in that hidden chamber. I did not ask him, for some reason I knew he had figured out who he was, but I never pressed him for answers. His skill with edged weapons had to be unsurpassed merely for that reason. He too was patient with my feeble attempts. He was stern and demanding, pushed me, and did not mind using the hard wooden training sword to teach me in a painful way when I failed to follow his instructions, but I enjoyed every minute of it and could not wait for the morning to arrive.
One morning, however, instead of him or Sigfrieda, the Ancient One called me to get up and asked me to follow him. Through one of the dark corridors, we reached a dead end, but after he operated a hidden lever, part of the rock wall swung open, and after he motioned me to follow, we stood outside on the very landing I had met him first, and I learned that he did not appear there by magic or other supernatural means. The wind felt much colder than I remembered, but then I had spent quite a while now beneath the mountain in the warm caves. He said, “Eric, your grandfather will be here tomorrow to pick you up and take you back to Ragnarsson-Rock, back to school, and back to your normal life.”
“I gave you my word, Ancient One. I will not speak of what I have learned.”
“I have no doubt you keep your word. You are, as I said before, indeed much like your grandfather. I wanted to talk to you about your secret. I know you are suppressing it, and maybe you can, but I want you to be careful. Nilfeheim is unforgiving and lacks any compassion and understanding when it comes to these things.”
I nodded.
“I also wanted to wish you well and find and achieve what you really want. Try not to see everything in Nilfeheim Neo Viking absolutes; not everything that is not white is necessarily black. I have no powers or abilities to predict the future, Eric. But if you live as long as I have, you will see that there are patterns and certain chains of events usually lead to the same outcome.”
I was not sure what he wanted to say, but I nodded.”Can I come back next summer break?”
“I made arrangements for your further education for that time, and an old friend of mine will find you and show you a few things, but you can always come here. Only I won’t be here then!”
“You said you can’t predict the future, Ancient One. Don’t predict your own end. They do care about you, and I do too.”
“I am glad you found some room in that revengeful heart for another old man, but I did not predict my own end. I decided I would take your advice and leave Nilfeheim for a bit. I
think I want to see how far humankind has developed since I left Earth, and I might even apply for citizenship.”
That did surprise me, and he laughed.” I am retired; I should be able to travel a little. I have seen everything there is to see on Nilfeheim.”
“How come you do know Midril?”
“I travel the islands very frequently in the guise of an old Seer and Arguer. It is the common folks who greet me warmly. While I say some wise things, they tell me many things about their clans and what happens in the world.”
I said farewell to all the Keepers below and was once more in the actual keep. The first Keeper handed me a rolled document and said,”This document gives proof that you performed all duties well and to our satisfaction. With it, you may in years to come make your bid to the Circle of Elders should you choose to do so.”
“I doubt I will look at them the same way as I have before. To become an Elder was never a wish or desire of mine even before I came here.”
“Your grandfather sent a message that he is to pick you up today as he must return to Pluribus. You know the stairs well, and it takes as long to get down.”
He wished me well, and then I left the Halls of Hasvik and made my way down the steep stairs. When I reached the landing, I looked towards the rock wall where I knew the secret door was and waved, not knowing if the Ancient one could see or hear me, and said, “Take care, Old man, and thank you for everything.”
I was already on my way down the next flight when he appeared on top of the landing, waved, and yelled, “You’re welcome, Eric.”
The weather had not changed from when I came here. The same gray sky and the same cold wind. Then I could make out a black spot, and as I descended, the spot grew into the black Volvo flier, and next to it stood Grandfather, as if he had been there the whole time. I made it down the last steps and ran over the hard-packed snow atop the ice, stopped at arm’s length before him. The wind tugged at his beard and hair. “Do you leave the Halls with honor?” was the first thing he said.
I held out the rolled paper, and he took it, opened it, and after reading whatever was there, he said, “The Keepers have bestowed great praise upon you and made you an honorary Keeper of Hasvik with the right to wear the garments. He knelt down and then threw his arms around me.” My heart was filled with pride. “You have done well!”
