He just barely missed an axe throw that went across the side of my head. Glowering, he turned his eyes over to the male that rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Are you trying to god damn kill me?" He spoke up to the other guy, not pleased at all.
"No, I'm not trying to get you killed, Raul. You're the one that suddenly walked in front of me practicing. You should really watch where you're going." He pointed out at Raul, grimacing.
Raul tried his best to try not to look sheepish and failed. Lowering his eyes, he bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Welch. I'm just in a hurry."
"You're not thinking about entering the games, are you?" Welch asked, narrowing his eyes at Raul. "You can't even lift an axe. You shouldn't be thinking about anything but help us keep our cattle safe. You're our best caretaker of our food. We don't need any more brawns on this island."
He brought a fist to his chest. "But I'm not considered a man unless I can prove myself."
"We don't need you to prove yourself." Welch chuckled as he nodded towards him. "You may not be as muscular as we are, but you know that we acknowledge every man around here. We all have our own roles on this island, no matter our gender." He grinned at him. "You just want to show off to the man you've looked up to as a rival."
Feeling that he was caught, Raul felt heat rising quickly to his head. "He's not a rival." He mumbled. "I'll see you later, Welch."
Quickly, he ran off before Welch could say another word to him, feeling embarrassed. Raul had tried the games before and wasn't even given a chance. Now, he knew that they wouldn't let him again.
Running over to the ledge that anyone can take a view of the practice area below, Raul paused and laid himself across the grass. His eyes roam over the other Vikings until his eyes landed on the one man he wanted to see – tall, young, lightly growing black facial hair contrasting against his brown leather armor. His eyes a stormy gray that was rare in Vikings to have. He had grown much muscles over the years. Being a son of a chief, he had to live up to an image that was given to him.
"Theron!" Kagan called out, a short blond man, waving at the man Raul was looking at. "Father made more weapons for the games. Will you let Chief Baldrick know?"
Turning towards Kagan with his sword down, Theron smiled at him. "I will let my father know that Fahim is done what was requested. Thank you both for your hard work." He drew his sword away. "The first day of the games are over, so I'm sure we all be celebrating tonight. I will see you and your father at dusk like always."
The Vikings had games for a solid of five days at every spring because once the games were over, specific warriors will go on a voyage to go get more supplies. They don't much morals when it came to protecting or providing for their people. If it meant raiding other lands, killing innocents, then that was what they did.
Last year, Theron's brother, Ichiro had done the voyage and his adventures were successful. This year, the chief was going to test Theron to see if he could do the voyage this year, depending on how well he does the games versus last year since Ichiro was given the task to watch the other side of the island. Now, for Ichiro, that was a huge honor as that meant the chief acknowledge him to be able to watch their other half of their people over there. All because he made a very good impact last year.
That was why this year was important because Theron was given a chance to prove himself to go on a voyage. If he cannot, then that meant his father would have to send his second in command and that would be embarrassing. Currently, they were all feeling the stress of the games since they start tomorrow.
Of course, Raul tried to get involved like he does every year, but everyone pushed him away. He rested his chin on his crossed arms as he stared downwards. "I want to go with him and support him." He sighed, knowing how useful his information would be. He studied a lot and worked hard. "I know that my feelings are strange." He murmured as he watched Theron clapped his friends' on their backs. "But if this is all the distance that I could make, then perhaps I do not deserve to be by his side."
In that moment, Theron looked up and their eyes met. His eyes had a moment of confusion before he brushed it off and turned towards Ulrich to speak further on whatever they were speaking about. "Looks like I get to be wasted tonight." Raul sighed again and got up from his spot. "Drink away my worries for another year since my hopes are only a day dream." Well, he should know better but not always.
Moving away, Raul thought about what he needs to do to prepare. Day one of the games would be axe throwing, so he won't be needed in general for that one. He was told a long time ago that he can't be around weapons because he was clumsy as well as can't lift more than half the stuff. But what they didn't know was that Raul has been practicing a weapon except he hasn't gotten any better with it.
