The more I read about Guthrum, the harder it was to take my eyes off the system screen.
This man played a major role in the invasion of England, at least in the next seven years. He and his men, the Great Summer Army, would join forces with the Danes led by the sons of Ragnar, the Great Heathen Army.
Guthrum fought Alfred the Great for years before finally ending with the Treaty of Wedmore. In 880, he took over East Anglia and changed his name to Athelstan.
"From a warlord to a king, huh? This is going to be tough."
I couldn't help scratching my head as I realized I would be dealing with such a big mob.
"If Guthrum were that formidable, I'd better avoid a war with him."
Let's assume the worst-case scenario happens. The Varglund Clan would go to war with the Omvrik Clan. Since history says Guthrum will be a key figure, it's very likely our clan will lose.
Not to mention, Guthrum is the leader of the Great Summer Army. I'm not sure if he's gathered his forces yet, but considering he managed to conquer parts of England in the near future, he must be an incredible war leader.
The best option now is to strengthen our relationship with the Omvrik Clan.
"I need to convince Ingmar. A war with the Omvrik Clan must not happen."
Suddenly, I heard a groan.
I turned to the sound and saw my patient trying to sit up. Naturally, I rushed over to help her.
"Hey, hey, take it easy. The stitches on your waist haven't dried yet. Don't move too much."
The woman looked confused. I could see fear and worry in her eyes. She probably thought she was still being chased.
"But don't worry. You're safe here," I said
After I explained the situation, the fear slowly faded from her eyes. I helped her lie back down.
"How is it? Is your waist still hurting?"
She nodded.
After that, I let her rest.
So many questions filled my mind. Like, what's her name? Why does the Omvrik Clan want her dead? What did she do to end up like this?
But considering her condition, I had to hold back my curiosity.
"A-actually, I…"
Suddenly, the woman spoke. I immediately pressed my finger to her lips.
"Don't say it. You don't owe me anything. I'm a doctor. It's my duty to help the wounded."
I thought my patient wanted to thank me, like most of the others, until I heard her stomach growl.
She looked a bit embarrassed.
"Ah, right. You've been on the run all day and haven't eaten anything. You must be starving. Hold on a moment. I'll get you something to eat."
I still had some leftover sheep stew I'd cooked earlier with Gunnar and Birna. I was planning to save it for breakfast tomorrow, but my patient needed it more.
I lit a fire on the stove. While heating up the stew, I roasted some yams under the flames. My patient needed to recover, so she needed a lot of food.
Once the meal was ready, I served it to her. She downed it like she hadn't eaten in a week.
It took me about thirty minutes to prepare the food, and she finished it in seconds.
Vikings... these people really never stop surprising me.
"Are you full now? Time to get some sleep. You need a lot of rest."
As I took the empty bowl, the woman grabbed my hand. Her sudden reaction startled me a bit.
"Sit with me for a moment. I know you have many questions. And I want to answer them all," she said softly.
She gave me a serious look, her aura was entirely different from just a few minutes ago.
However, her lips were very pale. I could tell she was using all her strength right now.
I gently removed her hand from mine.
"Get some rest. You can tell me in the morning."
"Please," she insisted, holding my hand even tighter.
I didn't want to push her. If she really wanted to talk now, I guessed I had to grant her request.
So, I sat down by her bed, and she looked at me intently.
"My name is Valka. And I am a seer of Jarl Guthrum."
Hearing her introduction, I narrowed my eyes. Wasn't Guthrum's seer named Gull? Did he have two seers?
"You can call me Michael."
"I deeply thank you for saving my life, Maikal. Honestly, I might have been dead without you. Now, allow me to repay your kindness."
Another person who mispronounced my name. It was a bit annoying but nevermind.
Suddenly, Valka took my hand, and with her other hand, she touched my face. For me, the situation was a bit awkward, but she didn't seem to care about it.
Gently feeling my face, Valka murmured, her lips moving in a whisper. I could hear a strange voice escaping her mouth. I had no idea what she was saying, but it seemed she was casting a spell or something.
