Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 48 Helgi

After three days of sailing around the northernmost point of Britain, the longship headed southwest along the coastline. This region had a rugged coastline, numerous islands, and a fjord landscape, much like Northern Europe. The only difference was that, influenced by the North Atlantic Current, the climate was mild and humid, thus attracting many Vikings to settle there.

On the fourth day at noon, a Nordic-style temple appeared on the top of the cliff in front of them. Vigler ordered his men to dock, and all of them put on armor. Five men were left to guard the boat, while the remaining sixteen men walked along the overgrown hillside toward the temple.

Before long, five shepherd boys armed with slingshots stopped them.

"stop!"

Seeing this, the guards instinctively surrounded their lord, and Yoren stepped forward holding the flag. "Calm down, we mean no harm. May I ask where Skye is located?"

"Tell me your identities?" The boy didn't put down his slingshot; instead, he started whistling to call out to the adults nearby.

Disrespected by these twelve- or thirteen-year-old boys, Yoren's tone gradually hardened, "Watch your attitude, kid. Do you know who you're talking to?"

He gestured for the boy to look at the black flag with a yellow dragon, "My master is the Lord of Tyneburg appointed by Ragnar, the Chosen One, the Serpent of the North, a hero who has fought in the battles of Manchone, Yorktown, and Dufylin, the wielder of the Dragon's Breath Sword, Vig Hackenson, do you understand?"

Upon learning of the legendary figure's arrival, the leading youth put down his slingshot. "This is Skye Island. What do you want?"

"Looking for someone." Vig pushed aside the shield guard beside him and strode towards a middle-aged woman running from a distance. "Long time no see, sister, you've aged a lot."

“Vigg?” Britta raised her head in disbelief, looking up at the man who was clearly a head taller than her, and instinctively reached out to touch his cheek. “I thought the Chosen One ‘Vigg’ that others talked about was just someone with the same name as you, but I didn’t expect it to be the same person. Come with me.”

Beyond the ridge, below the hillside, lies a small settlement of fifty households, surrounded by a simple wooden wall.

At this moment, the vast majority of residents gathered in front of the gate to watch the chosen one whose fame had spread throughout the entire Viking society. At the forefront of the crowd stood a one-eyed man with a cold expression. Vig took the initiative to step forward and give him a hug, "Brother-in-law, it seems you have found the life you want."

Helgi stiffly embraced the other. In the past two years, he had heard countless tales of the "Chosen One," Vig, but he still couldn't reconcile the Chosen One with the dull-witted boy he remembered. A wave of astonishment and shock washed over him, ultimately coalescing into one sentence:
"Long time no see, Vig."

When the distinguished guest arrived, Hergi slaughtered livestock to hold a banquet, and Vig had his shield guards deliver two gifts: a gold necklace and a set of chainmail.

"What a precious gift, thank you." Helgi took the chainmail and put it on. He felt a little cramped, but was still extremely satisfied. "By Odin, I never thought I would be qualified to wear such top-notch armor."

Receiving such a generous gift, his smile grew even brighter, and he ordered the slaves to bring out all the wine to serve his guests. During the meal, Vig casually mentioned the Archipelago Alliance, and the half-drunk Hergi raised his glass.

"Your information is very accurate. In mid-May, two settlements jointly raided the Gaels on the west coast and suffered heavy losses. In view of the enemy's growing vigilance, eleven nearby settlements have decided to form an alliance to launch joint raids in the future."

alliance?

Vig was about to question the actual leader of the alliance when he was entangled by a five-year-old boy who clung to his arm and shook it back and forth, clamoring to play with the Dragon Breath Sword at his uncle's waist.

"You can look, but whatever you do, don't touch the blade." Vig was exasperated. He drew his longsword, showed it to his nephew a few times, twirled it, and then sheathed it. "Uncle, could you give me a sword?"

Vig ruffled his nephew's hair. "Of course, Leif. If you ever come to Tyneburg, I'll give you an iron sword, a pony, and lots of other novelties."

Having finally managed to get rid of the little boy, he intended to continue gathering information about the Archipelago Alliance. He saw his brother-in-law fast asleep on the table, half of his body soaked by an overturned wine jug, looking like a middle-aged drunkard that could be found anywhere in a tavern.

The next morning, Vig woke up slowly, clutching his head. He noticed the outside noise and went outside to see a dozen strangers entering the chieftain's longhouse in Helgi.

"what happened?"

The two guards standing watch outside the door said in unison, "The guests who just arrived seem to be from the neighboring North Yuist Island."

North Yuist?
Vig had heard Helgi describe the surrounding area last night, but the names of the islands were too numerous and complicated. He only remembered that the westernmost island was St Kilda, which had no trees but was home to a large number of gannets, puffins, and wild goats with curved horns.

In his mind, islands where birds congregate are likely to produce guano, a rare natural fertilizer, so he pays special attention to this island.

After washing himself with a basin of clean water from the well, Vig tied his loose hair into a ponytail, dressed neatly, and headed to the chieftain's longhouse. The shield guards, already used to their lord's fastidiousness, silently followed behind.

Upon entering, his brother-in-law introduced him to the visitor: Stein, the lord of North Yuist Island, the most powerful in the Archipelago Alliance.

Sensing the subtle hostility emanating from the bearded bald man, Vig suppressed his smile. "Lord of Tyneburg, Kingdom of Northumbria."

Although both sides were lords, the so-called Archipelago Alliance was located in a barren and sparsely populated area, with a combined population of less than a third of Tyneburg's. Moreover, the dozen or so men behind Stein were mostly unfit for their positions; if the two sides were to turn against each other and start fighting, Stein alone could easily take down half of them.

The next moment, his sister brought over a bowl of steaming mutton soup. Vig took small sips and casually listened to Stein and his brother-in-law Helgi's conversation. It sounded like the Archipelago Alliance was about to launch a raid, targeting Glasgow—the capital of the Gaels.

"I agree!"

Having just acquired a new chainmail, Helgi was worried about where to use it. "It just so happens that Vig is here too. He is skilled in siege warfare. York and Dufylin are the best examples. With this famous 'Chosen One' in charge, we will definitely be able to break through Glasgow."

Stein stroked his messy beard. "No, this operation is revenge for the last defeat. It's an internal matter of the Archipelago Alliance, and it's not appropriate to trouble our guests with it."

Internal affairs?

Vig instantly understood Stein's true intentions: his refusal to participate in the war was simply because he was worried that Vig would affect Stein's influence in the Allied forces.

A small temple has a lot of evil spirits, a shallow pond has many turtles. With so few people, they still have the audacity to scheme; this bearded man is truly amusing.

(End of this chapter)