Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 4 Invitation

For the next period of time, Vig followed Ivar to learn combat skills. As a shield guard, he could enjoy bread and fish to his heart's content, and his originally thin physique became increasingly robust.

Sometimes, when Ragnar was bored, he would give him a few pointers.

"Don't rely too much on your shield, and remember not to let it obstruct your vision."

"The most practical approach when facing grunts is to let them attack. After using your shield to block, the attacker will be momentarily unsteady, which is the perfect opportunity to strike a fatal blow. If you are facing an experienced warrior, they will use feints to lure you into attacking. In this case, you should pay close attention to their footwork."

"If you and your enemy are both wielding swords, you can use the 'sword-stirring' technique, where you use your sword to press against your opponent's weapon, stir and deflect his blade, and then you can thrust straight at his vital points."

Through years of fighting, Ragnar summarized five of his most frequently used sword techniques, which are simple and efficient. In addition to the sword twisting, there are also the top chop, the counterattack, the thrust, and the sword disengagement.

Compared to a one-handed axe, an iron sword offers much greater flexibility, accommodating both slashing and thrusting attacks. Its only drawback is its high cost. An ordinary one-handed sword costs half a pound of silver, roughly equivalent to four cows. Chainmail is even more expensive, typically costing 3-5 pounds of silver, and is only available to nobles or seasoned warriors.

With limited experience, Vig was not qualified to be equipped with top-tier armor such as chainmail. He was only wearing a set of scale armor taken from a fallen shield guard, weighing about 26 pounds, and a plain-looking Germanic iron helmet, which provided decent protection.

Training continued into the depths of winter, and he had fully adapted to his new role as a shield guard. For some reason, he seemed particularly suited to wielding a one-handed sword, and as time went on, he was even able to exchange a few blows with top-tier killers like Ivar.

"Good, you've made great progress. With this armor, ordinary warriors can't do anything to you."

Taking advantage of an opening, Ivar knocked Vig to the ground and sighed to himself, thinking that he had accomplished his mission by teaching him to this extent.

Suddenly, a commotion arose from the east side of the street. He looked closely and saw that twenty young women, equipped with round shields and one-handed axes, were escorting Lagasha as she walked. At the end of the procession was a ten-year-old boy dressed in white.

"You are finally here."

When his mother and younger brother arrived, Ivar excitedly went to greet them. With these shield maidens helping to maintain order, he would feel much more at ease sleeping at night.

Behind him, Vig struggled to his feet and looked at the tall, beautiful woman with long, light-white hair in the crowd. He instantly guessed her name.

Lagosa, as the most famous shield maiden in the Nordic region, it's not surprising that she recruited a group of followers. As for the white-clad youth at the end, he should be the "White-Clad" Hafdan from later generations.

With the arrival of these reinforcements, the lord's longhouse gradually became lively. Soon after, Gunnar also led a group of Viking warriors to pledge allegiance, bringing Ragnar's warrior force to sixty, and food consumption increased significantly.

As the warehouse reserves dwindled day by day, Ragnar was forced to take a full inventory of his possessions, and the results were alarming—even if he used gold and silver to purchase food, the stored grain would not last until autumn.

"We must go out to sea to plunder after the spring, otherwise we won't be able to survive."

Upon receiving Ragnar's orders, the carpenters began building Viking warships, and the idle guards were sent to the workshops to do odd jobs.

Today, the Viking longship has a well-developed design, divided into merchant ships and warships.

Merchant ships are wider and deeper, with fixed cargo holds and decks, and are 15-20 meters long, capable of carrying ten tons of cargo.

Warships emphasized speed and maneuverability, had no fixed cargo holds, were 20-30 meters long, and typically carried fifty warriors. For the next month or so, Vig witnessed firsthand how the artisans of this era built longships. First, a sturdy, intact tree trunk was selected as the keel to ensure structural strength and prevent it from collapsing in the wind and waves.

The hull was made of corrosion-resistant oak, with the planks riveted together in an overlapping manner and then secured with iron nails. The gaps between the planks were filled with tar-soaked moss. Viger was very skeptical about the waterproofing properties of this material, but he had no choice but to proceed with it anyway.

After the hull is finished, ribs and beams need to be added, using flexible hazel or ash wood. The canvas is made of wool and coated with a layer of waterproof beeswax.

By late February, the carpenter had completed three warships, which, together with the previous two, could carry a total of two hundred people to sea, with Britain still as their target for plunder.

The reason for choosing Britain over the more prosperous West Frankish territory is quite simple.

Since the end of Roman rule in Britain, the island has been in a long period of fragmentation, with countless large and small kingdoms scattered across the land, leading to a sharp decline in civilization. Currently, only three kingdoms possess considerable strength: Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex, from north to south. The rest of the region is powerless to prevent small- to medium-sized pirate attacks.

"Hmm, the target this time is still Essex. Hopefully, we can steal as many iron farm tools as possible."

Just as Ragnar was preparing supplies, he suddenly met a messenger from Oslo who explained that King Eric had invited Ragnar to be his guest.

"Are you here to discuss a robbery?"

The envoy nodded. "Yes, he is looking forward to your arrival."

“Okay, I’ll leave tomorrow.” Three years ago, Ragnar had met Eric once, and they had a good impression of each other. He shouldn’t be the type to harm him.

The following morning, Ragnar and his party sailed north along the coastline, arriving in Oslo five days later—Norway’s largest settlement with a permanent population of two thousand.

"What a lively place."

Since arriving in this time and space, this was the first time Vig had ever seen so many ships. Looking out, the cold wind tore at the morning mist on the cliffs on both sides of the fjord, and hundreds of longships crowded on the sea, their towering masts piercing the sky, like a floating forest.

He stepped ashore on the creaking pier and found the place bustling with activity. The air was thick with the smells of ale, pickled herring, and burning whale blubber, mixed with the clanging of blacksmiths' hammers, creating a rare atmosphere of prosperity.

On the way to the lord's longhouse, Vig roughly counted at least a hundred armored warriors, guessing that King Eric must have invited other nobles, otherwise his family alone could not have gathered so many armors.

"Is this a pirate convention?"

Vig's guess was soon confirmed: nine chairs were placed in a circle in the open space in front of the lord's longhouse, symbolizing the equal status of the nine nobles.

"Nine nobles, assuming each territory can muster more than two hundred people, that would be a massive fleet of two thousand people, enough to conquer a small to medium-sized country. This would be a rare spectacle."

Filled with curiosity, Vig stood behind Ragnar's seat, quietly listening to the pirate gathering.

(End of this chapter)