10 Ch 10 Sharpen Your Swords

(Five Years Later)

I was now nearly Fully grown at eighteen years old, six foot six and two hundred and forty pounds, compared to the usual height of five foot seven for Norwegians I towered over all my men as we loaded all our supplies onto the ships.

I looked up and spotted the Earl talking with his slutty wife who was looking at me hungrily, beside her was their innocent daughter Thyri who was a bit too young but she'd be mine when the time came.

Soon the Earl returned to his ship to oversee things and I spotted Siggy whisper something in young Thyri's ear.

The cute girl looked over and blushed deeply while looking at me, I looked up and caught her staring so I winked which caused her to run away as Siggy giggled.

The Earl didn't want me to have his daughter since he aimed to use her in forming a connections with other Lords but I'd get her anyway.

I continued giving my men orders then looked toward my family who was standing at the edge of the Pier and praying for us.

I stepped away from my men and walked to Althea who stood with a swollen belly along with both my daughters, and my new wife Lagerta who was only one month pregnant.

I also spotted my two twin daughters crying as they watched me.

I knelt down and my took off my veiled nasal helm to look at my two daughters.

They both wrapped their little arms around my neck and cried.

"DADDY DONT GOOOO!!!!" Lilyvetta cried and grabbed onto me tightly.

"PAPA WILL YOU COME BACK SOON!!!" Athwyn cried while burying her head in my chest as well.

I'd gone on many raids before but now they were old enough to understand what that meant and they didn't like it.

I hugged them both deeply and kissed their foreheads and cheeks.

"Don't worry my Loves, your Papa will be back before you know it okay." I spoke and kissed both their chubby cheeks again.

They cried a bit more but I passed them to Milly our slave who cared for them as if they were her own even if she was young.

I pinched Milly's nose lightly and she giggled before taking the hands of the two girls.

I turned to Althea who was still as young and supple as the day I married her then I brought her into a deep Kiss as she wrapped her arms tightly around me for a long time.

I'd spent nearly all my points two years ago to keep Althea and Alfhild ageless.

they still looked perfectly beautiful with soft supple white skin and sparkling eyes.

Althea had seen me sail off on a seven raids and four battles and she knew I'd come back no matter what but she still hated the feeling of watching me go.

Althea kissed me nonstop until it was time to go.

She pulled away and spoke while looking in my eyes. "Come Back Husband.....We Will Soon Have Another Child To Care For." She spoke with tears in her eyes as she rubbed her belly.

I knelt down and kissed her stomach before standing and agreeing.

Then I turned to my new wife Lagerta who I'd only married last month, her belly still wasn't swollen but she was definitely pregnant.

I kissed her deeply as she jumped on me like a koala and slurped on my tongue wildly.

After that she latched her mouth to my neck and sucked hard to leave her mark.

"Come back to me Thenn....I can't live without you." She spoke with tears in her eyes, even though she put up a cold and ruthless front inside she was loving and sensitive once you got past her shell.

I hugged her close and held her as she cried into my chest, for a little while before separating.

My Mother Alfhild came up next and cut her thumb before rubbing her blood on my forehead and cheeks while saying a prayer. 

"Freyja bring my Son back safe and unharmed, I give my blood to make it so...." She changed a few times as she Slowly drew runes with her thumb on my skin.

Alfhild then brought me into a deep hug and whispered in my ear. "I received a vision from Freyja....I want you to marry me after Sigurd falls in battle..." She whispered and hugged me deeply.

I agreed and kissed her cheek as I took in her honey scent and the warmth of her body.

I gave all my women and daughters a final goodbye kiss and boarded my black dragon headed ship of which I am Captain.

I commissioned it with a chest full of silver and the approval of the Earl, if he denied me I would've cut him in half, I only owed him a tenth of my loot which was fine for now as I was raking in silver and gold with every raid.

My ship was manned with a crew of forty men armed and armored properly, we went out on raids more often than the other men so my Raiders had higher standards of skills and equipment, Tostig was my lieutenant and although he was getting old he had all the skills and strength necessary.

