Erik wasn’t intent on waiting to ask whatever he could. “Her little world?”
Völundr dug into his food, heaping a forkful into his mouth. Erik noticed the utensils as he did. They were expertly made, not the awkward things he’d seen through the rest of Helheim.
“Göll is an ale-bearer.” The blacksmith chewed loudly, pointing his fork at Göll. “Something like a thrall among valkyries.” He laughed. “She’s weak and scared, as so many of her status are. But I can’t bring myself to dislike her. She’s unlike her sisters.”
“A thrall? Like a slave?”
Völundr scrunched up his face, waving his fork around. “No, no. Not so much a slave as the least of her kind.”
Göll stared straight down at her plate as Völundr spoke. She was ashamed of every word the man spoke, a fact Völundr noticed.
“And look how it weighs on her.” He laughed. “She does not know her own worth. Ah, it’s pitiable.” He smiled at Erik. “You’ve begun to see it already, haven’t you Haki?”
Erik’s jaw clenched instinctively when Völundr’s gaze focused on him.
Völundr’s smile widened. “Those are good eyes. I wonder if she even bothered to look in them.” He poked at Göll absently with his fork. “Have you, Göll?” She ignored the question and he came back to Erik. “So Haki, how have you found Helheim? Welcoming to your sort, isn’t it?”
There was nothing to be gained in being stiff with a man like Völundr, Erik could tell that much, so he smiled and laughed.
“Too welcoming. Hard to get a moment’s peace, you know?”
Völundr slapped the table. “Isn’t it?! You understand, I can see it. They all want something, whatever it might be. But you can’t give it to them or—”
“Or they’ll lock you in a stone box.”
“Haaahaha!” Völundr roared with laughter, pushing another forkful of food into his mouth. “You’ve met Ásví!”
Erik laughed. “Oh yeah. We met.”
Völundr leaned over the table. “Did she touch it?” He eyed down toward Erik’s crotch. “She does that. She’s a sick one.”
“I thought she was going to!” Erik pointed at him, finally taking a bite of the food Völundr had cooked. It was awful. “This is awful!”
Völundr laughed again, slapping the table repeatedly. “It is! I’m useless as a cook!” He stood up from the table holding a hand out across it. “I’m Völundr. I like you, Erik.”
Erik stood and clapped his hand around Völundr’s forearm. The blacksmith’s grip felt like it could easily snap Erik’s arm. They sat back down and went back to their food.
“Who’s the girl?” Völundr nodded sideways at Tove.
“Tove. She’s the second in my warband.”
“Said with confidence.” He eyed Göll who had at least come as far as looking between them as they talked. “You’re a bold one, Erik. I can’t hate you. In fact, I welcome you to my home. Stay as long as you like, and your warband.” He looked at Tove and smiled. “Oh, but she’s a troublesome one, this girl.” He finished his plate and stood. “Can’t have you sleeping with her. No doubt Göll wants you here for work.” He slapped a hand onto Göll’s shoulder. “Am I wrong?”
Göll spoke, “I have brought him here to train, yes.”
Völundr patted her shoulder and walked off, tossing the plate onto a counter top. “It’s safe here, Erik. So long as you can ignore that small beauty, you’ll have the time you need. I doubt it will be much from the smell of you.”
Erik looked at Tove. She was flushed beet red, staring down at her food. Erik kicked her foot and she yelped, looking over at him then immediately back down to her food.
Völundr came back to the table but didn’t sit down. “I’ve decided on a condition, if you don’t mind.”
Erik leaned back in his chair. “I might mind.”
“I can’t imagine you will, not if I understand you as I hope I do. I’ll have you apprentice for me while you’re here. Even as short a time as you’ll be here, a warchief should understand steel.”
“I can’t argue with that. I’d love to learn.”
“The right answer.” Völundr walked away from the table. “It’s time I slept. You’ll be in my room, Erik. I won’t tell a man when he should sleep, but we’ll wake early. And you’ll be worked hard.”
“Thanks for your concern.”
Völundr waved his hand, pushing open the door to his bedroom. It shut and Erik looked at Göll.
“Are you okay?”
Göll looked at him. “I’m fine. He told no lies about me. They are my own failings.”
“I’ll believe you.” He looked to the other side of the table. “You?”
Tove nodded. “He’s strange, but…” She considered her words for a second. “I’m happy to be here.”
“Great.” Erik stood up. “I guess tomorrow I’m going to get my ass kicked and learn to hammer on metal. Exciting.”
chapter|19
Völundr was snoring loudly and Erik almost mistook the sound of Göll opening the door for another noise from the blacksmith. It was the movement in the bottom of his vision that caused him to sit up. The sight of Göll in her armor wasn’t comforting, especially when only half-seen in a haze of sleep. The only times he’d seen the distinctive gold-trimmed leather in Helheim were not pleasant ones.
He sat up, ready to be attacked but Göll only wordlessly waved for him to follow her. If she’d noticed or cared about the emotion behind his reaction, she hadn’t shown it. Erik dragged himself out of what had passed for a bed, a linen sheet over a stack of cow hides. He hadn’t slept well, but that was something he was beginning to grow accustomed to. Völundr didn’t so much as break the rhythm of his snoring between Göll’s entrance and Erik’s exit from the room. It was hard not to find it annoying that the man slept so well.
Göll was waiting in the main room of the house, standing near the back door. She looked him over.
“You should wash.”
“Now?”
“No. We
