Chapter 24—TRAVELING
Varg Drake was driving the wagon for some time. He knew from her telling the story about a little boy, David, and a giant, Goliath that a warrior would be called into action by the One God, no matter the size of the person.
He took a small glance towards Lyra. ‘Is she a hidden warrior? She seems to be too much of an innocent for the likes of war.’
With that thought in mind, he was not going to test things like that with her. As he faced the trail ahead of him, Varg had his mind set on making sure that Lyra would never have to face a battle or have blood on her hands just to save her life or someone else's.
‘I’m going to have to find a nearby monastery.’ His eyes wandered towards the surrounding landscape. ‘I need to learn more. I saw the look in her eyes, as she was trying to tell me and knew that she could not remember all of it. Just enough to tell me how the story had gone.’ He was great at reading people; it was one of the things that kept him alive for so many years.
Lyra was watching for things around her. It was then that she saw a streak of golden light. Moving around. She focused her eyes until she was able to see that it was glowing butterflies. Some had other colors.
Her lips stretched into a smile. It caused her to believe in magic again, even though she had seen a unicorn and other creature. But they were on an island away from where she was going. After seeing the butterflies, she felt like she was in a fairyland.
‘Will I see fairies? Just like I had seen the butterflies. Flying around with their glowing wings.’
The terrain had changed some. From forest to the open grass. Lyra felt better, knowing that Varg wanted to still have her in his life. He even wanted to know more about God.
Her mind began to wonder. She was trying to think of things that would like to tell him. She heard a bird of prey, crying out in the distance. Its call carried upon the wind.
“Can I tell you about the son of God?” Lyra asked, turning her head towards him. “A wonderful teacher by the name of Jesus.”
Varg turned his own head towards his wife with a surprised look on his face. “The One God had a son?”
“Yes,” she stated simply. “He was loved and hated by all. But he was a patient teacher.” She closed her eyes as she pictured an image that she wanted him to see. “He spoke in riddles ehen he was trying to put logic in people’s heads, something that was hard to do during those times.” A sigh left her lips. “He would heal those that needed to be healed, even though some people were trying to get him to stop. They feared that God had not sent him.”
“What happened to this Son of God?” asked Varg. He sounded like he was on the edge of his seat of expense.
“He was killed by those who did not understand that he was,” Lyra spoke sadly. “He still ended up dying for our sins, anyway.”
“Sins?” asked Varg. He was having a hard time keeping up with his wife, but he was trying to keep track of things to ask a monk later about.
“It’s an immoral act. It is considered to be a transgression against the divine law, meaning that you cannot lie, kill, or sleep with another besides your own wife. Do not take the God’s name in vain. Remember the Sabbath. Honor your father and mother. Do not steal. Do not say that you have witnessed something that you have not seen with your own eyes. Do not want another’s wife. And do not want what the other person has. These ten rules are the foundation for a better life by trying not to hurt others.”
Varg still gave her a questioning look. “What’s the Sabbath?”
Lyra closed her eyes. She felt like she was trying to draw straws just by explaining things to Varg. She knew that he was doing his best to keep up.
“A Sabbath occurs every seven days. Everyone who believes in God should rest and remember the teachings of Jesus and his Father.” Lyra looked into Varg’s eyes and hoped that she was not giving him an overload of information. “God made the Earth in six days and rested on the seventh. It was the day that He enjoyed everything that He made. Like Him, we should enjoy what we have in our lives.”
Varg gave a small grin, etting her know that he understood her. ‘Enjoy what you have in life. Including all that live upon the Earth. Try not to kill everything that walks, flies, or even swims.’ He sighed deeply when he realized something. ‘I need to let my people know that we will hunt for what we need. Stop the hunt for enjoyment.’
It was the Viking's belief of hunting for enjoyment that was their way of life. Varg was going to have to be the better leader and change many things for his people, if they wanted a better life. ‘I’m a bad leader,’ thought Varg.
