- Thorsteinn: If you're so at home, then it's where you should be!
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Oaths & Honour
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Oaths & Honour was a virtual representation of one of Thorsteinn Silvertongue's genetic memories.[1]
Description[edit | edit source]
Thorsteinn and his wife Gunnhilda traveled to the market in search of supplies, but were roughly interrupted.
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
- Thorsteinn: Your father would be happy to come to the farm, as company.
- Gunnhilda: You'll be off raiding for months, not years. Shorter than your trade routes, even. The farm and I will still be here when you return.
- Thorsteinn: And return I shall.
- Gunnhilda: You had better, or I'll come find you.
- Thorsteinn: Trygg! Do you have any questions for me before I leave?
- Trygg: No. I'll take good care of Gunnhilda's reputation while you're away.
- Thorsteinn: I doubt she'll need help, but I'll be glad to know you're here all the same.
- Gunnhilda: Come, Thorsteinn! The market waits for no man!
- Thorsteinn: Coming, my love!
Thorsteinn walked with Gunnhilda.
- Gunnhilda: You coddle him, my love. He's a grown man, not an errant child.
- Thorsteinn: Slaves talk, Gunnhilda. If he returns to his family and says we mistreated him, I might find myself in a duel.
- Gunnhilda: No duels until you've worked on your swordmanship.
- Thorsteinn: I'm sure to get practice on this expedition with Harald. Our enemies may not fight with blunted blades, but he's promised me the children of Stavanger are far more fierce.
- Gunnhilda: The children who struck you as you lay sleeping, then ran away laughing? You'll need to keep your wits about you, if so.
- Thorsteinn: Ulf! Good morning!
- Ulf: My mother loved the fine woolen cloak you sold me. The stitching is exquisite!
- Thorsteinn: Of course! My wife takes great pride in her needlework, with good reason.
- Ulf: You must have been blessed by Heimdallr, to have vision so keen and hands so steady.
- Gunnhilda: Only a talented mother and a very patient husband.
- Thorsteinn: Give Alvig a kiss from me next time you see her.
- Ulf: I will! Fortune guide you, friend!
They kept moving towards the market.
- Gunnhilda: Just think. After a few raids, we'll have enough silver to leave this place for good.
- Thorsteinn: Have you not been happy here?
- Gunnhilda: With you, I would be happy anywhere. But Stavanger is small.
- Thorsteinn: Too small for the grand dreams of the shepherd girl?
- Gunnhilda: And why not? Even a worm may one day hold up the sky.
- Thorsteinn: Come, Mikjel has promised to aid you in my affairs while I'm at sea. You'll have plenty of time to dream while I'm gone.
They reached Mikjel's stall.
- Thorsteinn: Mikjel! It's a fine day for a little business, don't you think?
- Mikjel: Get away from here, Thorsteinn! I won't be seen dealing with an oathbreaker!
- Thorsteinn: A what?
- Gunnhilda: Keep your voices down! On what grounds do you base this outrageous claim?
- Mikjel: That is for you and Bjorn to discuss.
- Thorsteinn: I can't believe he'd betray me like this.
- Gunnhilda: You haven't known Mikjel that long. He has to protect his own reputation first.
- Thorsteinn: Not him! Bjorn!
- Gunnhilda: Oh, he's always sniffing about your trades like a wild dog. He envies your success and wishes to take it for himself.
- Thorsteinn: Well, we won't let him. We've worked too hard for him to take this chance away from us now. We will not let Bjorn get away with this! I swear it!
They made their way to Bjorn.
- Thorsteinn: Bjorn? What have you done? What falsehoods have you been spreading about my family's honor?
- Bjorn: Nothing but the truth! This sail your wife made, that you sold me, is as rotten as your intentions! You wished for me and my men to drown on the open ocean, where our bodies would never be found!
One of his crewmen spat at Thorsteinn in indignation
- Thorsteinn: Are you a fool? Even if I wanted to leave you stranded and sail West alone, Harald would never allow it! He would make me rescue you, and then we would all be doomed!
- Bjorn: I don't claim to understand you, oathbreaker, but your methods are plain. I believe I'll go inform Harald of your duplicity. He should be arriving any moment now.
Bjorn left. Gunnhilda walked to the sail to inspect it.
- Gunnhilda: My love... That is no work of mine.
- Thorsteinn: I know. This was done by a hand far coarser than yours. Bjorn is trying to sabotage my place on the expedition.
- Gunnhilda: You cannot let him accuse you in front of the assembly. No chieftain would ever take you on again. I will not see my parents starve because of Bjorn's lies!
- Thorsteinn: Then I must gather evidence and bring his falsehoods to light.
- Gunnhilda: I will speak with the wives, to rally them to our cause. And I will pray to the hamingja for guidance.
- Thorsteinn: Our ancestors will give you wise counsel, I'm sure of it. I'll see you outside the assembly.
- Gunnhilda: Go swiftly, my love.
Thorsteinn began his investigation.
- Thorsteinn: If I were an impulsive oaf, where would I hide a sail?
He looked at the crates behind the sail.
- Thorsteinn: These crates came from Nottfall. No local wares, then.
He saw a man salting whale meat at the shoreline beside a sperm whale carcass.
- Thorsteinn: Tell me, did Bjorn accept any wares these past few days?
- Dagnor: Surely he did. I carried them myself. Wet and nasty, they were, smelling as if they'd been stored at the water's edge.
- Thorsteinn: Did you happen to see what was inside?
- Dagnor: No, but it had that damp sheep smell. Wool, I suppose.
- Thorsteinn: Thank you, my friend.
He saw a beached boat further along the shore. Climbing aboard, he saw a folded sail on the seat.
