The One

ONE

Morten had never been that lucky.

He was 5 years younger than his brother, he had been given the color black and by the time he had been old enough to join his brother on adventures... his brother had been caught in a marriage with the chieftain's daughter. A hasty affair as her father obtained a bad injury and he wanted to leave his daughter and people securely in the hands of a man he found capable and worthy.

Morten wasn't unlike his brother though.
Tall and easily muscled. But where his brother was an impressive and capable man?
Morten was clumsy and had awful luck with just about anything.

Mortens tattoo from his first hunt for example, where he actually took down a high up mountain wolf? Was completely ripped to shreds a few months later by a thunderbird who had fancied the deer he'd been carrying home on his shoulders, where the tattoo had been.

He had wanted to be good, the brother of the chief, raised partly by said brother.
But... he just kept disappointing, mostly himself.
His brother was an easily amused man who laughed at most of Morten's misfortunes.
But that didn't make it any better.

His brother crouched and pushed against the Mozer, lifting some of the pressure of Morten.
"You good?" He asked.

Morten grunted a positive tone towards his brother.

"Good, careful. I'm gonna cut it loose." His brother said,
while the sound of a blade cutting through hair and ice filled the air.

Neither of them were prepared for the following.

The Mozer shot loose and under their combined pressure seemed to launch weirdly down the mountain.
It crashed onto the sled Morten had made, which immediately started moving down said mountain.

"Oh no... " Morten said quietly, standing there as if he was still supporting the beast.

His brother sat, crouched, knife in hand, blinking at the sled and Mozer thundering down the mountain.

~

"Ahahaha"
his brother entered his home barking with laughter.

Morten shuffled in after him looking put out.

"What's going on?" Said Josan, his brother's wife, who had been sewing next to the fire in the cozy stone and log cottage.

His brother shook his head, still laughing, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you!"

She looked from him to Morten.

"Oh no, what have you done now Morten?" She sighed.

"Nothing!" He grumbled, looking at the floor, "I had a good hunt and lost the meat."

His brother snorted next to him, "you didn't just lose the meat. You shot it into oblivion!"
His laughter renewed, "A whole damn Mozer!"

"You what!?" Josan asked.

"You promised me not to tell... " Morten said.

"I'm sorry Morten, it's," he took in a deep breath, "Just too hilarious not to!"

Josan rolled her eyes at her husband, "really, you shouldn't if he asks you not too!"

She gave Morten a pitying smile that made him feel 10 times worse.
Josan was a pretty and nice young woman, his brother had gotten extremely lucky winning her in such a way.

Morten knew his brother had been preparing to court her, their mother had drafted month-long plans and collected funds for gifts. But then it had all just worked itself out before any of it could come into play.
With the gigantic downside that neither he or his brother knew anything about proper courtship.

Now, with both their parents gone, this had become a problem.
Morten had been able to go on lavish hunts during the courtship season, which his brother very precisely planned for exactly that reason.
But that meant that all the good girls were being swept into marriage.

Morten knew his brother had not announced a hunt yet and was sure Josan had forbidden him from creating such an easy way out for them both this year.
And now he could see Josan eying his brother... there had been a reason his brother had come to get him, this must be it.

"We need to talk" said his brother, with a sudden serious tone, him and Josan giving each other meaningful looks.

Morten turned slightly towards his brother, unsure if he should. Preferably he'd run outside and go after his Mozer, to never return. He was fine living atop some frozen mountain never to be seen again.

His brother turned to him instead, nailing him to the spot with his expression.
The 'don't you dare or she will murder us both' face.

Morten let out a long breath and said, "I know, I need to do some courtship stuff."

Why did he call it stuff? Was he 5?

"How do you know?" Asked Josan, who was still holding the garment she'd been sewing.

Morten blinked for a moment, it was pretty obvious. But then, why had she thought he didn't know?

"I think," his brother started, "he is talking about the clans courtship season. Not the other one."

Morten swallowed, "w-what other one?"

Josan's expression had him worried most, it was one of pity, sadness, worry even.

"I'm sorry Morten," his brother said so putout to his right that Morten's heart did one of those strangely unexpected nervous kicks.
"The land of lords has called for young man to court the one." His brother continued,
"And at the clans gathering it was decided you are one of the young men that should be sent from our region."

Morten burst out laughing, "sur.. surely not? I don't even know where to start!" He snorted,
"Now they want me to court the most important.. girl! In, well, the world?"
He snickered.

His brother shrugged at his wife, "I told you, it's going to be a disaster."

"Do you.." Morten laughed, "Do you think they would be impressed if I launched a few more Mozers?" He snorted some more finishing the line.

"Actually," Josan said, "maybe they will?"