- Eivor: With your teachings, I'm sure my next challenger I will slay.
- Alvis: Hmm, no. The rhyme is good! But too many words upsets the rhythm.
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Family Matters
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Family Matters 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[edit | edit source]
Eivor met with her foster-father, jarl Styrbjorn Sigvaldisson, who was displeased with her actions.
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
Eivor went around Fornburg greeting her clansmen. First she found Tove.
- Eivor: Tove... trading a needle for an arrow, I see.
- Tove: Eivor, can you teach me the art of archery?
- Eivor: I would be happy to.
Eivor drew her bow and aimed at a target.
- Eivor: See how I'm standing? Plant your feet in the ground, no wider than your shoulders. Breathe in as you draw the arrow back. Look at the point you want to hit. Now imagine the arrow passing straight through it, and far beyond. Breathe out, then release.
Eivor shot a few targets.
- Tove: Thank you, Eivor. Now I have something for you.
- Eivor: See? All in the eye.
- Tove: Thank you, Eivor. As a gift, I could design a new tattoo for you. Something to decorate your scar.
- Eivor: A kind offer, but I want this scar visible.
- Tove: O, I did not mean to offend. In any case, I do have a tattoo for you.
Near the shipyard, she spoke to Gudmund, sitting beside an unfinished ship.
- Eivor: Gudmund, it appears your ship is like one of Holger's stories. Never quite finished.
- Gudmund: Get me some decent wood and I can finish it in a week. But Styrbjorn won't gift me any.
- Eivor: There was little plunder from Avaldsnes, but if I come across any, it will be yours.
She then spoke to his wife, Gudrun.
- Eivor: Your Eira is growing fast.
- Gudrun: Fast but not big. A little rabbit, that one.
- Eivor: Small and quick beats big and slow. I'll start taking her on raids soon.
- Gudrun: Would you, please? It would give me a break.
Eivor left the yard and next found Tekla.
- Eivor: Hej Tekla, what is brewing?
(If "I'll match horns with you." is chosen.) The two engaged in a drinking match.
- Eivor: Don't hurl into the barrel, ok?
- Tekla: Think you can match horns with me, hm?
- Eivor: Staggering already?
Eivor won the match.
- Eivor: Like Odin, mead is my lifeblood.
- Tekla: That was well drunk... well done... well... drunk... done.
Eivor found the poet Alvis.
- Alvis: Well, look who it is!
- Eivor: Practicing your wordplay, Alvis?
- Alvis: Ah, Eivor... the only mouth in Midgard from which I fear mockery.
- Eivor: You taught me the art of writing poetry, old friend. It is only natural that I surpass soon.
- Alvis: How about another lesson, then? A quick flyt (word battle), right here, right now. What do you say?
(If "Let's try flyting." is chosen.)
- Eivor: Let's try flyting.
- Alvis: I always put a few coins down as a wager. Most of those who enjoy flyting have an equal fondness for betting. But today, we'll abstain. Let me begin.
- Eivor: I'm ready.
- Alvis: In flyting, it's key to match cadence and rhyme!
It's as much about sound as it is time.
So be careful in choosing the words you say...
- Eivor: You're a very fine teacher, I'm sure I'll excel.
- Alvis: Interesting... you have the cadence correct. But you failed the rhyme.
- Eivor: I'll recall what you've taught ere I enter the fray.
- Alvis: A fine answer! Perfect rhyme and a lovely cadence to match my line.
- Alvis: Now let us examine meaning! Ahem.
In flyting, you'll need to be cutting and keen.
It's about wielding wit more than venting your spleen.
If I tell you you're foolish, and stupid, and dull...
- Eivor: Then I'll tell you you've nothing inside of your skull.
- Alvis: Ehh! A good response! I called you stupid and you turned it around. Flyting about wit, you matched my meaning. When you think of too many perfect retorts, use the one that best matches the meaning.
- Eivor: Then I will spit in your face, and I will bash in your skull.
- Alvis: Not bad. Not bad. The rhyme is there, the sound is good, but... consider that I said you were silly, and you told me you would kill me. At times, it might be best to... remain on-theme. Something to consider.
- Eivor: Then I will make a fine goblet from out of your skull.
- Alvis: Not bad. Not bad. The rhyme is there, the sound is good, but... consider that I said you were silly, and you told me you would kill me. At times, it might be best to... remain on-theme. Something to consider.
- Alvis: Last one... So go then, and conquer the world with your wit!
Go be clever, be quick, show your spirit and grit!
I look eagerly forward to seeing how you fare...
- Eivor: I look forward to becoming far more than you can bear!
- Alvis: A good rhyme, but a bad structure. Close. You're close.
- Eivor: I will flyt you with flourish and best you with flair!
- Alvis: Perfect, yes! You could destroy me with such a line!
- Eivor: I will make you regret what you've taught me today!
- Alvis: I haven't taught you enough if you think that line works! Where's the rhyme?
Alvis recited an impromptu couplet.
- Alvis: Your flyting's astounding, you're worthy of praise!
You swing a fine axe, and you turn a good phrase! - Eivor: Thank you, Alvis. I'll take the lesson to heart.
- Alvis: There's still much for you to learn about flyting, but I'm confident you'll pick it up. Happy to help you learn if you'd like to come back again.
- Eivor: Perhaps I will. Thank you, Alvis.
Eivor next entered Svend's tattoo shop.
- Eivor: Svend. Have you designed any new tattoos?
- Svend: A few worth looking at.
(If "Tove's skill improves." is chosen.)
