The hall was eerily quiet as men and women sat there with different expressions. Some had frowns on their faces while some were angered by the news.
" It is idiotic. They didn't even meet with other chieftains, yet they dared to attack one of the chieftains without notice. They will be condemned by other tribes."
An elderly man spoke with a cold voice, knowing other chiefs wouldn't sit idly if they knew Bjorn had attacked their tribe.
" But we have to admit that our tribe is one of the wealthiest tribes among our people. Not only do we have fertile land and gold, but we also have the greatest reputation among other nations and merchants. It will be a great chance to strengthen their tribe."
Freyja spoke of the fact that they were a big piece of fat meat. Most of their people lived in harsh mountains without woods or animals to sustain themselves but they were different. They had woods, wheat, livestock, and water to live comfortably even in the winter unlike them.
Hence, they didn't plunder other tribes or nations due to their sustainability and open-minded approach.
" Hmph* They are fools to think that we are some weakling. Our men and women are the strongest warriors in this land and even those arrogant knights and monks fear our reputation."
Tove who was the father of Arne, spoke with indifference. It was indeed true that their people had overwhelming strength and courage but they couldn't underestimate Bjorn who lived on plundering.
" Bjorn is a cunning man. He wouldn't dare to wage a war against us unless he has plans on his mind, so we have to be careful. I suspect some chiefs are aiming for my position after a long period of peace."
Magnus folded his arms while recalling Bjorn and other chiefs who were discussing something secret from him.
This revelation made other Vikings hesitate for a moment because they weren't foolish enough to drive into the fire.
" We should ambush them near the cliff where they have to pass through to our village."
A woman with blonde hair and freckles spoke lightly while pointing at the leather map. There were tall cliffs near their village where a large amount of people had to pass unless they wanted to climb big mountains near them.
" That is a good point, Ingrid. I believe they wouldn't dare to climb the mountains."
Freyja nodded at her words, thinking it was a good idea to wait there.
" But, what if we lose, chief? We have to find an escape route for our elderly and children."
Ragnar raised his hand to question their utmost priority which is protecting their weak link. Although their children and elderly were strong compared to other tribe children, how they could defeat full-fledged warriors with their physiques?
" We will use the northern forest to navigate outside the mountain ranges. Even though Bjorn came with his warriors, the ice of the rivers should be able to become a bridge for weightless children and elders. Also, I suggest making a few rafts in case of emergency."
Erik who was the husband of Ingrid, spoke with a calm voice while knowing ice wasn't yet to be unfrozen in this spring. Moreover as a seasoned hunter, he could easily navigate through the woods or cross the river with little resources since it was his livelihood.
" Then we will leave it to you, Erik. I will gather the children and food in case of the worst turn."
The old man with a grey beard sighed with a helpless face. He was the former leader of them and he faced many tribulations as a warrior. However, among all of those experiences, he hated backstabbing people the most because he believed the gods would hate them for their cowardice and punish them instead of sending them to Valhalla where he would meet his ancestor.
Especially current behavior of Bjorn was that like of a coward. He was using others as pawns to attack their village.
" Thank you, elder Bryn. I will help you with everything that we have."
Magnus felt indebted to Bryn who always helped them despite his age. Currently, he had already seen 1440 different moons, meaning he is 60 years old.