“It would appear that Drifa is correct. There are two giants out here,” Hogni informed the gathered circle of Vikings.
“Bah, you men, why do you doubt what I say? It is easy to see the different gait and path the giant took. Even if it is a few days old, there are at least two out here.”
“Why do you say at least?” Vidar asked.
“Look over there,” the shield maiden pointed as she moved a few yards away to where she had driven some sticks into the hard dirt. “You can see how that one has a wider walk, almost as if it’s packing more between its legs than the other.”
A few chuckles came from the circle of Vikings but Drifa ignored them, jogging to where another set of indentations in the stone were.
“Here, it's easy to see this one walks with a shorter stride and leans a little to the left. Perhaps they are injured from having fought against three gobrauds.”
Einar studied the nine Vikings gathered with the two who had been scouting and then motioned for Bartia, who had held her hand up slightly.
“We’re moving toward a place that has more trees. In them are packs of those boars as you call them, and as such, more giants do come. Most will stay out of the forest as they understand how their size works against them.”
“Yet those trees are over a hundred feet tall,” Osvif whispered as he pointed to some that were growing up in small patches. “It must be thicker in the forest.”
The dwarf glared and, ignoring the comment she had obviously heard, she pointed at the small remains the scouts had found.
“We’re at least a day from the actual forest, and you say we need to wait here for those other Vikings to catch up. Doing so isn’t smart. We’ve already killed four gobrauds ourselves in the last two days and this much meat is going to attract the attention of something.”
“She’s right,” Thorodd said after Bartia stopped talking. “Staying here is dangerous but if we leave and Jepi and his men are forced to stay out here by themselves, they’ll be at even more risk.”
Einar glanced at Vidar, seeing the other pack leader just shrug.
“He’s right. I wouldn’t want to expect you all to be here only to find out you’re not. We all know the dangers of coming, but this…” the Viking said as he motioned to the remains, “isn’t something a single pack can deal with.”
Avitue grunted and nodded, not saying a word when he turned to her.
“Then I want plans on how to best prepare for them. We’re wasting these boons, with two of them only two or three days from ending. Still, I don’t want to risk running into the woods and losing a fourth of our group because we left them out here alone. You all have thirty minutes to come to me with a plan.”
He studied the sky and turned to Bartia.
“How much more sunlight? Three or four hours?”
She didn’t even glance upward, nodding as always, seeming to know somehow.
“In the meantime, get the wagons and crews in place and have groups getting firewood. I’ll be in the center, setting up a table and looking over the map.”
“Do you really want our opinions?” Vidar asked with a grin. “I mean… we all know you’re going to do whatever Osvif says.”
A few laughed but Einar shook his head.
“No, I won’t. I’ll listen to all of you, have you make suggestions, and then take the best of all. Just because I have used most of Osvif’s ideas since you joined, ask the others. I also listen to theirs.”
Thorodd grunted and bobbed his head.
“He even listens to my ideas and acts upon them, so surely he’ll listen to yours.”
Shrugging, Vidar turned and began to move toward the trees a bit away.
Everyone else joined the Viking, either moving to get a lay of the land or returning to camp and give the orders Einar had just given.
“You’re not going to look?”
Avitue shook her head.
“While I think I might see something and have some ideas, I will let Drifa do the planning. She’s smart as you just saw and has a keen eye. Right now I’d rather talk with my sisters and make sure they are ready for the first watch tonight.”
“Bah, you didn’t get the first watch, and you know it,” he replied. “You’re on the second watch.”
Her green eyes fluttered, and Avitue tilted her head, pouting with her lips slightly.
“You wouldn’t want your wife to miss out on joining you tonight, would you?”
“No, but I also don’t want others believing I give you and the shield maidens special treatment just because I get to sleep with you.”
Winking, she leaned in and gave him a kiss.
“It didn’t hurt to try,” Avitue said as she moved toward the wagons. “I’ll get them in a circle for you.”
Once she had gotten a few yards away, Osvif and Bartia looked at each other, waiting for their turn to speak.
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“You can go first. You’re taller.”
Chuckling, the dwarf nodded and moved a few steps closer.
“It’s a bad idea. I told you to not keep that meat and you didn’t listen. You’ll undoubtedly cook it tonight because your only other option is to take it and dump it in the trees a bit away.”
“Which will draw the attention of something even if I do that.”
She nodded and frowned, slowly turning in a circle before returning to face him.
“There is a reason most dwarves don’t carry much beyond dried meat and bread when we travel out here. Danger like you haven’t seen can come at any moment and we’re vastly outnumbered.”
“And yet you believe we should be less afraid of the giants?”
“Giants, gobrauds, and a dozen other animals and creatures all wanting a bite of something fresh. As I warned you, just pray to your gods that no frenzy occurs, as that would be a disaster.”
Einar nodded. Her description of such a thing last night had made a few extra Vikings volunteer to join the second watch even though they hadn’t been required to.
“Well, at least you don’t have shadowwalkers out here,” Einar replied.
“There are far worse things than those out here. If you don’t mind, I will go and turn in. I’ll stay up with Avitue and her warriors tonight.”
Letting the dwarf leave, he turned to watch Osvif approach.
