Once we're back home on the farm, I relieve Iselin, Ciara and Boild and help with the crucible steel production. This time, Kari's allowed to be with us when we take out the crucibles and thoroughly disassemble the furnace. I'm so fucking happy when we break the crucibles and take out the shining lumps of steel. Gentle blows with the hammer show that they give the same response as the last time, and no large sparks. I'm so relieved that the first time wasn't a coincidence.

The weather is good, warm and sunny, and it's no problem that it's late in the afternoon. We need a break after all the shopping and the success with the furnace, so I say that those who want can follow me down to the beach and swim in the sea, and we bring some food and will spend a couple of hours there. I ask Bodil if she wants to try to learn to swim, and she is a little hesitant, but after Alith poked her, she agrees to learn, and Ciara also want to try and learn it. Hillevi will guard the house while Gunhild will accompany us as a guard on the beach. To make a buoyancy aid, I take empty water bottles and whats left of the birch bark and push it into a waterproof packing bag, which I put in another waterproof packing bag. Not perfect but better than nothing, and we also take the prototype life preserver with us.

I havn't really thought about the fact that there are no swimwear here. My quickdry shorts are probably the only ones in the world, and the fabrics they have arn't suitable for swimwear, but they also don't have the same view on nudity, although some string bikinis in Midgard hardly makes any difference. I suggest they bring panties and bras but everyone looks at me weirdly and ignores it. The water really doesn't cool enough, and I'm happy about my swimming shorts, until Iselin and Kari think it's unfair that I have something to cover myself and my ninja fiancée frees me from them while Kari's tongue in my mouth distracts me, and Iselin throws them to Ciara that walks in an lay the shorts on the beach. Accept reality and make the best of it, and they're not really wrong even if it was their choice not to have panties.

Many can swim, but it isn't something they really practice or do much for fun, so I quickly understand that I am by far the best swimmer. So I decide to start from the beginning and give some basic lessons such as muscles weigh more than fat, and it is the total volume of the body in combination with the weight that determines how much you float. Breathing in and filling the lungs with air doesn't make you lighter, but the body volume becomes larger, so you float a little bit heigher until you exhale. I don't bother with facts like what percentage of the body consists of water because it doesn't contribute to anything right now. Remove a waterproof bag, put a small stone in and push out the air. They see that it sink, so I pick it up, inflate, and the bag floats on the surface. They're quite fascinated that the bag really is water proof, and that the air doesn't escape.

I warn them that just one lesson will not make them good swimmers. It must be practiced just like everything else. Show them there are different ways to swim in addition to treading water and floating, and shows more or less effective swimming methods such as dog swimming, breaststroke, backstroke, crawling, and even a little butterfly swimming even though I am quite bad at it. We practice standing on land, and I take them out into shallow water one by one, and they all first learn to crouch down and keep their heads under water and avoid panic. To hold their breath and learn that it isn't dangerous. Bodil, who seems to be quite scared, gets to use the buoyancy aid as extra security in the beginning, and I tie the short string around her wrist.

Then I show rescue technique. How to swim with someone who is drowning, and warn how difficult it can be if they're in panic, and that they might drag the rescuer down with them. Its hard to not panic if you believe you are drowning. Panic by definition means that its not logical and calm thinking. It is therefore better to have something between you and the person you are rescuing, and in Midgard a lifebuoy, rescueboy or torpedo bouy is used for this.

I show them how to put someone unconscious but breathing, in a stable side position, or a recovery position as its also called, and they all get to practice it because it is important even outside swimming. Someone who is too drunk can be suffocated by his vomit etc. I explain and show how chest compression and the pace you need to keep while I hum to Bee-Gee's 'staying alive'. It is important to keep up with chest compression for a long time and use enough force that it can break the ribs, and it is often necessary to be several persons to relieve eachother. They can't really practice this or spend time on it now. But they should know and in the future practise on a dummy. Another project to make. Although it is less important than chest compression, I also show them the mouth-to-mouth method, which of course gives reactions and comments.

I am not an expert in lifesaving, but even a little knowledge and technique is better than none at all, which is the case here. I give them a short lesson and explain that the body can't be considered dead until the body is hot and dead, and slow warm-up with body heat, blankets and so on is better than fast warm-up by a fire if the person is too cold from being in the water for too long. They hardly believe me when I tell them that there are people who with the right technology and luck, have been revived after half an hour or more in cold water. So don't give up too fast.

