Sponsor a story at EDF - Your message can reach thousands of readers for just $4
“Father, father,” called Arne. The boy sprinted over dirt and pebbles toward the lapping water. To the east, an orange shade of dawn edged jagged peaks, merciless as shark’s teeth. Some of the men loading the longboats held torches. Their bearded faces wavered in the flickering light, floating in the night like spirits. Arne felt a chill mist on his cheeks.
Bjarn dropped his haversack and picked up the boy in a hug with a single sweep of his muscled arms. A round shield hung from the man’s back, a battle ax from his belt. Arne smelt milk and rye bread and ale on his father’s breath, sweet and comforting. Bjarn put the boy down then ruffled his son’s hair and caressed his smooth cheek.
“In three seasons, Arne, you can come with us. Now back to your mother. You’ve fields and stock to tend.”
“Three seasons? Do you promise?”
“If there’s hair on your face.”
“I brought you something, for luck.” Arne held out a copper coin, hardly as big as the end of his thumb, with a leather cord threaded through a hole in its center.
Bjarn put the cord over his head then patted his chest. “Next to my heart.” He turned to retrieve the haversack.
“Father, will you bring me something back? Something from across the sea.”
“I will.”
When the sun peeked over the mountains, Arne stood with the other villagers and watched the warriors plying the oars. His mother’s hand gripped his shoulder. What would his father bring him? He did not know how he would wait the summer’s end. The two single-masted longboats sliced the calm waters of the fjord then set sail and dipped beneath the rim of the open sea.
The days of summer lengthened then faded. The red wheat grew. Arne tended the farm under his mother’s direction. He wielded a wooden sword and shield in mock battles with the other boys and inflicted more bruises than he received.
As Arne knelt in the black dirt pulling weeds from among the beans, the long blast of a battle horn shook the morning. He jumped the fence surrounding the garden and joined the throng hurrying toward the shore. Two long boats crossed the fjord, riding lower than when they had left months before. Women and children stood in the boats, many thralls. Excitement carried Arne to the water’s edge. He had much to tell his father: the fox he had killed while defending their chickens and the blows he had dealt older boys with his sword. His father would tell stories of the dangerous sea and the raids to last a winter.
And the promised gift drew nearer with each pull of the oars.
The warriors splashed ashore, hauling sacks of riches, herding thralls bound one to another. The men laughed and rejoiced in reunions. Arne searched for his father.
A warrior stopped and clapped Arne’s shoulder, staring grimly at him. He mumbled something then moved on but the din drowned his words. Did he say Valhalla? An empty feeling sickened Arne and swelled in his gut. He jerked his head from side to side, now frantic. Not his father, he told himself, not him, not one so strong.
“Arne, over here.” Olav, his father’s friend, beckoned at the water’s edge. Olav gripped a young girl’s arm. Her hands were bound behind her back, and mud splatters soiled her ripped, tawny tunic. Arne walked toward them. Sights and sounds faded to dim echos, the ravings of ghosts. Arne’s breaths came in shuddering gasps. The girl held her head bowed, her face hidden behind tangled hair.
Behind him, a wailing scream, alien yet familiar, pierced the air, his mother’s lament.
“Your father fell killing this slag’s father.” Olav jerked her arm, putting her off balance and then shoved her toward Arne.
The girl fell forward on her chest. Her cheek smacked the pebbles.
“Your father told me he was bringing you a gift. He never told me what it was going to be. It would have been something glorious. She’s not much, but she’s yours to do with as you will.” Olav stomped away, his deed done.
Arne stared past the girl at the sea. “Father is dead,” he repeated, “a warrior’s death.” The girl sobbed at his feet, her cries chasing away his thoughts. “And what bitter gift are you?” he shouted. He cursed her father and the sea and the wind. He thought to smite her, to beat her to death.
He raised his foot to kick her. She looked up. Her cheek was muddy and bruised. Red, swollen eyelids rimmed her watery, blue eyes. Arne recognized his own blue eyes, his own salty tears, his own pain. He saw their fathers grappling in combat, swinging axes, shattering shields, gouging eyes, and in death binding their children. His sorrow welled up in choking sobs. He fell to his knees beside her, his gift from over the sea.
Jeff Chapman writes fairy tales, fantasy, and ghost stories and hearing the expression “just a fairy tale” rankles him. His works have appeared in various print anthologies and online publications. He lives with his wife and children in a house with more books than bookshelf space. To learn more, stop by his blog at http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com.
GD Star Rating
loading...
A GIFT FROM OVER THE SEA • by Jeff Chapman,
loading...
Did you like this story?
A new and interesting story is posted every day.
A new and interesting story is posted every day.
Subscribe to the RSS Feed! (what is rss)
Don’t miss another story! Subscribe to Every Day Fiction via RSS.- Share on Facebook
20 Responses to “A GIFT FROM OVER THE SEA • by Jeff Chapman”
Comments
« FAR PAST THE MOON • by David Rees-Thomas | Home | DADDY’S GIRL • by Ruth Schiffmann »
June 17th, 2011 at 12:49 am
Well-written and obviously well researched.
I felt the ending was a bit out of character, though. Vikings weren’t exactly renowned for their mercifulness.
