XXXI. Goodbye

His consciousness came back in slow but tense pulses.

His head began to pound and his wrists burned while his shoulders throbbed. He inhaled sharply as a bucket of ice cold water splashed across his face and down his chest.

He groaned, threw his head back and sputtered the water that had fallen down his face and into his mouth.

His mind was a blurry mess and he tried to remember where he was. All that came to his memory was his conversation with Alden and the sudden pain in his head that had brought the darkness.

He pulled on his arms, hissing when he only managed to injure his shackled wrists further.

“Welcome back, brother,” Agnar growled, throwing the empty bucket to the ground.

Eksel looked up, eyeing his brother through the dark wet strands of his hair. He wasn’t surprised to see his brother there, standing smugly before him.

And it angered him that he wasn’t surprised. He bit the inside of his lip until he tasted his own blood, summoning the strength to remain level headed.

How could he have been so careless as to have been caught?

He breathed in slowly, trying to ignore the fact that he was naked, kneeling and shackled by his wrists.

The stone floor below him was harsh against the skin of his knees and he could see the bright red blood that painted the floor.

Just how long had he been tied up?

He looked around the dark and dingy cell, noticing the dark corners and nothing else.

They were alone.

Agnar kneeled before him and Eksel eyed him, refusing to move and refusing to show any weakness.

“You think I wouldn’t find out, brother?” Agnar tilted his head, mockingly.

Eksel’s nostrils flared as he still forced himself to remain calm. He didn’t know how much Agnar had heard, and he wasn’t about to give himself up.

Agnar scoffed, spitting on the ground before standing and looking down his nose at Eksel.

“Are you so weak that you have to chain me up?”

With a growl, Agnar gripped Eksel’s neck and squeezed until he struggled to breathe.

“Trust me, if I were weak, you would be lying in a pool of your own blood,” Agnar whispered, “Do you know the kind of strength it takes to be able to look at you without killing you?”

Eksel scowled, looking at his brother who he no longer recognized. The boy that used to run around with him and bring him stale bread after a beating no longer existed.

“Those are the words of a brother?” Eksel taunted.

Agnar threw his head back before barking a laugh, “Says the brother that killed our own father.”

“He deserved it!” Eksel yelled.

Agnar took a step back, eyeing Eksel with a disbelieving glare,” You have no remorse, do you?”

Eksel laughed, “Remorse? Our father was a monster. A devil. I was his son and he treated me like I was nothing.”

The chains rattled as Eksel pulled on them, his control slowly slipping from his grasp. Agnar tightened his hands into fists, rage building in his chest like boiling water.

“The man beat me senseless, until I stopped remembering the beatings. He starved me. He wanted me dead, and here you stand, mourning him?”

“He was my father,” Agnar gritted.

“A father to you, but not to me.”

“And that gave you the right to kill him?!”

“Yes!”

Agnar stepped forward, throwing his elbow back before landing a punch right across Eksel’s cheek.

A slow, and broken laugh began to build in Eksel’s throat until it echoed in the lonely cell. It was shrill, filled with years of pent up astonishment.

He had killed his father to save his own life. Did Agnar believe he wanted to kill his father? He was never capable of convincing him of his reasons, and the thin bond that held them together was slowly disappearing.

He spat, sending dribbles of blood down his chin and onto his chest and yet he could not stop laughing.

Fear settled deep in his chest and for a moment he wanted to beg for his life. Wanted to beg for Elva’s freedom. Where was she? Was she okay?

Agnar shook his hand from the pain, frowning down at his brother. The sight of Eksel covered in blood, chained and laughing was disturbing.

Eksel quieted his laugh, inhaling slowly, “What will you do now brother, kill me?”

The words left his mouth and though he felt that death would be freeing, Elva’s memory had him pulsing with a sudden need to live.

A flash of distress passed through Agnar’s eyes before they hardened, “And become like you?”

Eksel shrugged, “There could be worse things.”

“I won’t kill you, but you can’t stay here,” Agnar paced in front of him, still stretching his hand, trying to ease the pain in his knuckles.

Eksel held his tongue. He had agreed to it so easily before. He thought walking away from her would have been easy. He thought it would have been for the best.

As he looked at his brother now, all Eksel could think of was how wrong he had been. He couldn’t leave.

“But I do not trust you to stay out of my affairs, to leave Elva alone,” Agnar stopped in front of him, inhaling slowly.

Uneasiness creeped up Eksel’s spine, “What have you done?”

Agnar chewed on his lips, “I’ve agreed to turn you over to Halfdan.”

Eksel recoiled, narrowing his eyes, trying to see if his brother was playing a joke on him, “Halfdan’s dead.”

Agnar raised an eyebrow, “Dead?”

“I killed him,” Eksel pulled on the chains as he spoke. Tension made his shoulders heavy.

