Viking Eye
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
Aldegund, is a small village on the southern coast of Frankia. A place where men and women from all over Frankia gathered to trade. A place that had seen better days. The old church was still there, but it was hard to tell how much longer it would remain standing.
“There’s something wrong with that one,” Aldred said, pointing at a woman who was watching us approach. She wore a tunic that looked like it belonged in a museum. It was white and yellow and had a few patches here and there.
“That’s what I’m saying,” his wife said, “look at her face. It looks like she just got punched in the face.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I couldn’t see any other explanation for her expression. She looked like a woman who had just been told her husband was dead. Or maybe he’d gone off to die somewhere else. Either way, I didn’t want to be anywhere near her.
The men of the village were trying to keep the peace between two groups of people. One group was led by a man named Anselm. He was a short man, thin as a stick, and dressed in the same manner as the woman we’d just passed. His hair was gray and pulled back in a ponytail. He had a bald spot on top of his head, which made him look like a pauper.
He was arguing with another man, who was the opposite of Anselm. This man was tall and muscular, and wore a cloak that matched the color of his eyes. The cloak was too big for him and dragged along the ground behind him. He looked like he was ready to take flight at any moment.
“He’s trying to tell you he doesn’t want any more visitors,” Aldred said. “Just keep walking.”
I nodded and we kept going. We came to the center of town, where there was a small wooden church. It was hard to tell how old it was because the wood had rotted away in places. I could see that some of the windows were broken and some of the roof beams were missing. But there was no sign of any other damage.
“That’s it,” Aldred said, pointing to the door. “Come on.”
We approached the building and Aldred knocked on the door. There was no answer. I opened the door and found myself in a small room with a single candle burning on a table. A young boy sat in a chair next to the candle. He was wearing a long, gray tunic and a pair of leather sandals. He looked up at us.
“It’s just me,” Aldred said. “And my friends. We’re looking for someone. She might have come through here.”
The boy nodded and turned back to his book. He had a leather-bound volume open on his lap, and he was reading it.
“Are you going to let us in?” Aldred asked.
The boy nodded again and gestured toward the door. Aldred closed the door behind us and we made our way down a narrow hallway. There were doors on either side. I noticed that most of them were locked. The first one we came to was unlocked, so I opened it and peered inside. It was empty. I pulled the door shut and continued on.
Aldred led us down the hall and into a large room. It was like an auditorium, or maybe a meeting hall. There were wooden benches that faced a stage. In the center of the stage was a stone altar.
“Is this it?” Aldred asked.
“I think so,” I said. “But I’m not sure what’s supposed to be on the altar.”
Aldred stepped onto the stage and examined the stone. “There are runes carved on it. I can’t read them, but they look like the same ones as on the church door. You know what those are?”
“Runes,” I said. “They’re ancient symbols used by the Romans and others.”
“Maybe they mean something,” Aldred said. “Or maybe they’re just decoration. That’s what I would do if I was trying to keep people out.”
He moved around the altar, examining the walls. I followed him. We passed several doors, each of which was locked. The boy from earlier was still sitting in the same chair, reading his book. He looked up at us when we came close, but didn’t say anything.
“This is all very strange,” Aldred said. “Why would someone try to lock us out? And why would anyone come here? What are you looking for?”
I was about to answer when I heard a scream. It was loud and it echoed throughout the room. The boy jumped up from his chair and ran to the door, which he threw open. I could see that the screaming was coming from outside. I turned and saw a crowd of people running toward the back of the building. They were carrying weapons.
“What’s happening?” Aldred asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Let’s go.”
We followed the people out the door and down the path. The crowd had grown larger now. I saw men with spears and bows, and women holding shields. There were also children and even a few dogs. I hadn’t seen any of these people before.
“I thought this was supposed to be a safe place,” Aldred said. “It’s like there’s a battle going on out there.”
The people in the crowd were running toward the forest. I followed them, but Aldred stayed behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that he was still staring at the doors.
“You need to keep moving,” I said. “Come on.”
Aldred nodded and we continued into the woods. I noticed that the trees were dense than they had been when we first entered. There were no paths here, just a thick tangle of branches. I looked back again and saw that Aldred was lost.
“Wait,” he said. “I can’t find the path.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll show you.”
I moved in front of him and kept walking. We made our way through the trees for a while. I could hear the sound of fighting, but it was faint. I could also see smoke rising from the forest. It wasn’t far away, and I guessed that it came from the town. I felt my stomach knotting up and I wished I had paid more attention to what had happened in the town.
I looked back at Aldred. He was following me, but he was looking back over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he took a step back. I stopped and turned around.
There was a man standing in the middle of the path. He was dressed in white robes and had a white mask over his face. He held a spear in one hand. He was wearing white gloves and was holding a dagger in the other.
“Who are you?” Aldred asked.
The man stepped forward, thrusting his spear at me. I ducked and brought my sword up. I tried to get the angle right, but I was too slow. The tip of the spear caught me on the side of the head. It cut deep, and blood poured down my neck. I stumbled back.
“Run!” I shouted.
“No,” Aldred said. “I won’t leave you.”
“You have to!” I cried. “You’re bleeding!”
“I’m not leaving you,” Aldred said. “Not ever.”
He lunged forward and grabbed the man’s wrist. He pulled the spear from his grasp and drove it into the man’s chest. The man screamed and fell backward. Aldred stood over him, and the man grabbed the hilt of the spear and struggled to pull it free. He began to climb to his feet, but Aldred kicked the man in the stomach. He gasped for air and then collapsed to the ground.
I knelt next to him. His eyes were open, staring up at the sky. I touched his cheek. “Aldred…”
He didn’t respond. I tried again, and still, he did not speak. I touched his throat and felt the blood.
“Are you hurt?” Aldred’s mother asked.
I looked up and saw that she had joined us. She was kneeling next to me and her eyes were wide with fear.
“It’s all right,” I said. “He’s dead.”
She nodded and her shoulders slumped. I could see that she was crying.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “But we have to go.”
I picked up the man’s cloak and wrapped it around Aldred’s body. He was too heavy to carry. I thought about trying to tie him to my back, but I knew it would be impossible. The man had been very strong. I wondered if he had been a member of the cult. I put Aldred’s hand on my shoulder and took his mother’s hand.
“Let’s go,” I said.
The End