Sea Rover

Sepulchral of dead

Chetwynd: What is this?

Slave: My Lord, this man says he has a message for you from Jordan Korg.

Chetwynd: Let him go. What’s the message?

Herbert: Jordan Korg challenges you to meet him in a single combat.

Svein: Jordan Korg has a very opinion of himself.

Chetwynd: Well, he is descendant of Odin.

(Crowd laughing)

Herbert: Jordan said that if you refuse his challenge, then shame would follow you the rest of your life.

Chetwynd: There would be greater shame in accepting a challenge from a criminal. That would suggest that I take him seriously, that I see him as an equal.

Svein: The challenge is declined, when Jordan Korg appears in Kattegat, he will be put in chains.

 Chetwynd remembers oracle conversation “Stones and Bones”. He searches for your death. Does he desire to be Earl? If he kills you, would it not be so? The Chetwynd immediately stands up after remembering the oracle conversation, and tells Herbert.

Chetwynd: Tell Jordan Korg. I accept his Challenge, take him away.

After listening to the message, Herbert leaves Chetwynd's hall.

On the other hand, Abigail tells Jordan.

Abigail: Jordan.

Jordan: What?

Abigail: Let’s go away. Let’s leave here. This is not the only place for us.

Jordan: He is old. What are you frightened of?

Abigail: You can’t fight. You are still too weak.

Jordan: Perhaps that makes us equal.

Abigail: Never fight unless you know the odds are in your favor. That is our way.

Jordan: Who sets the odds? Our fates are already decided.

Abigail: You don’t believe that, and neither do i.

Jordan: You are wrong. I do believe it.

Abigail and Jordan kiss each other and have s*x. At night Debby comes to Chetwynd and says.

Debby: Come to bed. You need to rest, to sleep.

Chetwynd: Yes, I will. There is always time to sleep, I was thinking about our boys, what they would look like now.

Debby: Don’t. Don’t think about them. Think about tomorrow.

Chetwynd: When I must kill a man for whom I have the utmost respect.

Debby: Respect? You respect Jordan Korg?

Chetwynd: Why not? He is what I used to be, restless, ambitious, and he was right about the western lands, but I always knew that in my heart.

Debby: Then why didn’t you tell him?

Chetwynd: Because the moment that I reached out to Jordan Korg was the moment that all my friends, all my supporters would have deserted me and joined him. It was impossible to that it, but it’s true our fates have brought us together, and may be he’s opened the western lands for me, that is my hope after I kill him.

Debby: The oracle promised you would kill him?

Chetwynd: Yes.

Debby: Good.

Earl James calls her after doing s*x with Carla on the first night of the wedding. I'm sure that’s our first child will be boy.   

Earl James: Now get up and fetch me some pickled herrings. I am starving.

Carla: I don’t like the smell of them in the bed. Your cloths are smelly enough as it is. Why you can’t just wash like everyone else?

Earl James: I thought a wife was not supposed to nag her husband until they’d had to time to grow tired of each other? If you don’t get up and fetch me some herrings, I will beat you. Perhaps that will make you show a little life when we have s*x in any case.

Carla: Very well, I will go.

Earl James: I can’t wait till tomorrow. Personal combat is always thrilling. Who is this Jordan Korg? I’ve heard many people talk about him.

Carla: I don’t talk about him. He is my father’s enemy.

Earl James: Oh…

The next morning Chetwynd gets up early and prays to his god, High one, hear me, and listen to me. Give me your favor this day; grant me your blessing as you have done in the past, and I will make a sacrifice of my enemy, if his death pleases you, give me a sign. I cannot feel your presence.

Debby: Husband our sons’ hair. Believe at least in them and in yourself.

Jordan, Abigail and Michael reach Kattegat for combat, where many people are already present to watch Chetwynd and Jordan's combat.  Abigail and Michael are worried about Jordan how he will fight with him because his condition is not stable. Debby, Carla, Earl James go with Chetwynd. Debby reassures Chetwynd that everything will be fine, you will win. Jordan and Chetwynd come face to face; Svein makes the announcement in the crowd.

Svein: This is a personal combat. The combatants can choose any weapon and shield they desire. Each man has two shields. If both are broken, there can be no further replacement. The combat starts.

Man: Fight, Jordan!

Woman: You can do it, Earl!

Jordan kills the Earl with a sword, causing him to fall to the ground. Jordan sits on the ground and says Chetwynd; Lord Odin is here, waiting to see which one of us he will take to his great hall.

