[Brygun] Journal of Novrus

[Brygun]

Red foe spoke first, “Those birds mean my war party is coming. Its a good idea for you to flee.”

Red foe’s breath was starting to pant. So to was Novrus. Both had sweat mixed with the melted splatters of snow on them. Novrus’s face was still hidden by the lynx fur mask. The one cut to look like the animal was the one starting back.

Novrus spoke next, “Those birds mean your war party is coming. Its a good idea to kill you first.”

Red foe swallowed. Hardly the reaction he was hoping for.

Novrus made a swing. He had to fight like when training against grandfather. Better still to fight like his grandfather. Novrus stepped forward with an axe swing from high right as if to chop downwards. Then he twisted toward his left the axe coming down on the other side! Red foe had started to pivot out of the job. It left his right side, facing Novrus’s left, roughly in the same spot. This time the axe cut on Red foe’s flesh. A deep cut on the right upper arm.

The move did expose Novrus’s right side which Red foe kicked for. Quickly Novrus reversed the twist catching the blow on the round shield.

As clever as the last exchange was the next was a comedy. Red foe’s thrusting deflected kick made himself flop into the snow. Novrus moved to land a blow on the fallen. Red foe’s thrashing attempts to rise accidentally pushed a ski tip sideways. The wide split of legs made Novrus grunt and fall onto his axe hand for balance. Red foe tried to kick to the lowered head but the snow was poor footing. Both managed to face off again standing up.

Again Novrus was defensive to recover his breath. Kick after kick blocked then a loss of grip on the shield. Novrus bent to avoid a kick while getting to the shield then the next was wide while he got it up. Novrus held to his calm on the next few kicks. Red foe was tiring slightly more.

Now Novrus played a game of waiting for kicks. Only then swinging. Red foe was attentive. Both fighters were wobbling. No one landed blows.

Novrus felt it was safe to try a change. While Red foe recovered from a failed kick Novrus shoved the carving axe back in its loop. Another and the shield was on its carrying strap.

Red foe held a moment trying to figure out why Novrus was doing it. Then he came with blows again. What did it matter if the shield was out of the way. A blow landed with no affect on the layers of fur and cloth.

Now Novrus revealed his change of plan. Reaching above and behind he reached an object sticking out the top of his pack. An object recently forged. An object with a metal head on a long haft. He pulled out the broad axe. With a flick the narrow leather sheath fell off the glistening steel edge.

Red foe’s eyes widen and his jaw slackened. He jumped at Novrus hoping to catch him before the long axe was ready.

From the over head draw Novrus was all but in a high guard. Novrus shifted his skis back to gain a moment of time. Left hand on the bottom of the axe went down and backward taking that part of the haft with it. Right hand at mid haft came fast down. This cranked the axe head even faster.

Red foe’s charge met the axe on his right upper arm.

Steel for parting hard wood quickly parted flesh. There was a moment of strong resistance. Perhaps a knick of bone. The axe come away coated in bright red of fresh blood turning dark in the air. Dots of red sprang onto the snow in the arc of movement. Pulsing blood spurted from Red foe’s arm.

Red foe’s arm then shoulder then hip twists with cut. He falls into the flow. Blood pulsing from the new wide cut.

For a moment Red foe wasn’t moving. Many times the first fall is only a short fall.

In the clarity of battle mind Novrus shifted near the head and shoulders of Red foe. Then like so many times at the stead let fall the broad axe like he was shaping a trunk into a log for one of the walls. Broad axe blade falls across the neck. The blade is wider than the neck. It dives in halted half way through the neck bones. Novrus pulls the long axe up. Red blood droplets toss up to the heavens.

Novrus, with splatters on his out furs, pauses to watch the Red foe. Ready if need be to strike one more time. It isn’t needed.

With the foe defeated Novrus searches the Red foe then searches the snow for spear and knife.

Now came the care of his wounds. Three shallow punctures and a bruise. He pushed or removed clothing to wash the stabs. Water from his skin to wash them clean of fur hairs.

Healing herbs of… of what? Poking around the pouch Novrus is reminded he has herbs for sweating out toxins and for cooling fevers. Herbs for flavors too. None of what he managed to gather was for a poultice for risk of infection.

Bandages then. He had two of his own. He manged a third from Red foe’s trousers though first he scrubbed them in snow then washed them with the water from his water skin. Thus the three stabs were expected to heal well. For the bruise there was nothing to do from the outside.

Novrus did not put much belief that there really was a war party coming. If there was then sleeping in some random place was an option.  The other would be to defend the homestead. He did fell a tree to start the funeral rites. He was two fatigued to continue. Still he should do something. While dragging over Red foe’s body to the felled tree Novrus flopped backwards into the snow. Sleep took over.

Wind came dancing through the trees clad in her near transparent gown of mist. Sparkling ice diamonds around her neck, wrist and ankles. Her naked feet never touching the snow nor leaving a print. She blew a kiss toward the homestead. Novrus’s ski trail was curled with snow making a long stretch blank. She blew another whisking away Red foe’s approach.

She giggled as she danced around the foot and ski marks here. These she half filled. No one was to know for sure she had come. As she danced stars and moon sped by over head. Floating over Novrus she hovered horizontal over him. Reaching out a finger she tapped the tip of nose. In a moment she was away through the trees become legend once again.

<Novrus defeated 5>

[Brygun]

Novrus’s nose tingled with a hint of frost bite. He rubs the icy fur of his arm across it. He felt like a lover or mother had just nudged him awake. He rolled to one side seeing the forest glistening in the morning start of sun. He felt like he had been in a dream or was in one now. He rolled to the other side to escape the brightness. His eyes lock onto the ice clad corpse of the red foe just within arm’s reach.

The battle had been no dream.

Cracking the ice of his own sheathing Novrus rose. He was warm himself. He felt more than safe but pleasant. Like someone had watched over him while he slept. Had his eyes opened at night to peer at a wind dancing at  a woman? Had it been a dream? Which was real and which was unreal?

