After a few more days, word of Varamyr's death had spread. Folk in the nearby encampments finally crept out from beneath the long shadow of his terror. The word they spread told of two young warriors who had bested Varamyr.
Many who had a long-standing quarrel with Varamyr came to the hall during those days, bearing gifts that were rarely valuable: husbands whose wives had been forced to share his furs, farmers who had lost their winter stores and nearly starved, and villagers whose kin had been savaged by his beasts. They were all the weak, trampled victims of Varamyr's bullying.
Thorfinn and Merek were ill-equipped to deal with such a spectacle. Thorfinn could barely stand the sight of all those weeping folk, and Merek felt the same, so they endured the thanks they received with grim patience. Of course, these were only the weakest of the Free Folk. Most of the defiant and unruly Free Folk saw a chance to prey on two boys, for the lands Beyond-the-Wall are never short of scoundrels with wicked intentions.
However, Thorfinn and Merek were no easy prey. Between the two shadowcats and the four watchful eyes in the sky, anyone foolish enough to seek trouble was made to dance for them. They captured the bothersome troublemakers, taught them a harsh lesson, and then sent them packing.
Over these days, the bond between Merek and his shadowcat deepened. The two skinchangers put down these greedy opportunists with little effort. After that, the unwelcome visitors began to trickle away, two and three at a time. Thorfinn's group held their ground and proved their strength. In a land with no law but the sword, hard-won strength is the only convincing currency.
Finally, on a fine, clear day, Darie and Reynar arrived.
Orrik was driving a rudimentary sleigh pulled by his snow bear, piled high with bags and bundles. White Snow and Sunny herded three or five sheep, and Darie and Reynar carried two packs of their own. Their family had come home.
Thorfinn and Merek went forward to meet them, smiling widely, though Thorfinn was still due a scolding.
The moment Darie saw Thorfinn, her expression darkened. "Thorfinn, you rogue! You've grown bolder than a lion, sneaking off to do such a mad thing without a word to me. It was too much!"
Reynar, however, was hardly concerned. "Hah, my brave boys! You went and killed Varamyr! That was a surprise, but you're certainly my sons!"
Darie was relentless. "Thorfinn, mark my words, you can't be so reckless again! You lawless creatures scared the very breath out of me this time. Do you have any idea what the price of failure might have been?"
Thorfinn just smiled innocently. "I promise, Mother."
Darie glared at Thorfinn, but finally let out a helpless sigh. "You… I suppose I can't expect you to ever be sensible. The truth is, you're the most like me; I was the same when I was young. But remember this one thing, my children: no matter the peril, you must protect yourselves and fight to survive."
Darie pulled Thorfinn into an embrace with one arm and hugged Merek with the other.
After the embrace, Darie seemed to grow excited. "Now, let's go see this great hall you boys have won for us!"
Thorfinn's group exchanged glances and quietly followed.
Reynar was also overjoyed, pulling Darie close and exclaiming, "See, Darie, this hall belongs to our family now, ha ha ha!"
Darie gave Reynar a look of playful disdain. "This hall was bought with our children's blood and sweat. It has nothing to do with you, you old fool. What are you crowing about?"
Reynar smiled sheepishly. "You can't say that. I gave you the two boys who won it, didn't I?"
Darie bit her lip and gave Reynar's side a sharp pinch, which was met with a dramatic howl of pain.
Thorfinn could tell his mother and father were delighted. Perhaps that's why they hadn't yet noticed Val's absence, but Morla had. She couldn't help but ask, "Where is Val, Thorfinn?"
Thorfinn replied, "She went home. Things happened after you left, and we'll tell you all about it later. Oh, and this, it's for you."
Morla took the object from Thorfinn's hand and looked at it, an idea forming in her mind, though she dared not confirm it. Golden? Could it be… gold? Such a finely wrought thing must be priceless. And he just gives it to me?
Seeing the girl's mixture of excitement and doubt, Thorfinn explained, "It is gold. It's an arm ring from a new friend we made. It's beautiful, and it would be wasted on me, but it suits you well. I think it's finally found its true owner."
Watching the boy hand over a gold arm ring with such careless ease, Morla's eyes were filled with stars. She couldn't help but think: Is this a sign of love? Heh, Thorfinn truly loves me!
Morla couldn't contain her thrilled laughter. The gold ring carried Thorfinn's scent, and the lovesick girl naturally took it as a sweet gift from her lover. After her laugh, Morla wrapped her arms around Thorfinn's neck, her warm, alluring lips pressing against his. A beautiful woman offering a kiss, Thorfinn had no reason to refuse. As the passion deepened, his hands, which had been respectful, began to wander…
The rest of the family shared knowing smiles and politely turned away. Merek grabbed the dazed Orrik like a goose and pulled him inside. Everyone was pleased to see things developing between Thorfinn and Morla. Though they were known as brother and sister, they were not blood kin, and everyone knew it, though no one spoke of it. Perhaps only Orrik, who was always lost in the wilderness with his axe and the hunt, was truly oblivious.
And so, outside the hall, only the two lovers remained. The fiery, bold beauty and the handsome, easygoing young man poured out sweet words beneath the snowy wilderness sky, hungrily taking warmth from one another.
After the evening meal, Thorfinn's family gathered around the hearth, and Thorfinn began to tell them about Mance Rayder.
