The tide turns

Chapter 27 / Love

—

Thorfinn had thrown the cloak. He had destroyed what his grandfather had helped build, and what his father had been supposed to inherit. Baldr was free, and Floki's punishment would be that he would know that everything he did was for nothing at all. That was Thorfinn revenge. The look in Floki's eyes were enough, and the look in Baldr's was a reward.

It was enough...

Thorkell had escorted him out quickly, and walking side by side with him and it reminded Thorfinn that although the war was over, the struggle was not. There was still Thorkell, and the condition for his help, and Gudrid.

Even guards had left their posts, too caught up in the madness within to care about letting strangers in, but Thorfinn was happy to see that Gudrid had stayed outside. She was standing with Einar on the bridge, looking nervously as he, Thorkell and Hild approached.

He went for Gudrud first, holding her hand and quietly asking her "is Sigurd awake yet?" To know how quickly he should finish up his business with Thorkell.

"He wasn't when I left his side" she shook her head, but she seemed very disregarded from her own problems, her eyes continuing to shift to the gate as she heard what she was sure was... sobbing? "What did you do?"

"I ended it..." Thorfinn smiled weakly. "Jomsborg with be abandoned, and the Jomsvikings will no longer exist"

Einar gaped at him with dude eyes, "you can do that?"

"I can, thanks to king Canute. It was his intent to be rid of the Jomsvimings, apparently." Thorfinn sent Thorkell a look, and all he did was grin. He was his friend, but somehow Canute did seem to always be the one causing problems for Thorfinn.

"That guy..." Einar sighed, really not thinking very fondly of the king. "Well, I guess it worked out."

"Yes, it did..."

Thorkell coughed into his fist impatiently, getting Thorfinn's attention. Thorfinn's sighed and nodded promptly to him.

"Me and Thorkell still have some things we need to do, I'm sorry."

"Well, we're coming with you." Gudrid told him sternly, and Thorfinn's grief deepened a little.

"You don't have to..."

But they did. He did for a moment think that they stayed behind, but when he looked behind him they were following them. If someone did have to follow him, he supposed he was happy that it was those two. The two people he loved most, and the two who understood him most... but he had no idea how he would react now...

They just kept walking, further and further away from the fort, but the sound of fighting and violence continued to ring in his ears from afar. He agreed with Hild in that way. There is nothing more dangerous than wounded beasts. That was what they were. Thorfinn had wounded their pride.

It couldn't be helped. He had done what he could, so if they all still wanted to kill each other, then they were welcome to do that, as long as no more innocent people had to be dragged into it.

In front of him Thorkell was swinging his axe, no doubt warming up for the duel Thorfinn had had to promise him. And then he stopped.

"I found the place Thorfinn, or rather, the general area"

And nearly all thoughts left him immediately.

This place... was his fathers grave?

—————

Gudrid quickly learned that she hated Thorfinn's great uncle. What family did this? He was telling Thorfinn to fight him on top of his fathers grave. He knew that Thorfinn hated fighting, but he didn't care in the least.