 Rising to his feet Novrus continued the funeral rites. Two trees rolled together. Spruce for smoke and concealment. For pyre goods Novrus left Red foe what food he carried and one of the rocks he had fought so long with. The fire lit. Novrus skied off.

Novrus thought to back track a distance on Red foe’s trail. Soon though the trail was lost. Swept away by last night’s wind with drifting snow. So Novrus circled around the mire and peered out over the frozen lakes. No sign of large game nor of the so called red foe war party. Going home he went to look out hill finding again no sightings. He descended and skied home.

Rain barrel’s ice yielded to cold water beneath to fill his waterskin. A bird’s hide was advanced in tanning stages. In the ceremonial grove he started a smoky fire leaving a turnip for a sacrifice. Birds from the traps were skinned then butchered. The sauna-smoker house chimney stones still felt of warmth from the last fire. A stew of bird meat and turnips flavored with sorrel was started. A portion of the meat set to roast on a stone for earlier consumption. He returned outside to tan those new bird skins into leather. Such is the life at a homestead.

The next day two more bandages were assembled from scraps of torn clothing. The punctures were healing well. Still he felt it wise to wash the bandages, wash the wounds then restore the bandages. The bruise on his calf was smarting. While there wasn’t anything to clean Novrus remembered his mother treating bruises from fight practice with a compress. Novrus wrapped it round that it might support the wounded area so that it had that little bit less to do while healing. He regretted not having left a bandage at the Point’s cave. He hoped to remember next time he was there.

(Note: Washing bandages is part of my mod Brygun’s added items. Some disagree with the practice. I contend that since you need a new bandage every 24 hours for full healing and clothes are a valuable commodity you should have the choice to reuse them. Reuse coming after a preparation such as washing the bandages.)

Afternoon chores consisted of repairs to his furs he wore for clothing and armor. The knife stabs had gone into wound him and there was other damages too. Some from battle, some from falls, some from caught on branches these damages are good to be repaired from time to time.

Over these days chores included making pairs of knitting needles. Novrus decided he should carry one set for leather working or for searching wounds for debris. He made two sets as household tools and another for leather working awls at the smithy.

Novrus also fashioned another stone hammer. One might ask why. You see the shape is the thing. A flat iron hammer does a lot of work yet for some tasks you can benefit from a different shape. A well stocked smithy would have several hammers of different weights, shapes and faces.

Over other days the large herding fence was raised. On the east side a channel of fencing controlled movement to a gate door in its middle. There would be various ways of securing the channel to block movement when desired. One being to set temporary fencing on either side of the gate.
One day it would be good to build a half building like the smithy to shelter animals. If they could use less energy to survive a storm that meant more into their growing meat, hide or wool. As he wasn’t expecting to get any animals this winter that could wait. As it was it was good suitable for constraining many types of animals. For now spruce twigs were spread out as a basic bedding for whomever would be first to live here.
Novrus pondered the problem of watering. Simple enough if someone was here to ferry from the lake or rain barrel. If he was away for a long time how could he leave enough for them.

Day 1 of the 9th week before summer season

Winter was in its deepest coldest depths. Ice on the rain barrel was thicker each morning than in the previous months. Novrus had finished eating the smoked elk. Now he was starting on the bear that had killed Nilla. There seemed to be a harmony to think of adventuring now at this change of meat. It also wise to hunt for meat before the meat stocks run out. The likely targets were the bear to the north or the one months ago north east of Flower Wild.

In respects to Nilla a companion should be taken up. The impoverished adventurer at Flower Wild came to mind. Novrus could now outfit him with with bow and arrows. He was good with swords but Novrus had melted the spare scimitar to forge the broad axe. The one scimitar left was Novrus’s first capture making it dear to him. He could fashion a spear with bone from the elk for the, as they say, the pointy end. That should do.

Novrus reviewed his own weapons. With its close tie to him and recent slaying Novrus chose the broad axe over his family’s woodsman axe or the family spear. Spears throws hadn’t been that reliable so far. For a second axe he chose a hand axe won in battle for a little more heft than his carving axe. The latter had only made shallow cuts in that recent battle.
There would also be a host of knives: a broad knife for hideworking and good for battle; hunting knife for a second fighting knife and his small knife which was convenient to carry.
There was of course going to be the Flower Wild laminated bow with a mix of arrows. However, in skiing he couldn’t use the bow. That is why in general he thought to use his broad axe as a second though short ski pole. It would be ready for melee if a bear jumped them like it had Nilla.

Novrus shuddered remembering the fateful day. He didn’t have a clear angle as the bear smashed on Nilla. As he took a few steps to reduce the risk of hitting Nilla the bear had pounded his friend into the ground.

Novrus took a breath. That is why he was taking an adventurer not a peasant this time. One to be equipped with bow and spear. Fetching from the cellar food for two he left for Flower Wild.

As he skied along he turned around pines into a pair of reindeer, maybe more! Four at least.

The herd was alert bolting almost as soon as he had seen them. Something possessed him to throw his broad axe. It twirled through the air striking into a snow bank. What was he thinking! Its not a spear. It did have a graceful beauty as it twirled along. Striking the snow it was undamaged. Novrus didn’t think he should do that very much if at all.

The stalk was on. It took time for a decent arrow shot which missed. Again stalking for an arrow to strike a pine. Hiding in dells then emerging let the reindeer get closer in their winter feeding. The reindeer he expected to shoot was obscured by a dozen pines. To the south another emerged. The arrow loosed.

It struck into the reindeer’s foreleg. Stumbling on a ruined limb this reindeer could hardly make way. This then would be the kill. It managed a bobbing run disappearing among the trees. The tracks of the herd obscuring which was the wounded one. Following the majority Novrus was figuring that in thinking like a reindeer they would regroup somewhere.

 Soon a small reindeer was seen moving in the cluster of tracks. Stealthy stalking for minutes more brought the injured reindeer into view. He had to admit for a reindeer with an arrow through a leg it was moving pretty good.

