[Nogrod]

“Ha! Did you hear that?” Javan asked, turning with a bright grin toward Cnebba and Garmund. “My brother’s in that! I’ll bet you anything you name that he’ll win!”

The two younger boys looked at each other excited. Cnebba was just opening his mouth when suddenly Garmund put his hand to Cnebba's shoulder silencing him and turned towards Javan.

"We'll think about it, just wait a minute." With that he dragged Cnebba along with him a few yards away from Javan.

They spoke in lowered voices.

"He said he would bet anything we'd name? The dagger Garmund, the dagger!" Cnebba protested Garmund treating him like some half-witted child.

"Now listen, he will ask something as a bet from us as well, didn't you think of that?" Garmund hissed glancing back at Javan to see if he was able to hear what they said or not.

Cnebba gave a deep sigh as he hadn't actually come to think of that. Finally he raised his eyes to meet with Garmund's with a worried questioning look. "What do you think he would bet for the dagger? Our Rohirrim? Those my dad made?"

"I'm afraid he wouldn't bet it for anything less", Garmund nodded. "And Thornden is a mighty warrior."

"But isn't lord Eodwine himself competing? And Harreld, and dad... and... well your dad... and that freaky newcomer, that Crabath...thannan... or what was it, or that Erbrand or... "

"Thornden is the chief of all the soldiers here. Do you think he got into that place for nothing?", Garmund snapped back. "The dagger is neat but I wouldn't trade it to my rohir-soldier."

There was a difference there. Even if the rohirrim Stigend had carved for the boys were probably the finest pieces of wooden art he had ever produced, Cnebba was used to having such wooden toys all his life.

"So what do you say then? We can't step back from it now?" Cnebba came down on Garmund for an answer.

Garmund started thinking about it but it was Cnebba who came up with the idea first.

"Hey, how about he will be our slave for a week if he loses? Like making our beds, serving us food and doing our work? We can do the same but it's not so bad as we are two."

Garmund looked delighted first but then fell a bit backwards. "Do you think he would take that?"

"He can't step back from it either?" Cnebba suggested, smiling.

Garmund burst into laughter. "You're right! He can't!" And with that Garmund turned around to meet Javan. Cnebba followed suite.


"Okay Javan, here's the deal!" Garmund said to Javan as he reached him and waited for Cnebba to come beside him. "If Thornden doesn't win you'll be our servant for two weeks. You'll serve us in all we want you to. If Thornden wins, we'll do the same for you." Garmund stared at Javan as if challenging him to keep his word.