1 Chapter 1

I gasped as I awoke from a fitful slumber. Something doesn't feel right, this is not my room. Not only is this not my room, but I'm certain that this isn't even my body. My limbs are so small, like that of a child. How did I get here? Before I could try to comprehend what had happened to me, I fell back into my bed and screamed in pain.

It felt as if my brain was being clenched and misshapen by a child playing with play-doe. I've experienced nothing as painful as this.

As I scream with everything my little lungs can withstand, images flash through my mind. I feel as if these are memories, but they can't be mine, it's impossible. People I don't know, places I've never seen before are flowing through my mind like some silent film.

Eventually it ends, and now I feel as if I have become one with these recent memories. My name is Sveinn Sigbjornsen, I must be in Scandinavia. My father is Sigbjorn, I have no siblings and my mother died giving birth to me, apparently.

I can't tell when I am as we are nomadic, but it sure is not anywhere close to when I used to live. I think the bone and stone tools gave it away. If I am in Scandinavia, then it is long before the age of vikings.

I roll out of the furs I'm wrapped in and stand to my feet. It seems I have no problem with this new body. Looking around, I notice that there is no furniture, just some bed rolls and a tent. I can't believe that I have transmigrated, that's the only explanation I can think of. What else could it be? I've always loved reading web-novels about things like this, but I never imagined it was possible. Strangely enough, I don't feel too troubled by this, any person would panic right now, but I feel an acceptance. I suppose whoever sent me here did this to make the transition easier on me. Well, I'm not really interested in finding out how or why I'm here as it's beyond me. I can't be sure how old I am since time is not really something people keep track of here.

Delving back into my memories, I only remember experiencing something akin to summer eight times, but I know I'm not eight years old. I can't be, I'm at least four feet eight inches tall. Ah, I see now, winters here are really shit.

And the summers can be just as dark as the winters, with a slight rise in temperature. I'm going to say I'm ten years old based on my height. I notice the tent flap being pushed aside and a huge man walks in. He must be at least six feet seven inches tall, with blonde hair all braided up and blue eyes. He looks at me and smiles.

"You have finally awakened boy, thought I'd have to dump some snow on your face to get you up," he says with a chuckle, and I doubt he was joking. "Come boy, we have work to do, get yourself dressed, the camp is moving out soon,". So the group is moving on to the next site, wherever that may be. Well, we are nomads after all. "Yes father, I'll be ready in a moment."

Saying so, I get dressed in all kinds of animal furs as freezing to death is a real thing out here. Staying warm is a serious matter as you would not even know when you died, you would simply drift off into a peaceful sleep as your body shuts down to preserve as much warmth as it can. Now that I'm dressed, I roll my sleeping bed up and start packing my things. Not much to pack, it seems.

All set, well, let's step into this new life on a good start. Exiting the tent I see my father prepping the mule, I think, not really sure what kind of animal it is. Surely it can't be a horse as it's far too short, well what do I know. "Father I am ready".

" Good, now strap your things here and help me take down the tent."

"Yes father", and we finished taking apart the tent in a few minutes. After father places all our belongings on a sled like device, he straps it to the mule and we head to the rest of the group. There seem to be twenty adults and ten children, including myself. As we walk I start hearing voices, they start off as only whispers but gradually increase as we get closer.

All different, jumbled up that I can't even comprehend what they are saying. I panic as the volume keeps increasing and won't stop. I fall to my knees clutching my head, trying not to scream and make the voices stop. Whatever is happening to me is out of my control. No! I just got here, I can't die to some super migraine! I don't know what to do. The voices, they won't stop! Please make them stop, please, please!

"Boy- wro- happe-" I can only hear bits of what father is saying, but eventually his voice is engulfed in the tsunami of voices. "Father! I can't hear you! It hurts so much. Make it stop! Please just make the pain stop!" I feel tears flowing down my face. Or is that blood? It might very well be blood as I feel fluids flowing from my nose and ears as well. I feel hands on me, but even that sensation is drowned out by the voices. So loud, so many, I can't make it stop. Just make it stop! I feel as if my mind will break. Who am I? Just some nobody who awoke to an unbelievable situation. I have not the strength to endure this pain. Nothing in this life or my previous had prepared me for such torment. I have not the will of some seasoned soldier, just some nobody. Eventually I feel myself succumbing to whatever this is and I lose consciousness. I slowly awaken to find myself wrapped in furs being dragged along on the sled with the rest of our supplies.

"father, where are you?" I hear the crunching of snow getting closer and hear his voice. "Boy, you gave this old man a scare. You suddenly fell to your knees, clutching your head and groaning and muttering about the voices. Then you started screaming and blood flowed from your eyes, ears and nose. After a few minutes you fell unconscious. Are you alright? How are you feeling?" His face is close to mine and I can see the creases forming on his forehead from worry.

"I am fine father, just a headache, I feel better now". I shiver slightly at the memory of that horrible pain, but I truly feel much better. Saying so, I get to my feet, "are you sure, boy?" I look back at him and smile, "I'm sure father, look I can move just fine see?" He looks me over a bit more checking my temperature and making sure I'm truly alright. as he does so I hear a voice in my mind, 'thank goodness he's alright, I don't know what I would do if I lost him too.Oh Svanlaug, I almost lost our boy. You would know what to do, you always did. He looks so much like you, I won't let anything happen to him, I swear'.

What the hell was that? Looking at father he doesn't seem to be speaking but I can hear him nonetheless. "Alright boy you seem to be fine, the others had moved on ahead already, we should get moving so we can catch up". "Yes, father".

As we continue our journey I ponder on this new turn of events. It seems I'm able to hear the thoughts of others, that is the on. That is the only explanation as my father's voice was similar to the voices I heard before I blacked out. I must have been overwhelmed by all the different thoughts coming at me all at once.

Now that I know what's going on, I can begin to try to master this new power, as I can't really expect to avoid others for the rest of my life. As we trudge along in this frozen hell, I practice on the only other soul out here. After much trial and error, I can now enter his mind at will. I can't do anything once inside other than listen in, but it seems that father has no idea of the intrusion. Most of his thoughts are of my mother and his longing for her.

I feel bad for doing this, but as we are bound to regroup with the others, I must at the very least be able to turn this on and off at will. Father downplayed how much we lagged behind as it's been eight days now and still no sign of the group. Well, at least I've had some time to just keep on practicing. Father has also been teaching me how to read the tracks and listen to the song of the forest as he calls it.

During this time I made an unexpected discovery. One day as we came across a deer, father decided to teach me how to hunt. As we followed the deer I wondered if I could enter its mind as well. There weren't any voices, but I could somehow understand what it felt, or maybe a vague idea of what passes for thoughts.

As I continued to experiment, I decided to see if I could influence its mind and it worked. I willed it to look at me as I doubt it understood speech, and to my amazement it worked. The creature looked my way. Father was a bit shocked, but after reading his thoughts I knew he just thought that it must have noticed our presence. Father took aim with his bow, and I willed the deer to remain still. Naturally father did not miss.

"What an odd deer. It knew of our presence and did not run. Oh well, come boy, we have work to do". I followed Father's lead in the field dressing of the animal. "Not bad boy, with a bit more practice you'll be able to do this on your own. Now don't forget what I taught you. That's it, always remember to take all that you can. Leave nothing behind as we don't want to waste anything. We won't always be so lucky so try to get everything out of any success". As the days went by I continued my training, both with father and on my new mental abilities.