Warmagic

6 - Skal

Both body and soul were longing for solid ground. We had been sailing down the shore of Norðr for several days now, and had stopped at four more villages after the first battle.

Two attacked us - one was easier than the other. Another village had barely enough food to feed themselves, so we ended up hunting together with their men, which gave us a good food supply for our trip back home.

And the last village had offered to let us trade with them. The best part was, I was gaining even more respect from my men, we got to know each other well and we shared smiles and jokes between us as we sailed towards my new home.

As predicted, word spread fast along the coast. Neighbouring villages spoke about the god Tyr and his wolf companion who'd left Asgard to wander the lands of the humans.

We never corrected them. Instead Freke used their wolf form more often to mess with their heads. I noticed they enjoyed the fearful looks in the eyes of the humans and chuckled as they heard the gasping noises from the women and children. At least for now. I knew it would change, my lover's mood was as unpredictable as the weather in april. One day they might despise them for it.

Our ship carried heavy cargo. Animal-pelts, iron, some jewellery, and weapons were among the items I was bringing with me to my new home.

I smiled to myself as I stood and watched the never ending dark waters. My father had been right, this trip had been good for me. I had learned a lot. Maybe I was more of a man now? At least I felt more confident and I walked with my back straight.

I was happy with my decisions, but my men had started to wonder and ask me of my plans. I knew they wanted to go home, they had families waiting and duties to take care of. So did I.

But the order I gave them was clear. We were sailing to Skal. To my new village.

I needed to mark my new territory - paint my colours on the walls and leave an impression on the villagers before I went back to my birthplace with the news.

I couldn't help but be curious about our destination and I turned to Ivar, who used to be one of my uncle's men. "Ivar, tell me about the place you call home," I said as I reached for a piece of dry fish and started to chew on it's wiry texture.

"The village of Skal, my Lord?" He said with a dreamy look on his face, "It lies inland, but still close to water, on a hill, so you have a perfect lookout and will spot anyone entering the fjord." He rubbed his bearded chin before he continued. "The soil is good for crops, but we rarely have enough food to go around."

"Why?" I asked and felt a sting of worry in my chest.

"Because the weather is sometimes harsh and it rains a lot," he explained, but didn't seem too bothered about it.

"Isn't Skal on the great trading route that crosses all Nordland?" Freke asked with an eye half open, buried under their pelts on the bottom of the ship's floor.

"It is," Ivar said with a nod, "before Brokk took over, we had a lot of farmen passing through for food and rest."

"What happened?" I asked, even though I already suspected the answer.

"Brokk wasn't a good host," Ivar snickered.

I felt Freke move closer to me and I already knew what they were thinking before they opened their mouth. "That, my dear Lord Starke, that is the opening you need if you don't want to be a farmer for the rest of your life," they said with a wry smile, "you can build a strong trading post."

I chuckled at them and bent down to kiss their forehead. "We'll see, min skatt, nothing is written in stone yet."

"No, but in the weave of the Norn's," they teased, knowing how much the comment annoyed me.