I was happy enough to see him, but I already missed the sheltered and fearless environment of the caves below the Halls. I would certainly miss the Ancient one. He was as dignified and honorable as my grandfather, but despite his mind-boggling lifespan and all the knowledge and wisdom, he was much more approachable and somewhat more human. Perhaps the prospect of returning to the burg had dampened my mood more than anything else. I followed Grandfather into the flier, where he took off his coat, threw it over a seat. “You kept your promise, and I shall keep mine, Eric. One day, you will inherit all that is Ragnarsson, but today, you will receive my most prized possession.”
He unbuckled his belt with sword and scabbard.
“Grandfather, you bestow me with such a gift of honor, more than the sword. I treasure your gesture and the meaning, but I shall decline this gift for now. It is so much part of what everyone associates with you. I would not be allowed to wear this sword; it would gather dust until I was old enough. It is Mördaren, and it is meant to be worn, and I will wear it from the day onward. You can no longer raise it.”
He blinked, and there was a tear in my grandfather’s eye. “You are fourteen years of age, but you speak with wisdom and authority.” He girded it back on.
I knew what he meant, but the heroes in the old books always spoke using words like ‘shall’ and ‘though,’ and all the sons of clan chiefs in school tried to elevate themselves from early on to talk in this antiquated way, Neo Vikings loved so much. I just didn’t want that sword. Father would prohibit me from wearing it or taking it. I did not want Father’s hands to put his hands on it.
Grandfather started the flier, and once the Computronic took over, he swiveled around. “While you have been at the Halls of Hasvik, I have spent time with the Circle of Elders and put my affairs in order before I have to leave again. Your father has promised to let you return to Fight and Heritage classes. You are also allowed to visit your uncle Hogun after school. He is your godfather after all.”
These were good news after all. All this would mean I had to spend only a little time at the burg. “Thank you, grandfather.”
“I must return to Pluribus tomorrow, but I will be back for Yuletide and the big Hunt in four months.”
“I can’t wait till it is January then.”
“It will come as a surprise tom you, but your father and forty other clan chiefs went off-planet to attend a Seafood trade convention on Tyson Planet. Of course, it helped that Tyson Galactic invited them with all expenses paid.”
My chin dropped to my chest. “Father went off-planet? You had him arrested, and he will hang?”
Grandfather shook his head.“No, Eric. Tyson’s Planet is a privately owned world, and they went there on a private charter.” He sighed. “He is not on Union ground; what I hear is he cursed and complained and did not want to go, but he also did not want to stay behind while even the Elhir Chief went along.”
I did not try to hide my disappointment, but then I said: “Forty clan chiefs gone? I wager this is the most peaceful time this planet has had since the Stockholm Ark landed.”
“I see you learned much from the Keepers and paid attention. I too was amazed by the collection of things they keep in the Hall of Collections from the early days.”
Although I heard the Ancient talk about it once during dinner, I never saw that Hall he mentioned, as I did not see much of the Keep above the mountain. I had to be careful now and not to reveal I knew little about the structure on top of the mountain.
He then changed the subject and told me about local politics and a dispute over free fishers versus fish farmers and why the Circle of Elders was upset with a third-born son of a little-known and young clan living in Oresund, a fisher village located somewhere on the ice of the southern pole. Because that young man received a grant of 100,000 credits to develop his idea of farming flicker crabs in underwater cages.
I feigned interest and asked, “Why would they be upset? Is it not the man’s own business?”
“Because the young man did not ask his oldest brother for permission and refused to share the grant with his oldest sibling, who is of course the firstborn. The case is tricky as it involves federal money and stipulations, so the young man cannot be simply executed for his insolent behavior.”
“What are your thoughts on that, Grandfather?”
“I sympathize personally with the entrepreneurial spirit and applaud his patience and skill to get through the grant process, but he violated the traditions by going over the will and knowledge of his clan leader.”
Inside, I was afraid Grandfather would say that, and it showed me that, despite all his cosmopolitan flair and time off planet, he was still a Neo Viking and Elder first and foremost. I was not so sure about his promise to involve off-world law to deal with the father anymore.
He said, “I recommended a solution, and it was agreed upon. The grant has been paid back from the common fund, and I managed to get the process annulled. The young man will now deal with his older brother and clan chief for whatever internal solution they find.”
“In other words, his dreams and his chance have been crushed, and he was punished for trying to get ahead.”
“No, Eric, he was punished for not following our laws.”
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