Iron Cross

Blood Runes-5-3

That night the Norseman was the victim of nightmares and seizures, with terrible stomach pains, vomiting and fever. He scarcely slept through the night and as he woke up saw that it was raining heavily, so he wrapped himself in his cloak and covered with branches that he had left prepared for that purpose. The pain increased to unbearable levels and he eventually lost consciousness.

In his delirium he visualized himself wandering in the empty vastness, lost in a world that turned around him into the center of a whirlwind. At a distance the sailor saw a golden light and in his troubled dreams he walked towards it up to a distance of a hundred paces. There he saw an almost completely naked white human being wearing g only a hat on his head. The character was carrying a long tube that at one point he put it in his mouth and then blew in a melodious but mobilizing song. In his nightmare Bjarni immediately recognized the figure of his favorite deity, the god Heimdall, Odin's son and guardian of the gods who dwell in their house near the Bifröst bridge, connecting heaven and earth. Heimdall was the one who with his horn would summon the gods for the final battle against the demons, known as Ragnarök in Norse mythology. There Heimdall and Loki, the chief of the demons would kill each other putting an end to a stage of the gods, the world and humanity.

Heimdall spoke to Bjarni in his delirium, and his words acted like a balm to his anguish and as a guide for action. Then the vision faded away and the seaman fell asleep in a peaceful sleep.

Bjarni never knew how many days he was unconscious, but when he got up, although he still had fever and was extremely weak, he picked up the few belongings that he had left and set off toward the north. He did not know where he was going but that did not worry him because Heimdall´s instructions were precise. After dark however his energy had run out and his legs no longer responded to him and he finally dropped to his knees. He saw in the darkness of the night a dark figure covered with hairy furs that approached him; then he lost consciousness again.

When Bjarni recovered it he felt a sensation of wellbeing; immediately he realized that it was due to the prevailing heat so he decided to stay with their eyes closed to prevent the charm from ending. He noticed he was completely naked and in a kind of soft bedding. At that moment he felt a warm body sliding beside him and his skin came into contact with that body. Despite the strong stale smell of sweat Bjarni could not avoid an unexpected erection. Soft hands roamed his body and finally reached the upstanding member. Fearing waking in a hostile environment the man opened his eyes and took charge of the situation. He was inside an igloo, those strange ice constructions built as Eskimo dwellings in what we know today as Greenland, Siberia, Alaska and Canada. A young Inuit woman lay beside him, with obvious intent of having s*x. Bjarni reviewed Heimdall´s instructions, and although they did not expressly mentioned a situation like the one in which he was, they were clear in the sense that he had to let himself be led. He turned to the woman and caressed her short body with his hands.

It had been a year since the Bjarni´s dramatic arrival to the igloo. The woman, called Anernerk had lost her husband long ago in an accident with his canoe. She was in the midst of a great loneliness and had to fend for herself during years to get everything she needed in terms of food, fuel and water so she received a man as a blessing from the gods. Besides, she was young and had a huge s****l appetite.

The provision of food depended basically on the sea, for which both climbed to the umiak, sort of canoe lined with animal furs used by Eskimos from Siberia to Greenland. The boat had belonged to Anernerk´s father since the one belonging to her husband, bigger and in better condition, had disappeared with him.

Anernerk, whose name meant beautiful, performed all household chores and went with Bjarni in his hunting and fishing trips, showing great energy. One day they were returning from the sea exultant due to their abundant catch. As soon as they disposed of the fish to ensure its conservation the woman took Bjarni´s hand and dragged him to the igloo. Immediately she stripped and forced the Norwegian to do the same. Then she threw himself on him starting her amorous games with unusual and unexpected ardor. The man, a little tired due to the fishing expedition asked.

“What's the matter with you today? Is it the result of the catch that you're euphoric?”

“No. Today I'm going to get pregnant.”

Bjarni was surprised by the response but declined to investigate why Anenerk had that certainty, and accepted the game.

After dinner, a storm broke out on the outside of the igloo which so effectively protected them. Bjarni went to bed after the woman and fell asleep immediately. In the midst of the dream his head began to spin in a way he had experienced before. A loud thunder sounded outside the igloo and also in the brain of the Norwegian, who responded with a cry that nevertheless did not wake Anernerk. Amid thunderous horn sounds Heimdall appeared with his gleaming white attire. The deity addressed Bjarni without protocols.

“You've obeyed the first of my orders and have found a new home and a new woman. You have conceived a new child that will lead the Inuit in big trips. Now I will give you my instructions for the stage that you must fulfill now. Then you will return to this home and live with your new wife.

Heimdall gave his orders and they were engraved in Bjarni´s mind and then disappeared in the midst of an outer lightning discharge.

The next day the sailor spoke with Anernerk and explained her the order he had received; the woman accepted the news without discussing them because it was not conflicting with her own religious beliefs. Nothing could be further than the Scandinavian pantheon with gods, demigods and heroes to the simple animistic religion of the Inuit, but the intersection of both symbolic universes was rich in shared experiences.

“I know that you will return and you will raise your son.” She firmly said.

Bjarni took his sword and walked up to a rock formation at a thousand steps towards the tundra hinterland. There he met the first of the demands of his private deity. With the tip of his sword he traced his message in magic runes. When he finished he stepped away to check the work done. In the flat part of the stone wall he had recorded the mandate of the gods.

CHAPTER 6

WEWELSBURG

1939

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