Einn: Spring Rites

"Kill that bitch, already!" Kara curses as she sets down her unhappy load outside the circle, but close to Signy. It hasn't been that long since the wicked had put them all to sleep and made off with their wards. Even hurt she will be dangerous. Better not to underestimate her.

She dashes back to help Runar free the other two. She trusts that the rest of their group will take care of the witch and Signy will guard the cursed child. After she uses her dagger to free Fastvi, she hands the blade to the girl and tells her to cut her sister's bonds while she helps the unlucky Runar. "What are you waiting for - let's break her curse!" she calls to the others after realising Runar's state and remembering the skeletons who lie in waiting.

Together she tries to move them in the direction of Signy and Runa, bringing them to safety. Kara intends to kill the witch herself, if nobody else does.

The necklace tears away from the witches throat with ease, and a horrified look in her eyes tells you that it may have more power than you know. She is about to cry out in protest when the charmed man shoves his blade through her throat and silences her forever. A quiet gurgle is all that Sibbe speaks on her deathbed, after a long and troubled life. Runa falls to the ground sobbing at the same instant that the witch's spirit is sent to Hel, whatever influence on her seemingly broken. Inga and Fastvi are quickly freed from their bonds and both rush to their youngest sister to ensure her wellbeing. After confirming that Runa is, in fact, Runa, Inga stands and thanks you for helping. She prepares to say more, but the sound of voices coming from the entrance to the Tor gives her pause.

In a mobile fighting formation, several figures cross over the small ditch that demarkates the top of the tor. You recognize Jarl Olaf Henrikson in the front, with sword and shield in hand. From the mud that grimes his armor and the blood that dries on his face, you can tell that Jarl Olaf has had a long night as well as he and his huscarls gather around you and the girls. Kraki Hallason is there, and Young Ljot, sourspirited Berg Geirson, surly Hauk of Vastavikland, One-Eyed Sven, and even Old Ljot. Hallbjorn also looks on approvingly, his helm clutched under one arm, his eyes tired but bright.

"It seems you young-spears have had a night of it, too," your jarl begins. "At first I had thought that you were young and foolish, unable to oversee my girls, then I thought you defeated or your mind’s-worth broken by what strange signs we found at the Meadows when you did not return. But when we began to follow the trail to find the girls, we realized it was your trail that we followed, and we saw the signs of your own travels shed upon the path as you sought to fulfill your sword-oath to me. You have fought and bled for my household, and in my mind that makes you a part of it.

"Glad I am that you have saved my daughters from that evil witch, and happy I am to reward such warriors as you. When we return to Silvermeade, you eat, drink, and fill yourselves with good mead, for you have done well this day. And here in the sight of my own householders take from my hand these armbands that have graced my own arms since I slew the giant Hastral in furious spear-din. Truly you are warriors of Olaf Henrikson."

The jarl's speech sparks a warm rush of pride within Runar. He feels honoured to walk beside his companions, who overcame Sibbe without suffering a single scratch! For the first time in his life, he has been amongst the valourous praised, rather than a praiser of valour. Even so, he can't resist his calling, and offers a formal account to the Jarl:

"Sky's black cloak fell upon the ancestor's watch
Thor laughed; the storm of swords was fierce
Rin defied death and undeath alike
The strings of Oren and Yäns sang battle-songs together
Before them, spear-trees fell
Signy and Kara spilled the battle-dew of the troll-wife
All to honour the giver of rings"

Once his sight is restored, Runar would like to investigate the site and - if permitted - question Runa and examine the necklace, trying to deduce Sibbe's purpose at the Tor.

The jarl listens to this recounting of the events, while looking at the bag of treasures. He gestures to Yäns that the stones and baubles are for them to keep, after all it was your party that had fought for them. Deep down you suspect that this is both a gesture of goodwill as well as in humor of the paltry earnings. Still, this is treasure YOU had fought for, and that gives it value.

It takes nearly an hour for Runar's vision to return, and it does return albeit slowly. When he is able to see once more, he examines the necklace closely and recognizes it as Andøvan, though there is little else he can infer from the trinket. Despite its obvious age, the delicate bones and flowers that comprise the necklace are still in good repair — every dried rose petal remains in place as if locked in time. But any thoughts of questioning the young Runa are dashed, as the huscarls ensure she sleeps soundly... and sleep she does. As for the Tor, what Sibbe had planned here died with her. Whatever secrets she knew of this ancient site are now lost, and her purpose unknown and unfulfilled.

---

The coming dawn glows pink over the endless field of barrows that surrounds the Tor. Jarl Henrikson has decided to make a break for the forest to the south to try to get out of the accursed Barrow Lands as quickly as possible and risk the forest eves rather than the unquiet dead. The troop gathers at the foot of the causeway preparing to make a fighting retreat as the forms of scores of skeletal remnants of the ancient Andøvan still shuffle about dimly visible in the half-light.

The hordes of shuffling undead part at the base of the causeway, however, and one dead warrior steps forth in front of the others. The rotting silks and fine cloth still covers his cuirass of bronze below his hollow-eyed skull, though now in the early light you can see that traces of ancient dye still show where his raiment was once of the finest fabric. And he still carries that massive bronze sword of magnificent make, now point down in the earth. It is the barrow king who first allowed you to pass to reach the Tor, and he beckons specifically to the characters. The undead creature makes no harmful moves. Instead, it lifts its hand to mimic the shape of a necklace and then holds its arm out waiting.

