The Steele Wolf

CHAPTER 8



Weeks passed, as the news of the Kragh Aru spread, distant members from other clans, arrived from far and wide to compete. After all, the chance to become bonded with the clan leader’s daughter and help govern the whole clan was something they couldn’t pass up. Especially, since the Valdyrstal’s were the largest and the wealthiest of the remaining clans.

The week before the competition, my father became sullen and angered easily. I had thought it had something to do with the influx of clan members that seemed to be appearing daily. Family members greeted many of their distant relatives, while others brought tents of their own to set up along the outskirts of the fields. On more than one occasion I had gone to the gathering hall, where many chose to eat and drink, and found my father passed out drunk.

But the next morning, Bearen was back to himself again. He even wore his finest leathers and furs and spent the morning looking to the mountains as if he were waiting for something or someone.

I was spending the morning avoiding the new faces and the odd stares by hiding in the stable with Faraway. I crawled up into the hayloft to bring another bale down to the stalls.

Throw some of that hay my way!

Instead of throwing Faraway a handful of hay to munch on, I dumped a whole loose bale on him. I laughed out loud as he shook his head and flicked his tale comically to get the offending hay out of his mane.

Oops. I guess you should have said how much hay.

I don’t think you brought down enough.

I threw down plenty you pig.

Never underestimate my stomach, Faraway taunted back and began to munch happily on his snack.

I heard the pounding of racing horses before I saw men race past the stable and barrel down the road towards the mountains. Normally I wouldn’t have cared, except that I recognized two of the riders as my father and Odin. Quickly, I jumped down the ladder and ran out of the large double doors and into the road, trying to see where they were heading. I went back inside to grab Faraway with the full intention of riding after them.

“I wouldn’t do that, Meja Faelan.” It was Fenri. He had snuck up behind me and gently laid his hand across Faraway’s stall.

“Do what?” I answered.

“Follow them. It is your father’s business, and if he wanted you to come he would have asked you.”

“Is he in danger?” I couldn’t help but let the worry show.

“No, he’s not the one you should worry about. Besides, he has Odin with him. I guarantee you they will both be back by nightfall in time for the feast. After all, how often does our clan get together and we have such a glorious occasion to celebrate.” Fenri made a show of waving his hands in the air, but I could tell that he was somewhat disappointed.

“Look Fenri, about the Kragh Aru.” I stepped closer and looked up at his clean-shaven face and couldn’t help but reach out and touch his cheek. “I’m sorry—.”

He closed his eyes and gently pressed his cheek into my palm before pulling away abruptly. “No, you have the right to make me fight for your hand and your honor. There is no need to feel shame.” He moved toward the stable doors and turned back with a half smile on his face. “Unless you don’t dance with me. After all, I am the best at the Tipturo.” He left.

I felt a quick pang in my heart and felt a soft nuzzle against my shoulder. I turned to pat Faraway’s warm cheek.

You’re filled with sadness for the red-haired one.

Yes, I can’t give him what he wants or probably deserves.

Which is?

My heart.

Why not?

An image of Joss flashed through my mind and then it flickered away.

I don’t know.

Well maybe it’s not your love you need to give him.

What else is there?

Your loyalty.

He had me there. It is what I was doing anyway if my plan failed. I was going to marry whoever won the competition. So why didn’t I just accept Fenri’s offer or agree to my father’s choice? What did I hope to achieve if it didn’t work? I finished my work in the hayloft and grabbed a currycomb and brushed Faraway as I went over my problems. I kept glancing out the doors to the mountains waiting for my father and Odin to return. It was nearing dark and I had to change for the celebration soon. As I was about to leave Hemi led three latecomers into the stable. He looked surprised to see me and quickly stepped in front of me, hiding me behind his large body.

“Oi, since you have no family ties, and you didn’t bring your own tents, you get what’s left,” Hemi said gruffly gesturing to the hayloft above me. “Which would be the loft.”

Taking the cue from Hemi, I kept my head low and pulled up the hood on my vest, hiding my face. I grabbed a pitchfork and pretended to muck out the stall. I studied each one, trying to see if I recognized any of them. I didn’t.

One was in his fifties with long grey hair and a nose that looked like it had been broken on numerous occasions. The second was completely bald, medium build, muscular and was the loudest of the three. The third man was slightly taller than the bald one, he wore a furred cap that covered most of his head and was apparently drunk. He collapsed onto my fresh pile of hay and immediately began snoring. The other two kicked him and made some crude gesture. I heard their words and had problems understanding. Their dialect was different- harsher.

I backed up and whispered to Hemi. “Who are they?”

Hemi stroked his long red beard and eyed them warily. “The news spread quickly and you gained attention from the Stahler clan. I didn’t think any from that clan would show themselves, but the prize must have been too much for them to pass up.”

The grey haired Stahler made a lewd comment about hoping to get ahold of some ladies tonight for some entertainment.

Hemi’s face turned bright red and he made a curt reprimand before grabbing my elbow and physically removing me from the stable and out of their line of sight. Thankfully, they never paid me any attention.