Minutes later the affect of the arrow proved the value of its flight. The reindeer no longer could keep up with the herd nor out pace skiing Novrus. The finishing was delayed by the comedy of fighting uphill on skis. Buttocks to the snow Novrus got up while the deer managed a short dash of little more than a stride. A back of hand axe crack knocked it out. A hunting knife to the throat give it a clean passing. Novrus skinned, butchered and sacrificed before the sun had set.

Taking stock of the location Novrus figured he was a half hour from Flower Wild. He carried the hide and quartered meat over. He began make trades for non-perishable goods like squirrel hides. However when it came to exploring they were still short handed since hardworking Nilla had passed away. Novrus found a place to sleep by himself in a small kota.

Returning to the homestead Novrus set out what was left of the reindeer meat to dry in the cold winter air. He did want leather for projects so he set the hide to de-hair at the lake. It was noon now. Novrus decided to start for the Owl village to the north.

At Gruelfen no one of skill was up for a long time away from the village. He did see to trading for a broadknife for furs and arrows. This being a weigh of reducing the weight of his trade goods. From their Novrus moved northward across his hunting range supported by his homestead to the south and the Point cave to the north.

He was starting to get sightings in the far distance of elk. Farther behind the elk was another Owl village.

Out on the mire into the woods, onto the mire into the woods. A few shots. Hours of pursuit. Come noon the trails looped back onto themselves dozens of times. Novrus decided to disengage and make to the new village.

“Borderpeat” they called their holding. They had stocks of winter furs, arrows and common goods. Novrus tried to recruit a woodcutter named Jussa. Jussa said winter was when the village his firewood the most.

Late afternoon Novrus found one of his hunting camps. The shelter stood nestled in among trees. Traps desprung awaited retriggering to catch game or sound the alarm on intruders. Firewood was waiting too. With a bit of daylight left Novrus skied on.

Darkness came faster then he had thought. Between two mountains he made a quick camp. A loop snare noisemaker guarded the way to where he hid the shelter. It was gathered up in the morning. A mire received the drainage from the mountains. Just the sort of place to find bog ore once the ice melted. It turned out he was only few minutes from the village of Wolf’s Tip.

At Wolf’s Tip Gealbu, an Owl hunter, explained Aksel needed help traveling. He wanted a guide back to Reemi lands. As smith of the north Norvus had plans to be in this for the winter weeks ahead.

Asking a few of the men and one woman it was Hiege a woodsman who agreed to join Novrus’s adventures as smith of the north. Heige showed excellent skills with his axe and was decent with spears. Novrus gave him a fur mittens and face shield. He was also given the wooden roundshield Novrus had made and first used months ago. The bone spear was passed over too. These, Novrus explained, were also toward the payment for services. Heige already had a bow and few arrows. With a split of the food they were ready to leave.

(FYI: Journal passed 50,000 words a little while ago)

<Novrus Heige the Henchman>

[Brygun]

Heige and Novrus made their way northward to the Point cave.

Novrus said, “Your people can come here. I don’t mind. Its for hunting and safety. Here through this notch is the door and room beyond.”

Heige didn’t need to duck as much as Novrus to pass through the narrow.

Heige asked, “Is that a trap?”

“Yes a small one to guard the door. Like the larger one in the mouth of the cave. Defensive ones. Shelter from animals. I don’t think I’d come here often enough to check for bears in a large one.”

Novrus felt his way around in the darkness. A handful of pre-split firewoods were found by his hand. Along with them cave dried bits of bark. These he put into the fireplace. Striking his sparking iron on flint there were moments of light. Then the kindling started with a tiny red dot of glow. Huffing crew the glow until a flame had the branches.

As Hiege explored the floored and unfloored sections of the cave Novrus checked the stockpile. To it he remembered to add a bandage. A survivor stumbling into the cave might well need it. That survivor might be him, Hiege or any of the other Owl allies.

“It is a good camp. Safe, warm and sheltered,” said Heige, “but there is only one bunk.”

“What’s that?” said Novrus, “Oh yes. That’s true. We can fix that though. First a meal.”

Out of the deep cold and winds they ate sitting next to the small fire. The chimney stones warmed and would be warm for a while.  They set about chores in the rest of short winter daylight. A tree felled and brought up. It would become boards for the second sleeping bunk.
Novrus assembled rocks and a stone for a fire ring in the first chamber of the cave. In part it would act as a distraction from unwanted persons bothering to find the secret door. A small fire was made to leave ash as part of the deception.

By the next afternoon the second bunk was installed. The width of the floored area was extended. It would be more comfortable for two to have space to move without bumping into each other as much.

Then the pair went off making a scouting trip and to refill their water skins. To the north west they climbed a ridge. It was a beautiful sight of miles of forested hills with craggy mountains peaking up. Night was coming fast as the sun dove behind those same mountains.

 Skiing the pair found themselves confused by the unfamiliar mountains. Though here twice the dark was turning the shapes of mountains into blobs of inky black on near black evening sky.

Novrus gave out a sneeze. A blast of slime splashing on the inside of his lynx fur mask. He had caught a flu in cruising the cold mires.

Now at least Novrus recognized the slopes. They went inside the Point’s shelter for health and warmth. Hiege stacked a fire to warm them. Novrus muttered that at some point he had put down the clay kettle pot ideal for making medicine teas. They agreed on Novrus eating some of the leaves, burdock for the fever and dog pipe for nutrition. Novrus also burned a turnip in the fire as a sacrifice to the cave spirit.

In the morning Novrus was still ill. They would press on in their hunting patrol unless it turned worse. Drinking well, eating well and having slept well the flu passed by mid-morning. Novrus was glad he kept herbal remedies in his medicine pouch.

Exploring west north west they found a pair of caves. There was no signs of bears in either. Pushing on they spotted a Nerjpez amid the ranges.

<N and H Nerj 6>

[Brygun]

The spoke agreeing to close if they could on the Red foe. Turning to sky downhill they spotted an elk only a few hundred yards away. They skid for the elk. Both would come to swear it was an elk with no tracks. Could it have been a spirit? Chased by the red foe or driven by their foul practices?

