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when
faced with warriors they became somewhat more accommodating. We left them
unharmed for the most part. They were threatened into silence of our existence.
I’m certain they complied with our terms.
    “Some of your words are odd, different from what we learned
and you talk with an accent. Let us hope Baldr and Ing don’t realize David just
claimed their mothers were…what was that? Cross dressers? Do your people wear
crosses on your dresses?”
    Svana couldn’t help herself, she giggled. “David has always
had a temper.”
    “Let us hope his temper remains well-matched with his right
cross.”
    Svana smirked when Vakr rubbed at his jaw. Puny, my ass.
    * * *
*
    Svana sat with David ondeck near the bow. The other men were
also ondeck eating dinner. Svana chewed on her jerky. And chewed…and chewed.
The facial expression David made when he took a bite of the dried meat made it
look like he was eating bat crap. Though he was wise enough to stay silent, his
jaw moved up and down in an exaggerated motion. He looked like a disgruntled
camel. David was glaring at two men who returned the glare.
    “Making friends I see. Are you playing nice?” Svana asked
him.
    “I’m envisioning running them over with my car.”
    “It won’t be long. Vakr said we should see land by morning.
We can call Daddy then.”
    “And hire really mean hitmen…with SUVs.”
    Svana chuckled. Vakr approached them. He knelt before her.
    David’s eyes never left his adversaries.
    “I have been saving this,” Vakr said. In his palm was a
round light hunk of something.
    Curious, Svana tasted it.
    “Maple sugar,” she exclaimed in delight.
    “It is the last I have. I was saving it for my mother, but
as you can see, our stores are low.”
    He sounded concerned.
    “Low?” Svana had asked for a tour of his vessel. There had
been all kinds of foodstuffs. She handed his gift back to him. “I’m fine, Vakr.
If this is for your mother then give it to her.”
    “Our flour is all but gone for bread. Even if we found land
and made a fire, only a coat of dust is left. There is nothing to cook onboard.
We ate the last of the dried meat tonight. Do not fear. We will see land
tomorrow.”
    Svana could see his worry. “But you have sacks filled with
cornmeal. You can make little cakes or porridge with that. And I saw your
potatoes.”
    “Potatoes?”
    “Yes the brown roots in the bushel baskets,” she replied.
    Vakr gripped her hand and hauled her to her feet. “You know
of these items?” He looked incredulous.
    “Yes. Don’t you?”
    Vakr shifted his feet. “I took a small bite of this thing
you call a potato but it was unpalatable. I was going to throw the baskets
overboard, but thought if we were desperate enough, some might attempt to try
the roots. Hunger will flavor any dish.”
    “You tried it dirt, skin and all? Yuck.” Svana was beyond
surprise when Vakr blushed. “If you didn’t know what they were, why did you
trade?”
    “I didn’t trade.” He shifted uncomfortably. “There was a
young beauty with long black hair like onyx. Eyes so dark they were almost
black. I saved her from death from others who looked similar to her. Her father
was called a chief. He was grateful for the safe return of his only child. It
was too difficult to understand them, but when we left, they gave us many
things. Things like long yellow cocks with buds on them…”
    Svana howled with laughter. “Corn or maize. You cook it and
eat it. You must be talking about Native Americans.” For a moment she grinned
them sobered. She remembered he thought he was a Viking. “You really don’t know
what corn is?”
    “We ate it with them one night but they smoked a pipe and my
head rolled after a while. Strange smoke. We will reach land tomorrow.”
    To Svana he seemed to be reassuring himself more than her.
She placed her hand onto his arm. “Vakr. Your men will not starve. Tomorrow
I’ll make them something from the stores you have.”
    A gust of wind