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Authors: Griff Hosker
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we passed. Many had sons and husbands who fought alongside us. They did not ask after their warriors, they showed their respect by honouring me.
"The Allfather watches over you, Jarl."
"You have had a great victory, Jarl Dragonheart?"
"The wolf returns; we will all prosper."
My people believed that their well being and that of the land depended upon me. Only good could result from my return. They believed that the crops would be greater, the animals more fertile and the Water be filled with fish. They also knew that we rarely came back from a raid empty handed and that meant they too would benefit from our success.
Haaken left me a mile or two from my hall. He had his own hall up in the woods on the foothills of the Old Man. There his family awaited him. His wife Unn would be happy to see her hero return. I had a mile to travel lone and I saw Cyninges-tūn growing larger as I drew close to its wooden walls. It gave me comfort to see the solid walls and ditches. They made us safe from attack. We had not suffered one since the wolf winter many years ago but we were vigilant.
Brigid and Gruffyd waited at the gates for me. Of Aiden and Kara there was no sign. I was worried, briefly, and then I realised that if anything bad had happened then the people we had passed would have told us. It was more likely that Kara wanted Brigid to enjoy the welcome without the distraction of my two spirit guides. I smiled as I approached my family. Gruffyd was standing, albeit unsteadily. He was growing. A Viking warrior saw his children growing by stages. He would be away and when he returned it would be as though his child was a different being.
I dismounted. The pony wandered to the Water to drink. He would not stray far. Gruffyd held out his hand and I swept him up. His little arms wrapped around my head. He smelled clean and I felt dirty. "You have grown my little warrior and yet it has been less than a moon since I last saw you."
I put my left arm around Brigid who hugged me, "He began to walk four days since. He was determined that he would not be carried."
"Quite right too." I wandered down to the Water and placed him on the back of the pony. "Hold on to the mane." I put his hands into the pony's mane and led him by the reins back to Brigid.
"Be careful! He might fall!"
"And he will learn not to do so a second time. He is a Viking, my wife, he must learn to take knocks and blows. It will make him harder."
"But he is a child."
"There is no such thing as a Viking child; there are only Vikings who have yet to spill blood."
She shook her head. "Why did I marry a Viking and live among such people?"
I laughed, "Because you wanted a real man and not someone who would allow you to be mistreated."
She hugged me as we walked, "You are right. I forget those dark times but some of your ways are still a mystery to me."
"And that means you will never have a dull life will you?" I was in a good mood. I enjoyed the banter.
The gate was thronged with my people. They too called out their greetings. I waved a hand behind me, "Your men folk return. We have had a good raid. We have gold, Holy Books and meat which we must eat for it was not salted. Tonight we feast!"
They all cheered. Had we not had success I would have told them. They knew that I was never foresworn. They had the truth from me; no matter how unpalatable. I turned to Brigid. "Where are Kara and Aiden?"
"In the house of women. She is close to her time. Macha and Deidra are with them. Kara was convinced that your granddaughter awaited your return to enter this world."
I heard the scepticism in her voice, "And you do not?"
"I am still a Christian. How can I believe that?"
I nodded. "There will come a time." I handed her the reins of the pony. "I will see my daughter and then I must use the steam hut. I need cleansing."
"I sent Uhtric to light it when Grim brought the news of your return. I will come with you." She gave me
"The Allfather watches over you, Jarl."
"You have had a great victory, Jarl Dragonheart?"
"The wolf returns; we will all prosper."
My people believed that their well being and that of the land depended upon me. Only good could result from my return. They believed that the crops would be greater, the animals more fertile and the Water be filled with fish. They also knew that we rarely came back from a raid empty handed and that meant they too would benefit from our success.
Haaken left me a mile or two from my hall. He had his own hall up in the woods on the foothills of the Old Man. There his family awaited him. His wife Unn would be happy to see her hero return. I had a mile to travel lone and I saw Cyninges-tūn growing larger as I drew close to its wooden walls. It gave me comfort to see the solid walls and ditches. They made us safe from attack. We had not suffered one since the wolf winter many years ago but we were vigilant.
Brigid and Gruffyd waited at the gates for me. Of Aiden and Kara there was no sign. I was worried, briefly, and then I realised that if anything bad had happened then the people we had passed would have told us. It was more likely that Kara wanted Brigid to enjoy the welcome without the distraction of my two spirit guides. I smiled as I approached my family. Gruffyd was standing, albeit unsteadily. He was growing. A Viking warrior saw his children growing by stages. He would be away and when he returned it would be as though his child was a different being.
I dismounted. The pony wandered to the Water to drink. He would not stray far. Gruffyd held out his hand and I swept him up. His little arms wrapped around my head. He smelled clean and I felt dirty. "You have grown my little warrior and yet it has been less than a moon since I last saw you."
I put my left arm around Brigid who hugged me, "He began to walk four days since. He was determined that he would not be carried."
"Quite right too." I wandered down to the Water and placed him on the back of the pony. "Hold on to the mane." I put his hands into the pony's mane and led him by the reins back to Brigid.
"Be careful! He might fall!"
"And he will learn not to do so a second time. He is a Viking, my wife, he must learn to take knocks and blows. It will make him harder."
"But he is a child."
"There is no such thing as a Viking child; there are only Vikings who have yet to spill blood."
She shook her head. "Why did I marry a Viking and live among such people?"
I laughed, "Because you wanted a real man and not someone who would allow you to be mistreated."
She hugged me as we walked, "You are right. I forget those dark times but some of your ways are still a mystery to me."
"And that means you will never have a dull life will you?" I was in a good mood. I enjoyed the banter.
The gate was thronged with my people. They too called out their greetings. I waved a hand behind me, "Your men folk return. We have had a good raid. We have gold, Holy Books and meat which we must eat for it was not salted. Tonight we feast!"
They all cheered. Had we not had success I would have told them. They knew that I was never foresworn. They had the truth from me; no matter how unpalatable. I turned to Brigid. "Where are Kara and Aiden?"
"In the house of women. She is close to her time. Macha and Deidra are with them. Kara was convinced that your granddaughter awaited your return to enter this world."
I heard the scepticism in her voice, "And you do not?"
"I am still a Christian. How can I believe that?"
I nodded. "There will come a time." I handed her the reins of the pony. "I will see my daughter and then I must use the steam hut. I need cleansing."
"I sent Uhtric to light it when Grim brought the news of your return. I will come with you." She gave me
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