Love?

“The gods seem to have seen it fit to trade you good fortune for your good health, be careful what you wish for, you never know which god is listening… some are as fickle as humans.” He says lowly at last.

“What can I do?” She whispers a little too seriously, twirling one of her stark, brittle, white braids in her long, cold, pink fingers.

His eyes cloud as he stifles his curling lip “Give to others what you asked for yourself, helping others may in trade draw help for your health.”

She looks conflicted, her eyes begging him to clarify.

“Or dont, and enjoy your wealth with what little time you have left.”

She doesn’t speak, as if ashamed at first and now slightly annoyed.

“I did not come to tell you…. You came to me to ask.” He retorts calmly, in a way to avoid any potential wrath, a crease between his brow building.

She only stares deadly, nods, and brushes her way past and out the door, Karl’s old dry lips tighten as he heaves himself up to his staff, foggy eyed, he hangs his head and, too, makes his way outside his since-repaired little longhouse into the late autumn air, Ebbe following close behind.

It had been about 4 years since Ebbe showed up on Karls doorstep, since then he’d made his stay worth the old mans while. Today, he’s tasked with tending to all of Karls visitors; those who came to share in a local harvest celebration. The old man had made friends with many, most came to him for healing or wisdom in trade for goods as he was too old to have made it on his own, but Ebbe had always sensed that there was more to this old man than he wanted anyone else to know… and Karl seemed to know that Ebbe knew as much, but Karl had always managed to keep his distance. In the years they had lived together Ebbe hadn’t done much talking to him, either, but they coexisted to fill eachothers needs. Because of this chance at life when no one else would have him, Ebbe has become strong, moderately educated, and has made a life and a nice name for himself despite his past. That, was at least something to be a great to Karl, and each harvest for, and why he’s stuck around. 

After a sacrificial sheep was bled and the small crowd blótted by one of the elder guests, the 2 dozen or so follow Karl into his little warm longhouse for a meal.

“Thank you for coming everyone, let us toast to the season, eachother, and the gods for another good year, Skol!” Ebbe declares to the lot, keeping his eyes on one twinkling pair of long-lashed, lightning blue eyes towards the back of the room.

“Skol!” The lot lift their cups to their lips and drank, Ebbe begins to follow after getting a good look at everyone’s cheerful faces, only to feel the cold leathery fingers of Karl obstructing.

Possibly the happiest day in Ebbe’s life had suddenly come to a halt as the essence of the room twisted, shifts, from warm happiness to cold dissolution. Confused, as he momentarily attempts to scour through an unexpected mess of shadows drifting through Karl’s pale eyes, wails of agony rip through the air. Around the pair’s slightly lifted stoop, the elders hit the ground first, followed by their children, followed by all but two of their children’s children, a pair of siblings, Ebbe’s friend and her brother. Ebbe’s feet move faster than his mind, catching her before she hit the ground- his calloused fingers trembling against her sweat-beaded body, her eyes meet his amber ones as she began to foam and convulse, “Ebbe…” her gentile fingers grip into his shoulders as the life faded from her eyes- Ebbe looks for help but Karl hadn’t moved from his spot in the room, neatly unaffected, his eyes energetically search the bodies for something when they finally fixate on her brother. It was quiet now, all but a sloshy hum and strained, rattled breath, Ebbe swivels his head to see Broek, vibrating, skin bubbling, swelling, moving like a swarm of hungry maggots, his eyes bleeding purple.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” Ebbe bellows.

Karl, with some sort of unearthly vigor, takes a few steps forward, grabs the thrashing young man and throws him over his shoulder, absolutely discarding the room of bodies, a room of people that had done nothing but adored and trusted him since his arrival… “What I have to do before…” he turns slightly to meet Ebbe’s amber eyes set under a furrowed brow, atop a visibly shaken strong build holding the only thing Karl knew Ebbe had ever given a shit about. He stops himself… “Take the rest out back, burn them.” Karl tuns his back and starts on his way to his back room, lip curling at knowing exactly which fire he’s actually lit.

Ebbe goes still, then burning hot with rage, eyes filled with pain turn wickedly from the girl, to the cups, to the old man, he slips her to the floor and hurls himself at Karl full force, only to be dispelled with ease by the unbothered old man with a walking stick. “You think anyone would believe you had nothing to do with it, bastard?” The monk slinks into his room, gently shutting and locking the door as Ebbe tries to gather himself.

—

The smell of singed innards crash against the familiar early winter wind sweeping through the trees, the moon looks like it hasn’t moved in hours. In his time burning each body in ritual fashion, giving each the respect a proper Northerner deserved… or, as much as he could offer, Ebbe wrestles with the idea of leaving.

If only it were that simple… if he wasn’t useful, Ebbe knew Karl would simply blame him if the families of the dead came around, and that there was no where to run, no where was safe… maybe the idea was simply a way to cope for now. Karl was right, it was the word of the kin-less bastard versus an old, feeble traveler. Even if Ebbe decided to kill Karl, it’s not like any one possible path to his inevitable fate would change. He was a dead man either way.

After clearing the burn pit, stealing what should have been their first kiss, and placing something he’d hoped to give her behind her ear, he gently lays Frigg on a fresh pile of wood and lets her go.

As he slowly watched her return to earth, he couldn’t bring himself to think on Broek, what Karl was doing to him, what Karl HAD done to all of them… he only expected to be asked to burn him sooner or later, too, that’s quite possibly the only reason Karl left him alive.