Blades of Wolfsbane - episode fourteen

A story in the Ravenglass Universe.

With his wound cleaned, Ragnar limped from the infirmary and made his way back to the boy’s dormitory to find Kest and a few other boys in animated conversation.

“Did you see his face when Ragnar broke that stupid nose of his?” Kest asked.

Harald greeted Ragnar with a smile.

Kest turned to him. “The almost champion!”

“Almost.” Ragnar let out a sigh.

“You was robbed,” Harald said. “As far as I can tell, you got first blood, not him.”

Ragnar nodded. “Sven won. My father was right.”

“Come on,” Kest said, gesturing for Ragnar to sit on the bed. “You came second. That’s something to be proud of. And you did it on your own terms.” He glanced over to the door, before dragging something from beneath his pillow. “I got this from the kitchens.” He held up a wine skin.

“Well, in that case. Who am I to argue?” Ragnar smiled and took a swig before passing it along to Harald. The sweet drink slipped down, warming his stomach and chasing some of the aches away.

All too soon, Kest downed the last of the wine and got to his feet. “I suppose we should go to the award ceremony.”

Ragnar nodded. “I guess.”

“You should still get a prize,” Harald said. “If you get cake, you really ought to share it.”

“I don’t think my father will reward a loser.”

“That makes us all losers then,” Kest said. “Can you imagine a world where everyone’s a loser except for Sven?”

Harald laughed. “Only if it was the stupidest nose contest.”

Kest shrugged a shoulder and gestured to the door. “See? We should go. We can pretend old raven nose is getting a prize for his stupid face. Though, I think you’ve smashed the raven out of him.”

Ragnar got up on wobbly legs. “Sven won the tourney. It’s only right that I offer my congratulations.”

Kest rolled his eyes. “Such an honourable prick. Get pissed off for once. Get rowdy, flip a table, throw a bench, or something.”

“What makes you think I’m not pissed off?”

“The fact that you’re all, ‘he’s the better man, I lost fair and square, blah blah.’”

“He didn’t win fair and square. But he knows that, and I know that. And Creation knows he’s not the better man.”

Kest grinned. “See?” He turned to Harald. “This is what I’m talking about.” He rubbed his hands together.

Ragnar groaned. “Do you need to stay here? You have a few sips of summer wine, and suddenly you want to start a brawl.”

“I’ll be good.”

“You know my father takes things like this very seriously.”

Kest’s smile dropped. “I said I’ll be good.”

Ragnar limped towards the door. “Let’s go then.”