Vikings making lists

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar Lothbrok is sitting at a table near the door today. He's doing something with a long list in two different handwritings (Sinric's neat hand, and his own clumsy one), on which several items are struck out and then written over.

He's got some beer in a horn cup, and a pencil, on which he chews absent-mindedly while looking at his list.

Comments

[sunbaked_baker]

A wind from nowhere rises. The sound of the paper fluttering mixes with the sound of wings beating, as a raven lands heavily on the back of the chair next to Ragnar.

It fixes him with the glare of one beady eye.

...in the library. Progress is good. I think I've found a way that will work to make the raven form seem solid and non-magical. I'll still want to test it with you and Sinric - I can send messages myself, but we will want to make sure I can successfully send the message through someone else, that it will be received. I'm not sure where you are at the moment, but I should be down to the bar room shortly. Could we meet there?


With an abrupt croak, the raven leaps into the air from the back of the chair, only to unravel into nothing after only a few wingbeats. Well, next to nothing: the burned remains of a single raven feather falls in pieces to the floor.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar picks it up, and scratches his beard. The raven unravelled before he could answer! But after a moment's thought, he sends a rat (they talk to him again) to the library with the scorched feather, hoping is will be understood as a yes.

[sunbaked_baker]

A few minutes later, Rae appears at the top of the stairs with the scorched feather in one hand and the other hand holding a damp paper towel to her forehead. She sees Ragnar and smiles, coming down and heading his way.

"It worked?" she asks, holding up what is left of the feather between two fingers.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"It did," Ragnar says. "Except that the raven went up in smoke before it was completely done. Did it burn you?"

He smiles at her.

"Would you like some birch sap?"

[sunbaked_baker]

A faint line appearing between her eyebrows as she frowns in concern, but it is mostly hidden by the damp paper towel. The paper towel is stained red with blood from a small cut or mark on her forehead. "Oh, no, it didn't burn me - this is just from the spell. Turns out it does take a little blood to make the shape truly solid."

As much as she wishes it didn't.

"I've never had birch sap before, but I would gladly try it," she says, interested, as she joins Ragnar at his table. "But tell me how it went. The spell ended before it was done?"

A new complication?

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Rafnar orders birch sap for her -- it turns out to be a light, clear, slightly sweet and oddly silky liquid.

"It's full of good things that make you well," he says. "And yes, the raven flew away and disintegrated into smoke before it was completely done. And I thank you for giving your own blood for this. We owe you for this help, and greatly so."

[sunbaked_baker]

"I want Athelstan home safe, too," she says, waving away any talk of owing. The small mark on her forehead has already stopped bleeding, a tiny scab forming there.

"Can you tell me how far in the message it got before the spell ended? I'll see what I can do to make it last longer."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"It ended with 'Could we meet there', then jumped up and unravelled in mid-flight," Ragnar says. "The message felt complete to me."

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae tries the birch sap, looks mildly surprised at the flavor, and takes another sip before answering. "That was the last of the message I sent, yes."

She is pleased the raven had enough time to get away afterwards before the spell unraveled. Earlier tests were more abrupt.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"So that is good," Ragnar says, smiling at her reaction.

Sometimes, he suspects people think Viking food was all mead and roast meat.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Yes, it means the entire message got to you properly," she replies. "...Birch sap is surprisingly good - light and sweet, and the texture is fascinating."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"The message got to me properly," Ragnar says. "We can try it out with Sinric next, iwhen you've recovered enough. Drink as much birch sap as you want -- I had lots of it after, erm, my misfortune with the motorbike."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Does it cure hangovers?" she smiles a little teasingly at him.

"Earlier you mentioned that the raven disappeared before it was completely done, though. Did something not work?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"It didn't leave and disintegrated instead," Ragnar says. "It would be suspicious if that happened in our world, and the English were watching."

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae sips her birch sap, again mildly surprised and pleased at the flavor, and thinks.

"How far do you think it would need to get before the spell can unravel safely?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Into the next bushes," Ragnar says. "Or out of human sight, at least. I don't think the spell can tell?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"It wouldn't be able to tell that someone could still see it," Rae murmurs. "And we won't know Athelstan's circumstances when the message reaches him, but we can see about making the spell last longer to give it the best chance for getting out of sight before unraveling."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"I think that is the best chance we have," Ragnar says. "Perhaps I'll give it some extra blood?"