Stefan rolled his eyes and defiantly folded his arms.
He did not know why, but the boy suddenly leaned out and looked back at the land he was leaving behind. For a moment he feared he would never see it again, but he shook off the foreboding and continued to marvel at the diminishing size of the place he knew to be a beautiful, vast land with pleasant meadows, fine fishing and snowcapped mountains. He watched it for as long as he dared, then turned back to face his father.
All the men seemed to have a particular chore save him and he hoped he would not remain idle for the entire voyage. "What am I to do?"
Minding the rudder again, Anundi smiled. "Yer father wants ye to watch, listen and learn. There'll be work aplenty afore long."
That too made Stefan happy. He wanted to be a part of them, not a guest aboard their magnificent ship. Yet the foreboding that he may never see home again returned twice more. He spoke not a word of it for fear the men would think him childish and weak. He simply could not risk their bad opinion of him, not now, not when he was so close to becoming what he dreamed of being - a Viking.
It was a decision he would regret the rest of his life.