The Princes

“And so the Council of Wolves gathered before the blood stained wolf, there the three white wolves and red wolf of the farther clans heard the young wolf’s plea. He cried he only wished to be accepted but this crime was too much as it crossed the boundaries of nature. The red wolf calmly proclaimed he would never accept a black wolf, that there and then the black wolves would carry a single curse from now till the end of time. All who were born of their blood would contain the same blood rage that consumed the young wolf and they would be cursed with the same blood red eyes that afflicted the young wolf as well but some will rise as that would be the only mercy the red wolf would give. Then the white wolves said-”

“Stop telling the boy you’re horrid stories, Beinviðr!” cried the elven wife to her husband, “He will have more nightmares, I’ve told you before he is of my kin!”

“And I say he is of mine, woman.” Beinviðr laughed, “Look at his mighty fangs! His feverish grin! He brims at the thought of blood in his jaws and claws! Right, boy?”

The young boy, not quite even seven summers yet laughed and cried out a mighty growl from his depths, “Grrrr! I am the mighty warrior! Aþawulfaz is my name! I shall bring peace to the blood rage in our blood!”

The young boy continued to cry out and run around the small hut, acting as if he were a mighty warrior slaying a giant with his father as the giant of course. The bride of the ‘giant’ cried out to the young boy, “Save me! I must need saving from this awful giant, my hero!”

The ‘giant’ grabbed the bride and threw her over his shoulders and laughed, “Come get me, young hero! I shall vanquish you and take this woman as my slave!”

The boy chased his mother and father around the hut for a few minutes, mock fighting, until the boy plunged his wooden sword into the fathers armpit and cried, letting the elven woman go. He plummeted to the floor and stayed very still as the woman grabbed the young boy and hugged him then cried, “My hero! Please let me kiss you for saving my dear life!”

The boy made a disgusted face and yelled, “Ew! Mommy stop making it weird!”

The mother was shocked but laughed all the same, her pride wounded but still semi-intact. The father rose and lifted his son, laughing, and patting his back as if he had won the day once again until a knock came at the door. The woman became deathly quiet and she swiftly grabbed the boy and moved him into the bed room, she pulled the furs in front of the bed and lifted the hidden hatch beneath but there she placed the boy and told him to be quiet. The mighty hero needed to live another day so she whispered, she closed the hatch as the boy now heard massive men barge into their home. He heard the same man yell at his father, they have been showing up more and more these past months but the massive man says once again, “You must stop treating this wretched slave as your wife! She is nothing but invaders upon this land! You are the King’s brother, now act like it before I teach you a lesson like our father should have before he passed.”

There was suddenly a loud crash and the boy heard his mother be thrown against something then a loud crash followed as he heard his father’s low snarl. Another moment of crashing and wailing until finally it became deathly silent as the boy heard footsteps leave the hut. A few moments later, the hatch opened suddenly and the boy lunged forward into his father’s arms as he silently crawled into the crook of his large father’s arms. He whimpered silently as he knew the rules, when the men showed up he needed to wait an hour before he could speak or they’d know he was there; the boy didn’t understand why he needed to be silent, he’s done nothing wrong. Father always said that it wasn’t Einulfr’s fault, the men were small minded still but Father would open them up to the elven women so that they weren’t just slaves but people who could love like they could.

A few moments later, a slight arm wrapped around Einulfr, “My love, be calm. We are okay now. The storm has passed over the horizon.”

The boy, Einulfr, named after Beinviðr’s closest friend who died right before he was born, Beinviðr swore to his friend he’d name his son after him as he had no children before his death. He wished though that the original Einulfr’s stubbornness didn’t jump onto his son now, he whimpered silently as he felt his mother’s bloody hand and whispered to himself the same chant he always did once Beinviðr’s brother showed, “I will avenge my mother, I will claim the throne, I will make it all right.”

Beinviðr sighed deeply at his son, “My boy please calm yourself, they are not our enemies. You must understand this or a grave mistake will be made. They are our kin but you may not be one of the pack yet.”

