Vikings: Nordic women

Chapter 44 People can't just be useless like this
Margarita's situation was different. The troops she led, even those eliminated from Juscarz, were highly combat-ready and loyal.

These soldiers are elites who have been strictly screened and trained, and their existence itself is a kind of combat power.

Therefore, when preparing to deal with violators, she needs to think more about how to utilize these soldiers' abilities and loyalty rather than simply executing them.

She may take a more nuanced and differentiated approach to dealing with these violators in order to achieve the goal of maintaining discipline while preserving combat effectiveness.

……

It was just dawn and a light morning mist filled the stable. Ralph, with his scarred face, and the donkey were both immersed in a peaceful sleep, with occasional snoring sounds.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps broke the silence. Ralph shook his body and slowly opened his eyes.

In the dim light, he saw a figure gradually becoming clearer. It was walking with arrogant steps, and its golden hair was extremely conspicuous in the white mist.

"Mist Girl?" He widened his eyes, slowly straightened his waist and lowered his head, rubbing his eyes in disbelief, as if doubting his own vision.

But as Margaret approached, his expression gradually became disappointed and he lay back.

He whispered: "You filled my entire past, but you are permanently absent from my future..."

His voice was filled with endless regret and sadness. Then he pulled the blanket over his head and turned back into an ordinary lame horse breeder.

"Hey, Cripple!" Margaret climbed over the fence easily, sat on it, and shouted to Ralph.

There was a hint of teasing in her voice, and she seemed to enjoy this intimate and familiar address.

Ralph was clearly still not fully awake from his sleep. His voice was muffled and a little hazy: "Girl, what are you doing here again?"

Margaret replied with a smile: "I'm here to borrow the donkey and go out for a walk!" As she spoke, she reached out and touched the donkey's head.

She had no intention of returning it, because the existence of the Clip Donkey would only remind Ralph of the unpleasant past, but would not bring him into the shadow of death.

Ralph immediately sat up, his eyes wide open, and said to Margaret in a firm tone: "Little devil, it's impossible, no one can take it away!"

Margaret smiled and responded: "You should know that it belongs to the Gotland family! It is not your private property!"

Ralph insisted, "But it belongs to me now, and no one can take it away from me!"

Margaret continued to challenge his bottom line: "Okay, but it will die sooner or later. Even if it belongs to you temporarily, how long can you protect it?"

Ralph was silent. He looked at Margaret deeply, and said with a complicated emotion: "Your tone of voice is very confident, just like her!"

Margaret asked curiously, "Who?" There was a glimmer of interest in her eyes, pretending to be curious about Ralph's past.

Ralph simply replied, "Old friend!"

Margaret did not ask any more questions, but jumped down, picked up the reins and began to put them around the donkey's neck, ready to leave. As she could not reach, Ralph came forward with his crutches to help.

I guess I thought she just wanted to ride.

During this process, the clamp donkey suddenly made a clamping sound.

Ralph was amused by the sound, and he said to Margaret with a smile, "Listen, you can only ride here!"

However, Margaret opened the fence and said, "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you, but it's not going for a walk today!"

What she was thinking about was giving Huscarz some extra food, dragon meat (hazel grouse) from the sky and donkey meat from the ground. She had long wanted to try donkey meat.

Donkey meat grilled, so delicious!
Margaret slapped the donkey's butt suddenly, ran away with the donkey, and turned back to stick out her tongue at him, as if to irritate him.

Ralph's astonishment and anger burst out in Margaret's playful smile. He widened his eyes and said in a commanding tone: "Stop, little girl, stop! Give it back to me!"

He hopped on one leg, trying to catch up, but soon he collapsed to the ground, holding onto the barn pillar to wipe the sweat off his face. Panting, he simply lay on his butt, as if giving up.

However, at this moment, a surge of strength suddenly surged in his heart. He struggled to get up, pulled a horse out of the stable nearby, and rode on it.

When he chased to the corner, he saw Margaret leading the donkey, leaning against the wall, as if waiting for him there.

"What a mess!" Margaret shook her head. Ralph stopped his horse in front of Margaret, his face full of anger and helplessness. He shouted at her: "Give it back to me!" His voice was full of urgency.

Margaret calmly patted the donkey's head, looked at him and smiled, "Let's make a deal!"

Ralph rolled off the horse on one leg, but because of his unstable center of gravity, he fell flat on his butt. He quickly snatched the reins from Margaret's hand and gently stroked the donkey's head, his actions revealing his deep attachment to the donkey.

As if it wasn't a donkey.

"The donkey is mine. Next summer, I will send people to find Feld's remains and fulfill the wishes of my uncle and Aunt Eunice!"

"No way!" Ralph glared and turned to leave. However, his steps stopped abruptly the next moment.

"I'll let you see her again!" Margaret's voice was like a spell, making him turn around involuntarily.

She put her hands behind her back, and her smile was somewhat mysterious. Ralph's eyes flashed with fear and escape.

"No need!" He tried to cover up something.

"Ralph?" Margaret called softly.

As if his deepest secret had been touched upon, Ralph turned his head sharply, his voice trembling: "How do you know my name is Ralph? How could you possibly know my name is Ralph?!"

He rushed forward, trying to catch her.

Margaret just smiled, took a few steps back, out of his reach, and said nothing.

Her heart was also in turmoil. Although she had no intention of recognizing him, seeing Ralph's panic, a trace of pity welled up in her heart.

At the last moment, she endured it and chose to hide her identity.

As an immortal species, she can live until the extinction of mankind, while Ralph and his friends' lives are as short as a shooting star.

She could not give them eternal life, nor could she bear the pain of watching her relatives and friends leave one by one, so she could only seal her heart with cement.

Perhaps this was her selfishness, but for the sake of the peace in her heart, she could only endure this loneliness.

Life is so helpless!

"Can you really let me see her again?" Ralph's tone was full of uncertainty and desire. "You are not lying to me, are you?"

"That depends on you, whether you are willing to trust me." Margaret stretched out her hand to him, and that action made Ralph dazed.

As Margaret waited silently, he slowly handed the reins to her.

Margaret couldn't help but sigh in her heart. Ralph was still as easily deceived as before. Perhaps, people like her were also destined to go to "Helheim" (return to Hela).

"You have to do me a favor!"

"What's the deal?"

"As one of the first two chief officers of Huscarz, I need your prestige!" Margaret looked at Ralph, who was looking away, "You should come out by yourself. If you stay under the damp eaves, you won't be able to experience dryness and comfort!"

"Huh?" Ralph turned his head to look at Margaret, his face dazed. He suddenly covered his head and sat down on the ground.

"Come and help me, let the reputation of Huzcarz and its founder spread like the sun, and be known to the world!" Margaret took off the necklace, put the ring on her finger, walked forward and stretched out her hand, with encouragement in her eyes.

No one in the world could convince Ralph, but Margaret was different, she was Eunice.

Ralph seized her hand and kissed the ring: "I pledge my loyalty to you, my lord, Margaret Robertson Duty, her heir!"

It's not that a tough guy can't be a general. Before Alexander became powerful, Huskalz still needed to ask Ralph to command.

Most of her team members are still alive, and they can't just be wasted like this.

(End of this chapter)