It was a warm day, the sun was rising up in the east, its golden beams held within the dew that yet lay on the green grass. Whunjo had left the door of the hall open to let the fresh air come in. His arms wrapped around the one year old he had sired and only just recently met. Hagalaz his wife had not stayed the night with him, the other children were still at the farm and needed to be calmly prepared for his return. He well knew from his own youth that it could be difficult for a child to see a father that had long been gone from an adventure. it had been about a year, a year from home and what for? He had brought people with him, but hardly more than he lost on his way into the west. The faces of those gone flashed in his mind and he would find a way to honour them soon, except those that followed his half-brother, those were his responsibility. The young one yawned and his small fingers clenched the cloth of Whunjo's tunic, giving a strong pull. It made him realize where his true happiness was in this earth .. and perhaps how soon he may have to leave it behind again. He had long been past those days of doubting as to escape the life he was fated to live. He had to admit, steering the lives of so many at a whim if he so wished was something he wouldn't give up easily. The concept that this would be a more darker part of his being did not seem to come to his mind. Men always had followers and leaders, like a herd of sheep, a pack of wolves they went through life and he decided that those on the top would always have the best choice in all, it would be folly to step away from that and go through a mediocre existence full of daily worries.
Tunaraz had taught him that a successful leader does not live from his followers' wealth,.. he should live from their consent to him being a figurehead of the rulers. "To ensure the people to live in dignified and stable comfort, not the excessive and needless wealth that makes men fat, lazy and bored. To share in the caring for one another and the healthy earth, not to take profit from others their downfall or take from the land without returning. To be thoughtful and just even if many do not like it, not reckless with the life of another. To cherish the beauty of tale and music, the child playing in the sun and the maiden that dances at the fire with flowers in her hair..", the man muttered to his son as he rocked him in his arms. The child had it's eyes open and though quietly seemed to be listening. "These things are your choice to do. The choice to grow a noble heart or to let it fester and blacken. There is no Spirit that will deny you either path to take or in between. Though each action has a consequence in the waiting.", a voice said from behind Whunjo, he turned around to see his father sitting on a table while peeling a cooked egg with his fingers.. both men continued together,
The meaning behind our lives,
measured by actions we undertake,
deeds cruel or brave ripple through time,
like a drop's fall in a lake,
The one question we may ask,
is it from a fresh flowing stream or a stagnant swamp our thirst,
we would want to slake?
"I hadn't expected you to remember those words. You always had a hard head when it came to learning anything that did not involve your hands.", Tunaraz said. Whunjo rose up his brows a moment, "I'm still not entirely certain I understand what those lines mean. The man who came up with this rhyme did not offer any true answer to these matters. I suppose the best I can do is pass it on, maybe a wiser descendant will one day figure it out, ha-hah!" The elder nodded, "Hrmm-hum.. I think every man or woman should find the answer for oneself within oneself and let them war or love as they please over it.. perhaps that is it." They locked eyes before Tunaraz continued, "Maybe there is no true answer and there within it lies, men will be men and we can only hope that the noble of heart can keep the remainder in tow." "Hrm-hrm and what are we fadir? The noble or the wicked.", a grim chuckle came out of Whunjo's lips. "I like to think we are among the better. We love and hate the right things and when we fight it is for others foremost." They both fell in agreeable silence over that, the child on Whunjo's chest stretching his arms and closing one's eyes again. A breeze came in the hall and with it Uhruz. On the massive brute his face was a dull smile to be found and the reason for such may have been the twin girls that followed right in his wake. Tunaraz bit the top from his egg with a frown, Whunjo grinned a little. "Fadir.", the giant laid a hand on his heart. The old warrior did not reply in any particular way. "Brodr.", Uhruz went over to him and wrapped an arm around him while a few of his fingers carefully rubbed through the few straws of blonde that were on the child's head. "Hoy brodr, you had a good night's rest? Ha-hah!" The man frowned a little and scratched his temple,.. he turned to looked over his shoulder to look at the smiling girls who also awaited his answer with warning looks. "Hmmmjoah.. I did, hôhôôhôh...!!" He squeezed the two against him and remembered what he had come for in the first place, "So have the others come? The chieftains..and such?" Tunaraz replied, "The last one arrived last evening. Remember Taranix?" Both brothers looked surprised and nearly asked simultaneously, "Uncle Rix?" Whunjo smiled a bit, "I had thought he would be dead by now, how old is he? Eigthy?" Uhruz' husked laughter followed, "Or hundred? Hohôh.." Both of them had known him as children and even by then he had been of considerable age. Or atleast it seemed so in their eyes. "Laugh all you want you rascals! If it wasn't for the sacred laws I would both give you a smack behind the ears for talking about my white hairs like that, haha!" Tunaraz smiled, "In this hall we pinch an eye shut when loudmouths are in need to be put down a peg, haha!" "UNCLE!", the giant roared at the top of his lungs and rushed to lift him from the ground! "Little one, look at you! I bet you can uproot trunks with those hands if you had the mind to it!" As Taranix got placed on the ground he pinched Whunjo's cheek, "Seems you finally managed to grow a beard! Bet you that small package you got in your arms would be able to grow a thicker one than you did when you were becoming a man, hahah!" The man pulled their heads down by their hair and gave them a kiss on their foreheads his face flushed with merit! "And what of you uncle? How is your hall doing?" The man's enthusiasm lessened just slightly, "We get by my boy, we get by, that is what we all are here for to discuss eh? You both feeling up for a war, you may need a bit more training though I see!", he puffed out his large gut while backhanding theirs in turn with a chuckle, "Still! Even in the scrawny state you both are I would still choose the two of you over all those old women that have yet to get up from their beds!
