After Ubbes visit to the seer things changed at the farmstead, Astrid started teaching me simple things like runes, how to make textiles and general upkeep of the farmstead, yeah it was Astrid that run the farm. after a few years when I was around 4 Ubbe started teaching me Gilma the vikings own martial arts, weeks on throws, blows, kicks, chokes, locks, pain techniques. When he said I had a solid foundation we moved on to weapons. the first weapon he taught me was the stick, and getting pummeled by him alot, it didn't help with the size difference. Ubbe was about 6 feet tall and I'm about half his size around 3 foot 6.
I enjoyed training with Ubbe and the scrapes and bruises got less and less as time went on. My improvement kept me focused, I knew what sort of world I was in, dragons, Arachnomorphs, basilisks there were all sorts of dangerous creatures, that's not including the different species that live in this world, just the thought of some vampire or goblin that could come and slit my throat or rip my heart out had me training like crazy.
"Ugh" I wheezed as I landed on my back Ubbe had taken my feet from under me with a sweep of his stick.
"come on get up! I know you heal faster than me, you can do better then that!" Ubbe shouted as he swung his stick at me, I had to quickly roll backwards and spring up to my feet or I'd have a head ache again. Ubbe didn't go easy on me and I appreciated it, no real battlefield would be easy, potential death at every swing of a weapon and that's just against humans. Against monsters I could be surrounded on all sides, it's no wonder why Witchers incorporate spins into their fighting style got a keep an eye on all the monsters around you.
"okay okay! here I come Ubbe!" I shouted as I spun the stick into position against my right arm pointing towards the grinning Ubbe. I shifted my right foot forward and used my right arm to cover my front, as I leaned forward slightly, bending my legs to get that extra spring I shot from my front foot at him, swinging the stick in a horizontal sweep. Ubbe twirled his stick and blocked and countered with the back end in a downward swing, I stepped to the side and directed my stick to his left calf and it made a hit but I got smacked in the chest and was sent stumbling back and fell on my backside. This was an everyday occurrence at the farm, Ubbe would beat me everyday, I got a few hits in but he could shrug them off I wasn't strong enough to cause any damage yet.
After I was proficient in the stick skills we went on to swords, axes, spears, seaxs, knives and shields. I was also tutored in forestry, hunting skills, carpentry this went on for 3 years.
It was a few days after the big yule feast around sunset and I was sat outside the farmhouse, carving a rune into a palm sized blue pebble, the rune was Eihwaz "ᛇ" which is for protection. That's when I felt it, A warm serene feeling flowing through my body into the pebble, it felt natural and elegant, it was like gas bubbling through my blood stream. the rune illuminated and a hazy blue forcefield charged out from the rune.
I stared in shock for a moment at the shield of ethereal blue light until the bubbling feeling faded away, and a cooling rush of pure nature made its way through my breathing into my body and resupplied my magic core.
'That was magic! I'm a wizard! magic feels so pure and simple. I'll have to practice when no ones around, maybe I can improve my core it feels miniscule at the moment, like it could be blown away at any time. Untill I can get some ingredients for rituals to improve my capabilities I'll just use meditation to see if I can condense that gassy bubbling feeling. it's not as comfortable as I'd like' I was in a daze in my thoughts about all the possibilities of magic. 'Infact how does magic work in this world is it like the wizarding world or like the Witcher? maybe I need a focus like a wand? Ollivanders! it was founded in 300 something BC it's already in London! I need to go to England maybe I can find an entrance to Pangaea there? or shall I try making my own magical focus something unique? no a wand will do but I'll focus on wandless magic until I can go to England, in fact have vikings been to England yet? I haven't heard Ubbe or Astrid mention it or any of the kingdoms of this era'
I was broke out of my stupor by Astrids shout for dinner, it was mainly a soup and some dried meat, fruits and nuts. I'd brought back a few ducks and fishes on my hunting trips with Ubbe, he never took me for anything bigger said I was too young and he's probably right.
"Fenrisúlfr come eat or you won't have any energy and Ubbe will drag you around the yard all tomorrow morning" Astrid shouted with mirth.
"coming!" I shouted as I got up and put the runestone into my belt pouch, don't want to lose that. I ran into the house and sat at the table.
"Fenrisúlfr it's a new year soon and you'll be 7 winters old, the seer asked Ubbe to bring you when you were all them years ago when he went to visit" Astrid commented as she placed a bowl of potato and leek soup on the table in front of me.
"Ermm what does the seer want to see me for? and where is Ubbe?" I asked in confusion. Ubbe was normally home if he'd gone to town by now and I had no idea what the seer would want.
"Ubbe's visiting the Smithy he needed a hand working on something and you'll know in a few days after the new moon" Astrid replied with a smile, I could tell she was hiding something from me but if it was important she wouldn't have sounded so cheerful.
Over the years I've also made a friend that goes hunting with us, his name's Brandr he's around my height, longish dark brown hair and has a scar under his right eye. he's a little rascal if you ask me, the first time I met him he was slinging mud balls at a young girl named Frida because she witnessed him taking a bath. He was boisterous and wild. I stuck up for Frida by the way she was a timid girl with Auburn hair and hazel eyes that looked like she could peer into your soul. I hit Brandr in the head with a mud ball I'd caught as it was coming for me and we ended up fighting, that's how we became friends he'd always challenge me to anything be it skimming stones or fighting, we were like rivals.
Frida well we didn't see each other much but when we did I played with her, she was the daughter of shield maiden Freya, she was a warrior and scared me half to death the first time I saw her. Freya had Auburn hair aswell but her eyes were brown with green flecks scattered throughout her iris, she was strong as well, she towered over me and picked me up by my tunic as well as glared at me like she wanted to crush my skull with her bare hands. That is how I met my first friends in this world, I chuckled remembering that as Astrid sat down with me at the table.
"Fenrisúlfr eat up it'll get cold" she scolded. Astrid didn't waste anything be it old clothes or animal guts everything had a use and I'm sure Gaia appreciated it.
"okay Astrid sorry" I apologized and wolfed down the soup with some bread.