They shifted west ward. Cresting a hill they again spotted the red foe. Taking a moment to rest and prepare they moved in on him. Surely the Red foe was a mortal leaving tracks.

Committed to guard the spirit-elk they moved in fast. Novrus tucking away the ski pole shuffle ran on his skies knocking an arrow. The Red foe heard them of course. As Red foe readied an arrow Novrus from under ten strides let fly an arrow out of Flower Wild. It tore in and out of Red foe’s arm. Red foe falls to the ground with spurting aertial bleeding from the arm. As he falls Heige’s arrow flew through the space he had once stood in. Heige strikes fist cleaving his handaxe into the Red foe’s neck. Already the battle is over.

<H and N slew N6>

[Brygun]

The spoke agreeing to close if they could on the Red foe. Turning to sky downhill they spotted an elk only a few hundred yards away. They skid for the elk. Both would come to swear it was an elk with no tracks. Could it have been a spirit? Chased by the red foe or driven by their foul practices?

They shifted west ward. Cresting a hill they again spotted the red foe. Taking a moment to rest and prepare they moved in on him. Surely the Red foe was a mortal leaving tracks.

Committed to guard the spirit-elk they moved in fast. Novrus tucking away the ski pole shuffle ran on his skies knocking an arrow. The Red foe heard them of course. As Red foe readied an arrow Novrus from under ten strides let fly an arrow out of Flower Wild. It tore in and out of Red foe’s arm. Red foe falls to the ground with spurting aertial bleeding from the arm. As he falls Heige’s arrow flew through the space he had once stood in. Heige strikes fist cleaving his handaxe into the Red foe’s neck. Already the battle is over.

<H and N slew N6>

They stripped the Red foe of gear. The iron helm and leather armor went to Heige as did a hunting knife. The other weapons went to Novrus to melt at the smithy. They debated only briefly on the rest.

Each felled a tree for the funeral pyre. The slain laid on top under a spruce. The bright and smoky fire blazed to rival the setting sun.

It was too late to return to the Point’s improved cave. They settled on one of the twin caves at the “Cruel Summit.”

“I did not name it. It was named so from the old times,” said Heige.

Each made a bedding of spruce twigs. Other twigs and branches were set aside as kindling. This was all done in the back high point of the cave. Norus set out a pair of his snares as noisemakers guarding the way to them. A kindling fire was started to provide a hint of warmth. The two settled down talking proudly of each other’s part in the battle.

In the morning they had slept well and comfortable in their improvised cave shelter. Novrus left a leave of herbs in thanks. Novrus began wondering about the reindeer hide he had left to de-hair. They should make their back with perhaps two days of scout hunting along the way.

A few hours later they arrived at Heige’s home village of “Wolf’s tip.”  There Heige and Novrus explained their seeing the spirit elk and protecting it from the red foe. They also spoke of the Point cave shelter and how they to could use it.

After the conversations they carried on. One of the pre-built shelters was near when evening came. Unfortunately no trail markers had been set. They wasted time searching round and round for its hidden space. When they did find it the trail markers went up in each of the four directions. A second lean to was erected perpendicular to the first around a new fire ring. They now blocked the wind for each other.

They were well on the way to the homestead when another Red foe was seen across a narrow mire.

<H and N Red 7>

[Brygun]

The sky up. Novrus settles the ski pole on its loop to notch an arrow.

He fires.

Red foe dies.

The arrow straight through the back as deep as the feathers.

<H and N slew Red 7>

[Brygun]

With limited tree growth on the mire they decided to bog the fallen red foe. Heige was given the red foe’s spear, leather leggings and fur footwear to add to his armoring. Novrus claimed the mail cowl in good shape and a fur cloak.

The corpse bobbed up and down in the icy bog water. Well they could hope it would sink later. For decency Novrus layered spruce twigs over the floating corpse.

Continuing on they slept briefly in the woods before getting to the homestead before midnight. The reindeer hide was in shape for the next steps. A grouse was even waiting as a fresh meal trapped right outside the house’s door.

In the morning work on the reindeer hide continued. There was flapping noises in many directions. It turns out the homestead trap-line had caught several. Novrus made a sacrifice in the ceremonial glade for the gift. Four more birds were in the field’s guard traps. The pit traps were checked, found empty and reworked with the accumulating snow removed.

Day 4 of the 8th week before summer

When he awoke in the small hours the forest seemed dreadfully angry. Novrus was at a loss as to why. For the birds being trapped so long? For the Red foe’s slain? For some mystic sign given gone unobserved?

Novrus made an offering of recently butchered grouse. Hopefully that would reconnect with the spirits. There was hours of hide work to do. Heige took the time to explore the stead’s forest.

Next day saw Novrus reworking his linen undergarments. They had through battle taken many tears, bear bites and weapon cuts. Using fragments of tattered red foe clothes he hoped to fill in the gaps. His replacement was a mess. He wasn’t entirely sure it would hold up any better.

Now came time for smithing. Hiege was tasked to fell trees while this was going on. There was still a huge call for logs for the new house.

“Not that one!” yelled Novrus.

“But its close to where you are building,” said Heige.

“That birch is one for relaxing under.”

Novrus should have been more specific. Of course there was utility in felling tress close to the work. Some though had been left specifically to have trees for relaxation, wind blocks, soil retention or decoration. He would have to lead Heige into the woods a way to start the felling. It really came down to having show Heige each one to cut if it was to be anywhere near the homestead. Well he’d hopefully not chop down anything too important.

Novrus heated and cut a new scimitar into steel billets. A red foe’s large axe was worked down into iron billets. Tomorrow he would decide what to make.

That choice was for a battle axe. He had far too frequent encounters with red foes. This was forged well and hafted balanced on the first attempts. It was a shovel that vexed him. Three times he had to reheat the iron to work the shape again. He realized part of his struggle was the patchwork wheezy bellows. The heat was more variable than his skill could account for.

