Work Text:
The guest
Elds er þörf,
þeims inn er kominn
ok á kné kalinn;
matar ok váða
er manni þörf,
þeim er hefr um fjall farit.
Fire he needs
Who inn has come
And to his knees fall
Food and drink
The man needs
Who has travelled through the mountains
Havamål, verse 3.
Kolgrim put down his axe and wiped the sweat off his brow, he was rather tired but the work had to be done. His sons Fjalir and Trond were working next to him, as were two of their thralls. The firewood had to be ready and he had a nagging doubt that they would have enough this winter. It had snowed heavily for weeks and the cold had descended earlier than usually. The gods were angry, he was sure of it. This solstice he would sacrifice a ram to Frøy just to be on the safe side.
The farm was not a large one, but he was no pauper. He had made his fortune as a young man, following earl Eric to foreign beaches and he had kept most of the loot he had won. Today he was still a man of some wealth and he had influence since his wife Hilda was the sister of the local earl. His two daughters were helping their mother weaving right now and he was glad she was such a capable housewife. Some would perhaps claim that his wife was a strict and unpleasant woman but he knew that she needed to be that way. The wife was the one in charge of the property whenever her husband was away and she couldn’t be meek and soft. Hilda was a warrior just as much as him, just on a different field of battle.
The farm was placed far away from the lower areas, he had been given this valley by the earl and he had managed to transform it into a good farm, one which kept them all alive during the hard winters. His sons would become capable men too in time, right now they were nine and eleven years of age and his daughters were thirteen and fifteen, Hilda had given birth to three more kids but neither had lived for very long. But four children alive was good, she was a strong woman who gave birth to strong children, it was good that way. Frøya and Frigga had blessed them for sure.
The larders were full in preparation for the winter and the harvest that year had been rather good in spite of the early autumn, the wise said it was a sign of a very long winter. Hilda would know how to prepare for that, by rationing the food. He was chopping away again when Fjalir raised his head and squinted against the low sun. “Father, I see a rider”
Kolgrim frowned, a rider now? One man was little to fear but why would anybody risk their lives by travelling now, alone? There were bears and wolves in the forests and there was a risk of avalanches too. He nodded at the two thralls who immediately stopped working and handed their axes over to the lads, if need be they were weapons and Kolgrim had taught them well. The farm only had three male thralls and two females, he couldn’t afford more and they didn’t need more either. Some men would leave all the hard work to their thralls but Kolgrim wasn’t among those, he saw how that made men soft and fat.
They waited and Kolgrim let his shoulders drop, he knew this rider. It was Einar, a friend of his who served the earl as a messenger. The man stopped his snorting horse and grinned. He was covered with snow and frost and looked as if he had been in the saddle for hours. The horse was rather small but strong and Kolgrim stared at Trond. “Take his horse to the stable, make sure it is well fed and watered. And brush the snow out of its fur”
Trond nodded and took the horse by the reins, Kolgrim turned to Einar. “Be greeted my friend, what brings you to this place now?”
Einar smiled but there was something in his eyes which told Kolgrim that the man was hiding something, he looked down. “The earl sent me, first of all to tell you that you of course are welcome at the Jolablot, the earl expects it as a matter of fact”
Kolgrim just nodded, they always came for the blot, it was tradition and since Hilda was the earl’s sister it would be odd if they stayed at home. It was their chance at meeting friends and family and Hilda had often mentioned that their eldest daughter Svana was at the age when they ought to start looking for a good husband, or at least start negotiations with a suitable family. It wouldn’t be good if she stayed unwed for too long, the vettir were always looking for unwed maidens to seduce. Einar wet his lips and made a grimace. “I do also come with a warning my old friend, the earl is quite worried”
Kolgrim frowned. “Worried about what?”
Einar lowered his voice and stood closer to Kolgrim. “You heard what happened at the ting this autumn?”
Kolgrim spat at the ground. “Yes, the son of Haldur? He was declared an outlaw, they say he murdered two men and raped three women, one of them a freeborn”
Einar sighed, “Yes that is true, it was most deserved. But he has been seen again, travelling with at least four others like him, evil doers and breakers of oaths, scum from the land of the Jotun I am sure”
Kolgrim understood. “The earl fears that they may come this way?”
