Chapter 34

They returned to the caravan the following evening. Mato gave his game bag to his mother, then went to the creek to rinse off.

Sten found him there. “When you’re finished maintaining your equipment, Erik needs to see you.”

The tone said, ‘get dressed and come with me.’ Mato nodded, and did as he was told.

Sten took him to a nice spot about fifty paces from camp. Erik was sitting on a rock with a flat surface. Thyra stood behind him, with a hand on one of his shoulders. Freya sat to Erik’s right, on a shorter rock. Hilda sat on the ground in front of them.

“Sit,” Sten said, and pointed next to Hilda.

Mato sat.

“What did you say to them?” Hilda spat.

“Nothing,” Mato said.

“Liar!”

“I don’t lie to you. Not ever.”

“Enough,” Thyra said. “Do you think we are stupid, Hilda?”

Hilda clenched her fists and stared up at the darkening sky. “Of course not. Why would you ask me that?”

“This isn’t difficult, Sister,” Freya said. “He said he likes you, and he was clearly truthful. You sit and talk together, but you don’t hold hands, you don’t kiss, you don’t sneak off behind the bushes, and you didn’t invite him to bathe with you. Clearly, you don’t like him. Why not?”

Mato clenched his jaw and willed himself to be calm. Of all the things he might want to know, that very question was at the top of his list. And how dare they stick their noses into his business like this?

“She does like me,” Mato said. He couldn’t believe he’d spoken. “We sit and talk together because we like each other. It isn’t some trick.” He reached over and took Hilda’s hand, and gave it a squeeze.

“Quiet, Mato,” Thyra said.

Mato frowned. They wanted him to marry Hilda, which meant they wanted the two of them to head a new family. How could they lead, if Thyra and Erik interfered every time they thought they saw a problem?

“No, Lady Thyra, I will not be quiet. I have made promises to Hilda, but none to you.”

Erik nodded slowly. “I thought you would be a good match. Thyra agreed. She is not often wrong. So, Hilda, tell me why you are reticent.”

Mato opened his mouth, but Hilda squeezed his hand and shook her head. “Father. I do not know what to say.”

“I did not want your father when I was young,” Thyra said. “He was a warrior, big, smelly, loud. And he did not want me. I was a princess, soft, pampered, spoiled. We married anyway. Our life has been hard. Many times I have wondered how to get through the rest of a day.

“But never because of your father. He has been strong, wise, gentle, and untiring.

“We see the same in Mato. He will care for you like no other man. Not only that, we need you to marry an Abo. Our people must mix. Without ties between us, we will not survive hard times. Both of you are leaders, and leaders must do what is right for their people, even if that is not what is perfect for them.”

Hilda let out a sob and her grip tightened painfully. “Come with me, Mato. Bring your bedroll, and come with me.”

Mato stood and looked at Erik and Thyra. They seemed as perplexed as he was. He went to his place, collected his blanket, and followed Hilda away from camp until they were far enough for privacy.

“I don’t--”

“No, Mato. My parents are right. We are a divided people. You and I can help hold them together. We are a tiny village. We need as many children as we can make. Stop talking and join with me.”

Mato put his blanket down beside hers. “I will not simply do what I am told. Not when you tell me, and not when they tell me. I will do what is right.”

“And what is right, Mato? You want me. I know you do. So climb on. Have a ride. I’ll make it a good one.”

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Mato grabbed her hand and squeezed it in both of his. “Stop. Did you hear me when I told your mother I had promised things to you, but not to her?”

“I heard.”

“I promised you that I would tell you the truth, even when it hurt. You promised the same. Stop for a moment, think about your heart, and tell me the truth.”

She clasped his hands in hers, larger hands, calloused from work. A powerful woman. He wanted nothing more than to clutch her to him.

“I don’t want chains. I want to be free. If I have children, they will hang from my skirts. If I have a garden, I will have to water it. If I marry you, I will have to feed you. I just want to be free.”

