Boil, crackle*
The elderly man threw the dry branches into the fire while feeling the warmth that was rising in his little mud house. He pulled out the pot from the fire, pouring the dark tea into his mug.
The gentle feeling of herbal tea hit his throat as he lifted his head to look outside. Most of the people were already home and preparing to sleep early for the next morning.
Knock*
"Elder, a group of people came to the village with a token of Manny. They said they were lost and needed help from the lord estate."
The elder sighed with a helpless face, putting down his tea while taking the trusty cane near the wall. He got up from his seat, raising his eyes to meet the eyes of a young man.
"Guide me there, Landon. It will be rude to leave lost people in an unknown land. Have you given any food to them? They must be famished."
Landon nodded with a calm face, helping the elder to walk because his legs had deteriorated badly after aging quite a bit. When he was young, he was a famous hunter and sailor who was known for his feats, but the time was merciless to him, taking away the most prideful possession in his life.
" They are there, sir. You might not have seen giants like them."
The elder raised his eyebrows when he heard his words, turning his face toward the men who were sitting near the fire. His murky eyes were filled with puzzlement, knowing they were Vikings from the attire and behavior, while questioning why they were here.
" I greet the elder. My fellow men lost our way when we came into the forest, searching to find a skillful person who knows the route to the lord's estate."
Halfdan pointed at his comrades, pulling out the wooden token from his pocket when he saw the elder's face. Obviously, he was suspecting then due to their sizes and clothes, so he quickly handed out the proof that he got from Manny to him.
The wrinkled hand gently took the token, noticing it was indeed his sign because he crafted this for that child. However, he couldn't figure out why he handed it to them since it was a precious item to him. Besides, he was a stingy young man who wouldn't bother handing dead fish to a starving man. Surely he wouldn't hand over his token to some unknown, burly men who could overpower him.
" Have you eaten, young lads? Our village has the best fish dishes in the whole area."
The elder feigned ignorance to the obvious lies, pointing at the fish that had been served to them as the steam hit the noses of the Vikings.
" Thank you for your generosity. We will quickly eat this and make our way to the lord's estate."
Halfdan noticed something was amiss with the elder's expression as he pulled out his silver fork, which he carried with him all the time. Fortunately, the silver didn't turn black, which meant it wasn't poisoned, but that didn't lower his vigilance.
He raised his fork, stabbing it into the fish, which made a slight squelching noise. The expressions of the Vikings changed when they saw his movement as they put the fish down.
" Landon, run!"
The elder said with a calm face, signaling the other men who were hiding in the shadows to subdue the Vikings, but how they could match the strength of the veteran warriors.
Arne and Harold led other Vikings to knock out the men, whilst Halfdan looked at the frightened women and children with a smile.
" Don't worry. We don't kill innocent people. We will tie you up until someone manages to set you free. Also, I will place a bucket of water near your houses."
The elder silently raised his hands, gesturing them to tie him up because he understood they had no means to stop these warriors. They neither had weapons nor means to stop them; thus, the best way was to surrender peacefully before spilling blood.
" I will tie your hands gently, elder. You are a reasonable and worthy person."
Halfan commented lightly, using the elder's belt to tie his arms. Although it was weakened, it should be able to hold him for a few hours.