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' The Bastard Son ' : Chapter 4 : Forbidden Love

4/30/2016

 

The Bastard Son



​

Chapter 4



Forbidden Love
​


King Alfrekr was no fool. He kept the archers intact as a unit, and even allowed Trausti to remain as their commander. The foot soldiers, however, were divided up between Vigmundr's and Dyggvi's divisions. He also decided that as a king it was beneath him to lead a division, and therefore he elevated a capable leader named Roki to lead the center of his army.

Before returning to Ostfold, where he would rule the whole of Ranrike from, the new king visited each town and village to proclaim his new title, and to take an oath of allegiance from each of the local chieftains. Many, who were all too familiar with King Palni's tyranny, expected arrests, tortures and murders to follow. Instead what they received were promises of protection, from the king's new army, and peace to all who chose to follow him. Not one of the local chieftains refused to accept Alfrekr as their new leader.

One of Alfrekr's first official acts as king of Ranrike was to look at the treasury to see how much was being collected in taxes, and how much was being spent. What Alfrekr discovered shocked and dismayed him. Palni had been heavily burdening his people with excessive taxes, and then had squandered that money on great feasts, and military raids into foreign lands that seldom, if ever, returned with any wealth to show for their trouble. To make matters worse many of the raiders were never heard from again, leaving many women and children abandoned and destitute.

King Alfrekr immediately cut the taxes in half and suspended all Viking raids until such time as the treasury had reached an acceptable level. He restricted the feasts to the ritual days, and when foreign dignitaries came to his kingdom. Alfrekr also forgave all back taxes, and set in place of torture, for those who could not afford the reduced taxes, a way to work off what they owed. Alfrekr used these delinquent farmers and craftsmen to help build new ships to replace the many vessels that sailed off during Palni's reign, and never returned.

The women of Ranrike were busy as well. They organized themselves into sewing groups to make clothing for the poorest of people, and collected food to alleviate the hunger of the unfortunate. They also sat on committees that saw to the welfare of the children who lost their parents either from disease, war, or King Palni's many years of tyranny. These women became very influential and were even able to convince King Alfrekr to lessen the taxes on those families who adopted an orphan child.

King Alfrekr became immensely popular with the folk of Ranrike, and the nobility from neighboring kingdoms.  Wealthy merchants, and foreign kings, were constantly trying to marry their daughters, young and old, to the new king of Ranrike. At first King Alfrekr politely declined all offers of marriage, but several years into his reign he was visited by Sigvaldi, the king of Vestfold. Sigvaldi came to Ranrike seeking an alliance with Alfrekr against the young King Thorvald of Viken, who had been raiding into both kingdoms . With Ranrike to the east, and Vestfold to the west, they could box in King Thorvald of Viken. King Sigvaldi argued that they together would neutralize his incursions into both lands.

King Alfrekr agreed that an alliance was in the best interest of both kingdoms, and when King Sigvaldi offered his beautiful thirty year old daughter Bekkhildr to seal the agreement Alfrekr found it impossible to refuse.

The wedding was a huge affair that was attended by the leaders of almost all the surrounding kingdoms. Only King Thorvald of Viken refused to come. The feast, and games after the wedding, also helped to seal the friendships of the other kings, and further isolated the rogue king of Viken.

A little more than a year after the marriage was consummated, Bekkhildr became pregnant, and nine months later gave King Alfrekr, and his people, an heir to the throne of Ranrike. They named their son Gormr.

During her pregnancy, and during the early years of Gormr's childhood, Bekkhildr became cold and distant towards her husband, and was seldom intimate with him. Alfrekr tried to be faithful to his wife, but sometimes his needs outweighed his fidelity, and from time to time he would have an affair with one of the local women. These infidelities were kept secret of course, with only his personal guards knowing of them. 

Then one day a beautiful young woman was introduced into his life. Her name was Eydis, and she was barely eighteen years old when they met. Despite her young age she had the curvaceous body of a much more mature woman. The final enticement, if one were needed at all, was that she was still a virgin when they met.

Alfrekr could not control his carnal urges and began to sleep with Eydis often. Unlike his previous trysts he did not try to hide his affair with the young woman. Everyone in Ranrike, who was anybody, knew that Eydis was Alfrekr's mistress. It became the gossip that everyone spoke of behind closed doors in whispers, but the subject no one would bring up in public.

