Family reunion

Harald leads your entourage to their camp. There are several tents, round shields and battleaxes laying everywhere. You could see their longboats pulled onto the shore. When the watchmen see Harald, they stand aside and allow you all to enter. To your sight, the Vikings slowly grab their weapons but make no moves against you.

Lily (whispering to Robert): It seems they don't trust us and more than you trust them...

Robert (whispering): I hope our business with them will be concluded swiftly and we can all return to our respective duties...

At the centre of the camp there was a tent far bigger than any other, you are coming to a halt next to it. As you are stepping towards it a woman comes out of the tent. She doesn't bow before you, neither does she speak with a tone of respect.

Astrid: So, that's the little girl we all wanted to see huh? Not as strong as I was imagining! But at least she has a pretty face! Maybe that's all she got that's worth anything!

Lily: Khm, I also welcome you, whoever you might be, as you haven't told me your name so far... If you even have one, worth knowing! I'm {if Social hierarchy < 80}Baroness{endif}{if Social hierarchy = 80}Duchess{endif} Lily, lady of these lands you are trampling on.

Astrid (after a short pause with a big smile): I already like her, she has bigger balls than some of you lads! My name is Astrid, leader of this bunch of douchebags! Come on in and let's drink some ale, we have much to discuss!

{if Erik = false}

Robert: Lady Lily, this might be a trap, please, always be on your guard while around these heathens!

Lily: No need to worry Robert, if they wanted to kill me or us, they could do that easily anyway! We are in their camp, what resistance could we possible offer when surrounded like that?

He doesn't respond to that, just follows you into the tent. You all sit down around a table as ale is being brought before you.

Astrid: Let's drink some ale to get into the mood of proper negotiations!

Robert: Thanks no, I prefer my head cool.

Lily (taking a cup): Only one, not to show any disrespect for our host!

Astrid: So, I take it Harald has told you all about the reasons why we are here, right?

Lily: He summed it up, yes. You are after Seperd and thus, Sofia.

Astrid: Indeed and you are the last person that saw her and we could find. So, do you have any leads on her?

You tell her about Sofia's secret convent. Later she tells you about how she and Harald survived the battle where Erik's brother fell. They were lucky and managed to make a disorderly retreat back to their ships and draw away just before the archers of Robert could manage to shoot them down. Robert acknowledges that some Vikings survived like that, as he wasn't focusing on them at the moment, but on the ones who were still fighting until their last breath. Astrid suddenly pulls out her dagger and thrusts it into the table. Robert stands up and draws his sword. Everybody freezes in the room, complete silence commences. You are wondering if that's going to be the time you will be killed...? What should you do...? Should you even do anything right now...?

Astrid (coldly to Robert): You have no idea how much I wanted to separate your head from your neck after what you have done to my people back then...!

Robert: I was just doing what my duty and people required to keep everybody in my city safe! That massacre wasn't my fault.

Astrid (pulling out the dagger and putting it back away): I know, I had been speaking to countless survivors, some only finding their path back to us years later. I'm aware my brother, Sigfried had tricked you, the bastard deserved what he got! What I regret is that I didn't see that coming... We could have saved so many lives that day... So many good men fell for no real reason! But that's all in the past now, I no longer have any bad feelings towards you, so let's forget the past!

Robert stands there confused, not knowing whether he should put his sword away too or remain in his stance and expect an attack. You grab his hand and pull it, whispering him to sit back and put the weapon away. He reluctantly complies and the tent is filled with chatter and drinking again.

Astrid (giving her hand to Robert): Give me your hand and swear you won't back stab my people! I will swear the same! I heard you were a man of his word, so I'll take it as a guarantee that we won't be having any trouble with you along the way. What do you say?

Robert (slowly shaking the hand of Astrid): I swear...

Astrid: Excellent! Now then! We are going to sail down south tomorrow, only stopping at cities every few days to resupply! Pack everything onto our ships, my men will be doing the rowing, we can't allow such greenies to command and drive our ships after all! Your tents are already prepared, Harald will show you which are the ones, please, feel yourselves at home!

As you are leaving the tent, Robert expresses his bad feelings about this whole operation. You try to calm him down and explain how much time you are going to save if you are traveling by ships instead of riding. He can't argue with the logic and accepts that you are in command after all. Harald shows you your tents and you rest before you start the journey tomorrow.{endif}

{if Erik = true}

Erik: Astrid is that really you sister?!