After hearing Thorfinn's story, Reynar understood what had happened, but his expression was troubled. He knew that the emergence of a King-Beyond-the-Wall was a good thing for the Free Folk, especially with the Others returning, but he knew nothing of Mance Rayder himself.
Darie voiced her own worry. "Thorfinn, you say this Mance Rayder means to be the King-Beyond-the-Wall?"
Thorfinn nodded. "Aye. The man was a Crow, but he can be trusted. I've been practicing my skinchanger skills for a while now, and I can tell when a man lies. He wasn't lying, or perhaps, as he put it, he's simply returning to his own people."
Morla: "Do you believe in him?"
Thorfinn chuckled. "It is a good thing, for you and for me. The Free Folk must stand together; facing death, that is the only road open to us. Now we have a man before us who is experienced, resourceful, wise, and bold. We haven't sunk so low as to turn down our best chance and walk to our deaths just because he once wore the black, have we?"
Orrik spoke with a touch of bitterness. "Crows are a sly breed of bird."
Merek laughed. "You're just jealous he'll be the King-Beyond-the-Wall, Orrik."
His intentions laid bare, Orrik still tried to argue. "I am not! Merek, you keep your mouth shut…"
Thorfinn looked at the embarrassed Orrik and consoled him. "Come now, Orrik. Perhaps if you follow Mance Rayder and learn from him, you might have your chance to unseat him one day? Mance is no simple man. If you can master his skills, doesn't that make you a worthy contender?" Hearing this, Orrik's eyes lit up, and his gaze upon Thorfinn became intense.
Orrik murmured, "That… that makes sense! Thorfinn, you're truly my brother, to think of such a thing. Ha ha ha, I've decided. I'm going to join Mance."
Reynar shook his head in resignation. "With your wits, you think you'll unseat a king? Give it rest. It's not that I don't believe in you, but a man like you might make a fine leader in peaceful times, but you are not fit for this age. You are too simple and too green right now."
Orrik retorted, "I never said I wanted it now! Just like Thorfinn said, a man should have dreams. What if they come true? Besides, your son is no simpleton."
Darie couldn't help but shoot a look at Thorfinn, who quickly put on an expression of utter innocence.
Darie sighed. "Well, perhaps it's for the best. Since you've all made up your minds, then go and do it. Every person has their own path to walk, and Reynar and I won't stand in the way of your growth. Go, chase what you must! You are all grown now."
Thorfinn: "Is that a yes, Mother?"
Darie: "What good would my 'no' do? You'd still go, wouldn't you? When you were little, I always tried to shield you from harm, but not anymore. How you grow is your own affair. Every man must walk his own road, so just walk yours with caution."
Morla affectionately went to Darie and linked her arm with hers, drawing a sweet smile from her mother.
Merek, who had been thoughtfully rubbing his chin, spoke up. "With the four of us brothers—four skinchangers—going together, our safety is surely guaranteed. Among the uneven fighting strength of the Free Folk, the four of us are a force to be reckoned with. They won't dare slight us."
Thorfinn smiled faintly. "Every skinchanger is a man born with great gifts. Our youth is a disadvantage, true, but looking at it another way, is it not also our greatest advantage? Mance would be mad to put us in harm's way before we've come into our full power. What's more…"
Morla finished his thought. "What's more, we are not weaklings. That was proven with Varamyr, and I trust it will be proven in Mance's camp. As long as we stay united, no one will dare touch us."
Orrik chimed in. "Lean on the power of the skinchangers, you say? A worthy ploy. Few among the Free Folk have the courage or the strength to cross even one skinchanger, let alone four of us at once."
Reynar looked at his eager, restless children, exchanged a look with Darie, and they both sighed in defeat.
Reynar stood up, sweeping a serious gaze across them. "In that case, I suppose I should go out and stir up some trouble myself. I haven't been seen by many in so long, I reckon people have forgotten that there's a 'Reynar Battle-Axe' Beyond-the-Wall."
Only then did he notice the strange looks his children were giving him. "What is it? Can't your old man have a fighting name too? I was a wild thing in my day, and if I hadn't met your mother, no one could have tamed me."
Darie looked at the childlike Reynar and smiled, stepping in to support him. "Your father was a remarkable man in his youth. You've all seen him wield his axe; how does he compare to the warriors you've met?"
Thorfinn suddenly remembered his strong father. He had been misled by his father's gentle nature all this time; the old man was clearly no simple soul.
Instantly, Thorfinn's gaze on Reynar became intense. "Father is leagues stronger than those fools! I've seen the Thenns, and they are certainly no match for him. Father can cleave them in two with his axe. But… after all this time, is your edge still keen, Father?"
Reynar glared at Thorfinn, offended. "Watch your tongue, boy! I was raiding and taking heads before you were born. Killing doesn't take finesse. You tell me who can stand against the old man's axe. Could they take one blow? Could they take two?"
Remembering Reynar's fearsome strength, Thorfinn fell silent.
Darie also stood up. As a mother, she might not have been perfect, but she had always been enough. The children now needed more than just a mother's love; they needed her support. "Since you all wish to go, then we shall go as a family. We are kin, and kin stand together, whether we face danger or hardship…"
The hall grew quiet. Darie's resolve inspired Reynar, who hoisted her onto his shoulder, laughing heartily. "You are the woman I chose! Darie, I stand with you on this. We are a family, a family that lives and dies together!"
Thorfinn's group could only stare at each other and agree, for it was clear this decision was no longer theirs to make.