Vikings: Nordic women

Chapter 21 The War is Coming

In Ou Ni's banquet hall, the bonfire was burning and the aroma of roasted lamb was everywhere, but Ou Ni's mind was far from being on the food.

Her brows were furrowed, and her eyes revealed deep worry. The small lords around her ate heartily, enjoying this rare feast.

"When you return to your fiefdom, you must train the soldiers. We will have a big operation next summer!" Ou Ni's voice was firm and powerful, penetrating the noise of the banquet.

The yals put down their cutlery and focused their eyes on Eunice. One of them couldn't help but ask, "Mrs. Eunice, what kind of big operation is this?"

Ouni smiled slightly, but there was a hint of mystery in that smile: "You will know when the time comes!"

She did not reveal any further details because she knew that the key to this plan was confidentiality and surprise.

She planned to launch a raid on their territories in the summer when warriors and lords from other territories flocked to the Eastern European Vikings.

At that time, the garrison forces in these territories will be greatly weakened, with only the old, weak, sick and disabled left. This will be a perfect opportunity for her to capture these territories in one fell swoop and expand her sphere of influence.

Ouni stood at the main seat of the banquet, her eyes swept over the six Yars present. Her voice was filled with the feminine power that belonged to her as a lord's wife: "Before next summer, I will give you a batch of fish scale armor, long swords, and bows and arrows. However, I need you to provide the raw materials. After you return to your fiefdom, immediately build your Yar Manor. Remember, I require you to pay wages and provide food, and collect a large amount of scrap metal and transport it here!"

She paused, her tone becoming more serious: "I don't allow you to abuse the people in your territory, because they will determine whether you are qualified for the profession of a Yar. They are all warriors of your regiment, and they are the ones you need to entrust your back to. Respecting them is respecting yourself."

The six Yars expressed their opinions one after another, their voices firm and powerful: "Yes, ma'am, we will!"

Ouni knew that the challenges she faced were far more than these. Only her municipality, Skelvik, was affected by the disaster, and other villages were not affected.

The wheat fields were burned, and the townspeople's winter food supply was gone. The town was not big, and she had to feed about 600 people, which was a huge challenge.

The banquet lasted until midnight, during which time Ouni sent someone to announce her decree to the townspeople.

She announced that a collective canteen system would be implemented, and the townspeople would be organized into groups and work together according to age and gender, with food distributed according to work. At the same time, she encouraged the townspeople to help each other and overcome this difficult time together.

Ouni's collective canteen became the center of the town of Skelvik. It was not only a food distribution point but also a symbol of social order.

In this system, everyone plays an important role and contributes to the survival of the community.

Children under the age of fourteen were busy along the coastline, collecting shellfish, catching crabs, turtles, clams, conch and seaweed, and catching birds.

Although these children are young, their work is vital to the survival of the town.

Women over the age of sixteen worked at the Yar estate. They burned charcoal, cut wood, cooked, processed and smoked meat, built fences, and were also responsible for sorting shellfish, removing poisonous ones, and weaving large bird nets.

These jobs require not only skills but also patience and carefulness.

The men carried bows, arrows, spears and other weapons into the mountains to hunt and kill seals. This was a hard job that required a lot of physical strength, but it was also a kind of training for them by Ouni to prepare for the upcoming battle.

Ouni knew that this winter would be a huge challenge. She needed to make a lot of dried meat to survive this winter and store rations for the battle next year.

In winter, daylight lasts only two hours at noon, which makes the townspeople's work even more difficult.

Everyone understands how difficult this winter has been, so no one objects.

The lazy people who emerged from the big-pot system were also gathered up by Ou Ni through reports, and people were sent to whip them, forcing them to forge in the furnace and help the blacksmiths.

Such harsh measures, though cruel, are necessary under the pressure of survival.

Ouni's leadership and decisiveness were fully demonstrated during this crisis.

As fall approaches, Ernie's Forge becomes the new hope for the town of Skelwick.

In the burned wheat fields, the barley that had not been touched by the flames was harvested, and the construction of the furnace marked an important step towards the town's self-sufficiency.

More furnaces were built, like a steel workshop, where not only weapons could be forged, but also farm tools and other necessities could be produced.

And during this busy period, Harold finally woke up from his coma.

But he seemed to have lost his former vitality and smile, becoming dull and only calling Ounnie's name mechanically, like a child who cannot live without his mother. No matter where Ounnie goes, he will follow silently.

Owen felt helpless and amused about Harold's dependence on her, so she gave him a nickname - "Harold the Possum".

The nickname comes from a South American marsupial, the opossum mother carries her young on her back as she moves around, and Harold is now just like those babies, sticking to her side all day long.

