tremendously unfair. Why should she be held responsible for the behavior of men who couldn’t control themselves?
“I cannot help what I look like, Hrefna,” she protested. “I did not do anything—”
The woman wrapped her in a hug. “Oh, my dear, I know you didn’t. I am angry at myself more than anything. The hatred Alrik and Gunnar carry for one another goes far back. Knowing what kind of man Gunnar is, I wouldn’t put it past him to think of hurting you or Geirr to get back at Alrik. I should have known better than to let them in. I thought if I kept Gunnar in check, everything would be all right, but I wasn’t counting on Einarr to be so impulsive. If you had slept in your own bed, Einarr would have forced himself on you, and it would be my fault.”
Selia pulled back. “If a man does a bad thing, then it is his fault, no one else’s.”
“Yes.” Hrefna studied her. “Yes, you’re right, of course.”
Selia returned to her loom and changed the topic of conversation to something less personal. “Why is it that Alrik and Gunnar hate each other, Hrefna?”
“Well, Gunnar told you his mother and Ulfrik’s mother were sisters, yes?”
Selia nodded.
“Klaufi Leifson—Gunnar’s father—he was one of Ragnarr’s men. On the same raid to Ireland where Ragnarr took Treasa, Klaufi also took her sister. Her name was Ide, I believe. Klaufi married her, and Gunnar was born around the same time that Alrik and Ulfrik were born. So the three boys were the same age, and competed fiercely amongst themselves, as boys are known to do. Although at that time Ulfrik was still a thrall, and therefore couldn’t raise a hand in his own defense to the other two.”
There was a stirring from Geirr on the bench, and both women stopped what they were doing and watched him for a moment. Geirr, still asleep, screwed up his face and let out a startlingly loud fart for such a small babe, then relaxed. Selia stifled a giggle and looked back at Hrefna.
“Just like a man.” Alrik’s aunt waved a dismissive hand at the babe as she went back to her story. “Ragnarr’s men were putting a tattoo on one of them, and the boys overheard Ragnarr boast that he had gotten his own berserker tattoo when he was only seven, after bashing in another boy’s head with a rock.” Hrefna paused for a moment, pursing her lips. “According to Alrik—if he can be believed—Gunnar then said he would have a berserker tattoo as well, and he picked up a rock and hit Ulfrik with it, knocking him senseless. Alrik took a rock of his own and beat Gunnar so severely that he lost his eye.”
Selia gasped. Ragnarr had died when Alrik and Ulfrik were four, so the boys couldn’t have been any older than that when this incident occurred. The thought of small children brutalizing each other in such a way was almost unimaginable. “So that is how Alrik got his tattoo?”
Hrefna nodded. “Yes. Although Ragnarr beat Alrik to within an inch of his life for what he had done, secretly he told him he was very proud. He put the tattoo on the boy himself.” She shook her head in disgust. “Soon after, Ragnarr died and Klaufi was the first of his men to turn on him. He wanted vengeance for his son’s eye. And Gunnar himself has been plotting his own revenge for a long time.”
“But surely if Gunnar is as bad as you say he is, he would have tried to do something to Alrik before now.”
“Oh he has, my dear. More than once, I’m afraid. He attacked when the boys were living with their grandfather, but Alrik pushed him down a cliff and broke Gunnar’s leg. And then Gunnar tried again after Olaf and I moved here, but before Alrik married Eydis. Gunnar was pursuing Eydis as well, you see, but she was put off by his eye. I’m sure it was like salt in his wound when Ketill turned down his proposal for Eydis, but accepted Alrik’s. Gunnar came here in a blaze of fury, looking for Alrik. And Alrik laughed at him. He beat Gunnar and left him lying in the
“I cannot help what I look like, Hrefna,” she protested. “I did not do anything—”
The woman wrapped her in a hug. “Oh, my dear, I know you didn’t. I am angry at myself more than anything. The hatred Alrik and Gunnar carry for one another goes far back. Knowing what kind of man Gunnar is, I wouldn’t put it past him to think of hurting you or Geirr to get back at Alrik. I should have known better than to let them in. I thought if I kept Gunnar in check, everything would be all right, but I wasn’t counting on Einarr to be so impulsive. If you had slept in your own bed, Einarr would have forced himself on you, and it would be my fault.”
Selia pulled back. “If a man does a bad thing, then it is his fault, no one else’s.”
“Yes.” Hrefna studied her. “Yes, you’re right, of course.”
Selia returned to her loom and changed the topic of conversation to something less personal. “Why is it that Alrik and Gunnar hate each other, Hrefna?”
“Well, Gunnar told you his mother and Ulfrik’s mother were sisters, yes?”
Selia nodded.
“Klaufi Leifson—Gunnar’s father—he was one of Ragnarr’s men. On the same raid to Ireland where Ragnarr took Treasa, Klaufi also took her sister. Her name was Ide, I believe. Klaufi married her, and Gunnar was born around the same time that Alrik and Ulfrik were born. So the three boys were the same age, and competed fiercely amongst themselves, as boys are known to do. Although at that time Ulfrik was still a thrall, and therefore couldn’t raise a hand in his own defense to the other two.”
There was a stirring from Geirr on the bench, and both women stopped what they were doing and watched him for a moment. Geirr, still asleep, screwed up his face and let out a startlingly loud fart for such a small babe, then relaxed. Selia stifled a giggle and looked back at Hrefna.
“Just like a man.” Alrik’s aunt waved a dismissive hand at the babe as she went back to her story. “Ragnarr’s men were putting a tattoo on one of them, and the boys overheard Ragnarr boast that he had gotten his own berserker tattoo when he was only seven, after bashing in another boy’s head with a rock.” Hrefna paused for a moment, pursing her lips. “According to Alrik—if he can be believed—Gunnar then said he would have a berserker tattoo as well, and he picked up a rock and hit Ulfrik with it, knocking him senseless. Alrik took a rock of his own and beat Gunnar so severely that he lost his eye.”
Selia gasped. Ragnarr had died when Alrik and Ulfrik were four, so the boys couldn’t have been any older than that when this incident occurred. The thought of small children brutalizing each other in such a way was almost unimaginable. “So that is how Alrik got his tattoo?”
Hrefna nodded. “Yes. Although Ragnarr beat Alrik to within an inch of his life for what he had done, secretly he told him he was very proud. He put the tattoo on the boy himself.” She shook her head in disgust. “Soon after, Ragnarr died and Klaufi was the first of his men to turn on him. He wanted vengeance for his son’s eye. And Gunnar himself has been plotting his own revenge for a long time.”
“But surely if Gunnar is as bad as you say he is, he would have tried to do something to Alrik before now.”
“Oh he has, my dear. More than once, I’m afraid. He attacked when the boys were living with their grandfather, but Alrik pushed him down a cliff and broke Gunnar’s leg. And then Gunnar tried again after Olaf and I moved here, but before Alrik married Eydis. Gunnar was pursuing Eydis as well, you see, but she was put off by his eye. I’m sure it was like salt in his wound when Ketill turned down his proposal for Eydis, but accepted Alrik’s. Gunnar came here in a blaze of fury, looking for Alrik. And Alrik laughed at him. He beat Gunnar and left him lying in the
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