Creating something new, day 42

Pimp my ride & a Visitor.

The morning has become rather late since Kari deserves to be appreciated, but the morning is sensual and gentle and we spend most of it in a silent embrace, playing with our fingers, listening to the birds and slowly caressing each other.

I'm getting really fed up with the road in to Borgarsandr, but the carriage makes it a nicer trip. They really love the carriage, and the first stop is to pick up whats been ordered from the seamstress guild, especially everything for the carriage. Its a bit of a hassle to attach the draperies as we first have to fasten and sew on the pretty ropes at the top along the inside of roofs edge, but I'm not doing the sewing. Then its fastening the many rope loops with T buckles around all the posts, the ropes, at the bottom etc. Its pretty much the same construction that some modern party tents use, and its used a lot here for tents, better sleeping pelts and cloths. The trick is that the drapes must be held taut and be quite tightly fastened, so as not to wildly flap about on windy days, or the carriage is driven faster. However, premade additional loops are sew on to make it possible to attach the drapes in a couple of different configurations. From fully open with the drapes in the corners, to fully closed with overlapping joints. Considering the weather we will leave the roof and sides on.

Sure, it won't be completely water and windproof, but it will be a hell of a lot better than an open carriage or sitting on a horse. The driver and the guard at the front won't get any cover, but the guards at the back will get some protection on the cargo bed. Its possible to stow the drapes in the spaces under the seats, but there won't be much space left if the pillows and blankets are stowed too. It might be just right for a small picnic basket. The pretty and comfy thick blue blanket have a triangle pattern in yellow, and match the rest of the carriage in color and style. The seamstress guild excuse themselfs that they havn't had time to weave more, but it has only been a week and we are grateful for all the work they've had time to finish, and we can wait for the other blankets. Quality beats rushwork, and we buy another readymade blanket in the mean time. The finishing touch is the four pillows in matching patterns with my embroidered logo on, one for each corner.

When we leave the seamstress guild, we enjoy our comfortable beautiful carriage, and in the future there will be four lanterns for the carriage. A couple of directional lanterns aimed forward, and a couple of all around radiating in the passanger spaces. I don't expect the forward-facing ones to make much difference in illuminate the road, but they're better than nothing, and quickly available if the guards need to jump off and have some light. All the lanterns are also available if we go camping with the carriage. In the future the lanterns will probably be replace with oil lamps, if I can make special versions that can handle being jostle about. It will help warm up the passanger space a bit too.

We take the route past the potter and pick up all my crucibles, insulators, sinks, pipe segments, brake pads etc, minus the last ordered. Shes very pleased with how well the brake pads slide in place in the brake caliper, and fits against the brake surface. Now it just remains to be seen how well the pads actually work as brake pads. Both in braking power and in durability. Since most of it will be used at the islands, we drive by my ship and drop it of.

Next we make a stop at craftsman Digraldi, and I give him work to start making my oil lamps parts. I ask him to make five prototypes of each model, but there is a lot to be shaped and cast, even though most of the parts are the same, its deliberatly designed that way. He will have to shape things like the reflectors and burner parts. Well, its relatively much work, considering everything he has done so far. He seem to enjoy that I almost always have new stuff for him to do. Eight of the oil lamps will use the improved round burner, and it will be interesting how well that works, and how much improvement it will be. It might not be worth it. I would have preferred evolving the oil lamps calmly and methodically, but I won't have time for that, because once we move to the islands, I assume quite a lot of other stuff and projects will start to take my time, like the huge project of centralized steam heating.

The glassmaker is happy to see us again, and will make oil lamp glass in three models, partly because he may have trouble making the most advanced and largest. The improved bottles seems to be nice, and my sambos are interested in resealable glassware that isn't just an cork plug, and the glass bottles do look nice and exclusive.

