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“What is this?” the Jarl demanded, waving a piece of paper at a huscarl.

“A piece of paper?” the huscarl guessed.

The jarl thrust it at his face. “YOU read these words, for to me it looks like a demand for grain and meat and fish, and free access to my armory!”

The huscarl, Ollog, of whom I may have spoken before, took time to read the words. “It seems a request rather than demand, but it entails...”

“Their request is denied! Go into the town, rally all my loyal troops, and kill all the menfolk of age who do NOT rally.”

Victor cleared his throat. “Brother.”

.....

Sigmund ground his teeth. “Victor.”

“Might there be exception made for Eric the Black, whose foot is still broken?”

“Of course.”

“And of Jorgen Amalia, still ill from sea shingles?”

“Why are you bothering with these obvious cases?”

“Because, brother, your original orders would have slain both of these men, loyal and true. Yield two days, brother, to filter the warriors from the dross. Let us move into the forest with our loyal warriors, and then afterward deal with the disloyal ones.”

“And I suppose YOU wish to hold court, to hear the pleas of every milksop story the peasantry will roll out?”

“I was going to propose one of the thanes do this task...”

“No! This is your idea, and YOU shall do the work of it. Go forth, and GET. IT. DONE.”

“Might I have the use of old Magnus, Speaker of Truth?”

“We have another Speaker of Truth.” His finger moved to point at me. “There. Take the slave.”

“And a warrior of the household to keep him safe?”

“Ollog, you are such a warrior?”

“I am, my jarl.”

“Keep that one safe, unless he means to run. If so, cut him down and into as many pieces as it takes for them to stop trying to regrow into him. My brother should be able to see to his own safety.”

“As my jarl wishes it.”

The jarl waved us away, not even noticing that he had been played. I took note of it, word for word.

Two days in the city, perhaps two nights as well... it seemed too good to be true.

My health was not much above half, nor my serenity, but my sanity was holding strong at 24/30. My biomass, although not superfluous, could hold me those two days.

Oh, but the HUNGER. No, focus. Going to town.

It took Ollog less than ten minutes to fetch a travel pack. It took Victor longer, perhaps because his wives were screaming at him, which we all pretended not to hear.

“I notice your travel pack seems light.” Ollog said to me.

I shrugged. “It holds all of my earthly possessions that do not currently reside in my inventory. Oh!” I returned the wood axe and borrowed knife to the household. I kept my resin-bound pine shield. By labor, if not by law, that was freaking mine. As many shields as I’d made for the household, if the Hearth Ward wanted to come after me over this one...

But it didn’t, and we made it to town with only one other incident.

#

We heard the slapping of shoes against the earth before we heard the panting breath of the runner.

“Who do you figure that is?” Victor asked.

“It seems to be a large child or small woman, from the pacing.” Ollog said.

“They seem to be moving with a purpose.” I said.

“We shall wait here, and see them when they come over that rise.” Victor decided. And, “Oh, that’s Freida. That’s yours to deal with, Truthspeaker.”

“I’m not protecting her; you should send her back.”

But she ran, sword looking massive on her back, strapped tightly. Her mail had still not arrived, and mud stained her gambeson, already soaking through with her sweat. And the one side of her face, to where blood was drying beneath her nose.

“Look at the smile on that face, Ollog. What monster turns such a face away?”

“The town is not so placid as our jarl believes. What monster brings a child into such danger?”

“THAT is within the type of monster which I am.”

Victor enjoyed laughing about that.

“This is more dangerous than our lessons, coming this way.” I told her.

“You owe me two hours of training each day.” She said.

I pulled my shield from my inventory. “Find a smith to put a metal rim around the edge of that. I’ll have duties during the day, we will be training at night by torchlight, if we can find a suitable place.”

“The room we hold court in should have room, if you push the furniture to the sides of the walls.” Victor said, “And that is MUCH safer than wandering the roads and back alleyways.”

“Rules.” I said, and waited for Freida to nod.

“You go nowhere alone. Your budget is limited to the coin you have on you now. You are safe in lodgings after dusk, unless training with me. You are NOT part of this mission, and are not allowed to make or remove marks by names without Victor’s consent.”

She agreed to those terms.

“Well, carry the shield, then. Get used to its weight. We’ll train with it tonight, if you can find someone Ollog or Victor trusts to guide you to the smith’s and back.”

Never underestimate the charm a child can exude when they truly want something. I never even saw her leave. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The gate guards recognized Victor, but took accounting of the rest of us. Neither was a guard from that first night, so long ago.

“Well, at least we weren’t slain at the gate.” Victor said, “Let us see just how bad things have gotten in the town.”

#

There were no formalities; Victor threw open one door, Ollog the other, and four tin coins were dispatched to four urchins of mingled gender who were sleeping inside to carry the message throughout the town.

“There’s not that much town.” Freida said. “Surely two would have sufficed.”

“True, but there were four sleeping here, and I’d rather not have them trampled. Ugh, look at the state of this seat cushion.”

I extended a hand. “I’ve a level of manservant; let me take it to the well behind the courthouse. I’ll not swear to its dryness, but I can get that crusty stuff off of it. Freida, assist with the positioning of the chairs.”

“I’m learning the art of the warrior so I never have to arrange chairs!” she complained.

“Are the chairs heavy?” I asked.

She looked at me fiercely. “Fine, but no complaints when I’m strong enough that this is no longer exercise.”

“Agreed.” I told her.

Ollog blinked, but said nothing.

The pillow, though clean, was soaked clean through and hanging by the fireplace when the first petitioners arrived. I took my place at the scribe’s desk, with quill and inkwell and fingerbowl of sea-sand.

“Ah, Runolf Caseoson.” Victor greeted him. “No need to kneel, sir. Mark him as hunting spear to the knee.”

He spat, directly between them. “A pox upon you and your house, Victor Findseth! You know I’m not here for that. I offer my service in the stead of my two sons.”

Victor stroked his beard, but he didn’t think long. “Whatever is between us, Runolf, you are a warrior. Your service is accepted. Will both your fathers be showing up?”

“We had a question on that matter, my liege. My man-mother wishes to attend, but my father says he must instead remain to tend my sister, who is age ten.”

“Indeed, such is the law. Muster cannot accept a parent and leave the children without an adult.”

“Is she staying behind?” Freida asked. “Surely, she can carry bandages and a pint-keg of boiled water, if nothing else.”

“And a curse on you and YOUR FAMILY, who would bring my sister among the dead and dying!”

Victor cleared his throat. “Nobody requires this of her. She may bear shield for any warrior who will have her, but if she is to remain at home, an adult must remain with her.”

“My two sons, I might remind your lordship, are of age to be mustered.”

Victor stroked his beard again. “Well, I suppose there ARE two of them. At your family’s discretion, and I will stand behind the decision made by your father and man-mother.”

Runolf shook his head. “You are mad, Victor Findseth, and this does NOT set things right between us.”

Victor nodded. “There are things between us, and between our families, but that ought not to affect muster. As representative of your Jarl, I charge you to let us know no later than dusk tomorrow what is decided, so that the rosters may be kept accurate.”

Runolf muttered something about things to be settled later, but walked off with less limp than he had entered. His shoulders, perhaps, held a little higher, a smidgen straighter.

It was something I took as a lesson, even as I recorded the marks.

.....

#