"And what does it mean?" asked Olaf
"Parasite, human male." said Aesa
"Skraekoom" said Olaf.
"And what does it mean?" asked Aesa.
"Spreader of parasites, human female." said Olaf.
"Krim-sha-mok" said Aesa
The fog was bad for the second day in a row so Magnus could not see Aesa and Olaf, but he was about ready to go berserk.
"Twenty days of this! When will it end?" asked Magnus.
"They are learning the troll language Magnus. It could be very useful to know." said Isgerd.
"We talk to trolls with our axes and spears. The endless chatter between those two is what will kill me." said Magnus.
"Remember Magnus, Hildagunn offered to cast a spell to make the book instantly known to them and you demanded no spell use." said Isgerd.
"It was a trick. That witch knew it would be more painful for me to listen to them struggle to speak this nonsense language. At least the pukje language is full of lots of throat clearing and coughing sounds. That makes it fun." said Magnus.
Hildagunn overheard the conversation, appeared out of the fog and leaned near Magnus so only he could hear her.
"Yes, it was a trick dear." whispered Hildagunn.
Magnus' eyebrows furrowed. Hildagunn smiled warmly as she disappeared in the gloomy haze.
Aesa had acquired the book from the troll Reikov's funeral pyre. She also had emptied the Troll god statue of its secret cache of diamonds, but no one needed to know about that. The book was called A History of our People.
Aesa and Olaf had been sharing bits of what they had learned for the last few days.
Trolls reckoned the beginning of time as the date when Odin and Thor had fought their final battle as mortals. According to troll history they were a race of savages who were transformed by the day of destruction into noble, civilized people destined to replace the more primitive races like humans and pukje. The book claims trolls peacefully filled up lands where no one lived. They have a matriarchal society, ruled by elder female shamans. They are very religious. Trolls are known to level an entire town of humans for desecrating one of their votive statues.
Sensing Magnus' annoyance with the language lesson Aesa paused.
"Magnus would you like to hear about the Troll Wars?" she asked.
Magnus could not resist a tale of battle. "Yes, that may save your hide." he said.
Aesa began, "The Troll Wars began in 1026. The northmen had moved into our best farmland, cutting down our fruit trees and destroying our crops. Ikashev the Wise attempted to reason with the northmen's leader. His name was Thorkel. Ikashev asked Thorkel to stop cutting the trees and keep his reindeer out of the fields until after the crops had been harvested. Thorkel offered to pay Ikashev a mighty sum of troll-eyed diamonds. The gems were beautiful, sparkling clear with a deep red center that brought tears to Ikashev's reddish eyes to behold. Alas, she was not persuaded by gems or gold to give up their sacred lands.
One day a group of young northmen entered a sacred grove, deep in troll territory. They had been drinking their disgusting fermented honey and could be smelled from a great distance by even the most senile of trolls. The troll council had been warned and rushed to the grove to chase off the drunk youths. One of the northmen, known only as "The Red" for his hideous red beard boasted that his urine would improve the look of the grove's most sacred statues to the gods. A young troll named Usilov had just left a votive offering when the northmen arrived. Usilov saw "The Red" drop his breeches to relieve himself on the gods and tossed a spear, impaling the young man to the statue by the groin. The other northmen attacked and killed Usilov who was more of a farmer than a warrior. Still Usilov killed several of the northmen before succumbing to wounds. The remaining youths defiled Usilov's body, hacking it to pieces and scattering the remains throughout the grove.
When Ikashev the Wise and the other elders had arrived at the grove there was little that could be done. Hundreds of trolls were gathered in a circle wailing and pulling their hair in anguish. They demanded revenge. The young men had already gathered their weapons, just waiting for Ikashev to give the word. Still she held them back. Ikashev gathered a small troop of her most trusted warriors all versed in the human language. She instructed her people to go home and let her talk to Thorkel.
Ikashev arrived at the human village on their border with twenty advisers. When the village saw the trolls emerge from the forest they waited until Ikashev and the other trolls were a good distance away from the forest. When Ikashev realized they were surrounded by hundreds of northmen she tried to get her people back to the safety of the woods but it was too late. Ikashev and her advisers were slaughtered. The trolls were decapitated. One end of the rope was secured to a troll's head. Then the ropes were attached to frightened deer who were then released to return to the forest. Within days the trolls were aware of the foul deed. When Iskashev's head was found near a brook tied to a deer that had died of fright, all the troll people wept.
Thorkel and his people were killed. Their deaths were not easy. Trolls do not seek to torture stupid animals, but in this instance they had lost all reason. Northmen were captured, hands tied behind them and disemboweled. They were bound together by their intestines and blindfolded while made to walk over hot coals. This was the most compassionate of the deaths devised.
The war continued for many years. Trolls killed northmen like lice, but the northmen also reproduced like lice, while trolls are slow to bring new life to the world. Eventually sheer numbers pushed troll society further and further from their ancestral lands. Troll shamans created ingenious weapons like the Manblade, Trollspear of Petrification and the Wand of Nudity to defeat the humans. The war could not be won. Humans would annihilate the troll people.
