^^ King Hralfdir ^^

--- two summers later ---

My axe swung horizontally with all my might, cleaving the tree halfway through. I pulled it back, and swung again, hauling against it to push it in the right direction.

"Fall!" I barked, and my men swarmed it, cutting the limbs off and whittling any bark they could, grinding the rest.

"Get that ready to mount in three hours or less, Boys! We've got another storm coming before dawn! If you don't want to spend the night here, you're going to work fast!" I barked, and then walked down the beach to the ship, removing the broken mast quickly, and efficiently, tossing it overboard.

"Can I help?" Andy asked, looking around slowly.

"If you want to hunt a bit, be my guest. The men could use a meal of Meat." I nodded.

She nodded and picked up a dagger, hopping onto the sand silently, walked to the edge of the trees, and then simply disappeared, something that still mystified me.

I checked on the mast, and nodded when I saw it was finished. We hauled it back to the ship, and began mounting it, while the others, (specifically Laga, because she was so small and nimble,) began attaching the cables and lines to it so it could raise a Sail once more.

About two hours into the work, Andy came back, hauling a Boar across her shoulders. She dropped it onto the planks of the deck, and grinned. "Dinner, boys?"

I laughed as the crew began to set up a Spit on the beach. "Were staying the night here, it seems, boys. Tack down the ship once repairs are done."

Andy started skinning the boar, then attached its pelt to the bow of the ship, under the Thorburn, to make it so that when we beached ourselves to land, the sand or rocks didn't scrape the hull so much. Also, the salt of the Seas would tan the hide by the time we got where we were going.

Then we started cooking the Boar, lounging around the fire, sharpening our weapons and telling stories. Laga went off with one of the men, her lover, I think, and I smiled. I was happy for her, that she'd gotten over me so easily.

The meat was perfect, not tough at all, which Andy said was because the animal wasn't scared when it died. She'd got it while it was sleeping, which made the meat sweeter and softer, or so she said.

She moved to lay on me, and smiled. "That was the first time I've ever sailed into a hurricane."

I nodded. "It's the smarter thing to do than try to outrun it. No one outruns a hurricane. But get into the middle, and make land, and it passes over, and all is well. Make repairs, and keep going."

She smiled again and kissed me sweetly. "Such a bracing experience... but even more bracing? Sex on a beach." She smirked.

---

"Cast off, boys, let's see if this Mast Holds!" I barked, and held onto the Tiller.

We were soon underway, and the mast held perfectly, swaying with the other two in sync, and holding all its cables and lines. I nodded and relaxed, changing direction as Laga ordered.

We were soon sailing up the coast towards Finland.

---

I stepped off the boat, and grinned. "So this is Finland, huh?"

Ripken nodded. "That it is. Lostway, you still remember where the King's Hall is?"

He laughed. "Like I could forget. I was born there! Come, come! My fathers people should greet us!" He started walking down the docks, a spring in his step, and I smiled.

"How longs it been since he was here?" I asked, following.

Ripken shrugged, and Andy chuckled. "Five years, give or take a few months." We met Lostway, who was talking in Finnish with a group of young men, happily rubbing their hairs or plucking at their scraggly beards.

He turned to us. "These are my nephews, Vail, Sare, and Röc, and their friends, whose names I didn't catch. Their Warden, King Hralfdir, is expecting us."

"Warden?" Andy asked.

"Their parents are dead, so the King takes care of them until they become Men, or a Family Member takes them in. I cannot, as I'm only their Uncle, and their mother did not wish me to take them." He sighed.

I nodded. "Sounds reasonable. Good. Let's see him, then."

He nodded and spoke to the boys again, and I caught it this time. "We go to your Warden, children! He's in the Main Hall, yes?"

"Yes, Pathfinder!" They responded.

"Why do they call you Pathfinder?" I asked him.

He smiled. "Because that was my families name, before it was changed to Lostway. It's also my Job. I find Paths, at sea, in the forests, anywhere. That's how I met your wife, actually." He nodded at Andy, who was bartering in Finnish for a small silver bauble, and grinned when she won, handing over a small silver coin, taking the bauble, which I saw was a pendant in the shape of Mjolnir.

Andy placed the pendant around her wrist. "Maximus will like this..." she nodded.

One little girl nodded. "I see... Anyway! The King is waiting!" She started pulling me along, and I smiled, allowing myself to be dragged along.

Lostway and Andy followed right behind me, and Ripken caught up, tossing a small set of dice in his palm.