With the reindeer hide turned to leather its high time for the replacement bellows. This time he had stockpiles for his choice of wood supplies. Nor more the desperate get it going work at the start of winter. The finest boards were picked for the top plates. Shaping them with the carving axe and smooth whittling knife of which both he had made since then. The flexing leather pieces were now cut whole from he reindeer without any need for the wheezing seams. The resulting bellows performed admirably. The old bellows he took into the sauna-steamer house to go up in the rafters. A spare in case of damage or theft.

The next day Hiege brought up soon he would have to return home. Novrus agreed that more smithing could wait. Heige had been interested in seeing the process. He had spent turns at the bellows giving a close look at the hammering and metal colors. Before leaving Novrus put more herbs in his medicine pouch. Before they would go far they went to check the pit traps.

As the fields one spiked pit trap had gone in! There impaled was a slain wolf. At a lever trap a grouse had walked in to have its skull crushed. The bird was cut up as bait on the other traps and a sacrifice to the woods. Two other birds were to far decayed so were burned. The wolf they took back to the homestead.

At home the wolf was skinned and butchered. A cut was put on smoky fire in the ceremonial grove. With needing to revisit the tanning wolf hide Novrus suggested visiting Flower Wild. Heige, from Wolf’s Tip, thought it was a wonderful idea.

At the village their good luck was in first meeting Heandarak. That was the Flower Wild who helped with lumber work. They told stories soon attracting other villagers. For half an hour they were sat down in a Kota to tell of the northern village and the red foe battles. Novrus showed them the battle axe. Only the elders had seen one before. A hunter with a sprained ankle spoke of seeing reindeer nearby that he couldn’t catch. Heige suggested they go and Novrus eagerly agreed.

Tracks were found over an hour old. The sun was dropping so they debated to sleep near the tracks to better take up the trail in the morning.

Heige, “There is a chance though we may come across the herd sleeping in the night.”

Novrus agreed to make the attempt. Surprisingly the herd had come to the edge of the Flower Wild village. Perhaps they had thought the domesticated reindeer were ones to merge with. The problem now was the tracks were horribly mangled. Heige and Novrus slept by the trail as first planned. Broad sweeps might find it again in the daylight.

Novrus found the trail again heading southwest. However an hour of searching kept finding the trail confused in feeding movements. Novrus lost confidence they would over take the herd. Heige simply laughed at how clever the reindeer are.

With Hiege in such good spirits Novrus led them to where there had been a man attacking bear months ago. The two of them with decent weapons and layers could make a fair fight. Not finding any recent bear sign they explored a ways east, then north then west back to homestead and the wolf fur. At one point Novrus thought he glimpsed a distant red foe but the sighting was unconfirmed and no tracks found.

The next day would be the last Heige was with Novrus. They discussed the equipment Heige had been given from their battles. Norvus affirmed like the eating bowl there were freely given. Heige was greatly pleased.

The wolf fur treatment was complete. The spikes of the pit had cut it in many places. It wouldn’t do for trade. As a homestead decoration it would do just fine.

<Novrus soon no Heige>

[Brygun]

With one day left Novrus offered to make the day toward Heige’s home of Wolf’s Tip.

“I know that path. Show me another,” said Heige.

Novrus pondered for a minute before speaking.

“Then let us see how far south toward the Kuamo we can get. Whether the red foe are slithering around them as well.”

Novrus gathered trade goods, mostly two Red foe shortbows and some of their arrows, then they departed.

Vast stretches of snow white were there companion and terrain. From morning to evening the skied the rivers rarely touching land. In river country the frozen winter makes these better than roads for they are without hills to climb. Winds blew at them with gusts turning up twirls that Heige called Snow Dancers. Where in spring Novrus had needed two days to trudge they managed the distance to the first Kuamo village by evening. 

The folks of Cliffen Rapid, Pahtokoski, were weary at the unfamiliar shapes of furry men coming out of the woods.

Cliffen Rapid had a long log house, a log sauna, a log storage shed yet it was in a Kota they kept their trade goods in. The people young and old were healthy and once recognition happened friendly. As the last before the Owl it is likely Owl’s in years past had traded the Kota for a great boon. There were furs, seeds, bags of grains from their fields, a butted mail hauberk (weaker than those made of properly riveted links), iron helm, iron knee guards and foods. It seemed the village was doing quite well.

A woman named Salme caught Novrus’s eye. She had a sparkle Novrus couldn’t place. He wondered though if having her come along might end up into a situation like what happened to Nilla. In chatting explained she knew only a little of knife fighting, to keep off ambitious admirers. He wasn’t sure to take that. Novrus tested the waters by asking if she would come hunting. Salme seemed to scoff while politely refusing.

Novrus studied the metal armors more to see how they were made. They would of course be quite expensive. He doubted if his few trade goods would cover a purchase.

Into the evening the long house of the Cliffen Rapid was filled to the brim with people. Amid the singers was Salme which made Novrus ache even more. He asked if she could help at his growing homestead. Again she declined with a smile hidden by her mug.
Heige began telling of their adventures. Especially the part of the spirit elk chased by a red foe. The tale seemed to be more spectacular then he remembered. Perhaps within a year the tale would be of smiting a whole warband.

In the morning Heige agreed to carry on farther south. On a large lake they visited a homestead at a place called “Quarrel islands”. There Novrus traded arrows for a smoked pike and a basket of hemp seeds. Off the same lakes was the village of Foxland. This to they visited.

Here Heige finally parted ways. He wanted to shop among the Kuamo with his gains then head back. They embraced as brothers in arms. Then went about their own matters. Novrus spoke with the villagers though likewise chose to leave this day.

Novrus skied back north along a slightly different route. In doing so he found the village of Pettru’s Rapids. After a short visit he carried on. Too tired to make a shelter he set his snares as noisemakers around him in notch of trees. Sleep didn’t stay with him. He felt better after using that rest as a respite to make a shelter. In the morning he set trail markers to find it again.

