A.D. 866 Kingdom of Northumbria, Ragnar's Farm
/pov MC/
"On the morrow.. after you've all finished your chores me and ol' Ravn will take you.. Uhtred and Aethred.. to Earl Ubba's camp near Eoforwich.. where your Uncle Aelfric wishes to meet to negotiate your ransoms.." Ragnar says to us as we are eating our supper.. after a long full day..
"M'lord if I could just say.. the only reason our uncle would ransom us.. is so he can kill us.. I'd like to live m'lord as long as possible.. so if you would have me.. I would pledge my allegiance to you.. and worship you as my liege lord.. I might not be worth much now.. but I will be a great warrior.. not long in the future.." I start to plea'd with him..
"All will be well.. don't worry.. I've watched you three work.. your worth more to me keeping you here.. I doubt he has the silver to pay the price I'd ask him to pay for even only one of you.. even if he did he wouldn't pay it.. for I would set the price well above what your 'worth' to him is.." he informs us.. making me relax a little.. as he smiles at us..
"Thank you m'lord.. I won't let you regret it.. you have my word.. on Thor's hammer I so swear it.." I tell him..
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/pov MC/
"Ol' Ravn.. tell us another story.. tell us the one about.. hmm.. how about the one where the gods.. 'bet-d' the 'builder' to build the 'gods'.. a fortress in a certain amount of time.." I asked Ravn as we were getting ready for slumber.. all of us surrounding the fire in the hearth..
"Hmm.. right.. that one.. let's see.. where to begin .. hmm.. well.. The gods made a wager.. with an 'unnamed' builder.. to build them a fortress.. in a specified period of time.. in return for a great treasure.. and the hand of Freyja.. by some accounts.. To get out of paying for the treasure.. the other 'gods' turned to Loki.. who transformed himself into a mare.. to lure away the builder's draft-horse.. Long story short.. Loki found himself pregnant by the draft horse.. and later gave birth to Sleipnir.. the eight-legged steed.. that Odin rode across the sky.." he told us the story.. which was an awesome story if I say so myself..
"Fuck.. thats 'hard-core'.. great story to finish the night on.. many thanks ol' Ravn.. g'night.. see you on the morrow my friend.. rest well.." I told Ravn.. before turning over and getting comfortable.. closing my eyes drifting off to sleep.. getting ready to enter my 'dream-lands'.. to 'communicate' with the 'gods'..
"Hmm.. 'hard-core'..? Funny words.. you speak child.. anyways.. rest well little 'warrior'.. for you may need your strength come the morrow.." he mumbled his last words for the night.. as sleep grabs me
And rocks me gently.. placing me on a 'train' straight to 'dream-town'..
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/pov MC/
Come the morrow of the next day.. I 'rustled' and 'wriggled' myself awake.. exiting my 'dream-scape'.. entering the 'real' world.. for another day learning of my new world.. for the time being my whole world 'revolves' this farm..
"Alright.. you all get your chores finished.. we got a whole days horse-ride ahead of us.. sooner we get on the way there.. the sooner we get on the way back.. up and at em I say.." Ragnar's voice reaches my still sleepy ears.. cause me to twitch.. then 'groggily' shaking my head.. trying to wake up to get my day started.. gotta make every day count.. not knowing if it will be my last.. so thats what I'll do.. I'll make them count..
"Off to see ol' goat-fucker of an uncle.. Uncle Aelfric huh.. Im sure he is just as excited to see us.. huh..? Brother..?" I ask Uhtred as I notice him.. lost in thought with a blank look on his face..
"Huh..? O yea.. Im sure he is.. the piece of shit coward.." he says until I cut
Him off..
"Alright.. alright.. he will recieve his due punishments.. the 'gods' will see to it.. they will.. you'll see.. just trust me.. let's just focus on surviving the day-to-day shall we..?" I tell him..
"Yeah your right.. cmon Im feeling better already.. let's go 'knock-out' these chores.. so we can go ahead and get on the road.." he says to me.. as we head to the barn to deal with our 'chores' for the morning..
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Kingdom of Northumbria, near Eoforwich
"Alrighty.. there's the camp on top of that hill there.. see..?" I hear Ragnar the 'younger' say..
"Yea I see it.. there's Ubba's ugly face over there.. there's his 'seer' Storri as well.. I don't see our Uncle Aelfric's men.. they should be here soon though.. it's almost mid-day.. the time they said they would be here.." I point out to Ragnar the 'younger'..
"Always remember.. never fight Ubba.. he is a berserker.. once hes lost in a blood rage on the field of battle.. stay away from him.. he is just as likely to kill an ally as he is to kill enemy.. while he is 'free' of control of his body .." ol' Ravn tells me.. berserker huh..
"Alright let go in.. got a good ride back home.. I'd like to get this over and done with sometime today.." says Ragnar the 'fearless..
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/pov MC/
Over an hour later our Uncle finally showed up to have the negations of mine and Uhtred's ransom.. I stare at him remembering every little detail of his face.. 'burning' it into my memory 'banks'.. I see a welcome familiar face 'Father Beocca' as he walks up to us after he gets permission to approach us from ol' Ragnar and Earl Ubba.. "Boys it's good to see you alive.. now don't say anything just listen.. after Im done talking just nod your head like your agreeing with me.. now listen.. your uncle.. if he ransoms you.. he will kill you both.. if you can make the travel.. come to Winchester.. the capital of Wessex.. thats where I'll be.. if your ever lost and need a hand.. I'll always be there for you two boys till the day I die.." he said.. before turning around and walking towards my uncle's group.. saying something to him.. then shaking his head and walking to the back of the group..
"How much silver will it take for you to release my 'nephews' back into my custody?" Our uncle asks Ubba and Ragnar..
"How much is your offer to buy the boy..?" Asks Ubba..
"Ransom!" Ravn says to correct Ubba..
"Yes.. Ransom.. thats what I said.." was Ubba's reply..
"I'm willing to pay.. one hundred silver pieces.. for the safe return of my nephews.." Aelfric immediately says..
"Two hundred.." says Ubba..
"Two hundred!!? Are you touched?.. you expect me to pay two hundred pieces of silver.. for two half-grown boys..? One hundred and twenty pieces.. that is my final offer.." Aelfric offers..
At this time Ragnar had just spoke into Ubba's ear.. I don't know what he said to him.. but immediately after Ragnar said whatever he said to Ubba.. Ubba opened his mouth and said "negotiations are over.. the boys are sold.."
"Ransom'd!!" Ol' Ravn corrected Ubba once again..
"Yes.. I know.. thats what I said.." Ubba told him..
"They are ransom'd.. to Earl Ragnar.. for two hundred pieces of silver.." he says as he smiles his creepy smile..
The we left.. headed back to the farm..