Einar nodded. “Do not tell Hilda but they were seen by the bay of oxen just a forth night ago, and they laid waste to two farms there. Murdered everybody, women and children too.”
Kolgrim felt cold to the marrow of his bones. “We have little wealth they can steal”
Einar sent a knowing glance at the main house. “That may be but you have two young unwedded maidens here Kolgrim, and Leikir is fond of young maidens, very young maidens”
Kolgrim almost growled. “He will face the fire of Muspelheim before he lays hand on my daughters”
Einar grinned. “I know, but they are five in all, and you are just four grown men here and remember that your thralls are not warriors”
Kolgrim sighed. “No, they are not, but my sons do know how to fight”
Einar shook his head. “Not good enough, they are children still, do consider asking the earl for some extra men”
Kolgrim made a grimace. More men meant more mouths to feed, oh Hilda would love to be hostess to more men but the larder was not an unlimited resource. They couldn’t cull off too many of their animals or they would be without breeding stock came the spring.
He swallowed. “But do come inn, Hilda will be thrilled to see you and do not speak of this to her, she will get worried and when she gets worried she gets…tough to handle”
Einar sent him a wide grin. “Oh yes, I know her temper. I won’t say anything, I am here to invite you to the blot, nothing more”
Kolgrim patted his old friend on the shoulders and smiled. “Good, you have to tell us the latest news, have the builders finished the new longship?”
The two men entered the longhouse and Hilda was as expected thrilled to receive a visitor, she loved being the one to greet and treat the guests with her best food and her best stories. Kolgrim and Einar sat there and remembered their days together when they went Viking and the evening was a pleasant one but the news Einar had brought was still hovering in the back of his mind, if five armed men came this way with evil intent, could he hope to protect the farm? He had no idea.
The next morning Einar rode off again with an aching head and Kolgrim was also suffering from the effects of too much mead and too little sleep but it had been wonderful reliving old memories. Discretely he did check the defences and found them to be lacking. The male thralls were strong men but they had never been fighting and they were too timid to really do much good. His sons were brave but there is a difference between being brave and being stupid and he feared that they would be just that, stupid. Lack of experience was a killer, they were not used to killing anything larger than a lamb.
For a few days things were calm, they saw nothing out of the ordinary and Kolgrim relaxed again, Hilda knew him and realized that something was off but she also knew that her husband was stubborn and overly protective, he would never tell her unless she pushed him. So she waited, patiently, sooner or later he would tell.
Then one late evening one of the thralls came running inn, he was panting. “My lord, there is a man coming down from the mountain pass, alone”
Kolgrim got up, he felt a surge of adrenaline rushing through him. Nobody crossed the mountains now at this time of the year, it was suicide. Could this be some sort of trap? He nodded to the thrall. “Get Orvar, hide. If this is some trap do not hesitate”
Orvar was a decent archer although he barely used the bow there, the thrall was bought by Kolgrim’s father when he was alive and had never known another life than this. Kolgrim knew he could trust the man, soon he would give the thrall his freedom, he had deserved it. Kolgrim went outside, waited with his axe hidden in his thick cloak, his sons peeked out of the narrow door, curious and a bit scared.
Kolgrim had to swallow as the man came into view along the narrow path leading to the farm, it was almost unused and the snow was piled high but it seemed as if the man walked on top of it. Kolgrim grasped his hammer necklace, he already knew that this was no man. No human can survive the mountains now, and the creature was taller than any man he had ever seen. Was this a jotun? A frost giant? He didn’t know but he knew very well that you never ought to awaken the wrath of such creatures, they were above man in every manner.
The man walked into the small yard and stopped. He wore wolves pelts and leather, his head covered with a thick hood but he saw the face and it was more handsome than even the fairest of maidens. No frost giant then, but a visitor from Alfrheim. Kolgrim bowed his head, some elves were dangerous, he knew this already. There were dark elves, serving the darkness instead of the aesir. “Be welcome to this farm stranger, I am Kolgrim son of Kolbein, by what name are you known?”
