HIS NAME VIKINGS 16

Of course I wanted a negotiation with this lady. However, I had no idea what sort of negotiation I so much yearned for. "You want a negotiation? Are you sure?" She asked again, in a rather firm but whispering voice. "Yes, I don’t want any of us to die in the ring. Death is one thing I as much don’t yearn for, and I know you too hate the utterances of the word." In my words, she just smiled. And had a little chuckle. "Haven’t you been practicing?" Her voice was soft, but she uttered the most un desired words at those moments. "I stopped practicing a long time ago." I stated and continued, "Going to the ring is more of a death sentence than a win-win situation." She just nodded to that, as I hoped she understood my statements. Even if I were the best fighter in the world, killing one would never be a part of me. My heart would never rest easy knowing that I am a product, or rather, that I am covered with one’s blood in my hands. "What kind of negotiation do you want?" She asked, sitting on one of the chairs that were near her. The sister and the young boy were listening to our words carefully, but none dared to speak. "I don’t know. I can pretend to die, or we can talk with your father. I am sure he will listen to you." I stated, and this made her shake her head and then clear her throat, stating, "Father wants this more than you know. He has always yearned for the power of this place, and now that the Vikings have turned his loyalty to you, he... I can’t speak to him." She stated this, not finishing the statements she wanted to make. I knew this was a little difficult, or as fervent as I thought. I don’t know much about my fighting skills, and additionally, I was a simple lad who was taught to focus much on his studies. Of course, the loyalty father had in this place will have to end. I will fail him, and that I knew. I felt every part of me hate the feeling. Hate all this, death. Was I to die like this? "Is there not any other way?" I asked. "Sharing the costs of the loyalty and properties in this place" She stated. "What does that mean?" I asked, curious to know about sharing. Deals are always good, but sharing meant I needed to be quite sure what was to be shared before accepting the offer. "The hotel’s most important income is given to the duke. By sharing, it means that we get half the share of bread." Ooh, not bad. I stated it on my mind. "No problem with that. Is it your father's to share with, or is the property to be shared by you?" I asked. "I am now, to be the heir. The reason for the battle. The loyalty of the people shall also reign over us. This means, The house you live in, we shall share." She stated this in a rather firm tone. I thought the house belonged to father. All the works were fathers’, and this place was fathers’ too. "I know your thoughts. Confusion right? That house belongs to the heads. Not one. So if we are to share, we share everything, and everything you shall do shall be known by us, in regard to anything, except of course, for the duke’s activities, which do not interfere with the activities of this place, and Tigris in general." This was the first negotiation I was doing in relation to the many others that were to come my way. Entering the ring would mean death to me, and this would cause chaos not only here but also in the royal sides of the city. "No problem. You can alight at the place any time you wish. It is quite comfortable for everyone." I stated, and as if in warning, she stated, "I hope you are on the right track with this negotiation." I just nodded to that. Whatever the future holds, I don’t mind; I will perceive that, either way, nothing is inescapable. With that, she whispered something to her little brother, who left the room in a hurry, and then stated, "Father will cancel the fight." I just nodded to that. At least I was saved from death in a ring; maybe this was a chance to learn how to fight. This girl should teach me, maybe, just maybe. Everyone had left the room except the lady and me. I had not quite gotten her name, and so I felt the urge to ask, "If we are to be partners, then what name should I call you?" With that, she just looked at me and stated, "Derby." I uttered it under my breath, the name, of course. However, it sounded familiar from my lips and my mind; it sure was her, maybe. The girl I used to fight with. The girl on my thirteenth with whom I... God. I looked at her, maybe wanting to get clarity if it really was her, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t dare say a word; my tongue was tied. I suddenly felt the urge to leave when she asked, "Don’t you remember me?" I somehow did, but I was not quite sure if it was really her, that time was young. I was drunk, for fight scened I remembered, but that day only little figures come to my mind, the next morning the guards had already parked my clothes. It became the last day I visited here. "Not sure. It was a long time, a really long one." I stated, with some guilt feelings trying to impact me, "Of course, how would you remember?" She stated in a rather sad tone, and as I tried to detail my statement, the door flew open, and a man, quite old, with a wooden brown varnished and quite designed walking stick, together with the little boy and the sister, came in, saying, "I hear you formed a negotiation." Looking directly at Derby. "Yes, he states sharing is okay." With an intense stare from the old man, he uttered something beneath his breath and then stated, "I am happy you reconsidered death." The old man, saying old, seems quite unofficial or rather a bad utterance, but however old he was, his eyes shoved wrinkles, and his hair white, he was quite old, like a Chinese aging man. "I rethought everything. I considered everything in detail, and decided this was the best thing to do, sir." With that, he just nodded and, in a quite soft and slow voice, stated, "My daughter will take all the responsibility on my behalf. She will live with you in that house, so I believe you shall take care of her." With that, I nodded. This negotiation seemed like some sort of marriage; I felt a laugh form on my mind; and with that, they left, and I knew they were set to leave and declare the news, contrary to what the people anticipated. I did not know much about this place’s living style and cultures, so all this meant nothing as much to me. I guess for the people of Bavdon, I would have entered the ring; however, this was sharing, not giving away full power. Additionally, the power was just in relation to the hotel and the way of life of these people; otherwise, the government took care of other things, as I was made to understand by Jaykim. As I rethought, my guard entered the room without even knocking, which almost made the ladyship, Derby, squeak as if ready for a fight. "It's me, my lord. You left for the toilets; what if something were to happen to you? The k..." As he wanted to state the king, I as fast cut him off and stated, "The Vikings, he will not ask as much, for I am fully alive, no injuries, and I am perfectly fine." As if understanding my statements, he nodded and then requested us to leave, and so I said, "Goodbye, Lady Derby." When she looked at us and corrected, "We don’t need the royalty names here; Derby is fine with me." She was quite the feisty type, if I may say so. With her statement, I just nodded and bowed a little, touching the tip of my hat as a sign of respect for her, and then left.

"You negotiated?" The guard asked as we passed through the many tunnels that led to the wrestling ground. "Yes, I wasn’t ready to die. I am not quite trained." I stated this as we reached the grounds of the wrestling area. Many people had started leaving the arena, but, unlikely of people, as we passed through, I felt stares from the angry men and everyone in here when one of them asked in a rather round tone, "You fear a woman, your lordship?" which made everyone in the area laugh. "They are drunk." The guard stated this as we went up the timber stairways towards the hotel, which led us to the outside of the place. There is nothing that totally breaks a man more than the words of weakness in relation to a woman. Even if I entered my carriage acting like I did not hear the men’s statements on the wrestling grounds, they sure altered my humor and conscience. However, tomorrow, shipments were to arrive, and I needed to right-hand start acting up on these. Maybe they were right. I needed to man up like a Viking, not a toddler lying on the grounds of being labeled a bastard.