The weather is partially cloudy and unstable, but after the carriage is unloaded, Iselin take me on a short relaxing trip in the carriage. Its just a short trip to another beach on a headland a few kilometers away. Everyone understands that Iselin has planned for us to 'inaugurate' the carriage, so Alith drive, while Bodil and Gunhild ride horses and guards us from a distance. Hillevi was more than please to lend her horse to Bodil, and she will guard Ciara and Kari back on the farm. It's a bit interesting to have sex while the carriage rolls along. Not particulary practical, and more fun fumbling around, but enjoyable and we laugh as we hit unexpectant bumps, and a few penetrations happens with a lot more force than planned. I sure as hell won't let her go down on me. Alith makes its slightly worse by aiming for a few potholes or not warning us, 'to test the suspension, so the crucial test is better'. Its hard to have sex while laughing, but the journey doesn't take long. We take a quick dip in the sea, and then lie on the fairly comfortable cushioned seats in the carriage, enjoying the protection from the wind. Lying there under the blankets and hugging Iselin, while we looked out over the sea and eat cookies and drink cider, feels pretty damn luxurious. My life could have been so much worse. If this is how my life will be, I can live with it.

I spend most of the afternoon assembling and doing basic test of a water pump. It's hard to say how powerful its suction force or pump pressure is, but it works. While the weather turns bad with wind and rain, I continue to build waterpumps and other stuff. It has been a good day, but Hillevi and Bodil wisely postpone their Borgarsandr visit for tomorrow, which is perfectly okay for me.

The sun have set when Iselin hurriedly comes into my room and say I have an unexpected female guest, and she seems worried when she says that. It makes me tense as I go out to the common room, but my guest is just says a very rain-soaked dark-haired woman, maybe 20-30 years old with a small backpack standing just inside the door. Everyone seems to be on edge and Bodil and Hillevi are standing close to her with their hands on their weapons, but not drawn. It takes a few seconds as I don't see how she is a threat, as she lacks a weapon, until it dawns on me that she is wearing a modern wind jacket over her dress, and its a modern small backpack. She must be partly Asian too. I can't see her ears as she has the hood up, but a human?

"Sejdmann Robert Arnesson?" she says as she looks at me, and my ears.

I just nod while my thoughts go wild in lots of different directions. "That's me."

She takes a deep breath before continuing; "Please tell me you speak English?!" she says in English with a slightly desperate and clear British accent.

"Yeah, I speak English. Who are you?"

She breathes a sigh of relief and just relax. "My name is Jane Luddington, and I missed the boat you took from Hildifjoer with a couple of hours, and I've been stuck in that bloody horrible place most of the time since! We need to talk."

Okay!? I think fast, and yes; we need to talk. I gesture stop for her - Jane - while I think. If she came to Hildifjoer, she must have been up on Hardangervidda or nearby as a tourist just like me, but seems less prepared or she just had poorer timing. I can't take her into my bedroom. We don't want to sit here in front of everyone. Its raining, windy and cold outside. The bathroom or storage room is a stupid idea. We need to borrow the small bedroom. I need someone with me. Iselin or Alith? Both? Iselin stands with Kari slightly behind me. No, its better to just take Alith, because neither will understand English, but Alith will protect if needed and I already trust her with a lot.

"Alith! You, me and Jane need to talk in your bedroom, arrange so it's safe while I check if she needs to eat. Jane, are you hungry?"

Alith just nods, and watches Jane as she enters the small room for a quick check.

"Yes please, I'm bloody starving." she draws another sigh of relief. She may be hungry, but doesn't appear to be starving. Ciara is much leaner.

"Ciara, see if we have anything she can eat. Something simple and quick. Jane, you okay with apple cider or do you want water or mead? Please take off your wet jacket and sit down - warm yourself by the fire. Eat first, talk later, and in private. My guard Alith will accompany us."

Jane have a small smile. "Heh. You're done rather well for yourself. And yes, apple would be nice."

"Ciara, apple cider will be good."