We entered a Hall that made ours look like a Gnat's house, and I whistled. "Wow..."

An older man that looked like he still could swing an axe the size of me chuckled from the throne. He was bulky, like my Father, but more reasonably sized, at only 6 feet tall.

The rest of the room was filled with other Vikings, and the Craft-masters of this Hall, who likely directed the orphans to their chores and crafting apprenticeships.

"Welcome! I am King Hralfdir, your Host! You are my Guests, yes?" He smiled.

"Hello, King Hralfdir. I am Bryn Thorn, Daughter of Ansar Thorn, Granddaughter of Thor. This is my Wife, Andehar Tyrannous, Daughter of Magnus Eisen-Blut, granddaughter of Tyr. You know Lostway, I suppose, and the last is Ripken Tyrannous, Andehar's younger brother." I smiled and introduced us.

He hummed. "Yes. You remind me greatly of your father, Andehar... Magnus was a great man, and a good man. Those two are not always found in the same men, and so I treasured him as a friend... to what do I owe this visit?" He switched to Norse, leaning back.

"We detailed it in our letter, I think? We are going to Conquer all of the Northern Lands, and we want your support." Andy said simply.

The Vikings in the room laughed, until they saw exactly how serious she was.

He blinked slowly. "I honestly thought the letter was a joke... I know how Lostway loves his jokes... but you're serious... hm. I tell you what. You defeat me in combat, and I will bend a knee to you. If you lose, you'll become a Vassal of my court, and raid for me in Russia. I've heard the cold doesn't hurt you." He smiled, and the men laughed.

Andy grinned. "I like it-"

"Actually, King Hralfdir, I would like to be the one you fight. I am an equal challenge, I think." I stood straight.

He hummed. "No, no you wouldn't be. Lostway could defeat you, and so could I. I know this in my bones. But her... my bones tell me she will be like no fight I've ever had."

"I killed a mother grizzly with my bare hands." I growled, pissed off he was underestimating me.

"Oh? And how did you do that?"'

"I put my fist down it's throat, and ripped out its windpipe." I showed him the red scars on my right forearm.

He blinked. "Hmm... very interesting. To bless your child, I suppose?"

"Yes." I nodded.

He smiled. "I went into the woods, naked, and strangled three Lynx's, then wrestled a Dire Wolf to submission, before breaking its neck, just last week." He pointed to the ceiling, and sure enough, a Dire Wolf hung from the ceiling by its throat.

I gulped, and Andy laughed. "Very impressive. Dire Wolves are a mighty prey. I accept your challenge. I will defeat you, and you will be my Vassal, as Empress." She stripped her tunic, and handed me all her weapons. She stepped forward, out of her boots, and grinned down at the man who also stood as she did, barefoot and bare chested.

Several men whistled at her, and I unsheathed my axe, silencing them. The King looked away. "If you'd put your tunic back on?"

"Do my tits make you uncomfortable?" She chuckled wryly.

He sighed and replied honestly. "A little."

She smirked. "Too bad. Those are the rules of Combat, aren't they?"

He shook his head. "Women are allowed to wear a tunic."

"I don't need one." She grinned.

"Just put a fucking shirt on." Ripken sighed, tossing her a tank-top.

She grumbled, but pulled it on. "I was having fun tormenting him..." she sighed. She stepped back, and grinned. "Alright. Fine. Now what? Swords, fists, axes?" She asked, pounding one of her fists into her other palm, making a loud cracking noise.

He grinned. "Fists. To submission or sleep."

She nodded. "Easy enough. Bring it." She raised her fists, and bounced lightly on her toes.

He darted forward, and she was suddenly behind him, quick as a cat, her arms locked around his throat. "You'll have to be faster, King! You think you can strangle me like a Wolf?! I am no ones prey!" She threw him away from her, and kicked him in the stomach.

He stood, and lashed out with a heavy fist. They traded blows that made me wince, for a full ten minutes, bloodying each other's knuckles and faces, until they slowed down, losing a bit of the power they'd had when they started, but still powerful in their own rights, and that's where they stayed for another twenty minutes, at that level of strength and speed, their stamina unmatched among any I've ever seen, until he made a mistake.

She dodged one powerful punch, and slammed her own fist under his sternum so hard we all heard his Spine Creak like a loose floorboard.

He froze, and slowly collapsed. She smirked and looked at the men. "Anyone else? Just to make sure no one thinks they can beat me, or him? Anyone?" She asked, turning slowly. No one answered, and she nodded. "Good. That's what I thought."

