For Odin!

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A full moon was shining down on the cheery village of Yogsta, further emphasized with torches that were placed in between wood longhouses and alongside the muddy dirt paths that wove between them. Typically, nobody would take the risk to use that much fire around the dwellings built of wood and thatch, but tonight wasn't just a night. Beyond the amber glow of torches, the village was dark, just like the Gods had intended. The noises of Vikings feasting were even louder than usual. Norsemen knew their way around mead for sure, but this was a special occasion. Tonight, the marriage between the Jarl of Yogsta's son, and the lovely daughter of another Jarl from their neighboring village Jokulsa was finally going to be made official. The couple would forge a strong alliance, whereas the bride would ensure that her future husband and his territory would have enough men, ships, and supplies to raid Saxon territory - just like so many other Scandinavian raiding parties had been doing since the fall of Ragnar Lothbrok.

However, this marriage didn't just announce a new alliance and yet another group of Vikings going out on raids. It was the start of a new sage, the saga of a great warrior to be...

The actual marriage began around midnight, per tradition of the bride's family. They thought it gave good fortune if the bond between two people was strengthened during the darkest hour, when the Gods could pay their full attention to what was happening down on earth, right there in the large town of Yogsta. No matter the case, the festivities had already begun long before the sun started going down. And before long, the sun had been replaced by the heavenly moon, as if granting the wedding its blessing to move forward. People were drunk, enjoying good company. Beer and mead were passed around at every corner of the village; large tables of food were freely displayed for the warriors and ruling class to take from. There wasn't a worry on anyone's mind, yet a group of drunk Norsemen - men loyal to the Jarl of the newly allied village Jokulsa - had found their way over to the stables.

They hadn't been shy about expressing their opinion about the village of Yogsta, humble men like themselves never had the honor of visiting this wonderful place. No matter how close it was, there had never been a reason and they were energetic to be in such a place with the promise that their fury would be extended beyond the border of their homes. With this alliance, the two villages might now stand a chance to raid the many Saxon territories overseas; their combined might would prove to provide the resources needed to go beyond farming and into raiding with the sons of Ragnar.

"Look at my beautiful mare! It'll be a pity I won't be able to take her to England!" One of the men grinned as he pointed out at a dark brown horse, clearly beaming with pride. Full of excitement for the battles to come, the adventures of traveling over the ocean like the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok himself.

"Her beauty, and your ugliness. That would put shivers through those weak Saxons!" Another one called out, taking another sip of his mead as the group started roaring with laughter.

However drunk they might be, the sound of approaching hooves still managed to grasp their attention. They turned to see another horse coming to a halt, a mysterious figure sitting on top. They had missed most of the festivities already, and the lateness was almost disrespectful if one of them hadn't recognized who was sliding off the horse and tying it up in the stables.

"Isn't that..." One of the Norsemen loyal to Jokulsa hiccupped.