Female complications, day 3

The feast continues

Thunder & exercise.

It's still cold outside. Minus is easy to see because of the frost, but it is -7C according to the thermometer. Frost or snow on the ground, and ice on the lakes. I don't want it to be cold, but it's good if we get thick ice on the lakes and can start filling the ice house. The ice house's inner and outer doors have been left open to cool down the inside before filling it. We have quite a lot of buckets and other vessels, so I ask for ice lanterns to be made to decorate along the road to the village. It is after all dark about 17 hours per day, and ice lanterns will be light spots and make it more beautiful for the guests.

It's quite cold inside some rooms too, but that's because I consider 23C is just right, and when it's 17C inside my bedroom, I want it warmer. It's not that surprising my room is colder than many others considering it is one of the largest room, with a second floor, and many windows on three walls. All the Elves consider it warm and comfortable in the building, partially because it is far more evenly warm everywhere, instead of the usual hot by a fire and cold everywhere else, and everyone loves the warm water system. Jane agree that some rooms are too cool, and enjoyed pressing her cold fingers against my neck, telling me to fix it. I will upgrade heating, especially in my bedroom, but so far this building have frankly been a great success in comfort that I am proud of.

After breakfast, Ima surprise me but wanting to ask me something in private, which instinctively makes me uncomfortable considering out last 'private' moment, as she too seems uncomfortable.

"My Lord, may I have permission to go to bed with Mr. Digraldi?"

Okay? That is unexpected and this just got serious, considering her previous life.

"Ima, has Digraldi approached you or tried to force himself on you?"

Ima is quick to shake her head and stop me: "No no no my Lord. Nothing like that. We've just started talking more and more these past few days when I've been helping out and Digraldi is … nice and charming. I hope he can show me the same tenderness and some of the enjoyment that my Lord did during the Stag night."

Ima is embarrassed and avoid meeting my eyes, so I feel calmer. Partly because I must have done something right.

"You are a free woman and you have no master. You work for me during the winter for a living, and you already know that it is entirely up to you if you want to spend a night with anyone. Your life is your own, and if you want to work somewhere else, just tell me, Iselin or Kari beforehand. I just wish you the best of luck and a happy life."

Ima gets a happy pretty smile as she bites her lips together. She glances quickly to the sides and then gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, followed by a happy "Thank you my Lord!" and a curtsy before she disappears.

Olafr pulls me aside and with a serious face asks me if I can come along, with Alith following on behind me as usual. This have probably something to do with Digraldi and Ima but it turns out I'm completely wrong. He half discretely points to my cannon standing under the piece of cloth in the great hall. Clearly conspiratorially and not discretely, Olafr looks to the sides and up to the balcony, but except Alith, only Gunhild is nearby and peeking out from the day room. Olafr is as subtle as the hammers he usually wields.

"Robert, I apologise if I did something I shouldn't, but I have passed by that many times in the last few days and was just so curious as to what was underneath. I could see the shape and the metal, and I couldn't figure it out. But I removed the wooden plug to read the engravings, and I realise the deep round hole had rifling and little bits of lead embedded, and I felt a chill down my back. So I peeked in the boxes at the back and saw the special flint lock I made. Robert; that's a thunder weapon."

I nod and smile. "Yes."

Olafr just stares at me and after disbelief and other facial expressions half whispers; "What in Odin's name are you going to hunt with that!?! Trolls!?! Giants!?! No!! Don't say anything!! I don't want to know... I'll never be able to sleep well again." Olafr runs his hand down his face and chin. "A small bullet like the tip of the little finger can bring down a moose, and those huge bullets in the box... Just tell me that no living thing you know of can survive such a shot. So I might sleep in the future."

"Olafr, as far as I know, there is nothing that can survive such a shot. It is not for hunting or protection from beasts."

We still don't know if there are dinosaurs here, but even they should consider it at least unpleasant to get shot by the cannon, and Olafr lets out a deep sigh of relief before continuing:

"If it's not for hunting, I can guess what it could be used for. I'm a master blade smith. My craft has ended the lives of many men, women, and unfortunately even children, and far from all deserved it. What I've made for you has been very nice and interesting, and not just for the steel. It's forging and working with metal in a way I've never heard of before, but also because their main purposes are not weapons for combat. I have appreciated that more than I thought I would. I like seeing the swords there on the wall, mounted as art and a reminder, instead of carried at the waist as a show of power and a threat. I know the hunting weapons can be used against elves, but a stone can be used to bash someone's head in, as well as be in the foundation of a house. I have focused on making the best and finest swords partly because it is a challenge, but also because the finest most expensive swords are rarely used. They are too valuable, and the men who own those swords have warriors who kill for them. Don't start selling weapons - it's better for your soul."