That said, this piece could make an interesting novella / book if the girl and Arnie’s relationship is developed.
June 17th, 2011 at 1:35 am
Good.
June 17th, 2011 at 1:42 am
I echo Paul A. Freeman’s first observation. I was reminded of the – to me, more realistic – scene in “Eric the Viking” when Eric tells his grandfather how a conquered girl made him think.
“What did you do?”, asked the grandfather.
“I killed her”, replied Eric (not mentioning that it was through his clumsiness and not in response).
“That’s my boy!”, said the grandfather, laughing.
June 17th, 2011 at 3:50 am
Finely executed tale Jeff… I liked this a lot. I personally really liked the ending Arne sees himself in the girls eyes… there but for the grace of… Odin! Yes the Vikings were a bloody and violent bunch of marauders, but they were also farmers, husbands and lovers too. So I reckon there’s room for a bit of compassion! Thanks for a great read!
Dave
June 17th, 2011 at 4:10 am
Loved it. Really beautiful description and storytelling. Didn’t like the use of the word ‘slag’ though. It kind of jarred and I don’t think it fits.
June 17th, 2011 at 4:40 am
The atmosphere was well done, especially in the opening scene, but I didn’t really believe they’d have brought the girl as a present, and the expression ‘slag’ struck a false note.
June 17th, 2011 at 5:59 am
A moving tale with some very nice details that helped immerse me in the setting and story.
I was expecting the coin pendant to show up again — it was a nice touch in the boy’s goodbye. In my imagination as to “what happens next?”, Olav gives it back to the boy, and over time, as Arne softens towards the girl, he gives it to her when he leaves on his first raid.
June 17th, 2011 at 7:00 am
A story full of excellent imagery. The death of the father, while predictable, was handled well given the story line. I’d echo #7 (Chris) opinion about the pendant. Felt like a loose end not having it reappear at the end, but then maybe that’s what you’d expect if you saw this in a movie.
Overall nice job. Three hearty stars from me…
June 17th, 2011 at 8:23 am
I researched Viking culture, traditions and beliefs thoroughly in my youth and on many trips to Scandinavia and their values of honour, fairness and compassion would surprise many who know their history less well than Mr. Chapman seems to do. I liked this very much indeed.
June 17th, 2011 at 9:10 am
I liked this, but to me it was more a prologue than a self-contained story. Extra points for a setting you don’t see a whole lot of though.
I agree the boy’s behaviour didn’t seem to jive with Viking culture, but for me that stood out as what the central conflict *would* be if the piece were stretched out into a short story or novella.
…I’m sure there would be plenty of raised eyebrows at the mead hall.
June 17th, 2011 at 9:45 am
This is an interesting story. I kknew Arne’s father would end up dying, but didn’t know where the story would lead from there.
To me, Arne’s actions seemed to fit with his character, they may not have been very Viking like, but Arnw’s only a young boy, not a full fledged Viking yet. Arne seems to be a sensitive soul, hopefully he’s relationship with the young woman will start with compassion and turn into something more.
June 17th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
A well-told tale, Mr. Chapman. This could definitely be expanded into a much longer work. You took me to a place I didn’t want to leave. Nicely done.
June 17th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
a well-conceived and obviously well-researched setting with a plot that made me think a bit, but i found the emotional aspect of the story a bit heavy-handed. i think if it had been rewritten with more subtlety at about 2/3 its current length, it would easily be 4 or 5 stars from me.
June 18th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Even though I would not normally read a “Viking” story, you caught me off-guard by the title and the introduction, which immediately spoke of relationship. It was a touching account of a father/son exchange. I easily accepted the ending because I still believe a young boy can have a gentle spot, even though he is a warrior at heart. Good job.
June 19th, 2011 at 5:44 am
I enjoyed this very much, and didn’t have a problem with the boy’s compassion. Even though the father didn’t mean for the girl to be the gift, it turned out that way. (The boy obviously cherished all the gifts he received from his father.. as per the coin.. so it makes sense he would have a soft spot for his father’s LAST gift to him).
June 19th, 2011 at 7:50 am
Great story, and now I would love to know what happens next!
The compassion didn’t seem counter-culture to me, given that Vikings did settle in other lands and their culture changed over time. They were not all the same, and making them into a cookie cutter stereotype defeats the purpose of telling a story.
So, well done Chapman! Thank you for giving us a great story that breaks some of those old stereotypes.
June 20th, 2011 at 10:21 am
Loved the ending and, like many others, would love to know what happens next with the young couple. Well done.
June 21st, 2011 at 7:08 am
Sorry to jump in late, but had to say how much I enjoyed this story. Very romantic and I would buy the book of Arne’s life.
The pendant should have shown up again, though, IMO. Even if he just noticed it dangling around the girl’s neck, it should have tied in somewhere in the story, but very briefly, so as not to cross over the edge into over use of sentiment.
October 12th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
[...] “A Gift from Over the Sea” by Jeff Chapman was originally published on June 17, 2011. [...]
October 15th, 2012 at 12:01 am
[...] “A Gift from Over the Sea” by Jeff Chapman was originally published on June 17, 2011. [...]