On The Road

It was a picturesque sight for Erik as he and the Jarl Gunnar's eight men armed with shields, swords, and axes traveled on the dirt road to Birka south of Uppsala.

Gunnar brought with him a rideable horse, very rare in Scandinavia during the Dark Ages, yet walked with his companions instead.

They had set out for Birka the following day Erik arrived in the 10th Century. Many common folks accompanied them for a while until separating after a day of travel to return to their farms and homes.

The snow enveloped the feet of Erik's party as they traversed the land at the height of the winter season.

Jarl Gunnar proved his generosity and sincerity to Freyja's Champion by providing him with the extra equipment and winter cloak they carried in case of emergencies.

Gunnar appreciated Erik's newfound insight of his knowledge of Midgard as the young man said while walking, "Before the emergence of Christians, A mighty city of people that worshipped the Old Gods under different names ruled over the known world called Rome. Most of the military and civil architecture found in both the Western Island of the Anglo-Saxons and the Christian Continent were built by the Romans dozens of generations ago. The great city of Byzantium was merely a frontier outpost for Roman military campaigns."

Gunnar replied, "I've heard tales of ambitious Northmen traveling through the Volga Trade Route in the East and finding a grand city of smooth stone. Some of the best warriors were even recruited by Byzantium's ruler as its royal guard and returned home with chests full of silver and gold."

The Varangians were a historically known group hailing from Northmen that colonized Eastern Europe by building Novgorod and Kyiv, referred to as The State of Rus.

Gunnar curiously inquired, "Erik, if the Romans were so powerful and influential, why are they not around anymore?"

Erik simply replied, "Inept rulers and Christianity. The Romans blamed the downfall of their great empire on the Old Gods and embraced a new one while splintering the country into numerous kingdoms. Many of their ways have been forgotten through time, but I know a few tricks that could help your settlement."

Erik was trained to always observe his surroundings when on patrol during his tours in Syria as a Marine and wasn't too distracted while conversing with Jarl Gunnar.

He noticed a slightly audible shuffling in the tree line on the group's left and calmly said, "Do not react and continue walking, Jarl Gunnar. I think we're being followed."

Erik motioned his eyes to where he heard the light noise, and Gunnar replied, "I'll keep watch but let's continue walking up the hill. There's a clearing we could use to our advantage there."

As the group moved up the road, a handful of archers nocked their arrows from the tree line while twelve armed men surrounded Erik's entourage.

Thanks to Erik's warning, Gunnar was completely aware of the ambush, and the Jarl immediately yelled, "Form shield wall!"

Their movements were highly coordinated as arrows rained on them from above.

Erik didn't have to announce his power but did so anyway for the sake of roleplay and shouted, "The Rune of Skadi shall bless my allies!"

Gunnar and his men-at-arms witnessed a faint white glow formed by Erik's left arm sleeve wolf tattoo, then sensed a divine presence blessing them with lighter feet and finer control of their weapons.

Gunnar's men stood their ground in a small circular shield wall formation as the archers continued shooting, but the remaining enemies were getting closer by the second.

While Erik struggled to hold the shield wall as a novice Middle Age warrior, he thought, "We surely have a fighting chance against these brigands, but the archers are pinning us down."

Erik attempted to concoct a solution out of the mess until he heard a familiar voice in his soul, offering help in distracting the archers.

Erik excitedly shouted, "Goshawk, help us, and the generous Jarl will ensure your family will never starve!"

The next moment, a brown feathered bird of prey suddenly appeared, diving down on the three archers and blinding one with its talons.

Gunnar watched as the hawk flew from tree to tree to avoid retaliation from the remaining archers, and the Jarl yelled, "They're distracted! Open!"

Erik slashed a brigand with his sword for the very first time when a portion of the shield wall opened to allow unsuspecting victims within the formation to be slaughtered.

Erik's boosted stats above 20 points each couldn't be compared to the brigands' average physical stats of 15 as he killed them one after the other.

After a few minutes of fighting, Erik's entourage eliminated the enemies with no remorse, but unfortunately, Gunnar's horse died from an arrow through its side.

