016

A few weeks have passed since the duel, I gained some fame, but besides satisfying my vanity, it also caused me problems. Various girls started to come to my house, alone or with their parents ... and their purpose was rather obvious ... to get married. It didn't surprise me. Wealthy, strong ... not too bad looking. No family ... the perfect candidate for a husband.

Lagertha was an accidental witness when one of the girls flitered with me, I don't know if she felt jealous or not, but she started visiting me more often. She didn't talk much at first and only watched me work... with time she became more bold.

- Ulf, will you teach me to fight?

- Want to become shield-maiden in the future?

- No, but I would like to be able to fight when my husband goes on raids.

- You have a husband? Forgive me for not giving you a wedding gift ...

Before I could finish the sentence, I was hit with an apple.

- Ulf, will you teach me or should I look for someone else?

- I will teach you, but first I will make you a shield. Normal will be too big for you at the moment.

It took me two hours to make the shield, it wasn't pretty, but that wasn't what its purpose was. I gave her to Lagertha to check how it lies in her hand and to make her get used to the weight.

- Ulf why is this shield so thin, my father has one with a reinforced edge.

- Such shields as you say are not practical, it weighs more, and there is no point in strengthening the edge of the shield. I'll show you why ... hold your shield tight.

Lagertha gripped the shield tightly and I made a few blows with the sword, each time the blade entered and stuck in the wooden edge of the shield.

- When the enemy attacks you and his blade gets stuck, he needs a moment to pull it out. During this time, you can make it difficult for him by changing the position of the shield, or use this moment to launch an attack with your own weapon.

- I understand.

- A well-made shield is thicker on the inside and thinner at the edge ... and one more note, you may have heard that warriors sometimes bite their teeth on a shield to intimidate the enemy. Don't do it, that's how I knocked out my father's teeth.

I showed her a few more possible uses of the shield when blocking and attacking, reducing the distance. I also promised that I would make wooden swords for the next time and we would have a few sparrings.

For the next two weeks she would come every day and I taught her what I could. It also led to some laughable situations, as other girls showed up, Lagertha was starting to act like a jealous wife. If I talked to them for more than five minutes, she would come and say that I was busy, that I had to do something ... any excuse was good.

Days turned into weeks ... Unfortunately, apart from getting closer to my future wife and gaining some fame, the rest of the news was not that good, my furniture business was getting worse every day. Probably the market was already saturated with them, orders decreased, which affected my income, I also had to terminate contracts with three carpenters from five who made furniture for me.

I've had enough wealth, but it never hurts to have more, it is difficult to predict in what situation I will find myself in the future. I had to think about a new business, the news of the games I gave Lagertha spread around the neighborhood and more and more people were playing them, making the accessories didn't take much effort, and the patents didn't exist. So this road was closed to me. It was also a pity to abandon the path that I had taken earlier, I had already gained some reputation in this field and liked to work as a carpenter... The inspiration came unexpectedly in the form of Mira, who was playing with pieces of wood ... Toys are always a salable commodity, especially with my knowledge. Building blocks, rocking toys, swings, wooden swords and shields ... of course some things will be easily counterfeited, but if I am the first on the market it will be my advantage.

I sent Żywia to Kattegad to tell the merchant with whom I do business that in a few days I will have new goods and if he is interested, let him see for himself and I went to work myself, it didn't take much time to make the blocks, two hours later I had several sets of larger and smaller ones. To make a swing, I needed ropes, I did not have many of them at home, and what I had was only enough to make a single copy that can also be used by adults. I went too ambitious for rocking toys, I didn't want to make a horse, but something more culturally appropriate... the carving of the bear was annoying and time-consuming, I would have to tell the merchant that I was doing it only on a special order and only for a lot of money.

The first subject of my tests was Mira i Żywia. Although they liked the blocks, they did not arouse such interest as the swing and rocking bear.

A few days later, I was sitting in my house with Skarde, on the table there was a small tower made of wooden blocks, which looked as if it was about to fall over.

- Your move, Skarde.

- Ulf, I've always wondered where you get your idea from ...

- From my head, now take the block out. As we agreed, the loser buys a keg of beer.

- I know, don't rush me ... I'm thinking how to do it.

After a while you could hear the sound of blocks falling and a muffled giggle of Żywia.

- It's the third barrel already, Skarde. Maybe you better stop before you spend all your fortune on a beer for me.

- Ulf, this will sell well. We have a deal.