"By Odin. I cannot see your future. Everything is so dark. I can't even delve deeply into your past," she said.
"Yeah," I said sarcastically.
It seemed like she was reading my fortune, and it apparently looked bleak.
"But I can see what you're going through."
Honestly, I didn't really believe in fortune-telling or anything like that. To me, it's all just bullshit.
"Oh dear, I've caused a lot of trouble for you. No… no… that won't happen. A war between the Omvrik Clan and the Varglund Clan… it's only a fear. No blood will be spilled between you."
Hearing Valka mention my fear, I was surprised. I didn't expect her to read my mind. Is this the power of a seer?
It was hard for me to believe it. I mean, this is fortune-telling, a superstition that fraudsters use to deceive fools and the elderly. And this woman was using it on me.
"Okay, okay. That's enough. I believe in my own predictions," I said.
There was a hint of regret on her face, though she hadn't done anything. She looked at me with sad eyes. Her big, teary eyes made it hard for me to resist patting her head.
For some reason, she reminded me of my neighbor's cat.
"How about you tell me who you are," I said, trying to change the subject.
"You're right. I'm the one who caused you so much trouble. I should tell you everything."
Finally, Valka shared what I wanted to know. She then started to tell me about herself.
Valka was the daughter of a farming couple. She spent her days helping her parents, like feeding the pigs and fishing in the river.
The gods blessed her with a miraculous gift. She could see futures and pasts. With this incredible gift, she saved many people from their tragic end.
Her name became famous when she predicted a great storm. Thanks to her, dozens of fishermen, including her father, were saved from the raging sea.
Unfortunately, her fame was what brought her misfortune.
Her gift reached Guthrum's ears. He attacked her clan and slaughtered the entire village, leaving Valka as the only survivor. All of those atrocities just to make Valka his seer.
However, the Omvrik Clan already had a seer—her name was Gull.
"Our Jarl often asked us to read his fortune, especially before battles. He used our predictions to gauge whether he could win or not."
"Sounds cool. Having two seers to help foresee the future. No wonder he's become a great leader," I commented.
Valka shook her head. "Sadly, it isn't like you think."
I furrowed my brows at her response.
It turned out that the two seers often gave conflicting predictions. If Gull predicted rain the next day, Valka would predict clear skies. They delivered opposing fortunes, creating confusion within the clan.
"So, our Jarl decided to strip one of us."
Gull's predictions were sometimes right and sometimes wrong. But Valka's predictions were never wrong. Naturally, Guthrum chose Valka as his seer.
"And let me guess," I interrupted Valka mid-story. "Gull didn't accept your Jarl's choice, did she?"
Valka nodded.
Being a seer wasn't just a minor position; it was a right-hand for a Jarl. Many Jarls relied on their seers' fortunes to make decisions.
So it made sense that Gull wouldn't accept it. She even went so far as to call Valka a harbinger of misfortune, claiming that the reason her predictions were wrong was due to the evil aura brought by Valka.
"Jarl Guthrum was furious. He wanted to execute her, but Gull had contributed much to the clan. So, he exiled her for five summers."
At this point, I nodded. I felt this was where the problems started.
"However, before Gull left the settlement, she gave one last prediction. She said the Omvrik Clan would suffer from calamity and a terrible disease that would kill many of us. And it would all be because of me," Valka said.
My jaw dropped. Not out of shock or sadness at her story, but because I could predict where it was headed.
"For the past month, our settlement has been struck by a smallpox epidemic. Many have died, and many have been cast out. None of us saw it coming. And I could do nothing to help them."
"Is that why they're hunting you?"
Valka nodded. "Jarl Guthrum began to fear Gull's prediction. So, he decided to call her back. She said the only way to save the clan was to eradicate the source."
"By killing you?"
When Valka nodded in response to my question, I felt a surge of anger.
Anyone who heard her story could easily guess that Gull was a fraud.
When people were trying to survive a deadly plague, she used it for her own benefit—even going so far as to use it to take someone's life. It's utterly disgusting. Truly unforgivable.
For the first time of my life, I wished for someone's death.