Bekkhildr, although very much embarrassed by her husband's infidelity, knew that she could not expect Alfrekr to remain faithful if she did not meet his needs in bed. And so she turned a blind eye to the scandalous affair. That is until one day when Eydis became pregnant with Alfrekr's child !

The queen was incensed by her husbands carelessness, and demanded that Eydis be killed to prevent the birth of a possible rival to her own son's rightful claim to the throne of Ranrike ! Bekkhildr also worried about her own hold upon royal power. She feared that Eydis might convince Alfrekr to kill her, and install her instead as his new queen !

King Alfrekr, however, was a sensible man. He loved Eydis, but he never considered her anything more that his mistress. He also did not want a bastard son to sit upon his throne when he was gone. Alfrekr told his wife that he would handle the situation, but he flatly refused to kill Eydis, and their unborn baby.

King Alfrekr thought long and hard on what to do . His wife was correct in saying that Eydis and her child must never be seen in Ranrike , but murdering her would simply not do. After visiting Ranrike's sacred temple to Odin, King Alfrekr, using Valfather's wisdom to help him decide, came up with a compromise that he felt would satisfy everyone involved.          

Alfrekr had a distant cousin, a Swede, who had taken an army into the Baltic region and conquered a small territory for himself. Here he set up a kingdom, among many other kingdoms, in the land known as the Rus. His name was Ingvar, but he was referred to by his new people as Igor. Alfrekr decided that he would send Eydis into permanent exile to live with Ingvar, and his wife Queen Helga, who was now known by the name of Olga by the Rus.

Eydis protested vehemently, but Alfrekr told her of his wife's demands for her death, and she finally acquiesced under one condition. Alfrekr must come to the Land of the Rus to visit her and their child often.  The king was willing to say almost anything to get Eydis to leave, and told her that he would come to see her at least twice a year.

Alfrekr, however, never wanted to see Eydis or their child . The king sent Vigmundr to escort Eydis by ship to King Ingvar's kingdom. Vigmundr, in private, told the Rus king that  King Alfrekr wanted her kept away from Norway, and that he would not ever be coming to see her, or the child. Vigmundr, however, also passed along the message to King Ingvar, and Queen Helga, that Alfrekr wished for Eydis and her child to be treated well .         


- End Chapter 4 


- Next : Chapter 5 : Exile ! 


- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016. ​                     
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' The Bastard Son ' : Chapter 3 : A Strange Turn Of Fortune

4/28/2016

 

The Bastard Son



​

Chapter 3


A Strange Turn Of Fortune
​


Jarl Alfrekr could wait no longer !  The rain was beginning to puddle on the ground, and the mud was growing deeper by the hour. Alfrekr lined his men up in three great shield walls. Vigmundr would command the left of the line, Dyggvi lead the right at the bottom of the slippery slope, and Alfrekr would control the entire line from the center as they advanced. 

As the jarl was about to order the attack he hesitated for a moment . He looked up and down his lines, and allowed himself to feel a little remorse for his warriors who would surely die in this futile attempt to dislodge King Palni's army from the hill, and destroy them. Alfrekr knew why he was about to give up his life to kill King Palni. His unfortunate father had been tortured and killed ! And his mother had been made into a virtual sex slave for the king ! But these men ... these brave men ... , though they hated the king as well, were fighting out of a great sense of honor, and Alfrekr was proud to lead them into their final battle ! Alfrekr took one last look to his right and to his left, and then he smiled. 

" Forward ! Forward ! " Alfrekr yelled up and down the line. 

These words were in turn echoed by Vigmundr and Dyggvi . As one the entire army began to make its way up the base of the small mountain. With pennants waving, and more than four hundred warriors banging their swords against their shields, it was quite a sight to behold for those on the battlefield, and also by a greater being watching from the heavens.

King Palni grinned from ear to ear as he watched Alfrekr's rebel army begin to march from the base of the hill, where they had formed their ranks, up the slopes to his position. The king could not believe how stupid Alfrekr was to attack him in such an impregnable position. When he saw men slipping in the mud, and falling in every direction, he wanted to laugh. But then he saw the rebel warriors pick themselves up, reform their lines, and continue up the hill, and he quickly changed his mind about Alfrekr.

" He is a brave son of a bitch though ! " Palni whispered under his breath. 

