"I will kill anyone who looks for trouble for our family," Bjorn interjected with a disgruntled huff after they had a little pause. "I could ride to Kattegat and look for people to join us. Maybe we could ask Uncle Rollo to come and help us around here."
Gyda also supported his little brother's words. "We can't tolerate this kind of persecution against us because we are suddenly well off compared to before!"
"We aren't even causing trouble for anyone or looking to trouble someone—we're just honest farmers!"
"And a businessman's family now too..." Baldur snickered.
"No. It can't be any of us recruiting people in public, even less in Kattegat." Ragnar smiled at his children's words but denied Bjorn's proposal. "It will only raise suspicion. Because if we are already being targeted, it would only serve to exacerbate the situation."
"Let the guards from here ride to different towns far away from Kattegat and its surroundings. To places away from Haraldson's place of control."
"That would be the most secure option, my lord." Gunic nodded.
"And also... There is another matter to talk about." Ragnar continued. He looked at his son and daughter briefly before he looked serious this time, veins throbbing in his neck as he started getting angry. "What if those 'bandits' that attack you both weren't just mere vagrants you came across but were 'casually there' for you both?"
Lagertha's face changed into an ugly one. "Are you saying that someone is going after our lives already?"
I don't know, but who knows? It could be a possibility by now, love."
"What happened?" Gunic asked worriedly after hearing Ragnar's words.
"Well..." Baldur briefly told him about the bandits they encountered.
...
"If there is something dirty in the matter, we would know it in time. Maybe something happens when we go to Kattegat in a few days."
"For now, let's continue with the matter at hand. I will call for Jokul and Agnar to see who we send to look for people away from here," Baldur said as he moved to the door to talk with Baug. "We need now more than ever before more men who can fight."
Gyda looked at the tense atmosphere and tried to change the matter. "Gunic, did you know that my brother and I are getting married soon?"
"Of course, my lady. It is on the mouth of everyone around here, as they know that as soon as Baldur gets his arm ring, he will take you as his wife."
"You must be happy that he will get it in a few days."
"Also, this joyous moment would help relieve these hard times."
"Mhm-mh!" Gyda nodded happily. "But did you also know that he would take two more wives besides me?" she asked mischievously.
*Cough* Gunic choked while swallowing after hearing her words. "It's that so, my lady?"
"Should I try to put a word in to my liege for you, my lady?" He wiped away the drops of sweat that suddenly appeared on his forehead with a cloth.
"Don't worry, I'm fine with that." Gyda laughed. "I even pushed him to take them both, you know?"
"Oh..." Gunic could only answer, not knowing what to say. "Then I'm relieved that everything is fine."
"You must come on the day of the celebration. It would be a happy day."
"I'm not going to miss the day for anything in the world."
Gyda laughed happy. "hehe."
Baldur came again through the door at that moment. "Alright, I have already sent Baug to call for them."
But he didn't take a step before Baug called for him again. "Chief!"
Baldur, with a weird look, opened the door and looked at him. "What is it?"
"Chief, there is a man outside looking for the Overseer. He says that he is here for business."
"I recognize him, that is the man who came yesterday with various carts of stones and men. The overseer let them stay in the barn."
"Oh." Baldur nodded. "Tell him to wait for a moment, that we will receive him soon."
Baldur looked at the rest. "You have heard, there is a merchant outside."
"Sorry, my lord. I forgot about our two guests!" Gunic worriedly said. "Hopefully, the incoming deals don't break for letting them wait for so long."
"There is nothing to do; we'll see what happens soon."
"Why did he bring stones here? Do we need stones for something?" Bjorn wondered.
"Maybe do you intend to build something with them?" Gyda looked at Gunic and Baldur.
"No. I have no idea what that merchant is thinking, but maybe they aren't simple stones. It's just that the Baug thought of them as stones." Baldur suggested to them.
"That must be the most sure assumption, my lord." Gunic nodded at that.
....
After everyone was prepared to receive their guest and potential business partner, Gunic stood up and left to greet the man. After a while, he came inside again with a regular man, one of those who don't appear to have any extraordinary qualities in them and could pass unnoticed as most people in a crowd. But one thing was for sure: he was no warrior.
Gunic presented the family to the man as if he were introducing nobles. "May I present you to Ragnar Lothbrok, the man who owns these lands, the farm, and this place, and everything else that is happening under his holdings."
"Alongside him are his wife, Lagertha the shieldmaiden, and their children Baldur, Gyda, and Bjorn."
The man looked at the family in front of him as the overseer Gunic presented to him, and he suddenly felt the presence of these people. He was no warrior, but he also was no coward, yet, even then, he could feel that this Ragnar Lothbrok was no mere farmer, his wife and his children either. He could feel intimidated even more than when being in the presence of his earl while looking at the man who was called Baldur and his golden eye.
The man nodded to everyone and with a low head he presented himself to everyone. "My name is Gamli Hrossketilsson. I hail from the lands to the east of this place, from Värmland that is under the rule of Earl Olof Trätälja."
'Oh? Interesting...' Baldur suddenly was piqued about this man coming.
Lagertha looked at him and, like a good lady of the family, she welcomed him. "Welcome from so far away, Gamli Hrossketilsson. What would you need from us that you came all this way to this place?"
"My lady, I'm a traveling merchant who makes a living by trading between towns under different Earls' rule."
"Basically, you make a difference from selling something at a higher value at different places then."
"Indeed, my lady is well learned. As you have said, I risk my life and my cargo traveling between cities for a profit."
"Very well, what do you have to offer us, Gamli, merchant from Värmland?"
"I have been told you have brought carts filled with stones? Or so the guards have said."
Gamli had a little smile as he answered. "My lady, I have indeed brought stones, but these are no simple stones like the ones beside the road...they are iron ore from Värmland."
"In my last travel to trade iron ore in Kattegat, I had the occasion of running into Baldur Golden eye, who took every one of the ores I had available at the time," Gamli answered calmly. "Maybe he doesn't remember me. But at the time, he asked me if I wanted coin, grain, or ale as a payment for them. It left me a great impression and speechless without words at his free way of doing business."
Everyone looked at Baldur, who scratched his cheek, not remembering the man in front, as he traded with a lot of people every time he went to Kattegat.
"At the time, I asked for silver for five carts of ore. He told me that if I were to bring more ore to him, he would buy everything I could get."
"After asking around in Kattegat about him, they told me that he lived in this place. So I brought my cargo and men here, intending to make business and possibly establish a long partnership."
The family looked at Baldur to speak, as they weren't well-versed in the matter.
Baldur looked at the man and asked. "Are all the ore you brought here coming from Värmland?"
"Yes, every ore is from Värmland. I acquired them in the town of Woodwhittler, that is the seat of Earl Olof Trätälja."
"Alright, we are interested in them and continuing buying more...as much as you can get hold of."
"How many carts have you brought this time and what would you like as payment? silver again?"
"My lord, I have brought ten carts full of iron ore, and this time I would like the payment to be done with grain," Gamli stated his terms.
Baldur rubbed his chin, looked at his father, who nodded to him, leaving the matter at his discretion. Then he looked at Gunic and gave him a nod before addressing Gamli.
"We have a deal."
"My overseer and assistant of the family, Gunic, would take you to his office, and you can discuss the agreements of the deal and the prices. If you are willing to continue providing the same amount of ore and even more, you can come directly here to continue doing business."
"Thank you, my lords and ladies," Gamli said before retiring with Gunic.