Kolgrim followed the customs, the rules of hospitality could never be broken, it was an unwritten law and the words of Odin were to be respected. He was honour bound to offer housing and food to anybody asking for it or else he’d loose his honour. The stranger looked down at him with the most intense grey eyes he had ever seen, it was as if they peered straight into his very soul and he felt his mouth go dry. This was an extremely dangerous being, he felt it. In the distance he heard wolves howl and a raven croaked far away, all signs. “I am known as Kel, just that. I just need a place to sleep for the night, and some food. I can pay for it”
The man held forth a silver ring, it was rather large and very beautiful and Kolgrim blinked, the leather armour was expensive and the man carried two blades across his back, longer and more narrow than the ones he had seen before and the craftsmanship was exquisite. They were probably sharp enough to cut the northern wind. Kolgrim took a deep breath. “That won’t be needed my lord, your presence here is an honour”
The giant just cocked his head. “I thank you my good man”
Kolgrim spread his arms. “By all means, do follow me, my wife makes excellent stew!”
The man smiled, he was very beautiful but Kolgrim saw shadows within his gaze, the signs of fear and horrors not forgotten. This creature had seen evil, and fought it. They entered the house and the lads stared with huge eyes at him, Hilda was gaping and the girls squealed, they had never seen anyone that large. The man had to almost bow down double to fit through the door. Hilda saw that Kolgrim nodded and hurried over, she saw that this was someone they ought to respect and treat with all due hospitality. One of the female thralls was a girl from the land called Erin, her real name was Fionna but they called her Fena since it was easier to pronounce. She fell to her knees, whispering something which did sound like “Sidhe”.
The man sat down, he didn’t feel that threatening sitting down but he was still extremely tall and Kolgrim saw that he wore good boots too. And he had daggers strapped to his thighs and carried a bow under his cloak. It was made from bone and sinew and had to be extremely hard to draw. “Hilda, this is..Kel, he is to stay for the night”
Hilda smiled but her eyes were still huge and the girls were hiding. Kel grinned at the two lads who dared to come closer, they stared at the swords with curiosity. Kolgrim wet his lips. “You have crossed the mountains?”
Kel nodded, he got a tankard of beer and drank it all in one go, with that size he probably had the appetite of a bull, or maybe the fair folk didn’t eat that much? Kolgrim had heard legends of that folk since he was a lad, he didn’t really know what to expect. Kel nodded, he didn’t have a beard and the hair was braided and Kolgrim saw that the braid was thicker than his own underarms and probably so long it reached the man’s calves if it hadn’t been tied up. “I have crossed over yes, I am… a wanderer”
Hilda cleared her voice. “Then must Skadi bless your travels and may the eye of Odin never leave your path”
Kol just lifted his tankard. “I thank you for your sweet words my lady”
The accent with which he spoke was soft, reminded Kolgrim of the language some from the east spoke, but there was something else there too. Fjalir blinked and dared to go a little closer. “I have never seen swords like that before”
Kel nodded. “I am sure you haven’t lad, for these are rare. Made by smiths who no longer walk this earth”
Trond was staring with huge eyes at the hilts. “Dwarves?!”
Kel laughed, the sound was oddly relaxing. “No, but close. Want to take a closer peek?”
Kolgrim sent the lads a strict glance. “Boys, do not bother our guest, remember the words”
Kel just grinned, his teeth were perfect too. “Oh they do not bother me, far from it. Here”
He pulled the blades from their scabbards with an almost loving gesture and Kolgrim had to stare too. The weapons were made from a metal unlike anything he had ever seen, so shiny and smooth, and the shape was different from every other blade he had ever seen. Trond let a finger slide over the edge and he was blinking. “So sharp!”
Kel smiled. “Yes, watch your fingers little one”
Hilda had filled a bowl with stew and offered it to Kel who ate very politely and showed some real manners, the girls were a bit bolder now and dared to go closer, they stared at his braid and there was sheer envy in their eyes. The hair was so shiny and healthy it was clear that this was no human. Kolgrim tilted his head. “You are wandering, what have you seen on your travels?”