“Based on how you’re looking at me, I must be missing something important.”
Clearing his throat, Einar’s childhood friend nodded.
“We’re in a bad position. Honestly, it would take at least two hours to move to a better spot to fortify ourselves. The trees here are just enough that something could sneak up on us. Further up ahead, it might be a little thicker, and we could use that to our advantage, stringing traps if we left the road and endured traveling through the small brush.”
“And going back isn’t an option because we’d waste too much time getting there?”
Osvif nodded, pointing at Thorodd and Vidar who were moving around the area together, motioning to different sections.
“Even they see it, and I’m guessing you know it as well based on how you’re smiling,” his friend stated.
The grin he had been trying to hide grew, and Einar shrugged.
“Once we found those remains, our path was set. Anything we do tonight to fortify ourselves will be better than nothing. The problem is leaving them results in us having no fortifications the next few nights and we could travel for hours and still not find a place better than what we set up over the next few hours.”
“And it leaves Jepi’s team looking for us if we go too far down the road.”
“Every day, you get smarter,” Einar teased. “Now tell me, what are you thinking?”
“You don’t want to wait for the rest?”
“No. I have no doubts they’ll come up with plans on how to fortify and set up defenses as well as the use of the warriors. What I want to know is what you think we should do beyond just that.”
Grinning, Osvif motioned to the camp.
“Let’s get to the table and I’ll mark the spots for what I’m thinking. No doubt you’ll agree with me, but it’s easier if I show you what I’m thinking.”
***
“You want us to put all of the meat we’ve collected out in the trees, knowing it will lure something if we do that?” Thorodd asked. “I mean, I’m all for fighting, but that’s like running through town pissing on every guard and demanding a duel.”
A few chuckles came as every Viking stood around the table, all privy to what would take place.
“Correct but time is limited and we only have a little bit of sunlight,” Osvif replied. “Vidar has already pointed out that bringing large logs near the carts endangers us more than helps us if a giant comes. A single kick could send one into our carts and demolish what we use to travel and carry supplies, making all this even harder. So instead, let's pick a spot where if a fight comes, we’re ready for it.”
Tapping the rough drawn map that lay on top of the table, their tactician motioned to two spots.
“We need everyone focused on getting these areas dug. It’s going to be a small trap, not deep but wide. The meat will be in a center position. From there, logs will be stacked and a pyre will be burning all night. Anything that comes will be forced to the pit with the traps and stakes.”
“If things do go in there and get injured, it’s only going to draw more creatures because of the fresh blood,” Vidar stated.
Nodding, Osvif grinned.
“It’s similar to a trap Einar had us do when we were sixteen to lure a pack of wolves and kill them. Now it's just giants and creatures far larger than those simple beasts. Does anyone have any questions?”
A few grunts were the only reply as most shook their heads.
“Good, then everyone get to work digging. We’ll start getting the meat ready and hopefully tonight goes without a hitch and we can dig better pits tomorrow.”
“Join a pack they say, fight giants and other monsters they promise,” Skardi called out loudly. “What they forget is to mention how many holes you dig.”
Laughter erupted from the group of Vikings and when Einar motioned for everyone to go, they moved quickly, picking up the tools already leaning against carts, ready to be used.
“This seems like a good plan,” Bartia said as she studied the positions marked on the crude map. “My only question is, do you expect it to work?”
“We’ll find out tonight,” Einar replied as he began moving toward the carts where a few tools still remained. “In the meantime I need to go help dig a few holes.”
“But you’re the leader. Why are you digging with them?”
He motioned for Bartia to follow and grabbed a pickaxe and shovel at the cart.
“I’m not like a dwarf and the rules your people follow are how some of the Vikings act. However, if I’ve learned one thing, it is that a leader who only ever commands and never gets involved with the daily life of his people will in time, suffer a few problems.”
He handed her the pickaxe and she took it, frowning at how small the handle was in her grip.
“Watch how the men react when I dig with them. See how they work harder. Part of being there is to show I don’t see them as less of a person than I am.”
“But they are,” she stated. “None of them are the warrior you are. Sure some of them are strong or fast, even gifted with weapons, but you fight like one of the legends I heard about a long time ago.”
He stopped, turning to face the dwarf, who almost stumbled at how quickly he had reacted.
“While I might be better than them, I also know I cannot win the fight that is coming without them. That giant we defeated wasn’t going to die from just me. Had I faced it alone, I’m not certain I could have taken it down.”
“But you were dodging its attacks and landing blows with ease.”
“And yet the damage I did wasn’t that great. Tell me, how long would it have taken to bleed it out? What would have happened if one of its attacks had hit me.”
Bartia frowned but nodded.
“You would have died.”
“Which is why I need a hundred or more warriors, each of them trained and who understands that I am willing to stand side by side with them when death is coming for us.”
Spinning the shovel in his hand, Einar motioned to where his warriors were headed.
“They will also know that when it’s time to dig holes, set traps, or be on guard duty, I will be there as well.”
“You are an interesting Viking,” Bartia muttered. “So different from all the stories I have heard.”
Grinning, he shrugged and set out again to join the rest.
“Being different is sometimes a good thing.”