Goodbye

The day of Olen's funeral was miserable. It was raining and overcast from dawn until near dusk. Cally had planned for his funeral to begin as the sun sank below the western skies. The hearse brought Olen to the cove as planned. Cally waited by the hearse and when his casket was rolled out, she surprised everyone present by asking for it to be opened. The cove around Olen's longship was overflowing with people like an over full amphitheater. And with the sun dipping into the ocean it gave the impression the water was on fire. It was perfect for Olen's funeral.

Cally looked at her dear Olen's face. Marcus was nearby and was expecting to be called as a pallbearer. He was gazing at Cally's face as she tenderly looked upon Olen's face. To everyone who could clearly see her at this moment, it was the same loving expression a Mother would give her child. Cally reached into the casket and lifted Olen out. She cradled him in her arms as a Mother would carry her sleeping child. In size Olen was twice as big as Cally but she carried him with the same ease as if carrying a newborn. In a loud a voice Cally called out, " Olen Hamundarson, son of Hámundr Gunnarsson, Viking, warrior, invincible in combat, wise and loyal." Cally turned and walked towards Olen's ship.

She had been busy today in the rain and mist preparing his fur covered bed surrounded by food and drink offerings. The heavens wept for her as she didn't think she could cry. Cally hadn't minded the tears falling from the heavens at all. She continued calling out Olen's achievements and victories. "He fought Brian Boru, High King of Ireland at the Battle of Clontarf. He helped defeat King Bagrat IV at the battle of Sasireti. He rained down defeat on all his enemies. He was with Sigurd I of Norway during the first crusade." Cally slowly walked up the gang way of the ship never stopping in her Eulogy. Loudly proclaiming all of Olen's successful battles and conflicts until she gently laid Olen in his bed. She then looked to the darkening skies, "He was at Antietam and Gettysburg. He brought honor to his Father's name! Recieve this warrior into Valhalla to drink mead with the other einherjar, to await Heimdall raising Gjallarhorn to sound the beginning of Ragnarök.!"

Cally reached down and grabbed a dirk that lay on the bed, she slashed her hand and held it up to the skies as blood dripped down. "I swear as one who was once known as Gunnr, I will lay waste to Asgard itself if this great warrior is not taken home!" With that Cally turned and flung out her hand spraying blood across the planks. Everyone had been completely silent up to this point but with the spraying of her blood, roars and shouts filled the cove. It was as sudden as a cork leaving a bottle. Cally walked down the gangway and kicked it aside and it splashed into the outgoing tide. Cally looked over at Marcus, "Marcus, Renard, clan leaders, if you would put your backs into it and push this dragonship out."

Marcus had wanted to help carry his friend to his final rest. But this was better; this was what Olen had wanted. Thinking of Olen's last words. Cally had indeed given him a Viking funeral. As he and the other male clan leaders pushed the longship with ease off of the beach; he saw Cally fling the small dagger and cut the rigging that allowed the square sail to fall into place. Marcus and the others waded out chest deep pushing the longship with its shallow bottom. Once they were several yards off the beach, all together, with no words spoken, they gave a final shove and the ship began to move with wind in it's sail. They stood there and watched as the ship slowly gained momentum being pulled out into open water by currents and the wind.

After 20 minutes or so the ship had made it to a distance of perhaps a kilometer or more when Marcus saw the first fiery arrow fly towards the ship. The arrow struck right in the middle, near the mast. The skill was astonishing. Everyone looked and tried to follow the trajectory of the arrow when a barrage of flaming arrows followed. The image of the fiery barrage was beautiful in the night sky. Without exception all the arrows struck the dragonship as it rode the currents.

Marcus could easily make out a group of people on the northern cliff above the cove. If he wasn't sadly mistaken it was the 𝘠𝘢𝘯𝘢. There was a bonfire on the cliff providing the source of the fire for the arrows. He tried to look around for Cally on the beach but the beach was too densely packed with people. He didn't see her. But he suspected she had joined the 𝘠𝘢𝘯𝘢 on the cliff and had fired the first arrow. He looked back out at Olen's ship. It was already a blaze. As everyone watched the blazing ship, it continued on out to sea. When it had reached 2 kilometers distance the sail that was burning fell to the deck. The ship was fully ablaze by now. Soon there would be nothing left.

Cally stood on the cliff and watched the ship burn. She slowly turned her face to the skies. She stood with her hands resting on her hips. If the 𝘠𝘢𝘯𝘢 understood old norse they would have understood her mutterings. The strange sounding words were actually Cally saying, "Don't think I won't. You bunch of bastards!" Whether it was Cally's threats or simply fate, a falling star seemed to suddenly drop from the sky. Judging distance when looking at a darkened sea is near impossible. But to everyone in the cove that night, it looked as if the falling star landed on Olen's ship just as it sank beneath the waves.