Ask those who claim to be able to swim, to show what they can do in shallower water, and I try to help them improve their technique. Then we move on to try with the buoyancy aid and where I hold them under their stomach so they can practice the movements as safely as I can make it. It is difficult to try to be focused and serious when I hold their naked bodies, especially when most of them 'happen' to touch my manhood during the swimming movements. Iselin is the first to realize the possibilities of trying to crawl, but not the last.

I only gives Bodil a pass, because she's just trying to do breaststroke, and obviously panics and clings to me, until she panics because she's presses her naked body against mine, and lets go, falls into the water, panics again, so she graps hold of my hips and press herself against my stomach and groin, etc. When I finally get her standing and back on the beach, everyone is trying to avoid laughing while being embarrassed. Iselin gives my shorts back to me with a small kiss as sorry, and say that she will apologize tomorrow evening.

But the swimming lessons move forward for everyone and in the end, Bodil can also take a few swimstrokes without immediately panicking, and they have all learning treading water to stay on the surface.

I'm even more happy about my shorts when they let the sun dry them on the rocks. Oh my GODDESSES! Hard to avoid looking at them, as they position themselfs around me, so there isn't a safe direction. I can at least avoid ogling Bodil, and Alith isn't completely discreet in making sure I happen to look at her where she is beside Iselin. But Iselin also looks at Alith's body and breasts, and gives her compliments, so I feel fairly safe. Definitely the most 'sexy beach episode' in my life, even without sex.

We've had a nice couple of hours before we decide to leave the beach to avoid sunburns, and Bodil and Ciara have started to learn to swim. I did bring sun lotion with me to this world, since you will get a sunburn while hiking for 10-14 hours on even overcast days, and I have it with me here on the beach, but I quickly decided to not mention it. Its was hard enough without them asking me to rub it in.

While we gather out stuff and walk back up to the farm, I understand that there are quite a few who will try to visit the beach in the coming week or weeks; for sunbathing, practise swimming and just relax. They're not really use to doing it here, but they did enjoy it. Not really suprising as three of them are used to long workdays and are from 'Norway', and a lot of those lakes and rivers are cold even in the height of summer. Hell, there's mountain lakes where the ice can be half a meter thick even at the end of summer. The runoff from those lakes isn't really warm. I explain the benefit of taking short baths even during winter, and they probably will try to do it.

An elongated lifebuoy filled with birch bark will be sewn, and given a long rope, and Bodil will sew her own lifepreserver as well. I make them promise that they must be at least two, preferably three, when they go down to the beach, and that they stay in shallow water and only when its not too windy. Practicing swimming and keeping your head under water doesn't require deep water, and I showed them that I could swim in knee-deep water. They also have to be careful with current and waves. Only bathe on calmer days until they are better swimmers.

The evening is again filled with language lessons, words and practice reading books for me, Ciara and Iselin. Then I teaching them numbers and math.

There is atleast a couple of chess games each day between some of them. We're also so many here now, so I give Bodil, Gunhild, Iselin and Kari a day off tomorrow, and Alith, Hillevi and Ciara gets the day after that. I take Alith and Bodil aside and apologizes that I havn't really given them days off, but the next couple of days I will be doing important tests and I trust them both more. Alith and Bodil both smile and say that most days with me as their Lord are more like interesting lazy days off, and considering this afternoon, there is probably a lot of truth in that.

Before we go to bed, I surprise Iselin with her new emerald necklace. She sits and watches when Alith and Kari play chess when I sit down, and looks at her necklace, which makes Iselin react and gently touch it. She really likes her necklace and is proud of it. Most women would be, regardless of here or in Midgard.

"Iselin, your necklace is beautiful, but as my fiancée I want to give you a new gift." and I put the piece of cloth with the new necklace in front of her. Alith and Kari have already seen it, but the rest react when I open up the cloth and the necklace is shown. I don't complain about the kisses Iselin gives me. No matter what happens in the future, Iselin now has two necklaces that are worth around 40 ounces of silver together, and a knife that is worth more, and it feels damn good to know. It can give her a small farm with animals and a couple of slaves. Hell, just the knife could be traded to a Storman for a small farm.

I get a gift when I later go into my bedroom and see Kari lying seductively and waiting for me, and this time we try against the bedroom walls and on the furniture and floor. Its really good that she has stowed away a few towels under my bed.