Tess watched the games from the sidelines with the others. She cheered when Dax won the wrestling matches and the foot races. He had not done as well in the archery matches but took second and third place in the throwing contest and the weightlifting. The games filled the day and outside of preparing and serving food even the thralls were granted the day to watch the festivities and join in the merriment. It had snowed the night before, but the snow and ice did nothing to stop the games. The Norse rose to the challenge and adapted to the weather, a skill Tess was sure they had spent many generations acquiring.
She found it marvellous how despite the weather, despite their distance from home or friendly shores, the loss of friends and loved ones in the aftermath of a sinking ship leaving m
