Colony

Now that the two expeditions were sent away, the colony felt more at ease. The most restless men went. Some of them were even troublemakers in a stable colony. Thorvald was glad that he could focus on the internal affairs now. He spent the day walking around in the colony, small-talking to people of every kind. Although a pleasant task, there were also the candid motives of strengthening his position and get to know what was going on in the colony. That was the main reason why he picked up his old spear, and that he always brought it with him. Its writings symbolized power, wisdom and respect.

Thorvald assembled to an extended board meeting, the next day. He felt that he had strengthened his position and was respected by most people now. Therefore he felt quite confident in adding more members and thereby get contact with more parts of the colony. In fact, he knew that the priests, Peter, Hans and George, were influential in the colony and thereby invited them to the colony’s board. Dan was still the spokesmen for the farmer, even though he lost recognition in the Surt affair. Thorvald invited Sven the hunter, Gunnar the fisher and his old friend Harald the statesman, as well. At Greenland, he had excluded Harald from the board. He wanted the warriors to stay low while civil matters were settled. However, now that everything was in place and they might expand into new territories, Harald’s advices were required. Thorvald wanted to show his sincerity to all.

After welcoming the board members, Thorvald addressed Harald and said; please tell us what you recommend for the future. Harald was clearly honored and stood up straight. I am Harald Haraldson of a long line of statesmen and warriors. As far as the record stand, that is a hundred generations. My family comes from the region of the Baltic Sea. Our tribe reaches as far as Novorogod in western Russia. We have centuries of contact with Odessa, which in their hand have been in close contact with the great culture of the Mediterranean for a hundreds of years. In short, my family has the skills and wisdom of statesmanship of both Greece and Roma. He waited a little and added; do not worry, I am not a Roman.

We have participated in most great wars and in most pantheistic civilizations. We are, he stopped himself and continued, I am born and trained for tasks as these, protecting colonies, explore new territories and defend it, if necessary. If I may add, I regret that civilians tend to despite our kind. However, it is ignorant civilians that eventually will maximize crises. Remember the Surt incident.

That is all right, you are in the board now and your views on the future are requested. Harald continued. As mentioned at the explorer meeting, we might risk encounter with hostile and powerful cultures. We might not even know what weapons they possess or what their tactics are. Therefore, the least we should do is to put up a post south of this colony. We should even expand the hunting and fishing routes, just to get warnings prior to hostile acts. Next, since we have sent scouts back to Iceland, it is also necessary to a have a post in that direction. We do not yet know what happened there, and they do not know of our new colony. Soon they will find out, and they might not leave us in peace. We should hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, he added. Thorvald knew that a full scale guarding scenario would come from Harald. At least, now the option was at the board. He thanked Harald for his views.

Dan, you manage the farmers, Thorvald said. What is your view of the future? Dan stood up. He was obviously not pleased with Harald’s views. I am happy to say that we have managed very well in farming. New land is plowed, the crops provide more than we can eat, the forest provides, berries and herbs, and now the cows, sheep and horses are pregnant. In brief, the farmers have secured our well being for the winter to come. However, recently I have lost good farmers due to these expeditions, and now there are suggestions of even more unproductive tasks. What is the use of strong men sitting at cliffs and do nothing but eating? Please, for the colony’s sake, stop this paranoia and get to work. What’s next, militia in the colony? Dan did not have more to say. He had stated his opinion clear and sat himself down. Thorvald thanked for the views and addressed the next board member.

Gunnar, you manage the fishers, Thorvald said. What is your view of the future? Gunnar stood up. Although he too was in the food production, he did not associate himself with Dan. He said; these seas are very rich. Even though we had to offer some ships and sailors, there is plenty left. As you noticed, these sailors were getting bored and I do not think they mind expanding their routes. In fact I am quite certain that they will find it exciting. But I also share the view that we should not move too fast in two directions. It can quickly be more than we can handle. He sat himself down and Thorvald thanked him for his views.

Hans, you are the priest of the Norse Asir fraction, Thorvald said. What is your view of the future? He stood up and said; after the religious council, the tensions are gone and there is mutual respect. In fact, we find no urging issues and have gone back to our daily tasks. We are thinking a lot about the recent events and this newfound land. It is hard, but we are trying to understand it all in a religious view. What we miss, and what we need, is a temple, so we can reconnect to the Asirs and get guidance for the future. He sat down and Thorvald thanked him for his views.

Peter, you are the priest of the Christians, Thorvald said. What is your view of the future? Peter stood up. He was still thinking about Hans’ proposal. We also appreciate the wisdom of the religious council that you assembled. We feel that we are not as alien to the colony anymore. In fact, most of us feel more at home here than at Greenland and Island. He waited a while to find the right words. A church, he said, is necessary for any Christian community. There are certain things it should provide and certain things it should not. I do not want to say any more at this point of time, except that we want to build a church here at this newfound land, and that we would like to discuss that in the next council. He sat down and Thorvald said; that is a wise.

