Fate's Weave by Hambraeus Ragnar

Author:Hambraeus, Ragnar [Hambraeus, Ragnar]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inforagnar
Published: 2022-03-31T00:00:00+00:00

They sat in the high seat, Hroar ​ ​ looking from one to the other.

“If I understand you correctly, you can choose to either sacrifice all the Solendings, including Gunn and Ginna with their unborn children, or find some completely different sacrifices.”

“Yes,” Harald said. “And as things stand now, we cannot sacrifice the Solendings.”

“What will we say to the people? They already expect a mighty blót.”

Vigr’s forehead showed deep folds.

“Nobody wants to sacrifice Halfdan’s descendants.”

“Perhaps we can separate the sisters and just sacrifice the men?”

“You would never get close to Ginna after that. Or they would speak beautiful words and then kill us while we sleep. And forcing them to love us is out of the question. We are not like Nykr.”

“Can you sacrifice later?” Hroar ​ ​ suggested, “maybe at Yule?”

“It could be possible. Arvakr did not say when he and Frigg wanted us,” said Vigr, still frowning. “That or sham sacrifice, that we let fate decide.”

“We cannot deceive the deities, they do not let such things happen with impunity. If the harvest goes badly, the people will kill us because of a bad blót. There must be other ways out.”

“Are there volunteers?” Hroar ​ ​ thought aloud. “Thralls are sometimes tempted to switch to a better life on the other side. Have you asked them, or the men who were mutilated and injured after the battle? They have nothing to look forward to but a gloomy life, an infamous death in bed and the eternal misery of Hel.”

“We have certainly not asked, but we do not like to slaughter kin and our own people,” said Harald. “They who lost their hand, can still herd sheep, you know.”

“Or be a hersir,” said Vigr, winking at Harald.

They sat quietly and pondered for a while, each in his own thoughts.

“We do not have much freedom to choose,” Hroar ​ ​ finally said. “Some or all Solendings become a magnificent sacrifice that will be remembered, but then you lose both the women and their unborn royal descendants. Waiting is dangerous; if the harvest goes poorly, you will be slain. Every adversity is blamed on those who offered a meager blót. Tempting volunteers seems beneficial.”

“Mhmm.”

Harald sighed. Vigr held his head in his hands.

“If I ask for volunteers, I seem weak. None will accept sacrificing their kin when everyone knows we have strangers for that purpose. The blót-goði who hesitates before his first public blót... No, it is not possible. Vigr, the greatest sacrifice may be yours and mine: that we give up Gunn and Ginna, that we sacrifice them all.”

Harald gasped the words out. It took him a while to pronounce them.

Vigr did not answer. He sat quietly. All three sat quietly, each with his thoughts. Vigr pondered what Arvakr had said. What did he recall? He had lain in the temple among serpents, ravens, and wounded men. Arvakr had wanted him, not just his hand. But when? Could he somehow promise himself to him right now, dedicate his life to the Allfather, and carry out his will among men?

Harald twisted and turned the problem around.

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