Sacking Paris - Chapter 1
The sun was slowly setting; the light barely touched his bare fur as it was disappearing behind the trees. Finnvid rubbed his soar arms and gazed over the big patch of dirt which had taken him the entire day to plow, he wouldn't have time to plant the wheat before nightfall so that would have to wait until morning. Even though this disappointed him he finally felt at peace for once in his life, buying this land from uncle was the best thing he had done throughout his years upon the earth.
Getting lost in the moment as the last big of sunlight stroked Finnvid's face, closing his eyes and thanking Freyr for giving him the means to farm his land and asking for the favor of rain after he'd be done planting the seeds.
After a while he opened his eyes and a sigh escaped from the wolf's lips, taking one last look on his new land before turning around to make his way back to the house. Finnvid's old friend Gauti was planning on a visit and he'd been setting up two plates on the table for a period spanning four days, but he knew that Gauti was easily distracted by other things so he didn't mind waiting.
As he climbed the last hill he could see his small house, which wasn't more than a shack built with timber from the surrounding woods. But it was his, and no one would ever take it away from him.
Entering the house it had already gotten dark outside, the walk he'd have to take each day to farm and see to his crops easily took him an hour or two depending on the weather. It was quite a bit to walk with the kind of equipment he had to carry but Finnvid was stronger than any ox he'd ever met in an arm wrestle contest down at the inn.
Before getting lost in his own thoughts again he started a fire, placed an iron pot above it, brought some water in from the stream outside, poured it in, added some carrots, meat and spices he had picked a couple of days earlier.
After a short while the soup was boiling over the fire and his house smelled of food which in turn made his stomach rumble. Finnvid placed two bowls on the table, along with some ale and slightly maggot eaten bread, sat down on a stool he'd crafted himself and waited for Gauti to arrive.
Yet again his lynx friend had decided to stay wherever he was staying, so the large wolf stood up, took his bowl and poured himself some soup, sat down and just as he was about to break off a piece of bread the door opened. There stood a much more ragged and worn Gauti with a pair of freshly killed rabbits over his shoulder, wearing a tattered old coat made from sheepskin and a pair of trousers made from deer leather.
"So very kind of you to show up, I'm sorry I didn't manage to keep Dagr around so I might have been able to see you in the full light of the sun. I've been setting an extra plate on the table for five days now, what kept you?" Finnvid raised a brow and looked at the lynx, taking a piece of bread, dipping it in the soup before placing it inside his maw.
Gauti smiled, putting the dead rabbits down before closing the door behind him, padding over to the pot after taking his bowl to pour himself some soup as well. "I've been busy, that's all there is to it. Stayed down at Thor's Hammer these past two days where I've worked out a deal with a Geat. He will be here tomorrow to fetch me sometime around daybreak."
The wolf quickly showed a look of displeasure as his friend mentioned working together with a Geat. "It's come to that then? Trading with Geats, that isn't like you, did he make you drink something except ale that might have clouded your already poor judgment or are you simply that stupid?" He began eating from the soup to stay his eager will to pursue the subject further than he already had, looking up at his companion who just sat there, smiling to himself.
"You're cute when you get upset," Gauti said with a loud chuckle before breaking off a piece of bread as well "I sometimes have to deal with Geats since they're the only ones who carry certain wares, even though I fought against them and their king I hold no grudge, even if they are nothing more than a smelly pack of rats. This wasn't about trading goods anyway; so you needn't have to get so worked up about it."
Finnvid raised his brow yet again and pondered for a bit before he had to ask. "If you're not trading goods with this... Geat rat. Then why is he coming here tomorrow? Found yourself a new plaything have you?" He tried his hardest to keep a straight face, but the thought sickened him. Lying in the same bed as one of those traitoring scum should be punishable by death.
The lynx chuckled yet again, ate the rest of his soup and poured them both some ale.. "I guess you haven't heard then? Or are you simply playing me for a fool?" He said with an inquisitive tone in his voice.
"Heard what exactly? Don't hold back on me or I will tell Thor to strike you down with a bolt of lightning tomorrow." Grabbing the wooden mug with his paw and locking eyes with his friend as he takes a few deep gulps.
"Well, while I was drinking at Thor's Hammer I overheard someone talking with a group of wolves quite close to where I was sitting, they were discussing something about invading Francia under some great warlord. Before I was able to ask them they had left the inn, so I decided to wait for their return. Two days later they came back but there was a brown bear with them this time." Gauti made sure that his friend was listening before he continued. "The bear introduced himself as no other than Ragnar Lodbrok, you know the renowned pillager? Anyway, I talked with him for a long while and he said that he was looking for able bodied men to travel to Francia with him to not only pillage Paris but also take thralls and the like. He introduced me to a group of Geats he had recruited and one of them said that he'd come here when the time to leave was nigh."
