Ragnar and I were tossed out on the muddy street while the men around us laughed and cheered. The commotion immediately drew a large crowd who were eager to get in on the stoning.
This wasn't anything new. Criminals like thieves and rapists were stoned for their crimes often. It was a regular occurrence. I've seen men die from it.
I looked over at Ragnar and saw the idiot with a wide grin on his face. Here we were in a moment that could've been our last, and the idiot was still smiling. Maybe I too was an idiot because I couldn't help but smile too.
Every breath we took caused us to grimace in pain. I was choking up a mouthful of blood while the wound on Ragnar's head smeared his entire face in blood. We had so many broken bones we couldn't even count. Plus more injuries to follow from the stoning and beating we had in store, but still…
Knowing my brother was by my side made the situation somehow enjoyable. And I could tell Ragnar felt the same.
"Hey, Sigurd, you remember the song Dag taught us?"
It took a moment for me to think through the pain and recall what he was referring to.
"Ah, that one… What about it?"
Ragnar's grin grew even wider as he forced himself up to his feet.
"Let's give them a performance to remember! You remember what father taught us, Sigurd?"
"Yes, showing weakness to your enemies is like slitting open your own gut and jumping into shark-infested water," I answered.
Ragnar was right. Showing the men here that we were weak would only work against us later. We need to be like dwarven steel. Unbreakable.
Ragnar and I had suffered through our father's beatings countless times. This much was nothing. I gritted my teeth and dragged my broken body off the ground, ignoring the burning pain in my chest.
The men around us erupted in loud cheers when they saw Ragnar and I back to our feet.
"Hurrah!! Look at this, men, they still have energy to stand!"
"What did you expect? Northern blood runs through their veins just like all of us."
"That's right, boys, stand for your punishment. If you die like men Odin welcome you into the halls of Valhalla."
The men around us continued to laugh and jeer. Some of them were already holding stones and objects they intended to throw like wood or pieces of furniture. As long as it wasn't metal, it was allowed. A long line of crowd had formed spanning as far as my blurred vision could see. They were all waiting to get their licks in.
It was customary for the earl to cast the first stone. The tall bastard stood holding a large rock that he could barely hold in the palm of his massive hands. Of course, I knew the first stone would be cast at me, so I steeled myself.
It wasn't just the earl. I was certain that most of the men here were gunning for me. Ragnar had gained their respect for stepping up in my mother's place, but me… I was of no consequence.
I planted my feet on the ground the moment I saw the earl raise his hand to cast the giant rock in his hand. I didn't even see it happen. One second his hand was raised high as he prepared to throw, the next my head was spinning which was accompanied by a sharp crack.
The men around me were cheering, but I didn't hear a sound. Everything went quiet, and the world descended into darkness. The giant rock shattered across my forehead, and I felt a rush of warm liquid trail down my face.
My knees buckled, threatening to give in but I kept them steady and dug my toes into the ground. I wobbled like a drunken man but I didn't dare fall. Just out of spite.
I didn't want that big bastard of an earl or his treacherous daughter to see me fall.
It was sheer spite that kept me on my feet. Soon, my senses returned to me and I opened my eyes to see looks of disbelief on the surrounding men's faces. I also saw the earl with a vein on his forehead that looked as if it was about to pop at any second.
My mother was there being held back by Dag to keep from interfering. I couldn't hear her voice, but I could see her tears.
I smiled at them all, showing them my bloodied teeth, before breaking out in a song and dance.
"Rise, Men, Row hard, the wind is sharp, the sea is grey."
I sang so loudly that my voice towered over the mob of rowdy men. I made the motion as if I was rowing on a boat and hopped from one feet to the next as I danced like a drunken fool.
I imagined I must've looked like an idiot, and the way they were laughing only confirmed it.
"Hold the rhythm, hold the way, heart like iron, arms like stone."
Ragnar followed up, and we both sang and danced like idiots as we were stoned and beaten. Ragnar danced like a headless chicken, flapping his arms around, and that caused me to choke through most of the song because I couldn't contain myself from laughing.
We were hit with everything imaginable, but still, it didn't break us. We were making a mockery of our punishment, and there was nothing the Earl could do about it other than watch with a disgruntled face.
Pain coursed through every inch of our bodies, but looking at us, you couldn't tell. We were punched, kicked, spit on, but nothing they did could break us. We were like a smooth-sailing boat drifting through the murderous tides.
But just as we were about to reach shore, Ragnar's knee buckled like a sail going lose. I acted instantly and grabbed him before he fell. I swung his arm over my shoulder, all while singing and dancing.
"Distant thunder! Thor strikes, the sails whisper in the fog; row, men, with mighty souls, our voyage demands courage."
I raised my voice and sang so loudly that even Odin could hear me. Even as I was out of breath, I still sang until my voice turned hoarse.
I carried Ragnar on my shoulder until our first voyage was over.