Saga of the Children of Ragnhild - Chapter 5

Winter ended with no further incidents. Spring arrived with Steinar launching his first season as a landowner. He found out that raising livestock was not as easy as it appeared as he had only 2 livestock that survived the winter. He was able to bring in 3 hay though. He needed to trade with his neighbors to get some much needed food. Ingvar Shaggybritches was always friendly and an honorable man. Steinar went with Ragnhild to call on Ingvar. They were greeted warmly. Ingvar and Steinar were able to come to terms to trade some hay for fish. Before they left, Ingvar requested Mohammad to come for a visit at his earliest convenience. They agreed to relay the request.

Ragnhild went to visit Brynjolf. Brynjolf greeted her happily. He had news and some requests of her. First, he was planning an excursion to Norway to trade and visit the king. Ragnar was sponsoring him and thought he could earn great honor and expand his wealth with the trip. Brynjolf went on to tell Ragnhild that his wife Godney was pregnant, and that he would like Godney to stay with Ragnhild while he was away. Ragnhild was agreeable to this request. Secondly, Brynjolf requested that on his return he be allowed to foster his nephew Snorri. As his uncle, it was Brynjolf's responsibility to make sure the boy was raised properly. Ragnhild agreed to this as well. Brynjolf would allow Mohammad to come to his farm so he could continue to teach the boy poetry, songs, and fighting. Mohammad was also teaching Snorri to read and write Arabic. Godney accompanied Ragnhild back to Steinar's farm.

Mohammad left for Ingvarstadir when Ragnhild passed on Ingvar's request. In addition to paying his friend a visit, he would ask Thorlaug Whitehair to come back with him and attend to Niall's birthing which was expected in a couple weeks. Ingvar welcomed Mohammad and presented him with two beaver pelts. He explained that his friend Hadd Skulison had a problem that Mohammad might be able to help resolve. Hadd had learned how Mohammad had helpd Ingvar with the outlaw Hrod and thought Mohammad could help with his problem. Mohammad agreed to meet Hadd and hear the problem. He, however, felt that the Hrod incident was not an action that he would casually repeat.

Mohammad traveled to Hadd's home. He was warmly welcomed. After a generous meal, Hadd explained the situation. His daughter Ljufu had attracted the attention of a farm hand, Steinbjorn, on a neighboring farm. Despite his low station, Ljufu was returning his attention. Hadd needed this to be stopped before it went too far. Mohammad agreed to help, and Hadd presented him with a silver armband. The boy who

Mohammad went to the next farm where Steinbjorn lived and worked. He presented himself as a traveling minstrel who specialized in love songs and poetry. He successfully charmed the household and was given many suggestive looks by single women there. At the end of the evening, Steinbjorn approached Mohammad. He asked for advice on how to seduce  his love. Mohammad offered to help. He would meet with Steinbjorn's love and recite love poems on his behalf. Steinbjorn eagerly agreed and said Mohammad should sent the girl to meet Steinbjorn at the shieling after reciting the poem. Steinbjorn went to the shieling, and Mohammad went to meet with Ljufu.

Mohammad confronted Ljufu, and rather than recite poetry, he told her that Steinbjorn was no longer interested in her. He didn't ever want to see her again. She was heartbroken and fled to her sleeping area crying. Hadd witnessed this and asked Mohammad what had happened. He told Hadd about his plan to break up the young couple by telling each of them separately that they were not interested in each other. He had talked to Ljufu and now needed to tell Steinbjorn that even though he had recited his best poetry, Ljufu had moved on to another man. Hadd asked where Mohammad was going to meet with Steinbjorn. When he told Hadd Steinbjorn was waiting at the shieling, Hadd had two of his men get halberds and go to the shieling. Mohammad was rattled that he just set up the young man to be murdered.

Mohammad ran from the house and rode hard to the shieling. There he saw the two men dismounting before approaching the building. Mohammad rode past them. He burst into the shieling and warned Steinbjorn to run. Steinbjorn took off on foot, but the men were sure to catch him. Mohammad realized that he would have to draw his sword and intervene or the boy would be killed. He did so, and his fierce appearance stopped the men in their tracks. They were not expecting to have to fight. They slowly backed away. Once they reached a safe distance, they turned and ran back to Hadd's.

Mohammad told Steinbjorn that despite his best poetry Ljufu did not want to see him again. Steinbjorn insisted that he hear it directly from her. Mohammad could not convince him otherwise. The only way he could stop him was to start a fight with him. Mohammad beat the boy senseless. He then threw him on the back of his horse and took him back to Ingvar's farm. From there, he took him all the way back to Steinar's. There he was taken on to help on the farm and was trained to fight so he could go on the summer's Viking raids.