This interesting nickname quickly spread among the townspeople and became a topic of conversation. Harold didn't seem to mind the nickname. He still followed Eunice silently and became a special scenery around her. Although Harold's condition made Eunice worried, his presence also gave her an inexplicable comfort.

Ouni stood in front of Harold, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"Listen, stretch out your hand!"

She put on Harold's special bear-head cape, which made it look like a bear hugging him tightly.

In his sumptuous furs and warm socks and boots, Harold looked like a nobleman ready for a grand ceremony.

Ouni's heart was full of contradictions.

Harold's decline in intelligence brought her some relief, as she no longer had to deal with the embarrassment and emotional complications of the past.

But now, Harold's dependence on her made her feel a new sense of responsibility and pressure. She didn't know whether this was a good thing, but deep in her heart, she felt deeply guilty about Harold's condition.

She once doubted whether Harold was really mentally impaired, but after many attempts, the results seemed to show that Harold had indeed changed. This made O'Neill condemn her own tentative behavior in her heart, and she felt that she should not treat a former friend like this.

Harold tried to follow Eunice into her room several times, but she refused. However, when she found Harold squatting at the door all night, she softened her heart.

What could a fool do, she thought, so she made a bed for Harold on the floor in her bedroom.

At night, Harold did not try to climb into Owen's bed, but just held her hand tightly. In this wonderful balance, the two spent many nights.

She didn't know if it was an illusion, but she felt that Harold seemed to have become more clingy.

As winter approaches, the atmosphere in the town of Skelvik becomes quiet. Following Ouni's instructions, the six little arges deliver a large amount of scrap iron, which will be reforged in the blacksmith shop and become a sharp weapon for future battles.

However, as the weather turned colder, the townspeople's activities gradually decreased. Except for the blacksmith shop, charcoal kiln and brick kiln which were still working tenaciously, most people chose to stay in their warm homes and make arrows for emergency use.

Even Ouni's mount, the loyal companion whom she jokingly called Clamp-Sound Donkey, was unwilling to go out in this cold weather.

Ouni sat by the campfire, dozing off from time to time. Next to her was the high priest who kept urging her to build a new temple.

However, every time the high priest brought up the topic, Ouni always evaded the question by saying that there were not enough people and the weather was too cold. She promised to build a big temple for him next year, but the high priest was obviously not satisfied with this.

In a fit of anger, the high priest simply moved into the Yar residence to keep warm, and a new pleasure appeared in his life - bickering with Eunice.

He was like a nitpicker, constantly challenging Ouni's patience, and Ouni had no choice but to throw out some endless questions that had no answers.

"Mrs. Ouni, you still haven't told me the answer. Which came first, the egg or the bird?"

In the town of Skelwick, a shocking event is quietly brewing.

Ayana, the maid of Robert Jarre who was born last year, is actually pregnant! This news spread quickly throughout the town like a spring breeze, bringing a breath of spring to this cold winter.

After learning the news, Ouni conducted some investigation and confirmed that the child was indeed Robert Jarre's son.

This discovery surprised and surprised her. She never thought that she would suddenly have a nephew or niece, or even two.

But the arrival of this child also means that the Yaer family has a legacy, which is undoubtedly great news for Ounnie.

She has already begun planning the future for the unborn child. If it is a girl, she will be named "Margaret Robertson-Duty"; if it is a boy, he will be called "Alexander Robertson-Jare".

These names were carefully selected to distinguish them from the common names of the Norse people and to highlight the children's special identity and status.

As winter comes to an end and spring arrives, the ice and snow in the town of Skjoldvik begin to melt and everything comes back to life. The townspeople are busy with spring plowing and preparing for a new sowing season, hoping to get a good harvest in the new year.

The atmosphere of war permeated the air, becoming increasingly dense. After a year of growth, Ouni became more beautiful, and she had the temperament of a superior. Her firmness and confidence made people obey her involuntarily.

The mysterious large-scale operation she mentioned, although the details are still confidential, has been known to all the soldiers, and they are all waiting for her orders.

Ouni kept her mouth shut, knowing that a lack of caution can lead to disaster. Therefore, she did not reveal the details of the operation, but only asked the soldiers to be fully prepared.

Preparations for this day had been going on for a long time. The blades of weapons were sharpened to a shine, the fish-scale armor was oiled and well maintained, and the horses were fed to be fat and strong.

The armaments are ready, and the soldiers will rush into the battle without hesitation as soon as Ouni gives the order.

Everyone knows that war is coming!
　If you don’t want to water the fields, just make do with this!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)