Defense of VInland (Lagertha X Frelance)

[Evo Var]

Koli Steinn watched the town as it came into view when the their ship rounded a spit of land revealing the bay that had sheltered the town from the worst of the storms. Unlike the Christian settlement that they had briefly glimpsed as they made the journey south from the oldest parts of the Empire. He had been wintering in his home town on the coast of one of the great lakes just in land of the ocean where his family had settled many generations ago. It was there that word arrived of a Christian colony that had been found far to the south one a peninsula that his people had not yet fully colonized. As soon as the ice had melted Koli and boarded one of a few ships that were going to join the fight. Six ships in total left the lakes through the Lothbrook channel before heading south along the coast where they picked up a few more ships but mainly more supplies. By the time they rounded the point and pulled the ships up to the docks.

As the ship hit the dock Koli stepped up onto the edge of the boat and smoothly stepped onto the dock with a practiced ease. He had spent many years of his life on trading vessels similar to the long boat he had traveled here once when he was much younger but the settlement had been nothing special to him. He had seen many towns like it but it had been the trading posts in the south past the temple builders that he had almost gone to raid this year. South of them where the land widened again there were cities built on hills with raised roads that connected them to each other when the land flooded. Now though as he pulled his mind back to the present he caught an anchoring line that had been tossed to him and quickly lashed the ship to the dock before taking his belongings and heading towards the shore. He slung a quiver of arrows with an unstrung bow lashed to it over his shoulder while he carried a short sword in his other hand.

He headed into the town looking for the Earl or at least someone who would be able to give him a better idea of what they were up against. It didn't take him long to find the Earl's home, before entering he glanced behind him slowing his pace as he saw representatives from the other ships not far behind him. Koli was not looking to get an edge here like he would if he had been trading so he patiently waited until the other men and women had caught up with him before he walked inside the hall. "Earl Skari, I Koli Steinn the other fighters here with me have traveled from the north to aid you in the fight against the Christians who have set up a colony not far from here. We each represent a ship with either more fighters or supplies to bring to the fight." He gestured to the rest of the group taking a step back to allow them to introduce themselves as he took the time to scan the hall.

 

[Lagertha]

Sæunn Teitdottir had never so much as been on a battlefield her entire life, but she had been trained nonetheless. Her family was Viking, her ancestors were Viking, and they had taught the girl at a young age to pick up a shield, to pick up a sword and how to fight. There was nothing more exciting then the first battle for a young viking girl, and the moment arouse when a messenger from a small town off the coast of Mexico had traveled all the way up north to the mountains to relay the message they had been invaded by Christians. They had packed there things, they had readied the ships, and they had started a long journey south to the Gulf.

The journey itself had been taxing, some men had freaked out on the boat, yelling at her father he had no idea where to go. Annoyed, she had watched her father snap the man's neck, her mother throwing the body off the boat as they had continued, but the casualties had piled up. Traveling from the North to the south had taken longer than expected, but the ocean was great and made it easy for their ships to pass the land mass, seeing the buildings in the distance, the Christian ships, the lights on. Sæunn had been curious to see what they were like and eagerly had gone to the side of the boat to stare in the darkness through fog at the colony setting up. Her father had smiled; a man of thirty who had seen many wars, but had done nothing more than built boats, being an Earl was not for him. He stepped up next to his young daughter, covered in nothing but a long greenish dress with belts wrapped around it, her hair had been pulled into many large and small braids, but parted down the back for one big braid on each shoulder. His hand outstretched, large and worn to point at the colony, anger striking his face.

"Tomorrow, after resting and meeting our people, we will set up a plan to invade those wretched Christians and rid them of our lands!" Her father growled out the words, she watched him with her green eyes before looking back at the colony. Her patter her on the back, causing the girl to hold onto the ledge so she did not fall over. He leaned down, Sæunn was a short girl, only standing at 5'0, she would never grow any taller, "Are you ready for your first battle Sæunn?" Her father asked, excitement in his eyes as he looked at his child, his sons had left for other colonies, having family and children, but he knew they would be on other boats and they would not miss the chance for a fight. Sæunn looked at her father, he was tall 6'4 her eyes twinkled with excitement, she couldn't wait for her first battle, and he laughed at the look in her eyes. "Malice! Perfect! You should hate those Christians!" Sæunn nodded, not speaking as she looked back at the colonies.

