Eivor arrived in Melun and overheard commotion at the longhouse.
Eivor:A crowd... something is happening.
Eivor entered the longhouse to find Count Odo of France arguing with Toka as he attempted to secure an alliance with the Elgring Clan.
Odo:Just know, Charles will never honor a bond with you Northerners. Unlike him, my word can be trusted.
Toka:Ha! You are no more than a wounded dog at my table, looking for scraps.
Odo:How dare you.
Eivor interrupting Toka and Odo's argument
Toka readied her axe as Odo approached her. Both Norse warriors and Frankishsoldiers unsheathed their swords, until Eivor halted the escalation.
Eivor:Wait!
Odo:Eivor, finally we can talk sense. What of Richardis? Did you encounter Charles?
Eivor:Richardis survived a trial by fire. The flames never touched her.
Odo:And the king? Did you do as I asked?
Eivor:I fought Charles, but he still lives.
Odo turned away briefly.
Odo:Merde! We had an agreement. Where is your honor?
Eivor:Be careful, count. Things changed.
Odo:Just the opposite. It is as it always has been with you Northerners. All lies and doublespeak.
Odo:You made no promise to kill the beast, and maybe I was fool to ask you. But tell me you did not take the king's word over mine?
Eivor:Richardis had her own ideas about the future of Francia. I grew sympathetic to them.
Odo briefly turned around in thought.
Odo:After all I have done to keep her safe from him...
Eivor:She convinced me that her plan was sound. She meant to... subdue the king. Truly, she has a spell over him.
Odo:This is your plan for the long term safety of your people?
Eivor:She will ready the boy Bernard to be the next king of Francia.
Eivor:I was not convinced at first. She begged that I should take pity on him.
Odo:He would have never done the same for you.
Eivor:Maybe not, but when he was at my mercy, I did pity him. Richardis swore she would take him away to a secluded place. He will be gone from power. She means to groom young Bernard to be his successor.
Odo shook his head at Richardis' plan, doubting it would work.
Eivor:You should be glad, Odo. Charles is gone. He'll not bother you any more.
Odo:Maybe. But I won't stand by idly and watch this kingdom crumble any further.
He turned to Toka.
Odo:At least we can drink to Charles being... subdued.
Count Odo raises a drink alongside Toka and Eivor
Odo picked up a bottle of wine and served himself, Eivor, and Toka a goblet each. All joined together in truce as Odo took the first drink. Eivor took the next drink as Toka took her time and decided to drink as well. Odo nodded to Eivor then signaled his men.
Odo:Let us go! We have work to do.
Odo and his men left the longhouse. Toka and Eivor discussed their next steps in their relationship with the count.
Toka:What do you think he will do?
Eivor:Odo will look for Charles. And if he can, he will kill him. But Odo's anger could be his undoing.
Eivor:Odo will focus on rebuilding Paris. I just hope he does not grow bitter in the doing.
Eivor:I do not know what he will do now.
Toka:I will have Pierre's eyes on him for some seasons to come.
Eivor:A wise step.
Toka walked to her chair.
Toka:Can Richardis really keep Charles from returning to an active kingship?
Eivor:That is the wager I have made. And the lives of my clan depend on it.
Toka:They can depend on more than that. You still have me.
Eivor nodded and smiled.
Toka:I will be sure to send word should Charles slither out of whatever pit Richardis has put him in.
Eivor:Richardis yet lives. Charles does not.
Odo:And when Francia's nobles back me to be their next king, you can count on a pact of friendship between us, Eivor the Wise.
Eivor nodded in agreement.
Odo:That makes today a day for celebration!
Odo's men cheered as Odo prepared three goblets of wine for himself, Eivor, and Toka. Eivor and Odo picked up their drinks as Toka hesitated. Toka finally picked up her drink as Eivor shrugged happily towards Toka.
Toka:Skal!
Eivor:Skal!
Odo:Santé! (Cheers!)
All three drank their wine in truce.
Eivor extends her hand to Count Odo
Odo:It has been curious to know you, Eivor. You are as enigmatic as any Northerner I have met. Here's hoping there are more like you.
Eivor nodded kindly.
Odo:I must go now and attend the throne. I wish you a safe journey back to England.
Eivor held out her hand to Odo, who shook it gladly.
Eivor:Your greatest challenges lie before you, Count Odo. I hope you have the strength.
Odo:As do I.
Odo signaled his men and left alongside with his soldiers.
Toka:Is it wise to put our trust in him?
Eivor:You can bargain with him, Toka. I know it will be strange to ally with someone Sigfred hated so. But he will keep his word and—
Toka:I know, I know. Leaders drink the wine and so on.
Eivor:You were listening.
Eivor:You should not trust Odo, or any other leader in these lands. Not fully. Odo's duty is to his people.
Toka:As is mine.
Eivor:And as long as your ambitions do not cross his, there can be a reprieve from the bloodshed.
Eivor:The future is a mystery. Whether Odo will even attain his ambition is unclear.
Toka:Then... how am I to proceed?
Eivor:I cannot tell you that. You are the leader of your people now. Your instinct will determine their future.
Toka:I have much to consider.
Eivor:Stay true to your honor and bring glory to your people. If you do that, you cannot fail.
Toka:I will send word should the Franks grow an appetite for England again.
Eivor offered some final advice to Toka.
Eivor:To your relations with Odo, consider returning to him the lands that Charles pledged to Sigfred.
Toka paused in thought for a moment, then refused.
Toka:No. Those lands are compensation for the hardship he has caused us. Odo kept Paris. That is enough.
Eivor:And now I must think of my own people, whom I have been away from for too long.
Toka stepped forward and hugged Eivor, who reciprocated it.
Toka:Before you go, have this. It was my father, Sinric's. The second-best leader and teacher I have known.
Toka handing Eivor a token as a sign of alliance
Toka handed Eivor a silver arm-ring, a symbol of alliance between Norse clans that Eivor knew too well.
Eivor:It has been my honor.
Toka:I hope to lead as well as you do, Eivor. If ever you hunger for more Frankish cheese, I will be happy to share.
Eivor:Farewell, Toka.
Eivor grasped Toka's shoulder fondly and departed from the longhouse. Toka sat down at the high chair and looked at her goblet. Before she left, Eivor looked back at Toka. Both nodded to each other before Eivor completely left. The members of Toka's clan gathered around their new jarlskona in support, and Sýnin soared high above Melun as Eivor's saga in Francia came to an end.
The French soldiers that accompany Odo into Melun's longhouse may glitch and treat the Vikings as an enemy faction, as they would when coming close to one another in the open field, and try to attack them. However, both groups are marked as allies and will be unable to kill each other, and this does not otherwise affect the progression of the memory. All of the French soldiers will instantly unload from Melun upon completing the memory.
