OOM: Search for the children

[bigarmy_strangepants]

 The door Ragnar steps in through is small and unimportant, a little door to a little shed that's part of Floki's wharf. Behind him, Milliways can be seen very briefly; he stands straight, looks around, and closes the door.

Then, he strides out to find Floki and see if Diaval the raven has returned yet from his errand to the highland farms to find the children.

Comments

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki paces back and forth across the shore, anxiously looking up at the treetops.

It has been some time since Diaval the magic raven left to find the farm that Helga spoke of. She had given Ragnar the directions she received from a boy who'd been sent in secret. She herself had never been that way before, and so could not say what the journey would be like. Sending the raven out ahead would at least ensure they were going the right way.

Of course, Helga had no idea the raven was part of the plan.

In the meantime, Ragnar's men have been unloading the ships and repacking the supplies for travel on foot.

Only two ships are docked. There should have been four. But the anger of the gods claimed half of the returning party in a fierce storm.

There is no time to grieve.

Floki wrings his hands and keeps his eyes raised toward the trees.

"Floki, eat something," Helga says, coming up to him with two bowls of stew and handing him one of them. She has kept the hearth burning all day with food for the men. "We have a long walk ahead of us. ...What are you looking for?"

Floki takes the bowl and warms his hands with it, still looking upward.

"A sign from Odin," he says simply, before lifting the bowl to his lips.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar comes wandering up, looking a bit bleary and tired. That might be from the voyage, or his worry.

"Any sign yet?" he asks.

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"Not yet," Floki replies ruefully, as he finally takes his eyes off the trees and turns to Ragnar. "But we will have to set out as soon as possible."

Helga immediately offers him the other bowl. "Here, Ragnar," she says. "Keep up your strength. You look tired."

[intoaman]

Diaval flaps into view, flanked by two other ravens who stay back as Diaval spirals down to land in a branch above them. He looks tired and heavy.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar holds out a hand for the raven, which is clearly he sign they had been waiting for.

With the other hand, he accepts the stew. He puts the raven on his shoulder and offers it a piece of meat from the stew.

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki and Helga look up, heartened by the sight, though they are more surprised by the sudden company of three ravens, when Ragnar had arrived with one.

Diaval perches on Ragnar's shoulder, and Helga watches with a delighted smile as he feeds the bird.

"The gods will surely be with us on this journey," she says with certainty. She gives Ragnar's arm an encouraging squeeze, before moving off to head back to the house. There are more men to feed.

Meanwhile, Floki comes closer, anxious for answers.

"Did he find the farm?"

[intoaman]

Diaval gratefully takes the meat, sifting it from beak to claw to rip it into smaller bites.

He hopes down Ragnar's arm and steals more from the bowl, flying up to pass it to the other ravens on payment for their help.

He answers Floki's question with a bobbing nod and glances back the way Helga went, unsure if he should change.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Let us go to the boat-house over there, and talk," Ragnar says, sipping the broth from the stew even as he is walking towards it.

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki follows, sensing that they will want some privacy for this. Diaval is a magic raven after all.

He opens the door to the boat house, where he keeps most of his tools and equipment safe and dry, and lets Ragnar and the bird inside first, before ducking in after them and shutting the door.

[intoaman]

Diaval pecks at the length of cloth around his leg, pulling it away from the shinying gold ring around his leg. He taps it as he glides down from Ragnar's arm.

Before he lands, he changes into a young man - naked and heavily scarred and looking so very tired.

"There is a farmhouse, to the right side of the setting sun." He reports without waiting for clothes. "Boys, loud and fair and a babe in arms. A big man who carries anger like a club and two women - one fair who rarely goes outside and the other with dark eyes and much sadness. Are they the ones you seek?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Yes, they are," Ragnar says. "The fair one is Aslaug, the one with the dark eyes is Siggy. The man is my brother, Rollo."

Pause.

"Can you and the other two ravens lead us there?"

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Floki watches with astonishment at the transformation, but says nothing. Milliways has taught him that magic comes in all forms.

But as he listens to Diaval's report, he grabs a nearby sheet of canvas and drapes it over the young man's shoulders. The cloth may be heavy and a little rough, but the air is cold and damp. He also kicks over a small stool for him to sit down on and gives him his bowl of stew.

"Everyone is safe, then? Did you spy any danger?"

[intoaman]

He takes the canvas and the stew with a grateful nod, taking a deep sip of the broth before answering. "They will guide us part of the way. Then there will be other. We must cross several territories to reach your family." Raven politics.

"The place is cold and bleak but there is no-one near. They are protected by isolation. I saw no danger or sickness thought the fair lady complains much of the dirt."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar chuckles.

"Of course she would," he says. "I guess she's never been on a farm before. She should be grateful."

Pause.

"But ravens taking us through their territories -- that is a good omen to find one's way by, if one can."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"I'm sure she can find ways to adapt," Floki says diplomatically, though with a slight smirk.

"People will definitely take heart in seeing Odin's birds guiding us. And we will feed the ravens in thanks for their help."

[intoaman]

Diaval nods and shovels stew, half staved in his focus on finding Ragnar's lost family. "I have explained to them of your search. Protecting the young is important to ravens so they will help. But yes, taking food will honour their help and ensure their favour."

There's something in the young man's tone that implies their favour was hard won.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Thank you," Ragnar says. "This is really helpful, and will make a great difference."

