Hidden ones

The feast of celebrations began as the story was told in multiple different versions but all painting Ernak, the supposed guest of honour in a glowing light but as they turned to look for a reaction stopped to see an empty seat and look around for him, “Ivar check the house, I’ll go sweep the town, Alfhild the stables!” Sigurd spoke before watching the others disperse they had no luck, well all but one had no luck. Alfhild silently opening the stable door before peering in nodded in acceptance to what she saw but not liking it, in front of her stood a horse saddled with bedding on its rear and seeing the very man they were looking for open the other set of doors pinned the series of notes to the table with a carving knife but he was now aware of her presence watching his movements, “What Alfhild?” “Don’t leave, we need you here. We all do!” “I must. I don’t want to be here, seeing Ragnor kiss my love and raising a family together, her upset by this whilst you all celebrate FOR her. I want a fresh start!” “Do you need money?! Where will you go?” he mounted the horse before looking back spoke, “I don’t know anywhere is better then here!” “Will come back and visit?” “Not if I can help it!” “Just remember despite all this we still care for you my son!” he went to respond but stopping himself rode away past Sigurd who looking down accepted his decision, “Did he say where he was going?” “As far away from us that he can go” he removed the letters from the table before not seeing one for them only for Lagertha and Ragnor asked, “Nothing for us!” “He said his goodbyes and with that hoped he would never have to see us again... and he doesn’t know how much that hurts me to hear him say that!” “Lagertha will be hurt by this. You know she threatened to cheat on Ragnor so she could get divorced even if it brought dishonour; now she will just hate us as much as she does her father” Sigurd reflected, “Good. We deserve this!” Alfhild wept the tears from her cheek whilst Sigurd tried to comfort her, “We both need a drink!” she shook her head before laying on the now vacant bunk of Ernak she responded clutching it for life, “I’m just going to get an early night!”

With each step the horse took away from the the settlement the more freedom he felt mixed with regret for leaving Lagertha and concern for not knowing what to do next, his entire plan was just getting away from Sigurd and now it was done doubt started to encroach further and further into his mind. The horse continued through the boggier of the mud before finding solid ground again stopped as he saw at a lucky glance a figure crouching perched on a tree in the distance but it’s concentration wasn’t on him but the convoy behind him. He glared at the hooded figure who not breaking concentration on its prey let him go past. He continued along the path before hearing the cries from the convoy turned back to head towards them; surely they could have handled one but it wasn’t their cries it was the killer who, being set up killed the wrong person and was now confronted by her actual one, “Thought you could outsmart us Hidden One?” “That’s where you are wrong! I will kill you even if it costs my life!” “By the look of it... you will die here today!” the figure whose hood was down could tell it was a woman, middle aged and wasn’t native to the lands, she studied the group encircling her blade somewhat fixed to her wrist, they didn’t take into account the independent variable which now came in the yelling of Ernak who firing his bow wounded the leader who before he could look at him in the face saw the sword swing towards his face, he looked back as Ernak killed the two guards trying to pull him off the horse saw him come back for another attack this time swinging at the other side before dismounting to aid the woman who was already using the distraction to her advantage. he dodged the next attack before using the sword almost like a spike landed one quickly blow to the enemy’s throat laughing at he killed the next before leaving the two temporary allies to stand opposite each other, swords drawn with the woman’s wrist blade drawn to act as an knife, her hood now back up to hide her appearance once more and allowing Ernak to draw his second sword standing in an offensive stance, “I didn’t need your help” “Well it sure looked like you did!” “I had it all taken care of, you know!” he laughed before waiting for the attack but instead they stood opposite each other studying both waiting for the other to engage, *Groan* they heard causing both heads to dart straight in the direction of the wounded guard who clutching his chest weakly began to flee, “You missed one kid!” “More like your tiny blade didn’t go in deep enough. When I kill them...” he slammed the swords in the ground before drawing the glowing bow which made the woman cautiously back away studying it before breaking out of her daze heard him state, “I make sure they are dead!” he looked away as the bow twanged and the arrow propelled itself through the guards throat creating the thumping sound as the body collapsed under itself, “That bow!” she spoke daring not to come closer he held it up proudly until his eyes glazed over and failing to his knees he saw more images, more detailed than before, she was protecting what appeared to be chained humans from others of her kind she freed them before running from something or someone the images began to fade and he was now back in the woods being examined by the woman who tried to fight only moments ago, “We need to talk!”

