- Eivor: Valdis is right, there will be others.
- Brothir: If I had seen any more, I would have killed them too.
- Eivor: Where did you find this one?
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A Triumphant Return
A Triumphant Return was a virtual representation of one of Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan in 2020 through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.
Description
After returning to Northwic, Eivor and her allies learned of a plan to attack Dunwic.
Dialogue
Eivor returned to Northwic to see how the brothers received Oswald's gifts and plan their next moves. As she neared the city's military encampment, she could hear arguing.
- Oswald: That's silver, livestock, and a trophy from our slain enemy. What more do you want?
- Broder: Who said we wanted anything, Saxon?
Eivor approached Oswald, Valdis, and Broder.
- Broder: No battle-dented Dane would ever follow this lump of lard into battle! I don't care how many shields he brings me!
- Oswald: You mean to say you refuse my gifts, Broder?
- Broder: I don't have time for this!
- Valdis: It's a generous offering, Brother. You'd be a fool to turn your back.
- Eivor: Refuse this and your shame will stain the name of your sons, and their sons beyond.
- Broder: Stay out of this Wolf-Kissed!
Brothir came up from the direction of the docks, carrying a body over his shoulder.
- Brothir: Take the gift! We have bigger problems.
He tossed the body at their feet, and Oswald knelt down to inspect it.
- Oswald: One of Rued's men?
- Brothir: Aye. Sniffing around the outer walls, looking for an easy way to slip a few dozen men inside.
- Valdis: If there's one scout, there will be more. Something you might have learned if you kept him alive.
- Brothir: I was passing water when he surprised me. It was either him or my plow-sword!
- Eivor: You did what you had to, Brothir. This one's better off dead.
- Oswald: We'll have to act fast if we expect to find others.
- Eivor: Where did you find this one?
- Eivor: Where did you find this one?
- Brothir: Just outside the Northwic walls, by the water's edge.
- Eivor: They'll be looking for points of entry, to sneak a herd of raiders through.
- Oswald: Jesus. Find another scout, we'll question him.
- Eivor: I'll look around. The rest of you stay here and out of sight. If I find anyone suspicious, I'll bring him here.
Oswald nodded and Eivor headed to the dock, thinking to herself.
- Eivor: Rued's scouts would be camped near their boats outside the city walls. One of them will talk.
Speaking to Brothir, he specified how he found the scout.
- Brothir: We spotted this one on a boat. If there are others, they might be by the river. Look for anyone suspicious outside the city walls.
Eivor followed the river outside the city walls and, with help from Sýnin, located one of the scouts, armed and armored.
- Eivor: There. Looks like one of Rued's men.
She ambushed the scout.
- Norse Warrior 1: Wait, wait! What are you doing? I'm just a pig farmer.
- Eivor: You're awfully well armed for a pig farmer.
Eivor subdued the man and tied him up.
- Eivor: Stay down muck-worm. I have some friends who'd like to speak with you.
She picked him up to carry him back to the others.
- Norse Warrior 1: Put me down! I tell you, I'm a cow farmer! Let me go, Dane.
- Eivor: You said you were a pig farmer just moments ago.
- Norse Warrior 1: It... it is not beyond reason. I tend to many livestock!
- Eivor: You are as Dane as I am. Save your breath, liar.
Back in the city, the group gathered to interrogate the scout.
- Oswald: Did Rued send you too? Speak now and you may live to see tomorrow.
- Norse Warrior 1: Argr (cowardly) swine.
The scout spat in Oswald's face, who wiped it away with a glare.
- Oswald: That won't make you any friends here.
- Broder: A scolding like that is a mortal offense, boy. I'd kill the bastard. Don't give him time to act again.
- Oswald: I'll ask once more. Why were you lurking around Northwic's walls?
- Norse Warrior 1: I came to pay my respect, lord... to Oswald, the simpering Saxon ergi (weakling) of East Anglia!