Chetwynd: So, I shall dine after all, at the high table of the Aesir.

Jordan cuts the pulse of Chetwynd, Debby runs to Chetwynd, and puts Jordan back. Chetwynd tells Debby; tonight I shall be drinking with our boys.  Saying this, the Chetwynd closes his eyes. Svein orders the slaves standing there to kill Jordan, but no one moves forward. Stanley leans towards Svein and kills him. Debby gets up and goes to the Earl James, and suddenly she kills him with a sword, and Debby says in a loud voice. Hail, Earl Jordan. Hail, Earl Jordan.

ALL: Hail, Earl Jordan! Hail, Earl Jordan! Hail, Earl Jordan!

After the combat is over, everyone goes to the Chetwynd hall, where the new Earl Jordan will now sit.

Man 1: Take it!

Man 2: Take it!

Jordan and Abigail sit on the seat as Earls, the whole crowd claps for them.

Leif: Lord Jordan, I have come to swear to you my allegiance and fealty to you and your family from this day.

Jordan: Leif, you are my friend, and you Torstein, and you Arne, you are my friends

Tostig: Lord Jordan!

Jordan: Do you swear allegiance and fealty to me and to my family from this day forth?

Tostig: By my sacred rings, I swear, but I also have a favor to ask, Lord.

Jordan: What is this favor?

Tostig: That the next time you go raiding, you take me with you.

Jordan: I do not wish to insult you, but the truth is you…

Tostig: That I am too old? Yes, I am old, but I have been a warrior all my life. Many years I sailed with Lord Chetwynd and fought battles against East lander, and I watched all the companions of my youth die, and though I fought with them in the shield-wall, never once was I touched by a blade. All the friends and companions of my youth are dead, and feasting and drinking with the Aesir in the halls of the gods! While I, I am forsaken, bereft, which is why I beg you, Lord, gift me the chance to die with honor in battle and join my friends in Valhalla.

Jordan: This summer, we shall have more ships to go west, for that is our future. When we return to England let’s take him with us, all in favor?

All: Aye.

After this conversation, Jordan goes to Stanley and tells him, there is no need for you to swear. You have already paid a heavy price for your loyalty to me.

Stanley: Nevertheless, I will swear, brother. I swear to be true to you, your wife and your family as long as your good fortune holds. How will we ever be equal now, my brother?

Jordan orders the final rites of Chetwynd, Michael asks Jordan.

Michael: Why have you agreed to grant Earl Chetwynd such a big funeral? Was he not your enemy?

Jordan: He was also a great man and warrior. He earned his renown in this life, and now, in death, he deserves such a funeral. I want to show you something. Jordan shows Michael some women.

Michael: Who is she?

Jordan: She is one of the Earl slaves. When he died, his slave woman was asked, “Who wants to die with him?” This one agreed.

Michael: She wants to die?

Jordan: These other servants are preparing her.

The Chetwynd body is taken to the last rites; Debby and Carla are also there.

Man: Put the body on the bench.

Debby: Let’s make our offerings.

Mason and Michael are also taken to see the last rites of Chetwynd. Michael finds the last rites of Chetwynd very strange, because these rituals are not part of the priest's religion, Priest tells Mason.

Michael: There is that slave girl, the one who has chosen to die. What are they doing?

Mason: She is having s*x with the men who live in there. Each one of them says to her, “Tell your master I did this out of love for him” Because she will soon be reunited with her master in death, and she will be able to speak to him. The slave girl is brought to the dead body of the Chetwynd.

Man: Silence!

Michael: Mason, Who is that woman?

Mason: We call her the angel of death.

All her jewelry is taken off, and gives water to her. Slave girl tells everyone;

Slave girl: I can see my master. He is in Valhalla, he calls me, let me join him then.

(Crowd Cheering)

Michael feels bad about all this. He tells Mason.

Michael: I cannot stay here.

Mason: What’s the matter with you, priest?

Michael: I don’t want to watch.

Mason: It’s only death. You will stay, or my father will hear of it.

And then a knife is run over the slave girl's neck and two men pick her up and lay her dead body with Chetwynd, and then horn is blowing, then the whole crowd says together. Hail! Hail, Jordan korg!

Hail, Earl Jordan!

Hail, Earl Jordan!

Man: Hail, Earl Jordan!

Debby: I ask permission to light the pyre.

Jordan: No, you cannot light the pyre. 