In 1040, Sukin Manbane with a hundred of her best warriors lead a charge on a major northmen city. Her shamans had conjured the elder forest spirits to aid her. The town was well defended with spiked ditches and walls. The forest spirits came up from below and sunk the defenses into the earth. The walls fell. Realizing the trolls would slaughter them, their leader King Agnar approached Sukin unarmed. Sukin wanted to behead the man and send his head back in the manner that her aunt Ikashev's head had been returned to her people. She listened to the man.
"If you would spare our town from destruction; I, King Agnar, will sign a truce with your people. No more of your land will we invade. We will live at peace with your people. I decree that any northmen who invade your lands are outlaws and may be handled by your laws. If trolls attack us, we will take the same rights to treat them according to our laws." he said.
"If your words have meaning, we will have a truce. The troll people will not make war upon humans as long as humans do not invade our land or desecrate our gods." Sukin said.
The agreement was signed with much ceremony. Sukin returned to her people. King Agnar used his authority to bind the other Jarls to the truce. Humans can not be trusted. They are quick to anger, impulsive and are difficult to accept rational civilized conduct. Still, the truce has held for a quarter century. During this time some of our lands have been restored. Our numbers grow, but not as fast as the humans. We must be ready in case they betray us again. This history is written by Doskev, a daughter of Ikashev the Wise and wife joined with life-mate Reikov.
"Does it say anything about how the Manblade works?" asked Magnus.
"Sorry Magnus, it is a book of history and family lineages, not a book of magic." said Aesa.
The splintering of timbers followed by shouts of surprise and fear shook Magnus from his thoughts about trolls. Thor's Fury had just clipped the rudder and aft section of a longship, causing the ship to take on water fast. Someone from the crippled ship threw a spear at Magnus. Magnus deflected it. Magnus's own spear was now lodged in the floor of the sinking vessel. The man who had thrown the spear at Magnus was pinned to the deck of the damaged vessel.
"What is it about Thor's Fury and weather?" asked Olaf.
"Board her, before they start shooting arrows at us!" said Sigurd.
Sigurd knew the damaged ship was not one of his vessels because the knarrs were tied at lengths to each other and to Thor's Fury to keep them from getting lost again.
Several men from the damaged vessel had jumped to the deck of Thor's Fury. They were shorter, darker complected men than the men from Norgard. They wore no armor and were armed with short bladed weapons.
Sigurd fought one of these men. The man was swearing at him in an unknown language and was dressed regally in fine furs. He had a silver crown on his head.
"What is he saying Olaf?" asked Sigurd.
"I can't understand him. Sounds like some odd dialect of Welkin." said Olaf.
Magnus struck the angry dark skinned man hard with his ax. The man crumpled dead on the deck. His crown split in two.
"He was speaking a dead language." said Magnus.
Olaf and Sigurd looked at each quizzically. "Did Magnus just attempt levity?" asked Olaf. Sigurd shrugged. Magnus had killed four more men since he had spoken and was now terrorizing the crew of the crippled ship with his ax.
The crew from Thor's Fury joined in but within a few minutes the enemy crew were either dead or had surrendered. Those who were captured were returned to Thor's Fury and the supplies and arms were transferred quickly. In less than ten minutes the enemy ship sunk beneath the waves.
"The crew would make fine thralls." said Magnus. They were moved along with the ship supplies to the knarr ships.
"There must be a Welkin town nearby. I wish this damn fog would clear so we could see the shore!" said Sigurd.
"I may be able to help clear the fog, long enough to find out where that ship came from." said Isgerd.
"By all means, please do then." said Sigurd.
Isgerd concentrated. She whispered words under her breath and then whistled into the fog. The fog began to clear around Thor's Fury. The fog rolled away for a long distance in all directions.
"Land!" yelled Kara.
The crew looked to where Kara was pointing. Soon others spotted it as well.
"Man the oars! Get us to that land. Today we raid!" said Sigurd.
Thor's Fury and the two knarr ships docked at the town's wharf. Sigurd and the others were met on shore by an old man wearing a crown. He had an honor guard of twenty warriors. They were similar in appearance to the men they had just defeated.
The old man spoke. "Mitt namn är Kung Sigurd. Detta är Vitling."
"How did he know my name?" asked Sigurd.
"I don't think he does. He is saying his name is Sigurd. He has a thick Welkin accent, but I think he is trying to speak Odinsen, the language of Uppsala. Let me try to talk to him." said Olaf.
"Mitt namn är Olaf. Talar ni Thorsen?" asked Olaf.
The old man's eyes grew wide. "I speak yer Thorsen some."
"Tell him to give us tribute and we won't sack his town and take his women as thralls." said Sigurd.
