015

The duel is to take place in three days, but I didn't think too much about it, I was sure of my victory, I have over 80 years of advantage over my opponent, I know every trick and dirty play ... strength is also on my side, so the next days I can relax in peace.

I made myself a hammock, hung it between the trees and while sipping a beer, I was enjoying the sight of nature ... Żywia was working bent over in the backyard garden ... I still can't get used to this drink. The beer was cloudy, with a lot of sediment and little alcohol, but still better than water or milk.

I decided to take a nap, but as my eyes were closing, I heard some noises and voices coming from the front of my house. A bit irritated, I got off the hammock and went to see what was going on there.

It turned out it was the law-speaker who had come to inform me of the rules of the duel, it wasn't required, but probably the pig-fucker insisted that it be as official as possible. Each of us will have two shields and two weapons at our disposal. When the first shield is destroyed, I can take the second. Similarly with a weapon, when I lose the first, I can use the second, if I lose the second ... only hand-to-hand combat remains. I listened to what he had to say and went back to my hammock to have to leave it again after a while ... it was definitely not my day ... the next two were not better either. I always had some guests at my house. Floki, Ragnar and others, or the people I did business with ... most of them treated me as if I was already dead, and the rest gave me little chance of winning.

I went to the crossroads where I once fought with my father, the ring was already prepared, a large crowd gathered around, there was Arne with his wife and Lagertha, Ragnar, Rollo, Floki and the rest of the gang, the future Jarl Haraldson with his wife Siggy, everyone was here . Of course my opponent Knud the Red was there, armed with a comically large ax, stripped to the waist, his chest and arms were covered with various symbols in blood ... a law-speaker came out in the middle of the ring and announced the rules of our duel to all gathered.

Each of us was given an opportunity to speak, Knud was the first to use this opportunity, he probably wanted to intimidate me ...

- I'll kill you to death ...

I couldn't stand it and started laughing.

- Knud, forgive me. Those were very deep words ... you're right. I can add from my heart ... and who died is dead.

But he was not that stupid, he understood that I was making fun of him ... I don't know how he discovered it, maybe someone from the crowd told him.

He rushed furiously at me, our shields crashed into each other, we could hear the wood failing to withstand our strength and making sounds of cracking. I decided to play with him a little longer, deliberately bent his knee under the pressure of his strength, when he realized that he was gaining the advantage, he attacked harder ... unfortunately he did not notice that my sword was now behind his left foot, with a quick and strong movement I cut his boots, along with tendons . He let out a terrifying cry and fell to the ground. I got up off my knee and walked a few steps away from my opponent.

- Knud get up ... come on, don't pretend, it was just a scratch.

He looked at me with hatred, leaned on the ax and stood up and began to limp towards me. I took two steps back.

- Knud, I discovered your clever plan, you hope that I will die here of old age and you will win ... hurry up, how long do I have to wait for you.

I saw how he tried to shift his entire weight to his right leg, he made a big swing and his ax hit my shield, then a second and a third time. I just stood and took the blows, I tried to look that I was defending myself with great difficulty. I bent my knees again under the force of his blows and, taking advantage of the opportunity, this time I cut the tendons in his right foot ... he could not keep his balance and he fell to his knees, I rolled over on the ground to the right and with a strong blow of the sword I cut off his hand which was still holding the ax ... I got up from the ground, stood behind his back and threw my sword away. I grabbed his head, rested my knee against his back, and began to pull his head ... There was a sound of cracking bones. A few seconds later he was dead.

- I killed him to death ...

The law-speaker hurriedly put Knud's ax into his other hand so that he could go to Valhalla ... and then declared me the winner and that everything was legal. I received a lot of congratulations, but also a lot of evil looks ... many people lost money today, I was probably the only one who bet that I would win.

I walked over to Arne and his family.

- Ulf, was it hard?

- No, he had strength, but he didn't use his head when he fought. I could have won faster, but people had traveled many miles ... I didn't want to waste their time.

While we were talking like this, Lagertha hit me gently in the stomach and when I turned towards her she kissed my cheek saying it was for the winner.

- So if I lost, you would kiss Knud now? You can forget about new games in the future.

- I wouldn't kiss him.

She turned red in her face and hid behind her mother's back. Arne and his wife started laughing, which only made their daughter even redder.

- We'll talk another time, now my hammock is waiting for me.

- Hammock?