Journey Beyond

Chapter 8

We walked out, following Amelia. A wooden door came in front of us, but Amelia simply went in, knowing where we were going, as for me. . . I did not. She gestured towards us to sit whilst se walked to a cabinet which revealed several small vials of multi-coloured liquids. She searched the cabinet and took out 2 different coloured vials: red and black, and a white powder. She mixed them in a bowl, it looked a lot like blood.

She left the table to grab a harness-looking thing when she walked over, she gave it to me, “Put it on

I took it from her hands and realised what it was. The belt had an arrow attached to it, but the tip was taken off. I was going to play dead. I put it on, with the arrow sticking out my back. And Amelia walked towards me with the bowl of the artificial blood propped on her arm. She took a spoonful and said, “Stand in a Star-shape . . . you know, arms out horizontally, legs apart,” I didn’t know, I looked at Sven for suggestions, thankfully he knew, and showed me. I stood still while Amelia smothered me in red.

“Okay Styrmir, you’re going to do what I say and~”

“No improvisations,” Sven interrupted, “Back at our old home, he never stuck to any plan,” he explained to Amelia,

“Styrmir, you’re going to run out, but only when you think no-one is looking, but you've got to make sure no-one is looking otherwise they’ll find out. Here,” she took a little badge from her pocket and pinned it on my bloody shirt, “This will let our people know you are on our side now, so they don’t actually kill you. Then, while you are running, fall face first onto the ground and don’t move. You got it?”

I nodded whilst repeating the plan over in my head. Be stealthy, run fast, fall face first, don’t move.

When I crept out through the back exit of the monastery. I crept behind some bushes and vines but found little peepy-holes through each one no-one was looking so I ran and fell face first. It hurt. A lot.

Someone came past and saw me,

“Warriors of Odin! We have lost our leader, and many of our men!” he yelled, but he wasn’t as loud as my father, “We now retreat!”

I watched as my last hope of Norway, disappeared in the distance. When I couldn’t see the Silver Wolf any more, I got my feet and walked back to the monastery. I was greeted by Amelia and Sven, who walked with me to our sleeping quarters.

We bid farewell to Amelia, as we passed her room. Sven kissed her goodbye and whispered something in her ear that made Amelia smile. Sven and I walked side by side in the silence, and a few doors up from Amelia’s room, was Sven’s room, then my new room the next door up the hall way.

 \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

The sun rose, but I was already awake. I crept out the door to see if everyone was awake, but there was not a single human to be seen. The air melt of freshly baked bread. I walked, following the mouth-watering scent, only to come a wooden door much alike yesterdays’. There were a tray of small rolls of white bread, I counted them making sure that I wasn’t meant to share one roll. I counted eight, “Good,” I thought, “There are enough for one bun each, five for the Elders, and two for Amelia and Sven. And one for me.”

I took a bread roll before heading out, towards, where Sven told me, was the training area.

I saw things that looked like people, but weren’t people. There were a rack full of very blunt wooden sabres. Curious, I took one of the swords and practiced my swings from different directions. After working on both arms, Sven ran into the training area,

“Styrmir! Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!” Sven reprimanded,

“Sven, what does the human-looking thing do?” I asked,