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The three Redhair men tighten their circle around Alvin.
Carrot Top raises his scythe.
Solveig and Oskar gallop up on the gray mare. Horse and riders are drenched.
> Solveig: Magnus! Stop!
The three Redhair men turn towards Solveig, stunned.
> Solveig: Leave him alone! That’s my husband.
***
A small procession is marching through the Redhair village, with Magnus in the lead, Alvin, Solveig and Oskar in the middle, and the two other Redhair men in the rear, carrying their scythes. A light rain is still falling.
Red-headed villagers gape at them as they pass.
They stop at the largest house in the village and knock on the door. A voice calls for them to enter.
They enter the house. Frode and his wife Marta, both with red hair shot through with silver, are sitting at a table set with food. Frode is wearing a furred cape, and silver rings and arm bands. They stare at Alvin, Solveig and Oskar.
> Magnus: Jarl Frode, I’m sorry to interrupt your meal. We thought you’d want to know about these…visitors.
Solveig steps forward and makes a little bow.
> Solveig: Jarl Frode. Marta. I’m happy to see you’re in good health.
>
> Frode: Solveig? And…can it be Greta’s son? I never thought to see either of you again.
Frode looks at Alvin.
> Frode: But what…who…what…?
>
> Solveig: This is my husband, Jarl Al. He came from the Other Worlds. He…bested Jarl Ulf in combat, and now he leads the South Shore clan.
>
> Frode: You married a Dark Elf?!
>
> Alvin: I’m not a Dark Elf. And I mean you no harm.
Frode looks at Solveig.
> Solveig: It’s true. You need not fear.
Frode narrows his eyes and strokes his ginger beard.
> Frode: You’ve journeyed from the South Shore?
>
> Alvin: We have.
Marta suddenly speaks up.
> Marta: Frode. The boy –
>
> Frode: Let them eat first.
Frode stands up and gestures towards the firepit.
> Frode: Your clothes are wet. Come sit by the fire. You shall eat, and then we’ll talk.
***
Alvin, Solveig and Frode are sitting in chairs around the firepit. Marta collects their empty plates. Oskar is sitting on the floor, warming his hands and feet at the fire.
> Frode: Now tell me. Why have you come?
>
> Alvin: A couple of reasons. The first is to bring Oskar home.
>
> Frode: Bring him home. Why?
>
> Alvin: Because children should live with their parents. And people shouldn’t be slaves.
Frode strokes his beard.
> Frode: South Shore no longer keeps slaves?
>
> Alvin: Well, I…started with Oskar. Because he’s so young.
>
> Frode: I see. And Solveig? Will you free her too?
>
> Alvin: Solveig isn’t a slave. She’s my wife. But…if she prefers to stay with the Redhairs, she’s free to do so.
Solveig looks at Alvin, surprised and hurt, then quickly looks down at her clasped hands.
Oskar tugs at Alvin’s sleeve and looks up at him pleadingly. Alvin nods at him.
> Alvin: Jarl Frode, Marta, we thank you kindly for your hospitality. But could we take Oskar to his mother? He’s very eager to see her.
>
> Frode: I’m afraid not.
Alvin, Solveig and Oskar look at Frode in surprise.
Marta looks at Oskar with pity.
> Frode: I’m sorry, boy. Greta died of a fever two months ago.
>
> Alvin: Oh, no.
>
> Solveig: Oh, Oskar.
Oskar buries his face in his hands and weeps silently.
Alvin and Solveig get down on the floor to sit on either side of Oskar. They hug him and look at each other with stricken expressions.
***
Night has fallen. Solveig and Alvin, with a sleeping Oskar in his arms, approach a small house. Solveig knocks.
A middle-aged woman, Astrid, opens the door. She stares at Solveig in amazement, then folds her in a tight embrace.
> Solveig: Mama. Mama.
Astrid releases Solveig and squints suspiciously at Alvin.
> Solveig: Mama, this is my husband Al. May we come in?
Astrid hesitates, then leads them into the house.
> Alvin: Is there somewhere I can lay him down to sleep?
Astrid arranges some furs on the floor and Alvin lays Oscar gently down on them.
> Alvin: Well, I…I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about. Maybe I’ll get some rest too.
Alvin stretches out next to Oskar.
