096

A few hours later, everything was confirmed, the amount of gold and silver was right ... With nothing else to do in the Kingdom of Mercia, I ordered the captives to be released, and we, despite King Offa's hopes, headed north to Jorvik. We had to cover almost 160 kilometers to our new headquarters, if everything goes without delay, we will be there in seven or eight days.

- What are you going to do next? Are we going to attack Wessex? (Leif)

- No, Wessex will wait a year or two. Jorvik is the top priority at the moment. Before we go back to Norway, we have sent people out in Northumbria. There are still many settlements, churches and other places worth looting... When we get home, you will stay here as the garrison commander in Jorvik, you can choose the people to stay with you. (Ulf)

- Do you have any tasks for me? During the winter there will be no wars or battles. Fortification of the city also makes no sense, it is already so strongly secured that the construction of further fortifications will not change anything ... at most we can enlarge the port a little and sow the surrounding fields next spring. (Leif)

- It's a good idea to enlarge the port and sow the fields, but apart from that ... observe the Kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex and try to contact the Scots in the north. I would like Jorvik, apart from our permanent settlement from where we will conduct raids, also to make a large trading city. (Ulf)

We spent the next month and a half in Jorvik, my troops attacked, robbed and enslaved the remaining settlements in the fallen Kingdom of Northumbria... after a few talks with Leif, I decided during my stay in England to make contact with the North and offer them Edinburgh and the rest of the lands north of the former seat of the king in Bamburgh as a gift. In this way, I wanted to temporarily maintain friendly contacts with the Scots, I did not need to have enemies in the north now... Nobody has won the war yet by waging it on many fronts.

While my offer might have seemed generous, the land itself was not of much value either ... no population, and cities and settlements devastated by our raids. To rebuild and populate them, it takes a lot of time and silver. The Scots can do it for us as well, and when the time is right we'll just take it away.

In the middle of October I decided it was time to go back to Norway. Leif chose 500 people to stay with him in Jorvik. I also left him some slaves, 500 women and 200 men ... Someone had to work and meet the needs of my people ... The rest was loaded onto ships with the loot.

After a few days of sailing, we entered the familiar waters ... over a hundred ships, it must have made an amazing impression. Unfortunately, the port of Kattegat still couldn't accommodate this number of ships at one time ... that's another thing I'll have to think about.

With major expeditions, raids and wars planned, Kattegat must have a port as large as Jomsborg settlement, which could accommodate 360 ​​ships at a time.

Almost all the inhabitants of Kattegat were gathered in the harbor, there was also Lagertha with the children, Arne, Frida, Erik ... his face showed concern. After disembarking from the ship, before I happened to approach my wife, Erik was already standing by me ...

- Leif? (Erik)

- Don't worry, old man. He stayed in England with our 500 warriors, we took a big city there ... and even a whole kingdom ... but now let me go, if Lagertha's gaze could kill you would be dead. (Ulf)

The old man was afraid for the life of his only son, which was no wonder, unfortunately not everyone will be as lucky as Erik.

I headed towards where my wife was standing. Lagertha was holding Arne on her shoulders, and my mother-in-law was taking care of Revna, and Yrsa was running around them like she was possessed ... I don't know where children get so much energy from... Just watching my daughter run made me tired ... As soon as she saw me she ran towards me, I grabbed her, lifted her up and put her on my shoulders ... and went to Lagertha and I hugged my wife ...

- Be careful ... watch out for Arne ... (Lagertha)

- We'll make ourselves a new one ... and when we are on the subject of making new ... today, my dear wife, you will not sleep. (Ulf)

- Yes ... and you will give birth to him, do not get me involved. (Lagertha)

I understand that squeezing something the size of a watermelon through a lemon-sized hole can be painful, but no exaggeration ... I have had the flu in my life and I know how a woman can suffer in childbirth.

I talked for a moment more with Frida and my father-in-law and went home in a cheerful atmosphere. I also told Erik to let me know when the spoils and slaves would be unloaded ... As many chiefs, jarls and former kings sent their ships, the split of the spoils will be more painful.

After I got home I saw Hild, she was sitting in a special armchair I once made for Lagertha when she was pregnant, her legs were on the footstool ... and she was big. If I have calculated everything correctly, I should give birth in the next two weeks ... my house begins to resemble a kindergarten.

When Hild saw me, she wanted to get up and greet me, but she did it with the grace of a whale thrown onto the beach ...

- You do not have to get up, in your condition you should not make sudden movements or overwork. (Ulf)

- Yes, Lord. (Hild)

I ordered the servants to prepare something to eat and drink, and I and Lagertha went to carry the children to the bedroom ... Home sweet home.