Eight ships in total had come from the mountains, and set up along the gulf of the small village's edge. There were already many ships there, some were probably from the north as well, but maybe not as far North as Sæunn lived. The women had been the first off the ships, after the men who anchored the boats to the docks, Sæunn had followed her mother off the dock, up the long pen roads to the Earl's home. Her mother wrapped around her daughter's shoulder; The woman was a pretty thing standing at 5'6 to her daughter's 5'0, red hair, blue eyes, pale skin, it was easy to tell where Sæunn had gotten her looks from, but she too was the age of thirties.

"Come Sæunn! Let us join the others already there at the Hearth! I'm sure Earl Mursi has already told Earl Skari we are here, we come with ships." Sæunn pointed to the other warriors, ones she was not familiar with, though the girl still did not speak. Her mother followed her pointing fingers looking in the direction her daughter pointed to men, women, young boys her age or younger, piled inside the Hearth or settling down. "Other warriors from other towns, they come to fight for the Gods!" Her mothers voice rose, hand in air with excitement. Sæunn smiled softly, as they approached the Hearth. She took her daughter's hands, pushing people out of their way to get inside to the table. That was when Earl Skari came out, Earl Mursi as well as other Earls all together in front of Earl Skari's chair at the center of the room. Her mother stopped as her daughter stopped looking at the sight. She smiled, whispering in her daughter's ear. "We are vikings and we fight soon Sæunn. Please. Drink, celebrate we are all together and live your life together, enjoy it while it lasts!" Her mother said such things as though Sæunn might die in battle soon, but it was a common thing. Vikings always lived for the moment, they never wasted time, virginity wasn't such a sacred thing. Sæunn smiled shyly as she watched the Earl's laugh before Earl Skari, a tall brutish looking ogre of a man, a beard down to his belly, grabbed a horn of alcohol and toasted it to the other Earls, thanking them for coming.

Sæunn moved away from her mother, joining some of the warriors she had known growing up on a long table, though there were only four of them, and the rest of the long table was empty for now. They smiled at her, all much older than her, before offering her a drink. "So glad to see you join us for battle Sæunn! Gods be blessed to have you lose your virginity on the battlefield!" An older man, weathered and tired laughed, smiling as Sæunn grasped the horn and rose it smiling. "Ahhh! That's a brace little girl!" He encouraged knocking horns with her before she downed it.​

 

[Evo Var]

It had been a few hours since Koli had arrived and introduced himself to Earl Mursi. before the sun had set he had returned to the ship he arrived on to collect his belongings. Soon after he arrived a family had approached him and after confirming that he was his father's son who they had traded with years before they offered the use of a warehouse by the docks for as long as he stayed in the settlement. Now after moving his belongings to the warehouse where a few of the other warriors from his ship settled in with him until they found logging elsewhere.

Now he knelt with lent against one of the tables with his shirt laying on the table as one of the local artist stood behind him with a bowl of ink and a needle. She inked a raven into his left shoulder and up his neck as he spoke to the others at the table. "So these ships that the Christians have. They have many sails and are much bigger than ours. I would like to get a better look at those ships." He looked up as someone started to push their way through the crowd towards the Earl. The taller of the two caught his eye but it was the women walking with her that kept his attention. AS the watched the two he kept up his conversation with the men and women at the table he was sitting at. "We should attempt to take one of these ship if we get the chance. I for one would like to know where they got plants large enough to build ships of that size." As he felt the needle piece his skin for the last time he straightened up and stretched before he let the artist clean the left over ink off his shoulder and neck before he shifted over on the bench so she had enough room to sit down. "Thank you. It will be good to have Odin at my shoulder when we go to battle." The women laughed as she flexed her fingers before grabbing a horn of ale and drinking heavily. "Beware Odin may just decide you are too valuable to let you stay here." After she finished speaking Koli shrugged and stood up and started walking around the edge of the room. He turned back and caught his shirt as the artist tossed it two him.

