Forbidden Plenty

Bjorn stepped into a small stream. The ancient border. A forest lay just beyond. Untouched by man.

 “Never cross that water boy. Better to die than enter those woods.” His grandfather told him as a child.

 Bjorn hesitated there in the water. A grown man now, but afraid of a warning he received as a child. Bjorn has a child of his own now, a hungry child. He hefted his bow on his shoulder and rested a hand on his belt axe.

 Bjorn stepped out of the stream. The farthest he strayed from the lands of his ancestors. He waited there for a moment. Nothing happened. Bjorn looked to the sky; the midday sun hung in the south. He walked softly into the forest.

 He continued for a few minutes quiet as a field mouse, until he came upon a large stone. It stood two head higher than him and held old runes etched onto its face.“In the harmony of nature, man has no place.”

Bjorn felt a chill down his spine. He looked east toward home. The growl of his stomach carried him forward.

 Birds chirped as they flew between trees. Small animals scurried about. Too small to bring home. He thought.

“Our crops are dying, there isn’t any game to be had in the valley. We need to use the forest!” Bjorn told the elder. Men from his village hooted approval behind him. “That forest was grown by the gods. It is a promise, and agreement. One we must endure.” Yarth said. The white haired elder raised a wrinkled hand. That ended the discussion.

 Bjorn stalked deeper into the forest. He passed another stone. “Garden of Vanahiemr.”

He looked to the sky again. The sun traveled west quicker then he hoped.

 The stones became more frequent the deeper he went. “Trespasser.” “Unclean one. Savior” “Bjorn.” He stopped. His name was etched in this ancient stone. Suddenly the hair on his arms and neck raised. He looked around, nothing but birds and small things. He took a deep breath and carried on.

 Bjorn saw a clearing through the trees. A circle of stones lay in the center. A deer grazed among the stones. The thing looked to weigh twice that of any deer he’s ever seen. The antlers looked like the branches of a tree; green leaves jutted from them.

 My family will eat. He notched an arrow. The deer raised its head. It looked at Bjorn, it was unafraid of him. He loosed the arrow.

The deer dropped against one of the stones. It died instantly. He walked to the strange circle to claim his strange prize. The forest became quiet, no birds chirped. No small thing scurried this way or that.

 Bjorn removed his arrow from the creature and hefted it from the stone. Blood covered runes were scrawled over its slick surface. “The pact is broken.” It said. Bjorn looked to the other stones. His breath caught. “The pact is broken.” Was drawn in blood on each stone. A sharp screech broke the silence deeper in the forest. Birds flew out of trees in waves.

 Bjorn ran as hard and fast as his legs could carry him, while he labored under his prize. He retraced his steps as ran. More screeches filled the air from every direction. The stones he saw earlier had changed. They were broken in two as if someone or something had opened them. They were hollow on the inside. More bloody messages were written on their remains. “The pact is broken.” “We have come Bjorn.” He ran as light began to fade. His chest beat hard with fear and exertion.

 “You must seek food from the sea. Seek it from the small things in the ground if you have to. The gods will provide. Do not violate that forest!” Yarth said. “The fishermen can’t keep themselves full. The gods have provided only starvation” Bjorn said. He shouldered his bow and settled his axe and quiver at his waist. “This will only bring death boy.” Yarth said. Bjorn walked past him, his eyes and feet focused on the west.

 Bjorn ran until he couldn’t see the ground in front of him anymore. He stopped and set his deer down. He grabbed a torch off his belt and laid it on the ground in front of him. A deafening screech came from just ahead of him.

 Bjorn fumbled for his axe and flint. Heavy footfalls crept toward him crushing twigs and dead leaves as it approached. Bjorn’s throat caught and his chest pounded. He pushed the axe blade against the flint. Sparks flew they lit the area around him like lightning in a storm. With each strike of the flint, he caught a glimpse of the thing. With each glimpse he felt his body numb.

 The sparks caught. Light bloomed from his torch, revealing the horror only a few steps away.

 The creature had two arms and legs like a man, but it walked on all four like that of a beast. Its skin was green where it wasn’t covered in bark. Its face looked almost human as well. It was missing a nose and its mouth was twisted into a smile, presenting rows of sharp teeth.

 It lunged at Bjorn. He screamed as he swung his axe. The creature hit the ground clutching its side with a taloned hand. Bjorn moved toward the wounded thing holding his torch over it for a better look. Green fluid seeped slowly from the creature’s side. It clicked and howled a low and guttural sound.

 He slammed his axe blade down onto its neck. It laid still and silent.

