Cherokee

Most of colonists followed Thorleif’s suggestions. They kept their personal belongings and shared the collective ones equally. Once the decisions were made, everyone worked for the split of the colony and the making of the new ones. No-one really considered the colony of the newfound land as a failure. They were used to changes and this was just another one. Less adaptive people had previously died.

It was a friendly division of properties. They all knew very well that fighting would not gain anyone. There were certainly some minor disagreements about properties and belongings, but such issues were brought to the register of disputes and settled right there. Once settled, it was respected, and no one ever tried to start a dispute again.

In the end, all was settled and arranged. Every fraction had helped the other to be finished in time. One day, they were all ready to leave. It was then Thorleif called for a final session. This is not good bye, he said. This is adjø. It means; see you later. We have come here and discovered a continent. It is larger than we know and it is certainly a land of plenty. I wish you all good luck on your further explorations and settlements, - adjø.

Then the colonists hugged each and every one of the others, and went to their boats. They had departed; now they focused on the new lands ahead and did not look back with regrets.

The two teams sailed for a days together southwards. There were experienced scout amongst the teams. They were in fact more secure this time than when they first sailed to the newfound land. The next day, their paths were parted. The Vanirs sailed westwards towards the rivers, while the Asirs sailed south toward the Vinland. The Greenland colony was divided into three fractions. Two hundreds Christians stayed behind. Three hundred Vanirs sailed towards the rivers. Five hundred Asirs sailed southwards to the Vinland.

It was early in the summer and the sailing conditions were at the best. They were in no hurry at all. They did not escape anything and there was no rush in reaching a goal at a certain time. They knew that time was on their side and they made the best out of the journey. They did not take any risks; they camped a lot and made the best out of the situations. In this way the journey lasted a whole month before they saw any sign of people. But they certainly caused attention when they were observed. The natives seemed to fear them. Therefore Harald decided to stop and let the scouts make the contact with the natives.

So they did. One week later, the scouts returned with four large canoes. They brought their friends. They entered the shore and had a formal reception with greetings. Thorleif was puzzled. They look like Indians, but he knew that India is at the opposite direction of Europe. Anyway, he thought, there is no time for such speculations now. Thorleif wanted them to understand that they wanted to achieve mutual benefit. He started out with giving the chief a horse, an ox, a sheep, a knife and an axe. Then he called for the scouts and Sequoyah, the interpreter. He asked them to tell the chief that it was a gift in return, while he showed the amulet. The people were a little skeptic, but friendly. The accepted the gifts.

Thorleif called for Tore, the leader of the scouts. Now is the big decision time. Can you ask them if we can have a place to settle? Please make it polite and humble. The scout asked the boy and the boy asked the chief. He hesitated. It was obviously a lot to ask for. Thorleif found some drawing of houses and showed it to the leader. That caught his interest. At the end, Thorleif thought they agreed on making the chief such a house of wood in return.

They all went to the boats and sat sails southwards. They passed the native’s village. Their camp was not as advanced as the colony they had left. Thorleif figured that the most valuable gift they could give was not things, but knowledge. Some kilometers further south, they were showed a plain by the coast, where they could stay. It seemed to be good soil and there was a bay could shelter their ships. There were lots of free lands in this country, he thought. It also seemed that the chief wanted them in between themselves and their enemy.

This was going to be their new home. There was not really any objection. The land seemed fine and it was certainly more fertile and warmer than the place they left. Once decided, they started their project on forming a new colony for the third time.

The natives followed the building with great interest. They had lived at the same spot for centuries and were not used to rebuild much. The Norse was used to move and rebuild and they advanced each time. Now there were impressive craftsmen’s skills at work in a very effective way. The colony had taken form in a week. In a month it was fully functional.

The natives were welcomed to watch, inspect and test the results. They even joined in at work from time to time. They were no longer in doubt that they had invited friendly people, and that they were about to gain from their new friends. The chief came one day and was formally showed around by Thorleif. Tore and Sequoyah went along for interpretations. The chief pointed at himself and said Junaluska. Then he pointed at all his people and said; Cherokee. Thorleif pointed at himself and said Thorleif. Then he pointed at all his people and said Asir.

The chief saw that the fields were plowed, the river had a watermill and a small aqueduct, and there were buildings for housing and several functions. He was more than eager to take a closer look. So they did the whole day through.

That evening, the chief invited them all over to his camp and arranged a celebration for the guests. It was an important religious ceremony called Busk, or Green Corn, festival. They celebrated the first-fruits and new-fires. A hundred Asirs went over to their neighbors’ camp. The preparations took all day, so the Cherokees had started long before the guests came over.

Thorleif and his closest associates were shown around.  They saw a variety of stone implements including knives, axes, and chisels. The Cherokees wove baskets, made clothing and pottery, cultivated corn, beans, and squash. They also hunted deer, bear, and elk for meat. The housings were of particular interest for them all. The Cherokee homes were windowless white tents, with one door and a smoke-hole at the top. The Cherokee town had 30 such tents. In addition there was a council tent where general meetings were held and where the sacred fire burned. The chief showed the drawing of the Asir house. He pointed at the drawing and then on the council tent. Thorleif agreed. He was going to make the chief a council house of wood, roofed with bark and a fireplace in the middle. The chief was very happy. There was no doubt; the Asirs had found their future allied.

The chief announced that the celebration could start. The Asirs were mixed into some Cherokee groups. In this way the integration started immediately. This time the Asirs had to learn new ways of things. They tasted new kinds of dishes, based on new kinds of vegetables and herbs. They heard new kinds of music were shown new kind of dances. They were talking and laughing the whole day and long into the night. Not every Asir went home that night. Thorleif had no objections. He did not mind mixed marriages. In fact, he saw that as a step towards the hopefully coming alliance.