She takes off her jacket, which Iselin receive and hangs up, and Jane leans her backpack against the bench and sits on the edge, facing the fire and warming her hands, and I sit down on the opposite bench. Everyone is friendly, but I can see the suspicion in the background, and I've learned to recognize Kari's controlled 'everything is good' face and gaze, when everything isn't good. Kari just stands a little behind me and study Jane. Iselin comes and sits down next to me while Ciara fetch some bread, cheese, dried meat and cookies which she serves on a plate and pours a mug with apple cider for Jane, and I get another one.

Jane eats in silence and the atmosphere is somewhat oppressive. Ciara stands behind me together with Kari, while Alith stands to the side, unblock and free to move, while the other three guards are scattered about, somewhat more relaxed. Gunhild and Bodil are behind her back by the wall, and definitely on their guard and watching her every move.

Jane is a lot of gravel in the machine I've built since getting here. The image and story about me, sejdmann and humans. No matter how this goes or what her story is, it will be a problem for me. Potentially huge problems. My sejd is something she will understand isn't, although the question is whether she can really explain it, and if it makes a difference. I know I wanted to try to get in touch with other humans here and get information, I just didn't count on someone who came the same route as me and at the same time. I should probably have expected that. With just what she said, she seems to have had problems here, and I wonder what the Elves in Hildifjoer now know about Humans. What has she told and done, both there and on the way here? What do people in Kambsnes, Njahamrar and Skiringsalr now know about Humans? About my 'magic'?

FUCK!

Be careful what you wish for - you might get it. In any case, she seems to have had language problems, which probably is a good thing for me. Or she's just over-dramatic, and how starving she claims to be might be a good indication, because she doesn't throw down the food, and eats calmly but relatively quickly because she seems eager to talk, and she often turns to the fire and warms her hand and feet - she isn't starved. While she eats she looks around and study us. My sambos faces, clothes and accessories draws her gaze - a lot.

Shit!

I can guess what she thinks of a man with several female partners, especially considering how short of a time we both have been here in Alfheimr. I've already sunk a lot in her eyes.

After a few minutes, she has finished eating, and grabs her small backpack and stands up. Alith shows her into the room and I follow, but before I close the door, Iselin, Kari and Ciara each demonstratively give me a kiss while they obviously signal to Jane that I'm taken, but I see her little sneer. We sit there on the beds, facing each other and I answer her question that I'm from southern Sweden and I hiked alone on Hardangervidda, planned to be away for a week, when I unexpectedly traveled here, probably during a thunderstorm under an Aurora, when I camped about 10km east of Hårteigen, which she recognizes. I inform her that we seem to be in another dimension or world, and as she guessed, at least what we call Sweden-Norway is strongly connected with old Old Norse mythology and religion, and our world is one of the nine realms according to their beliefs, called Midgård - Midgard works fine - and this world is Alfheimr. And it is definitely not the Marvel variant, although some of the Gods have the same name, like Odin, Thor, Freya and so on. The Elves see it as we came here with Bifrost, the rainbow bridge. Then she starts telling me her story.

It feels anticlimactic to finally sit here, in a small bedroom, opposite the man who has been the destination of my journey - the man with the boots. He's older than me, probably past 30 years old. This seems to be a nice little farm by the standards of this world, where he seems to live well with his harem, while his castle is being built. Three beautiful young elf women that he has spend a lot of money on clothes and jewelry, to make them seem more than what they really are. At least I didn't see any slave neckrings on them, but that together with pretty clothes and jewelry, was probably just a practical way to get them so brainwashed that they will do anything for him out of gratitude, while he shows them of to other men.

Then there are the four female guards here as well. Female and four. One each for his harem and him, so that no other man touches them, and it will surely makes his harem feel even more special and spoiled. I wonder how many of the guards also accompany him to bed? His own little harem, and I thought Tom was bad. But Arnesson has managed to become rich and made powerful friends, and I have to admit he's been enormously good at adapting to life here - unlike me and Tom. He looks so normal and blends in well, but I guess that makes it easier for him to manipulate everyone. When he answered my questions, he asks me to start, and it's time to start telling him my story.