The king then motioned to the archers to move forward. 

" Archers take your positions ! " he yelled. 

Palni waited until the rebels had almost reached the middle of the slope, and then he barked out the final order. 

" Place your arrows ....... Aim ....... Fire at will !! " the king screamed. 

Just as the first arrow was about to be launched into the oncoming rebels there suddenly was a great trembling in the earth violent enough that it stopped the archers in mid pull. As it grew in intensity all of the king's men turned their gaze upon Palni to gauge his reaction. The king, however, simply stood there in stunned silence not knowing quite what to do.

Jarl Alfrekr had just gotten back up, after falling to his knees in the muddy quagmire, when without warning the hill began to shake beneath his feet. Unlike his opponent Alfrekr was not frozen in the moment. The jarl ordered an immediate halt, and his army stopped right where it was. 

For a long moment both armies stood only two hundred yards apart staring at each other. Then Alfrekr saw something in the distance that he had never seen before. The side of the mountain, behind the king's army, seemed to slide away and move down the steep slope like a slow moving waterfalls. 

" Back to the camp ! Go back to the camp !! " Alfrekr screamed up and down the line to his stunned warriors.

King Palni did not see the mudslide at first. What he did see, however, were the terrified looks on the faces of Alfrekr's warriors. When he saw his archers pointing at the mountain behind him, Palni slowly began to turn to see what had happened. 

" Did Alfrekr's warriors somehow get behind us ! ? " the king said to himself as he looked up at the mountain.

What Palni saw when he looked at the mountain top made his eyes bulge, and his mouth hang open. The mountain that guarded his rear was gone ! And what had once made up the top of the mountain in the form of bushes, trees, rocks and boulders, was now coming straight for them in a river of thick brown mud !

While his men ran by King Palni, nearly trampling him as they went, Palni stood with his eyes transfixed on the incredible spectacle that lay spread out before him. The mountain had somehow liquefied and was flowing directly toward his army's position ! Palni shook his head in disbelief and resigned himself to his fate. He sheathed his sword, and braced himself for the impact. Unlike his terrified warriors he would not flee like a frightened mouse.

As King Palni stood with his arms folded across his chest waiting for the end to come he noticed something very odd indeed. One of the trees in the front of the mudslide had transformed itself into a beautiful woman. Palni quickly closed his eyes for his mind wanted to see no more. He never saw the mudslide as it hit him, but he did here a woman's voice say in a whisper, " Goodbye Palni ! " , just before he was swept under the mud and down the hill. 

Jarl Alfrekr's warriors did not stop running until they reached their camp, which was on a little hill not too far away. When they turned to look back, what they saw horrified even the most seasoned warriors ! One by one Palni's men were swallowed up by the mud. Others, who were somehow able to remain on top of the flowing goo, were struck and killed by trees or boulders as they flowed by. Only the front ranks of Palni's army, and his archers who had moved to the front, were able to remain ahead of the oozing muck. They kept running until they reached the base of the small hill below the rebel camp. Here they had to make a fateful decision. Be buried alive, or climb the hill and be captured or killed by Alfrekr's army. Some chose to die in the mud, but most ran up the hill.

The mud flow made it halfway up the hill before mysteriously receding back down to the bottom. Despite all that as going on around him Alfrekr's eyes were squarely fixed on Palni's warriors, who now stood directly in front of his camp. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, the jarl thought for a moment that he saw a woman on top of a tree at the bottom of the hill. But the bizarre image soon faded, and was quickly forgotten .

Faced by an army with greater numbers Palni's warriors threw down their weapons and surrendered. Many awaited their deaths at the hands of the rebel forces. Most believed it was the will of the Gods that their king had been killed, and their army destroyed. A few pleaded for clemency and began to call out for "King Alfrekr " to be merciful.

Alfrekr was about to order the deaths of those who surrendered when he suddenly, and wisely, realized that these men, if they joined his warriors, would make his little army a respectable fighting force.

" Stop ! " the jarl ordered his men as he stepped forward. 

Vigmundr and Dyggvi immediately stepped in front of their men and held up their hands to stop those who were seeking revenge. Jarl Alfrekr strode forward and looked at the terrified and broken warriors many of whom littered the ground exhausted after their terrible ordeal. 

" Who will speak for King Palni's army ? " Alfrekr asked. 