“Whatever you do,” he warned. “Stay away from them and don’t go anywhere near the stable.” I nodded and quickened my steps to match his as we put as much distance between the Stahlers and me as possible. Something about them made my skin crawl.

Faraway, can you keep an eye on them?

How about my nose? Can’t miss that stench.

Hemi walked me to my house and paused. He shuffled his feet back and forth before looking up at me with pride in his eyes and something that could have been tears.

“It doesn’t matter to me, what happened to you. I’ve seen it with my eyes, you’re special. You are worth a hundred of us warriors and you shouldn’t hide who you are. You have my axe if ever you need it.” He put his giant hand on the handle to his axe that he always wore on his back and he lumbered down into a bow.

I felt myself begin to tear up as well. Somehow, I had earned the loyalty of one of my father’s trusted friends. Now if only the rest of my clan felt the same way.

“Thank you, Hemi. You are indeed a loyal warrior and one that I would like to call my friend.”

His large face beamed with happiness and he stood up and ambled away, but not before I caught his quick look to the mountains. I knew he knew where my father went, and if Hemi was worried then I knew I had to worry.



***



“Is it true that you turned down Fenri in favor of a Kragh Aru?” Siobhan asked. Her hands deftly parted my hair and began to braid and arrange it upon. She reached for another pin and gently tucked a stray piece of hair in place. I looked up in the mirror and met her amazed look and shrugged.

She had come over to help me get ready for the ceremony and had been very careful to avoid the topic of marriage for the first hour but not anymore. Her questions flowed as swiftly as the Kirakura falls.

“I’m so envious. Did you see how many people showed up to compete for your hand? I can’t imagine what it must be like to have that many people wanting to marry you.”

“Well...I never thought this many people would come.”

“Of course they would come. But I have to ask you; did you not like any of the men in our own clan? Or are you just trying to make Fenri jealous?”

I was at a loss for words. “Fenri is striking, but I’m not sure if we are right for each other.”

“Not right for you, Thalia! He is the most attractive man here! You should just be happy that your father chose someone for you that was your age. I happen to think he is…” her comments dropped off and I could see a faint rose color appear at her cheeks.

My eyes opened wide as I realized my cousin had a fondness for Fenri. How could I have been so dense? Maybe that was why she was friendlier to me, because I chose the tourney instead of Fenri.

She dropped her hands into her lap and swallowed. “Well, who am I to say what you should do. You’ve already made up your mind…but do you think you can go through with it? I mean marry the winner? What if it’s a total stranger?”

I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes sparkled with the slightest bit of fear and excitement. I stood up and smoothed out any wrinkles in my dark blue wool dress. White fur lined the high neck collar and short sleeves. My hair arranged in twists and braids upon my head and paired with my mother’s silver wolf armbands, made me look exotic, powerful, and regal. The only hint of my worry was my slightly swollen lip, which I had been biting for the last hour.

“I keep my word, cousin. I will marry whoever wins the tourney tomorrow.” I said with false bravado. “Let us worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Tonight is for celebrations and dancing.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her to my armoire where I pulled out a pair of beautiful gold bracelets. I put them on Siobhan’s arms and gave her a quick hug. “Let’s enjoy tonight.”

We left my home to walk the streets heading towards the main square. I felt a pang of loneliness as I realized how similar this felt. Did I not just walk like this a few months ago with my friend Avina? Could I really cast my friends aside that easily? What about Joss? I would be forced to wed someone else. Was I really ready to gamble so much, to try and prove myself? My nerves got the better of me and I stumbled. Siobhan caught me.

“Are you okay, cousin?”

“No. Yes…. I don’t know. Maybe I should speak with my father.” I raised my head and scanned the crowd looking for him.

“He’s over there,” Siobhan pointed to the main hall and sure enough I saw my father duck into the building.

The main square was alight with colorful paper lanterns, music and dancing. Women walked around with trays on their hips, selling food. Children ran between them playing games. Men were in smaller groups off to the side sparring and wrestling with each other testing out the competition before tomorrow. Everyone was happy, excited and drunk. Everyone but me.

We made our way through the crowded streets and I felt someone press in close to my side. I looked up and saw Hemi. His face was stern as he gently touched my elbow and led me into the main hall.

Inside the hall a giant silver shield hung from the rafters and a hammer lay next to it. It was tradition that whoever wanted to enter the completion would do so by striking the mighty shield. A line had already begun to form before the shield. The warrior would step up, hit the shield and then come and speak an oath to the woman whose hand they hoped to win.

My lips felt dry and I kept trying to wet them as Hemi led me to the front of the hall. My palms were sweating and I found myself digging my nails into Hemi’s arm. I saw my father standing in front of the large stone fireplace with two high back chairs next to it. Bearen somehow had come back to the village without my knowledge and found time to change for the festivities.

His large sword leaned against the chair, and I counted at least two other blades on his belt. A glance behind the chair showed me another axe hidden within a few feet. His eyes darted warily between the clansman and I felt myself tense up. He was worried and I wasn’t sure why.

