Sunlight streams across the sky from the great star Raknold.
Beneath sits the world Askjold. To Thorfen, it is home. It is not his only home, for once he lived on Talyth. Yet there he remembered only misery, living in the Deeps below the homes of the wealthy and powerful. There was nothing for him there. It is early, and nothing much has happened. The sun is rising, and the frost has begun to melt.
Askjold is another acquisition to the massive Talythian Realm. With the power it holds, every colony is merely a dumping-ground for the endless growth of the population in the Deeps. Every world acquired removes a little pressure from the homeworld, and creates a new source of wealth and military power for the Realm. What is now termed the Southern-Wave Expansion was the largest Talythian expansion in decades. Six new systems increased the space held by Talyth by an impressive amount, though most of it held no real value to the homeworld.
In time it would.
Thorfen looked down at his hoe, and turned back to the wearisome task of digging at the earth. He was far from finished, and if they wanted have the earth ready for planting before the season arrived, they would have to work hard.
He struck at the earth, and it gave way. Satisfied, he hit again and again. Within a few minutes, he was tired. The earth was hard, and it did not give up much. He hefted his hoe, and continued the work. After a few more minutes, he shook his head ruefully, and put his hoe away. The little shed he had built for that purpose was not much - a few pieces of wood put together through the use of pegs, but it sufficed. The work was better done at midday, when the earth was softer. He did not know what had impelled him on this morning to dig so early, but foolish notions were easy to come by, for a freeman.
He looked back for a moment, and decided to walk down to the stream. It was a little ways off, but Unni was sick, and she could not bear water all that way. No doubt she would get better soon enough, but for now his workload was doubled. So he picked up his hoe once more, and slung two buckets onto it. Whistling cheerfully, he headed off towards the nearby stream.
The stream was cold, and fish swam happily within it. Reaching his hand into the icy torrent, he neatly plucked one of the shimmering swimmers from its home in the water. He filled one of the buckets with water, and tossed the fish in. Sometimes they jumped out of course, but it was worthwhile to bring them back to the house and cook them there. Unni did so love fresh fish, and they had been eating elk for some time now. A change was always good.
You are quick, warrior.
The voice came from nowhere. He stepped back from the stream, nervously looking about.
"Who's there?"
Nothing.
He laughed a little. Look at him, jumping at shadows in the morning. He had more sense than that. He turned to walk away.
You are more than this, warrior.
The voice. The voice again! He whirled around, losing half his water. Within a second, the two buckets were off the hoe, and he had it readied as a weapon. It would not defend him against a determined foe, but it was better than nothing.
Brave. Very well. Fight.
At that moment, a bear came lumbering out from the nearby trees.
"Hellfire."
It roared at him, and began ambling towards him. It did not seem overly concerned with him at first, and then something changed. The voice whispered something just beyond the edge of recognition, and the bear's jaw slacked open, and its eyes narrowed. One massive paw came down towards Thorfen, and he barely rolled out of the way in time.
He swung the hoe as hard as he could, and it connected with the bear's head. The wood snapped, and the metal fell to the ground.
"Damnation!"
Now desperate, Thorfen scrambled back. The bear moved towards him, swiping with one angry paw first once, and then twice. The second time one of the claws caught his left arm, tearing the flesh open. He didn't have time to check if it hit the vein.
He looked around, looking for someone - something to help him.
Then he saw it. An abandoned axe, blunted by its disuse, sitting by the side of the river. He ran over, narrowly avoiding the bear as he did so, and picked it up. It wasn't much. The bear had begun to attack now and it rushed towards him, jaw and claws swinging at him, as Thorfen raised the axe.
He swung it down at the beast's eye, and as its claw came up, he brought it down with every ounce of his strength. The axe was true, and the bear toppled forwards, the axe lodged in its brain. The bear fell onto him, crushing him beneath its massive weight.
Thorfen swore as he struggled, but he was too weak to escape.
Do you wish to live?
The voice echoed, and Thorfen could do nothing but nod.
Swear an oath that you are mine, and I will save you.
"Who... who are you?"
I am the Sleeper. The King. Swear to me, and I will protect you as faithfully as you serve me.
"What is your name?"
Askjold.
"But-"
Swear, if you will.
"Askjold... I... I am your man."
With a surge of sudden strength, he threw the bear off him. His muscles knitted themselves back together, and his skin wrapped itself over his muscles, forming a scar.
"Askjold?"
There was only silence. He waited for awhile, and then turned to leave.
You are now Einar.
Thorfen - no, Einar, nodded. A great purpose swept across him. There was work to be done.