Kel chuckled. “Much, much too much to tell right now, but I can tell you a little”
The boys suddenly looked very excited and Kolgrim too felt a bit eager, a story told by one of the alfar couldn’t be anything but amazing. “I am gonna tell you a story about a mighty smith, who forged something so powerful even gods fought over it”
Hilda sat down and the thralls shut up too, sat down and listened.
That night the stranger slept on sheep skins in front of the hearth and Kolgrim felt blessed, he knew that this was a creature of light, that this visit would bring good luck to them. The next morning Hilda gave the guest some food for his travels and bid him a blessed farewell and the lads seemed sad. The story had been a mighty one and Kolgrim had a suspicion that the smith in the story had been someone Kel had known. As he followed the guest to the gate he whispered to him. “There are evil doers in the mountains now, outlaws. Be careful”
Kel frowned. “Thank you for the warning my good man. I appreciate it”
Kolgrim took a deep breath. “You have honoured us with your presence”
Kel placed a hand over his heart. “No, I am the one who has been honoured, may your Gods bless you for your hospitality”
He bowed again and walked out of the gate and Kolgrim remained until he couldn’t see the man anymore, he had a feeling that this meeting would change everything somehow.
Celegorm walked on, the snow didn’t hinder him and neither did the cold, he was making good speed, heading for the fjord beneath the valleys. He wanted to go west again, perhaps the land of Ice to the northwest, or even further. The west was pulling at him every day, relentless and merciless. A constant reminder of what he had lost and would never again regain. He had walked for a while when he stopped, there were tracks in the snow, men, and horses. He raised his head and sniffed, there was a smell of smoke on the air, and one of unwashed men. He frowned, it could be hunters but somehow he doubted it. There was little game to be found these days.
He followed his instincts, the cold wind carried voices and he looked up at the sun. It would be dark soon, then he would get closer and find out who these humans were. If it was the evil doers Kolgrim had warned him off he ought to do something. The hours went by fast, and he soon sought cover behind a huge snow covered rock. There was a camp there, it wasn’t large but there were at least seven men there and he was shocked by what he saw. It was no doubt that this was the evil doers but more men had joined them and they were armed. He had ears much more sensitive than those of a human and he heard everything. These men were in fact planning on attacking the farm come the morrow, they would wait for the cold hours before sunrise when everybody would be fast asleep. Apparently they believed that Kolgrim was hiding a lot of silver and one of the men talked about the two young girls as if they were things only there to use.
Celegorm got angry, Kolgrim and his family had been kind to him, offered him food and a safe place to stay, it was time to repay them. He started to grin, teeth shining in the bleak starlight, the blades left their scabbards without a sound. His nephew had forged them, and they were masterpieces. Now they would taste blood once more. He started to growl, the darkness he did harbour close to the surface, the berserker rage which had lead to his end, but also his resurrection. Who is better to fight darkness than the one who knows it intimately?
Two days later the Kolgrim and the thralls were out gathering more wood when they saw a flock of ravens above the treetops, they were circling and Kolgrim got nervous. He sent the men off to get weapons before they dared to venture closer. What they found sent a shock through them all, it had been a camp, now it was a bloodbath. There were seven men there, all dead and all cut open as if they were made from gossamer. Blades way sharper than those made by mortal hands had done a quick job out of it, heads and body parts were spread everywhere and the snow was frozen into a blood red lake.
Kolgrim just knew it, the guest had paid back for the hospitality by protecting them. He recognized one of the heads, it was a man named Svartur, he had been on one of the raiding journeys Kolgrim had joined and he hated Kolgrim since he was convinced that Kolgrim got command when he ought to have it. It was rather obvious that Svartur had found Leikir and the others and talked them into raiding the farm. Kolgrim and the thralls gathered the bodies and burned them, then he sent Orvar to the earl with the news of the deaths. It would be received with glee he was sure.
When the solstice blot came Kolgrim drank for Kel, and prayed to Odin that the wanderer one day would find that which he was seeking. He had saved them, not even four skilled men could have protected the farm from a surprise attack by so many. Kolgrim knew that he never would see the mysterious guest again, but the story lived on within the family for generations. If he came that way again they would recognize him and greet him and yet again offer their hospitality. The story of the guest and his gratitude would never be forgotten by that line of blood, not for many centuries to come.