“You wanted to talk?” Ernak grumbled looking over from the fire to the woman who removing her hood and removing her belt to free her movement and to sit on the stool opposite him, “The name’s Aife, you are?” “They call me Örlendr” it means outsider or intruder!” “I know who you are and what you did Hun, I was there when you raided our shores...” “It shouldn’t have been that well defended!” “You’re right something was happening behind the scenes and you interrupted it. I can’t and won’t tell you who they are but they were retrieving something that you now own, they all think it’s gone but I can see you have it!” “This?” he asked holding the bow in front of her, “Yes, let’s just say it’s a powerful artefact that can do more than just be used as a weapon and by the looks of it reacts to your blood, do you know much about your family?” “Truthfully no, does that explain the visions?” “I can’t answer that but the grandmaster could, if you come with me he could answer your questions, just remember what you have is yours and there will be people trying to take it from you. A time will come where you will have a choice: either have one group after you or having both groups hunting you!” “Well I wasn’t planning on doing anything else for the next few decades, why not?”

“Why the blindfold? I have already lost my bearings, we have travelled miles!” “It’s policy, I can’t risk you remembering our hideout’s location, not until the master has decided, mind your step!” Ernak’s feet marched step by blinded step but despite this could still tell he was in a room occupied with multiple other people who were trying to remain silent but their breathing letting them down, he could smell chemicals and herbs from a distance and a fire, “Aife why did you bring me this person?” “Master, the Bow of Artemis... I’ve found it, it was as you predicted; the raiders took the artefact and Ernak has it, it has reacted to him...” “Interesting; how exactly?” “I’m not telling you until you take this blindfold off!” Ernak barked and to the “Master’s” nod he was able to see again, “Ernak and your name is?” “Gudmund master to the branch of the Hidden One’s it’s actually nice to see another native here; I’ve heard of you... they call you Örlendr right? The outsider!” “Yes, a name that I have come to dislike more than you can imagine” he smiled before watching the man present the bow, placed his gloves on as he handled it, “Reacted how?” “I keep seeing flashbacks or memories of this woman, always different but she is always there. One she is hunting, another she is killing intruders, another she was fighting what appeared to be her own people but I never get to finish it, it always cuts out. I feel more alert and power than before after each use and even a poor shot reaches its target and these lines...” Aife lifted the sleeve so Gudmund could study the lines and nodding the master simply spoke, “The markings of the ones who came before; these lines make you incredibly valuable to both us and the Order of Ancients; the difference is we won’t manipulate or use you for power. Obviously you were meant to see these memories, no one else!” “That would explain why Ivar never experienced anything when he held it before me...” he nodded before looking to Aife stated, “Provide him a bunk, he starts training tomorrow!”

“Training?” Ernak queried looking at Aife, “You have a choice join us or have both groups after you. Either way the Order will be targeting you as soon as they know about the artefact. It’s better to have us on your side then against you. Trust me! We can provide you training you will need to survive and allow you to develop your new abilities all you have to do is say yes!” he looked at Aife who nodding caused Ernak to state, “A woman back in my village, I want your word that she will be protected from harm at all costs” “Name?” “Lagertha, now step-daughter to Sigurd and married to Ragnor” “We see to it but now rest, the hard work begins in the morning!”