- Thorsteinn: That is Gunnhilda's stitching. So Bjorn planned to take her sail for himself after all.
His investigation finished, he concluded that he needed more than just evidence.
- Thorsteinn: It will need to be more than my word against Bjorn. I'll need people to vouch for me, as well.
Thorsteinn made his way onto a small stage in the market.
- Thorsteinn: Friends, neighbors, listen to me! Bjorn has declared me oathbreaker, calling my good name into question!
- Frode: We saw the sail! It would have torn in the first gust of wind!
- Thorsteinn: That was a sail he bought from Nottfall, carried to us in sea-soaked wood! My wife's sail he kept aside for himself, to use once he reached the open sea!
- Ulf: I am familiar with Gunnhilda's stitching. That sail was no work of her hands.
- Sigmund: What reason does Bjorn have to lie, if revealing the truth is as simple as you say?
- Thorsteinn: He hoped to turn Harald against me, to keep me from tomorrow's expedition. To hide the truth until I had already been exiled! If you care for we who will travel with him, this insult cannot go unanswered. He would endanger his crew for a petty grievance. He is unworthy of command! Free men of Stavanger, hear me! We must inform the assembly. We must inform Harald Jarl! Only then will our safe return be assured. Are you with me?
The crowd cheered for Thorsteinn.
- Thorsteinn: The assembly is about to start. I need to find Gunnhilda.
Thorsteinn made his way to Harholl.
- Thorsteinn: I found your sail, and the mark of the goods Bjorn claimed were ours. His lies are already falling apart.
- Gunnhilda: You've done well, but I fear what you have found may not be enough to convince the assembly. What will you do?
- Thorsteinn: I will demand a mannjafnadr, and declare my own deeds as evidence that my word holds more weight than Bjorn's. His reputation cannot compete with ours.
- Gunnhilda: A sound plan. I have rallied the wives to our cause, and prayed to the gods. Even if you lose, my silver-tongued warrior, the women will make the assembly see reason.
- Thorsteinn: I see my heart beats as fiercely as ever.
- Gunnhilda: Go now. Reclaim our honor.
- Thorsteinn: Forseti, bless me as I defend my honor.
Thorsteinn entered the assembly hall. Bjorn walked down the central carpet and stood beside Harald at the entryway.
- Bjorn: Thorsteinn Oathbreaker! Come to beg forgiveness with your tail between your legs?
- Thorsteinn: Men of the assembly! Bjorn claimed a sail I sold him was rotten. But I have found Gunnhilda's work hidden, and the sail he claimed was mine came in sea-soaked wood from Nottfall! He sought to ruin my reputation to cover up his poor trade, all so he could claim Harald's favor as his own!
The crowd expressed shock and displeasure in various ways. Bjorn looked uneasily at them.
- Harald: Thorsteinn, if what you say is true, Bjorn is guilty of lying, injury to your reputation, and of an arrogance that could have led to the deaths of his crew and yours. Yet he was the one to bring you before the assembly, so now you must choose. How will you defend your honor?
- Thorsteinn: We will have combat aplenty across the sea. I choose the mannjafnadr.
The crowd drew in tighter around the pair, with some members clapping in approval.
- Bjorn: Come then, my tongue is as sharp as my blade! Declare yourself worthy... if you can. I'm the finest of navigators, at home on the sea!
- Thorsteinn: You're so arrogant, nothing like me!
- Thorsteinn: Yet the ships and the rations were hand-picked by me.
Bjorn scowled and grumbled, then circled Thorsteinn so that their positions were reversed.
- Bjorn: True. But... I was the first to be picked for this crew!
Thorsteinn put his hand to his chest.
- Thorsteinn: And Harald sought me when he already had you.
- Thorsteinn: I'm calling your bluff, that's not true!
- Thorsteinn: Harald's choices are not worth getting into.
Bjorn frowned, insulted. He circled Thorsteinn again.
- Bjorn: How can he believe you are the better choice? You're playing him for a fool! You're a liar, a thief, a-and a braggart, a pest!
Thorsteinn smirked at Bjorn's faltering insults.
- Thorsteinn: Your face is red, maybe you should rest.
- Thorsteinn: Are you still here? I thought you had left.
- Thorsteinn: My worst is still better than you at your best.
An angry Bjorn stalked forward only for Harald to interrupt the pair.
- Harald: Ha! No truer words have ever been spoken. It's a shame I have to step in.
He spoke aloud, pronouncing his judgement to all those in the hall.
- Harald: It's clear that Thorsteinn is the one who has been wronged. It is my suggestion that Bjorn be removed from my expedition and exiled, never to return.
Bjorn bent over in dismay, clenching his fists aside his head, then slumped in defeat.
- Harald: His lands and trade goods will be forfeit, gone to pay the cost of finding another navigator with so little time to spare.
Bjorn stepped forward to plead for mercy.
- Bjorn: No, Harald, I—
Harald waved a hand at him and scowled.
- Harald: Do not draw more of my wrath upon yourself. I could have named you a murderer and demanded your death.
Bjorn stepped back.
- Ulf: What say you, men of Stavanger? Do you accept the terms put forth by Harald Jarl?
The crowd nodded in assent. Sigmund raised his hand to speak.
- Sigmund: We choose exile.
Kort raised his hand.
- Kort: Exile.
Frode raised his hand.
- Frode: Exile.
Ulf nodded, having tallied the votes of approval without any objections, then looked at Harald.
- Harald: Then it is decided. Now come, Thorsteinn. We have a navigator to find.
Thorsteinn joined Harald and the gathered men further in the hall, leaving Bjorn alone.
Outcome[edit | edit source]
Thorsteinn managed to clear his name against Bjorn's slanders, and was allowed to remain on Harald Fairhair's raiding expedition.