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It was going to be another pleasant day on the ship, the sun, gentle rocking on the water and nature all around...
- Dad, look bifröst !!! The gods come to Midgard. (Yrsa)
...and screaming children, a real fucking idyll... I looked in the direction my daughter pointed, it was just a rainbow, quite an ordinary rainbow.
- For us it is a bridge to Asgard, but for the Slavs, the rainbow is a dragon drinking water from the river, for Christians the rainbow symbolizes the covenant with their God ... there is another tribe that uses the rainbow, but fortunately you will never meet them. (Ulf)
- Dad, how do you know all this? (Yrsa)
- Daddy traveled a lot, saw a lot and ate bread from many ovens. (Ulf)
- Dragon? Can we see him? (Arne)
It was not such a stupid idea, we had already sailed for several weeks and a short stop ashore would not hurt anyone. However, finding a dragon can be problematic...
- I don't know if we can see the dragon, but we can see its lair. We are not far from the town whose ruler was Krak. (Ulf)
- You know this legend? (Bojan)
- That they poisoned the dragon with a sheep, and he drank so much water from the river that he burst... yes, I know. I also know the second legend that Krak's daughter threw herself from the walls into the river because she did not like the candidate for a husband. (Ulf)
Suddenly I felt Lagertha's eerie gaze on me... maybe talking about weddings and husbands wasn't the best idea.
- LIAR!!! You said yesterday that you weren't going to tell us a story because you don't know any. (Yrsa)
I never saw such an outburst from Yrsa... she looked more and more like her mother each day. If Weles ever makes me reborn again... celibacy, no women, no children. I also didn't know how to react to her behavior, I didn't know how to punish children... kill yes, but not to punish.
- Get over here! (Ulf)
Hearing my tone Yrsa flinched, even Lagertha and Hild looked at me somehow strange. Yrsa tried to hide behind her mother's back.
- You don't want me to come to you... (Ulf)
Of course it was an empty threat, but before I could do anything, Arne grabbed his sister and pushed her towards me... I grabbed Yrsa by the hand.
- Arne, come here. (Ulf)
My son was more obedient than my daughter ... in less than two seconds he was standing in front of me, smiling and pleased with himself ... without waiting a moment I hit him on the cheek with the back of my hand, he staggered and fell on the deck... He stared at me in disbelief, not understanding the situation.
- Remember this for the rest of your life ... never, never, and no matter what the reason, don't betray your siblings. Whether it's me or your mother or Hild or a stranger... always stick together and that goes for all of you. (Ulf)
I gave my hand to Arne and lifted him off the deck. I stroked his head, he was scared but he tried not to show it... I directed my attention to Yrsa.
- Do you think I'm a liar? (Ulf)
- You said you didn't know the story, and now you say you do. (Yrsa)
Stubborn as her mother, so I lied, but it was not a malicious lie, but for my peace of mind. Technically she was right, but I can't admit it, my pride will suffer... I have to make my way out of it.
- Well, now go and come to me only when you understand what you did wrong. (Ulf)
Lagertha looked at everything but didn't say a word, I could see the disapproval in her eyes. I spent most of my time on expeditions and wars ... I rarely saw children, maybe she thought I would be the father of the year or something.
Two days later we arrived at the shore, probably twenty kilometers from the future city of Krakow.
- Stay with the children at the ships while I check the area. I'll be back in two days at the latest. (Ulf)
- So long? (Lagertha)
- I'm going to check this dragon's lair. (Ulf)
- But it's just such a story with that dragon? (Lagertha)
- There is a grain of truth in every story, but you don't have to worry, for the sake of safety I'll take Bojan with me. (Ulf)
- But he doesn't even know how to use a sword, maybe take a few men with you. (Lagertha)
- Bojan does not have to fight... I run faster than him, the dragon will eat him, and I will run away. (Ulf)
- I heard that! (Bojan)
Discretion was not my forte... but the dragon was not a real threat, according to legend, the dragon was killed several hundred years ago... and secondly, it is the 8th century in Europe, not another season of the Game of Thrones.
I packed everything in my backpack, gave my people orders not to walk around and attack anyone... I didn't need a war with the local tribes yet.
We walked a few kilometers in silence, from time to time I left Bojan alone and picked up animal bones and some carcass remains if I found any.
- What do you need these bones for? (Bojan)
- My children want to see the dragon, the dragon is gone, but I will scatter the bones into the caves, I will make some paw and claw marks. I'm gonna fire the stones a little bit ... that's why I said we'll be back in two days, I need time to do it all. (Ulf)
- You're a good father. (Bojan)
I didn't know if he was joking or serious.