Thundershield

Chapter 5

Ragnar awoke startled, he was lying in a stead he had never seen before. It had an odd smell to it, a musky and earthly smell. He sat up and immediately regretted it as his head began to throb with pain. Last thing he vaguely remembered was charging towards some men in a blind rage. He felt a blow to the side of his head, falling over and lying on the ground for a moment, then nothing.

Was this the afterlife?

The halls of Kord?

Am I to see my brothers and kin again? Ragnar thought. 

This room certainly didn't look like how Ragnar had always imagined the halls of Kord looking. It was a rather simple and spartan stead. There was a single bed, which he currently lay in. A single door that looked a little too low compared to those he was more used to seeing. There was a small fire in the corner of the stead which provided all the light and warmth. In the middle of the room, there was a simple wooden table and a single stool. Apart from some odd cooking equipment and furs it was empty. Ragnar's forehead knotted as it began to throb even more terribly. His vision began to swim and he involuntary lay back down and fell back unconscious.

***

'Time t'get up laddie, ya've been in that bed for the past three nights an' from the look of things ya ain't been out during the day either.'

Ragnar awoke to this new and strange voice. It had a thick and odd accent, but somehow sounded familiar to him. He opened his eyes, his vision blurring in and out of focus. He closed his eyes tight and rubbed his hands against his eyes before opening them again. He turned and looked to the figure now standing at the edge of the bed. A short and stocky individual filled his view. He had hard dark skin, short brown hair with a short scruffy beard and an overly long moustache that came down lower than the rest of the beard. It was a dwarf. Ragnar instantly recognised him as the dwarf Gorn who frequented the tribe's camp. He was a personal friend of the tribe's leader and was well respected by the entire tribe. 

'Wha...Wha...Whats going on?' Ragnar finally muttered.

He felt as weak as that time he got the winter sickness back when he was seven.

'Ya've been sleeping in MY bed for the past three night's lad, that's what's been going on' Gorn replied in his thick Dwarven accent.

Ragnar looked at him confused.

Gorn sighed and then said, 'Look lad. I figure it best to just get this part over with. I got some bad news for ya...' Gorn paused to take a breath before continuing. 'Yer entire clan has been killed, cut down like dogs, all cept you.' 

Ragnar could see the pain momentarily behind Gorn's eyes but it was quickly covered. Hearing this brought up memories Ragnar did not want to remember. 

'I was on my way to visit Bladvar when I came across the slaughter. I managed to save ya before those bastards...' Gorn paused again, this time with a look of disgust on his face, 'killed ya...'

Gorn knew exactly what would of happened to Ragnar had he not arrived when he did. He would of been lucky to of been simply killed. But he decided as blunt as he normally is, this was no thing to tell a child.

'I... I know, I saw. Me...' Ragnar had to pause momentarily before continuing 'me and my brothers arrived before they were finished. We were overcome by such rage that we charged them.' 

Ragnar could remember up to that point clearly but after that everything became vague and cloudy.

'I never felt anger like that before.' he continued. 'I saw them die...'