Page 33 of Alien Viking's Passion

“Here is a whole tree, shamefully unharvested of its juicy offerings,” Craxon said and shook a cherry-like tree.

“Let’s harvest it,” Aretha said, “and relieve it of its shame.”

He looked down at her, amused. “Your Garda is becoming better than mine! If you start making rhymes, I shall have no choice but to declare you my new skald.”

“Sounds like anyone would be better than the one you have right now,” she replied and reached up to pick a dark red berry. “Are we sure these aren’t poisonous?”

Craxon quickly picked one and bit into it. “Mmm. We can never be entirely sure, but if I now fall over and you spot Valkyries coming to take me to the afterlife, then it is a possible sign that eating from this tree might be unwise.”

She looked up at him. “And are you falling over?”

He chewed thoughtfully. “It is too soon to say. Let us for now assume that I’m not, until we see proof of Valkyries.”

She bit into her own berry. It was tart and perfectly fine. “These are hardy berries, to ripen so quickly in the spring.”

“That has also struck me,” he rumbled, stripping dozens of berries from a branch with one sweeping movement with his hand. “Back in Hjalmarheim, they say that the grain is ripening faster than ever, as are the fruit trees. The fish that are caught are bigger than usual, and newborn livestock are heavier than anyone’s ever seen. Already the food stores for winter are full. We shall all eat and feast like the gods themselves if it goes on much longer.”

Aretha popped a handful of berries into her mouth. “Because of the Big Shine?”

“That is the belief. Straum in its frenzy makes everything warmer and brighter. All well and good, if it hadn’t also rendered our longships dead and useless.”

“And brought all the enemies down from the mountains,” Aretha added.

He gave her a curious glance that had excited butterflies taking off in her stomach. “Thatwould seem like a dark cloud over our world, but does it not also let through some warm rays of the brightest light?”

She got what he meant: if not for the vettir attack and the skrymtir and the trolls, the two of them wouldn’t be together here now. Maybe he liked it, too.

They picked the tree almost clean and carried heavy rolls of berry-stuffed leaves with them back to the ship. Aretha fed a couple to the not-porcupine, whom she had started calling Sonic in her own mind. He ate them happily and went about his mysterious business.

“Sometimes he’s here, and sometimes he’s nowhere to be seen,” Aretha said. “It’s like he can make himself vanish.”

Craxon went over toKvadand rocked it on its runners. “The Big Shine can do many strange things. Making iglsnutr vanish has not been said to be one of them. Look, the water is still inside.”

“So it should be ready to float,” Aretha said, not that happy about it.

“Not for a while yet. Now we must follow the trails of the grizzled old shipbuilders of Ragnhildros: launch the ship into the water and let it spend some time floating close to shore, making the wood swell even more and proving to its crew that it floats, high and straight. The true test comes later, when we entrust it with our weight.”

Aretha had a feeling he was making up some of the shipbuilding stuff, but she didn’t mind it at all. “That makes a lot of sense. See if it will sink in a safe place, and only then set sail.”

“You speak like a seasoned herjer with many raids behind her,” Craxon chuckled. “It is a joy to hear that you are becoming one of us, a woman of Gardr. Then it is agreed. We shall launchKvadand see if Njord will let the lake bear her. Possibly we must watch it for days before we can be sure.”

Together they maneuvered the sled-like little boat until it was pointing into the water, its runners sliding on the wet, round rocks.

“Keep your feet and clothes dry,” Craxon said and gently pushed Aretha onto the grass. “I think I shall be able to launchKvadby myself.”

“Thank you,” she said, appreciating his concern. She climbed up on the biggest boulder to get the best possible view of the launching.

Craxon placed himself at the flat rear of the boat, then pushed at it with all his strength and his considerable weight.

At first the boat didn’t budge. Then it was as if it suddenly overcame some kind of resistance and shot forwards like a wet piece of soap out of a squeezing hand. Craxon fell headlong on the rocks.

Kvadsplashed into the water, accelerating on the smooth stones like an actual sled down an icy hill. It followed the rocky slope down into the water and vanished in the murky deep, showing zero sign of buoyancy.

“Huh.” Craxon got to his feet and stood scratching his chin, pondering the spreading circle of waves that was the only sign thatKvadhad ever existed. “Our ship floats like an anvil.”

Aretha was pushing both hands at her mouth to not break out in helpless laughter. It was the funniest thing she’d seen in years.

As their gazes met, Craxon first frowned, then chuckled, then gave in. His howl of laughter thundered over the lake and echoed from the distant mountains.

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