Eirik's travel back to the cabin turned out to be quite a bit longer than he had thought. Dragging the sled with the tree limb was difficult as it kept rolling off and he had to redesign the sled a bit to keep it in place. Jamming some solid sticks into the sled after placing the tree limb where he wanted it did the trick.
The sun had almost gone down again when he finally returned with his prize. His brothers were taking turns chopping firewood outside and they quickly spotted him. Gathering around his makeshift sled they looked at the tree limb.
"Where did you find that wood?" Mads asked.
"I have no idea, really. You know how it goes." Eirik replied with a telling look. "But look a the end of the branch. I did not break that off. And it was completely fresh when I found it. like it just... Snapped off... A few hours before I woke up."
"Wait, you woke up and it was laying there?" Jonas asked. "In front of the tree?"
"Yes..." Eirik trailed off. He had not even realized that.
"Just how big was that tree?" Mads asked again, looking over the wood.
"Giant. The trunk was very grey, almost black in color." Eirik elaborated.
Seeing the reddish-brown inside of the tree limb, Mads replied, "This is Northern Red Oak from a very old tree. And it's still fresh. If I work quickly, I can dry it up properly. If you got any special ideas, brother, I would need to know right now."
"I need a spear shaft. A thick one, for a boar spear. And a bow, if possible. But only if I can still carve a new statuette of the remaining wood. That is the most important thing!" Eirik was adamant about this. Surely Odin had a hand in this and not completing the task he set out to do would be an insult to the favor he had been shown.
"I can do that. Bring to the workshop and leave me to work. Get me oil, preferably rapeseed oil. cloth and someone make or get a bowstring of the length you want, Eirik." Mads commanded and walked over to the workshop and began digging out the tools he would need. Eirik and his remaining brothers just looked at each other for a moment, shrugged collectively, and got to work.
Eirik found an old bowstring in his forge that was still useable, along with a block of bee wax used to protect the bowstring from the elements. There were more modern solutions, but Eirik believed that a method that had worked for thousands of years during Terra's history, would also work fine for him. Hemp fiber strings were his preference, for several reasons, mostly the byproduct you got from growing said hemp fibers.
Jonas got the oil from the pantry, much to the protest of their mother who came out to see the commotion. She had her back turned when Eirik exited the forge and he froze for a moment before diving behind the small building. He had heard her when he left and he did not look forward to the unavoidable.
"Maybe she cooled off during the night?" He thought to himself, knowing it to be a fool's hope. It was crushed less than a second after he finished the thought as his mother zoomed in on the sled that was being dragged to the workshop and started calling out for him. Looking around she saw the forge and noticed the door that Eirik had left open.
"YOU GET UP FROM BEHIND THAT BUILDING YOUNG MAN, RIGHT NOW!!" She yelled out to him as she stomped towards the suspected hiding place.
Eirik peeked around the corner and saw her face, "SHIT!" He yelped and took off running. She tried cutting him off but he turned away from her and made it a contest of speed. Knowing she would lose, she stopped and yelled again "I WILL SLEEP IN THE SHUTTLE IF I HAVE TO! YOU CAN NOT GET BACK TO YOUR SHIP WITHOUT IT!"
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Eirik came to a slow stop, turned around, and walked back to his mother, shoulder hunched over and head hanging at his chest.
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Las'Tai and Trasti had been practicing with their new blades ever since Eirik's brother had finished the modifications to their handles. The scene they were watching unfurl in front of them was nothing short of insane. The level of authority this tiny woman held over the Captain was astonishing and deeply disturbing. He stood half a head taller than her, broader and younger, combat-trained from childhood and a veteran of war. And yet, he had turned tail and started running the moment he saw the tiny woman stomping towards him in what could almost be described as comical if not for the fierce determination in each step.
They watched as Eirik surrendered to her words and walked back to her like a child fearing the scolding they were about to receive. His mother stood still, hands on her hips, waiting for him. When he stopped in front of her, she spoke. "Look at me, Eirik."
They watched in amazement as Eirik struggled to meet his mother's gaze, but the moment they locked eyes, her hand flew out like a viper and slapped him across the face. It was a hard slap that echoed across the clearing in front of the cabin.
"Why would you do drugs?" She asked him harshly, hand back on her hip.
"I followed my faith, mom." He mumbled, the left side of his face burning.
Her other hand flashed through the air and another slap was heard across the clearing before she turned around and walked into the cabin, slamming the door behind her. Moments later it flew back open and his father was shoved outside before she slammed the door again.
The 2 Kloxna had watched the scene play out with open maws and shattered worldview.
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Walking over to Eirik, who had not moved, he stood next to him and lighted the cigarettes. Handing one to Eirik, he only said 2 words. "Thanks, son."
"When will mom learn that I can take care of myself?" Eirik asked after a few minutes.
"Can you though?" His father asked in a slightly mocking tone."I have seen the scars on your body. I know how close to death you have been on so many occasions. Can you really blame her for worrying about you the way she does? The way we both do!"
Eirik inhaled deeply from the cigarette before sighing heavily. "I guess I can't. You will always be my parents. You were there when things went bad. Always. I guess that never changes, huh?"
"You're damn right it doesn't! I will always see you as my little boy. As a father, I need to protect and guide you. No matter how old and independent you get.!" His father blurted out in response.
Eirik put an arm around his dad's shoulder and pulled him in for a half hug. "I know dad. It's just a hard thing to accept, that's all."
His dad returned the hug before chuckling. "I hated accepting it just as much as you do now. The resentment will pass. Just make sure you talk to your mother... Once she speaks to you again, that is."
"Well, I have to carve a new statuette before I return to the ship and Mads is working on a new spear shaft and bow for me. I know the bow will take months to make, but the spear shaft, I feel. will be useful in the near future... I have to start up the forge again..." Eirik walked himself through the things he needed to do. He found that talking out loud helped him visualize the tasks.
"A new spear shaft? What kind?" His father asked.
"A boar spear. Which reminds me, can you go tell Mads that? I forgot to." Eirik said as he turned to the forge. A boar spear. 15 inches of sharpened spear tip with a transverse iron rod preventing the spear from going too far into the animal and getting stuck or breaking off. Made correctly, you could brace the spear against a tree and let a charging boar skewer itself, at which point the transverse iron rod would save your life.
With the speed and weight behind a full-grown male boar at a sprint, it will easily run an entire spear through its own body and still have enough spite left in its mind to disembowel you when it reaches you.
The spear shaft would have to be 4 cm thick (1.5 inches) to make it sturdy enough for such an impact. but properly made, it would be a spear for several lifetimes. He decided he was going to make the spearhead slightly thicker, allowing him to carve out runes and fill up the carvings with metal from his last batch of ore to fuse them.
The result would be the fusing of the metal, through heat and application of pressure, the difference in alloy mixture of the steel creating a slight color change, making it possible to read the words, if held at the correct angle. Pouring a large portion of charcoal into the forge, he started measuring out the steel rods he was going to use for the spear.