The boy growled out, “I will never be pack with savages like them.” His blue eyes shined brightly in the slowly darkening room, the sun was soon setting and Beinviðr had little time. He told his wife to keep Einulfr from being stupid again and kissed her tenderly and swore he’d return to tend to her wounds once he returned from his brother’s meeting. Einulfr asked his father where he was going once again, “My young warrior, I go to see the mighty king. You know he is a short tempered man and we must keep him appeased if we are to continue to live in peace.”

The boy lamented, “Father, please! Don’t go! I have a bad feeling again!”

The father and mother both laughed Einulfr’s sense away, “My boy it is just the fright of what happened, I swear nothing will happen tonight. Now be good for your mother while I’m away, someone needs to protect her while I’m gone.” The man, the wolf warrior, the father kneeled down and kissed the small boy on the head where his dark curls settled against his forehead then the father tenderly kissed his bride goodbye as he ran into the distant woods. As the father disappeared in the trees, the woman told her boy to wash up as it is close to bed time though the young boy lamented again, he still trudged out to the river to be washed. All he did though was wash his face, his pits, and his rear as he did not think he needed that much cleaning but he heard a shout and a cry that came from his mother.

The boy scrambled to get his clothes on and rushed towards the hut when a burst of flame exploded from the side, a hideous laughter of pure joy rang out as men piled out from the hut. One in particular bore a silver arm band with wolves on it, he seemed to be the oldest but not as old as his father though he seemed strange. It was as if he was sick from something deeper than just a regular ailment but something deep into the man’s core was wrong but he had no time as he felt something shift in the man so the boy jumped into a nearby bush. The man sniffed the air but shook his head and began to walk away with his band of men, they all seemed joyful of what happened until Beinviðr barreled from the woods and right into the leader of the men.

A roar rang out in the silent evening air as Beinviðr began beating the leader but Einulfr heard the leader yelling, “You did this to yourself! Brother, stop this madness!”

“You killed them, you bastard! You killed my wife and boy!” Beinviðr’s scream could be heard from miles Einulfr thought.

The leader and his men, all in unison, grabbed Beinviðr and lifted him up then tossed him to the ground, “You had a fucking child with that invader?! Are you fucking mad! You even spawned a fucking creature that shouldn’t exist!”

Beinviðr went to move but was held down by five men, “Don’t call Einulfr a creature! He was better than us!”

Slowly the leader pulled his blade from his sheath as Einulfr moved closer to the burning hut but before he crawled inside, he saw the leader cut his father’s head clean off. He couldn’t wait, he had to save his mother, as he crawled through the burning beams and tried to sniff the air he couldn’t smell anything but blood and burnt skin. That’s it! Einulfr followed the smell to his mother who laid half-dead in the middle of the burning hut, he tried to lift her but he couldn’t though his mother touched his face. “My dear son, my only reason to live, please stop and get out of here, I am destined to die this day. That is the world we live in, my dear. Flee my boy, never return. May the spirits guide you and gods smile upon you.” She pulled him to her and kissed his head which shined strangely, she then pushed him towards the exit of the hut before the beams collapsed entirely.

The boy was unknowingly thrusted before the men who had just slain his father, “So here is the little mut!” the leader of the men cried out. “Do you know who I am, mut pup?”

There was such a deadly calm in his demeanor and it scared Einulfr but he didn’t flinch or waver, he spit in the man’s eye, “Ha! He truly is my older brother’s son! I wonder though, how weak will his elven blood make him!”

He kicked the boy square in the ribs and the boy went flying, he didn’t cry out but grunted in pain as he went flying into a bush. Thorns pricked him all over but Einulfr didn’t cry out like he would, tonight the young boy he was died with his mother and father. The boy jumped from the bush and found a stick with many thorns except for near the other end which seemed smooth strangely, it was a natural club just right for Einulfr’s size. Einulfr rushed the leader of the men quickly and was able to reach just enough to claw the right side of the leader’s face, some of his eye was cut too which now seemed to gush blood along with the rest of his face, “Seize the boy! We must take him to Goðþormr or he’ll have my head for sure. He must not know we rushed the plan.”