Before Steinar left on the raids, two things happened. First, his wife gave birth to a son. He was healthy and good sized. His only flaw was a birthmark on his shoulder. Depending on how you looked at it, it was either an axe or a monster. Second, a stranger arrived on his farm. His name was Sigurd. He was a skilled warrior and wished to go raiding with Steinar. Atli, Ragnar's nephew, vouched for Sigurd. Steinar agreed to take him on. Unknown to all but Atli, Sigurd is really Sigrid Ragnardottir, a shield maiden. She was setting out to make a name for herself and avoid being married off by her father to Skeggi the Fat.

Steinar, Mohammad, Sigurd, Alti, Steinbjorn, Ottar, and some other men left for the summer. They had a very successful season. They gained a lot of silver. In addition they learned some things going on beyond the shores of Iceland. Erick the king of Norway was starting to get pressure from his brothers for larger inheritances to rule as their own. So far he was able to keep them in place and not give up parts of Norway. They also heard rumors of Brynjolf's successful journey. He was making lots of money and impressing important local people including the king himself. Finally, they heard that Brynjolf was recruiting to get additional boats in his service.

They arrived home and tended to the farm while waiting for Brynjolf's return. He returned with great splendor. He was dressed in regal clothing with gold adornments and a gold armband from the king of Norway. He was accompanied by two additional long boats with Norwegian fighting men who were going to be his guests for the winter. He had earned much honor on his trip and the Icelanders were impressed with his feats. Steinar, however, was apprehensive about his arrival with added troops. He felt that Brynjolf might be plotting to forcefully claim Iceland for himself. Ragnhild talked to Brynjolf and scrutinized him. She realized that her overambitious son could not be trusted to not try to conquer Iceland given the chance.

At the autumn Thing, Ragnar again tried to rally local support against the formation of a permanent Althing. Rules should remain under the control of the local families. There was no need to have people from other parts of the island deciding the fate of his people and his family. He asked his thingmen to swear loyalty to resist the Althing when they met next spring. After his speech, Steinar approached Ragnar. He tried to warn him that Brynjolf might be plotting against Ragnar and all of Iceland. Ragnar swore that Brynjolf was not a threat to him. Steinar need not be concerned. Everyone then returned to their homes to prepare for winter.

In the winter, Ragnhild took ill. She had lived a long life and regretted most that her daughter Bera had been killed before she could find a good husband for her. She was not able to regain her strength as she continued to mourn her daughter. Her strength and honor passed on to here two surviving sons who will be influenced by her memory as will future generations of Icelanders.

Here ends this portion of the saga. We are taking a break for a couple weeks due to real life events. Everyone is still excited though as we continue to play to find out what happens. Will Brynjolf really try to conquer Iceland? Has he earned the backing of King Erick to bring the Icelanders back under Norwegian rule? Can Steinar warn Ragnar and the others before it's too late? Only one way to find out - Play.

Concluded at:Chapter 6

Saga of the Children of Ragnhild - Family Tree #2

Here is an update to the family tree with additional detail that has been added in game play. If you look carefully, there is a spoiler to Chapter 5 which is coming.  Also note that I've decide to name the saga "Saga of the Children of Ragnhild". The main story line has evolved into the struggle between Ragnhild's sons Brynjolf Bardson and Steinar Ormson.

Sagas of the Icelanders - Chapter 4

The biggest event for the game happened away from the table. Our player for Brynjolf (The Man) left the game due to real life issues. So Brynjolf has become a Threat to the other players.

Steinar, his wife Niall, his mother Ragnhild, and Mohammad the stranger went to Orm's farm to investigate the fire and review the condition of the remaining property. It was noticed that the fire seemed slightly unusual in that primarily burned the side of the longhouse with the sleeping area and not evenly spread from the fire pit in the center of the house. This made them suspicious to the origin of the fire.

As they investigated, the servants were burying Orm and his daughter Bera. Steinar noted that they were not being given an honorable burial. He ordered the servants to improve the grave to give Orm a proper burial. The servants grumbled as Orm was a drunk and died an ignoble death but complied with Steinar's wishes.

A group on horseback approached the farm. It turned out to be Brynjolf, his wife Godney, and some men from his farm. He had come to claim shares of the inheritance for himself and his nephew Snorri. Steinar and Ragnhild objected when he claimed the best field for himself. After some negotiation, they were able to convince him to take a rockier field that would be managed by Steinar until Snorri came of age to take over running the farm himself. Brynjolf advised Steinar to take as much from the farm as possible back to his and Niall's farm and then return in spring to begin to work Orm's land.  Brynjolf then returned to his farm.  Steinar and company spent the next couple days packing up what they could for transport.

After they parted, Niall approached Ragnhild asking for advice. She had learned from Godney that Brynolf had not been at home the night of the fire. She wanted to know what to make of this and if she should tell Steinar about this. Ragnhild advised her to wait. She was going to consult a seidkona before making any rash moves.