My two brothers rowed with Sigurd on The Earl's ship since they didn't want to be subservient to me on raids but that just meant they never gained the same wealth as I did.

I sat at the prow with Tostig and we spoke amongst ourselves as the men paddled out of the bay.

"This is idiotic, that stupid Earl of ours is going to get our men killed over a petty quarrel." Tostig spoke angrily at a whisper.

"Aye....I've already informed my men to fight defensively during the battle to come, I don't want them dead from the Earl's foolishness....but I aim to stand out more during the battle and earn a name for myself outside of just our clan." I spoke and Tostig nodded.

"Aye.....you've grown monstrously in the past years Thenn, sometimes I don't know what to think." He spoke and patted my shoulder before taking a swing from his mead gourd.

Over the past five years I had eaten hearts from hundreds of men and beasts and grown far stronger.....only a small percentage of the power was transferred to me but it accumulated to make me a beast among men.

I now carried a two handed Dane axe along with a sword and on my hip and shield on my back....but the blood stained great axe that I carried was quickly earning a reputation from the damage I inflicted with it.

I could bash through shields and crack open helmeted skulls In a single blow, my men saw me as blessed by Odin after witnessing me in battle and it was a reputation which I always upheld.

After leaving the bay we lowered sails and followed behind the rest of our tiny fleet.

My black ship sailed near Earl Haraldson and his two son's on their own ships as I stood at the prow and observed the land ahead of us.

The Earl got into a dispute with a neighboring Lord and war was called so I gathered my men and we rowed out for battle.

According to the Earl they decided to hold a battle on neutral ground to end the quarrel so we headed out to meet them in sacred combat.

The long ride made me think of the Old Crone as we sailed onwards.

Hilrae was still alive and strong but was now far more relaxed and spent most of her time relaxing by the fire and playing with her granddaughters.

Mother stayed at our place permanently since Rollo and Ragnar were old enough, and she made the excuse that she needed to care for my daughters now....I'd get her pregnant soon enough as well.

After three hours on the sea as we rode north east along the Norwegian shore we we spotted the right area.

I looked toward the beach through my helmet and spotted the smoke of campfires in the distance from the small army which was waiting for us patiently deeper inland....

this was a sacred battle between a hundred and sixty men on each side so they wouldn't dare try anything funny.

Our ships landed and we all dismounted and dragged the longships to shore so they'd be safe.

We all gathered up and Earl Haraldson spoke to us all. 

"The Battle will be at mid day so I want you all fed and watered for when the time comes....all men will be given silver from me as recompense for this fight along with a feast paid by me." He spoke aloud and his most men cheered him but mine rolled their eyes in annoyance.

A few coins and food wasn't enough for my men who were used to raping and pillaging to their hearts content, all the men in Kattegat longed to join my crew on our raids but nearly all were rejected.

My men came because it was their duty and am oath was sworn to Harald but already there were murmurings of discontentment towards the Earl who was growing worse year by year.

After the Earl spoke some men walked off to get wood for fires to make some food and a few casks of Mead were cracked open for the men to drink.

I walked to Earl Haraldson who sat beside his Son's.

"My Lord, I will be champion against their best man if you'll allow it." I spoke through my veiled helmet as I towered over the three of them.

"Aye, it'll serve to weaken their morale.....you're massive enough to kill any man Earl Skaryg throws at you." He spoke and nodded. 

"How did you get so big? I heard it was because of your Milk Maids Bi...." His son Magnus spoke before his smarter brother Sven covered his mouth and told him to shut up.

I looked at the Magnus, the second son of the Earl and spoke.

"When I fight the enemy champion I want you to watch closely.....if you ever speak of my Wife again whether to my face or behind my back that is what will become of you."

I spoke coldly as I moved my huge razor sharp Dane axe ahead of me, the bloodstains on the wooden handle were clear for all to see.

"You cannot threaten the son of your Lord Thenn." Earl Haraldson spoke.