Keeping his eyes on the women he had caught his eye he filled his cup before sitting down with some of the younger men who were playing a game of hnefatafl. He gave the boys a few tips but kept an eye on the women across the room. Unlike her his hair was a dirty drown and had been shaved off at the sides of his skull with a three inch wide strip going down the center to a few inches down the back of his skull where it narrowed. He had let it grow out a few inches leaving it short enough that he did not have to do much to maintain it which was always helpful since he spent most of his time on ships.

 

[Lagertha]

Sæunn watched the three men boast and boast about their many victories on the battlefields over the years. Most of their friends had gone, dead, they were the oldest yet of her tribe yet they awaited a bloody death on the battlefield. She listened shyly as they laughed loudly, and she only smiled when they toasted with her. Sæunn was only sixteen, and unlike the boys that were 11 ready for war, girls had to wait until they were older. Sæunn seemed the lucky one, her friends were all jealous, and other women in the village had envied such a young girl going to fight, but Sæunn was different.

One of the men was larger, but all of them had bleached there hair to some degree to make it blond. Sæunn watched them laughing, snorting, the big man's belly jiggling as he leaned down on Sæunn's shoulder hollering in his rage of drunk. "Then! Then this one time Sæunn! Reinn ran into a post in his rage trying to chase down one of the indians! Ahahaha! Such a sight!" The men all laughed as Sæunn giggled softly, covering her mouth. Reinn, the larger man frowned, her belly jiggling as he wrapped arm around Sæunn.

"Ahhh! Don't tell the poor girl of my mishaps in battle! Odin will surely be mad if we make her frightened on tripping on her own sword!" The men all laughed, red faced as Reinn patted her on the back roughly causing her to spit out her ale all over Dyri, the old weathered looking viking. He looked down, crazy blond brows rising before looking at her and tilting his head for a moment. Sæunn waved her hands in the air, embarrassed, but Dyri only smiled showing teeth missing at her, and they laughed again.

"Don't worry Reinn. Odin saved you from great judgement with that post!" Dyri laughed, snickering at the man as Sæunn took another long swig, she could feel the alcohol hitting her, warming her, but she didn't stop. "Perhaps if you could see in front of you with that big belly you might have missed it and surely fallen to your death!" Dyri laughed and they roared with him.

"It was the post or a pit to Odin! The post called my name first! Gods be blessed! I live for another day!" Reinn hollered, fists in air as ale shot from his mouth. Sæunn bunched her shoulders up, smiling, her eyes caught something she hadn't noticed before. There was a man across the room looking their way, surely he was looking at the commutation the four of these men were making and not her. Dyri watched Sæunn's eyes, looking over his shoulder to see the guy as Reinn and the other continued laughing. He smiled at the shy Sæunn, grinning from cheek to cheek.

"He's another warrior from a different tribe. Probably sizing you up Sæunn, wondering if you'll stab him at night!" Dyri laughed, intoxicated and the others bellowed with him. Sæunn shrunk in her seat, horn in front of her face covering it as she looked away embarrassed but smiling. "See! The girl knows what we are talking about!" Dyri laughed harder and Sæunn covered her mouth trying not to spit her ale again.

"Ahhh! Dyri! Don't make me fart! Sæunn is too shy to speak to anyone she doesn't know! Look at her here!" Reinn motioned to the room. "All these strange men and woman sizing all of us up, thinking, who can I trip on the battlefield to win Loki's favor for a night! No wonder the poor girl won't speak to us like usual!" Sæunn bowed her head, as if ashamed.

"True Dyri, True Reinn, but I'm sure on the battlefield she'll be a fierce silent opponent!" A thin looking man cooed, a scar from one ear to his temple in a cresent moon shape. "Drink more Sæunn! Don't drink so slow! The night is young!" The man, with his scarred hand reached across the table grabbing her horn and forcing it upwards. Sæunn squirmed as they chanted, "Drink! Drink!" pounding the table as she tried to gulp it all down.