I'm surprised that Olafr sees it that way, because that should be a quite rare viewpoint here. I had expected him to be proud of how effective his craft is. I put a calming hand on Olafr's shoulder and answer; "I have no plans to sell weapons, especially not thunder weapons. The weather still seems okay even if it's cold, so let's go for a walk down south so we can talk more freely."

A quick check on the barometer, and the walk is decided. Olafr is quick to get his jacket when I get mine and change shoes, and the guards letting the other guards know we're going for a walk, makes Iselin and Caecilia comes along. With my wife Iselin on my arm, we walk down south, escorted by Alith, Gunhild and Caecilia. We show Olafr the shooting range. Show the moving targets so we can practice not just for fun, but to get better at hitting moving animals - so it's a cleaner shot with less suffering for the animal. I tell him how big my rifle groupings are at 200 meter and at 400 meter and point out the distant targets, and Olafr just shakes his head. I tell him that I've already made an agreement to buy and exchange land on Orusingen, which is adjacent to Kari's land, but to the south and closer, so we will get a larger hunting ground. With a slightly sarcastic tone, Iselin remark:

"It's only as big as these islands together and mostly forest and mountains, and the construction of a hunting lodge or two is already planned."

Olafr laughs. He definitely wouldn't say no to future hunts if I invite him. Which frankly might happen. I tell him that the cannon was because I could and was curious how it would turn out and its performance, and defence is a good idea. I can probably sink a ship like a cog with just a nice shot in the waterline. It's not like most crew practise filling a hole or have tools and wood prepared for it. I should probably make a future training area to drill crew for that.

We walk all the way to the cliff where the long distance cannon shot landed, and we show the small stone pile, cairn, and the impact mark on the cliff. Olafr looks at the mark and towards the distant mansion and just shakes his head. Such a heavy lump shot all the way here. Like the head of a sledgehammer thrown such a vast distance. When we get halfway back, Olafr is in a good mood. Partly because I don't intend to mass produce weapons of any kind, and partly what the weapons he helped with can do, and somewhat reluctantly he admits that it would be interesting trying to make a steel cannon with a rifled barrel, but it would be terribly expensive and difficult to make. He can only guess what the cannon cost with so much bronze, but cast bronze is far easier to make something like that.

Olafr admits to being a little depressed now that I have no more steel projects for him to work with, but I cheer him up by saying that there is a forge on the island that needs finishing and testing, and I happen to have some lumps of steel that could be something interesting, and we talk about springs, tent stoves and the manufacture of bolts and nuts via machines. Olafr obviously would like to start with it straight away, completely forgetting this is a wedding feast week, and honestly, I would have liked to join him. Maybe I should ask if he wants to participate in the steam boiler tests after the wedding week?

"Olafr, unfortunately we both have social obligations, so let's return to the feast and endure good food, music and friendly company for a few more days."

Olafr's loud laugh is a good ending to the subject.

Many have seen us take a walk with Olafr, and much of the discussion is about what is now commonly known as 'thunder weapons'. Jolfr has of course heard people talk about the moose hunt and thanked for the meat and such, but Asbjörn, Maurr, Digraldi and Myrun have also heard the rumours and got to eat meat from thunder weapon killed moose. Jolfr have told them what people who were there during the retrieval and slaughtering have told him, and that includes the latest hunt. It proves that the first hunt was no accident or just luck. Several have checked Alith's mounted moose horns hanging in the guards day room, and seen the moose skin from my moose. They did experience the shot starting the wedding race back to the mansion, and Iselin describes the thunderous bangs a couple of weeks ago and Unn fill in about the frequent bangs heard from the shooting range, as she has watched from a distance, but neither mention anything about the cannon. The 'Thrymheim' rumours brings some laughs, though I do see a few look at me quizzically. Jolfr turns pale and asks; "How long ago?"

It turns out that he and his group thought there was a distant thunderstorm during that day. But it was me and my creations. How far was the cannon actually heard? Maybe I should have thought about testing cannons in suitable weather as camouflage.

We let every guest try to hold and aim with the musket. It's unloaded, and of course I made sure it is before showing them, but I still make them handle the weapon as it is dangerous. I teach them to always assume a thunder weapon is dangerous and never point the barrel at something they're not prepared to kill or destroy, and keep their fingers off the trigger.

They don't understand how it works, and we don't tell them, although several people guess it's a sejd variant of crossbow, so they are very careful. They know that Alith calmly shot this to start the wedding race and it scared several of them half to death. They know the weapon killed a moose, but no one saw an arrow or bolt when Alith fired, if they even thought to check for it. Alith is quite a good storyteller as she proudly retell her memory of the hunts, although she knows better than to include all the details, which includes both weapon handling and what she and I did right after. Iselin takes over and tells about the latest hunt.

Asbjörn says: "I can guess the answer, but is it possible to buy one of these thunder weapons?"