As the men all moved to grab the young boy, he suddenly became more agile than seven grown men and could probably escape a bear if he wanted to as well. Einulfr took his club and clawed three of the men with one swipe but the club broke on the third’s leg. The men were dazed by how swift the boy was, Einulfr seeing his chance ran deep into the woods in the blink of an eye as if he was never there. He heard shouting in the distance as he ran away, “I will find you! You will be the end of Beinviðr’s line!”

……

Many hours later, it was morning but Einulfr saw no reason to rejoice for the new day as his mother taught him. He had lost everything in a single moment and now he sat alone in the woods near a large river which only held stones and the occasional piece of drift wood. As he sat alone on the rocks around the river, all he could think of was what to do now, he swore he’d get his revenge but how was he to do that? He was too young, he had no power, he was weak, he knew nothing of his people yet, he had nothing and what he did have was taken. As he lamented near the river, Einulfr saw a man in the darkness of the trees, he wore a dark cloak with a hood and all Einulfr could see was a single, shining eye.

“Come with me, boy.” The mysterious man called and turned away. Einulfr quickly ran towards the man as he slowly walked through the trees but every time he thought he caught up with the man, the man was further ahead. This continued for awhile until Einulfr caught up to him one last time and he felt a change in the air, he dropped to the ground quickly thinking he felt another person. As he scanned the area again, he saw something he didn’t understand as he couldn’t feel the spirits or see any person but he saw a large shadow cover the area and a strong gale. Suddenly there was a loud crash and a crater was left behind as Einulfr lifted his eyes to find a mighty dragon with deep red scales, a voice called from above, “Why have you entered my land, boy!”

Einulfr cried out from where he hid, “I seek power! I seek vengeance for those who murdered my mother and father!”

The dragon paused and thought for a moment before he answered back, “I shall teach you that for which you have lost. When the time comes, you shall pursue vengeance and when you return with the heads of your enemies, you shall know only lost. Do you still wish to learn?”

Einulfr stood and shouted once more, “I do not care! I will have my revenge! I do not care for the price!”

The dragon chuckled, “You will care but this too shall come.” The dragon brought his claw down and the boy placed his palm upon and swore he would learn and exact his revenge. This began a long time where Einulfr was taught by the dragon and learned all he would of the power within his blood from both sides, there were times when an old man taught the young Einulfr powerful spells and magics. As time went on, Einulfr grew powerful and he soon became as ready as he could to exact his revenge against those who killed his mother and father.

The day finally came and the dragon told the young man, “Your time has come, it is time to go forth upon your quest.”

The young man smiled, “I know, great teacher! I shall return with the heads of my enemies and show you what I have done then we shall leave this place as we’ve discussed.”

The dragon told the man, “This shall not happen, my friend. Once you leave, you shall not see me as I am now. I shall be changed and we will have only moments before I must leave. Your fate is still entirely yours to choose but I warn you, some deals are not worth the terms.”

The young man cried out, “Our fates are not sealed, mighty dragon. I shall have my revenge and I shall return with you alive! Now I must return to my home and do what I must.” As Einulfr left the dragon, the man did not know yet but a pack roamed hunting for the man and found the mighty dragon instead. Soon Einulfr found the old man once again, he swore to the man he would show him the way to those he seeks revenge on but the man must swear he would wait 7 days before he returned to the dragon and burn all the bodies of those he killed then dedicate it all to a god called, Odin.

The man agreed then was taken to the home of these men who killed his family but it was strange, he saw a grotesque sight of these men killing anything in sight and fighting one another as if they tried to kill each other. Their eyes were blood red, they’re skin seemed covered in scars and caked in dried blood, Einulfr sat at the edge of this encampment. He was to ask the old man if these men were okay? The old man was gone, what was left in his place was a the same man who killed Einulfr’s father. His eyes glowed the deep red that gave Einulfr his nightmares but the man was snarling low and deep as if he was more beast than man, “Finally, I’ve found the boy that was meant to die that night. Now is the time, DIE!”

