Midwinter calling, day 4
Laxlanda
It was cumbersome to transport everything to Lysesund via a Knarr, but that was mostly Hrappr's problem - it's good to be the Furst. I should make a steam engine ferry. It does not have to be fast or particularly good, as long as it works. It would be very practical with something like a Higgins boat they used for landing during World War II and later, with a loading bay and ramp at the front. There are relatively few ports adapted for ships such as the Millennium Eagle, but there are plenty of beaches.
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The weather is slightly above freezing with high humidity, so sitting in the carriage is hardly warm and cosy, and the covered winter coach would have been so much better. I think we will order another coach once we have solved the transport problem, and could perhaps make a more caravan style wagon, with a stove for heating and cooking, with a table to sit at and then a place to sleep when the table is lowered. Something like that yellow wagon in Stardust and other fantasy movies?
But it is pretty nature we travel through, and the forested mountains is quite beautiful with the low clouds and the rain hanging in the air. For this to be a less important country road going from Lysesund, passing through a village called Svenlum and on through the mountain valleys to Laxlanda, the road is perfectly okay, at least with suspension on the wheels and at a relatively slow pace. But it takes time to travel like this, and I miss having a car.
The guards agree that it is a good idea to practice how we should react if we are attacked, and it may feel silly, but it can save lives. The most likely attacks are three situations. Ambush from the sides, with or without being blocked by felled trees. Frontal attacks with or without blockage. And finally that we're chased. Appropriate reaction depends on the terrain, but it is something to do on the trip. We will probably make it a habit to do at least one exercise on each trip, at least now in the beginning. Having firearms to decimate attackers would be really handy, especially from a more protective covered compartment in a coach. It would also have been better with a more discreet carriage that is far less visible than this one, which a coach easily is with just a little darker oiled wood. Pretty on the inside, and discreet on the outside.
Tents come up as a topic of conversation, and of course, we have a good tent, and tents are practical and I have often used tents - but I don't like sleeping in tents. There is always a concern that something might be outside, animals or people who are assholes. I feel that anxiety sleeping in my car. Which has been a reason why I prefer to camp very discreetly, and have discreet natural colors on tents, except my larger 3+ tent with an anteroom which is for large camping sites. That too is green-gray, but brighter. I have often preferred to use my basha in British DPM camouflage when hiking, or just use my poncho. Each is smaller and lighter than my tent, which can be a disadvantage as it is just rain and some wind protection, but it is also very difficult to detect if I am a little sneaky when choosing the place to make camp, and it is also possible to discreetly look outside and quietly and quickly leave. And here in Alfheimr life is much more dangerous.
So I talk about how insecure it feels to sleep in a tent, and how I usually camp when I hike. An easy way to try to kill someone here would be a rain of arrows against the tent they sleep in, and it can be done from a distance and perhaps disappear in the dark. Probably with arrow tips smeared with poop or similar to hope to give infected wounds. Just 5 people at 50-80m should be quite dangerous and could quickly fire many arrows, and most people are kind enough to have luxurious tents in bright light colors that are easily visible in the dark, with large banners that makes it clear who sleeps where. I'm a little surprised that a powerful Jarl like Myrun doesn't have at least one layer of hardened leather or the like strapped under the canvas to at least reduce the force of an arrow. But sure, I understand that most people want light into the tents and uncolored light beige fabric is practical and cheapest.
We can color our tents in a light green or a brown shade even if it gets darker inside, and compensate with window opening. But I have made a calculation of something and I want to try to make a large chain mail 'mosquito net' as inside protection, or just for the bed. Just chain mail sewn between two pieces of fabric for a more discreet look, and can be made in a finer colored fabric with simple decorations to mask the rings and reduce both light and sound. It can be hung from the roof pole of the tent or standing poles, and fall down on the sides and outside the bed. A simple wood stick frame can give a rectangular roof section that can hold the weight, and the weight will compress the frame. There is quite a lot of surface on normal mail armour for a body, and from what I measured 1m² is about 6-7kg. A large protection of 4x2.5m plus head and foot end, thus becomes 80kg. Yep, it's heavy and very expensive, but honestly feels worth it, because we have no use for silver if we are dead. We have oil lamps, lanterns and combo lamps we can use for light inside the tent, and with the right design it is possible to make 'windows' to let in more light during daytime.
My company exchanges glances, but agrees. Ciara and Alith absolutely want to see it done because I have given them something new to worry about.
The B-mansion had some chain mail that we took with us and is just stored in our basement, so I want to try to get a protection screen made to see how it turns out. If it's just a terrible idea, it has just cost time and silver, and the chain mail can split apart and be made into body armour. It will take time to get made, and Gunhild and Alith can do the final sewing of large armour pieces themselves to hide the purpose, and we will probably also split the screen into slightly overlapping parts that are T hooked together to make transportation easier, and openable for cleaning and rust removal. To try to keep the real purpose secret, we will call it a 'privacy screen' which is to mute sound, light and make it warmer. We can even add some pockets on the inside because that would be practical, and maybe a couple of thin ropes and loops to hang a shirt, socks or the like to dry. They will get fabric, and also see if it is possible to get hold of other used chain mail, although most are inherited. It's expensive and lasts.
