Alfheimr Renaissance

It is a very good auction, both for the buyers and for me as the seller. Many people wanted the goods, especially slaves, horses and livestock, which are highly desirable if the price is right, but finer clothes, jewellery and decorations are also sought after, although much is sold cheaply because many have already spent most of their silver on more expensive items and we just want to get rid of it. I receive a lot of silver and gold, but also take iron and such as barter when the payer agree with Ovdhon about value. So I am more than 350 ounces of silver richer after paying all the warriors' wages, and I still have all the plundered silver and gold left, which is worth about 400 ounces more. We also keep 23 horses, 8 cows, 1 bull, 18 sheep, 14 goats, 16 pigs and many cages with chickens, rabbits and geese, as well as the ships. I will also make money from the slaves sold through the merchant empire, which should be around 300 ounces more. Financially, being attacked has been a huge profit, even though I have costs for windows and other things. In terms of reputation, the gain has been epic, and even though everyone now knows that I am not an Elf, it seems to be only positive that people know. Also, the reputation of my sambos and bodyguards has skyrocketed, especially Janes.

But for my self-esteem, morals and peace of mind, it has been terrible. Torture. Killing innocent people. Selling innocent people. Looting. Burning down others life's work. Taking a teenage prisoner of war as a concubine, which I have to impregnate and have at least one child with. Owning a nidambott that is lower than a slave, that I have to impregnate and also have a child from. It's probably a good thing that I'm not religious and don't believe in heaven or hell.

I completely understand why Jane, who spotted the saddler and his wife among those who were here, took him aside to talk about saddle improvements. A pleasant distraction. Now that she, Iselin, Ciara and Kari have used the saddles, Jane has many suggestions for improvements, both in terms of comfort for the horse and rider, and in terms of the craftsmanship itself, and perhaps special tools to make it better, easier or just more attractive. A different manufacturing method or how the parts are put together or just slightly different thicknesses and such can do a lot for a better end product. Of course I support this, but so do Kari and Haera. Haera has just been happy to get involved in what she can and is allowed to by me and sambos, and she likes riding horses, so even though she can only ride around the islands, she wants to do her best for the best possible saddles, and hopes to give them to her children. I already plan to give Kari a saddle as a morning gift. And my other sambos when appropriate. And they want to give a good saddle to Queen Damman when we visit Reiekrône.

Horses are dangerous, insane, smelly, annoying poop machines, and I avoid riding as much as I practically can, but better saddles are of course valuable for our use and the future here. In fact, we should bring good saddles with us when we travel by ship, because we can't count on good saddles being available where we are going. We will need a good set of saddles on all our larger estates. Thrymheim, Borgheim, Forsheim and Kari's mansion, and bring a set with us to Reiekrône, etc. Ugh. I should manufacture tools to make good riding helmets so that they can become cheaper and way more common, and also something that is available in many places and not just for us. There are far too many serious injuries and deaths in this world. Even some cheaper plywood or hardened leather based helmet with cushioning could do a lot.

One positive thing is that I have been able to take the opportunity to ask the gathered people who owns the waterfall south of here, and people here have been able to give me answers and have been more than willing to contact the owner for me. A thing that is both positive and negative is that Nidbjorg is still in fangirl mode and is obviously trying to stay close by without being a nuisance, and she is not the only one. It feels so weird to have fangirls.

I announce that the selection process for the crew of my new ship will begin. Asta and two members of the current crew are present so that they can do the main selection of who they would like to have in the crew, as they have a much better understanding than I do, and will be working closer with them. All of this gives me a bit of a vibe from the last selection. So I introduce myself and reiterate my rules: no lying about experience, and that they will not be sailing a warship, because regardless of what happened two days before, I hope there will never be another battle or fighting except to protect the ship, its passengers and its cargo. They must also accept that sejd is used in their vicinity, more or less openly, and almost like one, the crowd eyes Iselin standing beside me, and her green flashing necklace that she so proudly wears.

I continue to say that they cannot swear allegiance to anyone else, and that they must respect taking orders from me, my women, and the person I appoint as Captain, regardless of gender. Rank will be based on suitability, skill and merit. I introduce Captain Asta, and see that many now know that name and she gets the respect she deserves. Surely some of those here were there the last time when the man questioned my selection of her as Captain. A choice I have absolutely no regrets about. Asta inform them more about the work and so on, and selection process.

