Chapter 205: Sven Makes his Move

"...my report." Harek stopped outside Oluf’s tent hearing someone’s voice. It had become a force of habit to listen in on the private conversations of Sven and his men and whilst he knew he shouldn’t. he couldn’t help himself.

Harek sat on a box next to Sven’s tent and took his sword out, pretending to sharpen it. "What is it?" Oluf’s deep voice was clear to understand.

"Thye food deliveries have become smaller." The man said in a worried tone.

"So. Leif left with his men. It’s expected."

"But it’s our deliveries. They are too small." Harek couldn’t see the toy, but he could hear a confused noise leave Oluf’s mouth after hearing that.

"How can it be smaller? Is Sven’s like that aswell?"

"No chief. Only ours." Following the man’s words, a loud tapping on hardwood began.

"Can we continue to feed our men?" Oluf finally spoke, after a few seconds, in a morbid voice.

"For now. If it continues, Jarl Sven’s supplies won’t be enough."

"Tch. Okay. Send a few men back to my territory and figure out what’s going on. Someone is withholding deliveries. is there anything else?" Harek heard the words and froze.’Endre!’Getting up he quickly put his sword away and left the fruit behind. He didn’t bother hearing the rest of the conversation as he ran to Sven’s tent and threw the flaps open.

Inside Sven was shirtless wiping down his body with a wet cloth. "Harek! What are you doing!" Harek brushed off his father’s mad voice and Sven saw the panic he was in. "What is it Harek?"

"Father. Oluf is sending men back to his territory, Endre, he’s in danger." His words came out as a quick mess and Sven raised his arm to slow his son down.

"What are you on about son? Slow down." Sven grabbed him by the shoulders as HArek calmed down his breathing

"I overheard it. Oluf’s food deliveries have fallen. He’s sending a few men back to his territory to figure out what’s going on. Father. He’s gonna find Endre." Harek was desperate as Sven clenched his fists before unclenching and smiling cruelly.

"It’s time Harek." Sven tapped his shoulder and firmly gripped it. "Blood for blood." Sven stared deep into Harek’s eyes a madness deep within them. "Go, get ready."

"Father." Harek wasn’t as enthusiastic. "About Elli."

"No," Sven said in a growl. "How many times do I have to tell you? She will kill you when given the chance if she is left alive. I will not lose another son."

"I don’t care father. I don’t want her to die." Harek was desperate as he begged and Sven almost faltered under his son’s pleading eyes. But he eventually shook his head.

"I’m sorry Harek. you can hate me for the rest of your life. But I won’t lose you." Sven leaned down and touched his forehead against Harek’s. "I won’t ask you to do it. But She can’t remain."

Harek felt his heart break from Sven’s words as he pulled himself away. Stepping back he shook his head. Sven looked at his son’s betrayed eyes as he left the tent and fell, grabbing his forehead.’You will get over it, son. Trust me.’

Harek walked through the camp in a half daze as he stumbled into his and Elli’s tent. The woman sat there sowing pieces of cloth facing away from the entrance. Going behind her he wrapped his hands around her shoulders. "Let’s leave tonight," Harek spoke softly as Elli smiled.

She put down her things and touched and grabbed his hands looking into his eyes. "Are you sure?" They had spoken about it before and at that time she was more than willing. She didn’t care for the war nor anything related to it much preferring a simple life. When Harek had asked her she happily accepted.

"Get your things ready. Will slip out at night." Harek pulled away as he went to his stuff. It was a small amount easily fitting in one bag.

"What about your Father? Won’t he be mad?"

Harek grinned. "Won’t yours aswell." With a playful chuckle, she didn’t deny it and got her things ready.

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Endre sat on a log looking at the distant village. His eyes had dark circles underneath them as he grabbed his head."Forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me." He quietly repeated the words to himself over and over as memories of the faces he butchered kept flashing.

He was a warrior. Fighting and killing was a part of his life. But butchering whole villages wasn’t. Killing children and women who didn’t fight back had slowly gotten to him. "Are we attacking?" A voice spoke from behind. It was equally empty as Endre’s as the man also had dark circles beginning to form.

They all had started their mission excited for easy raids, but Sven’s orders had taken their toll with few able to stay normal after the second attack.

Endre looked at him as he got up. He felt hundreds of hands gripping his feet as he tried to walk, the weight on his shoulders nearly sending him to his knees. "Are the men able to?" Endre asked and the man looked away.

"They are tired." His words held hundreds of meanings that Endre understood well as he sat back down, unable to move.

"Forget it. I can’t do this anymore." His spirit had broken and the man took a seat next to him also looking at the distant village.

"The Jarl won’t like this."

"Fuck him," Endre said angrily. "He should have done this himself."

"What should I tell the men."

Endre sighed as he looked down. "Let’s go home. I... I can’t do this anymore." The man rested his hand on Endre’s shoulder as he nodded in understanding.

"We will pack our things." He didn’t fight the order, instead happy Endre said those words. They were warriors, not murderers. There was no honor in what they did nor satisfaction. Getting up Endre was alone again, as the voices and faces of the people he killed once again resurfaced.

He could no longer justify what he was doing like he did the first time. His hands shook whenever he touched his weapon and his sleep was plagued with nightmares. Getting up he walked back into the forest his footsteps heavy with each step he took.

Stepping into the small campo they set up he went to a bucket of water and splashed his face, trying to wake himself up. Looking into his reflection he saw his empty eyes.’I look awful.’It was all he could say, but when he turned to face his comrades they all wore the same face and had the same eyes.

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Sven sat with his most trusted men in his tent. "Tomorrow is the day." It was all he said but they all understood what he meant. All of them had been briefed on his plans and whilst it didn’t trail to the rest of the army in fear of a leak, it wouldn’t be hard to get them to join in once they started.

"Halvar," Sven called out to one of the men. "Have you still got the stuff." The man nodded getting a smile from the rest. "In the morning I need you to go around and put it in Oluf’s men’s beer kegs. It should take an hour for the effects to start showing, correct?"

"Yeah. It’s just a matter of hoping I have enough. The Ancient Ones are quite stingy when giving their herbs and others good."

"Don’t worry. Hopefully, it affects enough to the point where any left are easy pickings."

"The problem is we need it to be a mass problem." Another said.

"I’ll talk to Oluf. Don’t worry about that. All of you just have your men ready. Halvar. Make sure to warn the others what kegs aren’t safe when done." They nodded with Sven pushing himself up and leaving.

It was a quick walk to Oluf’s tent as he let himself in the man cleaning his gear. "Sven. What is it?" Oluf didn’t look up and asked.

"We leave the day after correct?" Oluf nodded as he put down the chest plate in his hands. "With war so close, I think it best we hold a ceremony for Bjorn. Keeps spirits high and the men expecting."

Oluf smirked hearing that. "I didn’t know you were so faithful."

"I just want to leave nothing out of the way. Our enemy is Astrom. We’ve all heard the tales about him."

"Right. Some say he Bjorn himself." Oluf chuckled. "I don’t believe it though."

"It doesn’t matter. I know some of my men are nervous to fight him and I’m sure some of yours are aswell. It is best we give them some form of courage. Whether we believe it or not."

Oluf sighed. "Your right. I’ll have things ready tomorrow."

"Good." Sven smiled as he nodded.

"It seems our children are getting along great," Oluf said before Sven could leave, the man’s lip twitching.

"I guess we should be happy."

"I guess we should. I can’t wait to see my grandchildren after all."

"Neither can I." Sven forced a smile on his lips as he turned and left, his smile disappearing and eyes going cold.