Chapter 56 Iceland

Bjorn disagreed with Vig's assessment. "You own Taineburg, Ivar owns Derwent and Dufilin, and what do I have? Although I love sailing, there must be a place to rest after a journey. I do not want to return to York every time. Queen Sora has always disliked the three of us. She likes to use words to squeeze everything she has out of us. It is simply disgusting!" 

He bent down, grabbed a handful of earth and sighed deeply, as if drunk. "The longer I stay in the palace, the more uncomfortable I feel, like a guest in someone else's house. Alas, it is time to find myself a new home." 

Since Bjorn was determined, Vig no longer dissuaded him and told him that he needed to buy volcanic ash. If the other side decided to live here for a long time, he could exchange it for volcanic ash for necessities.

"Are you sure?"

"I learned a specific formula in the Eastern Roman Empire that requires the addition of this ash." 

...

After a short discussion, they returned to Taineburg for dinner. Vig casually mentioned Bjorn's relationship with Princess Eva. Bjorn shook his head sadly and declared that their relationship was over.

"To be honest, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, with a graceful body and fair, smooth skin, but unfortunately, she is too ambitious. She once asked me if I had any idea of ​​​​inheriting the throne, and for a while I could not answer. My brother Ivar is taller than me, and my brothers Halfdan and Ubber are shorter. If I think about it, I can only rely on my navigation skills, and I have no trump cards to fight for the throne."

Holding a large glass of wine, Björn looked at the flickering candlelight at the other end of the dining table and fell into a stupor. He said under his breath, "Knowing that I was going to travel overseas and settle on a desert island, Eva immediately lost interest in me and two days later sailed away on a boat with her brother, Erik the Younger." 

At the mention of this relationship, his mood plummeted. He hung his head, wolfed down his food, and went to the guest room to rest. 

For the next three days, Björn went to the market to sell goods, buy supplies for the journey, and choose a clear morning to set sail.

For this expedition, Björn deliberately chose a newly launched ship, about 20 meters long, with a strong and durable oak hull and a light gray sail with a flying seagull on it – a noble symbol that he had chosen for himself. Given that Jotunheim was not suitable for agriculture, the ship took on board six more sheep. 

At the pier, Vig saw off the legendary navigator: "Farewell, brother, I wish you all the best." 

"Wait for my good news!" 

To the jubilant cries of the Tyne people, the ship sailed downstream to the mouth of the River Tyne, then headed north along the coast and anchored for two days near the Shetland Islands.

Compared to a few years ago, this deserted archipelago was home to thousands of Vikings, most of whom were refugees fleeing war, and even two noble families. 

When someone learned of Bjorn's purpose, they suddenly became interested. "Are you sure there is another large island west of the Faroe Islands?" 

"Vig was told. It doesn't sound like a lie." 

"Really?" After much discussion, some Vikings agreed to join the expedition, and the fleet grew to five longships and 203 men. 

After sailing northwest for two days, they reached the westernmost point of the Viking world - the Faroe Islands.

The Faroe Islands have rugged terrain and strong winds all year round, which is unfavorable for tree growth. There are a few Viking settlements scattered along the coastline. The soil here is poor and unsuitable for farming. The locals earn their living by fishing and herding cattle. Sometimes they come across a bird with a black back, white belly and bright beak - a puffin. 

"Well, it's very tasty. If you eat it every day, what pleasure will it be?" 

Bjorn ate five roasted birds in one go, sincerely praising the food. Having bought enough cheese and dried fish, the next morning they sailed northwest. 

The endless sea, lead-gray clouds hung overhead, and a salty wind blew on everyone's cheeks. Gradually, the Faroe Islands behind them became smaller and smaller, until finally they turned into an invisible black dot.

At this point, the fleet officially entered unfamiliar waters. Storms, icebergs, thunder, sea monsters... No one knew what was waiting for them ahead. Facing unknown danger, they felt an indescribable panic in their hearts, everyone held amulets and prayed to the gods. 

The next day, the fleet encountered a rare north wind, and the sails were almost torn apart. Strong winds and waves crashed down on them, and the long ship, which was in worse condition, fell apart on the spot, turning into a pile of debris drifting on the sea, and thirty sailors on board were buried in the sea. 

For three days and three nights in a row, the fleet was tossed by the waves, everyone was soaked to the skin, and some, if they were not careful, were washed away by the waves. Only on the morning of the fifth day, the crew discovered that the color of the sea water had become a little lighter. In the eyes of many who were holding out hope, Bjorn released the raven with trepidation. 

After some cawing, the raven flew away in a certain direction and never returned. The 150 survivors cried out loudly. 

With hope in their hearts, they sailed in the direction the raven had flown. At dawn on the sixth day, someone cried out and pointed to the horizon: a steep, blue-gray cliff pierced the sea fog, and many white seagulls circled in the sky. 

"Odin, I thank you for your blessing." 

After sailing for half a day around the steep cliff, four spur-scarred longboats moored on a deserted beach. Nearby lay a huge whale, beached and dead. Someone cut a small piece of whale meat with a dagger and put it in his mouth to chew on it a little. 

"He died recently, and the meat has not yet rotted. We do not need to look for other food." 

With this whale, a gift from the gods, everyone was able to save their energy on searching for food and focus on exploring the surrounding area. The area here is similar to the Faroe Islands, with strong westerly winds and poor soil. Only low-growing tundra plants tenaciously survive. 

After more than ten days of searching, they found a valley protected from the wind and facing the sun. Nearby there was a small birch forest and a winding stream. 

"Okay, let's settle here. This island is called Iceland. I, Björn the Iron, son of Ragnar and Lagertha, will be the ruler of Iceland from now on!" 

On Björn's orders, 140 Vikings cut down trees and built houses. He also planned to reclaim a nearby slope and sow rye in September. Compared to wheat and barley, this crop has the highest resistance to cold.

"Hmm, I hope they will grow easily." Björn looked up at the sky and prayed.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet trembled slightly. In the confused eyes of the crowd, a cloud of black smoke rose from behind the mountains, like a giant snake writhing and crawling towards the sky, and flocks of birds flew away screaming in different directions.

What is happening?

Bjorn reached the top of the mountain and saw a bright red light burning far to the north. Thick black smoke continued to spread, bringing with it a slight smell of sulfur.