Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 135 Squid
After resting for a day in Tyne, Bjorn's fleet left the dock and sailed along the coastline to the Orkney Islands, where they unexpectedly encountered a somewhat familiar one-eyed man.

"You, who are you?"

"Herji".

Bjorn slapped his thigh. "Yes, you're Vig's brother-in-law. I've heard him mention your name before."

After chatting for a while, Helgi heard that Björn was interested in exploring an unnamed island west of Iceland, and suddenly became interested, suggesting that they join the expedition together.

With permission, Helgi led nine crew members aboard Bjorn's Kirk, the Explorer.

Before departing, he instructed the remaining sailors, "Return to Skye, take Britta and Leif to Glasgow, and then travel overland to Tyneburg. Vig will take good care of them."

Leaving Orkney, Bjorn's fleet sailed north to the Shetland Islands, which, according to a recent peace agreement, belonged to the Duke of Tynburg's territory.

When the fleet docked at the main island, Bjorn found only a symbolic black flag flying there, and no other soldiers or officials from Tyneburg.

"Did Vig discover some rare mineral deposits after going to such lengths to seize this place?"

Even on the second day before setting sail, Bjorn was still inquiring about the relevant information. Filled with doubts, he set sail, determined to ask Vig for clarification when they met again.

Four days later, late at night, Bjorn had dinner and played chess with Helgi in the captain's cabin. Life at sea was dull and monotonous, and the crew could hardly find any other entertainment besides playing chess and chatting.

After losing three games in a row, Bjorn completely lost confidence, stretched and walked onto the deck to check on the night watchmen.

Normally, a Kirk merchant ship typically requires a crew of twenty, including:
The ship's crew includes the captain, helmsman, sailors (who adjust the sails, load and unload cargo, and row when necessary), cook, and carpenter.

Including Helgi's crew, the Explorer carried a total of thirty people. Bjorn arranged for groups of six to take turns keeping watch in five shifts to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

After strolling around the deck, Bjorn woke up the three men who were dozing off. As per the rule, they lost their daily ration of light beer and were responsible for cleaning the deck the next day.

"Boss, is this really necessary? We're located in the western waters of Shetland, far from our usual shipping lanes. It's impossible for us to encounter pirates."

“The rules cannot be changed,” Bjorn said grimly. “Even without pirates, we might encounter other things, such as floating icebergs on the sea. It’s always better to be careful!”

After cursing a couple of times, he yawned and headed towards the cabin, only to find the sailors pale-faced and pointing to the sea on the starboard side of the ship. "Boss, you were right, there's a sea monster!"

Bjorn turned his head sharply and saw a huge, thin shadow floating beneath the surface of the sea, which did not resemble the outline of a whale.

Soon, the shadow approached the Explorer. Before the crew could react, the sea suddenly exploded with spray, and three tentacles covered with suckers pierced the water, writhing in the air like giant pythons, splashing salty seawater everywhere.

Faced with this strange creature they had never seen before, everyone was shocked. Only Bjorn reacted and grabbed a four-meter-long oar, striking it hard.

“Vahalla!”

He struck the nearest tentacle, feeling its extremely slippery surface, which gleamed with an indescribable viscous sheen under the moonlight. The next moment, the sea monster went berserk, and three more tentacles emerged from the water, attempting to slap the Explorer floating on the surface.

After the collision, the oar accidentally fell into the sea. Bjorn looked around for a suitable weapon and, finding the sailors still in a daze, urged them to get to work.
"What are you waiting for? The gods never allow cowards to enter Valhalla!"

No one answered; they remained standing there, stunned, leaving Bjorn to fight this ferocious sea monster that was not of this world.

Bang!
After a few more impacts, the Explorer's canvas was torn open, and Bjorn staggered and fell onto the deck. As the tentacles covered in suckers loomed over him, he instinctively drew his iron axe, intending to deliver a fatal blow before he died.

huh~
Suddenly, a crossbow bolt grazed Bjorn's ear and pierced a thick, slippery tentacle. The tentacle writhed in agony, but after being struck by a second bolt, it quickly retreated back to the surface, as if nothing had happened.

"Are you alright?" Hergi walked over with a crossbow in hand to check Bjorn's injuries.

"Thank goodness. Thank you for saving my life and keeping me from being preyed upon by the Kraken (a legendary sea monster)."

Hergi put down his crossbow and said with some skepticism, "Uh, this doesn't seem to be a sea monster, just a large marine creature."

Bjorn's eyes widened. "You've seen this thing before?"

Helgi: "I've never seen one before, but Vig has mentioned it. He said there's a giant squid in the North Sea called the 'giant squid,' which is the length of 3 to 10 adults. Sigh, we've encountered the biggest giant squid ever. I don't know if we're just unlucky or incredibly lucky."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Vigg also mentioned that giant squid are a primary food source for sperm whales. Well, I suspect it probably mistook the Explorer for a rather threatening whale, thinking it was going to eat it, and thus fought back fiercely."

Upon learning that these conjectures originated from Vig, Bjorn was at a loss for words. "Well, since it's the word of the 'Chosen One,' I can only believe it."

After getting through the night, the rest of the journey was relatively peaceful, and the Explorer and five Viking longships arrived in Iceland.

The moment they set foot on land, the crew of the Explorer couldn't wait to share their experience, boasting that the "Kraken" sea monster had dozens of tentacles that, when they all emerged from the sea, even blocked out the moonlight.

Hearing all sorts of strange rumors, the family members who came to greet them were terrified and thought that continuing to explore westward was not a good idea. Under their persuasion, the crew of the Explorer gradually withdrew, infuriating Bjorn.

After three days of coercion and enticement, he managed to assemble a new expedition team of forty people, with enough supplies and light beer on board to last for forty days.

"Let's go! The eyes of the gods are on us!"

Björn ordered the ship to set sail, and the crew turned the winch to raise the anchor and steered the ship on an unknown journey.

During the years Björn has lived in Iceland, in addition to himself, three fishing boats have claimed to have seen traces of the unnamed island in different locations.

Therefore, this deserted island is vast, and as long as you sail due west, even if you deviate slightly from the angle, you don't need to worry about missing it.

At noon, Bjorn went to the stern deck, took out a bunch of odds and ends to measure the direction, marked them on the nautical chart, and explained to Helgi beside him:
"We're on the right track. We expect to reach the coastline in 8 to 10 days. Finding the island shouldn't be a problem. The key is to find a fjord where we can shelter from the wind."

(End of this chapter)