Eivor stepped up behind Oswald.
- Eivor: Tell him why you're here and you may walk free with your head on your neck.
- Eivor: I could do that all day, you drooling blood-bladder. Only give me a reason.
- Eivor: You have scolded this man twice with forbidden words. It's now his right to kill you.
- Norse Warrior 1: Lick... my... dung-hole.
Eivor pulled out her axe.
- Eivor: Here's the tongue I use for licking.
She stepped in close and put the blade against his crotch. The scout's eyes went wide, nervous.
- Eivor: How does it feel against your arse?
- Norse Warrior 1: When the brazier's lit at Dunwic, Rued and his men will rally. They mean to attack Northwic by its weakest wall.
Eivor and Oswald shared a glance, then the scout looked at Valdis and her brothers and laughed.
- Norse Warrior 1: You English Danes are soft as butter now. Rued sends his blessing, lady. He'll see you again very soon.
- Eivor: You've served your purpose. Time to die.
Eivor swung her axe into the scout's abdomen, killing him.
- Oswald: You promised he'd go free!
- Eivor: That's enough to go on. Time to die.
- Oswald: That wasn't necessary.
- Eivor: He insulted you before everyone gathered here. Don't ever let that go unanswered.
Eivor sheathed her axe. As she did, Valdis drew closer.
- Eivor: He may still be of value to us if he--
- Valdis: Any man who questions your courage and feels no shame... that's your answer.
- Oswald: I will not have blood spilled needlessly in my kingdom! This has to end!
- Eivor: Alive, this man was a risk.
Oswald shook his head.
- Oswald: Valdis. This man spoke as if he knew you.
Valdis looked to her brothers and Broder nodded.
- Valdis: Rued was my husband.
- Oswald: Your husband! You're married already?
- Valdis: I was. We've been apart for five summers. I never expected to see him here, and I never wanted to.
Oswald thought for a moment.
- Oswald: East Anglia's prosperity depends on our safety and unity. With Rued's clan stomping around, neither is possible. I must speak with him myself, man to man. There's no place for him in East Anglia. He must hear it from me.
- Finnr: Right. I'll start looking for a new king tomorrow. It was good to know you, lord.
Finnr waved as he turned and walked away.
- Broder: Rued will eat your lungs for supper, Oswald. Steer clear of him.
- Oswald: If I'm to be a worthy king, I must meet the man who bedevils us. I'll light the brazier at Dunwic and face him when he comes.
- Eivor: You sure you want to do this? Meeting Rued in the open comes with many risks.
- Oswald: It's the only way. We must face him head on, and we cannot waiver.
- Valdis: Come, Oswald. We make for Dunwic.
As Oswald and Valdis walked away, Eivor turned to the brothers.
- Eivor: And of course, I will see the lot of you there as well, else the songs of your cowardice will ring out over the generations.
Broder and Brothir began to walk away as well, Finnr returning to follow them.
- Eivor: I'm sure you're heading to Dunwic any moment.
- Finnr: We'll be there, Eivor.
- Broder: You don't speak for us, steward.
- Finnr: Need I remind you wags what Halfdan will do with us if East Anglia falls into Rued's hands?
Later, Eivor met up with the rest of the group in the ruins of a building just across the bridge from Dunwic.
- Eivor: Dunwic... Rued's men tore through it.
- Oswald: Eivor, you made it.
Together, the group crouched behind a broken wall and looked at the fortress.
- Oswald: Dunwic...
- Valdis: It is time to light the brazier.
- Eivor: I'll light it. You do the talking.
- Broder: Brothir, Valdis, and I will scout the dock, make sure there are no surprises.
- Finnr: Oswald and I will hold here until the brazier is lit.
- Valdis: The front gate is heavily guarded. You'll not be walking in.
- Eivor: I'll find my own way.
- Oswald: We'll be watching your back.
Tasks set, the group split and Eivor made for the bridge.