Einulfr leaped over the man and pulled his blade quickly, slicing the mans neck in one fluid motion, “You all are to die this night! For murdering my family! For Beinviðr! For Talyna!”

As the man choked on his own blood, Einulfr felt a twinge of pain deep inside him and something break, he had no time for this now that his cover was blown so he moved through the encampment and began to slaughter the men. One by one, these wild men continued to move forward and have their heads sliced but these men were not the same as the warriors who slaughtered Einulfr’s family. As, the man continued to fight and kill, it was as if he was killing animals that were truly sick down to the soul. This did not feel like revenge but mercy kills, finally after an hour of battle, the largest of the men in the encampment walked forward slow and deliberate. He had the worst of the scarring and he wore a crown upon his head which was covered in blood as well, the man looked down at Einulfr with a sad expression, “Thank you, boy. You must be Einulfr.”

Einulfr bristled in rage, this man was not sick, he was the one he would exact his revenge on, “You killed my father and mother! I shall end you!”

“My nephew, please. I plead for death. I have failed my people and I failed you. I’m so-” Einulfr leaped forward and sliced the giant man’s head clean off. As it hit the ground, Einulfr felt the sickness enter him all at once which brought him to his knees. He cried out as he felt his eyes burn and his body morph, his blood felt as though it was on fire. Einulfr took a deep breath and attempted to quell whatever was running through his system, he stood quickly and ran quickly towards where he knew the dragon would be. It took him a few hours, he could not stop this strange pain that coursed through his system, he cried out in agony for he couldn’t understand what was going on and he feared the sickness was what those men had. It felt the same and the strange power he felt scared him even more, something was wrong, he kept hallucinating and seeing the old man once more as he ran through the woods crying for his teacher.

He found a small pack of men who were wandering, the last of the men who killed his family. Einulfr was quickly able to dispatch the rest of the men but as he did and reached the meadow where the dragon always sat, he was greeted the most terrible sight he could think of. The dragon was sliced to ribbons, many of his scales were ripped off so there was rivers of blood everywhere, the head of the dragon was removed from the body, the horns were broken and the teeth were strewn about the ground around the head. Einulfr fell upon the decapitated head of his only friend for years, he cried and cried and pleaded to whatever was out here how so much loss could face one person. He felt the dragon speak to him whether through the head or in his mind, “Boy do not cry, this was meant to be. Remember what I told you, I have no more time, my friend. Be well and remember you are so much more than you know.”

Einulfr wailed and cursed at the very stars, “Have I not loss enough! Am I just a plaything for the gods to torture at their leisure! Damn you! Damn you all!”

“Be careful who you curse, boy.”

Einulfr stayed stock still before the dragon’s head, “Who is there, if you seek to kill me then do it already. I am sick now and know I must die.”

“I can stop the sickness, I can even give you more than what you have lost if you serve me for the rest of time till Ragnarök.”

Einulfr lifted his head and he saw the old man in his dark cloak, his one eye shined brightly, “You would do this?”

“Pledge your soul to me, pledge to be my tool for the rest of time and yes. I shall give you everything I’ve promised.”

Einulfr took a short moment then nodded his head. The man held out his hand, Einulfr took it and swore, “I shall be devoted to you for the rest of time, I shall be your tool. As long as you give me more than what I have lost and stop this sickness for the rest of time.”

A bright light shined, Einulfr soon became better but he also felt something changed. Something worse than the sickness but he did not notice for long, “Very good, boy. Now leave this place, burn the bodies and you shall go to a mountain. There you shall rebuild your people and you shall have seven sons. As your ancestor did, there shall be seven great tribes descended from you now go, my boy, and do as I command. Your King, Odin, has commanded it to be so.”