The Raven and The Eagle

Settling In Mercia

After a few weeks at sea, thankfully far fewer than the several Basim and I experienced beforehand, we finally reached Britannia. Oh, how joyful I felt when I finally saw the white cliffs and shoreline of the isle, which was elevated by the shouts of cheering by the vikings in the lonship at the sight of land.

We were confident in our ability to find a new home amongst the unfamiliar lands before us, so much so that the vikings in our longship began to sing songs. "Do not celebrate just yet, my ravens," Sigurd told his brethren. "We will still need to find a safe place to settle." Soon after this, Eivor gestured to me from whence she stood and asked, "How's the back, Hytham?" I rubbed it as I replied, "I feel it has been steadily healing. This reminds me that it is a shame Valka was unable to join us." Eivor nodded her head in agreement as she replied, "She has a weary mother to take care of, but I concur in such shame." She appeared to look to the side in a sense of contemplation with emotion I could not quite make out. Regardless, I decided not to speak further.

Eivor and the vikings within our longship navigated us through the rivers of various Shires until we eventually found what Sigurd noted had to be an abandoned hideout of the Ragnarson Brothers. It also did not look to be deserted.

I am sorry to say that at that point, I was unable to assist in helping clear the place of the bandit scoundrels who squatted the area, but the vikings and Basim did just fine. Inside, Eivor and Sigurd discovered some very useful maps that Sigurd and Basim tasked me with deciphering to assist Sigurd and Eivor in their exploits and alliance making. While I was still not entirely fond of the idea of helping these people, I kept any protests to myself at that moment. Still, I can not overstate any sins committed by the Ravenclan, as they were willing to welcome some hostages they found in the longhouse to their family, if in exchange for providing interests.

In a manner of a few days, the vikings managed to clean up the longhouse and set up some buildings surrounding the place. Eivor had her own room next to Sigurd's, while they and their brethren set myself and Basim up with our own corner of the Longhouse to call our Assassin Beurau, while setting myself up with a map to help the clan leaders sort out their alliances within the various Shires. In Sigurd's own words, I have become, "One of our most vital assets."

Their most vital asset indeed. An all but crippled assassin in the middle of a foreign land with no brothers or sisters in sight, with a Master who treats me like a pawn, surrounded by vikings and standing by while they sack every city and monastery, starting fights with Saxons for the hell of it, all while hailing themselves and one another as heroes. All while I was made to be a part of all of this by pointing them in the directions they are to go. It was clear that the days of walking through the cities to cleanse them of corruption had long since passed, at least for me. I was no longer an assassin. I was a pawn for a wayward viking clan seeking vain glory for themselves. I had become a pawn, and nothing more.

As I continued to ponder these feelings in my heart, I caught Eivor stepping in out of the corner of my eye. I soon put these feelings away for the time being as I spoke up to greet her, "Safety and peace upon you, Wolf-kissed." I turned myself to gaze upon her before she replied, "It seems that the destiny I choose cannot afford me much of either. But I appreciate the thought."

I could have gotten angry, I could have conjured up the feelings I dealt with just before she arrived, but because she acknowledged my gesture to her as one of kindness, I nodded in understanding.

"I'd like to see the alliance map," she spoke to me in a soft voice. Perhaps it was out of some form of respect. Or perhaps she simply did not feel the need to put much force behind the words of what were more than likely to become more mundane duties. I gestured to her to stand by the side of the table opposite to where I stood as I made my first recommendation after she informed me, "Sigurd has mentioned to me in his trek to Ledechestershire that he would call on me when he had need of me. So that leaves Grantebridgescire... unless you would rather have me begin with the cities immediately?"