After hearing all the wonderful things that he had heard. Even though he could tell that they were a few things about the knowledge of the One God that Lyra knew. But he wanted to be better. Not just for himself but for any children that he may have in the future.
He was going to have to do things better. Varg wanted to be a better person for Lyra. As well as the family that he could see in his mind’s eye.
“I want to be a better person,” stated Varg in that deep voice of his. “I want to be a better person and life a better live for my people and family. I want to do this by learning the ways of the One God.” He gave Lyra a look, the kind that told her that he wanted her to understand. “But I can’t change the fact that I’m a warrior. I will stop killing people and creatures for sport. I will even give people another chance for a better life, hoping that we will have better people upon the Earth.”
Varg’s statement was met by quiet. It was not an uncomfortable kind. The wagon rocked while it moved across the valleys, making its way to the place that they were heading. He was giving Lyra enough time to think.
A sad smile graced her lips, “There will always be people out there that will fight against our ways, Varg. But it is a start. We will try to make the world into a better place. Just by one good action at a time.”
Just as Lyra had finished her speech, the two started to hear a whistling sound making its way across the sky.
‘That can’t be a plane,’ thought Lyra. ‘Or even a missile.’ When she looked up towards the sky, she felt a bit a fear rushing through her.
A big thud sounded behind the two within the wagon. It was Thor. Surprisingly enough, he did not cause any damage from the impact. The horses reared up in fear, but Varg managed to calm them without leaving the wagon.
“So what have you two been talking about?”
Varg sighed deeply in annoyance. He turned towards the Thunder God and roared out in anger, “Could you at least land next to the wagon next time? I might be able to travel towards our new home without a problem then!”
The only answer the Varg had gotten was a shrug for his troubles. But Varg went to say, “About Lyra’s One God…” He faced towards where the horses were. His hands wrapped around the roped and stirred them towards the left a little. Once the horses were settled upon their new direction, Varg continued, “I was thinking. After we have built our new Village at Loch Shin, I am going to find some nearby monks. I will have one of them come to our village and get everyone to learn from their teachings.”
Thor chuckled loudly. “She has changed you, and for the better, I see.” The Thunder God turned his head towards the surrounding landscape, enjoying what the world was giving them. “It’s about time that the old ways begin to die out. My home has been falling apart from the lack of believers.” Thor closed his eyes for a moment before seeing the young woman before him. “It’s time for us to go to Valhalla, where I should be seated at the table of my ancestors.” He smiled. “Where I’m able to have fine dinners with them.”
Lyra glanced at the man who she had been calling father. “So you want to go to Heaven and retire from all this warrior business?”
“Yeah. Since you have a husband that can take care of you, I don’t have to worry about you as much.” Thor saw the pain in his daughter’s eyes. “I know that as married people, you’ll have your own issues, but it’s your life to learn. Once the new village has been built, I will head back home and let the two of you live your lives.”
He was looking towards his right and saw something. “My eyes must be playing tricks on me. I thought I had seen a great .”
“A what?” asked Lyra.
Varg laughed. He forgot at times that she did not know their ways. “I think your father is seeing things. He believes that he had seen a goat man. Half man and half goat.”
“A Satyr?” asked Lyra. “That is what the Greeks called them.” She turned towards the other wagons. “I wonder if Celeste would know?” She then glanced towards where Thor had been looking towards. “I don’t see them.”
Thor grumbled loudly, acting like a small child. “You’re making fun of me.”
The young woman gave her father a hard look. “I’m not. I just would like to see one.” Lyra became annoyed when she was not able to see one. She asked, “How long will it take for us to get to the loch?”
“It’s a full day’s journey from our last home,” stated Varg. He huffed in frustration. “I’m planning on moving through the night. We will be sleeping in shifts, just so we can get there safely.”
It was then that Lyra Luhr-Drake learned that they were not going to be too far from where they were, but it was enough distance to feel safe enough from those that may be looking for them.
Thor lay back from where he was sitting, crossing his arms behind his head, closing his eyes, and falling asleep. Lyra sometimes wished that she could do things like that.