--
Later that day the gathered had come to the hall, each man paid his respects to Tunaraz, now seated on the main table onn a vast wooden chair. Varying guests were sitting at the tables that were U-shaped around the fire. At Tunaraz' side sat Whunjo, both nodding and observing. Were one to enter the hall, there behind the flames Uhruz sat with his two girls at the center, one of them holding the child in her arms while the other was watching the man fill up the hole in his stomach that their long journey had left there. She admired him with the occasional sigh escaping her lips. On the right of them sat Taranix who himself had chosen to keep his attention on the visitors. Ulfird, Tunaraz' old friend was sitting further right in the corner, quietly eating from a chicken's leg as he deadpanned at any man nearby. On the left of the central table none was seated. Furthermore all those present were men and women that were chiefs over their villages or representatives of such. They carried themselves with pride as was costum in these lands and despite the light beer that had been offered, none in their wisdom drank any. Tunaraz was about to announce the door to be closed despite the low number of those present and the meeting to begin, but before the guards could two final visitors entered. The first was a man clothed in a long wool tunic that ran to his knees held in place with a thick rope. He named himself Berewud. The other man was a familiar face, a youth called Habuk....
Tunaraz rose up a hand, "Let's begin!" While his head rested on his fist. Whunjo was first to speak, "To your health blood-kin, be welcomed to Honeyspot.", he took in a deep breathe as they remained silent, "We have all come here to learn of the ongoing war that has been declared against the intrusion of Dark Men and Orcs within the lands we claim as our own! Some of you have already shed blood and needed to risk life and limb! To all others here I say unto you to prepare! We can not sit behind our walls and hope to outlast the countless raids that have been brought and will continue to be brought on us! Times numberless as are these invaders!", he held up his hands to show his palms, "But do not draw conclusions before we all have had our voices heard, Uncle.." As Whunjo sat down , so Taranix rose up to his feet, "Listen to him! I know several of you well enough to realize what you are thinking! You deem yourself the wiser one to let others clean up for you and if so their lands be taken and all are enslaved to the last child you will open your gates and flood your hosts out to prey on the unwary. I can tell you now; Forget it! Any man or woman that doubts my word can come visit my own home and count the skulls of attackers that now decorate my walls! To stand together is to have a chance!" The majority remained unmoving, only one of the youngest representatives shifted on his backside uncomfortably, but another leader, one that lived at the Langflood spoke up. His head was adorned with many blonde braids and they dangled at the side of his brutish features, "Away with you old man! You have simply grown feeble in your old age and knowing your doom is upon you fear that all will be taken from you! Now you're trying to rouse us to rush off to wherever these supposed invaders are coming from just to distract us and lessen our own numbers in meaningless skirmishes!" Taranix yelled right back at him, "Lauthoz, I could have expected you to be the first to act brash! Do no forget the thrashing your boys received two summers ago when you and your wretches tried to steal grain from us because your own fields got flooded!" Another elder with a thick grey mustache and a band around his balding head squinted before he spoke, interrupting the oncoming fight, his name was Marmanniz, "I have traveled from the feet of the Grey Mountains, my stock is full and the reach to my gate is narrow, why would I risk my men's lives to come down south to fight for another's interests?" "Or why would I risk mine?!", Lauthoz yelled altogether! Whunjo looked at Tunaraz, his father wasn't looking back, "You are here to see sense..." "And because you are too pigheaded to see so of your own!", Taranix helped.. "I believe..", Habuk started with such calm it took everyone by surprise, "... I believe I can shed news of what will happen to all of us should we do what is already happening east of these parts .." Habuk began to tell of the breaking of the ancient laws that bound the northmen and continued on the treachery by some of the chieftains there. The justified fears of the people that could only hope to be saved from the whims of their selfish leaders.." It made all quiet, Lauthoz was looking at the table in quiet awe of what he had heard.. Marmanniz' gruff features were set into thought.. Small Hwittirafn cried aloud! Habuk continued, "My riders are with you Tunaraz and from seeing the hall being nearly empty yet I believe many others will not need convincing, but saving already." Three of the four representatives rose up and spoke in turn with each gesture of Whunjo, the first was a woman, her long red hair held together with leather cords dressed as befitted a warrior, she was known as Hjelten, "It saddens Teutagon that he could not be here to meet you in person and your sons Tunaraz. Also that the message he offers is not more pleasant." "Go on." "Come to lift the siege from his village or avenge the death of it's people if so it has fallen by the time of your coming." All froze except Tunaraz himself, he nodded, "Is that all?" She nodded. "Then you have leave to go now and return the message that me and I shall sent forth my oldest son and his border-walkers to come aid with all he can! Uhruz!" The giant slurped down the skin of chicken that got caught between his lips, he nodded to his father. He brushed the twin girls' longing faces with his thick fingers and left the hall along with Hjelten.
