Chapter 2

Somewhere Not Here (ここではないどこか, Kokode Wanai Doko ka) is the 2nd chapter in the series.

Characters

 * Askeladd
 * Bjorn
 * Thorfinn
 * Gorm
 * Hordaland
 * Thors Snorresson
 * Leif Ericson
 * Ari

Short Summary
Askeladd and his men arrive in his uncle Gorm's village. He talks business with his uncle and is introduced to his uncle's new slave, Hordaland. Askeladd asks his uncle to be a witness in a duel he promised Thorfinn. The duel takes place and due to Askeladd's emotional manipulation, Thorfinn loses his cool to anger and easily loses the duel despite his skills. Later that night, Thorfinn broods his loss on his father's ship when the slave Hordaland brings him food. The two talk and a flashback occurs involving Thorfinn's childhood in Iceland, recalling a visiting Leif telling him and the other village children of his travels to Vinland.

Long Summary


Askeladd and his men arrive at the feudal Lord Gorm's village in the Jutland Peninsula in their warships, ready to winter. It is implied that they typically return to the village to spend the winter annually. The villagers are excited to see the band come back, along with all their looted treasure. Some of the village boys excitedly look forward to potentially being recruited to fill the spots opened up by those who died, seeing joining Askeladd's band and raiding as a good way to see foreign lands, sail and make a name for themselves.

In Gorm's house, Askeladd sits on a windowsill and throws some looted necklaces to some cheering local girls, favourably commenting on their lovely lack of modesty and discretion. Gorm redirects Askeladd to the matter at hand, the issue of payment for lodging and feeding Askeladd and his men until the spring. Askeladd (who refers to Gorm as "uncle") tells Gorm to give his men all the food and mead they want, as they had a good haul and have more than enough silver. Gorm, happy with the outcome of the discussion, instructs Hordaland, his slave, to bring wine out, as they will celebrate. She has to be told twice. Askeladd comments on her strange name, which is the same as a place in Norway. Gorm confirms that she was from the bloodline of a lord in the Hordaland area, who lost a war and went into ruin, leading him to buy her for a hefty sum earlier that year. He grumbles about her being a dreadful slave. Askeladd notes that the slave's uselessness is not her fault, but due to poor handling, as there is a trick to manipulate every human being. Seeing Thorfinn approaching, he asks Gorm to witness a duel he has scheduled just before supper.

The villagers enthusiastically gather to watch Thorfinn duel Askeladd. Gorm opens up the duel, saying the fighters are free to their choice of arms and that the duel will be concluded by retreat, incapacitation or death, the grounds of the duel being Thorfinn's desire to avenge his father's death. One of the village boys comments he may have a good chance to join Askeladd's band if a little kid like Thorfinn is already part of it, while a couple of the village girls comment thatThorfinn is cute and wonder about why he would work for Askeladd if he's avenging his father. The duel starting, Askeladd asks Thorfinn how old he is, noting how quickly he's grown since he met him. Thorfinn doesn't humour him and does not reply, immediately coming in slashing. Askeladd avoids his attacks, despite them being so speedy and precise they take some hair off the top of his head. He slashes back at Thorfinn, who parries with both of his short swords and leaps backward to avoid them breaking. The village boy looks on in amazement, believing Askeladd threw Thorfinn far back with a single swing. He is corrected by the observing Bjorn, who clarifies Thorfinn jumped back to keep his short swords from snapping. Bjorn comments on how strong and calm Thorfinn has become, knowing he has an advantage at close quarters combat with his short swords. The village boy questions why Askeladd would hire such a dangerous kid.

Thorfinn attacks again and successfully gets Askeladd to drop his sword, but pulls back quickly when Askeladd reaches for his wrist. Askeladd, trying to rile Thorfinn up, asks Thorfinn what his father's name was, intentionally butchering the name. He claims he's killed many men and cannot remember Thorfinn's father, and asks Thorfinn if he really killed him and how exactly. Thorfinn gets very angry and clarifies his father, named Thors, would never have fallen to the likes of Askeladd if he hadn't taken him hostage. Askeladd replies he now remembers Thors, who was the fool who gave up his life in exchange for his boy's. An incensed Thorfinn rushes Askeladd, who easily parries him with his bare hand and throws Thorfinn to the ground, commenting Thorfinn cannot lose control and still has a lot to learn. The duel over, he tells Bjorn to pop Thorfinn's shoulder back in.

Later that day, the men hold a celebration for their return, eating and drinking their fill. Thorfinn stays outside in the cold on what used to be his father's ship, refusing to switch guard shifts and snubbing the festivities. Inside, the village boy approaches Askeladd, complimenting his fight and asking why he would keep a dangerous kid around, as Thorfinn could ambush him in his sleep. Askeladd replies that he is not worried, as Thorfinn is a warrior who would never do something like that and will not be satisfied unless he beats him in an honest man-to-man-duel, bound by pride and his past. Nearby, Hordaland drops a platter of food and Gorm whips her. Askeladd, out of earshot, laughs at him, noting the irony of a man who is a slave to gold whipping a slave he bought with that gold while fancying himself a master, not realizing that every human being is a slave to something.

On the ship, Thorfinn falls asleep and dreams of his father Thors, who approaches him and asks if he's sulking because he lost again. Thorfinn, who once again looks 6 years old, starts to cry. Thors teases him and asks if he's angry and wants revenge, to which he nods vigorously. Thors regretfully notes that Thorfinn is indeed his son and that it would not do any good to tell him not to seek vengeance, as he'll have to find out for himself what it means to be a warrior. Thorfinn bolts awake as a hand reaches for him, pulling his short sword to the reaching Hordaland's face. Startled, she drops the basket of food she had been carrying out to him on Lord Gorm's orders. She asks Thorfinn if he is also a thrall, as he seems similar to her and is eating outside. Thorfinn specifies he is a free man and warrior who is choosing to eat outside, unlike her, and that he has nothing in common with her and wouldn't know how a slave thinls, as he would kill Gorm, run and kill any pursuers if he were in her place. Hordaland comments that is awful and that she could never kill someone. Thorfinn replies that it's her choice. Hordaland ponders about where she could even run to, and if there is a place across the horizon, across the sea, where she could find a peaceful place without war or slaves.

Hordaland's words bring Thorfinn back ten years. In a flashback, a young Thorfinn sits in his family home in Iceland. He and the village children listen on in amazement as Leif Ericson tells them of his travels. Wearing a native headdress and smoking a pipe, Leif tells them he and his crew left Markland and charted a course further south in their ship, finding a land richer and far more fertile. There, they found a new land, full of ripe fruit and rippling plains. Leif built a cottage upon it and called it Vinland.