Outlaw (A Norse Xianxia)

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Duncan Green-finger's House, South Quarter, Iceland, Early Summer of 9007

The fire crackles in the hearth as Barki turns the offer over in his head. Pale smoke drifts up and out the smoke-holes, adding a faint smell of cinders to the air. Duncan tosses another log onto the flames, spraying up a shower of sparks as an iron poker tends to the ash.

Killing should never be treated lightly. To kill a man, even if he survives, is to make an enemy of all those who consider themselves his ally. His family will certainly be out for blood if a weregild, man-price, cannot be reached. With all those who share a great-grandfather being kin and having allies of their own, potentially hundreds of new enemies can be made with a single stroke of the sword.

The only way to kill a man and not suffer the wrath of his kin is to pay weregild. To pay weregild, one must be subject to the Law, which no outlaw is. As weregild, like all matters of business, is done under the eyes of the Gods, an outlaw is doubly-barred from offering weregild. As such, the family of a man outlaw-slain cannot seek peace by any means and must pursue vengeance to right wrongs and clean the stain of death from their family's reputation.

To die is to admit defeat. To admit defeat is to declare that you are less of a man than another. To declare that, before the eyes of the Gods—as all fields of battle are—is enough for a man to be struck with the weight of nid. When a man receives nid, his ordstirr reduces as his might shrinks. As a man is only worth as much as he can bear, to suffer nid is to weaken the collective power of all your extended kin.

As the only way to avoid nid is with blood and iron, or through the Law, one can very quickly find themselves facing off with an army of enemies should one kill the wrong man at the wrong time.

With this in mind, one must consider all options carefully before setting out with a death as a heading. As a dreng thinks before taking action, so too does Barki.

Does having a shapecrafter as an ally outweigh making enemies of Hogart Jump-spider and his kin? It depends on the shapecrafter in question, Barki supposes as he turns his gaze on the closest shapecrafter.

"Green-finger," Barki's voice breaks the house-filling silence, "what manner of shapecraftry are you capable of? I have heard tales of shapecrafters turning men into Berserks through the gift of Frenzy, is that learning known to you?"

Duncan narrows his eyes, the tips of his forefingers bouncing together in a rapid staccato, "You believe in Berserks?"

Barki stares, blinks once, and then adds a slightly opened mouth to his gaze, "You... What?"

"Berserks don't exist," Duncan says with ironclad belief. "It's all a scam to sell more bear skins."

"My brother-in-law," Barki's shock overruling his hesitation to say anything of the sort regarding Harald Ice-walker, "is a Berserk. I saw him enter Berserkergang at the Battle of Blodkeld Baths!"

"Harald Ice-walker was a warrior of the Stormelk Lodge," Duncan retorts with his arms crossed and chin in the air. "He's in on it!"

Barki opens his mouth to respond only to think better of the matter and closes it. Arguing with a shapecrafter is often seen as the height of folly, for not only will you never convince one away from their certainties but you may also find yourself at the wrong end of their might. A life spent in the role of a flesh-blob sounds rather unappealing if you asked Barki.

Barki sighs and shakes his head, "Fine, Berserks don't exist. What can you tell me of your capabilities?"

"I am skilled in refinement and tuning," Duncan says proudly before adding, "less so in rebuilding, and don't even ask about creation! I'm not like that hack Starkell!" Starkell, of course, being the other shapecrafter in the South Quarter. "That charlatan glues antlers to dogs and claims to have made a new creature! Do you know how hard that is to do? Do you!?"

"Very, by the sounds of things," Barki mutters while returning his attention inwards.

Of the skills a shapecrafter often wields, new growth and creation are those that Barki has little need of right now. With no land to call his own, what crops would he need engineered and what cattle would he need improved? As such, an ally capable of refining his body to new heights of power is very tempting indeed.

Barki sighs, knowing all too well he can't afford to refuse an offer such as this, and says, "If I am to kill Hogart Jump-spider, I will need both a down-payment of healing and favors to spend at a later date."

Duncan Green-finger squints as he leans in, fingers tapping together, "A down-payment you shall have, but I will only extend favors should Hogart's body be brought to me. Otherwise, the down-payment will have to be enough for you."

Barki's lips thin as he considers the counterproposal, "One favor upon proof of death, two more in addition should I bring his body before you."

Duncan hums, eyes turned upwards as he strokes fingers along his lengthy chin. Eventually, he nods and says, "This is agreeable to me, I shall prepare the debt-sticks."

Barki hesitates at the mention of debt-sticks. When one agrees to a deal but cannot pay at that point in time, it is customary to carve runes onto a small piece of wood before breaking it in half. Each party keeps one half and, when the parties meet to exchange promised goods, they rejoin the debt-halves to ensure that everyone remembered accurately to what they were owed. If the sticks align properly, then all is well. Otherwise, it is clear that someone is trying to pull one over on the other.

The problem is that the breaking of a debt-stick calls the Gods to gaze upon the deal, thus temporarily turning the deal-site to sacred ground. Should Barki as a lesser outlaw be found to have been on sacred ground, he will immediately be made a full outlaw on the spot.

However, without a debt-stick, it is Barki's word versus Duncan's should he change his mind on the debt he owes. Though Barki could not use it as evidence in court, given his status as an outlaw, it would still give sufficient weight to lay nid upon Duncan's shoulders in the form of an accusation of being a liar.

The threat of nid alone is often enough to ensure deals go through as agreed upon and is good reason for Barki to use a debt-stick, but if his half of the debt-stick were to be found on his person or among his things...

What does Barki do?
[ ] Use the debt-stick
[ ] Refuse the debt-stick

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AN: I had originally meant for this update to include a Bestla interlude, but then realized that the option to use debt-sticks is a very good opportunity to give you folks a good and proper choice.

Next update will include the Bestla interlude.