Success...

Ahh how glorious this day is! I must admit going into the whole thing was very unnerving. But now that it is over I thirst for more! We landed on the shores of Hebrides and struck swiftly. As we ran into town, the crew yelled viciously at the top of their lungs and swung their weapons in a mad rage; tactics I learned from others on the boat before we landed. We hit the monestary first grabbing gold, silver, paintings, and books. Then we moved into the center of town toward the trading posts. There we found furs, glass, pottery, and even silk! I am not a man of violence and it was not in our interest to forcefully kill anyone unless necessary. But when ransacking a small trading shack, the owner came at me with an axe from behind. Luckily, I was saved by I man who I hadn't met until now. His name is Gunna and I truly owe him my life. He is one of two men from the far east. Gunna speaks of a place where many ethnicities come together to trade and connect. A place where silk drapes the buildings and spices fill the air. A place called Constantinople. This adventure thing is addicting and I need more. I believe when I get back I will journey to these Eastern lands in search of more.

Ready to raid...

I'm writing this while sailing to our final destination. We have just left the island of Orkneys. Our ship is now full with all the supplies we will need to fulfill our mission. I must admit that up until this point, the journey has been quite long. Bad weather, rough seas, and for a small period of time a shortage of food, have all made me physically drained and mentally exhausted. But at this moment the the sun is shining and moral is high. I can tell that a lot of the crew is getting anxious. I have met many new faces on this voyage; one in particular I like very much. His name is Banki from our neighboring village Vattern. He is a farmer like me with two sons. We share many of the same interests and he strikes me as a very wise man. Over the course of the past two days he has told me stories about dozens of raids, all of which were successful. It is comforting to know that I have friends who have previous experience in these matters and who I can trust when we are on the front lines. I will write again after our mission is complete.

Set sail at last...

I write this while sailing the open seas toward our first stop, the Danes land. Our captain Gunnolfr, originally from the land of the Danes, knows a port city on the eastern coast where we will gather our supplies for the long journey to the stretch of vulnerable islands to the west. It is there that we will make our plunder. I know little about our final destination but many speak of local communities whose wealth is unimaginable. Moral is high and all my fellow comrades, about half of whom I know from my village and the other half from our neighboring village Vattern, share a common goal; to attack swiftly with no mercy and return home with a plentiful bounty. I try not to think about my family, for I know they are resting safe and sound. Our crew is experienced and knowledgable in the craft of raiding so I don't have much trouble sleeping at night. Whether or not I am to return home after this venture is uncertain. What is certain however is that whether I return home or not, my family will bask in the riches of our crew.

For the honor....

At this time, I have been forced to weigh many options. On one hand I have my family. My beautiful wife and my children are the world to me and I would do anything for them. On the other hand I have my loyalty to my master. He has been a source of power to me and I owe him everything for my freedom. Now StybbiR has given me the option to stay and tend to my family or to accompany him on a raid in a far off land, which he promises me will be worth the trip. After a long thought I have come to a conclusion. I will trust my wife to tend to the land and children and join my master in his venture. StybbiR has equipped me with leather leggings, armings, and a cap along with a spear and axe in the event of violent oppression. He tells me that we will be embarking on a ship with 26 other men. In 2 days time the men and I will be lectured in the plan of attack and evade. I hear that the place we are going is a wealthy region. StybbiR has promised that this trip will be temporary and very profitable if everything goes right. My adrenaline is pumping and I anxiously await our departure!