Broken Souls (Book 1 of Seasons of the Cycle)

Chapter 74 - Bothvar Beorcolsson

I try to get some sleep, but Thora, Svala, and Thormar make that impossible. I can hardly fall asleep before one of them comes rumbling in. Thormar bursts into my room telling me about some bizarre invention of his that has to do with sea water and how he wants to install it on our ship. I don't listen. I had to throw a chalice at him to leave me alone.

I barely have enough time to collapse on my bed before Svala comes in.

She came into my room to hide from Thormar because she stole his maps. She's smiling from ear to ear, pushing me over as she makes enough room to sit down. "Thormar is a total page-turner. He has all these stupid books, and he doesn't even know how to read. I know it. He just looks at the pictures. I know he does. I know it like I know my ax. And I know my ax really well. I made it. That's why I'm going to steal every single one of them and hide them all over the house. It may not be as clever as Bodvar's pranks, but someone's got to something. Without Bodvar here, it just feels so quiet."

"Svala, he's only been gone a day. Not even. I don't even know. I just want to sleep."

She sighs and then groans. "Fine. I'll leave you alone."

"Thank you. We will talk about it when I get up," I say. What did she even say again? I don't know. I just want to get some sleep.

When I finally fall asleep, in comes Thora to inform me it was dawn as if that has any importance to me at all. Then she tried to get me to spar with her. She didn't even go to sleep, just stayed up the entire night. Crazy kid. I finally get her to go to bed. My head falls to the pillow and my eyelids sink to the bottom of my eyes. Thoughts are heavy. I... I...

"Bothvar? Why aren't you up yet? You're my ship's Skipper, you can't sleep in," my father says as he stands at the door.

"Sleep in? I haven't even got any sleep to begin with." I try to cover my face with my pillow and fall asleep. Thankfully my father walks off mumbling.

I just need a few more moments. I just want to rest my eyes and sleep...

I plunge face first into the ice-cold sea, breaking right through the ice. The bone-chilling cold freezes deep to the bone as I open my eyes and stumble out of bed. "What the bloody goat shitting, banshee, is going on!"

I let the words out right before my head smacks into the floor. "Bastard, son of a whore!"

"Who the blazes..." I finally look up to see my father standing there with an empty bucket.

"You can't sleep in when you're the Skipper. Come on. You've got a lot to do today to get ready for your raid tomorrow. Get up." He walks off. Bloody bastard.

I pull myself up and get dressed. Thankfully, I just had a bath.

I walk out to slaves scrambling everywhere carrying barrels, totes, chests, and setting up food. I push my way through and find my father outside, smelling the air. "What I would give to go out raiding one more time. I might not be forbidden from raiding, but as Earl I have far too many responsibilities and duties here to spend that much time out at sea. Especially with a potential war looming over our heads. Lots of preparations to make. Do me a favor son: come back alive, and bring your younger brother back as well."

I nod. "Of course, father. I won't let you down this time."

He nods. "Well, let's get to it. Much to do today. You'll need to double-check the supplies of the ship and get them counted at least three or four times. Double check you have enough water, food, and ammunition. Bolts and now your grease fireballs. That was brilliant, by the way. You fling them burning on an enemy ship and as soon as they try to put it out with water, it blows up in their face. I must give you credit son; you're reminding me more and more of my younger self every day."