Arriving home on the 6th day of the 7th week before summer it was a pleasure to set a fresh heating flame in the fireplace. A pot of berries thickened with flour still had warmth though had become rather sticky. It was a second joy to find this forgotten meal waiting for him on his return.

 The drying meat outside was progressing decently. Checking the traps and fields he was surprised to see traders passing by in the woods. Novrus would have to move fast to get the trade fur to hope to catch them.

With various furs including the heavy winter bear fur he couldn’t find them. Nights darkness made long distance impossible. What was really peculiar is the tracks he did find was for squirrels.

Day 7 of the 7th week before summer

Waking up in the warmth of his home Novrus set to finish the shovel construction. It was wood working now. Using finer stocks from the woodpile the thrice forged metal shovel scoop received a sturdy handle. Come the melt digging clay or bog ore would be so much faster. So to would be the chore of turning over ash into new fields.

Prepared logs and moving by new construction was and would remain a chore for a long time. For a change of pace he went out on the lake for ice fishing. An offering of bear meat cut and sent in as bait and to feed the lake spirit. Far from the most skilled fisherman the Smith of the North was in the evening granted a pike and a roach. The small roach returned alive into the water to share with the benefactor.

Waking Novrus still felt the local wood was hostile. Could the winter spirit be different then the summer? Was he offending the forest? How? He really didn’t know. Checking the trap a deceased grouse may have been the cause. In the glutton trap Novrus had put a roach. Had the mix of lake and forest been the source of offense? After gutting the bird he put the bird’s meat as the bait in the trap. In the ceremonial circle he burned the roach in a smoky fire.

He later saw the traders now to the south east on the mire. This time he did catch up to them. They were not High Holders but from a Long Dineum. They had good weapons. However they would not accept Novrus’s entire stack of furs for one broadsword. This is why the north needs a smith.

One Long Dineum said, “Surely you understand. After all how many furs did you trade to get that battleaxe?”

Novrus’s face contorted as he tried to withhold and failed in restraining a grin.

“A Smith of the North made it,” he said.

The Long Dineum’s started to mutter together in their foreign tongue. The presence of smith here would lower the prices they could demand. Novrus felt wary of telling it was him lest they decide to guard their profits by killing him. As they muttered Novrus packed up his furs.

“A pity you declined the furs. He might have a use for them. He is hard to find though. I could use salt next time you come by. He doesn’t have any.”

He skied off before they might press him with questions.

<Novrus trade declined>

[Brygun]

Day 2 of the 6th week before summer begins

Novrus woke in the shelter of the house built as a sauna on one side and smoker on the other. In here in knew he was protected. The feelings with the forest puzzled his mind. Was it all the logs being arranged for new house? Did the forest see them as heaps of death rather than the new life they would have?

“Good walls are laid when you know the ground,” Grandfather had said.

With all the snow you could judge the ground. A smaller building might withstand twists and dips as frozen ground thaws. The larger the building the more risk there was from the twisting ground. This is why Novrus was gathering the logs without assembling the walls. A shaman might know more.

Setting his mind to task Novrus shifted rocks, stones and what dirt he could to a simpler forge. The larger forge stood nearby. It was to have diversity in tools Novrus did this. It might well need some tending in the spring. It too would shift from ice rises and melting dips. Stones, braced by rocks insulated by dirt was not so hard to make.
The first fire lit in it would have to contend with the moisture frozen in the dirt. Novrus placed a stack of branches and firewood, set it alight and left it to bake the small forge. To the spirits a sacrifice was put on the forge fire. It was in hopes of blessing the work ahead.
Seeing to other chores Novrus sighted a hare running close behind the smithy. Rather than hunt it he accepted the good omen. Work would be faster it meant, didn’t it? There was always uncertainty when it came to the spirits. We are not they and they are not us so neither thinks like the other.
Later the small forge’s fire went out at last. Novrus came back. Wetting his leather paws with snow he adjusted the shifted stones and rocks. Dirt, now depleted of moisture, became pushed into new cracks for sealing. Fresh frosty ground was gathered put on the outside. A new baking fire was started. This time spruce was added to increase the smoke as a way of testing the areas meant to be sealed. He watched it a while. With fresh snow on the leather paws to protect them more corrections were made. Finally he felt the small forge was suitable for work
As winter chores go smithing and improving a smithy are great ways to stay warm.

To relax ice fishing while the ice is safely thick is a suitable pass time. On returning a hare’s squeal alerted to the catch of the smith’s blessing. He decided to free the hare. It somehow seemed to be amiss to slay it. He was returning it to the spirits whole and alive.

Over the next few days the small forge was used to produce a knife blank for a large knife. It was also hard going for Novrus. His smithing skills had much to improve upon. Several times the work was reheated back to a basic shape to try again. At one point the snow even turned to rain. A sure sign of the coming season yet a great annoyance as the small forge was outside the cover of the smithy’s roof.

(Note: I have been cautious about having the small forge and the bloomery from Bouidda on the smithy floor. A fire in those objects likely counts as seating fire to the tile. That would set the building on fire if it was on a floor tile.)

Eventually he had the new self made broad knife tucked in a bird hide sheath. To celebrate the pot was filled with a lingonberry and rye porridge with matching berry turnovers to snack on over the next few days.

The next day his task was the forging of a second iron headed hammer. This one would have a ball shape on one side and a small smooth flat on the other. Compared to the first flat faced hammer these are better at making certain shapes. The ball for curves like pots and armor. The small flat was easier to grind to a fine polish for finishing work. These complimented the large flat face of the first iron hammer. In addition there were two stone hammers in the smithy each with a shape as unique as the stone it held.

This time Novrus was using the large forge. The heavy hammer’s weight requiring more steel than a knife. It was a fortunate choice as a continuous rain came down for hours. Under the smithy’s roof the work went on unhindered by rain drops making random coolings.

<Novrus 2 iron hammer>

[Brygun]

Day 2 of the 6th week before summer begins

Chores in plenty waited to build the new house or lay new fields once the frost left the ground. These were things to be done on warmer days. There was only two pieces of steel to forge which he thought to leave for a larger work. There were weeks yet the animals would be carrying their thicker winter furs. Thus Novrus decided to make another hunting trip. He could travel along that northern path toward the Point cave.

