When U'scna'bew and Na'nɨmyswa't had gotten better, they went back to see the Vi'nlandiskar again and had lunch with them, but avoided the bread and cheese.

“I can't help noticing they don't have much food here.” Na'nɨmyswa't surmised after the meal;

“Yes.” U'scna'bew agreed, “I've heard farmers only gather food once in an entire year and have to make that last until the next time the plants grow ripe. It must be a hard way to live.”

“Yet they share their food with us.”

“They must have a strong tradition of hospitality.”

They fell silent for a moment before Na'nɨmyswa't went on; “You know, since they're showing kindness to us, we should do a a good turn for them.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“There are plenty of streams around here full of trout. We should show them how to catch trout in a weir.”

“You're right. Let's do it then!”

The two stood up and U'scna'bew announced they'd be going and beckoned the Vi'nlandiskar to follow. Þo'rvalðr and He'lgi went outside with them. U'scna'bew tried to use hand signals to communicate they were headed into the woods to find a stream and build a weir for catching fish. The two orc-men stayed by the door.

“What is it you suppose they want?” He'lgi asked Þo'rvalðr, who replied;

“Perhaps they mean to to draw us into the forest and kill us.”

“Why would they want to do that?”

“I don't know. Why are you asking me these questions?”

“Talking helps me think.”

“Inane questions help me lose my mind.”

“Fine. Get a sword if it makes you feel better, I'm going with them.”

He'lgi and Þo'rvalðr went back inside, He'lgi to get his rune bag and Þo'rvalðr to get his sword and bow.

U'scna'bew led the way to a stream of a good width and depth and rocky embankments, then he and Na'nɨmyswa't got to work building a weir.

“Ah, they didn't bring us out here to kill us, they just want to play with rocks in the water.” Said Þo'rvalðr, “Hey He'lgi, you're not even thirty yet—you're mentally younger than that young fellow, Nana-what's-his-name. I'm sure you'll fit right in with them!”

“Oh, there you go with the age thing again. Just because you're only a few years away from the age of wisdom doesn't mean you have the right to make fun of everyone who's still over a decade away.” Þo'rvalðr started walking home. “Hey, listen to me when I'm complaining to you!”

“Goodbye, He'lgi.”

“But they wouldn't have brought us out here if they weren't showing us something important!”

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“It's just rocks in a stream, He'lgi. Get over yourself: you may have wits beyond your age, but not everything has a special meaning.”

As Þo'rvalðr receded into the trees, He'lgi called, “But what if they still mean to kill me?”

“Don't be sad: if they do that, I'll avenge you!” And with that, he was gone.

He'lgi stayed and watched the two men building the weir, but to him it just looked like some rocks piled up in a funny pattern. When they finished, U'scna'bew beckoned He'lgi down to the water and explained to him that when the fish passes through the funnel, it becomes trapped and that's when you catch him, but He'lgi didn't understand at all.

“I'll check on it and when it traps some fish we'll bring them back, and then they'll understand.” Na'nɨmyswa't said,

“Good idea.” Replied U'scna'bew, “These overseas people don't understand anything outside of farming, do they?”

* * *

One day some time later, Na'nɨmyswa't came to Gi'sls'tað and made Helgi and Þo'rvalðr follow him. He took them to the stream where the weir was, where they found U'scna'bew waiting for them. U'scna'bew pointed at the weir, which had caught some trout.

“See!” Cried He'lgi, “I told you they were showing us something important!”

“Yes, and if you held your head any higher, you'd be levitating.” Þo'rvalðr replied.

U'scna'bew had already taken a trout out of the water which he was holding by the “neck,” just behind the eyes. He sat down on a bed of spruce branches and gutted the fish. He handed the guts to Na'nɨmyswa't, who threw them in the stream, and handed the fish to He'lgi, who took it by the eyes. U'scna'bew snatched the trout back.

“No!” He said, “Not like that!” He pointed at the trout he held just behind the eyes: “Ku'gehme's, trout. We always hold the trout like this to show respect to Mehsɨna'qi, the Fish Chief.” He waved his free hand in the air in an attempt to convey the concept of deity.

“What's he saying?” Þo'rvalðr asked,

“Now who's asking inane questions?” Replied He'lgi,

“Well, I just thought since you're so smart even though you're seventeen years from the age of wisdom, that you'd be able to somehow divine the meaning of the words our friend is saying.”

“I think he wants me to hold the fish the way he's holding it, although I have no idea why.” He'lgi took the trout feom U'scna'bew the same way the man was holding it; just behind the eyes. U'scna'bew nodded, pleased, then he pointed at the open gut of the trout:

“The guts,” he said, “always go back where you got the fish from.” He pointed at the stream, “If you don't follow these rules to show respect for the trout, Mehsɨna'qi will direct them away from your weir and you'll go hungry.”

“What's he saying now?” Þo'rvalðr asked,

“You don't need to understand the words to know he's saying to throw the guts in the stream. He seems to think it's very important, but I can't tell why. Here, take this back to Mother and tell her we have a fish trap here.” He'lgi handed the trout to Þo'rvalðr, “I'm going to stay here and see if I can make out anything he's saying.”

Þo'rvalðr and Na'nɨmyswa't went away but He'lgi stayed with U'scna'bew. They sat together on the rocky embankment and exchanged simple words, explaining their meaning. He'lgi wrote U'scna'bew's words on sticks and tried to explain writing to him.

* * *

After that day, He'lgi would visit the Holtmaðr camp for a few weeks every summer when there was no work on the farm, and in this way he began to develop a pidgin language using words and grammar from both languages and taught it to others so that the Holtmaðar and Vi'nlandiskar could understand one another.

Many of the Vi'nlandiskar were nearly out of food supplies and were starting to cull their livestock herds heavily. They may have starved before harvest, but thanks to the weir they had trout, and later some Holtmaðar sold them lobster traps, nets, and harpoons in exchange for knives and other tools made of iron and steel, and showed them the best seal-hunting spot nearby, which provided more sources of food for them. Other Holtmaðar bands in the area heard of the new settlers and traded with them.

It was also around that time that Holtmaðar began to get sick with diseases brought from Miðgarþt. Si'gvejg and other Vi'nlandiskar showed the Holtmaðar healers everything they knew about healing such diseases, but many died.