Viking Girl

Chapter 3

841AD

The journal of Brynhild the Bold

It is now our 3rd month at sea and I have been lookout. I've just spotted land so it won't be long now before we can go raiding. Last year we conquered this new land of Ireland, but there are still many cities that refuse to come under our control so our homeland sent out a new raiding party. Our job is to conquer these last couple of cities and villagers. We may even found a new city!

Soon we will be given our weapons and have a bit of a chance to practice. Of course we will take care to not injure each other but we need to get warmed up as we're going to have a long march over land to get to our first city. It will be strange walking after so long at sea. I suppose in some ways that it is good that we have such a long walk otherwise we would be fighting while we still had our sea legs.

After sailing for a while more we found the perfect natural harbour to dock our ship. There wasn't much to look at, with the waves crashing against the rocks closer to shore, and the sand was a dirty yellowy whitish colour, but the bay was deep enough to anchor our ship and it wasn't a very far swim to shore. Disembarking, i was over come wit an urge to use the privy, but I couldn't just go or I would be found out. Sneaking away from the group, I found some bushes I could hide behind. Unfortunately, another warrior decided he needed to relieve himself and he chose my patch f bushes. When he saw me squatting I found myself in a very awkward situaton. I simply couldn't thing of a reason why I would be squatting. Luckily for me the other warrior came up with his own conclusion, as he couldn't fathom the idea that a woman would come on such a journey. He simply assumed that I had been in an accident and was now becoming a warrior because I couldn't have a family myself. He turned bright red and excused himself as quickly as he could. After that little episode I had to remind myself to take more care in the future.

Quickly finishing up I hurried back out to collect my weapons and to shoulder my load of our provisions and bedding. It wasn't anywhere near the weight of our loads of washing so I shouldered it with ease. Many of the other younger warriors stumbled a little under the weight. That just proved my theory even more of how women would make great fighters.

Setting off, it was getting close to noon so we made for the shelter of the trees. Unfortunately for us, they were either dead or dying so there was no shelter to be found there. Instead, we simply had o just keep on moving. In the distance we could see mountains and we had been told that that was where we would find te bulk of the cities tat refused to submit to us. We knew it would be a long march so we had to pack enough food to last us and the food also had to be able keep for long periods of time.

After a few hours of solid marching, the weight of my pack began to drag down my shoulders. My feet were screaming for a break, and my hands were scratched and sore from having to push past laarge patches of bushes. None to soon, our leader called a rest. I thankfully dropped my pack and sat down. For the first time this march I could begin to see and appreciate the beauty of this strange land that we were in. We had stopped in a valley, and all around us there were steep mountains, soaring up to the sky. The grass was lucious and greener than I had ever seen. The trees were tall and abundant with fruit.

I could now see why they had chosen this as a place to stop. We wouldn't have to use up tto much of our provisions on our first couple of days. Instead, we would be able to load up on fruit and they would also provide us with water. After staring at the beauty all around us for a while more, I decided to get some sleep, as we would be waking up early tomorrow and setting off once again.

To write this, I woke up even earlier than we had too, but now other warriors are beginning to rise.

I must say goodbye for now.

Brynhild the Bold