One man rose up and bowed down on one knee before the jarl.

" I am Trausti, the commander of the archers, King Alfrekr . " he said meekly. 

Alfrekr nodded, and then motioned for the warrior to rise. 

" If I spare the lives of your men will they take an oath of loyalty to me ? " he asked.

Trausti turned and yelled to his men who were all over the hill. 

" How many of you will follow King Alfrekr, and take a blood oath of loyalty to our new leader ? " he screamed for all to hear.

A roar slowly rose up across the hill in the affirmative. 

Then Trausti motioned for silence.

" And who among you refuse to accept Alfrekr as our new king ? ! " he asked.

Not a word was heard from anyone. The only sound that broke the silence was the oozing of the mud as it settle around the base of the hill. 

Alfrekr nodded.

" Then pick up your weapons, sheath them, and make a place for yourselves in our camp ! " Alfrekr shouted to his new warriors.

And that was how Jarl Alfrekr, with the help of the Gods, became the king of Ranrike.



- End Chapter 3



Next : Chapter 4 : Forbidden Love


​
​- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016. 
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' The Bastard Son ' : Chapter 2 : Odin's Eyes

4/26/2016

 

The Bastard Son





Chapter 2

​
Odin's Eyes


Every morning Odin came to his great golden hall at Valhalla to sit with his army of dead warriors while they ate. These bravest of the brave, collectively known as the Einherjar, were greatly honored to feast with the Lord of Asgard. While Valfather himself did not eat, ( drink alone was enough to satisfy his hunger ), his men feasted on great quantities of cooked pork from the inexhaustible food source known as the pig Saehrimnir, and drank horn after horn of bright mead provided by the teats of the goat Heidrun. The plate of food that sat on the table before Great Odin was not for his consumption. That food was for his faithful wolves Geri and Freki who always sat faithfully by his side. As the Lord of Asgard fed his pets slowly, piece by piece, two great black ravens flew in through an open window in the wall of the Golden Hall. Odin smiled, and paused from his feedings as Hugin and Munin landed gently on his shoulders.

Then the black birds, that acted as his feathered eyes and ears, began to caw in his ears. To most this was merely noise, but in Odin's keen mind he understood each and every word they spoke. Hugin and Munin told their master everything that they had seen and heard that morning. Odin listened intently to what his faithful ravens had to say, while he himself enjoyed a long sip of his wine.

Then, suddenly, Odin jumped up from his seat. Hugin and Munin both were forced to flap their wings violently to keep themselves balanced on their lord's shoulders as Odin pounded the table hard with his fist in anger.

" I will not let this stand ! " he shouted. 

Odin pointed to the window. 

" Go back to Midgard and watch carefully what transpires ! " he commanded his ravens.

" Report back as soon as there are any changes ! " he added quickly before they left. 

As Hugin and Munin exited the hall Odin also left Valhalla in a great hurry, mounted his great eight - legged horse Sleipnir, and headed straight for Hlidskjalf. The distance, which would have been great for most animals, was covered by Odin's great mount in a mere matter of moments, and soon the great hall of vision, that was the porthole to the nine worlds, was within sight.

Odin threw open the doors and hurriedly walked to the rear chamber where the great high seats were placed on a floor of glass ready to show all that existed to whomever dared to sit upon them. As Odin turned the corner and entered the great room he saw that his wife Frigga was already following the events that were unfolding on Midgard.

Frigga looked up when she heard her husband coming into the chamber. Slowly she shook her head sadly from side to side.

" We must do something about this King Palni ! For if we Gods do nothing then the reign of this tyrannical king will continue, and many more of your good children will be raped and tortured by this sadistic fool ! " she told her husband angrily.

Odin was surprised by the passionate tone of his wife's voice. Frigga usually reserved her time and energy for protecting the little children of Midgard and their mothers, but this evil human named Palni had made his wife very angry with his terrible deeds. And she was not the only one ! Several of the Gods, including Freyja, who vehemently objected to the king's treatment of women, had also spoken out about removing this cancerous tumor from the healthy Midgard lands of Norway.