Astrid goes over to the fireplace. She and Solveig sit on two wooden stools. Astrid stares at Solveig in wonderment. She strokes Solveig’s hair.
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> Astrid: My girl! I can’t believe you’re here. I can’t believe you’re alive. I thought I’d never see you again.
>
> Solveig: I know. Me too.
Astrid gestures towards Oskar.
> Astrid: Is that Greta’s boy?
>
> Solveig: Yes. Poor little thing.
Solveig tears up.
> Solveig: He thought he was coming home to his mother. Perhaps we should never have come. We’ve only hurt him again.
>
> Astrid: There’s Greta’s sister. I’m sure she’d be happy to take him in.
>
> Solveig: It’s a thought. We’ll see about it in the morning.
Astrid glances at Alvin. She lowers her voice to a whisper.
> Astrid: Did you say that’s your husband?
>
> Solveig: Yes.
>
> Astrid: What’s wrong with him?
>
> Solveig: Mama! Nothing’s wrong with him. He’s Other. He’s a good, kind man. And he’s the new South Shore Jarl. I’m a Jarl’s wife, Mama.
>
> Astrid: Are you? Imagine that.
Astrid gasps suddenly.
> Astrid: Finn!
Solveig’s eyes well up again.
> Solveig: It’s all right. I know he’s dead.
>
> Astrid: Why would you think that? Finn is alive and pining for you. What will he say when he hears you’re married?
***
Late morning. Alvin emerges from Astrid’s house with a leather satchel over his shoulder. He stops.
Outside the house is a crowd of red-headed villagers of all ages, standing in a half-circle around the door. They gawk at Alvin and whisper among themselves (“It’s true!” “What is he?”, and so on.)
> Alvin: Good morning.
The crowd falls silent. Alvin scans their faces, then shrugs and steps forward. The crowd hastens to part and let him pass.
Alvin walks through the village, his entourage of red-headed followers growing as he progresses.
Alvin reaches Jarl Frode’s house and knocks on the door. A voice calls for him to enter, which he does, leaving the crowd behind.
Jarl Frode and half a dozen other Redhair men are sitting around the firepit. Frode gestures for Alvin to sit in an empty chair. The Redhair men eye him with alarm and suspicion.
> Alvin: Greetings, Jarl Frode. And everyone. Jarl Frode, I brought you a gift. I forgot to give it to you last night.
Alvin takes a silver chalice embedded with precious stones from his satchel. He gets up to give it to Frode and sits back down.
Frode examines the chalice, his beard twitching in amusement.
> Frode: This is mine. It disappeared in the last South Shore raid.
Frode’s cronies mutter to each other in disgust.
Alvin is mortified.
> Alvin: Oh…I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.
>
> Frode: No matter. Thank you for returning it.
>
> Alvin: I really apologize. But that kind of leads me to why I’m here. Apart from bringing Oskar home.
>
> Frode: I admit I’m curious. We’re used to receiving South Shore clansmen in rather larger numbers, announcing their arrival with the tips of their spears.
>
> Alvin: Right. Well, that’s actually what I --
>
> Redhair #1: Explain yourself!
>
> Alvin: I’m trying to.
>
> Redhair #1: No. Explain yourself! What are you? Why do you look so strange?
>
> Alvin: I don’t. I’m Other. I’m only strange to you. Where I come from, there are many like me.
>
> Redhair #2: I knew it! A Dark Elf from Svartalfheim.
>
> Redhair #1: Fool, he’s too tall to be an elf! He’s from Jotunheim.
>
> Redhair #3: I’ve never seen a black giant.
>
> Redhair #4: You’ve never seen any giant!
A raucous argument breaks out among all the Redhairs except Frode, who continues to eye Alvin watchfully.
> Alvin: Uh, guys. Guys! All right. You got me. It’s true. My father was a giant, and my mother was a Dark Elf.
This shuts the Redhairs up.
> Alvin: Now that’s settled, here’s the thing. All this raiding each other every few months. It’s got to stop. You kill us, we kill you. You kidnap us, we kidnap you. You steal our stuff, we steal yours. It’s ridiculous! And tragic. People die. People lose their families.
Alvin looks earnestly into the eyes of each Redhair man.
