Follow The Blackstar to Constantinople

3

The heroes of 2020 were not fairing well with the Crisis of Infinite Earths. Oliver was a little more preoccupied with finding his daughter - which was a slow process - the Monitor said that he had sent Mia back which William presumed was back to 2040 as that was where they were taken from. Oliver had tried to contact Sara and the Legends but reception was very spotty in the Temperal Zone and worse the the past and had not been able to reach them.

Meanwhile, the heroes of 1020 had just arrived in Novgorod to begin their quest.

/ /

Harald traded a silver ring of his for food for him and Leif before cheers from a fight attracted them. "I think I've found my uncle." Harald said happily.

Mia watched Kaysan fight a man while one of each of their hands were tied together.

However, the guards wouldn't let the Prince of Norway through so he handed Leif his weapons and joined in the fight gaining his uncle's and everyone else's attention. "Hey! What this fight needs is a Viking named Prince Harald Sigurdsson of Norway, great-grandson of Harald Finehair and blood relative of the esteemed Yaroslav the Wise." Harald shouted as he was dragged away by four guards.
"Stop!" Yaroslav shouted standing up. "Harald?" He asked having barely recognised his nephew with extra long hair and beard wrapped in furs. The guards immediately let go of the Norwegian Prince. "Uncle." Harald greeted.
"Look at you. What has brought you to Novgorod?"
"It's a long story, Uncle. One told better over food and drinks." Harald answered to which his uncle smiled.

/ /

A feast was held in honour of Yaroslav's nephew arriving and all were invited.

"Lord Vitomir, this is my nephew, Harald Sigurdsson, Prince of Norway." Yaroslva introduced to the man on his right. "Vitomir is from Chude, a kingdom where the women are all breathtakingly beautiful, and the men inspire envy with their strength."
"Welcome to Novgorod, Prince Harald."
"And what has brought you here?" Harald asked in Old East Slavic. Having been trained to become king he was well versed in different languages and diplomacy.
"Well, like many in this room, I find myself a refugee. Waiting for the route to Constantinople to open once again."
"And what has closed it?"
"The Pechenegs." His uncle replied with a haunted look in his eyes.
"Pechenegs?"
"Brutal, nomadic warriors." Vitomir explained. "Now camped along the Dniester River. Excellent horsemen, but savages. They skin their victims alive and collect their skulls as drinking mugs."
"It has been 17 months since a trading boat passed from Kodak to the Black Sea. Our warehouses now strain with goods that have nowhere to go and my tables overflow with guests." Yaroslav added. "Greenlander!" He called for Leif's attention and also gathered everyone else's. "They have language at the edge of the world, don't they?" Thankfully, Harald had taught Leif some of the language on the months long journey from Norway to Rus. "Last time I was there." Leif responded.
"Good. We've had some issues with foreign languages recently." Yarslov said flicking his eyes over to Mia who replied with a small glare. Under the table, Mariam gently kicked Mia's leg telling her to stop. Either Yarslov didn't notice or didn't care as he continued speaking to Leif. "And tell us, what it is like to live so removed from civilisation."
"Greenland is..." Leif thought for the word "Quiet."
"Quiet and?" Yarslov pressed.
"Gives you time to think about things. At night, we would watch the norörljós. Colours of all the heavens would light up the sky. We heard stories when we were younger that they were the reflections of the Valkyries' amor." Mia had spent years locked in that cabin with her mother watching old movies which included old Marvel movies and she knew that the Valkyries came from Norse legends along with Thor so now Mai knew just how far back in time she was. She was in Viking times. Leif continued "Or... when the moon is low, and the sea is sleeping, you can hear the söngr of the hvalr swimming at the bottom of the world. Then, all at once, they explode from the darkness. Mouths open wide enough to swallow a whole ship." Mariam listened to and watched Leif and his stories in rapt curiosity, loving learning about another culture. "I hated Greenland when I lived there. Now I miss it. I miss the people I knew there."  Leif admitted and Mia couldn't help resonate she missed her newfound brother and the dad she got a second chance with.
"I understand that." Yaroslav also agreed. "Welcome to Novgorod, where unfortunately, quiet does not exist." He toasted causing the residents to laugh. "I like him." Yaroslav said quietly to Harald.
"Uncle, I've come to ask for a favour."
Yaroslav nodded having guessed that when Harald told him the Forkbeard had ousted him of his throne. "An army. So you can return to Norway and take what you feel is rightfully yours."
"Yes."
"I'm afraid you have come a long way for nothing, nephew. I cannot help you."
"Cannot? Or will not?" Harald questioned. "Novgorod is at peace."
"But not without problems. With our southern trade route blocked I need Canute's northern empire more than ever, especially England. I cannot risk upsetting him or his crazy father just so you can fight for something you never had!" Unfortunately, through this reasoning Yaroslav got louder so everyone at the table heard his refusal. "As I see it, beloved nephew, you have two choices. Return to Kattegat and swear fealty to Olaf."
"No." Harald immediately refused.
"Or so what Vikings have always done. Reinvent themselves."

Upset by Leif's homesickness, after the dinner was over Mia walked over to Mariam and told her she was going back to their home and retiring for the night. Mariam said Goodnight to the girl however, Mia's sadness soon turned into anger and found herself back in the fight club winning the last of the night's fights.