The trick of course was to remove the king without making it appear as though the Gods had any hand in it. Many times in the past Odin would simply visit Midgard, as the weary traveler Gangleri, and bewitch the evil one with a spell that would cause them to have an accident that would end their lives. Making them fall on their own swords was one of his favorite ways of causing this " accident " to happen. This time, however, King Palni was surrounded by hundreds of his own warriors, and opposed by Jarl Alfrekr's forces. He could not simply walk through two lines of warriors and cause the king to have a mishap. No ! There had to be another way.

Odin kissed his wife on the forehead and sat down beside her. Suddenly the porthole below opened up to him, and he saw King Palni holding the high ground on a plateau. With a small mountain to guard his rear, the only way for Alfrekr to attack was straight up the hill. And Odin saw that the hill was a muddy mess after days of pouring rain, making any frontal assault sheer suicide!

Frigga looked over at her husband, and noticed that he was smiling.

" What has my husband in mind ? " she asked with a bit of excitement in her voice. 

Odin quickly rose up off of his high seat and kissed his wife on the forehead again. 

" I am off to see Jord ! I think that she can help us to rid the Midgardians of King Palni ! " he explained to his wife.

Frigga's eyes narrowed when she heard Jord' s name mentioned. 

" And why does my  husband need to see the Mistress of Earth who brought forth Thor ? ! " Frigga asked trying to hide her discomfort.

Odin could not help but grin when he saw the jealous rage well up in his wife's eyes. 

" Do not worry my love ! If all goes well with my plan you will soon see the end of King Palni ....... and hopefully my quick return as well ! " he told Frigga.

Odin quickly left the hall, mounted Sleipnir, and headed for the Rainbow Bridge. Heimdall heard the heavy hoof beats of the great horse long before he saw Sleipnir off in the distance. The stoic guardian of Bifrost immediately opened the golden gates. Heimdall barely had time to turn and bow to the Lord of Asgard before Sleipnir, and his royal rider, flew by like a gale force wind. Heimdall watched as they disappeared into a blur in the distance, and then stroked his beard. 

" Valfather must have very important business to take care of to be in such a hurry ! " Heimdall whispered to himself.

In what seemed to Odin to be the blink of an eye Sleipnir emerged into Midgard over a rainbow caused by the mist of a waterfall known as Gullfoss. Once he was on firm ground Odin dismounted and began calling to his one time mistress.

" Jord ! Jord ! Come to me, for I am in need of your help ! " Odin repeated again and again. 

Moments later Valfather heard the cracking of wood as a small tree off to his right began to tremble and transform. Slowly a woman's graceful form replaced the gnarled trunk, the uneven branches became arms, and the leaves turned into beautiful flowing brown hair.

Odin smiled when he saw the mistress who had given him the Mighty Thor to defend the earthly realm that he had helped to make with his brothers from the dead body of the Giant Ymir. He was always amazed when he saw Jord. She was so different than his wife ! Unlike Frigga's skin, which was alabaster and soft, there was something very sensual about her tanned and slightly textured flesh. Frigga was more like a sheltered pet, while Jord reminded him of a wild animal .... one that was in need of taming !

" It is so good to see you again my love ! " Odin told her with a boyish grin.

Jord raised her eyebrows and looked off in the distance as though the Lord of Asgard was not there.

" Everyday you look down upon me from your high seat in Asgard, and yet you speak as though you have not seen me in years. " she replied with a hint of sarcasm. 

Odin reached out and gently touched Jord's face. 

" In the form of a forest, or a waterfall, ..... or even a majestic snow capped mountain, you are not as beautiful as you are in your Goddess form ! " Odin told her with a glint in his eye, and a smile upon his face. 

Jord returned his smile, but pulled her face away from Odin's touch.

" You only come to see me when you want something ! When the Jotuns attacked Midgard you came to see me to help you fight off the Giants. When we could not stop the Frost Giants from slaughtering the humans we joined together, and The MightyThor was the result of our " love " ! " she told him through narrowed eyes.

" What pray tell do you want from me this time, O' Great Valfather ? " she asked. 

Odin bowed his head and grimaced slightly at the truth in her words. 

" You are as perceptive as you are beautiful my love !" Odin replied. 

Jord walked over to a nearby boulder and sat down. She looked up at Odin and spoke to him very directly.

" Then speak your mind, and save the flattery for your wife ! " Jord told him with a hint of anger. 

Odin walked over to her and placed his right foot up on the boulder. He hovered over her for a moment before replying. 

