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]

"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.