Chapter 5: The Test
Six months had passed since my first visit to the village.
My training with father had become routine. Every morning before dawn. Push-ups, sit-ups, wood cutting, spear work. My body was getting stronger but my mind was getting restless.
I wanted to see more of this world. Learn about the other settlements. Maybe even go on a raid someday.
But I was still just a child in everyone's eyes.
"Today is different," my father announced at breakfast.
My mother looked up from her bowl with concern. She always worried when he used that tone.
"Different how?" I asked.
"You're going to be tested."
The word sent a chill down my spine. In Viking culture, tests usually meant life or death situations.
"What kind of test?"
"You'll see," he said. "Eat your porridge. We leave soon."
The porridge tasted like ash in my mouth. My stomach was churning with nervous energy.
After breakfast, father handed me a small wooden shield and a blunted practice sword. Both were sized for a child but they felt heavy in my hands.
"Where are we going?" I asked as we walked away from our house.
"The sacred grove," he said. "Where boys become warriors."
I'd heard whispers about the sacred grove. A place deep in the forest where the tribe conducted rituals. Where they honored the old gods.
We walked for what felt like hours. The path got narrower. The trees got thicker. The air got colder.
Finally we reached a clearing surrounded by massive oak trees. Their branches formed a natural ceiling that blocked out most of the sunlight.
Other men were already there. Warriors from the village. They stood in a circle around the edge of the clearing.
In the center was another boy about my age. He looked terrified.
"Bjorn's son," my father whispered to me. "He's taking his test today too."
Bjorn was one of the raid leaders. A man almost as respected as my father. His son had the same broad shoulders and determined jaw.
But right now he just looked like a scared kid.
An old man stepped forward. He wore robes covered in strange symbols. Bones and feathers hung from his belt. His beard was completely white.
The village shaman.
"Today, two boys will prove they have the heart of warriors," he announced in a voice that carried across the clearing.
"They will face the wolf."
My blood went cold. Wolf? What wolf?
As if answering my question, two warriors dragged something into the clearing. A wooden cage. Inside was a gray wolf, snarling and snapping at the bars.
It was smaller than I'd expected but still dangerous. Its yellow eyes tracked every movement. Saliva dripped from its bared fangs.
"Each boy will enter the circle alone," the shaman continued. "Armed only with shield and sword. If you can wound the wolf and survive, you pass. If you run or die, you fail."
The other boy, Bjorn's son, went first.
They released him into the circle with the wolf. The cage was opened.
What happened next was brutal.
The wolf immediately charged. The boy raised his shield but the impact knocked him backwards. The wolf's claws scraped against the wood.
He swung his sword wildly. Missed. The wolf circled him like it was playing with prey.
The boy's breathing got faster. Panic was setting in.
The wolf lunged again. This time its teeth found flesh. The boy screamed as fangs tore into his arm.
But instead of running, he fought back. Brought his sword down hard across the wolf's back. Drew blood.
The wolf yelped and backed away. Wounded but not defeated.
The fight continued for several more minutes. Both of them bleeding. Both exhausted.
Finally the shaman called it off. "Enough. You have proven your courage."
Warriors dragged the wounded wolf back to its cage. The boy collapsed to his knees, clutching his mangled arm.
But he was smiling. He'd passed.
Now it was my turn.
"Njal," the shaman called. "Step forward."
My legs felt like water as I walked to the circle. The wolf was looking right at me. It could smell my fear.
"Show me my stats," I whispered quietly.
[Your Status is]
[Name: Njal]
[Strength: 12]
[Endurance: 6]
[Intelligence: 23]
[Skills]
[Listening lv4] [Learning lv5] [Norse lv7] [Wood Cutting lv3] [Strength Training lv2]
[Titles]
[The Giant] [Wood Pecker]
Twelve strength was good for a five-year-old. But would it be enough against a wild animal?
The cage opened with a rusty creak.
The wolf stepped out slowly this time. It had learned from the previous fight. Learned to be more careful.
We circled each other. Predator and prey. But which was which?
The wolf moved first. But instead of charging straight at me like it had with the other boy, it tried to flank me.
Smart animal.
I turned to keep it in front of me. Raised my shield. Gripped my sword tighter.
The wolf feinted left then darted right. I barely got my shield up in time.
The impact drove me back several steps. But I stayed on my feet.
The wolf was testing me. Seeing how I'd react.
I decided to test it back.
Instead of waiting for its next attack, I stepped forward. Raised my sword threateningly.
The wolf hesitated. It wasn't expecting aggression from someone so small.
That hesitation was all I needed.
I lunged forward with my sword. Not a wild swing like the other boy had done. A controlled thrust aimed at the wolf's shoulder.
The blade bit deep. The wolf howled in pain and rage.
But it didn't retreat. Instead it got angrier.
The next few minutes were a blur of teeth and claws and desperate dodging. The wolf was faster than me. Stronger than me. More experienced at killing.
But I had something it didn't.
Intelligence.
Every time it attacked, I learned something. How it moved. Where it was vulnerable. What patterns it followed.
Slowly, carefully, I started to gain the advantage.
A cut across its front leg slowed it down. A shield bash to its snout made it more cautious.
By the time the shaman called an end to the fight, the wolf was limping and bleeding from multiple wounds.
I was still standing.
"Well done," the shaman said. His voice carried a note of surprise. "Both boys have proven themselves worthy."
The warriors around the circle nodded approvingly. Some even smiled.
My father's face showed nothing but pride.
[New Skill Acquired]
[Combat lv1]
[New Title Acquired]
[Wolf Tamer]
The system had been watching. Recording. Learning just like I had.
As we walked home that evening, my father finally spoke.
"You fought smart," he said. "Not just brave. Smart."
"Is that good?" I asked.
"It's everything," he said. "Brave men die young. Smart men live to have sons."
That night, my mother treated my cuts and bruises with herbal salves. Her hands shook as she worked.
"I thought I was going to lose you," she whispered.
"I'm still here," I said.
But something had changed. I wasn't just a child anymore. In the eyes of the tribe, I was becoming a warrior.
The question was: what kind of warrior would I become?