"'Tis safer here, laddie, till ye've the hang o' it." said Anundi. Like all the men, Anundi Spörr was dressed well. He wore leather shoes, long pants with attached socks that insured warm legs and feet, a tunic and a floppy long-sleeve under tunic made of linen. The undergarment hung several inches below his red woolen outer tunic and was belted with a leather belt and a bronze buckle. Being able to wear linen, and more of it than necessary, especially if it was brightly embroidered or decorated with colorful cloth braids, which his was, signified great wealth.

All the Vikings brought back plunder and their families prospered because of it, but everyone said his father and Anundi were the wealthiest of the lot. An abundance of weapons was also a sign of wealth and the Vikings in his father's command had them all. They each had a long handled axe, a three-pronged spear with iron tips for killing and for fishing, a helmet with a nose protector, a sword, and a dagger. Anundi's sword had a gold plated handle and a wide, flat blade.

Now that the hard work of rowing was ended and there was a nip in the sea air, Anundi handed the rudder off to yet another man so he could put on his long, sheepskin cloak. Once he had it around his shoulders, he held a round, gold broach steady at the neck, pinned the two layers of material together and then moved the opening to one side, freeing his sword and the hand needed to wield it.

It was the first real notice Stefan had taken of his father's longtime friend and second in command. He nodded his understanding and waited for Anundi to sit down beside him before he asked. "To where do we sail?"

"Scotland, laddie, Scotland - the land o' delights." His smile made the boy smile too. "Laddie, do ye intend to die this day?"

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Stefan was shocked by the question. "Nay."

"Then ye best get out o' those wet clothes afore ye freeze solid."

*

Donar stood squarely in front of the long, dragon-shaped neck of the bow with his legs apart for balance. He folded his arms and nodded his approval to his men. He was pleased with winning the race and the precision with which they carried out their tasks. It was a sign of great respect for a man who wanted to impress the son he hardly knew.

His son, however, was even more inexperienced than he suspected and with the sail between them, he at last allowed himself to laugh at Stefan's ungainliness. "The laddie be none too steady," he whispered to the men nearest him. Soon he was joined in laughter, leaving Stefan puzzled as to what the joke might be. But the eyes near him left no doubt - they were laughing at him. No sooner had he concerned himself with that, than he was diverted by a dolphin in the water on its back beside the ship, eyeing him as though it too was laughing.




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