" That despicable King Palni of Ranrike is poised to destroy Jarl Alfrekr and his small army. I do not wish for this to happen .... but it must not look as though the Gods had a hand in the king's death, or the destruction of his army. Palni's army is perched high on a plateau with a large mountain at his back. It has been raining now for days on end. The soil is well drenched, and has become quite muddy .... "

Jord cut him of in mid - sentence. 

"  Say no more ! " I know what it is that you want . I too do not like King Palni. He is a ruthless ruler, who rapes women and tortures his people. " she explained.

Then a little smile came over her face.   

" I will do this for you under one condition. " she told the Asgardian.

Odin frowned.

" And what is your price ? " he asked. 

Jord smiled at Odin and then looked up at the sky.

" Spend the night with me my love ! " she blurted out with a little grin.

Odin involuntarily looked up at the sky before answering. 

" Then the bargain is struck . " he replied reluctantly. 

Frigga angrily rose up off of her high seat at Hlidskjalf, and stormed out of the hall. The All - Mother could not bear to watch any longer ! 


- End Chapter 2


- Next : Chapter 3 : A Turn Of Fortune



​- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016.               

                 
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New Short Story : ' The Bastard Son ' : Chapter 1 : For Family And Honor

4/24/2016

 

The Bastard Son




Chapter 1
​

For Family And Honor
​

Jarl Alfrekr rose early from his makeshift battlefield bed to ascertain the military situation that lay before him. King Palni's army was much larger than Alfrekr's meager forces, and it was much better armed as well. The king of Ranrike also held the strategic high ground on a plateau overlooking the valley below where Alfrekr was now assessing the situation from. , Behind Palni's position a large mountain rose up to protect the king's rear and further solidifying his fortifications.

" Yes ! " Alfrekr thought to himself.  " The king has chosen a wise place to position his men ! "

As the jarl studied his opponent's fortifications carefully his eyes constantly blinked from the steady drizzle that had been falling since the evening before. Sadly enough this was actually an improvement in the weather from the past several days, which saw pouring rain and high winds hamper his men as they struggled to reach King Palni's position. The rain had caused the hillside to become slick with mud, which the jarl knew would further impede his men as they tried to assault King Palni's army.

If his warriors made it through the thick mud, and past the many arrows that were sure to rain down upon them, they would then have to make it past a stand of sharpened stakes, what appeared to be deep pits just beyond, and finally over a timber wall that had been hastily constructed by Palni's warriors the night before. 

Alfrekr was at a loss as to what to do ! To save face, and protect his family's honor, he had to attack King Palni where he was. An attack he was sure would fail and destroy his small army. If he did nothing his men would lose faith in him and possibly begin to abandon him.  Jarl Alfrekr was caught inextricably between the forces of revenge and honor, and retreat and the appearance of cowardice. And the choice was his, and his alone !

King Palni had once been someone that Alfrekr had looked up to. When he was a youth his father, Siggeir, had fought in Palni's army and had distinguished himself in battle after battle. The king rewarded his father with the title of Jarl, and gave him the northeastern territories of Ranrike, known as Ostfold, to protect and administer to in his name.

For years his father was a loyal and respected leader in the eyes of King Palni. Then, one day an ambitious man named Utlagi came to the king's court, and everything changed. Utlagi wanted a Jarldom of his own and began at once to ruthlessly attack Jarl Siggeir for everything he did. At first, however, Utlagi had trouble making any of his outrageous charges stick to the innocent jarl, but when the taxes that were collected in Ostfold came up short Utlagi saw his chance and took advantage of the situation. Relentlessly he poisoned the king's mind against Siggeir, until finally Palni felt he had to do something.

King Palni was so outraged by the charge brought against Siggeir that he sent Utlagi, with part of his army, to arrest the jarl. Siggeir in turn refused to accept that Utlagi had authority over him, and a battle ensued in which Utlagi, and quite a few of King Palni's warriors, were killed. When the remains of his army straggled back to the great hall they told the king of what had happened.  Palni was appalled at what the jarl had done ! The king quickly gathered up the bulk of his army and rode to Ostfold to avenge the death of the emissary he had sent to arrest the jarl.