Already dressed in layers of fur and armor, with weapons of many types, Novrus gathered meats, berries and a pile of turnips. The latter he could trade at the villages he now new of.

Heige lived at one of these. Novrus thought of his friend. He hoped Heige had gotten home safely. It would be good to see him again.

Within a few hours of departure an elk was seen scouting the edge of a mire. Closing the elk slipped in amid trees. Recall the hub and wheel technique Novrus cut and pulled free branches. A few he stacked to make a hub marker. Skiing the first wheel circle didn’t find tracks. So he spiraled out wider. On the third wheel he found the elk’s tracks. Novrus gave a sacrifice to the spirits for the knowledge that had been passed down to him.

Hours of elk stalking. Sometimes Novrus skied with his bow in the free hand. Other times he set the pole to store so as to notch an arrow ready. Several times he could hear the elk flee from him. Sometimes he moved quiet and at others to make up the distance. He remembered at times to catch up his breath to better steady his aim. The elk likewise seem to graze between dashes.

Along the way he placed a turnip here and there as hubs in searches. Perhaps the elk might double back for a snack.

Then another set of tracks: wolf.

Probing along both elk and wolf tracks intertwined. Both became crisp fresh. Both were close. There might well be a mixed battle ahead.

<Novrus elk and wolf>

[Brygun]

Elk tracks curling around alone. Then the wolves are chasing it again.

There beyond a snowy spruce, a wolf.

Fly a broadhead arrow loosed. To high. The wolf’s ears perk to the sound of the rushing arrow wind.

The wolf moved on. Novrus recovered the arrow. His forging the head had stayed strong. Then a glimpse of the elk. Both beasts were quite close.

Son the trail was too confused to follow. Novrus usually relied in part on the elk escaping from him. Now with the wolf around the elk was being cross driven by two hunters. The over laid trails were so bad that Novrus found himself skiing up to search hub from an hour ago.

With the short distance traveled before skiing circles after the elk Novrus returned to sleep at home.

This morning it was reindeer seen on the mires of the hunting range.

These reindeer displayed two abilities. The first was that a small elk was traveling on the edge of the herd. The other was getting arrows lost on the mire.

It is a reindeer doe that finally catches an arrow. It struck in the joint of the foreleg, the elbow if it were two legged. Its staggering steps drained its energy. Soon it was slain with longer to skin and butcher. With the oncoming night Novrus would sleep in one of the pre-built shelters in the hunting range with loop snares for noise making guards.

<Novrus got RD not E or W>

[Brygun]

Day 3 of the 5th week before summer begins

Novrus rose feeling himself in good spirits. There wasn’t any indication of the forest spirit’s feelings good or bad. The house spirit certainly seemed happy with him. Goods were accumulating, the house had its uses and his adventurers were stories to share with the house spirit. Surely such things please a house spirit.

Sliding outside on his skies Novrus attended to the newest reindeer hide. He debated whether to de-hair it for leather but decided to treat it as a winter trade fur. He felt up to a new hunt. Before he should go out again it really was time to check the homestead trap line.

That’s when he found bear tracks. A few days old. Where had he been at the time? Out on the reindeer hunt? Or working in the smithy.

At first nervous it occurred to him the house spirit was indeed protecting him. The bear had probed the outer edges of the homestead, near the lake, without getting up to the house.

“I must follow this trail,” said Novrus, “At least to see what interested the bear.”

Still outfitted for hunting he skied behind the aged trail. It crossed the small lake he used as his shoreline. It crossed northward. The same direction as the fields and their spiked pit traps. There was a chance the bear was still there, trapped, angry and waiting.

Convinced enough there was a possibility he skied onto the fields. The spiked pit traps were still awaiting a guest. The bear had not come this far yet. He skied back to the lake to pick up the old trail.

Now he could see the bear! Across the lake and perhaps a 100 strides from the homestead.

The rail was soon taken up. It led back to the homestead. This time right up to the cabin. Perhaps exhausted the house spirit was too tired to repel the bear without the urgency of Novrus being inside. It had come up to the rain barrel to get its drink. The trail probed around the herd fence, empty of animals, and the house. It was if the bear knew to expect animals in such a compound.

There it was! Behind the house.

<Novrus house bear 1>

[Brygun]

(Note: Cleverly Novrus has an arrow not bow in hand to face the bear...  )

[Brygun]

Three arrows fired yet none hit. The bear bolting after the second. Novus waddle runs on the skis but can’t match its speed through the deep snow. Returning to skiing style Novrus pauses to recover his breath.

“The steady breath fires a steady arrow,” he said.

Gaining the trail again the bear was back at the house. The backside was wear the wolf and reindeer meat was hung to dry in the cold winter air.

There the bear. At first glance Novrus thinks the larger glutton traps have captured it. He skis boldly forward to get a clear shot. Roaring rampage the bear charges! It is unhindered and unharmed by the trap.

Its on Novrus before he can trade ski pole for arrow. Bashing paw smacks his right arm dropping the Flower Wild bow into the snow.

Towering high the she bear throws its chest to crush Novrus. Novrus wide eyed behind the lynx mask skids back and left on the skis. The bear slams on the snow turning its head with snarling maw.

Novrus axe comes from his belt. Wrist twirl the cutting edge cuts hard on its right hind leg. Bear stumbles in the snow as muscles fail to respond properly.
 
In the bear’s recovery round shield is found, brought to center and with true battle axe ready to battle. The fight with that agile Red foe flashes through his mind. How now will Bear’s battle go? Less agile and far more power. The battle where Nilla died flashes through his mind. There is no man companion here. Now he has a battleaxe forged at this very stead. Here the house spirit is surely with him. How though does the forest spirit feel? So often it has been like an ocean wave sometimes friendly and sometimes angry.

The she bear is up. Novrus is ready. Shield on center with axe on center upright guard. They clash anew.