- Eivor: Dunwic... Now to clear out Rued's men, and light that brazier.
She used a rope alongside the bridge to cross to Dunwic's walls. As she neared the gate, she overheard a couple warriors talking.
- Norse Warrior 2: How long 'til the scouts return? I want to be out there, raiding and pillaging. Not here, scratching my thighs.
- Norse Warrior 3: If I know Bjorngeld, he'll be drunk and sober six times before he's back.
Around the side of the fortress, Eivor found a hidden entrance and made her way inside, killing Rued's men as she went. In the ruined tower, she heard people calling for help. She found several people in cages and freed them. Atop the ramparts near the brazier, she heard more warriors talking.
- Norse Warrior 4: Is it true Rued wants that whore Valdis back?
- Norse Warrior 5: You watch your mouth. I would like to see you call her that when she's back. Remember Frode?
- Norse Warrior 4: Aye, she had him flogged and laid bare in the square for disrespecting her.
- Norse Warrior 5: Then shut your mouth before you get us both flogged.
Eivor killed the final warrior.
- Eivor: That's the last of them. Once the brazier is lit, the rest of Rued's men should arrive.
She lit the brazier and her allies joined her. Together they waited for nightfall, when Rued and his men arrived.
- Rued: Odin gifts me a bargain! A few dead men at my feet in exchange for a ripe East Anglia and my wife returned. What a day!
Rued looked over the group and pointed at Eivor.
- Rued: You... I don't know you.
- Eivor: I am Eivor of the Raven Clan. The clan your men attacked before I fed them to the crows.
- Eivor: You don't need to know my name. You will not have a use for it beyond today.
- Eivor: Any questions you have, you ask the King of East Anglia. And bend the knee while you do.
- Rued: (snort) Who called for me? Was it you, Valdis... my love?
- Valdis: Why would I call you now, after five happy years away from your stinking balls?
- Oswald: I called you, Rued.
- Rued: You? Oswald, the hopeful king of East Anglia?
- Oswald: And Valdis's husband-to-be.
Rued scowled.
- Oswald: Take your men and go. East Anglia is strong with Saxons and Danes united. It will not fall to raiders.
- Rued: Must I set sail for Denmark with nothing to show for the journey? After coming all this way?
- Oswald: You'll have my weight in silver. And an abundance of livestock and grain.
- Rued: I've taken ten times that already. What's the real prize? I'll make you an offer, pig-foot. A holmgang, just you and me, for the future of your kingdom.
Oswald considered for a moment.
- Oswald: I accept. I accept! A fight to the death!
- Rued: East Anglia's the prize, let it be heard!
Oswald and Rued faced off on a large balcony built off the side of one of the walls, hanging over the cliffside.
- Rued: The hazel is laid! The square is made!
Before entering the fight, Oswald grabbed Eivor's arm and spoke to her hurriedly.
- Oswald: When you see a chance, lead Valdis and the brothers to safety. They must not fight today. East Anglia needs them.
He breathed deep and turned to enter the square, but Eivor stopped him.
- Eivor: Let me be your champion.
- Oswald: No. He called on me.
- Rued: Whenever you're ready, king of sheep shit!
Behind Rued, his pet wolf barked and pulled at the hold one of the warriors had on it. Oswald stepped up to the square and drew his sword.
- Oswald: I'm ready.
Oswald looked back at Valdis and she nodded encouragingly. He braced himself and then charged Rued. Rued dodged Oswald's swing and pushed him back by the head, sending him tumbling to the ground. Oswald stood and Rued kicked him in the chest hard enough he slid to the edge of the square on his back. Before Oswald could rise, Rued threw an axe at him. Oswald managed to deflect it with his shield, but lost his grip on it in the process and struggled to rise. Behind him, Finnr flinched away. Oswald managed to get up on his hands and knees.
- Rued: Another Saxon king has bent the knee!
