"We saw nothing, Yemi. We all knew you would be a great father to those pups, anyway, and now look how much they love to play with you."
There are some laughs around the room at Yemi's expense, and he is quick to show that he is not in that kind of mood.
"Enough jokes about me, you fools. When are we going, Gorm?"
He looks to Gorm, as serious as his features can muster, and Gorm has to stop smiling to get in a few words before that expression returns.
"Right now."
Yemi's face then goes from stern to surprised, and his words make it hard for us all to keep what we are thinking to ourselves.
"Why did you not tell me sooner?"
There is only one reason that Yemi was not in here before, and, despite being in this tent this whole time, as far as I can tell, Gorm knows what Em and I saw ourselves.
"You seemed busy chasing something other than alcohol for once."
Yemi seems angry at first, but he can only keep up his seriousness for so long before he tries to hide the smile on his cheeks with words that almost sound like a threat.
"I do not like you making fun of me or my problems."
Two problems, a drinking one and a dog one, or wolves if you will, and Gorm gives good reason for his jest, in the form of a reminder.
"It's only fair after what you spilled that one night on the beach, after we killed the first giant."
To think about that once more makes Yemi chuckle again, if he can even remember all that happened with how much he drank, but Gorm gives none of us any time to question Yemi about it any further when he bends down, to my height, in the corner of his tent, and picks up his axe with only a few words before he heads out of the tent.
"Now come. I do not want to stay any longer than we have to."
Yemi takes no time at all to follow after him, and Em and I only take a brief moment to look at one another before we too depart. Once outside, the light helps me notice that the straps of Em's sheath are a little loose, and has been hidden under her braid for who knows how long like that. So, with a brief explanation, I fix it myself.
"Let me help you."
It probably looks a little odd to be moving my hands around her shoulders all of a sudden, but Gorm and Yemi are already off towards the door, leaving only a comment from Em, joking but a little rude.
"Who said I needed your help?"
I do my best to brush off what she says, but such a question makes me question other details, like if she'd even be able to use the sword to defend herself, so, as she looks at me, all she sees is worry, for maybe the hundredth time. Thinking she has upset me, she still reacts to it fast, as always, but I think I could argue this is the quickest I've ever seen her question my disposition, since she already has a guess as to what is on my mind.
"What's wrong? I didn't upset you, did I?"
Worry shows in her eyes too, but it takes no time disappearing when I share my thoughts.
"No. I've just never seen you fight before, so I don't know how well you'll be able to defend yourself if it comes to that."
Gone is her worry and in comes a twitching eyebrow that makes my worry worse, and my fears are justified when one of her feet sweeps at mine so suddenly that the weight of the sword on my back and my body balancing on one foot would send me falling backwards into the snow and her father's tent, were it not for her reflexes again that grab hold of my sword strap and keep me from falling on my ass. In that moment, Em has earned the right to appear tougher than she ever has.
"Worry about yourself."
Point taken. I would say that aloud so that she can hear it, but she walks off while we both still have a smile on our faces. And, now that I am mostly alone but for another of Yemi's children, I respond to nobody but myself, or maybe the wolf too as its head tilts.
"I try not to."
While I make my way over to the three of them, who all stand in front of the city's doors as they look into the sky, I now have to fix the strap of my sheath too, and the process of doing so gives some sort of explanation to Yemi and Gorm when they look at me, and silently wonder why I am the last to arrive. I keep my face stern enough that nothing is asked of me, but I find myself almost ready to ask where the men that were out here, collecting their fallen friends, have gone so soon, only for Gorm to move towards the doors faster than I can speak my mind.
Like it hasn't been half my lifetime since he did this, the man cracks his fist against the metal so hard that I expect it to dent or his hand to break, but, when neither happens the first time, he is quick to do it three more, with each shaking the entire wall more than all of the weight of that actual giant did. Because Gorm puts so much focus into the number of times he bangs, each with the same space in between, I have to ask why.
"Why four?"
Yemi seems too focused on waiting for the doors to move to respond, and I don't think Gorm hears me. So, that only leaves Em to tell me.
"Because he was the fourth in line."
That gives me some detail, but not enough, so I pester her for more.
"Fourth in line for what?"
She takes my hand for a reason I do not know until she replies.
"The throne. He's supposed to be the third in line as the youngest of his brothers, since he moved up a spot when he killed the one I told you about, but that isn't a responsibility he wants, nor does he want to be reminded of what happened. Nobody else will ever knock four times so loud, so he is telling them all he has come home too."
The reminder of what happened the last time they were in this city and what haunts them both is enough to make me swallow what little saliva still remains in my mouth, and grip her hand hard enough that she knows the weight of that is on my mind, but, before there is time to say anything else or to just tell her how much I appreciate what she has shared, the doors start to creak open and lead to another world on the other side, truly. The despair I have sadly known for weeks is no more just at the sight of it, so much greater than my imagination ever could have created. What is only a glimpse becoming a full view once the four of us pass through the doors enough that they can close, and, to my surprise, nobody stands guard, or opens the door. I can only assume a crank or lever does the work somewhere, but, meanwhile, there is so much else to think about. I'm sure Em and Gorm bear some fear in their hearts, fear that they will get attacked at first sight or even just reminded or yelled at, demanding an answer for why they have returned, but I can't help but feel like a child once more.