She splashed water on his face, and he woke up kicking. She simply dodged his flailing feet, and dropped the bucket next to him. "Wake up, King Hralfdir! You've got a kingdom to run!" She laughed.

He chuckled. "You're quick... alright. Well, an oath is an oath. I'm yours, Andehar Tyrannous." He kissed her knuckles, and I raised an eyebrow. "Meant respectfully, of course." He assured me, and sat down on his throne heavily. "Gods she packs a punch, huh? So. Let's discuss taxes? You want them, I'm sure?"

"Not at all. I want your loyalty and your men, when the War comes. The gods have spoken, and said that My Clan will conquer The North, and then England Itself, and even further. You are free to rule your country as you please, so long as you remember to remain loyal to me. And find yourself a loyal Heir. You're getting a little Old to be taking on so many Challenges." She shrugged.

He laughed. "I suppose I am. Fine. I will do as you say. I like the idea of conquering England, I'm sure everyone does, huh?!?"

The Vikings cheered.

He nodded. "So. Who's next, hmm? You've got Finland... but Norway and Sweden have several Kings and Jarls and Earls and such each. It will not be so easy as challenging them."

"That's where you're wrong, see? We will challenge them. And we will win. And when we have assured everyone of our power, we will go forth and take more land." She smiled savagely, her eyes glowing with pleasure at the idea.

"Huh. I thought your eyes only glowed when you came. Interesting." I said absentmindedly.

She laughed. "When I'm excited, yes. Now shush, lover, your unfiltered thoughts are adorable, but I'm bartering with a King, for now." She patted my ass, and I smiled, sitting next to her.

Ripken grinned. "And, of course, Someone would stay in each major holding with a sizable, loyal force, so as to keep the peace."

"And then who will go to war, if your army is in your kingdoms?" He asked.

"The raiding parties, of course, at first. Several Raiding Parties will travel to England with furs and things to trade, and we will spend the next decade or so Trading with them, while 'Unaffiliated' and 'Unsanctioned' Raiding Parties continue to raid as they please." I grinned.

The King hummed. "I see... but wouldn't that discredit the Traders?"

"No. They know the Northmen aren't unified, and that there's many, many Kings, Earls, and Jarls... but if one in particular was used to trade and create goodwill, we could slip further in, get entire raiding parties inside the walls when a raiding party goes at the walls." Andy shook her head.

"Then our inside men could open the gates, and we leave any dead Vikings to show that they fought against us, and when the Traders go again, they use that as goodwill. That they fought their enemies for the English? Just like the Traitor in Francia. He is a Royal now, if you can believe it, because he's useful." I finished.

He hummed, scratching his beard slowly. "I see... and this way we could get into the cities without any Sieging, which the English have shown they are very good at..."

"Exactly. Also, I thought we'd learn the English and Frankish and Roman ways of Sieging and War. The Romans had wise men, who focused on the English and Frankish peoples, and how to fight in every single type of battlefield, not just naval warfare, but siege warfare and plains warfare. Our shield wall? They thought of it first, a thousand years before we made our first shields." Andy grinned again.

He blinked slowly. "And how would we do that?"

"In England, in the Castle of King Aethelwulf of Wessex, there's a room, filled with scrolls of the Roman Wars, written in Latin. I propose we take them, silently, and have a Christian who reads Latin translate then for us." She answered eagerly.

"And they contain articles on War Plans?"

"Yes. Others contain legends, Saga's, like our Rune-Stones. All could be useful. And my Brother, Ripken, has traveled to Roma, and learned of their Warfare, as well. He believes we have a very good weapon to use against them." She laughed.

Ripken smiled. "As I said... If you're going to war, I'm more than happy to participate. I know a way."

---

We stepped back onto the boat, casting off seamlessly. Ripken held a small piece of driftwood, and began whittling, humming a song under his breath. He soon had a small image of Thor, which he placed on the Figurehead to ask for passage through the summer storms.

I hummed and followed suit, carving a figure of Frigga, who commands all beauty, and also all Bounty, to ask for a fruitful raiding season.

"Gods above I hurt all over..." Andy sighed, limping towards an empty spot next to me.

I smiled at Andy. "That reminds me... That king didn't look so tough. Why didn't I just fight him, and be done with it?" I asked.

"Because you would've lost." She said simply, and kissed my cheek, before sitting down heavily, and groaning, then falling asleep.