I just shake my head and reply: "No."

Asbjörn lets out a deep sigh but that was obviously the answer he expected, and he doesn't look completely unhappy about it. I have no doubt that Myrun and Maurr would have bought a thunder weapon if I had sold them, but as long as I don't have to sell, I won't. Asbjörn comments that he has also not managed to persuade Olafr to buy one of those superbly beautiful steel swords that Olafr made for himself, and Myrun react to the fact that there are even more of those swords. Olafr offer to fetch his sword since he did carry it at his waist when he arrived on these island, but it is in the house where he sleeps. Of course a Northman like Olafr carries a sword when he travels, but has taken this off as a sign of respect to me and King Aeriksson.

Maybe I will do a shooting demonstration tomorrow or the next day if the weather is okay? Best to think it over before saying anything about it. Maurr reminds me that I am welcome to hunt moose, deer or just about anything in his forests when it suits me, but of course it is understood that he would like to participate. Probably quite a bit of envy that Olafr is the only 'outsider' that has actually used and hunted with a thunder weapon. Jane even made really good sketches of that and is planning two epic paintings of the first hunt.

The more I think about the subject, the more surprised I am that things like crucible steel, black powder, and steam engines aren't already known and spread in Alfheimr. Jane and I can't be the first humans to arrive here in the last 300 years, and stuff like black powder has been known for longer than that. At least one human should have tried to do such things or introduced it. And not just here, but all over the northern hemisphere. And who knows what might have been developed in distant places by the elves themselves? Some mighty Kingdom or Empire might have advanced secrets. So I'm going to have to assume that things like black powder, flintlocks and cannons exist, even though they don't exist or is known here in this region.

Apparently a discrete competition between our and the visiting guards have been taking place on the exercise bike. All the guards have already tried, and the guest are shown the exercise bike and the hourglass that are now used to take official times. But just learning to pedal around isn't that easy for everyone, so it's lucky that they don't have to maintain balance and the exercise bike has a couple of different grips on its wide handlebars. Unn is not alone in almost falling off the bike. I should probably put a couple of fold up side guards on the saddle. The Highscore list gets another board and grows as more and more people try the bike, and it really is a Highscore list because it takes a pretty good distance to get your name on the top 7 list. Only a persons best time is noted, and Jane is still so far ahead of everyone that it's a bit absurd, followed by Hillevi, but my name is already in third place on the list and staying there.

Most of the bike's moving parts are covered behind wood panels as much as possible so no one gets fingers, trouser legs or skirts in there, but Digraldi recognises his craftsmanship on the pedals and now understands what some of the weird things were for. I take the opportunity to order parts for the other two exercise bikes. There is room for two bikes next to each other and it would be fun to compete that way, or just really exercise with someone else, and it can be a good indoor fitness test for future warriors. I agree with Jane that beside just running with packs and gear, crossfitness and such will be important for my warriors. Myrun finds it amusing what the guest room she slept in on her last visit has turned into. And why. Using such a nice room for indoor training in is very eccentric. The ways we exercise even more so.

There are many breathless and aching elves during the afternoon. Some see the exercise bike as a horrible torture machine and complain about their legs, while others give up before the end when the sand barely seems to move. To make matters worse, Jane proves that she deserves first place by achieving a slightly longer distance during her 20 minutes and break her own record. Alith happily fetched Hillevi to witness Jane's final sprint, and that the distance between them has once again become a little longer. Hillevi's desperate exclamations and profanity was amusing. Jane's achievement is greatly celebrated, and many have given her well deserved praise for her paintings and sketches that hang everywhere. She gladly take several commissions for paintings, mainly portraits, and Kari makes sure that Jane gets a fair price for her magnificent craft. Frankly it's not that much and no one tries to bargain. It's an honour to be painted, and painting at her level is almost like sejd, and sejd is something you pay for. Jane seriously have no competition as far as anyone knows.

Kari take the opportunity to show Jane's work where we are documenting life and history, and show what she did from the Tosra gathering, which is really appreciated, not least because the whole thing is so new and unusual. Pictures and text in a book describing an event, just a concise pictorial description of the experience without trying to angle it from the viewer's eyes. That is different from travelogues or Saga's, and much appreciated. Asbjörn's intention is quite obvious when he mentions the Northmen Ting in two months, and that it would be nice if Jane could document that as well. We have of course planned to attend. Jane already documents everything during the wedding, but generally takes discrete photos instead of sketching directly. As usual without flash and with the screen folded in, just as she has done since the Tosra gathering. She really loves the camera obscura projector I made for her, and the 'dark room' is just across the hall from her bedroom.

Tomorrow during daylight, Jane will use the DSLR camera to take photos of those to be painted when they are posing. That way she can paint the paintings or sketches in peace and quiet, and they can be delivered when the painting is finished.