Few days later at the village

As the wagon stopped Lagertha couldn’t help but smile to see the boats were back and beached, “They are back!” Lagertha cheered hurrying the horses to move faster, “Calm down Lagertha, we don’t want to scare them!” “Ernak will be back, that’s what I care about!” “I know and I know that’s why you won’t consummate our relationship but please at least try and look happy in front of the others!” she sighed before nodding saw the others were getting ready for the festival and jumping off before the horses even stopped she pushed past the crowds to Sigurd’s house and rushed to what would be his room to see it was empty, “Oh, Ernak? Ernak?” but there was silence, “Lagertha what is it?” “Stables, yes he must be in the stables!” she rushed down the path, pushing past Sigurd who looking at his son simply shook his head. Lagertha barged the stable doors open but seeing it was only filled with horses looked around desperately for him, “Ernak? Ernak? Where are you?” “Sister... I... he’s gone!” Lagertha turned around to glare at Torvi in a panic before asking, “Dead?” “No. The night he came back he rode off into the wilderness. Alfhild tried to stop him but he refused to listen to her” “He found out about us refused to listen to their offers, my father offered him everything but he said no. Alfhild offered him Astrid plus whatever woman he wanted, money, raiding party, a military command, a new horse, a house even but he left claiming we had betrayed him!” Ragnor commented holding the letters addressed to them, “He left us these and apparently Erik was handed the sum for your dowry with the words, “I kept my promise” then Ivar broke his nose with a punch” Sigurd with Alfhild silently joined them when Ragnor began to read, “Ragnor, finding this news out hurts me the worst; you don’t like her and knew of our attraction, anyone else and I wouldn’t have cared as much but you! You who I called brother. I... just treat her right, she’s special to me, she’s the only thing I didn’t have to borrow off your family and the only thing I call my own. If you worrying about backlash then remember this: It’s you parents fault!” he folded the note before looking at Lagertha who wiping a tear from her eye closed it before dropping it to the ground walked away pushing past the two parents who tried to comfort her, “What does it say Ragnor?” he crouched down to pick it up before wiping the odd piece of dirt from it read, “Lagertha, I’m sorry... I failed you, if I had worked harder or told someone it would have been different, if I wasn’t so determined to do this on my own then it would have been different but I suppose this is what I get for being so proud. I hope you can forgive me for leaving and not saying goodbye one last time but I can’t stay here and marry Astrid just for their social status or power they claim to possess but even writing this I’m both angry and devastated by this, it makes me think of when we first kissed; the village were picking on me and I had enough; you knew this and we went to the tree that overlooked the sea on that hill, you held me and I held you and it was then when I knew I wanted to be with you, so I kissed you hoping that you didn’t see me as the brute that the others did. I love you and always will; that is something those bastards can’t take from us no matter how much they try. Goodbye my love, Ernak” he closed the letter before looking at his parents stated, “I didn’t even get a chance to apologise to him! I wanted to make it up to him” “We all did son!” Sigurd confessed placing his hand on his son’s shoulder, hoping to comfort him, “I should go and find her and say... I don’t know, what can I say? See you two later!”

The night sky was illuminated by the lit torches that encamped the table allowing the much smaller but nevertheless a celebratory feast for Ragnor and Lagertha now occupied Ivar who was leaving in the morning with his new found wealth and who was sat as far away from Erik and Sigurd as possible, Sigurd sat next to Alfhild who was next to Ragnor and by him was Lagertha who chose to sit a seat away from his person despite the occasion and the others were made up of close friends. The mood was heavy and not in a good way, views were divided among each mini group and Erik knew eyes were glaring at him, “Skald the mood is depressing, tell us a story about our legends!” the Skald sat up as he became to speak, “For Lagertha and Ragnor who have missed the telling of this story, I will tell you all the story of ‘The Örlendr’ the story I was able to witness” Erik growled as he tried quickly to change the story, “No another one!” “I want to hear it!” Lagertha protested waiting for the Skald to begin, “It was a foggy morning when our boats reached the beaches of Britannia’s cost and our young legend unaware of what would befall him this very day followed behind Ivar who full of his usual confidence led our men forward. Whilst the others blindly raided the land like and infestation of crops, Ernak stood out. Even his enemies were shocked that he spoke their barbarian language; but it was his actions that surprised even I, this humble Skald. He didn’t harm an innocent and protected the women from harm our own men, Bernia now one of us and mothers safe the legend had already began. His selfless bravery pulled Ivar from the jaws of this “Christian Faith” in the monastery and with the wisdom that Odin granted him charged alone into the warriors who had set us up in a surprise ambush. His swords gleamed as the blood squirted from our foes, allowing us to escape to the ships. When his horse was chopped down the enemy encircled is like a pack of wolves waiting to pick us off engulfing us in this darkness that only could only be described as Helheim creeping up on us. Björn like his father wounded with Ernak by a sword through their chests and to us signalled the ending for us all but through this darkness came a mighty roar almost as if Kratos had came to save us; in this darkness came two swords on fire which lit our way through the darkness. What came next could only be described as fearless, swords on fire Ernak released another roar when he charged towards the enemy looking to **** the pack back. Enemies tried to flee but he didn’t allow it he pushed forward killing everything in sight forcing them to retreat and Ernak in one masterful shot kill the evil that commander the darkness, a shining arrow pushing past the clouds of darkness and him to simply carry the Jarl to the boat. Many ask what happened to him but our hero, our Örlendr packed up and left the day of his return, where to? I like to think he left to help others and will return one day, when we need him, perhaps in his heart he will reach the closure he most definitely deserves!” the main family fell silent whilst the others cheered, toasting his success and Lagertha for once smiled but this didn’t last long, with this story it made her remember just how much she would miss him and yet provided a hope that he would come back and maybe it could be different on their terms, for their interests and no one else’s.