"Order him to speak of my wife then.....I'm waiting." I spoke and I looked down at the young man through my helmet and I saw his hands tremble as he held a cup of Mead.

His brother Sven spoke.

"Let this matter go Thenn, you know my brother isn't that smart with his words, he meant no disrespect."

Sven, the firstborn spoke, he and I always had a good relationship since he saw me as a valuable asset for when he was Earl in the future.

"Very well, I will not pursue this matter but I hope your brother heeded my words because I only forgive once." I spoke and walked away as my heavy footsteps thudded on the ground.

Once I was far enough away the Earl spoke.

"Are you fucking stupid Magnus!!! Don't talk about his wife you idiot."

*SMACK 

Earl Haraldson scolded his son and slapped the back of his head. 

"If he calls a Holmgang do you think I can stop him?" The Earl spat at his Son.

"I'm sorry father I won't do it again..." Magnus spoke and his father nodded.

"Good, he is valuable for Kattegat and you should have learned from Sven and kept him in your good graces.....That giant doesn't forget a grudge and I doubt he'll ever forget those words you just spoke."

The Earl spoke and drank from his mead while Magnus looked down a bit ashamed.

I returned to my Men and sat as Tostig passed me a cup of refreshing mead and a bit of dried venison to munch on.

 "The men want permission to fight Agressively tomorrow." Tostig spoke @ bit hesitantly as the other men looked at me hopefully.

"I do not want you all to waste your lives on this pointless battle today, we will win of that I'm sure.....but to have any of you wounded,crippled, or killed because of this will be pointless....if you wish to fight Agressively then go ahead and join the other Men but you won't set foot on my ship again." I spoke while looking at all of them.

None moved an inch and I nodded.

"You all fight by my side to become rich....all of you are far more wealthy than the other men of Kattegat from the hard work we put in...if you die today your families will get a pittance from the Earl for your death since there is no loot aside from stripping the corpses of Earl Skaryg's Men. Save your lives and follow orders." I spoke and they all agreed verbally.

"Boss will you be the champion, I heard you'd fight in front of everyone before the battle begins...." The youngest of our company spoke.

"Aye, I will be....but don't worry for me since the gods have not decided that it is my time." I spoke and all the men laughed and agreed, soon their chattering filled my ears.

"Poor bastard that fights the Captain...." 

"He's getting split in half like all the rest...." 

"The Boss scares me when he eats those hearts though...." 

"It's the reason he's as strong as a bear....at least that's what my grandmother told me when I mentioned that Boss eats the hearts of those he kills...." 

"I've tried it once and threw up immediately...." 

"Then we'll all try it after the battle today, there will be plenty of hearts to eat after we slaughter them....." 

"Ewww I don't want to eat any hearts...." 

"Me neither, that's so gross...." 

The men chattered on while sharpening their swords and letting their feet out of their boots to air out.

Most of my men braided their beards and combed their hair then stained their faces Black with soot paint which made them look frightening for the enemy.

Soon after I founded my own crew other men from the regular ships tried to paint their faces as well but my warriors beat the fuck out of them and soon it became an unofficial rule that only the men who ride on my black dragon headed ship got to do this.

My men psyched themselves up and sharpened their axes and swords until the Sun reached the middle of the sky.

[QUEST GIVEN]

[KILL THE ENEMY CHAMPION AND EAT HIS HEART FOR ONE POINT] 

[KILL MORE THAN THIRTY MEN ON YOUR OWN TO BEGIN YOUR LEGEND FOR FIVE POINTS] 

[ALLOW SIGURD TO DIE FOR TWO POINTS]

[KILL EARL SKARYG AND HIS ONLY SON FOR TWO POINTS] 

The Earl blew a soft horn and we all rose from our spots.

We all donned our helmets and readied ourselves as we marched about a mile to the battleground.

The designated area was about the size of a football field and was lined with Hazel sticks around the edges to signify the border....a druid wearing deer antlers on his head stood at the center while dressed in a black robe.

.