There is no better way to describe it. With my family's home, it was always so large until I came of age, and became just as tall as any other man, tall enough for the walls and ceilings to not seem gargantuan, but here there is no hope, something that is not bad on its own. I will never grow taller than the hundreds of men I can see. They are bigger than I'll ever be, stronger too if size means anything, and I'm not sure if the way they avoid my gaze and our group is good or bad. All I know is that I am dwarfed by every entrance to every shop, to what looks like a blacksmith, a tavern, a butcher, and just the homes of normal families, two to three times my size, where they live and love like anyone else my size, which is funny too think, and they are all built from the white stone that the wall is. The snow seems to fall less here, or maybe all of the fires burning in pits of iron keep the flakes away, and melt the cold from my bones too.
The clear view lets me see infinitely, or at least until my eyes meet the top of the path and steps running through the city, and, at the top, what I can only assume is their family castle is built into the mountain. A hole has not been dug in it and filled with new stone. Rather, it looks like they have dug into the mountain far enough that there is an overhang over part of the city, and then shaped the mountain to their liking. Towers, stone walls with lookouts, another massive set of doors, and more windows than I can count make up what I'm certain is the warmest location for a hundred miles in every direction. So, while everyone else appears stuck in place still, I find myself ready to run off again, l
ike I felt when we first spotted this city, but it is another reminder that makes me stop all together, once more.
Heading up the path, past dozens of giant men, and women as tall as Em, I can make out a procession of men moving in groups of two, one by one, with the bodies of dead, broken men between each of them that reminds me how we are here for a reason, and compels me enough to snap everyone else out of their daze by asking what will happen to those who have died.
"Gorm, what will they do with the bodies of those who died earlier today?"
When he turns to me to respond, he offers a little smile at first, as if my curiosity warms his massive heart.
"If tradition still stands, they will take them further into the mountain, where they will finally rest."
The thinking that then comes from his words is a painful process, but, as quickly as I can think through it and then let it go, I note that, if Em or Gorm are to die on our journey, that may be how they wish to be buried too.
When the four of us start to walk, with Gorm and Yemi at the front and Em and I behind, I rid myself of such thoughts, for I'm far more worried about any trouble a city as beautiful as this one might offer us, especially once we start to pass through the crowds of women and manly giants moving around through a market area. Em manages to smile at me too, whenever I look at her, despite this all, and I even let out a laugh when I see a man twice my size carrying a sword even larger than mine, like a slab of stone, atop his shoulder. Though, we only make it so far through so many people, for, eventually, there are so many folks gathered in one spot that all movement stops, still nowhere near the fort at the peak of the city.
This crowd is all made up of men as tall as Gorm, with no wives in sight, it seems, and they cheer for something, hard to tell what about when my head barely sticks over their waists. Maybe they are just happy about something, or maybe there is a fight, but I think I would hear a good beating, as big as these men are, if such was the case. Though, with the urgency that Gorm moves through the crowd, despite how much attention it draws, he looks ready to do something harsh, and the rest of us can barely squeeze through the gap he makes, only to find an open space in the center of the crowd where five men stand, smiling, and basking in the cheers for something they've done. I can only assume, with the weapons and scars they carry, it has something to do with what we saw as we arrived, but our arrival stops them all as the one in the center of the five stares at Gorm with a single eye, for the other is sealed shut. Yet, his lone eye, and the gaze towards the strangers in these lands, tells me what he thinks before his words do.
"We never thought you two would come home."
His voice is the deepest I have ever heard, like he eats stones for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to keep his throat hoarse, but, for some reason, I can see some hint of a smile in his beard. As the man looks at Em too, with her, Yemi, and I spread out beside Gorm now, and her father responds.
"Neither did I."
I wouldn't expect anything good from a conversation like this, and the way the men around us act shows it. All of the other men, but for the five in front of us, have either backed off or completely left, and I don't know if it's because they expect something bad or know who Gorm is, and don't want to be here when someone with a vengeance finds out he has come home. Yet, something about these five men, who look no different but for their tattered clothes, the color of their hair, the way they braid their beards, and the scars they bear, hints at enough respect that any worry I have comes to a calm as they talk more.
"It has not been the same on top of that wall without you, but we get by."
The man with only one good eye appears upset by what he has to say, like he reflects on a different memory from the past with each word, yet Gorm's response shows only a hint of the nostalgia.
"I can tell from the look of you all, but we're not here to talk. I have my own men to fight with now."
