Page 108 of The Caged Viking

Next to offer him advice was his son who sought him out in the barn where Hauk was raking shit out of the straw in the stalls occupied by Ingolf’s horses. His son was wearing a strange shert celebrating the dead, as if warriors would be grateful to be dead, although he supposed some would be, those who went to Valhalla. Aaarrgh! He had no doubt that this, too, was a scheming gift from his wife; so, he declined to ask the traitor about it.

“She says she feels like my mother,” Bjorn told him right off.

Under normal circumstances, Hauk would have asked “Who?” but he knew and would not give her the satisfaction. Not that she was here to witness his disdain. Instead, he just ignored Bjorn and almost got kicked by the one of the horses who was not happy with his proximity.

“She did not mean to leave us,” Bjorn continued.

That, he could not ignore. He turned, leaned on his rake, and glared at his son.

“Well, she didn’t. She said it was an accident. Must be it was her One-God who decided to send her away.”

“And was it her One-God who sent her back?” Hauk inquired, disbelieving. “And why?”

“I do not know.”

Hauk handed Bjorn another rake and motioned for him to push the soiled straw toward an already large pile, which would later be spread on the kitchen garden. Bjorn complied, but then he turned back and said, “Don’t send her away.”

“What makes you think I have the power to do that?”

Bjorn shrugged. “Forgive her. That would be a start.”

“Pfff! According to you, there is naught to forgive. She was not responsible for her desertion.”

“Well, according to Egil, when dealing with women, the best course of action for a man is always to apologize to a woman, even when he is not in the wrong.”

“Ah, and now Egil is the font of all wisdom. An Odin he has become.”

“I am just saying.”

It was not a surprise, therefore, when Egil showed up later in the storeroom where Hauk had gone to get a barrel of mead for tonight’s yule feast. “Do ye need help with that?”

Hauk nodded, and the two of them rolled the heavy barrel, which held a half-tun of mead, up the steps and into the outer kitchen and from there to the great hall.

Setting the barrel in one corner, for now, Hauk turned to Egil. “What? No advice from you, too.”

“Hah! Ye know what I think of wimmin and their greedy ways. Nay, I would not be swayed by her declarations of love, if I were ye. Best to send her away, sooner rather than later.”

“What declarations of love?”

“She claims to love ye, but then she was with that JAM fellow whilst she was gone, and you know what that means?” He raised his eyebrows as if they shared some understanding.

“I don’t understand,” Hauk said. “She said she loves me?”

“Yea.”

Hauk’s heart lifted, despite himself. “Why would she tell you something like that?”

“’Cause I accused her of bein’ unfaithful with the JAM man, but she says they was jist datin’, which I still think is suspicious. She claims datin’ ain’t tuppin’, but I don’t know about that.”

Hauk put his face in his hands and counted to ten, under his breath. “Ein, tveir, Þrir, fjorir…”

“Do ye have a head pain? The lady has a cure fer that.”

Hauk raised his head. “Why am I not surprised?”

“You know, m’lord…” Egil began

Hauk groaned. He knew when Egil referred to him as lord or master, he was going to say something Hauk would not like.