> Alvin: I am the Jarl of the South Shore clan. And I’m here to tell you those days are over. South Shore will never raid you again.
The Redhairs digest this for a moment.
> Redhair #1: Why should we trust you? You’re Other.
>
> Redhair #2: You’re a giant. And a Dark Elf.
>
> Redhair #3: And from South Shore!
A new clamor breaks out.
> Frode: Hush! All of you. Let the man speak.
>
> Alvin: Thank you. You can trust me because we’re family now. I’m married to Solveig of the Redhairs. You can trust me because I’m different. Different from the other South Shore men. And you can trust me because I’ve ridden four long days on an insane horse – when he let me ride him – just to come here, alone, unarmed, and offer you a truce.
The Redhairs consider for a moment, then all speak at once.
> Redhair #1: Never! It will never work.
>
> Redhair #2: Madness.
>
> Redhair #3: Do you think us fools? Jarl Frode will never agree to this!
Jarl Frode raises a hand and the others shut up.
> Frode: I do agree to it.
Frode looks at Alvin.
> Frode: Jarl Al, from this day on, our two clans are at peace.
Alvin and the others look at Frode in surprise.
> Alvin: Cool.
***
Solveig walks up to a house not far from the river that borders the village. Her steps slow as she nears the house. She stands by the door for a moment, her hand raised to knock. She lowers her hand and chews on her thumbnail.
She squares her shoulders, raises her hand again and knocks. Silence. She knocks again. No answer.
She slowly opens the door and enters the house. The house is dark, the only light coming from the door she left slightly ajar. On the dirt floor are a sleeping pallet, a table and chair. Flung over the back of the chair is a fur cape that she recognizes. She strokes the fur.
Suddenly a girlish giggle comes from outside. Solveig moves stealthily to the door and peeks out.
Standing outside are Finn – tall, broad-shouldered and carrying a bucket of water in each hand – and Ulla, a pretty, auburn-haired young girl.
> Ulla: You’re so strong, Finn! I don’t know how I would have managed if you hadn’t come along.
Finn flexes his biceps and lifts both buckets to chin height.
> Finn: This is nothing. I could run around the village like this, with you on my back.
>
> Ulla: Prove it!
Ulla steps behind Finn, puts her hands on his shoulders, and jumps onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and giggling. Finn laughs too.
Solveig steps out of the house.
Finn stares at her, stunned.
> Finn: Solveig!
He speaks to Ulla while keeping his eyes on Solveig.
> Finn: Ulla. Go home. Take your water.
Ulla stares sullenly at Solveig. She slides off Finn’s back.
> Ulla: I thought you were dead.
Ulla takes one of the buckets from Finn and staggers off.
> Finn: Come inside.
Finn leads Solveig into his house. They both sit on his sleeping pallet. Finn shakes his head in disbelief.
> Finn: I thought you were dead.
Finn’s arms go around Solveig in a tight embrace. He holds her until he realizes she’s not hugging him back. He pulls back and looks at her.
> Solveig: Why would you think I was dead?
>
> Finn: No one could find you after the South Shore raid.
>
> Solveig: Exactly. The South Shore men took me. I’ve been waiting for months for you to come. If I were dead, you would have found my body.
Finn shivers.
> Finn: Don’t speak of it. It’s been haunting my nightmares ever since. But it doesn’t matter now. It’s over. You’re here!
Finn hugs her again. She tolerates it.
> Solveig: Finn.
He pulls back.
> Finn: What’s wrong?
She looks at him, struggling between suspicion and anguish.
> Solveig: I’m married.
***
Frode and his cronies watch in silence as Alvin leaves the Jarl’s house and shuts the door.
> Redhair #1: Jarl Frode, I mean no disrespect, but I hope you know what you’re doing.
>
> Frode: I know exactly what I’m doing.
>
> Redhair #2: You believed him?
>
> Frode: I believe he meant what he said, yes.
>
> Redhair #3: And you think it can work – this truce?
>
> Frode: Oh, no, not for one moment.
Frode’s cronies sit back in their chairs and grin with relief.
> Redhair #3: Then why did you agree?
>
> Frode: Words cost nothing. And if this Other One is as foolish as I think, we’ll have the advantage of surprise, when next we go calling on South Shore.