16 XVI. The Choice

"What are you thinking, brother?" Gridd suddenly asked while she was sparring with Dag, dodging a sword swing.

"I… I miss Stein. Don't worry, Gridd… I'm fine" he answered, pretending not to care about his feelings to act like a grown man in front of his sister.

Gridd stopped moving both her swords, moving her hair on her back e taking a deep breath, watching him.

"What…" 

"Missing someone doesn't make you weaker, Dag." 

"Yeah, I know that… but… everything is so strange here at the farm. Since the death of Stein and the truth Asa told me and Eirik about Brann… I'm surrounded by a horrible feeling, sister. It's if something dark is staining my soul, deep inside my body" Dag replied, staring her in the eye.

After those words, Gridd looked at him from head to toe, perceiving something similar to an evil aura coming from her brother. Before she could tell anything, Dag spoke again.

"Don't you miss him? I know before you left, you were focused on your real father, Brann. But… you know… Stein…"

"Stein raised me, Dag. He was my only father, no matter what I said. May the Aesir drink the best mead with him, in the brightest hall of  Valhalla" Gridd interrupted, touching her chest. "However. Brann is my past and my destiny." 

"I get you, sister. Did I tell you who killed Stein?" Dag asked again, waiting for his sister to narrow her eyes waiting for an answer. 

"Asa told me his name. Alf, a member of the Lies Of Loki Clan. I will never forget it, really… never." 

"So? What is your conclusion? What do 'our' fathers have in common?" Dag continued, knowing that his sister would soon get his point. 

Gridd continued to look at him, not knowing what to say. "Those pieces of shit, Gridd! That's what they have in common! The murderers that killed them!" Dag exclaimed, unable to hold back all his anger.

Gridd's blue eyes suddenly lit up and her gaze crossed with that of Dag, finally understanding the reason why he was pushing so much on that detail.

"We… we have a purpose, then. We'll avenge both Stein and Brann by killing the same men. I can see it, I can fucking see my mission now!" Gridd stated, convinced by her words. 

"We will exterminate the Lies Of Loki, no matter the cost. The only thing they deserve is death" Dag confirmed, touching his sister's shoulder and nodding his head.

When Gridd reciprocated the gaze, the strength and the courage Dag was feeling within his body were suddenly shared, boosting her morale.

"We will, Dag. I'm becoming stronger. Soon, I'll be stronger than our mother, and our revenge will be finally fulfilled" she answered, determined.

"I'm sick of not being able to protect myself and the people I love. I want to destroy whoever tries to stop me from becoming the strongest Viking ever lived on this planet. That's my destiny. I'll do that for Stein, I will avenge his name." 

"I am with you, brother."

When they finished their training session, they went to sleep, being late at night.

…

The following day, the false Sun rose up in the sky, and, as long as it illuminated Dag's face, Gridd touched his shoulder and woke him up.

"Hey! Wake up, your day has come!" she smiled, looking forward to see her brother achieve his life goal as a Viking: the choice of the Clan to be part of.

For an instant, those words  made Dag had a déjà vu: he remembered about Lady Ysabel, the Earth dorm, his childhood friends, the Xis… his best friend Hero. 

He remembered the anxiety he felt when he was called to enter the Temporum as a scared, defenceless kid. 

But that time finally was over, and Dag was about to become a true Viking warrior. There was no room for fear.

From that day on, he would determine his own destiny, discover more about his potential, and more about Viking Clans. 

He got up from his bed and got ready for the Arena, quickly wearing his light armour, composed of leather trousers and sleeveless jacket. On his chest, a patch of his previous shirt, with his family symbol, the swallow.

When he walked out of the farmhouse, Asa was sitting on a stone, staring at the woods. In her hands, a necklace.

"Hey, mom!"

"Hey, kid…" she smiled.

"Today, I will join a Clan. I'll meet the Clans' Masters at the Arena… I can't wait to…" he said, when his gaze fell on his mother's hands. "Is that my father's?"

"Yes, this was the first gift he gave to me. We were just lovers… he made it himself with Gronn Forest's wood" she answered, while her eyes started to become misty.

