(no subject)

[athelstanthescribe]

It's almost time to leave their little hunting cabin and go back to the town, much as Athelstan and Ragnar might wish they could stay... but Athelstan's dog is nowhere to be seen.

Athelstan stands in the doorway, looking and calling for him, and finally he reappears, carrying something in his mouth.

"Fiachra? What have you got there?"

He crouches for a better look, frowning as it strikes him that doesn't look like a deer bone...

Comments

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar looks at Athelstan, and smiles. "As my steward, you are free to feed whatever is left over to those that need it; in fact, I'm sure you're doing that very thing all the time. Any lord makes sure that happens, unless you have some miserly, greedy loser like Earl Haraldsson. But sometimes, food is not enough."

Pause.

"And it might be good to have a coffer for that, so it's not a bounty poor people must humbly ask of the lord in the hall, but know help will be their's for the asking, and from the hand of the steward."

Everybody knows everybody, so it will be very obvious if somebody is lying out of greed, and not asking out of need.

[athelstanthescribe]

"I'd be glad of it", Athelstan says with a nod. "And in some cases, perhaps I'll make sure it gets to them whether they ask or not."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"People know where it's needed," Ragnar nods. "So do you."

It would be good for the earl's reputation, and for Athelstan's standing among the Norsemen, too. And it would definitely be a way of relieving the spirit of this poor child from his watch.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Is there anywhere", Athelstan asks, "perhaps inland, where the harvest is always good and plentiful? In case ours fails, it would be good to have a source to buy from."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"No harvest is always good," Ragnar says. "But the country around Ribe, where my aunt and cousins live -- you know, the aunt who killed the Frisian trader? -- is very bountiful, and good for farming of any kind. If we sail one of Floki's smaller boats, we can get to Ribe in three or four days."

[athelstanthescribe]

"That would be ideal", he says with a nod. "Especially as you have family there."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"So, we should just go soon and talk to them," Ragnar says. "Half a month at the most should do that."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Yes. And perhaps if it's just the two of us, and the boat doesn't need our attention all the time, in the wild and empty places..."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar gives him that grin.

"We take breaks at night, of course, in the wild, where nobody goes anyway."

Pause.

"The two of us, and a dog or two."

To warn them, should anybody approach.

[athelstanthescribe]

"It's not safe to sail unfamiliar waters at night, if there's a choice to stop", Athelstan says seriously. "There might be rocks."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"I never planned to sail at night," Ragnar says. "That's dangerous!"

[athelstanthescribe]

He grins.

"Then we have every reason to stop and make camp."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"So," Ragnar says, "let us collect the bones of this boy, and some coin, and cover the rest of it safely. And then, we can do all that we planned."

[athelstanthescribe]

He smiles.

"Let's. And we can come back for the rest in small amounts."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"And when we find the magic place again, we can fetch what we want to take there."

[athelstanthescribe]

"If we do. We'll keep some back against that day."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"And the vessels; there must be a cross as well?" Ragnar says. "For the church there."

[athelstanthescribe]

"There will be, somewhere in here", Athelstan says with a nod. "Is there a prayer that needs to be said for the boy?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"We'll sacrifice something when we rebury him down in Kattegat, among people," Ragnar says. "A young male goat, for example. The blood will wash off enough of the duty Earl Haraldsson placed him under."

A young male goat -- strong but expendable, like this poor boy.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Good. You know what needs to be done. I can select the goat, if you like."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Yes," Ragnar says.

He starts gathering the thin bones onto his leather jerkin, very carefully.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan kneels down and begins to help him, handling the bones with tender reverence.

"Do you remember his name?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"... Bjarni," Ragnar says. "I think."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Bjarni", Athelstan says softly. "It'll have to do. No one should be buried without a name."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Lagertha would have known for sure," Ragnar says.