Oswald remained there just long enough for Rued to draw close, then grabbed his sword from the ground, swinging it at Rued's chest. Rued blocked it, pulling the sword from Oswald's grip and tossing it aside, but as he did, Oswald surprised him by following through with a punch from his off-hand. Rued struck him in the jaw, sending him falling face-down. Oswald lifted himself enough to look at Eivor, standing tense behind him.
- Rued: Call me king before I gut you!
Without any other weapon, Oswald grabbed a stick from the floor and tried to stab it at Rued's neck, but Rued grabbed Oswald's arm, slamming it against his knee, forcing the stick to fall from Oswald's hand.
- Rued: Fighting dirty, are you?
Rued dragged Oswald across the square by his wrist. Reaching the edge, Rued pulled Oswald up and held him dangling over the cliff by his neck.
- Rued: King Rued commands you to die!
- Valdis: Oswald!
Valdis tried to run toward them but was stopped by Brothir. Rued looked back at her. While Rued was distracted, Oswald met eyes with Eivor, clearly remembering her lesson from their "holmgang". Angered, Rued pulled Oswald closer.
- Rued: Call me king!
With just enough leverage, Oswald lunged forward, biting Rued's neck. While everyone looked on, shocked, Oswald punched Rued between the legs and sent them both falling over the ledge.
- Rued: (scream)
In the momentary still that followed, Eivor drew her axe and shouted to her companions.
- Eivor: Go! Now!
The group ran as Rued's men began to attack.
- Eivor: Run for the bridge!
- Brothir: Go! Go! Go!
- Valdis: Move!
- Finnr: I'm going!
They made it across the bridge, back to their initial meeting place outside Dunwic. The enemy warriors didn't follow.
- Eivor: They're breaking off...
- Valdis: They've given up for now.
- Eivor: That's put some distance between us. We can rest a moment.
- Broder: By Thor, he fought well. Raging like a bonfire.
- Finnr: We should go back!
Somberly, Eivor looked back at the fortress.
- Eivor: Oswald may have survived. Rued as well.
- Brothir: It's possible.
He sounded doubtful.
- Eivor: Rued's men will press their advantage. We must be ready when they attack.
- Eivor: Do not hold to hope. Few could survive such a fall.
- Broder: None could, not from that height.
- Eivor: Rued's men will press their advantage. We must be ready when they attack.
- Eivor: Rued's men will press their advantage. We must be ready when they attack.
- Finnr: We'll go to Northwic. Meet me there when you can.
The brothers nodded and began to walk away. Valdis hesitated.
- Valdis: He died a hero, there's no doubt. If his god won't take him, Odin's sword-women will.
She turned away as well. Eivor talked to her as the group parted ways.
- Valdis: Elmenham will not recover. None of us will.
Before leaving the area, Eivor went to the base of the cliff, where Oswald and Rued would have fallen. There were no bodies, but there was a sword planted point-down in the sand.
- Eivor: This was Oswald's...
She found no other sign of them.
Outcome
After Brothir killed one of Rued's scouts, Eivor tracked down another and questioned him until they learned Rued was planning to attack Northwic and his forces would rally at Dunwic. Eivor cleared Dunwic of Rued's men and waited with Oswald, Finnr, and Valdis and her brothers for Rued to arrive. Rued challenged Oswald to a holmgang, which ended in both men falling from the cliff, presumably to their deaths.
Trivia
- There are scouts both east and west along the river at Northwic. The scout and dialogue remain the same, no matter which one Eivor captures.
- Despite what Valdis says, Eivor can, in fact, simply walk through the front gate of Dunwic.
Gallery
-
One of Rued's men -
The scout executed -
Dunwic castle -
Finnr reminding of the consequences if they fail -
Eivor volunteering to clear a path -
The brazier is lit -
Oswald knocked down -
Oswald biting off Rued's neck in desperation -
Rued's men looking down the cliff