The old man addressed Sigurd. "We agree to barter. We är not der Welkins. We är kin to Odin. Come to my hall. We will drink der wine and talk. Welcome to Whiting" said King Sigurd.
Sigurd from Norgard motioned to the men and they lowered their weapons.
"We accept your hospitality King Sigurd." said Olaf.
King Sigurd's hall was very different than Ulfgard in Norgard. It had two stories. The bottom level was constructed of large field stones and mortar. It did not have a central hearth. The fire was kept in two locations and went up a stone chimney. The heat was distributed to the upper floor through a series of connected pottery vessels that connected to the chimney. There were also many private rooms in the hall that were sealed off from each other by walls and doors. To Magnus it all seemed very claustrophobic.
The King motioned for them to take seats at the central table. The table did not have fur lined benches, but ornately carved chairs. The design was a mix of winding, intricate animism of Norse art and the realistic, but idealized motifs of Welkin art. The room was dark without a central hearth to light the area. When everyone was seated the King ordered wine and food for the table. He said a few words to a servant who rushed off and ran up the stairs to the second floor.
Magnus tasted the wine and tried not to spit it out on the floor. It was not poisoned. Poison has more flavor. It was neither sweet, nor smooth like mead. It was more like water mixed with vinegar. After consuming as much as he dared, Magnus smiled at the King. It was the same broad, cheerful smile he had just before he was about to slay many enemies on the battlefield. The king smiled back.
"We är friends. Welkins är thralls. Listen to King Sigurd." said the king.
The servant returned short of breath with a vellum roll. The king unrolled the vellum on the table for all to see.
"Der är de Welkin lands. Welkins ruled by Loki-spawn...der Vislakopper, cunning and vile. Der thrall bodyguards är Byornskordur, powerful Lokispawn, bone-breakers. Der Welkins piss in der boots under Lokispawn. Lokispawn take over all of Southlands. Good thralls there, but Lokispawn dream of North. Lokispawn want our lands."
The king points to a spot on the map. "See der Oikos? Oikos ruled by weak Vislakopper namn Fragwarmog. Go a-viking der. " said the king.
"You have been very helpful King Sigurd. May our friendship grow stronger. We need some time to discuss our plans." said Olaf.
"Forgive bad manners. Rooms for all up der stairs. Follow servant Hauk. He do whatever you need." said the king.
Most of the men returned to the ships, but Olaf, Sigurd and the rest of their kin headed up to the room that was being prepared for them. When all the servants had left, they made their plans. The room was not tall enough for Magnus to stand in without leaning over, so he and the others decided to sit on the floor.
"I like King Sigurd. He looks like a Welkin, but his map and advice have given us a place to fill our ships with gold and thralls." said Olaf.
"I do not think we should spend the night. I think he suspects we have taken his men as thralls. He may try to kill us to save his men." said Sigurd.
"You could return the men as a sign of friendship." said Isgerd.
"We were sent by our Jarl to raid for thralls, gold and supplies. We have lost our captain and many of our ships. If we give up our treasures we will look weak and the Jarl will keep us home with the old men and children." said Sigurd.
Magnus and Aesa nodded their heads in agreement.
"We saved those men from death at sea. They are lucky to be our thralls." said Aesa.
"I would not ask that we give up our hard-earned treasure. I suspect someone important to the king is now our thrall. He will have noticed his ship did not accompany us to the wharves. Perhaps we could ask for wergild value." said Isgerd.
"We should leave this place at once and go raiding in Oikos as the king suggested. That is how we will reward him." said Sigurd.
"No good shall come of this plan." said Isgerd.
"We shall see. Our rewards come from Jarl Gunnar Bluetooth. These half-Welkins are already thralls." said Sigurd.
Sigurd and the other returned to the lower level of the King Sigurd's hall.
"Ah I see you är leaving. I am sad that you do not stay longer to enjoy my hospitality but I can see you är eager to raid der Oikos. I have one question before you leave. Have you seen my son Jarl Soti? He was on a ship that left der wharf this morning but did not return to der Whiting. When I met you at der wharf I admit I was expecting you were Soti." said King Sigurd.
"We have not met him." said Sigurd.
"Soti would be first to attempt to speak to strangers. He är good at diplomacy. I will give you 1,500 uppsala pieces of gold as his wergild" said the king.
"We do not have the man you describe." said Sigurd.
"I will give you 2,000 uppsala pieces, one hundred swords and six months food provisions as his wergild." said the king.
"I can not accept wergild if I have nothing to return to you." said Sigurd.
"No doubt you have killed my son and taken his men for yer thralls. You offer me nothing but I will give you something. When you raid der Oikos, one of you will be killed and no wergild will be given as compensation for your heavy heart." said the king.
"Your gift will be taken for what it is worth." said Sigurd.
The king said nothing, but tears ran down his face.
Sigurd signaled the men and everyone returned to their ships. Soon they were heading South again. The fog had cleared. With good winds they would reach Oikos in a few days.