In a very one - sided battle the Ostfold warriors were easily defeated, and Jarl Siggeir captured. Just before the Ostfold army collapsed the Jarl's son Alfrekr, however, had escaped with a small contingent of men into the forest to hide. When Jarl Siggeir refused to admit his guilt King Palni had him put to death, and his corpse was strung up in a tree just outside of the village as a warning to others who might oppose the will of the king. Geirdis, Jarl Siggeirs wife, was brought to King Palni. He forced her into servitude as one of his mistresses, and raped her mercilessly for what he saw as her husband's treacherous actions. King Palni then placed one of his commanders, a warrior named Baldrekr, in charge of Ostfold and went back to his great hall.

Baldrekr was a capable leader of warriors, but he lacked both tact, and the ability to rule fairly. His ruthless ways of dealing with even the simplest of matters soon had the entire village set against him. More and more of the warriors left the village and sought out Alfrekr in the woods to join his growing band of warriors.

Alfrekr's loyalists soon multiplied into a small army. When he was told by the newcomers that his mother had been taken by King Palni, and forced to become one of his many mistresses, he decided something had to be done. The death of his father had been hard enough to accept, but the knowledge that his mother was now the king's whore was too much for the young man to take. Alfrekr wanted revenge !

On a clear moonlit night Alfrekr came back to the village of Ostfold. Quietly his warriors barricaded the doors of the great hall where Baldrekr was sleeping with most of his warriors. Then they lit the hall on fire. Alfrekr and his men could hear the king's men pounding on the doors and the walls in a desperate attempt to escape the thick smoke and searing flames. As the flames shot out through the roof of the structure they heard something even more gratifying. They heard the high pitched screams of King Palni's warriors who were burning alive !

Freed from the tyranny of Baldrekr the villagers all gave their allegiance to Alfrekr, and honored him with his father's title of jarl. With the addition of the village warriors and shield maidens, Jarl Alfrekr now had a small, but formidable army. To avenge the death of his father, Alfrekr had easily killed Baldrekr, but to retrieve his mother from the clutches of the king, the newly honored jarl would have to march his army south, and confront King Palni directly. As Jarl Alfrekr gathered his warriors together to confront the king he wondered if he had the ability to lead his raw warriors up against the Palni's well trained army !


- End Chapter 1


- Next Chapter 2 : Odin's Eyes


- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016.                                       
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Poem 395 : ' Gleaming Friend ' 

4/23/2016

 

​395. Gleaming Friend

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While I often wonder if comrades have been truthful or lied,
You have always been there for me hanging close at my side,
We are of one mind, follow together the same simple creed,
War is our constant motto, victory in battle our brave deed.

Made from the ore that was mined from our homeland's earth,
The white hot fire of the furnace was the womb of your birth,
Tempered to be ever strong, and sharpened to a cutting edge,
Polished to a shine, and guaranteed by the blacksmith's pledge.

Unproven before your first conflict, but baptized with your first kill,
I am honored by your perfect balance, rejoice in the blood you spill,
My strength rushes through my grip that holds tightly to your hilt,
I take great solace in the fact that you are not burdened by my guilt.

I sit here with my hone carefully putting a fine edge upon your blade,    
Once again making you ready so we can go on yet another viking raid,
Grateful am I that you will be by my side, till Odin takes me at the end,
Then I will wield you in Valhalla faithful comrade, my gleaming friend !

​

​- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016.    
  
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Poem 394 : ' The Glorious Lost Cause ' 

4/20/2016

 

394. The Glorious Lost Cause

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Their army came to our lands in the early hours of the morning, 
Our enemy treacherously attacked, they gave us little warning,
Quickly our folk grabbed their axes, spears and swords to wield, 
We rushed from our homes, formed a shield wall on the battlefield.

Our weapons were still blazing brightly under the midday sun,
Despite the absolute certainty that our enemy had already won,
With all of our strength, and with aching muscles we strained,
Fought on, badly bruised, brutally battered, and bloodstained.   

There are so very few of us left now, the brave battle is now lost,
The hallowed ground is covered in our blood, a most terrible cost,
Among the dead are children, some in the arms of their mothers,
Husbands lying by their wives, slaughtered sisters with brothers.

Covered in our enemy's blood, and exhausted deep to the core,
We heap curses at our enemy, and praise our Thunder God Thor,
To the end every warrior does their final duty, dying bathed in glory,
As the last warrior falls, they leave to history their honorable story !


- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016.
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New Short Story : ' The Bastard Son ' 

4/18/2016

 

​Story 53 : The Bastard Son© 2016

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Occasionally even the best of men can make the smallest of mistakes. But sometimes these mistakes grow overtime, and come back to haunt you ! 

King Alfrekr of Ranrike sent his mistress Eydis, and his bastard son, to the Land of the Rus. Out of sight, out of mind, was his thinking. However, Oski, his exiled son, has grown into a fine young man..... a skilled warrior, and a great leader. With the prodding of his mother Eydis, a woman scorned, he is now ready to avenge the dishonor that was thrust upon his mother and himself, and claim the crown of Ranrike for himself.

Two great forces stand between Oski, and the throne that he believes belongs to him. One is the Ranrike army lead by King Alfrekr and his legitimate son Gormr. The other is Great Odin himself !

But will Odin side with his old friend Alfrekr, or will he decide to support the great warrior Oski. Find out here beginning Sunday, April 23, 2016.      
​

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016. 

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Poem 393 : ' Abused No More ! ' 

4/17/2016

 
** This poem is dedicated to the thousands upon thousands of women who are abused around the world every single day .... and especially to the one's who did not survive their abusers. May the Gods bless them and watch over them for an eternity ! 

393. Abused No More !
​

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​The commander of the king's guard did not dare tell what he had heard,
Nor did any of Queen Hildigunnr's maidens want to say a single word,
They all pretended that nothing was wrong, although they surely knew,
The queen was clearly being abused, but there was nothing they could do !

Every night the villagers could not help but hear Hildigunnr's pitiful cries,
And every morning they could not miss the blackness around her eyes,
King Harald strutted her around the kingdom without a single bit of shame,
For he was the monarch chosen by the Gods, surely he was not to blame.

Then there came pitiful screams reverberating through the village one night,
That awoke almost everyone around, filling them with loathing and fright,
But the one thing that the sleeping villagers later that night could not hear,
Was their king's throat being cut by Hildigunnr, as he slept, from ear to ear.    

The next morning the queen turned herself in for the blood that she spilled,
Quickly the guards ran to the bedroom to find that the king had been killed,
The commander of the guard reported that the king had died in his sleep,
From the handmaidens there was seen a few grins, but they said not a peep.

Still the word passed around, and the whole village soon knew the grim tale,
But her subjects did not waver, they never allowed their undying loyalty to fail,
For all in the village felt that the decision she made was absolutely correct,
And from the women especially she was forever treated with great respect ! 


- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright 2016. 
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Poem 392 : ' Blessed Are Frigga's Children '

4/13/2016

 

392. Blessed Are Frigga's Children

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Sleep well my precious little one, do not fear the dark night,
Frigga will stay and protect you, until the early morning light,
She will cradle you with Her love, put an end to your tears,
All - Mother is watching always, you can put away your fears.



The visions you see in your mind aren't as bad as they seem,
Frigga will journey with you my love, so do not fear to dream,
Feel safe my cherished one, lie nestled up against Her breast,
Take comfort in Her strength, and feel Her warmth as you rest.



In the blanket of Her love, allow yourself to become enmeshed,
And wake gently in the morning, to a blessed new day refreshed,
Listen closely my love to the melodic tones of All - Mother's voice,
And breathe in the Goddess Frigga's heavenly scent, and rejoice !




- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016.
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Poem 391 : ' Questions To The Wind '

4/12/2016

 

​391. Questions To The Wind

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Are you looking at the shining lights in the night sky above ?
Did you see that shooting star cross the heavens my love ? 
Do you know that I am sailing tonight under a crescent moon ? 
How much does it mean to you that I will be returning soon ?

Is the sun which guides my way the same to which you awoke ? 
Can you feel my passion to return to you in each oar stroke ?
Could the winds that make the ship's rigging tremble and shriek, 
Be the same gentle breeze that now caresses your soft cheek ?

Do you know how I have missed you everyday I have sailed ? 
Or how the special love I feel for you has never once failed ?
What do you think I see when I look into the bright blue skies ? 
Would it make you happy to know they remind me of your eyes ?

Should I ask the Gods to speed my way back to our homeland ? 
I wonder if They will once again allow me to hold your tiny hand ?
Does the yearning I feel for you cut deep down to your core ?
And are you waiting for me each morning on that distant shore ?



- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2016.​
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