It will tell people that the gods are on their side, something that people will start whispering about and which may just sway the tide, for the people of Kattegat and the surrounding villages and farmsteads to support Ragnar taking back his earldom.

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"Yes, thank you, Diaval. You are a very fine bird for helping us. Stay here and eat and rest until it's time to leave."

Floki turns to Ragnar now.

"Ragnar, when shall we leave? We still have packing to do. We must bring as much food as I have in my stores as we can so that nobody at the farm goes without."

[intoaman]

Diaval nods and finishes the last of the stew before crawling under the canvas and falling asleep at once, ignoring the hard ground and the scratchy sail against his skin.

They will wake him when they need him.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"That would be him sticking his head under his wing," Ragnar says to Floki, smiling. "So, let's get ready, and fetch him only when we're starting. We best take as much as we can carry, as I'm not certain how long we'll be stuck there, and there's rather a lot of us."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"He will be safe hidden here," Floki says as he opens the door and steps out, closing it after Ragnar follows.

"Better to have more than less. Those at the farm most likely had to run off with next to nothing. I'll let Torstein know to load the wheelbarrow with sacks of food. Helga will bring her medicine in case anyone takes ill. And we'll take the goat with us."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Only one goat?" Ragnar asks, following him. "Then we'll have to be very tight with the milk. Unless there's a way of buying or borrowing another goat from a close neighbour in time for us to leave."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"One was good enough for me and Helga," he explains as they head toward the house. "And neighbors? We have no neighbors, Ragnar, not even in the direction that we need to go. We will just have to make do. I have some chickens, though, we can take those, too."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Yes, that would be better," Ragnar says. "Eggs are good and valuable for feeding people as well. We'll have to try and hunt grouse and the like, up there. We have to feed the people we're bringing, or there would be too much pressure to act fast."

Pause.

"We'll need to send somebody to Ribe or Hedeby on the quiet, to sell what we brought back from England, and buy food for us. In one of the smaller coast-hugging boats, I think."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"That will be a dangerous trip, heading out under Jarl Borg's nose," he remarks. "When do you want to arrange that?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"When we found the others and know where we stand," Ragnar says. "And it would have to be Ribe, I suppose, in order to not have to pass the Kattegat bay. Jarl Borg can't be everywhere."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"Then tomorrow, whoever volunteers ought to leave before first light. Perhaps at least two should go. They can use my boat that I keep tethered to the main dock."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Two of them might be a better option," Ragnar says. "If things are a bit iffy, they can take turns sailing and sleeping at night, without having to stop."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"Safety in numbers, also," he agrees. "And one may know the way back to the farm better than the other."

At the house, some of the crew are carrying various things away, with Helga supervising, such as cooking supplies and blankets and pelts. Helga herself has packed her own things, warm clothes and a satchel filled with healing herbs and ointments.

"It looks as if we'll soon be able to leave. Is there anything else that needs taking care of?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"I think we've got everything," Ragnar says. "Pity we can't hide the ships completely."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"Surely they will be discovered sooner or later," he says ruefully. "But if Jarl Borg takes them, then we shall just have to take them back."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Unless we hide them in yet another place where there's nothing of interest."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"If we had time, perhaps we could, somewhere up along the shore," he says. "But those places are still open to other raiders and thieves. I would rather leave them here, by the house, to show that yes, they belong to someone. But don't worry about them, Ragnar -- if we lose them, I will build you more."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Trees are already lining up to become your next ships, eh?" Ragnar says, grinning. "Fine, we'll let them be, then."

[gods_that_haunt_me]

"If the gods will it," Floki replies earnestly.

"Let us set out now, before the light of day fails us. Will you wake our raven friend?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"I will," Ragnar says. "Get everybody on their feet, and then the raven shall fly ahead."

He nods at Floki, and ducks back into the shed where Diaval is sleeping.

[intoaman]

Diaval is still asleep under the canvas, his face hidden under his arm not unlike a raven with his wing.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Wake up," Ragnar says, quietly. "We must get going now."

[intoaman]

Diaval opens his eyes and nods, sliding out from under the sail. He retrieves the black scrap of cloth and offers it to Ragnar. "What are your plans?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"We're going up to the farm where my family are, and from there, start scouting and looking at the situation, and talking to people we can trust," Ragnar says. "I will gladly take you back through the next door that appears from there, but if you could fly to Kattegat and have a look around, once we are up there, I would be very grateful."

[intoaman]

He nods. "I can do that for you. I will need to fly a little ahead of you, so I can negotiate the help of the local ravens but I will stay where you can see me." He offers Ragnar the cloth. "Are you ready to leave?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar takes the cloth.

"We are," he says. "People are getting going outside."

[intoaman]

Diaval taps on the anklet and shifts, flapping up to land on a wooden spar, holding his leg out to have the ring covered.

Once it's hidden, he flaps up to land on Ragnar's shoulder, ready to follow him.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar walks outside, nods to people, and then walks off towards the highlands, people following him.

Once they're clear of Floki's little settlement, he gestures for Diaval to fly on ahead.

[gods_that_haunt_me]

Carrying what they can, Floki joins the group with Helga by his side, and they march off through the woods and out into the wilderness.

[intoaman]

Diaval flies ahead, guiding their way towards the farmhouse.

He stops every now and then over the distance of their travel, meeting with other groups of ravens who fly with them like an honour guard.

But once or twice, the native ravens seem distant and on one occasion, down right hostile towards Diaval, leaving him with scratches on his chest from a show of ritual dominance by the locals.