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The men-at-arms gathered the valuables from their kills while Erik and Jarl Gunnar rested by the side of the dirt road.

Erik thought, "Damn, that was a close call."

Gunnar zealously stated, "The magical power you wield is awe-inspiring, Erik. I can't believe we defeated them so handily while outnumbered. I thank you for sharing it during our time of need."

Erik honestly answered, "I wasn't the hero today. It was the Goshawk."

Suddenly, the same bird of prey that helped distract the archers flew above their entourage and carefully landed on Erik's left shoulder.

The Goshawk connected to Erik's soul and expressed a reminder of his guarantee of food for its kettle of hawks.

Erik said, "I'm sorry, Jarl Gunnar, but I promised the hawk you'd provide its family sustenance. Lady Freyja also blessed me with the power to converse with all intelligent beings, including smart animals."

The Jarl laughed loudly and replied, "You're a man full of surprises, Erik. I will keep your word to today's hero. Does it have a name?"

Erik hadn't thought about a name until now and replied, "I'll call it Jet as a reminder of my home."

Gunnar said, "As you wish. Yet I feel it is only proper for me to apologize for involving you in my quarrels."

Erik inquisitively asked, "What do you mean, Jarl Gunnar? I assumed these brigands were ambushing random pilgrims from Uppsala to steal property."

Gunnar honestly explained, "A rival Jarl that rules the villages Southwest of Birka had been pressing claims over arable lands within my territory since two summers ago and had grown increasingly aggressive by expelling farmers and harassing the locals. I would not be surprised if I learned he hired these brigands to stalk my entourage while we traveled for the Winter Solstice offerings at Uppsala."

Erik quickly replied, "Then I suggest returning home as soon as possible, Jarl Gunnar."

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The warriors' entourage arrived at the mainland's shores, where islands of varying sizes dotted the waterscape.

There was a natural pier by the dirt road surrounded by a small wooden fortification of log walls, basic battlements, and a dozen armed men secured.

The gates opened, and a warrior walked out to say, "Welcome back, my lord. What has happened on your way back?"

Gunnar answered, "We were ambushed by lawless men twice our number, but we prevailed thanks to Erik and the Old Gods. Right, men?"

The eight companions banged their shields in unison as a sign of camaraderie and gratitude for the young warrior.

Gunnar declared, "Erik, you shall be my guest from now on. We will now take a boat to our main settlement on one of the large islands on the path up the waterways from the sea."

They sailed for fifteen minutes while Erik's new hawk, Jet, flew above them until arriving at a robust pier on a populated island surrounded by fortifications similar to the mainland outpost.

Gunnar sincerely stated, "Welcome to Birka. I know it's humble and small, but we already have carpenters building homes on a larger island nearer to the main navigable approach to Uppsala."

Erik replied, "I find Birka appealing in many ways, mostly due to its strategic location for trading and defending the tight waterways in the vicinity."

Gunnar smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it, but I'll always be open to suggestions in improving my lands and the lives of its people."

Erik answered, "I will be of service for as long as you stay true to Lady Freyja's tenets and my teachings, Jarl."

The middle-aged Northmen gave him a friendly bear hug before entering the largest hall in Birka.

The pair were greeted by a North woman around the same age as Jarl Gunnar, saying, "My beloved husband. I'm glad you're safe from the journey to Uppsala. Who is this tall and handsome man you've brought home?"

Gunnar kissed the woman on the lips and replied, "I have missed you, Thora. I'll tell you about my trip tonight. More importantly, I'd like to introduce you to my new friend, Frejya's Champion, Erik."

Erika held out her right hand before giving it a light kiss and amicably said, "It's my pleasure to meet you, Lady Thora. You have a wonderful home here in Birka."

While speaking with Gunnar's wife, Erik noticed an exceedingly beautiful young woman who looked quite similar to Zara Larsson at the hall's entrance.

Jarl Gunnar observed Erik's interest before stating, "Meet my daughter I spoke about at the temple, Erik. Her name is Frida."

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