Astrid (hugging Erik): Erik! You haven't changed a lot! Bet I could still beat your ass in a fight!

Robert: Lady Lily, this might be a trap, please, always be on your guard while around these heathens!

Lily: No need to worry Robert, if they wanted to kill me or us, they could do that easily anyway! We are in their camp, what resistance could we possible offer when surrounded like that? Besides, they are Erik's family, if he trusts them, I trust them too!

He doesn't respond to that, just follows you into the tent. You all sit down around a table as ale is being brought before you.

Astrid: Let's drink some ale to get into the mood of proper negotiations!

Robert: Thanks no, I prefer my head cool.

Erik: Ah, I haven't tasted such fine ale since I left our home!

Lily (taking a cup): Only one, not to show any disrespect for our host!

Astrid: So, I take it Harald has told you all about the reasons why we are here, right?

Lily: He summed it up, yes. You are after Seperd and thus, Sofia.

Astrid: Indeed and you are the last person that saw her and we could find. So, do you have any leads on her?

You tell her about Sofia's secret convent. Later she tells you about how she and Harald survived the battle where Erik's brother fell. They were lucky and managed to make a disorderly retreat back to their ships and draw away just before the archers of Robert could manage to shoot them down. Robert acknowledges that some Vikings survived like that, as he wasn't focusing on them at the moment, but on the ones who were still fighting until their last breath. Astrid suddenly pulls out her dagger and thrusts it into the table. Robert and Erik stand up and draw their swords. Everybody freezes in the room, complete silence commences. You are wondering if that's going to be the time you will be killed...? What should you do...? Should you even do anything right now...?

Astrid (coldly to Robert): You have no idea how much I wanted to separate your head from your neck after what you have done to my people back then...!

Robert: I was just doing what my duty and people required to keep everybody in my city safe! That massacre wasn't my fault.

Erik: Calm down Astrid, don't do anything you would regret...!

Astrid (pulling out the dagger and putting it back away): I know, I had been speaking to countless survivors, some only finding their path back to us years later. I'm aware my brother, Sigfried had tricked you, the bastard deserved what he got! What I regret is that I didn't see that coming... We could have saved so many lives that day... So many good men fell for no real reason! Not to mention my brother was separated from his family! But that's all in the past now, I no longer have any bad feelings towards you, so let's forget the past!

Erik sits back but Robert stands there confused, not knowing whether he should put his sword away too or remain in his stance and expect an attack. You grab his hand and pull it, whispering him to sit back and put the weapon away. He reluctantly complies and the tent is filled with chatter and drinking again.

Astrid (giving her hand to Robert): Give me your hand and swear you won't back stab my people! I will swear the same! I heard you were a man of his word, so I'll take it as a guarantee that we won't be having any trouble with you along the way. What do you say?

Erik (whispering to Robert): Do it, otherwise there isn't any chance of cooperation!

Robert (slowly shaking the hand of Astrid): I swear...

Astrid: Excellent! Now then! We are going to sail down south tomorrow, only stopping at cities every few days to resupply! Pack everything onto our ships, my men will be doing the rowing, we can't allow such greenies to command and drive our ships after all! Your tents are already prepared, Harald will show you which are the ones, please, feel yourselves at home! Erik, I have arranged for you to be staying in my tent, we have a lot to talk about!

As you are leaving the tent, Robert expresses his bad feelings about this whole operation. You try to calm him down and explain how much time you are going to save if you are traveling by ships instead of riding. He can't argue with the logic and accepts that you are in command after all. Harald shows you your tents and you rest before you start the journey tomorrow.{endif}

In the morning you pack your equipment into the ships selected for you. They were already put back into the water and were ready to sail south. Once everybody is on board and everything is packed onto them, even your horses, you finally begin the journey on the seas. The ships are never stopping, at night the rowers change shifts and continue rowing to further increase the speed of the longboats. The only stops you make are at bigger cities where Astrid and a handful of his men go into the markets to resupply. One those occasions you too go with them, trying to find any useful information about Sofia. It certainly won't be easy to find anything useful about her, but you have a few ways of convincing people to share what they know with you! You have left your realm days ago, this is a ground you have never set your foot before. Luckily for you, you were taught to speak a few languages as a noble lady, finally this can come handy with the locals!