Slowly, I turned to sit down on the high back wooden chair, like a queen, as my father came over to address the room. All of the warriors, women and children, gathered as close as they could into the room. Others waited outside the windows and in the square to hear my father’s announcement.

Bearen stood tall and proud. He turned his piercing eyes upon the men in the crowd and spoke loudly, “Tonight is a night for many celebrations. Many of you have heard how my daughter was kidnapped in the dark of night and we thought we had lost her. Someone tried to steal that which is most precious to me. But by sky above, we got her back and I can’t bear the thought of losing her again. So I have called the strongest warriors from our clan together to issue a challenge. A challenge that goes back hundreds of years. The warrior’s test. The Kragh Aruuuu!” He raised his fist into the air and howled the last word. The room erupted into howls of encouragement, mimicking the Aruuuu call.

Bearen continued, “This is also a test to find the fiercest and boldest among you who will be worthy to protect my daughter from all that hunts her and so the prize for the winner will be…my daughter as your lifemate. So without further delay, because we all want to get to the mead as soon as possible, let the challengers come forth.”

The men began to stomp their feet on the wooden floor. It was fast and matched the pace of my wildly beating heart. There was more howling, and I scanned the men’s faces trying to read their expressions when they looked at my father and me.

The first warrior, a young man with curly hair stood up and used the mallet to strike the shield.

Clang! Roars of approval moved through the hall. He came forward and knelt in front of my chair to pledge his oath to me.

I was taken aback by how young he was; he had to be younger than me. His green eyes twinkled with excitement and hope. I just prayed that my stupid plan wouldn’t get him killed.

“I’m Arthur and I choose to fight for you.” He grinned and pounded his chest playfully. “Min hjart en sterkur,” he recited. ‘My heart is strong.’

I was proud that I remembered the correct reply. “En meja min sver vera sterkur.” ‘But may your sword be stronger.’

He bowed low and I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks. The room erupted into whistles. I spared a look toward my father and he shook his head in disappointment. He knew and I knew that the boy wouldn’t win.

Clang! The shield rang again and another warrior came forward to declare his intentions. Some of the men looked me over appraisingly while others winked at me. A few were old enough to be my father; some were missing teeth and more than a few needed baths.

I was quite shocked when a familiar face rang the shield and knelt before me. His long black hair draped past his shoulders, and his eyes looked black by the firelight. My cousin, Bvork smirked at me and made a deliberate show of reaching for my hand to plaster a kiss on it. I quickly pulled it away and wiped it on the front of my dress, hearing a few laughs follow as he sauntered away. I leaned over to Odin who had moved to stand next to me.

“How can he enter? I whispered furiously. “He’s my cousin.”

“I did what you asked. I looked into the rules and nowhere does it state who can and can’t compete in the Kragh Aru. It’s what you were personally counting on.”

Sighing, I mentally wished that I were back in Calandry and taking classes again. My troubles there seemed so much easier than the trouble I was causing here. I was actually beginning to miss Syrani and her awful barbs.

The next clansman who was presented stood before me had a slight accent as he pledged his vow. Actually, I had heard quite a few variations on the pledge. I smiled widely when Fenri stepped forward and kneeled and grasped my hand. “My heart is strong.”

“But may your sword be stronger.” I smiled back and reached for his hand delaying him. I leaned forward and whispered urgently, “Do you think you can still win?”

“Are you changing your mind? You could have had me without the tournament.”

“No, I’m not changing my mind,” I answered.

“Then what choice do you give me? I have to win.” He pulled his hand roughly out of mine and moved away.

I felt a little guilty at what I was putting Fenri through. A slight cough made me realize that it was time to move on.

The grey haired and the bald Stahler men came, rang the shield and pledged followed by another clansmen whose furs were dirty and his helm covered his head and most of his face. He slurred through the vow as if he was drunk and then looked at me with a sneer in his voice. “This is what I traveled all this way for? This is the prize?” He hiccupped and started to fall over. “What a waste.”

I felt my hand pull back to slap him, but Odin caught me and sternly told him to move on. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he made his way back to a corner by the other two men. I realized I recognized him as the drunk Stahler and I decided I needed to keep a closer eye on those three.

The shield rang over and over. Sometime during the procession someone started playing the drums. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to hide from the rhythm and the rush of feelings and emotions that were rolling over me. I could feel them: excitement, joy, hope. But then others came, darker ones: lust, hate, revulsion.

I opened my eyes and saw the piercing gaze of the Stahler men and I almost choked. I scanned the crowd again and met more angry eyes, but these were coming from my own family members; my Uncle Rayneld and my cousin Bvork. Fear boiled up from within me and I tried to push it away. I desperately needed the noise to stop.

My nails gripped the armrests of my chairs and felt myself start to lose control. My head started to throb and I just wanted the noise and pain to cease. Someone was laughing at me. Or they could have been laughing at someone else but it felt like it was directed at me. Another warrior rang the shield.

How many more could there possibly be? I barely made it through reciting my line, before the buzzing in my head got louder. It was finally over and I could breathe, but barely. It was time to go outside and do the last thing I felt like doing. Celebrate.