Reluctant Berserker: Isaacson Trilogy Book One

Chapter 18

Forty-eight hours later, when the first light of dawn shone in the big blue sky, Gunnar, Esmund, and Ulric were already up. At three-thirty in the morning, Wasp decided to kick her way out of her stall, freeing Frisky in the process.

Since Gunnar had been unable to fall asleep, despite not sleeping the night before, he'd heard the first board break and saw the two gallivanting away from the barn. An hour later, he returned with both animals in tow and found Ulric and Esmund in the barn, just barely starting to fix the stalls.

"She hasn't done this in a while. What'd you think set her off?" Ulric said, pulling one of the broken boards free of the stall. He tossed it to the growing pile and reached for the next one.

"I think she was attempting to return to where she came from," Esmund muttered, furiously sawing one of the new planks to the correct length.

Ulric tossed the next broken board away. "And where would that be?"

Esmund stopped sawing and said in all seriousness, "The fiery gates of hell."

Gunnar and Ulric burst out laughing. Wasp neighed indignantly, then snorted and stomped a hoof from where she stood outside the barn door next to Frisky.

"She didn't appreciate that, Esmund," Ulric laughed.

"Well, I don't appreciate her trying to sink her teeth into me every chance she gets. I have bruises in places even the sun has never touched."

"I don't know if I'm laughing because that was funny or because I'm so tired," Gunnar chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes. Shaking his head and chuckling more, he grabbed four nails and continued hammering boards into place. "Maybe it was a lover's retreat. Wasp and Frisky have always been sweet on one another."

"More like she's trying to drag Frisky and his pure soul down to the devil."

Ulric picked up a small broken piece of wood and threw it at Esmund, laughing when it bounced off his head with a 'boink.' "Enough, already. We get it. You think she's evil." He held Gunnar's gaze and motioned to Esmund, "Maybe if we locked them together in a room, they'd finally reconcile their differences."

"We already tried that once, remember? It didn't work. They're both too stubborn."

Esmund finished his chore and brought the new boards to Gunnar, "The second I even suspect you two of such a heinous act, I'll cut your hair, goldilocks."

"You lay a finger on my hair, and you'll never eat another morsel of bacon as long as you live."

Esmund gasped, "Now, that's just mean and hurtful."

Gunnar grinned. It was the first day since after the train accident that they spent more than thirty minutes together in the same room. He'd never admit it out loud, but he'd missed moments like these when they were just brothers doing their everyday things.

He could almost believe the events that had transpired over the past several days had never happened. If it weren't for the constant thoughts of Nora, perhaps he'd be able to, but for the past two days wanting sang through his limbs, making it impossible to relax. His mind refused to think about anything other than the day he'd spent with her at the cave.

"We better get cleaned up, Esmund. We have a big day ahead of us."

"Can we please avoid working at the sheriff's office today? I almost passed out four times yesterday." Esmund grumbled, putting his tools away.

"You got any plans today, Neeners?" Ulric asked.

Gunnar hammered three more nails before answering. "I'll finish up here, then maybe head into town. I need a few new shirts and trousers."