Ragnhild travels to visit Thorlaug Whitehair, Ingvar's older sister, widow, and seidkona. Ragnhild asks Thorlaug to help her find the truth of Orm's death. Thorlaug offers to prepare a potion for Ragnhild that will reveal the truth to her in a dream but warns her that the truth is not always what a person wants to know. Ragnhild decides to drink to potion despite the warning. She had a dream about 4 sheep. The first sheep is a big powerful ram. The second sheep is another ram. This ram is taken to be shorn. The wool comes off, but there is more underneath. As the additional layers are shorn, the ram gets smaller and smaller.  By the time all of the wool is removed, the ram is completely gone. The third sheep is an ewe. It also is taken to be shorn. As the wool is removed, the ewe is black underneath. The fourth sheep is another ram. It is also big and strong.  The first ram and last ram begin to fight and butt heads. As the fighting gets more violent, the ewe gets stuck between the two and gets crushed to death. Ragnhild then wakes up. She thanks Thorlaug, but before she can leave for Steinar's farm, Ingvar asks her to request Mohammad to visit him when she returns.

When Mohammad receives the message, he borrows a horse and sets off to Ingvar's. Ingvar needs help dealing with a delicate situation. His brother-in-law Hrolf is visiting from western Iceland. He arrive midsummer and requested hospitality. Ingvar gladly agreed to his company. He later learned that Hrolf had been declared an outlaw for killing a slave owned by Eid Vermundson. Eid is a close friend of Egil Skallagrimsson, a powerful chieftain in the west. Ingvar doesn't want to violate hospitality to a guest, but he doesn't want to lose honor by sheltering an outlaw.  He asks Mohammad as an outsider to help deal with Hrolf. Mohammad agrees and sets off for the shieling where Hrolf is staying. When Mohammad confronts Hrolf, he tries to convince him to leave Iceland under an alias. Hrolf does not understand who this foreigner is and why he is trying to get him to change his name and leave. Mohammad gets frustrated. When Hrolf turns his back, Mohammad draws his sword and stabs Hrolf. It is a mortal wound. Mohammad returns to Ingvar and relates what happened. Ingvar thanks Mohammad for dealing with the difficult situation and presents him with a decorated helmet and fine cloak.

While Mohammad was away, Ragnhild visited Brynjolf. She confronted him about Orm's death. He confessed to her in private. He agreed that he needed to publicly announce that he had killed Orm due to the insult he received at his wedding from Orm. He promised to announce it at the Thing in the spring. He would then also offer compensation for the killing to Steinar. This placated Ragnhild, and she returned to Steiner's farm.

Steinar, however, was not satisfied with Brynjolf's commitment. He felt that Ragnar would convince Brynjolf to take action against Steinar before spring. Anyone who would set fire to a sleeping man's house in the middle of the night could not be trusted. Steinar and Ragnhild decided they needed to prepare a case against Brynjolf and present it at the autumn Thing. At the Thing, they try to rally godi to their case, but no one is willing to stake their honor on this case. Ragnar has too much influence. Steinar decides to confront Brynjolf directly at first before presenting the case. Insults are exchanged, and Brynjolf is labeled as a coward. Brynjolf attacks Steinar and Mohammad with superior numbers. Steinar and Mohammad prove themselves to be of great skill. They kill three of Brynjolf's men and wound Brynjolf while not taking any serious injuries themselves. Before more deaths occur, Bjarki the Learned has his men separate the two sides. Any fighting here should be done in court and not in the booths. Steinar agrees and prepares his case for the next day.

As the case is presented, it becomes obvious that Steinar has no support. Brynjolf has spread a story that Steinar had killed Orm and was framing Brynolf. Steinar wanted to kill Orm before the old drunkard drove the farm into ruin and drank away any remaining inheritance that Steinar would get. This became widely accepted. Steinar's only hope was to challenge Brynjolf to a duel to settle the case. Brynjolf accepted with the condition of either putting the duel off until spring to give Brynjolf's leg wound time to heal or to allow a champion to fight in Brynjolf's place. Steinar agreed to Brynjolf using a champion. Brynjolf selected Stuf Strongarm to be his champion. The duel would be the first to break three shields. Steinar gets the best of Stuf, but as he breaks Stuf's third shield, Stuf's axe comes down hard on Steinar's left shoulder. There is an audible pop as the side of the axe crashed down. Steinar's arm is dangling useless at his side. Fortunately, a wise man with some medical skills is available. The shoulder is only dislocated, and he is able to pop it back into the socket. With the duel won, Steinar presses Brynjolf for compensation for Orm's death. Brynjolf agrees to pay three cattle and a slave. Steinar accepts and goes off to celebrate. The next day, Steinar and family return to his farm. They settle in for the harvest and winter. Nothing else of note happens until spring. Niall is due to deliver her baby.

This ends chapter 4.  Next week will be the final chapter. I need to take a break after that for family commitments. But at some point we will rejoin the saga of the Ragnhild's family.