The Life of a Barbarian.

Life as a Nordic Barbarian: The Beginning

The beginning, wasn't as we thought it would be. We learned by killing, eating, and surviving by the chain of the land. The rules of surviving, was murder. You had to kill to survive. At least, that's what we thought...

My name is Yarvic, the third surviving barbarian of The 8 Marauders. Vulniir, Yáine, Formeir, Lindemeir, Ivar, Arne, Bjorn, and Geir. The 8 leaders of the 8 Marauders. If anyone ever did anything to hurt us, they would die instantly. We were attacked yesterday night from some bandits from Seingar Forrest. It reminded me of my village. It's... Was, called Northwood. Until it was destroyed by these marauders. The leader is Arne. They call him the "Eagle". No clue exactly why, but they all have their reputations. Arne Wildfeather, Bjorn Everwalker, Vulniir Mork, Formeir Volmiek, Lindemeir Ironwing, Geir Northwind, Yáine Sulvich, and Ivar Jewelbreaker. Those guys were all in charge. They called us the "nye gutters", which means the new boys. We got hurt every day for not doing exactly what was supposed to be done. I must explain how I got into this camp of guys.

It all started when my mother was making some porridge, and my brother was messing around. Our village was small, but it was a friendly place. Our village elders made a decision that placed our heads on the top of the hunting list of the whole area. The Northwood Vikings, our friends up north, were supposed to help us in the battle. A few weeks ago, our village made a trade with one of the Marauders. He was being a bit rude to the Marauder, because we hated them anyways. He took the axe from the Marauders hand and yelled, "You must give me more! We are a poor village! You must give us more for it to be a real trade." The Marauder laughed, and said "I'll gut you like I gutted your whore sister." The tradesman swung a few punches at him in anger, and the marauder picked him up, and slammed him into a village house. "You ever, EVER, speak to me that way again, I'll make sure Ragnar and Arne come by." Ragnar was the leader of a bandit group that was allied with The 8 Marauders. He grabbed his axe back and walked off down the pathway to the woods. I decided to follow him, and followed him very well. My older brother followed me and tried to bring me back to our village but I threatened to yell and get the marauders attention to our location. So, he followed me and the Marauder to his camp. He turned around quickly, alerting his team mates and grabbed us both. My brother fought back, but that was worse. "Sheineir!!!" I screamed. I was 12 years old and he was 15. He managed to hit one of them in the eye, but that is what he did, that made him die. One of the camp leaders, Bjorn, came out from inside, walking to us with a Great-Axe in his hands. He laughed mightily, "You kids never learn do you? You are from the Northwood Village. I heard something went horribly wrong there earlier. Is that your brother?" I screamed at him in anger. "Hopefully this is what will help you learn." he said, as he caved in my brothers skull into the soil underneath his ragged boots. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but it couldn't overcome their hearty laughs and cries of happiness of their victory of my brothers death and my reaction. You see, these guys want reactions. They want to destroy everything that makes their enemies happy. I cried for hours as they laughed and hurt me. "My names Bjorn, Second in Charge of The 8 Marauders. You go back to your village and let them know that we will be... "meeting" your elders for some "agreements"." I listened in sadness because I knew they would destroy our home either way. I ran back to my village, and they let me in. I yelled for the elders, and Yevriick came out asking what I needed. I told him that the Marauders want us dead and they will come and destroy us soon. He sighed, and issued an order that we must migrate back to Windshield Stockholm. Our old village was there. Everyone got their belongings and walked out the back gate towards the woods. I was still crying because my brother died protecting me. Undvar, our Village leader, had heard something that night, that none of us had heard until it happened. Catapults. There were god damn Catapults shooting at us!!! He ordered us to run, but that wouldn't help us. I watched as Marauders and Bandits, from both Ragnar and Arne's groups, tumble from the trees around us and bash our village members into the grounds. I watched him fight. A huge marauder started running at me, and Undvar shoved him down. I watched as everyone, was killed. Every single villager... dead. The Elders were demolished. I watched as Undvar and Sagnick and Sogmier were corner on each side by marauders all over. I heard a man yell from behind me, and it was a marauder. He picked me up, and started running to where Ivar Jewelbreaker, (Another Commander of the Marauders) was stationed. He laughed as he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder without a second thought. "Come with me, Young man." he said as he marched over to the other side of the woods where the camp of the Marauders was formed. I watched as Undvar got an axe between his head by one of the Bandits, One of Ragnar's men, and the elders fought bravely. They fought bravely but it wasn't enough. It was never enough. I passed out on his shoulder and awoke in a cottage. This cottage was in the camp, and it was used to treat warriors with wounds. I looked around, and didn't see anyone there. I decided to get up and try to sneak out. But I needed a weapon to defend myself. I took a small dagger that was laying on the floor next to my bed. I snuck out the entrance to the cottage but I was discovered by a marauder. I saw Lindemeir Ironwing and Geir Northwind, (The two commanders of the defensive group of the marauders) as they walked towards me, no weapons in hand. Geir grabbed my dagger and broke it with his knee, and Lindemeir slapped me. "You are now one of us, young one. You listen to us, and do what we say. For if ye don't, you die." Geir said quietly. "Where's your cursed leader? Hiding with the rest of his unhealthy band of rogue Vikings?" I screamed at him. Geir grabbed me by the throat and started to choke. "You are one of us. You do as we say." He stopped choking me and threw me down next to the dagger he broke. I cried as he picked me up and dragged me to the Practice Ring, where their greatest men practiced. He shoved me into the ring, and yelled "Have fun defending yourself, young one. You must learn the ways of the marauders." He walked away towards the Town Hall of Seingar. I got up and looked around as boys my age, jumped down from the little mounds lodged on the corners of the pit. They cornered me from each side and started beating me up. I got so angry I learned to fight back. This happened for 5 more years until I learned how to fight. The girls of the camp worked to cook food, clean everything up and get everything ready for the men. I was 17 when they started training me in Bow and Sword fighting. I was never too good with the bow, or even the sword. They decided to train me in the ways of Barbarians. The Trusty War-Axe No Good Warriors gone mad, is what I used to call them. But now, I was one. I, was The Barbarian Of Seingar Forrest.