Viking, me.

Chapter 42- not who I once was

Sven had been so unsettled all morning. He was pacing the floor, then he sharpened all the cooking knives. He continued with his nervous energy by chopping enough wood to last us till next week. He then returned to the bed room to completely strip the bed and beat the animal pelts and lay them out neatly on the bed again. All the while speaking in tongues.

After finding his pacing and self-talk far too unnerving I had to excuse myself. He was leaving me feeling jittery and easily spooked. His energy was driving me insane.
From outside in the garden where I had been pulling weeds from a small patch of dirt I was trying to grow potatoes from, I heard a large clatter, the sounds of dropping metal and a creaking and a thud. I had no idea what had happened as I reached the door of the house in a flurry.

"Sven?" I called as I looked into the dimness of the house from the sunshine.
I called again after no answer, my voice giving away my worry.

"I'm okay- I think" he then proceeded to cough several times. As I approached slowly, as my eyes adjusted I could see that a rotten wooden beam had collapsed, dust and dirt was clouding and swirling in the air. Suddenly coughing as my I inhaled the floating particles.
Under the fallen beam I could see Sven was trying to free his leg. Stepping over the disorganised mess of Sven's latest household endeavour, of weapons cleaning I knelt, wincing as I did, trying to prevent any further aches in my abdomen I proceed slowly trying to get a grip on the wood.
There was a a weakened flakey texture two the splintered end, the middle a black colour dealt by and the root cause of the brake. The external surface was a deep black colour harking back to the fire. Memories flash back across my minds eye.

I wonder if we will ever live in peace. Now as I think back over my time here, nearly more than six months at this stage I have many memories that would scare those who were in my life back in Ireland. Thinking of Ireland, which I hadn't in a while I have memories flood my mind- my grandmother, the house on the sunbathed hill side. The sound of the steam, the fresh forest scent. I don't seem to call it home anymore.

"Are you hurt?" I ask I heave the beam off his legs, immediately lifting the trouser legs to check for wounds.
"I don't think so" he says as I trace my fingers along his shin bone my eyes watching his, until he winced and my eyes dart to my hands. An instant rising bruise, dark purple and brown marking his skin.
"Let's get you up off the ground" I say scooting to his side and wrapping my arm under his.
He grunts as we both try to get him to his one good foot.
"Don't try to put too much weight on it for now" I chastise- through my own gritted teeth.

Thankfully he could help himself more than I could as Sven was how sitting in an arm chair.
"What we're you even doing in here?" I ask sceptically as I cast an eye over the mess.

"I was going through my weapons trunk" he said pointing at the now destroyed  wooden chest. "And I was just getting up from the ground and misstepped"
"And somehow brought a whole structural beam down with you?" I say a light laugh on my breath.
Thankfully this gets a smile from him in return.
"I'm just that strong" he says showing off his arm to me, flexing his strength.
Playfully I roll my eyes and slap his knee.
"I had forgotten" a coy smile on my lips. I had not forgotten, and I was trying to distract from the fact that our home was still very fire damaged. Clearly we hadn't gotten all the damaged wood work out back then.
With the age and weathering on the burnt section of support beam I am so lucky the entire roof didn't come down on him.

Gathering the things to sooth the swelling, I grabbed some water and cloth scraps.
I couldn't bring to think about how badly this could have ended up- I didn't want to imagine being alone again.
Sitting between his legs on a foot stool I applied a cool and damp cloth from a bowl of cool water too the growing bruise. Hopefully this will bring the swelling down.
He winced when I pressed too hard.
"You don't think it's broken do you?" I asked cautiously. He shook his head, and I sighed thankfully.