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Alvin is sleeping on the fur pallet on Astrid’s floor. Astrid is adding twigs to the fire. Alvin stirs and looks around. He gets up and walks over to the fireplace.
> Alvin: Good morning. Do you know where Solveig is?
Astrid keeps her gaze on the fire.
> Astrid: No. She must have risen early and gone out.
>
> Alvin: Did you hear her come in last night?
Astrid shrugs.
> Astrid: I’m a sound sleeper.
>
> Alvin: I see. Thanks.
***
Alvin approaches Sven’s house. Oskar is outside in a fenced-off pen, scattering grain for a dozen chickens. Alvin walks over.
> Alvin: Morning, Oskar. How’s it going? Have you maybe seen Solveig today?
Oskar turns to look at Alvin and shakes his head. Alvin sees a purple bruise on his cheek.
> Alvin: Shit, Oskar! How did that happen?
Oskar shakes his head again.
> Alvin: You have to tell me.
Alvin climbs into the chicken pen. He clutches Oskar’s shoulders and peers into his face.
> Alvin: This is not okay. Now tell me. Was it Sven?
Oskar struggles, then speaks, his voice hoarse.
> Oskar: Yes.
>
> Alvin: Why?
Oskar clears his throat.
> Oskar: I let the rabbit go. From the trap. He saw me.
>
> Alvin: That son of a…come here. Let’s sit a minute.
Alvin takes Oskar’s bucket of grain and puts it on the ground. They both perch on the fence and watch the chickens jostling each other around the bucket.
> Alvin: Are you glad to be back with your clan?
>
> Oskar: Mama’s gone.
>
> Alvin: I know. I’m so sorry, buddy.
>
> Oskar: Can I…can we go home?
>
> Alvin: Home? You mean –
>
> Oskar: With you.
Alvin puts an arm around Oskar’s shoulders and gives him a hug.
> Alvin: Of course you can.
>
> Oskar: With you and Solveig.
>
> Alvin: Oh. Well, I’m not exactly sure about Solveig.
Alvin hops off the fence.
> Alvin: You finish up with the chickens. I’ll be back in a minute.
***
Alvin enters Sven’s house without knocking. Sven, Gudrun and their daughters are eating breakfast. Sven looks up and grunts.
> Sven: What’s keeping that boy?
>
> Alvin: I don’t know, Sven. Maybe he’s not in a hurry to be back in range of your fist.
>
> Sven: Did he complain?
>
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>
> Alvin: No. Oskar never complains. But I do. I didn’t bring him here for you to slap him around. I want him back.
>
> Sven: Hah! He’s my nephew. What claim do you have to him? You share no blood. You’re not his clansman. You’re not even human! And you freed him – he’s not your slave.
>
> Alvin: No, you’ve made him yours! I’m Oskar’s…he’s my…I take care of him.
>
> Sven: Oh, he’ll be taken care of. I’ll make a man out of him. He has his faults, but I’ll soon beat them out of him.
Alvin turns to Gudrun, who’s been following this exchange anxiously.
> Alvin: Gudrun, he’s your sister’s son. I know you love him, but he’s not happy here. He wants to go back to South Shore with me.
>
> Gudrun: Sven, maybe –
>
> Sven: Hush, woman. The boy’s ours now, and that’s the end of it.
>
> Alvin: You like telling people to shut up, don’t you, Sven? You should have more respect, especially for your wife. And don’t you dare lay another finger on Oskar, or I’ll –
>
> Sven: You’ll what? You’re a long one, but you’re skinny as a fence post. I could belch in your direction and knock you flat.
***
Alvin is sitting across a table from Jarl Frode, who’s sharpening his collection of daggers and swords on a whetstone.
> Alvin: So you see how it is. I want Oskar back.
Alvin winces at the grating sound as Frode grinds one side of a dagger on the whetstone, then the other. Frode experimentally slices off a small piece of his own beard. He nods, and picks up another dagger.
> Frode: You came here to return Oskar to his clan, did you not?
>
> Alvin: Yes, but…things have changed. I thought he would be back with his mother. And I just told you how Sven mistreats him.
>
> Frode: I heard nothing out of the ordinary. Children must be disciplined from time to time.
>
> Alvin: Not with beatings! Anyway, Oskar wants to come home with me. He said so.
>
> Frode: I was under the impression the child doesn’t speak.
>
> Alvin: Not much, but he speaks. To people he trusts.
>
> Frode: Well, it’s of no consequence. Oskar belongs to the Redhairs, and he belongs to his family, to Sven and Gudrun.
>
> Alvin: But he –
Frode stabs his dagger into the wooden table.
> Frode: Jarl Al. You came here of your own accord, with a stolen chalice and a stolen boy. Would you now compound your offence by taking the boy back? You have just petitioned for a truce with the Redhairs and I agreed, much to the displeasure of my clansmen. They would not take kindly to your latest request. Now if you don’t mind, I’m busy.
Frode takes up a sword, examines its blade, points it at Alvin and then at the door.
***
Solveig is sitting by the stream that borders the village, her back against a tree trunk and an empty wooden bucket beside her.
Alvin walks up to her. She starts when she hears him.
> Alvin: Your mother said you went to get water a while ago.
Solveig jumps to her feet.
> Solveig: Yes. Sorry. I should be getting back.
>
> Alvin: Wait a minute. Let’s talk. I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.
Alvin gestures to the ground and they both sit.
> Alvin: I’m thinking it might be about time to go home.
Solveig searches for acorns in the grass and tosses them into the stream one by one.
> Alvin: So, um, I guess you’ll want to stay here with Finn?
>
> Solveig: No. That’s over.
>
> Alvin: Good!
Solveig looks at Alvin, surprised at his vehemence. He looks hastily at the grass, finds an acorn and plops it into the stream.
> Solveig: Why ‘good’?
>
> Alvin: Sorry. I just don’t like that guy. He doesn’t deserve you.
Solveig smiles.
> Solveig: Why don’t you like him?
>
> Alvin: I don’t really have a reason. Why don’t you want to stay with him?
Solveig sighs.
> Solveig: He knew. He knew the whole time I was alive. And he didn’t come.
>
> Alvin: That asshole!
Solveig laughs.
> Solveig: I’ve never heard that word. But it’s apt.
>
> Alvin: You’re free to stay here anyway.
>
> Solveig: What about me being your wife? What about your marriage token?
>
> Alvin: I don’t know. I’ll manage. This is your home.
>
> Solveig: Actually, it…doesn’t really feel like home anymore.
>
> Alvin: Funny. Oskar said the same thing.
>
> Solveig: Oskar said it?
>
> Alvin: Well, as good as. He wants to come back with us.
>
> Alvin flings a handful of acorns into the water and sighs.
>
> Alvin: I totally screwed up, Solveig. This whole trip was a disaster. All you and Oskar got out of it was more pain.
>
> Solveig: Yes. But the healthy kind.
>
> Alvin: What does that mean?
>
> Solveig: The straightforward kind you can heal from. Always wondering, always longing…that’s what you can’t heal from.
Solveig dusts off her hands, stands up and puts her fists on her hips.
> Solveig: So. We’ll leave tomorrow?
>
> Alvin: Yes, but…there’s a bit of a snag. Sven won’t give Oskar back. And Frode won’t make him.
>
> Solveig: Odin preserve me! What are we going to do?
Alvin frowns at the stream, then grins up at Solveig.
> Alvin: We’re going on a raid.