What was the right response to that? Everyone wanted to be free. Why was she so obsessed with it?

“I don’t understand, Hilda. But I want to. Tell me about being free.”

She talked about soaring birds, bees and flowers, butterflies and fish. Little of it made sense, and it wasn’t long before he was asleep.

* * *

When Mato woke, Hilda was gone. He picked up their bedrolls and carried them back to camp.

“How much did you look up to her last night?” Ulf asked.

The northmen laughed.

Hilda chose that moment to walk up to the fire with some of the meat he and Ezhno had brought.

“Feeling a little bit less uptight now?” Sten asked.

She gave him a rude gesture.

Mato unbuckled his sword belt, then found a couple of spare wheel spokes. He tossed one in front of Sten.

“Beat me, and I’ll tell you all about it. If you lose, you leave us alone.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Sten asked.

“Pick up the stick,” Mato said.

“No shields?”

“No nonsense. Just sparring.”

“We don’t have shields to break,” Sten said.

Mato grimaced at him. “What is it with you devil hairs?”

Sten grinned and picked up the spoke. “Devil hairs, eh? Heard that a few times. Bring your little sooty ass over here, and I’ll show you a couple of tricks.”

They clashed, and Hilda ordered them away from the fire.

Erik arrived and drew a proper circle in the ground.

“Fight.”

Mato couldn’t figure out what Sten was doing. He took a form, and Sten changed positions. He held the spoke by the skinny end, then the fat one. He held it in the right hand, or the left. If only he could draw from the warrior, maybe he could start to understand his opponent, but his sword was over by the fire.

Sten lunged, and they clenched. Mato twirled to the side and got a solid kick to the ribs that sent him sprawling. His opponent grinned and twirled the spoke.

Mato kicked, and their shins smashed together. The pain nearly sent Mato to the ground, but Sten’s smile infuriated him. He dragged himself into position and did his best to pretend he wasn’t hurt.

Sun on the doorstep transitioned into ladle in the well. He scored a hit on Sten’s arm that forced him to shift the spoke to his other hand.

Snake in the grass got him close, but Sten parried at the last instant and backed away.

“You’re pretty good, but you’re still a bit green. Come on.”

Teeth in the dark was a mistake. Sten did some bizarre flailing, and Mato took a solid hit to the ribs. He staggered back, reassessing his enemy.

They went back and forth. Mato hit Sten in the shoulder. Sten hit him in the thigh. Mato flipped Sten, and Sten dragged him out in the splits, nearly ripping his groin apart in the process.

“You done?” Sten asked. “That looked kind of bad.”

“Are you done?”

“I got plenty left.”

“Me too.”

Mato took a hit to the side of the head, and heard his mother scream. He pushed himself up and used a one-legged take-down to get Sten on the ground.

Back and forth they went. In the background Mato could see people packing camp, harnessing the horses, and moving along.

Sten hit him in the jaw, and he was pretty sure something broke. He kicked Sten in the eggs, and Sten growled and hobbled backward.

The fight went on and on. Mato’s nose was broken. His front teeth were loose. His balls felt like they might fall off.

Sten went for his leg, and they rolled on the ground. Somehow Mato got an arm around Sten’s neck. Sten stood up, giving Mato a chance to wrap his legs around Sten’s body, then they crashed to the ground, driving the air from Mato’s lungs. Despite that he refused to let go, and over what seemed like an hour or two Sten’s movements slowed.

Erik pried his arm from Sten’s neck. “Well done, Mato. You’ve won.”

“I have?”

“You have.”

Erik helped Sten, and Hilda stepped in to help him. Then the four of them hobbled in pursuit of the caravan.

“Why did you do that?” Hilda asked.

“Do what?”

“You have cracked ribs, you may lose some teeth, the side of your head is swelling. Why did you do that? Is losing so bad?”

“Pffft,” Mato said. “Who cares about losing? I made a wager I shouldn’t have made. Then I realized that if I lost I’d have to break a promise to you.”