George, you are the priest of the Norse Vanir fraction, Thorvald said. What is your view of the future? George stood up and said; first of all, we do not have a temple as our first priority. But if a temple is built, we would find it hostile to exclude the Vanirs. No offence, but you do definitely not want the reactions to such an exclusion. However, we are also most pleased with the respect we have experienced since last council. Our cult is happy and we are growing. I believe that you soon will experience what miracles our cult can provide the colony. He did not sit down, as he waited for some more. Thorvald noticed and said. I am intrigued. Although you see good things, you also use words as hostile, reactions, and miracles. Can you elaborate on that?

George continued; it is hard to explain because you have distanced yourself from the nature. Our cult worships the nature. We are its gardeners and thereby allowed to share its secrets. Nature is not past or future. It is now and it’s organic and emotional. However, nature is also the scripts of the past and the future, which we also can read, to some extent. You must have heard of the Nornes, the three goddesses of destiny. What if they were manipulated? You know of the healing of the herbs. What if they turned to poison? I can not order our cult to do the one or the other, I simply urge you to respect our natural ways. The simplest way to tell you is, watch out for Loki, the master of mischief, lies and cloaking. Then George sat down and kept quite the rest of the meeting. The council was quite until Thorvald made a break.

During the break, Thorvald went for a walk in the colony. It all seemed so happy and normal. But George had made a clear warning. The surface did not reveal what’s beneath. He was thinking of these sessions and associated it with icebergs. What he saw was only a fraction because the rest was under the sea. He looked at the sea and saw only the surface. He had little idea of what was beneath that. He looked at the forest and saw the first row of trees. He knew from hunting that there could be overwhelming changes behind every hill. He looked at the sky and wondered if that also covered more than he could see. He even thought about his former wife and realized that he did not even understand his closest companion. Women, he thought, so close and yet so strange. Then he though of the strangest person he had ever met, Rafka. Oh my god. He froze. Who is running this place, really? That’s a major question.

Thorvald called for the next session. He addressed Dan, when everyone was seated. You will not be short of manpower he ensured. Dan was clearly relieved. Now tell me, Dan, how is the status of this register of disputes. Oh that is fine, he said. I have not heard any complaints. Good, Thorvald said. So how is it going with the dispute of property rights between Knut and Dali? Well, Dan hesitated; actually I have delegated the minor tasks to my thrall. She is very efficient, he added. I bet she is, Thorvald said and was getting an idea that this was such a tip of the iceberg. But as I recall it, Dan said, Knut handed his property to Dali and they both are happy with that. Thorvald could see that most of the board reacted to that statement. Thanks for the update, Dan, it was enlightening. He waited and said; however, suggest that this board quality-ensures the disputes right away. Harald, please invite the involved to this session now.

It did not take Harald long to gather Knut, Dali and Rafka. Thorvald welcomed them all and was not as surprised as the rest to see her again. Knut, tell me why do you hand you property to Dali? Knut was sick; he had a hard time paying the respect the board required. He uttered, we did our best to make things grow, but it simply would not. In the end we realized that we could not deliver what was required and had to seek Dan for help. However, he was occupied. I was sent to Rafka, who settles minor issues for him. I got temporary loans to cover the temporary depts. But the mischief lasted longer than the part payments. In the end, there was not anything else to do than to agree to a forced sale. It covered the payments. Thorvald addressed, Dali. Are you the buyer of this land? Yes, Dali confirmed. How can you afford it? It is bad land, that no one else wants, Dali said. But I am willing to take a risk, for a low price. I could be lucky. Are you a lucky person, Thorvald asked? I must modestly admit that nature has been on my side since I joined the Vanirs. Going from a vagabond to a landowner in one year is most fortunate, wouldn’t you say. Oh yes, Thorvald, most fortunate. Rafka, Thorvald said, is this transaction in order. Everything is by the book, she answered. He thought about that and finally thanked the guests.

Finally Thorvald concluded the meeting. I am happy to see that most of you seem content with the situation. However, in order to get things done and to secure it, there has to be some compromises. Therefore Harald will have two farmers, two fishers and to guard our land. The temple issue will be discussed at the next religious council. The register of disputes however, is hereby transferred to my authority with immediate effect. As the first task I postpone the property transaction for one week. Dan, please inform the people involved. The meeting is concluded, have a nice day.

They all left, except for Harald. Once they had left, Harald went back to Thorvald. You wanted me, he asked. Yes, my old friend, I have you first assignment, Thorvald said with a smile. Once you have picked a fisher as your guard, you will give him this money for personal spending and then send him to the Vanir cult. Let’s see what happens.