 A screech came from behind. Bjorn whirled around, torch and axe in hand. He was met with a white face and piercing eyes, soft brown and white feathers. She was perched on a tree branch. A Barn Owl. He thought. She cocked her head at him and screeched again. Then silent as any hunter she took flight without a sound.

 Bjorn picked up his deer and started a brisk pace home. Screeches came from all around him. More birds, or monsters? He thought.

 He passed more broken stones as he ran, each carried more messages. “Thank you, Bjorn.” “Man has no place.” “Your gods have abandoned you; the pact is broken.” His mind raced; his body started to fail him. Home. He thought, he prayed.

 “Papa, I’m hungry.” Bjorn’s daughter said. Sirya had tears in her eyes as she searched for crickets in the mud. Bjorn felt helpless. “I know my love. We all are.” He said. He found one of the small things wriggling in the mud. He quickly snatched it in a closed fist. Sirya looked from Bjorn’s hand to his eyes. “You found one papa. Now you can have something to eat.” She said. Bjorn’s stomach begged for the morsel, but he looked into his daughter’s tearful eyes. “Here my love.” He said. She took the crawling thing eagerly. “Thank you, papa.” She swallowed it after a bite. “When will the cows and goats come back?” She asked. Bjorn looked west to the forest. “I don’t know my love.” He said.

 Bjorn ran, he ran for his life and for his family. The screeches of the monsters sounded off all around him. There must be dozens. He thought.

 A clicking sound came from behind it was regular and insistent. No. It’s dead. He thought. Each time he heard the sound it was closer than before. He ran as fast as he could but heard the sound of footfalls behind him. It was coming for him. It was hunting him.

 He turned on the creature. It froze on its haunches, watching him. He swung the torch. It backed away from slowly, but still ready to pounce. Bjorn noticed cuts to the thing’s side and neck. No. It’s dead. This isn’t the same monster. He thought.

 The thing stepped carefully into the torch light. It screeched again and pounced; talons raised to strike. Bjorn swung his torch. It hit the creature across its head. The thing caught fire. It thrashed and wailed on the ground. The fire nearly enveloped it. The thing suddenly jumped up and ran away from him with a shrill whimper. The sound from the other creatures in the distance stopped. Bjorn watched the flame retreat until it was only a speck in the distance.

 He gathered himself and ran east. The screeches became louder and more aggressive now.

 He could see the tree line that marked the forest edge. He passed the last stone. “You cannot kill them Bjorn. They are eternal, my children.”

 He stumbled across the stream; the deer weighted him down. He saw a smokestack in the east, toward home. He found his second wind and ran harder than he ever had before. He heard the creatures call from ahead and behind.

 Bjorn walked through his village gate. There he saw Yarth. The man laid in a pool of blood gripping an idol of Thor. He tore his gaze from the old man. I need to get home. Now.

 The sound of clicking and screaming filled his ears. The monsters dragged men and women alike from burning homes out into the darkness beyond the village. He ignored the pleas for help from those being dragged along.

 Men mustered around the door to the longhouse. Armed with sword and shield they became a living wall. Men on the front stabbed and hacked at the creatures as they approached. Then the line would open, and men armed with torches tied to the tips of spears set the creatures aflame.

 “Bjorn!” Battle Master Ivar called from the front. “Is that a deer? Never mind that. Get in here and grab a blade it’s not safe, if you couldn’t tell.” “Ivar! Is my family in there?” Ivar licked his lips. “No, son we thought all of you were gone and if they’re not here…” His eyes widened as he looked passed Bjorn. “More of them! Take position!” He screamed to his men. Four of the monsters galloped to longhouse. Bjorn looked to the fighting men then toward home. He chose home.

 He burst through his front door. There was no light inside. He swung his torch as he searched. “Sirya. Ether. Where are you?”

“Bjorn?” His wife called out. She stood up behind a wall of straw in the corner. His wife carried his sword in one hand and Sirya in the other. “Thank the gods.” They said in unison. He dropped his deer as his wife and daughter ran to embrace him. He kissed Ether and ruffled Sirya’s hair. “We need to go. We can make for the longhouse or maybe a boat, but we can’t stay here.” He closed the door and laid a piece of wood across hooks on either side of the frame. “What’s happening papa?” Sirya asked. “I don’t know, my love. Ether grab the torches; I will carry the food….” A scratch crawled down the length of his door. Soft clicking sounded all around his house. Bjorn grabbed his axe and torch. “Papa. What’s that?” Sirya pointed at the deer. Its blood drained on the stone beneath, more runes lined the stone. “The pact is broken. Now we reign.”