The next was a youth with blonde hair, athletic rather than broad. His clothing betrayed he was from the northeast and of wealthy heritage. He gave no sign as of being a warrior though, more a poet, "Mighty jarl Tunaraz I Tjalfi the Bright bring news from the mighty Drake-Mother of Firnstayn! It offer you the news that the wolf-ships from the east so far have been held back and many men have been doomed with the arrival of Skjalddis' axe on the many battlefields or waters!" Tunaraz nodded, "The news?", he inquired. The youth cleared his throat awkwardly, "Word has it that she will come to the south, she will single-handedly if she must.. erhm.. protect the land of the east which border to our own! She let's know of how numbers that could drink rivers dry are heading for the great city of Dale!" "I am sure she will try, but what good is that to us for the oncoming months?" The youth shrugged his shoulders, "She decreed to let it be known as so the people of the woods can take hope that many an easterling warband shall be held back! And she bids her thanks for protecting her daughter to your own sons!" Tunaraz nodded, "Then let it be known that we shall sing the songs of her battles.. if she so succeeds!" The youth smiled and bowed his head courteously before sitting down once more, taking a beer..
The third was a youth with black hair, uncomfortable, shifty and sickly, he coughed in his hand and wiped his greasy hair back with it, "Well met my name is Atho. I bring news from chief Wunurda..." Silence in the hall, Tunaraz cocked an eyebrow, "I do not believe to know him. Is he freshly chosen by his people?" The diplomat shook his head nervously, "He is not chosen by the people, only by the hand above him. He is a chieftain, but has no land here in these parts, though he is it's ruler." "You are not making much sense friend.", Tunaraz implied, Taranix barked at him with a frown; "Has your fever gotten to your head?" The youth then lifted his head and seemingly reluctant showed a parchment with there upon it a drawing of an eye. Quivering his voice came from his thin throat, "Wunurda shall pass through these lands in the coming months, when his army descends on you all he requests that.. that.. you gather up in a single big pile so he doesn't need to waste his time chasing the rats out of the woodwork.." Within an instant Ulfrid got up from his bench and drew out his sword, "You bring threats to this hall slave of the Dark?!", he yelled as he rushed over to him! Marmanniz and Lauthoz also had their weapons out.. immediately intending to make a counter gesture to such a bold slur! "ULFRID!", Tunaraz yelled out, it halted the warrior.. The diplomat fell to his knees and held up his hands, "I am only the messenger lord! Please spare me!!" "Ulfrid, bring this sick man to the healer. He will be a guest in our village till he is hale again!" Ulfrid grinned a little and dragged the whimpering man with him, not resisting to give him a blow in the head once they had left the hall.
"Is that everyone?", Whunjo had asked. There were two more. Berewud got up from his seat, wide in bulk he was, his wild red facial hair stood in all directions and the hair on his head was spiked. His looks suggested that he was fairly bored by all the talk, but energy swept through him now it was his time, "The mountains in the west are being kept safe, but the Old one has decreed that we must take up arms in the vales too. Help will come when it can, but it can not be promised. I shall bring word of what I have heard here today to him!", the man sat down again, ignoring all the meat and instead picking bread from the table and sticking to the beer.
The last was the fourth diplomat, "My name is Hariberd, I have been sent by jarl Sigundaz to listen." Tunaraz nodded while stroking his beard, "I have heard of him being a just man that does well for his people." Hariberd nodded. "Tell me this atleast Hariberd if you have permission to do so, have you listened and heard to anything that may sway your jarl as to come to our aid?" "I can not say with certainty about what the men or women have voiced will do so. They seem as eager to fall over one another than any possible danger that may engulf them.", he then pointed with a finger at Hwittirafn, "The child's voice will definitely hold a strong sway in him though."
Tunaraz smiled, "It is for them that we are coming together after all."
