Home (Viking Ventures Book 4) by Ole Åsli & Tony Bakkejord

Author:Ole Åsli & Tony Bakkejord [Åsli, Ole]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Envig AS
Published: 2023-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Trouble

Ulv and Julia rode side by side, their horses’ hooves softly thudding against the earthen path. As they considered looking for a campsite, a pair of travellers appeared, heading in the opposite direction.

Julia shifted in her saddle and glanced around. ‘Who are they?’

Ulv, sensing her wariness, kept his gaze fixed on the figures drawing closer. ‘Not sure. Let’s just wait and see.’

They slowed their horses, and as the distance closed, Ulv lifted his hand in a friendly salutation. The oncoming riders mirrored the gesture.

‘Hail,’ Ulv called out, drawing his horse to a standstill with Julia following suit. ‘You’ve travelled from Norheim?’

‘Aye, we passed through on our way from Bjorgvin. Agder is our destination,’ replied one of them, a robust man with an unruly beard.

‘What news from the road ahead? Any sign of trouble?’ Ulv inquired.

The second rider, a younger man marked by a noticeable scar, spoke up. ‘Just the usual whispers of bandits in the shadowed trails, though we saw none. Beware the Vágr River’s path; there’s been a landslide. It’s rough but manageable.’

Appreciating the heads-up, Ulv nodded. ‘Good to know. Thank you.’

‘And what about the road south?’ the bushy-bearded man asked. ‘Any news on that end?’

‘Clear for the most part,’ Ulv answered. ‘But there’s bridge work near Bjarnarhofn. Adds about half a day to go around it.’

‘Bjarnarhofn, always something going on there,’ the younger rider said, chuckling.

Ulv smiled. ‘Indeed. Well, safe travels to you both.’

Before the riders could depart, the older man’s expression turned inquisitive. ‘Hold on, might I ask your name?’

Ulv paused, caught off guard. Was there any harm in sharing his name? ‘I’m Ulv,’ he replied cautiously.

‘You’re the one they call the stormborn bastard?’ the older traveller probed further, his tone edged with suspicion.

Ulv exchanged a glance with Julia, who subtly shifted her hand towards her sword. Raising his hand in a discreet gesture to calm her, he measured the tension in the air. Julia was wound tight, ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation. His attention returned to the two men. The elder’s face was etched with anger, his brow furrowed, eyes narrowing, yet his hands remained on the reins. The younger man seemed torn between watching Ulv and his companion, uncertainty playing across his features. Ulv knew he needed to defuse the situation.

‘Yes, I was born during a storm,’ Ulv acknowledged.

The elder man snorted disdainfully, turning his head to spit on the ground beside his horse. ‘I’m not one for violence, stormborn, and you’re fortunate for it. But your sort brings nothing but trouble! Get gone before your presence leads to harm. There’s been enough of that already because of you.’

Ulv opened his mouth to protest, to say he hadn’t caused any trouble, but the truth was he had been involved in several deadly conflicts since his return. He had threatened Naddodd at knifepoint and nearly incited an incident at Øksna-Tore’s. The title ‘stormborn’ might be new, but he had long been labelled as marked by Loke, notorious for attracting chaos. Perhaps there was a kernel of truth to it.

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