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There is quickly a queue after the first selection. But this time there are many here, many many dozens, and this is on very short notice, but not so strange with my reputation and my ship's reputation right now, and what the job entails since we now have a good idea. I let Asta and the crew handle most of the selection process, and after a while, ten people have been chosen, including three women. One seems to be more of a shield-maiden than a sailor, standing there with her shield, spear and sword, and I recognise her from the raid. I assume Asta is trying to give more women the chance to experience seafaring life and adventure, and considering everything, no one is likely to object even if they see anything wrong with it. The cog is most efficient with at least five crew and can be sailed with four, but more is better and someone might quit, and they have several ships to move, so why not hire everyone temporarily, and choose the best ones after a couple of weeks?

Asta takes me aside and asks if she can hire two of them for the Millennium Eagle, because Adalwar is going to quite being a sailor and instead take care of Borgheim with his family, and she recommends one of her two men here as Captain of the cog. So I just smile and say, "Of course". We talked about more crew a few weeks ago, but they must have somewhere to sleep in the winter too. When I realise she means hiring the 'shield-maiden' and say that Sif can sleep in her house in the bed under Lifa, why not? Asta is the Captain, and she gets two new crew members to train and evaluate. I suspect that Sif is a bit like Alith and is looking for adventure and perhaps to make a name for herself. Alith and Asta spent a lot of time with sextants and such before Alith focused on being my Bodyguard. It's likely that Sif will get a similar education from Asta.

Of course, I already know the current crew somewhat, but Asta officially introduces me to one of the two men who are with her, and on her recommendation, I offer Palni the job as captain of the cog. Asta has already given him lessons in new mathematics, sextants and other subjects, and he knows the coast reasonably well and has been to distant towns such as Skorraey in the north, Reiekrône and Dammâu in the south, and travelled in the Eastern Sea a lot. Palni is familiar with the sea in the surrounding area, to Skiringsalr and over to the Daes Kingdom. So I officially greet Captain Palni, 26 years old, and it's nice to see how proud he is. I instruct Palni that I need to know if there are any problems with the new crew, and if they work well both individually and together before the best ones are hired permanently. If, for example, he realises he does not want the job as Captain, he should just come to me, and we will try to resolve it, and he will probably return to the Millennium Eagle. I want honesty.

In front of those selected, I introduce myself again, my wife Iselin and my concubines Ciara and Jane, followed by Caecilia, Ryla and my bodyguards. I tell them that there is another woman whom they must respect, my future wife Storman Kari Alfgeirsdotter, and also another bodyguard, Raneigh. I can hear murmuring in the background crowd. Orders from them are orders from me, where I have the final say, followed by my wife Iselin, followed by my future wife Kari, and my Bodyguard Captain Alith. I tell them that they are all temporarily employed on a trial basis and will become the crew of my cog, which is moored in the harbour. At the moment they are all equal and have the same chance, as all are temporary hires. I introduce Captain Palni to them and then give the floor to Captain Asta.

The selected ones are very surprised when Asta offers the two she wants to try out a temporary position to see how they fit into her crew, and they will live with them in the crew houses on the Ackerek islands. Some of the others are a little jealous, because everyone would prefer to be on the Millennium Eagle, but several understand that 'their' cog will surely become famous too, and that it is an opportunity and an advantage to have been with the cog from the beginning.

Their first task is to sail all my new ships up to the islands and bring the animals with them, and they're likely to have to do a couple of trips due to all the animals. The new warriors we have already hired will travel with the Millennium Eagle and sail at least one of the longships, and there are enough of them to row that longship if necessary. Once there, they will pull the longships ashore for longer storage, and there are workers on the island who can help with that and unload them and help with the animals. How they do everything and in what order is up to Palni, but they will probably sail two ships up and back with one, and since the cog's hull needs to be cleaned of sealife, Asta and Palni have suggested just sailing the cog up to Tingshamn and leaving the ship there for a few days. The fresh water will remove a lot of the sea-life and at least kill the rest, and they will bring up the cog last. It is not difficult to go from Lysesund to Tingshamn in a day by foot, at least without carrying cargo. I warn them all that there may not be accommodation on my islands for the next few months, but I will try to arrange something. They may have to stay on the cog.

Palni will assess their performance, but also prove that he is competent enough to act as the Captain. Hillevi will accompany them as my representative on their first trip, and she will be given control of a small ship's purse of 16 ounces of silver. I tell her and Palni to let them have a little feast tonight.