Chapter 397 What Is Tyr's Motive?
Tyr discussed what his proposal was, and Calvin was impressed that he had such demands in the first place.
This included food, a condition that Calvin accepted because he didn't know how far they sailed from but dying of starvation was a bad idea; Tyr took a risk because Calvin could easily capitalize on this information.
Then again, this was within his calculations, but he knew that hunger would not stop the Viking from killing his men, he was going to lose men regardless.
This was a peaceful way of resolving it and Tyr returned to the boat but without Alf, Alf was calm after seeing Tyr because the son of Ragnar had guaranteed that his people would not be harmed.
Tyr returned empty-handed because the food was not enough for them.
The Bishop had sent his men back to Northumbria to bring these goods back, this included the treasures that he had promised. Tyr asked that the slavers be handed to him but Calvin struck this off the table or was it more accurate to say that Alf denied Tyr's request?
Slavers were not owned by anyone, and Alf intended to leave it that way, but Calvin did give his word that he would not harm them.
Tyr briefed everyone, and they were surprised that he had agreed to the terms of the Bishop but they were not leaving empty handed at least so this meant that they could return much later.
The Gardssons' were satisfied with this along with Ragnar and Bjorn,
"You have done good Tyr," Grjötgard praised the young warrior but this was anything but what Tyr had in mind.
Tyr had bought them time; this was the reason he did something so reckless because he knew that if they fought right now than they would no doubt lose.
They did not have any experience fighting on water, it was certain that they would fall compared to enemies that were well-equipped for just that.
Tyr did not tell anyone what he intended, they needed to get some food into their bodies, that was a priority, but he had a plan.
"Tyr…" Thorgard called out to which Tyr permitted the warrior to sit beside him.
"Are we really just going to turn back?" Thorgard asked him but Tyr did not give him a response.
"The weather is nice…" Tyr said out of the blue, eliminating the need to answer his question.
"Do you think I will truly return to Norway when I am yet to kill another King?" Tyr asked with a sinister grin, this was rhetorical.
Tyr trusted Thorgard with this piece of information as this man wanted his validation more than anything. Thorgard looked up to Tyr despite being older and Tyr relished in this.
"The gods… Are they trying to save me?" Tyr thought to himself. Why else would they pave the way for them to retreat? Tyr knew something about fate and that was, he controlled it.
He was never going to let the gods decide his fate and Tyr would always go against them.
This gave him a resolve he thought he lost, he could not believe that a dream affected him this much and he shook his head in disbelief.
He looked over his shoulder to see King Ragnar's boat right beside theirs, Ragnar gestured for his son to come onboard but he could not without Grjötgard's permission.
Tyr looked over for approval as Grjötgard nodded, there was no way that the General was going to stop Tyr.
Tyr boarded the boat of his father, and it has been a long time since Tyr has had a one-on-one conversation with his father.
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"Bjorn, what do you think?" Hagen asked Bjorn, this was concerning his brother's reckless decision.
This was bad for morale because the Vikings looked like they were glad that they would not be fighting despite having a fiery spirit moments ago.
They were glad that they did not need to spill blood to get something out of this trip.
The Vikings looked triumphant but in actuality, this was akin to giving up.
"I think my brother has done more harm than good… We are warriors and while I might not agree with everything. I know how important an indomitable will is," Bjorn said but he heaved a sigh of frustration.
"But I know my brother, I know things are not as they seem, and he would surely turn this around," Bjorn said. Bjorn knew his brother and the kind of person he was.
"Tyr Ragnarson has no intention of giving up…" Bjorn muttered, and Hagen's face creased into a smile because the next generation of warriors were looking like they just might surpass them.
Hagen was surprised that Tyr came back, he walked right into the lion's den and walked right out.
"Tyr, do not do anything stupid… Everyone is watching you," Bjorn thought to himself,
He has seen first-hand how extreme his brother was and he knew that if he showed this side to everyone, they would see him as the monster that he is.
Bjorn knew that everyone remembered Erik the Berserker, he was a man that changed their perception surrounding what a warrior was like.
They went from admiring him to loathing him after they found out what he truly was, this was a wake-up call and if Tyr showed that he had similar tendencies.
Then King Askild's exile might have justification, and some might even want to uphold it.
It was politics and Tyr needed the people on his side now more than ever and he had already scored some major points after what he did earlier with the blockade.
Rolf watched Bjorn and the only time he took his eyes off his target was to look at Tyr when he boarded Ragnar's boat. Hagen was having this discussion with Bjorn, but he only did so to see how Rolf would react to their exchange.
Rolf looked at Tyr. not with admiration but with contempt. Hagen noticed this look; Rolf had been indifferent up until now.
"Tyr…" Rolf thought to himself. Rolf at that moment knew he had to take Tyr out of the equation.