Vikings: Nordic women

Chapter 69: Encountering a Highwayman

"Your Majesty, can I get rid of this unpleasant outfit?" Rosalin's voice was like a breeze blowing over the strings of a harp, gently pointing to the string of large intestines hanging around her neck. They exuded a disgusting stench, like the breath from the depths of hell, enough to make one's stomach juice churn violently.

Margaret shook her head slightly, her eyes as firm as a rock: "No way. Survival comes first! We must endure all this, otherwise we may encounter unimaginable misfortune." Although her voice was soft, it revealed her unquestionable determination.

Margaret knew that she had to set out on the journey as soon as possible. The road ahead was long, and every encounter might increase the risk of her returning home. Because the skin color of northerners, compared to other regions, was particularly pale, like frost and snow under the moonlight, which was so striking in the eyes of others.

At the same time, they were short of food and could only rely on the coastline as a guide so that they could ensure they had enough food to eat and would not get lost in the vast world.

Margaret was worried that she would return too late and Alexander might have already taken the throne. Then, the situation might have changed dramatically.

After all, there is no two suns in the sky, and no two masters on earth. The temptation of royal power has never been something that can be resisted by mere family affection.

If Margaret fails to return in time, there may be a tragedy of fratricide, which will cast a shadow on the family's reputation.

Her top priority was to return to the palace as soon as possible and restore her status. She had to nip in the bud the worries in her heart, such as the rise of the Jews.

However, she was not willing to take any risks, which meant that she had to walk. If she was lucky, she might come across a port town, where she could buy a horse with the golden peas in her sleeve pocket.

After discussing these concerns with Rosalin, they set out from the Pomeranian region in the north of the later German cultural sphere and embarked on a journey through the ancient Prussian cultural area.

"Your Majesty, I really can't walk any more. Can we take a break and find some food to fill our stomachs? This stench makes it almost impossible for me to breathe!"

"Hold on a little longer, we only have to walk a little further before we can rest!"

The coastline they had to cross was about two thousand kilometers long, which meant that even if they walked twenty kilometers a day, it would take a hundred days to complete the journey.

This distance is enough to make people exhausted!

But no matter how far, you have to finish it!

Margaret's hatred for Ragnar surged like a tide, and she blamed all her misfortunes on Ragnar for kidnapping her to Denmark.

She swore that once she returned, she would lead her army to invade Denmark and raze northern Denmark to the ground.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Margaret suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves behind her. When she was about to pull the breathless Rosalin into the woods, it was too late.

They were caught up by a group of bandits who had followed their steps, and they circled around the two on horseback to prevent them from escaping.

"Damn, what's that smell? It's so disgusting!" The bandit leader covered his nose and looked at the two men with disgust.

He spoke Norse.

"Boss, this stench is coming from them!" A thief pointed at them, who were emitting a pungent stench and covered with flies, and cursed them.

"Shut up, of course I know! Ugh~ What bad luck! Get out of here!" With that, the leader of the highway bandits continued to move forward with his men, looking for other targets.

Margaret secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling lucky that they were driven away by the stench and that she did not do anything to them. She continued to walk forward with Rosalin, whose face was covered with a veil.

However, they had not gone far before they encountered the group of horse thieves who were blocking the road again. They were resting in front.

"Go this way!"

Margaret immediately wanted to take a detour, but the group of people had sharp eyes and quickly mounted their horses and chased after her.

"Don't make a sound! I'll handle it! Don't be afraid!" she said hurriedly to Rosalyn.

The two were surrounded by bandits again. This time, the bandit dismounted, endured the stench and nausea, and tried to take off the cloth covering Rosaline's face. But when he got within three meters, he gave up, stepped back a few steps, and pointed his long sword at Margaret and Rosaline: "Take the things off your faces, or I will kill you!"

"As you wish, sir!" Margaret reluctantly took off her veil, and Rosalin followed suit. The stench almost made them faint on the spot.

It turns out that there is a layer of flowers hidden under the face cloth. This is their way of resisting the stench. Once it is uncovered, even they themselves cannot stand it.

The leader of the highwaymen watched the two men vomiting and laughed loudly: "Why do you stink so badly?"

Margaret and Rosalin's faces were covered with black mud, and their appearance could not be seen clearly.

Margaret shouted, "We have rinderpest. Don't get close to us. You'll get it!"

"plague?"

The highway thieves' eyes widened as if they had seen a ghost, and they quickly moved away from them.

"What is cattle plague, sir?"

"I don't know!" The leader of the highwaymen stared at the two men fiercely, "You are from the north? Why are you here?"

"We..." Margaret was about to answer when she was interrupted by the scream of a thief.

"It's the British cattle plague! I heard from some Vikings that cattle plague is breaking out over there!" a highwayman shouted in horror.

"What? Rinderpest?"

"Boss, should we kill them to prevent them from spreading the plague everywhere?" suggested a thief.

"Well, go and kill them!" the leader encouraged the person who made the suggestion.

"No, I can't go!" The highwayman who proposed the idea quickly shook his head and refused.

Margaret quickly interrupted: "We don't want to spread the plague to others, so we plan to find a deserted place to live alone. Please let us go, we will leave on our own. If you kill me, the plague may be transmitted to your weapons!"

"Get out of here!" the leader of the bandits yelled.

Margaret pulled Rosalin along and trotted around them. When they were a safe distance away, she looked back and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Stop, stop!" the highwayman shouted loudly and chased after him again.

A surge of anger surged in Margaret's heart. If it were in the past, all these people would have turned into blood eagles!
The tiger fell down and was bullied by the dog!
"Turn around right now and go east! There is a town in the east called 'Ricorpo'. If you go in, we will let you go!"

"Why? Boss, won't that spread the plague to others?" a thief asked in astonishment.

"That damn lord killed so many of us. We should take revenge on him. Not many people will die!"

The highwaymen forced them to enter the town and bring the plague in to take revenge on the local lords.

Margaret and Rosalin looked at each other and could only nod helplessly.

Margaret was thinking in her mind that it would be a good opportunity to take advantage of the situation. She wondered if she could recruit some mercenaries and buy some horses after entering the town.

(End of this chapter)