Dag came closer to her, caressed her face and took a deep breath, "I gotta go. Be safe, mother." 

"Yeah, of course! Go, my son!"

Before leaving, Dag looked another time at the farmhouse, framing Gridd, that was watching them with her arms crossed.

"So? What are you waiting for? Go!" she said, proud of him.

A genuine smile appeared on his face, and without thinking twice, he started his usual journey to the city, walking down the hill and passing in front of Freydis house, stopping there and waiting for her.

"Hey! How is it possible? You're not late! Hahaha" she exclaimed as soon as she went out the house, teasing him.

"Yeah, I made it" Dag answered, scratching his head.

"So, today, you will join a Clan. Are you ready? I'm excited for you!" she continued, getting closer. "The Crowns Of Odin… sounds powerful, doesn't it? If you wait two days, until my birthday, we will leave together from here. My father was one of the strongest warriors of the Clan. We can't disappoint him." 

Paul, Freydis' father, became a countryman after losing one of his hands during a battle against King Einar, of which Dag heard a thousand times.

"Yes, I'm ready" he replied, self-confident, walking next to her and keeping on following the road.

At the Arena, some people were already training, swinging their weapons and screaming against each other. 

Taya was sitting on a wooden bench when they entered, sharping her spear with a cutting stone.

"Good morning, Master Taya," Dag said, bowing his head like a disciplined soldier.

"Oh, Dag, good morning. And good morning to you Freydis," Taya answered, without looking at them, continuing to focus on the spear.

Freydis returned the greeting of her Master.

"A member of each of the nine Clans has come here for you today. You will make your choice in front of them," the Shieldmaiden repeated, making the point.

"Of course I will. I'm ready!" 

Taya left her spear on the bench and stood up, walking to the centre of the Arena, where eight unknown grown warriors stood in line, positioning behind her and waiting for her to make her speech.

"Good morning warriors, say hi to the nine Clans!" she affirmed, after calling the silence.

The recruits' crowd yelled in unison, "Uh, Uh, Uh!" slamming their weapons to the ground, cheering their guests. 

"Behind me, there are eight of the greatest warriors of Skjold. I am the 9th of them, representing the Sons Of Freya Clan. As you know, each Clan take its power through a direct connection to our Gods."

Dag stayed still, carefully listening to each word coming out from his Master's mouth.

"Odin, Fenrir, Thor, Freya, Ymir, Heimdallr, Tyr, Jormungandr, Loki. All of them are here now, in front of you. Band the knee before the Gods!" she continued, opening her arms forward and giving an order.

Everybody in the Arena obeyed and kneeled.

"My friends, as always, you've been called because of your whisdom, to help my young adepts to follow their way. Meet Dag, who has proven to be worthy of being part of a Clan, of serving until his death the God he feels more affine to!"

Freydis looked at Dag, while they were kneeling and smiled, waiting for him to get up and go on.

"Step forward, Dag from Earth" Taya commanded.

When he walked to the Arena centre, he stopped in front of those mighty warriors, already convinced on which Clan would be his choice.

According to the regulations, everybody stood up.

"Show your mark, Dag," Taya continued, ordering her young disciple to uncover his shoulder, pulling down his jacket.

The warriors nodded their heads to confirm the procedure.

"Now, you choose."

Despite his initial determination, after those solemn words, Dag couldn't hold back his nervousness and keep watching the people in front of him: they were the strongest Berserkrs and Shieldmaidens of Skjold, worthy of the power of the Gods.

Six men and three women, including Taya.

Each of them had peculiar features: some of them wore breastplates, some were shirtless. Some were tall and muscled, some short and nimble.

Dag took a long, deep breath, looking down. On his leather jacket, he framed the blurry swallow of his mother, taking courage and raising his head, looking at Taya, ready to tell her his decision.

Just when he was about to say something, a tiny, not clearly visible animal hopped along to the Arena walls, next to the door behind the warriors.

He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on the small, white figure.

It was a white rabbit.

As a sudden instinct, Dag felt a strong feeling of burning inside his body. He instantly remembered about Brann and his Emblem, about Asa, that lost twice her love and about his sister Gridd and the promise he made her.

"The Hammers Of Thor. This is my choice."