Neledh || ONC 2023

Chapter 1 | Eira

The first time the longship set sail, Eira was afraid. 

Afraid she would never return home.

Afraid the storms would take their ship.

Afraid the raid would end, with her body buried on foreign soil.

Now she had almost a decade's worth of experience and buried many a friend on foreign soil. This was the first time she was present during the burial of a loved one back home.

Eira's parents had lived a long fulfilling life, and now their time had finally come.

Thyra had passed north during the first week Eira had been home, she had held on to life to see her daughter safely return. Now she could go in peace. 

Iben didn't stay long after, making this the second time Eira watched as the smoldering remains of her home sank to the bottom of the fjord.

Eira took the next ship that left the village she was born and raised in, there was nothing left there. Only the land at the other side of the ocean brought new experiences, many times she had considered staying there and next trip she would.

One more raid and she would settle in one of the towns in the south, other warriors had established.

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Year of the first raid,

We sailed south, the captain knew the way as he had been in this particular county before. Frisia the locals call it. It looks nice, but it's too wet for my liking and than we're not even talking about the swamp-like place these people live in.

Far more do I enjoy the bitter cold of my home town, with the warm fire Thyra would keep up inside.

We traveled along a river, there's a town in the distance we will raid. I heard others call it Dorestad, it's known for minting coins which is also the reason the captain is leading us there. We need to act fast before a Jarl hears about it. The money would be lost on us then, and it wouldn't become to fight among our own. Together we're stronger after all.

Year of the third raid, 

Last year wasn't very profitable, we lost our second in command. Gunner was promoted and stands now next to our captain.

We went to the west side of the channel last year, so now we will go a little bit more south than during my first raid. It has something to do with not completely destroying the villages so they can return to a former form of wealth before we visit them again.

We joined a larger group of ships, the Jarls want to raid a large town called Antwerp and they needed more warriors for that. That's also the only reason they let us join, we don't have a Jarl as captain. We don't have a real Jarl in our village either, it makes us unimportant for the political powerful.

The fight was horrible, the city was too big and there were too many people. Though we became victorious in the end, the price was high.

Year of the sixth raid, 

After the raid in Antwerp we managed to get back home with less than half the people we had set out with. The next two years we spend home, training new warriors, making sure the longship was in excellent condition. 

Soon we encountered other ships and together we sailed west of the canal to the larger island. We sailed up the River Tay and Earn, later we fought and conquered the land of  Uuen and his family.

There were so many of us that a great amount of losses was to be expected, but it wasn't as bad as the raid in Antwerp. My leg got hurt though, an enemy who wasn't as dead as he appeared to be. Anders who also serves as the physician says it will turn out fine, as long as I don't work too hard it should heal.

Year of the eight raid,

Last year I stayed home at my mothers' request, my leg had begun to hurt more as we continued our journey north. When spring came I wasn't yet healed enough to be an asset on the journey.

I took the training for the next generation of warriors on me, they're still so young and unmarked by death. Sometimes I wish this wasn't the way to live, but it's too cold to prosper here without the additional resources we manage to salvage from the south.

We're travelling farther south than I've ever been, we joined another group lead by Rollo. He has a plan to raid a town called Rouen.

We're sailing back with barely enough people to manage the ship, though it is in happiness. The captain and many others stayed behind to rebuild the town and continue living there. Gunner was made captain shortly before departure, he's a good one.

Sometimes I dream of staying behind myself, maybe one day I'll visit Rouen again and join the captain in the rebuild.

Year of the ninth raid,

We're sailing south towards Rouen which we'll also visit on our way back. If  I'm still alive by that point I'll join the settlement, there's nothing keeping me north anymore.

Quentovic is the name of the town we raided, apparently it's together with Dorestad one of the more prominent towns on the mainland. Everything went well, we didn't lose anyone though my leg played up again. Even if I wanted to I shouldn't join a next raid, I would only slow down and endanger the others at this point.

Rouen is a beautiful town, I feel at peace here. The other warriors are all older, there are not many people as young or younger than I, apart from a local girl helping Anders. It's not bad, but if we want this town to sustain, more people will have to start living here. Though I can't really blame the locals for being weary of us, barely two years ago we killed their friends and family before taking over their land

They have no reason to trust us, yet I hope in the future a better relation can be maintained.

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[Edited]

February 4, 2023