Gerhard nodded. “Well, it’s good you did. The other direction would have led you into the woods. Not so many folk out there. Kvernes is easily the better place to find yourself.”
“Ey!” The patrons all raised their mugs and shouted in unison.
Erik hurried to do the same, taking a drink as the others did. The light golden liquid inside was thick and warm and heavy with alcohol. He coughed, nearly spitting the drink all over his food. They laughed.
“You’ll get used to it, boy!” An old bald man encouraged him from the back of the room and others did the same in response.
Erik spoke up when the shouting died. “Kvernes isn’t a word I know. And this building isn’t like the longhouses. I don’t mean to be rude, it’s just strange to me.”
“You live, still, in longhouses in America?” Another man shouted the question in disbelief.
Erik spoke up. “No, I just… I’ve never seen a building like this.”
Gerhard put a hand up at the chatter. “This is how things were made in my home, Kvernes, when I died. I came to Helheim as all men do and was unsatisfied with what I saw, so I came to this field and built what I knew. More came and for ages we’ve lived as we please here.”
“When did you die?” He blurted the question without thinking and was thankful when Gerhard laughed.
“I can hardly remember now. They’d remind us every winter. Thirteen and something. Always the year of their lord.”
The patrons booed and then broke into laughter.
The food had disappeared from Erik’s plate and he was in no hurry to take another drink. He had questions, but most of them he didn’t want to ask. There was no way of knowing how people would react if he mentioned how he’d died. “Is all of Helheim like this?”
Gerhard leaned back, crossing his arms. “No. But there’s little reason to travel. There are other cities, but they are harsh or full with criminals.”
“Is there any way someone could find me here? If they were looking?”
Gerhard chuckled. “Who would look for you, boy? Were you married so young?”
“No, there’s… A girl. Her name is Göll and…”
The faces of the people around him changed at the mention of the name and Gerhard stood up. He walked around the table briskly and grabbed Erik by the shirt, dragging him toward the kitchen. He was pushed through the door and Gerhard came in behind him. There was a low din from the main room. Erik looked around frantic, there was a door behind him.
“I don’t mean to hurt you, boy, but you’ve just said something that it’ll be hard for folk to forget.”
Erik shook his head. “Look, I can just go. It’s fine.”
Gerhard’s face was stern. “I will ask for a clear answer from you. Göll, the one you believe will come and find you, she is a valkyrie?”
“Y-yes. Yes. She is supposed to guide me to Valhalla she said.”
The large man in front of him softened, heaving a weary sigh. He pointed to a door at the side of the kitchen. “Go upstairs. And keep yourself quiet for a while.” Gerhard rubbed at his temples, shaking his head. “They’ll be badgering me all night.”
He prepared a handful of mugs and went back into the main hall, people shouting questions at him immediately. Erik decided it was best to get upstairs before anyone came to look for him, so he did as quietly as the stairs would allow.
The room at the top of the stairs was simple, furs and a small table with roughly hewn chairs. An oil lamp hung from the ceiling lit things well enough. Erik sat at one of them, listening to the sounds of the hall before. The shouting died and turned to laughter as they forgot whatever had made them angry about Erik’s presence.
Hours passed and the noise died until it was just the sound of mugs being cleared away. Gerhard came up the stairs and into the room, grumbling about having had to serve so much drink.
Erik stood as soon as Gerhard entered. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I didn’t know.”
A dismissive hand was waved. “How could you? They forget that. Sit.” Gerhard moved to a chair and sat. Erik did the same. “You may not have seen it before you ended up here, but valkyries are not gentle creatures.”
The look on Erik’s face must have told Gerhard enough since he left the explanation there.
He continued, “I can’t promise you much, but you’d do well to make yourself a welcome addition. I can find you work come the morning.”
“Shouldn’t I try to find Göll?”
Gerhard gave him a pitying look. “You’re welcome to do as you like. But valkyries sometimes leave their chosen, forsake them. I hear it’s some sort of game for them. A way to seek Odin’s favor. And with you ending up out here… I can say you’re a rarity. We haven’t had a new face through here in hundreds of years, such as they are in Helheim.”
With what Vár had done to him, Erik could imagine that explained most of the situation he found himself in. His mind wanted to jump to conclusions but the only reasonable thing to do was wait and see.
“I’d like to pay you back, if I can. So I’d like to work.”
Gerhard smiled. “Good man. Fulla’s said she has some clothes she thinks might fit you.” He chuckled. “She’ll bring them when the sun’s up, give you something to wear that isn’t full of holes and bad memories.”
Erik looked down at his shirt. “I’m grateful for that. For all of this. I hope I can pay it back.”
Gerhard stood, and moved to a small closet, pulling some furs. “Keep up like that and I’ll really believe you were chosen.”
chapter|6
Gerhard slept heavy and loud and that meant Erik spent the rest of the night sitting in the corner
