The group of men had walked for days. The formation encampment was about ten miles away from Önd's native village. During their trip, the group had also grown bigger; they recruited many other men in each village where they passed by. Among those new arrivals, Önd met a young miner named Dauði. They both knew nothing about war and only wanted to go back home, in order to spend time with theirs respective families. The life of these two young men had suddenly changed without even a warning, without even being prepared.
Önd spent a tremendous amount of time training with weapons. The encampment was quite far of the civilization, and trainings were certainly enough! They used to wake up at dawn to fight with each other until the evening. If one was a poor fighter, we used to not give him meal as punishment, even if normally, the meal was barely enough. Hopefully, they used to organise a feast every week, a good way to boost the men's mood. The only moment when they had vacant time was before sleeping.
During that vacant time, Önd and Dauði used to discuss about theirs lives before getting enrolled in the army. Dauði came from a quite big mining village, just at the south of Önd's village. Dauði certainly could have retarded his destiny if only he did not go to sell ore with his family. Apparently, his family and himself had stopped for a while in a village where the group of men was supposed to pass by, and unfortunately, they took him.
Shamanism was also a subject that one was supposed to master, although Önd did not believe too much in the gods. He has always been sceptical: " do not sacrifice to the gods and only believe in your own strength and capacity of success" was a creed adopted by many.
While the young men were trained to fight, the rest of the population started to be afraid, others even believed that it was the end! Famines followed, and raids grew more and more common. Many died because food lacked, and the cold was not helping. The kingdom was ill! And Önd did not stop thinking about the hideousness that could have happened to his family.
Önd finally became a fierce warrior ready to fight, thus, he went at sea in order to join the allies. It has been two years since Önd's departure. The eve of his leaving, we made large feast in honour to all the new warriors that were about to go. As consolation, some said that if they were to die in battle, they would at least have a seat in the Valhöll or Fólkvangr, but as usual, Önd doubted. Every one enjoyed the feast, although every body was also afraid. Before sleeping, Önd and Dauði lingeringly discussed about what they would do, if by any chance, they would survive.
The morrow, Önd and more than five hundred men embarked on ships, all ready to fight. Önd finally found again quietness on the seas, for the wind was doing all the work in the sailing. Thanks to his skills, Önd was nominated captain of the ship. Furthermore, he began to better understand why seas pleased so much to his father. He practically spent all his time admiring the marine landscape, while frequently thinking about his own death, and even more often, wondering if he would survive. The thought of dying as a warrior, of failing to the promise he made to his mother and his sister disgusted him. He now wanted to go back at any cost to his small, peaceful and precious life.
The battlefield was getting more and more closer, and one day, he arrived. He was indeed not prepared to see this bloodshed. Even before their arrival, the battlefield was spreading a black smoke in the sky that did certainly not mean something good. Önd's war companion were not helping: they kept telling grim rumours about their enemies. The sea was full of blood and corpses, reflecting a worrying red light on the boats at their arrival. An hell seemed to take place in the battlefield.
When Önd and his allies landed, a real landscape of horror was before theirs eyes. Corpses, sliced limbs, men slashed of different ways, blood, bloody axes, he saw, and screaming of terror, he heard! This image was now carved forever into his mind. He gladly wished to run away, but where? Those lands were unknown for him, and by doing so, everybody could legitimately kill him! Önd hesitated for an instant, but he finally decided to fight. In all this excitation and madness, he killed a dozen of enemies.
Önd was really determined to survive at any cost, but the remorse of killing was invading his mind, and in his confusion, an enemy shot at him an arrow in the knee. He quickly fell down, and got up instantly, in order to avoid another enemy, determined to survive by any way. He carried on fighting as limping and then slew few enemies with his bow. The friends that he knew were getting killed one by one before his eyes, and he feared even more his end. Furthermore, he began to be exhausted: the battle had already last for a long time!
Every instant, Dauði was at Önd's sides, helping each other to survive. They were both fighting fiercely! Alas! In all this agitation, Önd lost of sight his dear friend. He was now wandering which fate awaited his war brother. He quickly chanted a galdr for his friend and continued fighting.
The battle carried on, and an ally noticed that the adverse side seemed to have advantage. And soon, this remark became a reality: Önd and his companions were only about an hundred against the five hundred remaining enemies. For Önd, death seemed to be the only outcome to this obstinate battle, then, he started to panic and shiver of fear. His unavoidable death tortured his mind, dead while doing what he hated, dead without being able to speak for a last time to the ones he loved.
The warlord declared:
- Warriors, alas— were are vanquished! But do not worry, we shall carry on fighting until our last breath—! Death smiles at us, let us smile to her in return—! And remember, a glorious death as ours will lead us to the sides of the Allfather—!
- How could we believe in the gods before the such hideousness that is this war? yelled a warrior.
- You would rather die as cowards or be enslaved than dying fiercely and then access to the Valhöll?
- I surely don't want to die! I've barely lived—! exclaimed another warrior.
- They say true! We should surrender— at best, they will enslave us, and no one wishes to die here—! added another warrior.
Almost all the soldiers shouted loudly as if accepting this option and they captured the warlord. They attached him and went calmly towards the enemies. Önd preferred give up than dying, and he doubted that he would go to the Valhöll or Fólkvangr, for his companions would certainly kill him first. They threw down their weapons and a warrior announced:
- Mercy—! We surrender—! We are already aware that we shan't be the winners of this battle! Be pitiful, we've barely lived!
The enemies rapidly surrounded them, and the adverse warlord went forward towards the losers. He took off his helmet and then said:
- Luck is on your side losers! I'm in a merciful mood today—! He sneered a instant and ordered, attach them! Together, you'll quite worth one thousand Eir!
The warlord retired of the battlefield and the enemies started to do as their leader said. They attached Önd and the others one by one. Some floundered, but the enemies instantaneously killed all those whom flew. Önd avoided withstanding, for he was already aware that he would be killed. Then, the losers were driven to markets where we could sell them as slave.
Önd's group was split up into six, and they drove each new group to a different market. In order to join the market, Önd had to walk for two days in horrible conditions. During these two days, he only had two breads for meal. Furthermore, the cold was extremely hard to stand, for we had only give him a tunic for clothing. During their march, Önd realized that he had a minute chance to see again his family: if he could abscond, he would then only have to find money and a boat. But how was he going to do?
Once the two day passed, Önd and his companions had arrived in a village. Their arrival was just in time for the slave's sale. The sale took place in the center of the village, in front of the community hall. Rich merchants, farmers and warriors inspected the wards, and sometimes, they seemed to whisper between them to perhaps argue. Önd and his friends were also whispering between them to suppose whom would buy them.
At last, a rich farmer went to speak to the soldiers whom took Önd and the others. They discussed together a while, and the farmer have a pouch to the soldiers. They shook hands, and the farmer went to announce to the slaves:
- Gladden yourselves slaves! I'm your new master— you will help me in the outdoors tasks!
The farmer and his men took them the slaves. His farm was not so far of the village where they were. After the small rest that have given the sale, Önd had now fully recovered. He had now the time to make a plan, but the hardest part of that plan was exactly finding a way to run away and to home.