Chapter 21

Days after the return Olaf was sitting in his home with ethewold talking and he asked a question 'tell me about the land below England, frankia it looks to be great land,' the monk went on to answer 'it's a massive kingdom that was once ruled by one king Charlemagne but after his death it was broken into three kingdoms with three brothers ruling their own territory,' and Olaf listening and looking at the map of the three kingdoms asked ' do they hate each other' to which the monk said 'yes they war and hate each other,' Olaf smiled to the information given and was looking at the map and asked ' tell me more about the eastern kingdom,this is Bremen, is it wealthy?' To which the monk said 'yes very wealthy it's where the king Charlemagne stayed for long periods of time in his wars and lots of wealth has accumulated there so if you want to get a massive amount of loot it's a good point to go,but with the size of your army you won't be able to take it, you'll need three times the men to take it,' to which Olaf said no worry with the treasure from the previous raid I will start to recruit a massive army and I will not go alone but thank you for the information I'll talk later now I have to go,' and he stood up and left.

In Oslo there was a feast was happening in the hall led by harkon who sitting on a table with two others the first was the ruler of gauldalen who was called sweyn he was known as a strong warrior who has ruled his territory for years the next was a woman who ruled over Bergen by the name of Auslag who has a strong reputation as a fierce shield maiden and has they sat eating the door of the hall was open and a large man enter and he was the ruler of sarpsborg he was call Ragnar and he walked to the front of harkon and said 'harkon you have called us here and told us to make an alliance with you but you haven't given us a good reason as to why you have and if you don't I'll leave with my men now and become an enemy of yours even though you may have more men and your still unbeaten warrior I am not afraid,' after all that was said by Ragnar the hall quieted down and harkon looked at Ragnar and one would see a small vein popping on his head but he stood up calmly and said 'my jarls I have gathered you all for one purpose and that is to destroy the man known as Olaf who has claimed to have found land in the west and has been getting wealthy on a massive scale from what word has come his recent raid has brought him chests and yet he has not shared any of this with us and will one day become a threat to all of us that's why I want us to join together sand destroy him and claim the secret of the west together,' after that was said Ragnar said yes it's an interesting thing the west all the fights and loot to gain I love that but why should I join you and not with Olaf from what I know with all the wealth he has gotten he has the power to have a force equal to yours and maybe more. That's why you want to destroy him you want to be king of all Norway,' harkon was schocked to hear this and Ragnar smiled and continued'what you thought we didn't know everyone knows and with the way things are going I am more inclined to join Olaf than you he seems more interesting than you, what do you say auslag?' To which the shield maiden replied'i am in mind to join Olaf to I know of him from his wife Astrid as we have fought with each other and against each other,' this brought murmurs across the hall as it was known that Astrid was talked about as one of the greatest shield maidens that has lived but married a common farmer, harkon who heard this didn't like it as he didn't know of auslag past and thought that this would make things more difficult for him but he didn't say anything about it and she continued 'she told me about Olaf when he was a nobody that he has a great destiny and will lead our people to our golden years and if the west has been found by him them I am more inclined not join this petty alliance,' harkon looked at his last hope sweyn who was the youngest of them and said 'well this makes things easier I was planning of joining the alliance,' this brought happyness to harkon who needed this as the 4 for f them plus Ragnar controlled half of Norway and he need them as ally's but his happyness died quite quickly after the next sentence 'I planned on betraying you all later when you went to attack him,' after hearing this harkon with rage on his face said 'sweyn by would you betray me?' Sweyn with a smile on his face said 'I owe Olaf my life he saved me when I raided on my first time in the east I was careless and was surrounded but he came and killed 5 men alone and said to me I should use more of my head and less of my arrogance it lol help in the future and from then on I did that and now I am a jarl thanks to him saving me and his advise,' while all that was siad harkon was think of killing them from joining him Olaf when a messanger came and said 'my jarl an envoy of Olaf hardasson has come to meet with all the jarls here,' after hearing this all the jarls looked at harkon as the wanted to know what Olaf plan was, harkon said 'let him in' a short while later floki came and giggled and said 'well Olaf said I should avoid greeting you since he doesn't respect a man who can face him alone and has to beg other to do it for him,' and this got a laugh out of the other jarls who thought that Olaf was a more interesting guy and harkon said 'give your message and leave,' floki giggle as he saw Olaf's plan was working and said 'Olaf issued a warriors challenge against you and winner takes all,' after hearing this harkon laughed and said 'is he serious against me I am the greatest Viking warrior never defeated and he wants to challenge me,' floki replied 'well that's weird Olaf said that would be your answer and he told me to say that yet you wouldn't even challenge him or take your own army to face him that tells him that your afraid that your no match for him, he knows it, you know it, and now everyone knows it,' after hearing this the was talk around about how that might be true and doubts about harkon became loud and harkon saw that if he did say something he would be seen as coward and he thought that all he had to do was fight and win and all would clear for him to be king of Norway so he calmed down and said 'okay since he wants to fight me I accept, the fight will be at the halfway point of the two territory's, the final valley in three days,' floki giggle and said 'well Olaf is already there waiting for you and is setting up the square,' after hearing this harkon started to sweat as he realized that he was played and on the palm of Olaf and now knew that Olaf was a terrifying strategist but as a fight harkon still had the confidence in himself, Ragnar roared in laughter and said 'i like this Olaf it looks like he is a true Viking but one that actually can think,' he looked at floki and said 'you don't mind that I accompanied you to where your jarl is I would like to meet him,' floki nodded and said 'he would welcome visitors and everyone else that is interested can come we will meet him,' after hearing this both auslag and sweyn both stood up and all the three armies left together to meet the warrior that was able to outmaneuver harkon in such a great way.