Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 56 Iceland
Bjorn disagreed with Vig's assessment. "You have Tyneburg, Ivar has Derwent and Dufelin, what do I have? Although I enjoy sailing, there always needs to be a place to rest after a voyage. I don't want to go back to York every time. Queen Sora has always disliked the three of us and likes to verbally harass us whenever she gets the chance. She's really hateful!"

He bent down, grabbed a handful of soil, and took a deep, blissful breath. “The longer I stay in the palace, the more uncomfortable I feel, as if I’m a guest in someone else’s house. Ah, it’s time to find a new home of my own.”

Since Bjorn was adamant, Vig stopped trying to dissuade him and said that he needed to buy volcanic ash. If Bjorn decided to stay in the area long-term, he could exchange the volcanic ash for living supplies.

"you sure?"

"I learned a concrete formula in the Eastern Roman Empire that required the addition of this mortar."

After discussing for a while, the two returned to Tyneburg for dinner. Vig casually mentioned Bjorn and Princess Eve's relationship, to which Bjorn shook his head regretfully, claiming that their relationship had come to an end.

"To be honest, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was delicate and graceful with fair and smooth skin. It was just a pity that she was too ambitious. One day she asked me if I had any thoughts about inheriting the throne, and I was at a loss for words. I had an older brother, Ivar, above me, and younger brothers, Hafdan and Uber, below me. When I thought about it carefully, all I could rely on was my seafaring skills. I lacked the bargaining chips to compete for the throne."

Holding a large wine glass, Bjorn stared blankly at the flickering candlelight across the table, and said softly, "When Eve learned that I was about to go on an overseas expedition and was going to settle on a deserted island, she instantly became indifferent and left by ship with her brother Eric two days later."

Mentioning this relationship, his mood suddenly plummeted. He lowered his head, wolfed down his food, and then went to his guest room to rest.

Over the next three days, Bjorn went to the market to sell his goods and buy supplies for the voyage, choosing a clear morning to set sail.

For this expedition, Bjorn specifically chose a newly launched boat, about twenty meters long, with a hull made of sturdy and durable oak. The light gray sail was painted with a seagull soaring high – this was the noble coat of arms he had chosen for himself. Considering that 'Jotunheim' was not suitable for farming, he also carried six sheep on board.

On the pier, Vig bid farewell to the legendary navigator, saying, "Goodbye, brother, may all your endeavors be successful."

"wait for my good news!"

Amid cheers from the residents of Tyne, the boat sailed downstream to the mouth of the Tyne River, then continued north along the coastline, stopping for two days in the Shetland Islands.

Compared to a few years ago, this barren archipelago was home to thousands of Vikings, the vast majority of whom were refugees fleeing war, and even two noble families.

Upon learning Bjorn's destination, someone immediately became interested, "Are you sure there's another large island west of the Faroe Islands?"

"This is information Vig gave me, and it doesn't seem like a lie."

"Is that so?" After much discussion, some Vikings agreed to participate in the expedition, and the fleet expanded to five longships with 203 men.

After sailing northwest for two days, they arrived at the westernmost point of the Viking world—the Faroe Islands.

The Faroe Islands are rugged and windy, unsuitable for tree growth, with a few scattered Viking settlements along the coastline. The soil is poor and unsuitable for agriculture, so the locals rely on fishing and herding for a living, and sometimes they also hunt a bird with a black back, white belly, and brightly colored beak, which they call a puffin.

"Hmm, it tastes really good. What a treat it would be to eat this every day!" Bjorn exclaimed sincerely after devouring five roasted birds in one go. Having purchased ample quantities of cheese and dried fish, they set sail northwest the following morning.

The vast sea stretched to the horizon, leaden clouds hung overhead, and a salty, howling wind whipped at everyone's faces. Gradually, the Faroe Islands in the distance grew smaller and smaller, eventually shrinking into a barely visible black dot.

Thus, the fleet officially entered unfamiliar waters, where storms, icebergs, thunder, and sea monsters awaited. No one knew what they would encounter ahead, and faced with unknown dangers, an indescribable panic arose in their hearts. They all held amulets and prayed to the gods.

The next day, the fleet encountered an unusually strong northerly wind, tearing the sails almost to shreds. A fierce storm raged, and the worst-preserved longship disintegrated on the spot, becoming a pile of driftwood floating on the sea, while its thirty crew members perished at sea.

For three days and three nights, the fleet tossed and turned in the waves, everyone soaked to the bone, and someone was easily swept away by the waves. On the morning of the fifth day, the crew noticed that the color of the seawater had lightened slightly. Amidst many expectant eyes, Bjorn nervously released a raven.

After a brief cacophony, the raven flew off in a certain direction and never returned, prompting the 150 surviving people to erupt in thunderous cheers.

Filled with hope, they rowed in the direction the ravens had gone. At sunrise on the sixth day, someone screamed and pointed to the horizon: a steep, bluish-gray cliff pierced the sea fog, with a large flock of white seagulls circling overhead.

"Odin above, thank you for your blessing."

After sailing around steep cliffs for half a day, four battered longships came to rest on a desolate beach. Not far away lay a huge, stranded whale, and someone used a dagger to cut off small pieces of whale meat and chewed them for a moment.

"They've only been dead a short time, and their flesh hasn't rotted yet, so we don't need to look for other food."

With this whale, a gift from the gods, the group could save their energy from foraging and focus on exploring the surrounding terrain. The landscape here was similar to that of the Faroe Islands, with strong westerly winds, barren soil, and only low-lying tundra plants thriving.

After more than ten days of exploration, they found a sheltered, sunny valley with a small birch forest and a winding stream nearby.

“Alright, let’s settle down here. This island will be named Iceland, and I, ‘Ironbone’ Bjorn, son of Ragnar and Lagossa, will be the ruler of Iceland from this day forward!”

At Bjorn's command, 140 Vikings felled trees and built houses. He also planned to cultivate a nearby hillside and sow rye seeds in September, a crop that was more resistant to cold than wheat or barley.

"Phew, I hope they sprout successfully." Bjorn looked up at the sky and prayed.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly. Amidst the bewildered gazes of the crowd, a plume of black smoke surged up from behind the mountains, writhing and crawling into the sky like a giant snake, causing flocks of birds to scatter and scream in all directions.

what's the situation?
Bjorn ran all the way to the top of the mountain, where he saw a large red glow rising in the far north, with thick black smoke spreading and bringing a faint smell of sulfur.

(End of this chapter)