Infinite 01 - Infinite Sacrifice

his own business.” His seriousness dissolves immediately into chuckles. “That is, after they have paid their taxes and levies to me, of course.”
    Just then, the bells ring again, causing Toke and many others to jump. “Damn bells!” He curses up at them, “First they tell us to stop eating horses. Then they tell us how we should marry. How to pray. We can’t even abandon our own wretched children in the woods anymore! But now this. These deafening gongs and pings! It’ll make a man go crazy.”
    He grinds his teeth, and I realize this is no time to be deciding such an important matter.
    Toke shouts, “Ragnar, you were wrong to take another life without allowing Orm to raise his own sword. Pay him his worth and future worth to his brother, in addition to all surviving dependents, and this matter will be over.”
    Ragnar shakes his head defiantly. “I will not pay, Chieftain. I feel I was justified, and that would take all my savings.”
    Toke draws in a frustrated breath as he brings his hands up. “A fight to the death it is, then. Ragnar and Konr, right now in the square.”
    Ragnar looks pleased, and Konr fills with rage. Both men go to their armor and weapons. Chieftain Toke holds his arms up as Ragnar and Konr stares across with their arms at the ready.
    Toke speaks, “No rules except one. Once your blood spills and lands on these stones beneath your feet, the match is done. The wounded has a chance to pay to be released before his life is taken.” He waits for each man to nod to him; then he brings his hands down and yells, “Fight!”
    Thora turns Erna’s eyes away and walks out of the circle away from the fight. I look on as each draws his sword and I’m praying that Da’s sword is made poorly and will shatter into shiny pieces. Nevertheless, it is a mighty sword, and Ragnar wields it like it’s weightless. Konr catches all of his blows but seems more on the defensive, moving around, trying to keep Ragnar on his good arm. One powerful blow splits Konr’s red-and-black shield, forcing him to pitch it. As he tries to turn to grab his axe, Ragnar’s sword comes down on his outstretched hand and lops it off in one smooth motion. The hand falls, curled like Ansgar’s wax glove, as Konr spills his bright blood onto the stones. Konr screams in agony and grabs the stub.
    Toke steps in. “Konr, will you pay to be released, or will you fight to the death?”
    Konr doesn’t answer but stares blankly at Ragnar in thick rage.
    Ansgar speaks from the circle and says in a calm voice, “’The halt can manage a horse, the handless a flock, the deaf be a doughty fighter, to be blind is better than to burn on a pyre: there is nothing the dead can do.’”
    Konr hears his words and, with his face drawn in pain, says, “I will pay the murderer.”
    The medicine woman steps out from the crowd, ties linen around his wound, and escorts him away. One of Konr’s relatives hands a bag of silver to the chieftain, and he spits when Ragnar reaches his clenched hand up to take it.
    The crowd begins to dissolve as Ragnar holds up the bag and proclaims, “I hadn’t the money for a thrall before but I’ve sure got it now!”
    They burn Orm on the pyre in the square that night, and I can see the smoke spiraling up to the heavens from our farm. As soon as Rolf returns, Ragnar appears at our farm. I rush to find Una milking our brown cow.
    “He’s here!” I huff.
    “Who is here?” She glances up, moving the bucket so the cow can’t kick it.
    “Ragnar! He’s speaking with Rolf, and he brought his bag of coins!”
    Una looks down into the frothy milk.
    “Una, you should hide!” I say, trying to delay the inevitable.
    She shakes her head. “No, if he must buy me, I can’t change that.”
    She lifts the two full buckets and walks out trying not to spill them.
    Rolf notices her and yells, “Una come here!”
    I feel like freezing this moment so it can never happen. But as tight as I shut my eyes and clench my fists, time continues on. Una walks up and rests her buckets down as Ragnar leers at her up and down. He hands Rolf the bag, and Rolf empties it out on the ground to inspect it.
    When he sees that every item promised is there, and silver at that, he nods. “Una, you are now Ragnar’s property. Go gather your things and leave with him.”
    I throw up by the side of the barn, and as I wipe my mouth, I watch her run to our dugout. I hurry in after her, and I’m surprised to see her eyes are dry. I