Berserk Revenge

by Mark Coakley

31: CAREER-CHANGE

 

  When Halfdan recovered, he had to decide what to do next in life. He had missed his chance to be elected king of Sogn and Fjordane. King Atli wanted Halfdan to be his second-in-command of the army, but Halfdan was tired of fighting. No longer did the clanging of weapons and the screams of the fallen sound sweet to his ears. King Lambi was dead and revenged and there seemed no point to violence anymore.

 

  When he talked about his feelings to Yngvild, a few nights after their wedding, she said, "We have enough silver to buy a nice farm. We can grow crops and food-beasts. A farm is a good place for raising children."

 

  (She was pregnant.)

 

  Halfdan said, "True. But there is one problem with farming. It's so boring!"

 

  "You don't want to fight anymore, and you say farming is boring. I'm sure that, with your sea-sickness, you're not thinking of becoming a fisherman or trader."

 

  "No."

 

  "Then what do you want to do?"

 

  "Nothing."

 

  "Nothing?"

 

  After a pause, Halfdan said, "I like poetry."

 

  "You want to be a full-time poet?"

 

  Halfdan said, "That does not sound very practical, I know."

 

  "In your dream, when you asked Aasa's ghost what to do, and she said that you knew -- do you think that poetry is what she meant?"

 

  "Maybe," Halfdan said. "Or maybe she wants me to become a Christian."

 

  "That silly slave-religion?"

 

  Halfdan frowned. "My mother was not a slave. My father, the believer in our gods, is the slave now."

 

  "Sorry."

 

  Eventually, Halfdan and Yngvild negotiated a plan: they would buy land near Eid and become a farm-family, but Halfdan would spend each winter away from home, earning silver as a travelling poet. That was a difficult, sometimes-dangerous job which usually paid little -- but Halfdan believed strongly in his skill at rhyming and alliteration, and he knew that his fame as a fighter and a war-chief would attract audiences. They agreed that he would work as a farmer in Eid for half of each year, and as a travelling poet for the other half. Halfdan vowed to avoid fights and, especially, sex.

 

  The sad news of the death of Uncle Harald was soon followed by the good news of the birth of their son, a strong and healthy boy -- darker in skin and hair than his mother, lighter than his father -- who was called Harald. (Later to be nicknamed "Harald the Messy-Haired," this boy would grow up to be a famous and cruel warrior, the hero of many sagas.)