Finnvid sat there a long while in silence, drinking from his mug of ale and refilling it from time to time as many minutes passed. It wasn't until twenty-five minutes later he had thought long enough to confidently open his muzzle. "So, let me get this straight. Your plan is to go out on some grand crusade to pillage, kill and take thralls." Leaning back against the wall behind him before continuing. "To do this you have to travel all the way to Francia with some self-proclaimed warlord along with Geats to boot."
Gauti's look wasn't as friendly anymore as the wolf began to question his plans. "You see a problem with me going away to find riches and slaves?"
Smashing his paw against the table toppling both their mugs which were filled with his homebrew ale in the process. "Yes! I see many problems with this plan of yours." Finnvid growled. "First of all, you have no combat experience other than fighting the Geats. Secondly you don't even own a sword, axe or piece of armor. Thirdly you´ll be gone for Odin knows how long and I need your help tending the farmland!"
A moment of silence which seemed to last an eternity passed as the two just sat there looking at each other over the table. Only the sound coming from the fire could be heard, along with the leftover soups bubbling. Gauti opened his muzzle but nothing came out and decided to close it again lest he wanted to sit there looking like a fool.
The wolf stood up, silently clearing the table of bowls and bread. Glancing at the lynx as he stood up as well, walking towards the door, and finally breaking the silence. "If you want me to stay here, help you tend the farmland you've bought, I will. All you had to do was ask." A note of sadness could be detected in his voice before he walked out, leaving Finnvid alone with his thoughts. When the table was cleared he poured some ale into the mugs again and followed Gauti outside but he was nowhere to be seen.
After a short while he saw a shadow sitting on what had to be the wooden log which had been left after the house was finished. As the wolf approached he could hear muffled sobbing which quickly stopped when the lynx noticed his presence.
"Look, I didn't mean to yell at you." Finnvid said as he sat down next to his friend, giving him the mug as a peace offering. "You've got to understand though; I can't tend that piece of land all on my own and since my family died in that fire when I lived in Birka..." Stopping in the middle of his sentence as it felt like a dagger stabbed through his heart. "...you're the only one I've got. It's as simple as that. And you know you don't have much training, I've been to Francia once and they aren't peasants. Their harbors are well protected and their soldiers are trained men, we were fifty longboats strong and only four returned. My heart would shatter in a thousand pieces if I lost you."
The feline responded with a nod, gulping down half of the ale in his mug before turning his head to face Finnvid. "I know it would, and you might be right. Maybe I'm just a fool seeking adventure, but can you blame me? I've been stuck in this settlement all my life, except that brief moment when I had to help in the war against the Geats. I just want to see some of the world before I grow too old to do so, and if I get killed in battle I´ll be sent to Valhalla so in a way I see it as a win/win situation." Gauti could now feel the ale slowly getting the upper hand, his face blushing a bit as he slowly got drunker.
"I suppose you're right, our kind has always looked to seek adventure wherever we can find it. I blame the crappy weather and long winters." Sending a smile to his friend before he too took another deep swag from his mug of ale. "Well, if you're leaving...", the canine stands up, chugging down the very last of his home made alcoholic beverage before offering a paw to the lynx "...I'm going with you. Can't have you running around Francia all by yourself you know, and I could use a couple of thralls to help me out so you don't have to spend all your time here."
Gauti took the paw in his and stood up as the wolf continued talking, his words calming the small hint of fear and desperation he'd felt ever since he accepted to join the raiding party. "I would like to argue with you, but I´ll keep my muzzle shut for once. I'd love to have you come with me, but who is going to tend the farm while you're away?"
Finnvid thought a bit, he hadn't considered this problem. "Look, I´ll just go ahead and talk to some of the folks at the inn tomorrow before we leave these shores. I'm sure a few of the wives wouldn't mind looking after my land while we're gone."
A wide smile spread across the feline's muzzle and without warning he threw the mug away and wrapped his arms around the muscular wolf. Locking him in a deep and passionate kiss before dragging the large canine into the grass with him, purring louder than he'd ever done before as his paws slowly began to explore his lover's body. Slowly but surely becoming lost in this wonderful moment, two souls bound by love in the tall grass. With only the moon above to keep them company.
**Word Dictionary:
Finnvid** - swedish Wolf, viking, retired raider.
Gauti - swedish Lynx, viking, Finnvid's lover and companion.
Freyr - norse God of the harvest, weather and fertility.
Dagr - norse God of daylight.
Geat/Geats - the tribes living in the southern parts of Viking Age Sweden.
Thor - norse God of thunder.
Ragnar Lodbrok - famous viking raider, called "the scourge of England and France".
Thrall - name of viking slaves.
Birka - large viking settlement,
Francia - norse name for "France".
(Some species are anthro other's aren't, deal with it. Don't want a bunch of personal messages saying "why are rabbits small and used as food?". Thank you.)