- Eivor: Tove says she is trying out some new tattoos.
- Svend: She is. And she is getting better at it.
- Eivor: Let me have a look.
- Svend: Go ahead.
After perusing tattoo designs, Eivor met with the local huntress.
- Eivor: Hej! Can you point me to some good hunting grounds?
- Norse Woman: I could, but I don't want every iron-foot with a bow scaring away the game. Bring me three deer antlers to prove your skills and I might just have a story for you.
- Eivor: A worthy challenge. I will see you soon.
Leaving the huntress, Eivor approached the settlement's blacksmith, Gunnar.
- Gunnar: Eivor, come to keep your blades sharp?
Wolf-Kissed! Welcome back! - Eivor: Gunnar. I have something here you might like to see.
Eivor showed her father's axe to Gunnar.
- Gunnar: Thunderclap of Thor! Is that your father's axe? I have not seen this beauty since... Well, for some time.
Eivor handed over the axe to Gunnar.
- Gunnar: I forged this weapon long ago. Still looks good. One of the finest, I think.
- Eivor: It has a blunted blade, but it swings well. Can you sharpen it?
- Gunnar: I can give it a better edge and reinforce the handle. And as luck would have it, I have one ingot left for the job.
- Eivor: Are you sure?
- Gunnar: The Fates have willed it so! But in future, bring your own metal ingots. I cannot forge them from empty air.
Gunnar helped Eivor to refine her father's axe.
- Gunnar: That should do it. Anything else?
(If "How are you doing?" is chosen.)
- Eivor: And how are you, Gunnar? Holding up?
- Gunnar: Ja, work is good and my spirits are strong, but my nights are newly cold. My lady left me, if you had not heard.
- Eivor: I had. Sorry to hear it. You were together... how long?
- Gunnar: Ahh... Five weeks it was. Five beautiful, passionate weeks. But all that is done. Will I never find my Brunhilde?
- Eivor: Valkyries do not walk the world as they once did, Gunnar. Maybe set your sights a bit lower.
- Gunnar: Lower? My friend, look at my wares, my weapons. I'm not a man to settle for less than the finest of anything!
(Leave – "I'm done here.")
- Eivor: That is all for now.
- Gunnar: Return anytime!
Eivor returned to Randvi at the entrance to the longhouse.
- Eivor: They must be finished now.
- Randvi: The king has called for his best mead, so the talks are concluded. It should be safe to enter.
- Eivor: I'm ready to face the thunder. I will speak with the king now.
Eivor entered the longhouse, finding the king speaking to a guest.
- Guthorm the Wise: Excellent, King Styrbjorn. I will take this proposal to my nephew. I believe he will see the wisdom in it.
- Styrbjorn: Good. It is all I can hope for. May the—
The two spotted Eivor by the door.
- Styrbjorn: May the winds favor your voyage, Guthorm.
After Guthorm took his leave, Eivor approached her father.
- Styrbjorn: Eivor, come forward. And explain in plain words why you willfully disobeyed my commands. Do you mock me?
- Eivor: I do not mock you, king. I mean to embolden you... against your enemies. And your own poor judgment.
- Styrbjorn: You know nothing of my judgement. You know nothing of my plans and strategies.
- Eivor: Sigurd would agree with me.
- Styrbjorn: My son might agree with you, but he would obey me. He knows his place.
- Eivor: Not as well as he knows his father.
- Styrbjorn: Imagine you are harassed by an enemy with warriors that vastly outnumber your own. What profit does open war bring? Would it not be better to work quietly, through diplomacy, gaining alliances? Waiting until the day our numbers outweigh our enemies' and our victory is guaranteed?
- Eivor: Do we have any allies to speak of? Or is that your excuse to do nothing?
Apalled by her comment, Styrbjorn stood up from his throne.
- Styrbjorn: Your confidence blinds you to so much in plain sight, Eivor. Day and night I toil to forge ties with clans to the north. Very soon you will see the fruits of my efforts. Only then you will understand.
- Eivor: Kjotve and his clan will never negotiate with us. They speak the language of war, so we must answer back. I have waited a lifetime to take back the honor that Kjotve took from my family. Now is the time to act. My time to act.
- Styrbjorn: Are you so blinded by vengeance that you cannot see beyond your nose?
- Eivor: All your talk of diplomacy is cowardice, not strategy. If you do not have the will to finish this fight, only say it.
- Styrbjorn: I will finish it when we are certain to win, Eivor. And that day is fast approaching.
- Eivor: Is that all?
- Styrbjorn: I'm at a loss with you Eivor. When I took you in as my own, never did I imagine such disrespect from the child of Varin. Your father was a fine man. Just and loyal to me. He died bravely so that we might live.
- Eivor: He died a coward, lord. A fate I will not mirror.
- Styrbjorn: Why do you carry such a useless burden? Let it go. Think only of the days to come. Of your future, and the victories at hand.
- Eivor: My honor has been stained. Until it's wiped clean, I want nothing else.
- Styrbjorn: I refuse to pick at that wound again. But if there is something that can chase these shadows from your thoughts—
A loud horn interrupted their conversation as Randvi ran into the longhouse.
- Randvi: Sigurd has come! Down at the docks, his ship is here!
Outcome[edit | edit source]
Eivor was lectured by Styrbjorn for her continuous raids against Kjotve. They were later interrupted by the news of Sigurd's return.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Guthorm assuring Styrbjorn of his negotiations with King Harald -
Eivor and Styrbjorn hearing a loud horn -
Randvi informing Eivor of Sigurd's return