Yäns, after hearing the Jarl‘s generous offer, chooses one large green gem as his prize. Then he closes the sack and hands it to anyone but the bard, for when they were introduced, he was certain that he heard, "Oren the Liar."
Then he dresses his javelin wound and prepares for the journey home.

"Seems he wants that necklace," Runar says to his companions. "Think we should give it to him? There's too many to fight..."

The jarl stands by your side and observes this curious request. Silence seems to fall upon the troop as they wait for your decision. Only Hauk (with whom you had bickered the day before) seems impatient. But what can you expect from a Vastaviklander?

Rin took the necklace from the witch, so he believes it is his duty to give it back. He takes the piece of jewelry in his hand and starts a move to hand it over to the undead king, but then looks at the crystal and he stops before his arm is fully stretch. "What do you need this necklace for exactly? Was it taken from you?" he asks, not sure if he even can receive an answer.

Signy would inform the Jarls huscarls that the man who had slew Sibbe the Unkempt was charmed, not an innocent in the disappearance of the daughters from the meadows; she would offer any of her own companions the opportunity to question the warrior before her spell wore off, if they so wished.

Facing the barrow king, it occurred to her that Rin's question may not recieve an anwser in their native tongue. The cunning-woman would step forwards, not quite as close as her companion however, but relay the same message in Andøvan; willing to act as a translator, if the undead could indeed speak.

During the Night

As the Jarl checks on the girls and the bodies, it is Hallbjorn who recognizes the charmed man as Gufti the Clever, an outlaw and known criminal from Trotheim. The other warrior who lays slain was Njarni the Traitor, an outlaw who murdered his jarl in western Storstrøm Vale. Though it would be best for both men to be dead, the jarl recognizes that Gufti did, albeit against his will, slay the witch Sibbe. And so he declares that he will take The Clever to the next Thing to be judged accordingly.

---

Presently, in the Moors

The Barrow King cocks his head as he is addressed in his ancient tongue. But Sibbe suspects he has been dead far too long to speak himself. And so the undead lord once more gestures the symbol of the necklace and holds out his hand. His eyes lock onto Rin's, and the godi can feel the power of presence that this creature must have once held. Even now, in its decrepit state, it was a terror to behold.

"You'll get no answer from that one. Skull's empty as a mead-barrel at the end of a feast night," Runar mutters.

"If you want to discover that necklace's properties, someone will have to risk wearing it. Else we must read what signs the gods have sent us and make the best choice we can, for good or ill."

Rin hesitates for a few seconds, but eventually trusts the gods and the presence of his jarl and his companions. He slowly extends his arm and offers the necklace to the undead king.

He does put his other hand on his holy symbol though.

The necklace falls into the hands of the Barrow King, and you know that it is pleased. As it withdraws the one hand, the other extends with its two-handed sword, point downwards, in offer. Upon closer examination, Oren recognizes this to be a sword from legend known as Hægtesse, or 'Fury.' It is a large bronze sword that has the strength of steel, a relic of the ancient Andøvan. That you should be offered this artifact elicits gasps from the huscarls, and the Jarl watches with pride. All of the householders look on in awe at the exchange, newfound respect in their eyes for the one who carries such a weapon of legend.

Rin raises his eyebrows looking at the weapon, obviously impressed. However he is not comfortable using swords himself, so he makes a step backwards to let one of his companions make a claim for it. Seeing the satisfaction in the eyes of the Jarl, he says a few words: "We definitely earned it, friends. One of you should step up and take it!"

Proficient in the sword but waiting to see if Rin the Battler was going to take the relic, Yäns eagerly steps forward and reaches out his right hand toward the offered blade.

Once the blade is taken by Yäns, the Barrow King and his army of the dead retreat into the moors and into their tombs. The path is cleared, and the huscarls urge all to move quickly. Jarl Henrikson takes the lead, but allows the new heroes to ride by his side; even Oren is given this honor.

And so finally the characters and jarl return to Silvermeade, three tired-but-safe young girls in tow. All three girls are taken by their female kinfolk and tended to, healers are brought in to see to any injured characters, and a small impromptu feast is thrown in their honor. After an appropriate amount of time eating and drinking, the jarl calls on the characters to tell their tale, a cry that is quickly picked up and reverberates through the hall for the story of this latest deed of valor. In the following days, a high-quality gift-item appropriate to each character is sent to them. The characters are on their way up in the world with a budding reputation as heroes and should feel a certain amount of pride.

Finally, there is the matter of Runa to settle. It is obvious that she was under some foul influence of Sibbe, an enchantment no doubt laid upon her at her birth. With Sibbe’s death, the connection is no more. She is comatose by the time the characters get her back to the hall and wakes up two days later refreshed and back to her normal — if somewhat abnormal — self. The fact that the characters saw her demonstrate sorcerous powers is a matter of some import, though. If the matter is spoken of to the jarl (or anyone else for that matter, as it undoubtedly makes its way back to him eventually), he denies it vehemently and threatens to settle such slander between the hazel posts if the characters persist.

But this is not a saga about the reprimanding of our adventurers. This is not the saga of Runa. This is your saga, and this is only the beginning.

End of Chapter One