Chapter 27

"I believe your bond is a wonderful thing. I don't doubt that you brothers could hardly live without it. But if it was me on the battlefield... would you stand at my back and protect me?"

- Willibald

The Warriors and the Monk (戦士と修道士, Senshi to Shūdō-shi) is the 27th chapter in the series.

Overview
Askeladd's band has stopped their march to rest. Atli continues to try to decipher what Willibald means by "love", describing the bond he and his brother Torgrim share and asking him if that it is. Willibald specifies that their bond is no doubt special, but that it is not "love". Torgrim offers him a tale, telling him of how the oldest hands in their group still occasionally speak of the fierce warrior they encountered while waylaying ships in the Faroe Islands. They rushed him all at once, but he fought them off with his bare hands, despite having a sword. They eventually killed the warrior, but soon realized that he had not killed or severely injured any of them. Willibald, wide-eyed, asks what the warrior's name was and what else he did. Torgrim does not remember his name, but another man adds that the warrior said odd things like "a true warrior needs no sword". Atli asks Willibald if that was "love", but Willibald is lost in thought, contemplating Thors's words.

Summary
Askeladd's band has stopped to rest on their march. Some of the men are still trying to decipher what Father Willibald meant by "love". Atli tells him that he and his brother Torgrim have always done things together since they were children, sticking together no matter what, and that no one can team up like them on the battlefield; fighting back-to-back, trusting each other and making up for each other's blind spots. He says that the trust they share cannot be bought (Torgrim adds this would depend on the sum) and that they have the bond of brothers. Father Willibald replies that he couldn't say, but that it is nothing like the love he imagines. Atli, frustrated, tells him he doesn't know how it is on the battlefield and asks if he could display that kind of teamwork in a deathly situation. Willibald says he believes their bond is a wonderful thing and that he doesn't doubt they could hardly live without it, but asks Atli if he would stand at his back and protect him if he was the one on the battlefield. Atli, confused, replies he wouldn't, since it's something he can specifically do with his brother, and adds that he wouldn't leave his back to a drunk priest. Willibald states that as he thought, it's not the same. Atli asks him to explain it in a way that even he could understand. Another man points to the tankard of ale Willibald is holding and comments he likes his drink, asking him if he "loves" the liquor. Willibald say that he doesn't, and that he doesn't enjoy the drink. The man tells him not to drink it then, since it isn't free, and Willibald apologizes. Atli gives up and tells Torgrim that Willibald isn't making sense and that the alcohol must have rotted his brains. Torgrim says that's maybe the point of it, and offers the priest a tale. He tells Willibald that the oldest hands in their group still occasionally speak of a time when they waylaid ships in the Faroe Islands. Their quarry included a single fierce warrior, who they tried to overwhelm all at once, but who fought them off with his bare hands. They eventually killed him, but in the end, they realized that he had not killed or severely injured any of them, as the injured sported no more than broken bones at worst. Torgrim ponders what it meant and says he was barely hit, fell, and was back to normal moments later. Another man says he experienced the same thing and adds that the warrior had a sword, wondering why he didn't draw it and if he really just think they were that weak. Torgrim starts to agree and says it makes him sick that a warrior wouldn't bother with the courtesy of showing his foes respect, when Willibald flinches and asks, wide-eyed, what else the warrior did and what his name was. Torgrim, surprised by the strong reaction, says he couldn't name him and asks what Willibald means by "what else". The other man comments he said odd things like "a true warrior needs no sword". Willibald sits back down and contemplatively stares at the fire. Atli asks if that was "love", but Willibald doesn't respond. Another man comes by and tells Atli to stop wasting time with the drunk's riddles and to come help pitch the tents instead. Atli leaves, while Willibald continues to ponder Thors's words.

Characters in order of appearance

 * Willibald
 * Atli
 * Torgrim
 * Thors Snorresson (flashback)