Jordan calls the man to burn the pyre, and he burns the Chetwynd’s body and pours it into the river. After burning the body of Chetwynd, everyone prays that he will be happy in Valhalla.

Abigail tells Jordan that I have something important to tell you, husband I am with child again; Jordan is overjoyed to hear Abigail’s good news, he puts his hand on Abigail's belly and says “I know you are a boy, the oracle told me, by all the gods, my son, you have made me a happy man.” Abigail kisses Jordan's forehead, and then Abigail and Jordan go from there.

On the other hand, Debby and Carla are collecting gold and silver, and Stanley reach there, and they both are scared to see Stanley, Debby tells Stanley.

Debby: Have you come to kill us?

Stanley: Why would I do that?

Debby: Because Jordan told you. It is often the way that the new Earl deals with the family of the old.

Stanley: Jordan won’t kill you.

Debby: How can you be sure?

Stanley: My brother doesn’t hold grudges. He is strange that way.

Debby: Well, even if we don’t die, they will still shun us like a bad smell, and they will make it so we have to leave here, even though they know no one else will take us in.

Stanley: They won’t. Not if I vouch for you. No one will force you to go anywhere. They wouldn’t dare.

Debby: What do you want in return?

Stanley: You were once married to an Earl, would you not like to be married to another one?

Debby: Who?

Stanley: What do you mean who? Me.

Jordan's family and friends are sitting in the hall doing conversation with each other. Everyone is very happy with Earl Jordan. Mason says to his father.

Mason: The pigs are fattening nicely.

Jordan: Just like your mother.

Mason: It’s cold even in here.

Jordan: Take this jacket.

Mason: I can’t wait for the spring or the raids. I want to go to England.

Jordan: No.

Mason: What?

Jordan: I said no.

Mason: But why?

Jordan: Because I said so. Don’t be too impatient to put yourself in danger.

Mason: But you cannot alter my fate!

Jordan: You sound like your uncle, when he doesn’t know what to say? Come on.

Jordan takes Mason to the fire because hall is so cold. Everyone sits in a circle and talks with each other, Michael asks Jordan.

Michael: Jordan, I have heard many of your stories, but tell me what Jordanok is? I have heard mention of it several times, but so far no one has explained the meaning to me.

Jordan: Let’s show this ignorant Christian what Jordanok is. Get the leaves.

When the leaves are put on the fire, smoke rises, and in this smoke everyone sees Lord Odin, and Oracle predicts the years to come.

Oracle: The twilight of the gods will happen like this, there will be three years of terrible winters and summers of black sunlight. People will lose all hope and surrender to greed, incest and civil war. Midgardsoreman, the world’s serpent, will come lunging from the ocean, dragging the tides in and flooding the world. The wolf, giant Fenrir will break his invisible chains. The skies will open, and Surt, the fire-giant, will come flaming across the bridge to destroy the gods. Odin will ride of the gates of Valhalla to do battle for a last time against the wolf. Thor will kill the serpent but die from its venom. Surt will spread fire across the earth. At last, Fenrir will shallow the sun.

Michael is horrified to hear all this, and he screams in a loud voice.

Man: No!

After two months when Jordan recovers he plans to raid England again, Jordan arranges more ships this time, and takes more people for raid. King Anna's force gets the news of Jordan's arrival.

King Anna: So, where did these North-man come ashore?

Wigea: They didn’t.

King Anna: What do you mean, they didn’t?

Wigea: They came in three ships, and those ships are now sailing up the Tyne.

King Anna: They have ships that can cross oceans but also sail up rivers? What manner of men are these?

Wigea: If they are sailing up the Tyne, then sire, we shall soon find out.

King Anna: Oh, yes, My Lord Wigea, of course you know all about them. You accused them of having supernatural powers, which is why a small force of them defeated you.

Wigea: I merely said they fought like demons, like men possessed, with no fear of the death.

King Anna: Unlike you, My Lord?

Wigea: I fear death as much as the next man, but I have no fear that afterwards god will raise me up again.

King Anna: Well said. Come, all of you! I have something new to show you. Let the serpents bite these devils. Let them also bite those too weak and afraid to fight to the death for their king and master.

Wigea: My Lord! No! No!

King Anna: You look terrified, My Lord Wigea, have you lost your faith? Are you not certain anymore that god will raise you up from the grave?

Wigea: Have mercy!

King Anna: I hope he leaves you there to rot.

Wigea: No! Lord! God!

King Anna: Now, let us prepare to defend ourselves against these heathens and barbarians.