It is a surprise the other four have remained silent so far, but, just as I don't think Yemi, Em, or I would want to interrupt, I hope none of them want to do the same. Though, they all show signs of sadness for a lost past together that is even more lost on me since I have never heard any of this discussed before, and the leader of the five, squinting through both of his eyes now, tries to use some sarcasm in what he says.
"How unfortunate. Replaced us, you have? I guess we'll just have to watch you and your new men from the wall, then."
I'm not sure if that confirms my suspicion or not about them being the men fighting earlier, but I have a feeling there is something between them, besides a long past, that is not being said. I think Gorm's final words hint at that, too, when they all seem to smile at the thought.
"You do that. We have other issues to attend to for the time being."
Gorm keeps his face stern as they each walk by him, one at a time until only the man he has been talking to stands and grins once more before he speaks and departs.
"Don't worry, brother. It's not like we have anywhere better to be. Death will come for us all in time, anyway, and we only have a corpse to get rid of so it doesn't stink the whole city up. That'll take us a while, so stay safe in the meantime."
I don't know if this man is actually one of Gorm's last, two, living brothers, meaning the other must sit on a throne if their father has long passed on, but the use of the word 'brother' finally brings some sincerity from Gorm as the man walks past us to rejoin the other four men heading back towards the front of the city, from where we came and where a crowd has ceased to exist, after he briefly stops to smile at Em and puts his hand on her head.
"I will, Fern."
Something about the man's name, only four letters and with earthly tones, makes me think the same mother fought with their father to name him, and Gorm and whoever else, and nobody gets the chance to ask anything about what just happened, but for Em with a single word.
"Father..."
It only takes Gorm a moment to turn around and respond.
"Yes?"
Em is even quicker to ask what she should have asked to begin with, and, why any of that is, I do not know.
"Will we see your brother again?"
Gorm only lets out a huff and a laugh before he answers her with a question of his own.
"Which one?"
He laughs a little more as he walks off too, just like the other men did, but he continues towards the highest point in the city, up a single path that only winds slightly as we stay in tow, with nowhere else to go unless we just want to up and leave. I've yet to feel the need yet, no matter how much less inviting and more imposing the structure we walk towards looks as we get closer, and it helps that there is no one ahead, not a single soul to share what little warmth fills the air. The only detail that adds some life to the city now, besides the snow that never ceases and the fires that somehow fight the weather off, are the words I ask Em as quietly as I can, so neither Gorm or Yemi hear.
"Who were those men? Was one of them really your father's brother?"
She nods as she responds.
"Yes, Fern, he is one of my uncles, and the rest were just some old friends of my father, if my memory serves me."
The question bothered her little, and her answer came easy. So, because we have the time, and she handled seeing someone from her family again well enough, I ask something that is meant to be kind.
"How do you feel about seeing him again, and being inside of the city?"
She seems ready to offer me her hand again, either because she feels so safe or because she needs some more comfort, but, instead, I help her warm both her hands, and mine, as she responds and tries to hide her hands in mine.
"Better than I thought I would."
Her hope is enough to make me smile, so I stay positive the rest of the trip up to the destination Gorm leads us to, no matter the cold, silence, or lack of guards, but, when we eventually come under the shadow of the mountain right above us, the air surprisingly gets warmer, despite how the sunlight, or what little can make it through
the clouds and snow, no longer touches us. That heat is enough for us to pick up our pace, especially when it gets hotter the closer we get to the doors of the fort, or the castle, since it's so hard to tell exactly what it is, but, when Gorm pulls his axe off of his back and forces the rest of us to do the same with our weapons, I'd assume the former, and that maybe this is where all of the guards, warriors, soldiers, or anything in between are hiding. Yet, when we stop before the doors, just as large as the ones in the city but made of a red metal instead of an off-white, Gorm slides the doors open with the speed of a child trying to creep into his parents' room after a nightmare.
Such an act is strange enough on its own, but, when compared to how he announced his entrance at the outer doors before, I only wish I could read the man's mind, and understand what runs through it. Fear of some sort, I assume, but is that fear because he expects a fight, as we have drawn our weapons, or because the man has not seen the rest of his family in so long?
At first, it is so hard to tell. No men wait for us at the other side of the doors, nor are there guards in sight for the most part, besides one or two men who stand in such a way they may just be minding their business. Though, some other details are immediately apparent. Most of the room is even less detailed and fancy than my father's throne room, which was not much either. The same, colored stone as the mountain and the walls makes up the floor, making it clear this has all been dug into the spire of grey their ancestors built their home into, and only a handful of details make the purpose of the room stand out.
Along the back wall, the source of the heat becomes obvious, for, largely, there is no wall of normal means. Instead, there is a wall of flames that lights the whole room, almost like a massive fireplace, and, where the smoke disappears to, I am not sure, when none is in sight. That couldn't be any more obvious when the size of the king's throne is so easy to see, along with the shadow it casts on the ground, so far that it would take a decent sprint to travel across it, and that's without mentioning how hard it tries to reach out of the door to this keep.
No Name for the Free Page 15