Bear found its footing again made to crush the standing foe. An axe swing clipped only the tips of fur. The bear bangs on the shield but it is held to sway. The bear slides off without finding purchase for an impact.

Axe swung downward founds only snow as the bear made an impulsive move to the side. Its snapping jaws over extend finding but air as Novrus ski-shifts left again. Once again the axe finding mass to cut on the she bear’s right hindleg. The two cuts in fact criss cross as a lop sided X. She bear limps the faulty leg.

 Cunning calls and Novrus withdraws. The she bear staggers away. Novrus advances to regain the Flower Wild bow and notch an arrow.

Running as a plow in deep snow turns to panting quite soon. Novrus slows recalling the sage advice to recover your breath. Breath is caught to become steady once more.

Stealth produces sight of the bear. She licks at her bloodied hip. Then roars. Sound or smell had given Novrus away.

A broad head arrow leaps from the Flower Wild bow. Bear had turned in a wounded spray of snow leaving the arrow to find only spruce. On she comes ferocious and wounded.

Novrus draws again his battle axe.

“Bear Biter,” his mind hears in echo of spirit talk.

This then the name of the battle axe.

Snapping jaws grind on red foe lamellar across his torso. Pushed by the muzzle Novrus’s axe cuts but only a little of a shoulder. She lets go of her bite. In turn this lets ski footed Novrus keep his balance.

Practiced from shield wall training Novrus again swaps from ski pole to shield. The shield in time to be snapped backward yet still held by a mighty paw. Axe swishes air as shield again is battered by a clawed mound of fur called the bear’s arm. Axe and paws exchange. The she bear realizes she is being bested. As she turns Bear-biter finds a shoulder artery. Spurting blood the bear turns to find only sturdy shield.

Novrus steps back. All to often he has seen such wounds of crippling still present a dangerous attacker. Better to let the red blood flow while it will. As a man of flesh and blood it is still true that one blow might still ruin his day or his life.

Onward the bear claws and Novrus backs off again. Taking out his two good luck rocks he whips them at the bear to hasten its passage. A few hits later bring the bear to falter into unconsciousness. It breaths only a little longer as the back side of the axe Bear-biter brings blood from the skull and a knife point first shoved into the neck expands the rate of blood draining.

Now with improved practice Novrus takes away the hide. Around the axe cuts he is careful to keep them no bigger. He makes quick stitches with bits of thread and needles for recently living flesh might still bond a little. A cut of flesh giving in thanks to the forest spirit and back at the house another to house.

Preparation of the bear meat is split between drying, next to wolf and reindeer meat, and smoking inside. A few portions being roasted for fresh enjoyment.

As to the hide Novrus decides that tough bear leather would make good summer armor. Cleaned for hours then placed in the lake to hold it in place near two weeks will be needed to soften away the hair. In the evening Novrus skis across the lake to place the bear skull in a pine. The bear’s tracks pass beside one such lonely pine. This seems spiritually right to put the skull in this pine next to a path known to the bear. Its spirit should be swift in its cycle from death back to life.

In the morning a gentle breeze managed its way to Novrus. Once again the forest spirit was smiling again.

Chores for the day involved preparing the reindeer hide and processing two birds in the homestead trap.

The bears close approach to all but claw the homestead logs was still a point of concern. Winter still held the ground in an icy grip that no shovel could effectively pierce. Recalling the tale of Beodrin on Bear Island Novrus build a bear three-tree trap.
Three thick tree trunks hoisted by three lighter trunks all lashed together. Bait was hung at the intersection high off the ground. With luck a tampering bear would become pinned by the tree trunks. For a location he picked a spot the bear had patrolled on its own, between the herd fence and the homestead.
Having been preparing for the new house building the different trunks where available from the stockpiles. A leather rope was in his collection of tools. One made months ago.

Next day he sliced, braided and spliced bird hides to replace the on-hand leather rope. Yet another bird was in the homestead traps. He was considering stopping the bird traps as there was large stocks of meat in preparation. The ongoing need for leather suggested to keep them in place. There was also that bird dying alone in the traps may have been angering the forest spirit. He decided to take them down until he should have crops planted again. Defensive ones near the cellar and house would stay up. So to would be those for foxes, gluttons and bears.

This also proved a good day to reset those traps being left up. Bait meats, many decaying, were stored amid a cluster traps at the back of the homestead. The cooking smells were prone to drawing beasts. Those that do, like the bear, could still be caught. This took to early afternoon. A poor time to head out on mire hunt. He decided to do maintenance on the pit traps nearby.

An elk was clomping its fore hooves at the first pit checked! A full size elk. Its head swaying back and forth as it tried and failed to get momentum so surmount the edge to freedom. Perhaps the mother to the small elk seen with reindeer herd a few days ago. A bombardment of stones, rocks and woods on hand proceeding bashing its neck into unconsciousness with Bear-biter.

It harvesting gave a great quantity of food. The smoker was already fuming for the bear meat. A portion of elk would go to smoking. Most to drying. There was so many meats drying and smoking from different days Novrus had to take up a piece of bark. Using a charcoal as pen he marked down the weeks and days of the season ahead. By this figuring he figured he now has meat finishing preparation every week from here to the start of summer.
So great the harvest he decided to take meat to Flower Wild to trade or gift. That would be after the dawn for he still had much work to do with the hide. He decided to also dehair the hide for leather. This would be bear leather for armor and elk leather for any tools or crafts.

<Novrus go trade 1>

Days to remember:
>>day 6 of the 4th wolf meat dry
>>day 2 of the 3rd bear hide dehair at homestead lake
>>day 4 of the 3rd elk hide dehair at homestead lake
>>day 5 of the 3rd bear meat smoke
>>day 1 of the 2nd meat elk smoke
>>day 6 of the 2nd reindeer meat dry
>>day 7 of the 2nd bear meat dry
>>day 3 of the week 1 meat elk dry

[Brygun]

Thanks for 600 views!

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Thank you reader for joining the journey. More are to come.