If he remembered correctly, after axe throwing, it would be horse race riding. The third day would be how to repair a weapon or a raft. The fourth day was when they split into teams to fight each other for a flag to help teamwork as well as strategy. Lastly the fifth day was a mini tournament where the highest scores would fight each other until another says they give up or the overseer says so, which can be fist fight or sword fight or a mixture of both.
Raul rubbed the back of his head. Truthfully, none of stuff he was good with. He could help with the flag stuff or the horses, but that would be it. The only thing he was good at was animals and food. If they had more variety of games relating to that then he would have a decent fight in it. "Yeah, they really do care more about fight power then what I can do with my head and hands."
Well, no point in crying over tipped over milk. Same tune every year that Raul likes to make, and he knew that he makes the same complaints every year. He was starting to think that he might as well give up. "I should go check on the cattle one more time before dark, and start helping out bringing the food out." He told himself as he headed towards his brown mare that he named Meadow.
Raul got onto her back and easily his horse galloped to where they need to go because she knew the routine. It was a half hour trot to where the cattle were Pointing, Raul counted each one to make sure they were all counted for, which thankfully they were. The sheep, goat and cows were getting along well as they eat slowly at the grass. He looked over to see the two dogs that they had took many years to train and bred into they were now. They were the only thing that made sure that the cattle and the other animals don't go further than they were currently. That and if anything was wrong, they would howl to let them know.
Raul patted Meadow's neck. "Alright girl, let's head back to the central hall to help with getting food and alcohol prepared." She huffed in response as if displease to hear about drinking, but she moved forward anyways. He hid his smile and rubbed her neck again before settling their ride back.
Of course, by the time they got back home again, his mother's brown hair shone as her blue eyes glittered impatience with her hands on her hips. "Raul." She said, sounding like she might snap at any moment, "I told you this morning to not worry about the livestock because your father would have checked it."
Feeling sheepish, Raul got off meadow and rubbed the back of his neck. "Um.... Uh... I—"
"Don't you dare tell me you forgot." She cut in, pursing her lips at him. "I already got the carriage ready. Help me bring the food and drinks into the carriage to bring to the Hall. Quickly! Or I'll send your hide to the waters." With that, she turned around and hurried back inside to finish her cooking... Hopefully.
"She's busy as a bee lately." Raul sighed as he brought Meadow to her den. He patted her once before hurrying over to his family's wooden hut that looked the same as everyone else's except for the symbol on the door. Every family as a crest for what they did in on the island. "Mother, is everything you want on the carriage on the table?"
"Yes!" She called out from the kitchen. "Everything on the dining table. Now hurry and get them into the cart. Night will be coming soon and we need to get there before dusk to set everything."
"Yes, Yes." Raul mumbled as he started to grab the pies first. Carefully, he took every pie, drink, meat and fruits out to the carriage. It was a long process as he liked to be as careful as he could with those. He wiped his forehead when he was all done, glancing back at the house when his mother finally came out. She put another hot dish into the carriage and grinned.
"Now, we better hurry over." His mother responded, looking much happier now. Was it because the stress of cooking was off her hands now? Everyone loved Raul's mother's cooking, so they asked her to cook for the games every year but my mom told them that she would only do the first and last day. They agreed because they didn't want her to flat out say no.
It didn't take long for the night time to come after Raul and his mother took nearly an hour to set up everything. There was lit torches everywhere, tables out, loud murmurs and groans from the women teasing their men without showing too much since most are wedded.
Despite what Raul said, he didn't drink anything as he sat at the table, watching people being drunk and stupid. He had kept his gaze down at the table as he didn't want to watch Theron making out with women from left to right.
"Everyone isn't going to remember their damn night." Raul muttered, rolling his eyes. "Don't come running to me if you all think you got a woman with a babe." Okay, Raul lied, he did have a couple drinks but not enough that would make him not remember his night. He wasn't a careless drinker like most of his fellow Vikings if he was even considered a Viking to them.
