The Raven and The Eagle

An Eagle Among Ravens pt. 2

I had just finished playing the game Orlog with a local near Styrbjorn's longhouse. I lost horrifically multiple times over, even when I felt I finally understood how to play. Though the Norseman I played with was kind and encouraging enough, even bordering on banterous on a few occasions.

We had been staying in Norway for two weeks or so by now, and I felt that I had just begun to better understand Basim's teaching on experiencing other people of other cultures.

The Ravenclan, in spite of their religious reverence which eluded my understanding and their seemingly overt fondness for battle and glory, consisted of many colorful characters. Even beyond Gunnr, there was Alvis, a poet who was kind enough to share with me some tips on poetry, including the art of flyting. I should like to say that I was more successful in poetry and flyting than at Orlog, if nothing else.

In addition to them, their were Svend and Tove, who were two tattoo artists who doubled as hair stylists. While they had little to offer me, as my hair is short and my interest in tattoos fleeting, they were a loving and devoted married couple in their own right.

Then there was King Styrbjorn himself. He was a warrior past his prime, to be sure. Yet of all the people I have acquainted myself to, he seemed the most fond of the idea of peace, as well as being most inwardly peaceful himself. We had spoken for many hours at a time about the human necessity for peace, the futility of endless battle and bloodshed, the differences and similarities between various peoples despite their vast distance between one another, and so on.

Even still, for all of my efforts in trying to make peace with and honor the people of my hosts, who were also my hosts by extension, I still was unconvinced. Not as much with my Master's initial teaching of finding peace through experiencing other people; in fact, I feared this was used by Basim to keep my questioning to a minimum. A distraction from my doubts and concerns with us throwing our business in with people we were still very unfamiliar with, and our ultimate goals so far from home still seemingly unclear.

In all fairness, I would not be so skeptical, were it not that for every few friendly faces hid one that was more obviously untrustworthy. Such as Holger, who stole and lied in order to suit his own purposes for seemingly no reason other than his own enjoyment. Or Valka, some sorceress of sorts whose dark magic eludes my understanding, yet did not cease to spark my skepticism further.

This was all on top of how King Styrbjorn was treated by his own children as he told me. What with Eivor disregarding his every wish in pursuit of her own vain glory, or even Sigurd, who berated his father's caution either under the excuse of siding with his sister absolutely, or also needing to satisfy his bloodlust and need for battle.

I am still unsure. Perhaps I am still being too judgemental on a people still very unfamiliar to me. Perhaps I should not be one so quick to force my own views upon these people.

Yet that's just it. In using a viking clan as a base of operations for Assassin work, Basim already at least gives the implication that he intends to eventually force the ways of the Brotherhood onto a people vastly unfamiliar with our traditions and principles.

Why else would he give Sigurd a hidden blade, which would later be gifted to Sigurd's sister... unless Basim himself was the one who put that idea in Sigurd's head. Why else would he then immediately show Eivor how to use such a weapon almost exactly as we do, if not as a lure for both the drengir and her brother? Tantalizing them with beautiful, unique weapons, battle strategies unorthodox to the viking way, even telling them of both our Brotherhood and the order we battle against. If this was to be the case, then how would Basim hope for the start in conversion with Sigurd and Eivor trickle down to the rest of the clan unless he expects them to manage so themselves. What is to come of the clan if they refuse? What is to come of Eivor and of Sigurd if they refuse?