Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 136 Harpoons and Spears

Hearing Bjorn's words, Helgi did not refute them.

According to the usual practice at sea, the captain's authority is not to be questioned, and in extreme cases, certain sailors who disrupt order can be sentenced to hanging.

At dawn on the seventh day, the lookout in the square sterncastle suddenly shouted:

"Look at that spot!"

The sea was covered with floating ice, the clouds were extremely low, and a faint black shadow appeared in the distance, which was a flock of migratory birds.

Realizing that land was near, Bjorn instructed the crew to row. After two hours of sailing, an endless ice field appeared to the side and ahead, with white cliffs piercing the sky and ice floes of various sizes floating on the sea.

"Slow down, don't hit those ice blocks!"

Bjorn ran to the bow and warned the helmsman at the stern to avoid the ice floes that appeared from time to time.

At 3 p.m., the Explorer sailed into the nearest fjord, its keel crunching through the thin ice with a crisp sound. They found a patch of tundra in the sheltered area, with Arctic fox paw prints scattered nearby.

Once ashore, the sailors used oars to set up makeshift tents and cast fishing nets in the shallow water in an attempt to replenish their fresh meat supply.

While they were laughing and playing, Helgi picked up a clump of soil and whispered a reminder to Bjorn:
"The soil fertility is too poor, it is not suitable for growing crops, it is far worse than that of Northern Europe, we must find a more suitable place."

After a day of rest, the Explorer sailed south along the coastline, rounding the southern tip and discovering some greenery deep in the fjords of the southwest coast.

grassland?

Bjorn laughed loudly, even if he couldn't grow crops, at least he could make a living by herding cattle and sheep.

He maneuvered the Explorer to anchor on the shore, chose a suitable sheltered spot to build a camp, and due to a lack of timber, he could only build walls with stones and cover them with turf to serve as a roof.

Climbing to the top of the fjord, Bjorn gazed at the vast white wilderness interspersed with scattered patches of green and decided to name his new territory.

"Let's call it Greenland (meaning Green Island)."

Noticing the doubts of those around him, Bjorn offered the following explanation: a good name can attract more immigrants.

Helgi: "I don't think it will make much of a difference. Britain and Normandy have vast tracts of fertile land waiting to be cultivated, making them prime destinations for immigrants. All your hard work over the years has only resulted in Iceland's total population of a thousand, 30% of whom are purchased slaves. Greenland, located west of Iceland, will absorb even fewer people."

Suddenly, a crew member responsible for scouting inland ran over, holding up a half-meter-long, milky-white tooth. "Boss, there are large herds of walruses on the nearby beaches, far more than in Iceland."

In the Middle Ages, ivory was an absolute luxury item, used to make walking sticks, jewelry boxes, chess sets, and various high-end ornaments. Western and Northern Europe lacked elephants, so walrus ivory was used as a substitute.

Bjorn gathered twenty crew members, armed with crossbows and javelins, and raced forward. As they crested the hillside, they discovered thousands of grey-brown walruses gathered on the distant beach, resembling undulating rocks. The salty sea breeze swept across their thick, wrinkled skin, creating a chorus of wheezing sounds.

"We're rich! We're really rich now!"

Bjorn gestured for the group to approach slowly, and with a volley of fire, he killed the eight outermost walruses. Then, he used a knife to skin them, collect their ivory and fat, and after a long time, he returned to the shore camp with these spoils.

The next day, Bjorn urged the crew to get up quickly, but a group of natives wearing animal skin cloaks appeared outside the camp. They had rough skin and pale yellow faces, and they danced and gesticulated wildly at the Vikings.

A few minutes later, Hergi frowned. "This is their hunting ground; it's like they're trying to drive us away."

At a glance, the opposing force numbered over two hundred, armed with bone harpoons, bone javelins, and a crescent-shaped stone knife. Bjorn, unwilling to clash with the locals, gave them some pale beer and iron knives as gifts.

Soon, the locals finished three barrels of light beer. The chieftain burped and gestured for a while, seemingly proposing a deal: hunting rights in exchange for the Vikings' drinks and knives.

"Haha, of course! Next time I'll bring more beer and iron tools to exchange for furs, walrus ivory, and animal fat."

Bjorn gestured for the locals to inspect the quality of the iron knives, silently calculating the profits from the business.

Importing a barrel of beer from Tyneburg, exchanging it for goods such as furs here, and then selling the goods back to Tyneburg can yield at least 10 to 20 times the profit!
The enormous success overwhelmed Bjorn's reason, leaving him dazzled and intoxicated. He thought, "If this continues, won't I be richer than the king?"

Hergi tugged at his chin, his beard braid. “Well, it’s not that simple. Vig once mentioned something: in the short term, the greater the supply of a certain good in the market, the lower the price. He called that ‘economics’.”

“Then sell to the more southern regions, York, Londinium, Flanders, the Mediterranean!” Bjorn waved his hand, clearly making this his business for the rest of his life. “Make money, buy more ships, make even more money, and one day, when I’ve earned more money than my father’s treasury, let’s see what he has to say.”

Hergier was speechless. "As Ragnar's son, you possess more than most people in the world. Is this really necessary?"

Bjorn: "I am first and foremost Bjorn, and only secondly Ragnar's son. I have worked so hard so that one day, when people introduce me, they will think of 'Iron Bone' Bjorn first, rather than 'Ragnar's second son' Bjorn."

Being the son of a legendary figure is both an honor and a suffocating burden. Bjorn vows to break free from his father's shadow and become another legend through his own efforts.

These words also touched Hergi.

In recent years, whenever he meets a new Viking, the other person always asks, "Are you the brother-in-law of the Serpent of the North? How did the Serpent of the North manage to annihilate the main force of West Francia in one battle?"

All of this left Helgi with no other choice. He joined Bjorn's expedition not for money, but simply to prove himself a true Viking warrior.

As the two were sighing, they suddenly heard a commotion not far away. The natives abandoned their beer and knives and retreated like the tide.

what happened?

Bjorn asked the crew and received a ridiculous answer—the natives were terrified by the sheep carried by the Explorer. They had never seen sheep before and thought they were some kind of cursed creature, so they fled in panic.

"Haha, these barbarians are ignorant and making a fuss over nothing."

A sailor, who was mocking the indigenous people, suddenly found a bone spear protruding from his chest, its tip still dripping blood.
"Enemy attack!"

In the chaos, the forty Vikings were ambushed by an enemy force several times their size, and more than half of them were killed or wounded. Bjorn fled to the Explorer and ordered the crew to weigh anchor and set sail.

Looking at the noisy natives, Bjorn flew into a rage. He pointed to the shore and roared, "Don't you dare leave! Wait until I call my men over!"

It's now late August, autumn is approaching, and the North Sea is getting increasingly rough. Bjorn plans to come back next year to get his revenge.

"These ignorant fools, at worst we can borrow some money from Vig and buy four Kirk ships at once, and recruit two or three hundred raiders. I don't believe we can't handle these troublemakers."

Meanwhile, in the North, Vig sneezed. "Who's insulting me?"

After grumbling for a moment, he composed himself and led his guards into Glasgow, where they encountered an unexpected incident.

(End of this chapter)