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One thing that works poorly in a rocking carriage is to write or sketch, and it's worse without modern writing tools. I'm so damn tired of a feather quill that I'll try to make a simpler dip pen in wood and metal when I get back. It will be very hard to get a nice one, but it's still better than a feather, and more durable. I will eventually try to make an acceptable fountain pen, because it is the best writing instrument I have a chance to make in my lifetime. The the ball in a ballpoint pen or gel pen is way way too high precision and complicated, and it will be difficult enough to get capillary cuts and fine notches just right. Just the ink might be difficult enough.
We use a lot of the time for Caecilia to start to teach us her primary language Laitje, and it will take time. She has written down a lot of words with inflections, and we sit and practice, and write on slate. Inflections and the right word depending on the circumstance will be difficult to get right. Caecilia is good at a lot of things, but she is not the best teacher. It could have been worse, and it's not a Roman Centurion with a sword against my neck.
Heh ... 'Romans go home'.
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Storman Maurr greets us with a big happy smile when we arrive, and we are warmly welcomed, and he introduce his eldest daughter with husband and two babies, and they have been here a couple of days to 'visit her father'. Maurr also introduce an older woman around his age as his concubine Lyngheida. Maurr is a good host, but he knows we will not have time to stay for several days, and hopefully we can finish the ferry and open that for use.
Storman Maurr is proud to show his farm, which is easily defended and beautifully perched on a large and high hill, with his fields stretching out all around. It is a nice view, and he has used the shape of the mountain and a cliff edge as natural defence, so there is no high palisade to the east, and the view is nice out over the valley and the river with Laxlanda. The farm is like many larger farms several longhouses with stone foundations but just a few have glass windows. Honestly, it almost looks like Edoras from the Lord of the rings, only the hill isn't that high and with glass windows and there is no village below. I take pictures and Jane will be so jealous that she chose to stay on Ackerek. She will probably come along when the Inn and so on will be inaugurated. Unless the weather sucks.
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They have done a really good job with the rope's support and anchoring. It will be fun to see how well it will function and how much use it is all year round, but they are used to building with wood under these conditions, and Maurr has made sure that they painted the wood with some dark tar to protect it better. The supports are basically large pyramids with the top offset over the top land corner, as all the load will be to the down to the ground, downstream and over to the other side, and the anchoring makes it work a bit like a suspension bridge.
As far as I can tell, the ferry has been well built. It can definitely be improved, but the boatbuilder and his apprentice are anxious to show how well they have tried to follow my sketches of what it should look like finished, and the ferry feels strong, stable and well-built. They paddled the ferry upstream here, so even though it was difficult, the was more than enough room for several men. I'm also pleased that they have followed my safety and equipment directives to the letter. There are 6 paddles to be able to paddle the ferry to the rivers shore in the event of a rope rupture, and also a pair of lifebuoys, and 8 life preservers. To help people keep their balance and give people somewhere to rest, there are seats on the storage compartments along the downstream side, and it is under these that paddles and life preservers are stored.
So the block is installed, a rope is pulled to the ferry and attached to its lever. With me and Storman Maurr standing on deck with Bresir, the boat builder, his apprentice and a couple of guards each for me and Maurr, we cast off and move the lever over, and the ferry slowly begins to work its way across the river to the cheers of the audience. It doesn't take long before we reach the other side. There is no jetty here yet, because we needed to see where it ends up with the rope adapted to the jetty on the other side. So a pole is knocked down in the river bottom, before we move the lever and the ferry starts to work its way back across the river, where we are meet with more the cheers.
Kari definitely takes the opportunity to prove that I'm her man with a big kiss and hug, and Ciara doesn't want to be worse, even if she is less hungry. Caecilia also gets a quick little kiss because she really looked like she wanted one with slightly pouting lips. Maurr laughs, shrugs and gives his concubine Lyngheida an enthusiastic kiss, which makes her giggle like a teenage girl.
We have to adjust the length of the rope a bit so that the ferry docks correct at the jetty, but the ferry work. With the rudder, it is also possible to adjust the speed, and it helps to be able to steer when the rope eventually snap. Hopefully, inspection and maintenance will ensure that the ropes are replaced in time, but how well it goes and how often it will be remains to be seen. The ferryman will check it once a week. I make sure to pay the boatbuilder and compliment him and his apprentice for work well done.
Kari is proud when she shows the banners she has arranged which will be on each side's jetty and two small flags on the ferry. Both my own and the Academy's logo. It must be clear who owns and designed the ferry. I casually suggest its just missing a runestone, so that will definitely be erected to tell about the ferry, the purpose, the date and who raised the runestone. We make another trip across to mark where the jetty will be built. Maurr has men and material ready so it should be completed today.