Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

"It's not like that."

"Uhm?" Orvar gulped, noting that that answer did not come from Dag. 

Kjell, with his arms folded and his eyes pointed to the table, replied: "You heard what Kranus said. He already knew that the owner of the axe was Dag before he even knew him in person. He talked about 'reliable sources'... surely, in no time, he would have been able to discover our position. Dag managed to beat him on time, he anticipated the moves of the bastard who is informing the Giants Of Ymir of our plans."

After those words, there were a few seconds of silence, during which the Masters and the other warriors tried to work out that concept, which only Reidar, Terje, Egill, and Kjell understood. 

"Is that right, Dag?" Gridd asked, who had not yet participated in the debate. 

"Yes, Gridd. Being at war with Claws Of Fenrir and Giants Of Ymir simultaneously is a bad idea. I'm going to find out the truth about my axe, because I'm sure it hides a power that goes beyond our comprehension. As long as it's in my hands, Kranus will listen to what I have to say, and I will convince him to ally himself with me. When I finally get his trust, we will destroy his Clan from the inside, piece by piece" Dag replied, explaining to his allies that he was still seeking revenge and had never forgotten the faces of the innocent people killed by the Jotunns. 

"Tomorrow Kranus will see with his own eyes your axe. What if he takes it by force? Don't get me wrong, I'm not underestimating your powers, brother, but what if something you didn't calculate happens?" Gridd asked again, unsatisfied with the plan, which had too many variables to her tastes. 

"First he will have to pass on my dead body. At worst, he's going to kill me and take my Giantbane, but in that case, you'd all be saved, because he would get what he wanted and his revenge will be over. But you'll see that this won't happen."

The perplexity of the Masters continued to be evident on their faces, but despite this, no one was able to propose a plan more engineered than Dag's, which, although dangerous, could work.

"What about the traitor?" Reidar asked, breaking the silence that was created during those moments, already feeling part of the team that would try to convince Kranus.

Kjell and Dag were the first to be drawn to that question because in their minds they were already thinking about who might be the person who had long been reporting their moves to the enemies.

"We don't have enough information yet for a verdict, Reidar. Certainly, none of us is a spy, because the Fort is constantly guarded and at night, nor on the day, none of our soldiers have strayed. The same goes for when we were in the hut or in the cave. We would have noticed if someone had walked away alone, for no reason. Kranus said he has information, but beware, it could be a simple trap to instill fear in our minds" Dag said, who had already prepared an answer.

"So, do you think he invented everything just to scare us? And how do you explain the attacks on the shores of Runar? He must have had the information from someone!" Gridd said, examining past events.

"I just say this is a possibility. We have already talked about this issue and although it is important, it is less urgent than other problems. We can't afford the spy search to slow us down, we have a lot to do" Dag replied, walking away from the table and moving around the room, touching his blonde beard, typical of his mind's signal at work and looking down.

Confused by all that had been said during those hours, the Masters and the warriors seated at the table got up and the meeting ended up. 

Some of them began to climb upstairs to secure a spot for the night, while others stayed down to argue with Dag about that matter.

When sleep prevailed over the urge to argue, Reidar, Egill, and Kjell also headed to their rooms, and Dag stayed with Freydis near the entrance.

"Come, Freydis. I don't want Thalos to spend another night outside" he said, thinking that Thalos, because of the presence of all those people, did not feel very confident entering the palace and preferred to sleep outside, despite the cold.

The two walked out the door and immediately saw the large gray wolf snuggled under the wooden porch lining the barn.

"Hey, Thalos!" Dag called, immediately drawing the attention of the wolf, who as soon as he recognized his master's voice, lifted his head from the ground and his ears upwards.

"I know you don't feel as cold as I do, but... why don't you come in with us? You'll feel very good inside the building, you could sleep near the door if you want" Dag continued, moving his arms towards the palace and trying to explain his intentions to Thalos.

The wolf, having turned his head from side to side, processing Dag's words and understanding their meaning, rose from the ground and approached him.

At that moment, the horses in the stable, seeing the wolf walking in that direction, moved away from the entrance and backed in fear to the bottom of the wooden structure.

"Did you see it? They too are happy if you don't stay out" Dag chuckled, stroking the wolf's head, that sensing contact with the young Master's hand, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to be cuddle like a helpless puppy.

Behind the two friends, Freydis, with her arms folded to hold back the cold, stood still looking at them, smiling, admiring the way Dag treated his wolf, acting as if it was his brother.

"The bond between you two is really special, isn't it? He looks at you with the eyes of love" she said, stroking her man's shoulder as they returned to the palace.