A few hours ago I had woken up in my bed, surrounded by Freke's warm limbs, thick black hair and heavy breathing. I had wanted to lay there with them forever, fearing what the future would bring us. But there was no time for cuddling so I left the bed, had breakfast, and then, I, the Jarl of Skal, had made the decision to call for a meeting. We had important things to discuss.

Gathered around the fire sat all of my most trusted men and women. Faste, Ivar, Dag and Liv. Freke was the centre of attention as they sat before them, on the chair beside mine. The chair that usually would be used by the wife of the Jarl. Freke would probably give it to Noora when she arrived. But I thought about making a third one for her instead and let my wolf keep it.

All eyes were on them when they opened their mouth and started speaking. Freke's voice was not as calm as it usually was. Not as energetic, and we all saw it. "The late Jarl Brokk has a son," they began. "And not a young child. He's our age, living a secluded life in the forest."

I instantly turned to look at Ivar to have this news confirmed. The man nodded and rubbed his chin in thought, but was interrupted by Dag—a much younger man that was a native of this village, but had become one of my best friends during my short stay here.

"I heard he was taken in the raid. I guess they were wrong, but why would he not come back home? Why would he choose a life alone?"

"You know the answer to that Dag," Ivar sighed, "Bjarke is a madman, the only person who could calm him down was his mother, and now she is gone."

"What kind of a madman?" I asked harshly and leaned forward to rest my elbows on my knees.

"The kind who abandoned the gods and uses foul magic to get what he wants," Freke whispered low beside me.

I turned to stare at them. "Did he use it on you? Is that why you feel weaker?" The words left my lips without a second thought, but I could not stop myself, the worry I felt for them was overwhelming.

"Yes, and no," they said with a weak smile and reached for my hand. "I'll be alright."

"Please explain it all to us Freke," Faste insisted. "We need to hear all the details to be able to understand this threat."

The wolf nodded and rose from their seat and walked up to the fire. Their right hand moved above the flames which started to dance more intensely, creating images of a man in the woods in the orange and yellow light. "The man you call Bjarke has cursed the lands we live on, it happened soon after we arrived."

"Was he close to his father? Maybe he heard of his death?" Faste asked Dan and Ivar, and both men nodded in agreement.

"That is probably the cause of it."

"The circle helped to cleanse the land, but it's not enough." Freke continued, speaking of the carved logs with the gods' faces on them.

"So we need more?" Liv asked, sceptical. "Why don't we just kill the threat and be done with it?"

I snarled at her and stood to my feet, "Are you saying you are stronger than our Úlfhéðnar? Liv, for the love of Odin, please be reasonable. Freke is the strongest warrior of us all, and you want to go after this níðingr, this magic wielding piece of filth without knowing what he could do to you?!" I stared at her with anger boiling inside me. "Honestly, I had higher thoughts of you."

I could see no shame in her, instead I noticed she was angry too. "You place too much trust in your precious Vitki, that is what they are, Freke is no Úlfhéðnar but a plain Seer. It's time you open your eyes, Tyr, or are you cursed as well?"

I shook my head at her behaviour. "Leave." I hissed. The amount of disrespect she had thrown at us was too much to accept. "Calm your emotions woman, and when you are ready to listen, you are welcome to join us again."

It was a low blow, calling out her gender as if it was a weakness, but I hated the way she looked at Freke, and spoke about it openly in front of us both. So right now, I didn't care about the consequences.

She stared at me, met my gaze steady but decided to turn her back to me and walk out before saying something she might have regretted. And I was thankful she did. Somehow she always managed to get under my skin, and I didn't have the energy to deal with that right now.

Freke had joined my side by then and I could feel a hand on my shoulder. "Is she jealous?" they snickered, "doesn't she know you have a wife already? It's Noora's job to nag like that, not hers."

The men around us chuckled at Freke's jokes, and the mood in the room was instantly lighter. But my heart was heavy, this was not the time to fight amongst ourselves. If Freke was right, then this Bjarke was a real threat, and the worst part, I would be helpless with my sword or axe against his magic.

"We need to create protection runes and spread them out to surround the village," I said, looking at Faste, who nodded and took it upon himself to see it done. "We should be extra careful moving outside the borders, but don't mention this to anyone else. Let's pretend it's a common threat—a family of bears or common thieves wandering the woods. Ivar, you are in charge of the watchmen." He gave me a nod. "And send word to my father's village. It's time our families join us."

"Now?" Dag asked, puzzled, "with a madman out there?"

"You want to strengthen the morale of the men," Ivar assumed, and he was right. I needed them to have a bigger reason to fight for Skal. And maybe it was egoistic of me to bring innocent women and children here, but what choice did I have?

"Yes, and add to the number of people who can help us rebuild."

"I will see it done," Ivar answered me and moved towards the main door.

I grabbed Freke's hand and pulled them towards our private quarters as soon as they had left. "You and I need to talk."

"Did you share our bed with her when I was gone?" Was the first thing they asked when we were alone. The question annoyed Hel out of me.

"How can you ask me that?" I roared, "I was worried sick over you!"

"And she might have tried to help you calm down," they said with a shrug, and little did they know that they were on point.

"She tried," I muttered, "but never succeeded.

"I knew it." Freke chuckled and sat down on the bed. "She's in love with you."

I sighed and glanced at them, how carefree they looked right now when we spoke about more trivial things. They were almost back to their old mischievous self. "It does not matter," I calmly stated, "She knows I don't want her and she'll calm down eventually."

"Perhaps."

I fell down on the bed beside them and exhaled all the air that I had trapped in my lungs. "How bad is it?"

Freke moved to lay their cheek against my chest, creating circular patterns with their claw-like nails on my skin wherever it was visible. I knew my Vitki was casting spells on me, drawing invisible protective runes. I could feel it, and I didn't mind. I was grateful for his knowledge in magic now more than ever.

"He almost killed me," Freke said calmly after a moment of silence.

"You fought him?"

"No, he surprised me. Lured me in with mind tricks and traps."

"Only a coward uses tricks like that." I frowned.

"Yes," they agreed, "he is a coward, but a dangerous one. His magic affected me badly. Tyr, I felt as mad as him when I first arrived back here."

"But you feel better now?" I asked gently, and to my great relief, they raised to their elbows and smiled down on me.

"Yes, I feel better now."

"Good," I said and relaxed more against the mattress, combing my fingers through their hair. "Our swords won't kill him." I sighed, "and you can't do it alone. Maybe it's time we ask your mother for help?"

"She would come," they said quietly, "but I'd have to leave to speak with the pack, and I don't want to leave your side again."

"There must be another way to contact them? With the help of your ancestors?" I looked pleadingly at them. "I need you here with me, by my side."

"I know," they whispered, but there was no chance of them knowing to what extent their disappearance had affected me.

"I felt so lost without you, min skatt, it was like a part of me was missing, and I hated every second of it." With an annoyed huff I pulled their body closer to mine, "And you better know that no one else on this earth could subdue that feeling, not even for a second. Because the only person I want beside me is you." 

Níðingr - a disgraceful person who is devoid of honour and disrespects the basic norms of society. A person who is unworthy to be a part of that society.