He wished that he wasn't different from all of them. As far as he can tell, everyone was only into women unless they know how to hide their other interests well, which is possible. "Too bad I'm untouched like a young maiden." Raul grumbled to himself, unhappily. It wouldn't be long until his parents would either pressure him into having wild sex with every pair of legs with breasts or get him to wed some woman. Neither choices appeal to him.
Getting tired of hearing people boast about their day and sexual life, Raul got up and started to walk away from the party. "I'm going to head in early." He muttered, frustrated with everyone as he took his walk back to his hut. Though, he wanted some time to his thoughts so he took the longer way than usual.
"I hate fucking everyone for not letting me at least try." He whined, feeling the alcohol in him. "I deserve to at least try. Who cares that I look weak as long as I tried!" Raul waved his arms dramatically. "Damnit Odin! Please, give me a goddamn chance or a sign to keep going. I just want to be his support and..."
Raul stopped his drunken rant when he heard rustlings and some loud grunts. Confused on why some people would be out this far from the party and be in the woods on the outskirts of the village, he went towards the nearest tree by a hut at the edge of the woods. Peering over, he gaped at what he saw.
Obviously both in a drunken stupor, there were two naked men on the woods floor. One dark haired one was fucking the red head senseless in the ass. The red head moaned loudly before coming and falling limp, going unconscious instantly because of how drunk he was. "Fucking damnit!" The dark haired cursed, sounding familiar, as he shoved the red head away and got up butt naked. "Don't fall asleep. I told you that I needed a real damn fucking and---"
Raul had stepped back in surprised, stepping on a twig. His eyes had met the dark haired man that instantly turned in mid-sentence in surprise. Raul couldn't believe it. Were his eyes deceiving him? Despite it being embarrassing, was this a miracle? "T-Theron?" He whispered in shock as his mouth went dry. "I—"
He didn't get a chance to answer when Theron lunged at him and shoved him against the harsh wood of the hut nearest to them with his hand securely around Raul's neck. He could smell strongly of the alcohol on his breath but the anger came off in waves. Feeling instantly afraid, Raul swallowed as best as he could as he met Theron's gray furious eyes. "Don't you ever tell anyone what you fucking saw tonight." He growled at him. "Or I'll personally cut off your tongue. Are you going to keep your damn mouth shut?"
Raul trembled, torn between feeling scared and the sudden lust he felt. He nervously licked his lips. "Yes." He choked out as best as he could.
As if noticing how he felt, Theron sneered at him. "Do you want to be like him?"
Suddenly, Raul found courage in his new found anger at his words. Yeah, there went his thought that this was a miracle. He shoved at Theron, who stumbled in surprise that he would find the strength to do so. "To be tossed aside? Fuck no." He snarled back with his feelings all over the place. Raul never thought that Theron would be this kind of person. "As long as you're like that, I'll never want to be touched by you ever. Go fucking die in the rocks, ass."
Before Theron could recover, Raul ran off as fast as he could to home. It felt like eternity before he reached his hut and slammed the door behind him, breathing harshly. Leaning against the door, he stared up at the ceiling, "My words mean nothing if he isn't going to remember them." Raul rubbed his face, feeling tired instantly. "Just because he was drunk and fucked a man doesn't mean he's interested in them. He definitely wouldn't want to get with me... I mean look at the guy."
Sitting down, Raul put his head in between his legs, breathing carefully as he could. "He was having sex with his best friend, Maddock, who is almost as big as he is." He felt his eyes burning and closed them tightly. "I shouldn't bother him anymore. I should just... stop. He probably doesn't even know who I am at this point."
After taking a few more breaths, Raul finally got up. "I'll put him behind me. He showed me that even if he was interested in men... It wouldn't be with me as he acted like I was scum thinking that I could get something from him." He swallowed, trying to accept to let go of his long crush that he was proud of. With that last thought, Raul decided to go to his cot to go to sleep. Save his worries for another day. Less did he know that not everyone forgets their drunken nights.