Broken Souls (Book 1 of Seasons of the Cycle)

Chapter 65 - Bothvar Beorcolsson

We set up our tents just outside the village. The slaves do most of the work setting up camp and pitching our tents. Thormar gets stuck with Bodvar. Thora with Aunt Sigvor and Svala. Sigvor's slaves are behind them with Thormar's. Mother obviously with father. Me by myself, next to the men who'll be on my ship and my brothers. I know I said I will not raid, but I've come to admit the necessity. I won't have another winter where my people starve. If it means taking from others, so be it. Besides, as much as I have all but put aside the thoughts of revenge, I will kill the elf who took my brother if I come across him.

As we finish getting settled in, I head out to find my father. He is arguing with my mother like always, and it's about the Wolf Clan, which is even less of a surprise. "Beorcol, you can't go starting fights. This is not the place or the time to do so."

"I cannot let that bastard, Bjarni, get away with what he did. He killed my father and my grandfather. I saw it with my own eyes. I will not rest until his head lies at my feet," my father says.

"And then what, will you let his son, Vidkunn, get his revenge upon you for killing his father?" mother asks, crossing her arms against her chest with a glare. "Will you continue this stupid cycle of taking father after father? If you kill Bjarni and Vidkunn kills you, then that will force your children to seek revenge. And Vidkunn's children. And the children of their children. This cycle must stop here and now."

My father grumbles. "I hate when you're right, but that doesn't mean I agree to it. If Bjarni and his sons provoke me, I'll kill 'em. I'll kill 'em all and end the blood feud once and for all."

"Then you better make sure you kill every last Wolf or you'll shackle our children to this prison of stupidity," she says before she turns her back to him and walks away muttering under her breath. "Stupid, pig-headed, sheep's arse, chicken shit of a man."

My father huffs. "Damn the gods. Why does that woman always have to be right?"

His eyes meet mine. "I take it you heard that?"

"I think the entire camp heard that," I say.

"You might be right. She is so loud," he says, and I can't help but laugh.

"She is your wife," I say with a grin.

"That she is, and as crazy as it sounds, I would have no other. The damn woman is far wiser than I," he says, sighing. I follow him as he walks to the mess tent and pours himself a mug of ale and downs the entire thing. "I needed that. Shall we head to the meeting of the clans? Wouldn't want to miss that shit feast."

I nod, and he puts his hand on my shoulder. "We'll need the intervention of the gods to make it out of that meeting with a clean sword. Where are your siblings? Fetch Bodvar and Thormar. I want them to witness it so they see the stupidity they'll have to deal with when I'm gone."

I nod and head to their tent, pushing inside to see a shit feast of their own. The two are at each other's throats, trying to see who can go longer without breathing. I sigh and yank Thormar off of Bodvar, tossing him outside. How am I not surprised by either of these two. It's been taking less and less to boil Thormar's blood and Bodvar knows exactly where to dig to unbury Thormar's anger.

Thormar barges back into the tent. "I'll kill him. I swear to the gods, I'll kill him."

I have to restrain him as Bodvar holds up a fist with his pinky finger out signally that Thormar has a little pecker and only causes him to erupt in further rage. And of course, Bodvar continues to hurl insults at him. "Oh, come off it. You're acting like a girl. All I did was touch one thing."

"You're a donkey's arse! I told you not to touch my stuff and then I find it all flung out on the floor," Thormar says as he tries to push past me to charge at him once more.