“Ah, murdered, then?” Agnar shook his head, incredulously.

Eksel snarled.

Agnar scoffed, “I was ready to defend you.”

That had Eksel leaning back to look at his brother, “What?”

“Halfdan’s son,” Agnar whispered.

“Son?”

“His eldest. Stopped by just this morning, demanding I turn you over to him for the murder of his father,” Agnar began to pace again.

Eksel’s chest flared with guilt, “He has another son?”

“I told him he had the wrong person.”

Agnar’s boots echoed against the stone floor.

Eksel’s eye twitched as a wave of emotion washed through him. He had been plagued with nightmares from the moment he killed the young boy, and he hated that he had to kill Halfdan. Finding out that there was another son in the mix was a horrifying and sobering fact.

Agnar chuckled at he continued, “I knew it pained you to have killed his boy, you wouldn’t dare kill him, would you? I defended you. I told him it wasn’t you, but he was adamant.”

Eksel slowed his breathing, keeping his gaze locked on the floor as his mind ran, “He took her.”

Agnar froze, “Elva?”

“He took her,” Eksel growled, looking up while he pulled on the chains.

“Well, that would have changed my mind about this. But you were plotting, weren’t you? And I already made the deal,” Agnar shook his head as if there was nothing he could do.

“What was the deal?”

“He won’t kill you,” Agnar shook his head.

“Agnar!” Eksel yelled, knowing death would be a gift by the time Halfdan was done torturing him.

“That’s more than you’ve ever done for anyone,” Agnar grunted, believing the words that left his mouth.

Eksel yelled, pulling on the chains and forcing himself onto his feet. His bones protested and ached, and once he stood taller that his brother he leaned toward him.

“You’ve sentenced me to a fate worst than death,” He whispered.

Agnar’s eyes softened for a moment, “I’ve tried to ignore the whispers. You are my brother. But they’re right. You don’t belong here.”

“I’ll leave,” Eksel blurted in a panic, leaning closer to Agnar.

“You think I’ll take that chance? You won’t see her again. Ever.”

“Agnar!”

“Especially not with her uncle still out there,” Agnar rubbed his temples.

“He got away?” Eksel frowned, knowing he just told Agnar that hope still bloomed.

Agnar narrowed his eyes, “I will find him too. I will make him pay.”

“You don’t have to do this. We can-”

They were interrupted by the sound of boots against stone, followed by small, soft steps.

Eksel’s eyes widened,” What are you doing, Agnar?”

“I need her to forget about you.”

Eksel gave a low growl before forcing himself to look to the door. His chest ached and his heart shriveled in pain. He saw her head of soft hair and the curves of her straight nose before she lifted her eyes to see him, he completely ignored the guards that stood beside her.

He pulled on the chains, itching to get closer to her while dreading the anticipation. The last thing he wanted was for her to look at him like this.

A sharp gasp left her lips and tears instantly filled her eyes, “Eksel!”

She reached for him, her hand almost making contact with his chest, when Agnar gripped her wrist and pulled her to him. She screamed, and she fought against the arm that held her and the chest that warmed her back. But her eyes never left Eksel’s.

“W-what is this?” She sobbed, digging her nails into Agnar’s arm.

“He’s brought this on to himself, my bride,” Agnar scowled while whispering into her ear.

“Let her go,” Eksel gritted.

Elva’s tears streamed down her cheeks and she shook her head, “Ar-are you okay?”

Eksel’s eyes softened for a moment while his shoulder’s dropped. Her body shook with her cries and Agnar still held onto her tightly, but she worried for him.

“Enough of that!” Agnar spun her to face him, though she refused to look at him.

He hissed, tightening his hold on her arm until she finally looked at him. Her eyes were red with tears and her lips trembled with every breath.

“I’ve brought you here to say goodbye, not for you to fret over him,” He lashed out.

Elva froze, her fingers turning ice cold, “Goodbye?”

Agnar tiled his head, smiling, “I’ve sold him.”

Elva’s eyes widened, “What? Why? No. You can’t-please. I-I’ll do anything, please, please!”

The sound of her begging broke Eksel’s heart and it shattered into a million pieces in his chest. She reached for him again but He shook his head, refusing to let her give up anything for him.

Agnar took her chin between his fingers, bringing her teary eyes to his, “I’m afraid it is too late for that, my darling.”

He nodded toward the guards, and they stepped inside and began to unchain him.

Eksel fought them with what strength remained but all he wanted to do was comfort the little thing that stood before him.

“I love you,” He whispered as they began to drag him from the cell.

“No!” She screamed, beginning to run after them but she was stopped by Agnar.

He held her against his chest, clenching his jaw.

“Please. Please! Please don’t. Please!” She clawed at his arms as she yelled.