Eventually, like the ones before it, the blizzard passed. Erik had thoroughly enjoyed this period of isolation, similar to when the very first storm of the season chained him and Sigrun in bed.
When they set foot outside, everyone nonetheless breathed a sigh of relief. Many of the Marauders had managed to relieve their own pent up lusts by showing off in front of the Beastwomen, but the crisp winter air and gentle warmth of the sun was still something they had missed.
The storm had lasted for quite a long time, but without a way to keep track of the time Erik didn’t know exactly how many days had went by. Their best guess would have to wait until nightfall, when the cycle of the moons gave an accurate indication.
Still, Erik and his men wasted no time. They had crafted up numerous large sleds to help transport the literal mountains of Trophies and loot they had gathered these last few months.
Turning towards Sven and Wulfrik, Erik spoke his thoughts on the matter:
“In hindsight, it’s actually very fortunate we enslaved the Beastmen so we now have enough manpower to move all our things.”
Sven agreed, but a slight melancholy filled Wulfrik’s voice as he also cautiously agreed.
“Yes indeed, a blessing in disguise. Still, only two dozen of my fellow Sarls survived the trial. 24 out of well over a thousand!”
Putting an arm over the unhappy Champion’s shoulder, Erik spoke a few appropriate words.
“They died in battle, they died with honour. There is no doubt they feast in the great halls of Khorne, served by beautiful Valkyries and dining on choice meats and fine mead.”
Feeling some of Wulfrik’s tension lessen, Erik then added a small jibe at the end.
“And it’s not like you walk away with nothing to show for your efforts in the Hunt! You bagged yourself one of the prettiest Beastwomen and you recovered a large chunk of your trophies from the Herdstone, not to mention the generous cut and gifts from us Frost Wolves!”
Smiling, Wulfrik acknowledged all these.
“Yes, you’re right! My comrades died gloriously and us survivors have made good profits and can hold our heads high. We’ve regained our honour, took our revenge and stacked our Trophies high.”
Pumped up, Wulfrik then marched to the group Sarls struggling to mount their loot on the sleds, not forgetting to pinch the butt of his personal bedwarmer Beastgirl.
Erik too looked over at where his personal spoils were stacked on sleds drawn by his quickly maturing Ice Wolf pets and Beastmen thralls.
Tykira was overseeing some of it, having taken charge of some matters back the Herdstone before. A gaggle of other Beastgirls, Tykira’s friends and confidants, worked hard at her directions in order to please her.
During the long and steamy nights of the blizzard, some of these had joined in the battle between Erik and Tykira, hoping to attach themselves to the strongest male in the vicinity. And with Tykira currently being at the top of their (female) social hierarchy, they tried to leave a good impression on her so she would recommend them to warm Erik’s bed.
Happy at the attention given to him by such a group of attractive women, Erik nonetheless felt fearful of the future.
He would need to explain a LOT of things back home at the tribe. From what he’d gathered, the amount of Trophies was unheard of. And the docile Beastmen slaves would undoubtedly stun even the veteran Marauders back home.
As for the numerous extra beauties around him, Erik didn’t think it would bring any real problems. Sigrun, like the vast majority of Norscan women, was very accepting of her man’s womanising ways.
Strong males attracted more females in order to produce strong children. Which was what Erik’s fear was really about.
His new ability Crossbreeding had been a great boon to the Beastmen since they had few females and required forceful means to replenish their numbers.
With Erik now having access to it, he was almost certain it did more than simply allow him to procreate with the non-human races of the World. He had the nagging suspicion the ability had the added effect of making him more fertile and thus more likely to create a child whenever he finished inside.
And when you take into account he had shared the bed with at least a dozen different Beastgirls and still had a similar number of women waiting back home…
‘I’m going to need a lot of swaddling clothes, cribs, diapers and Formula…’ – A ‘terrifying’ thought passed through.
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Roughly 500 young Frost Wolves left on this Winter Hunt. At the end, a little more than half began the return journey. Some of them had missing or severely twisted limbs and couldn’t be counted among the effective fighters anymore. This lowered the number of Marauders that successfully passed the trial to less than half the initial number.
In exchange, they brought Beastmen slaves, mountains of furs, hundreds of prime quality Trollhides, the dozens of half-domesticated Ice Wolves and much more.
The initial journey took them almost three days, carrying little more than their weapons and a bit of food. Now they were weighed down by their loot and the same distance took them almost double that time.
Still, the mountains before their home quickly grew closer and all Norscans finally felt they had truly come out victorious.
When they reached the clearly marked path leading back home, Erik felt slightly emotional. He’d been away for a long time, at least three months and now he really felt the deep longing for his warm hall and the embrace of those that awaited him there.
Taking another day to navigate through the narrow mountain passes, the Frost Wolf Tribe’s main settlement soon came into view.
The gates were wide open. Someone must have seen them approach and announced their return.
When the triumphant warriors passed through the gates, they were welcomed by cheering crowds of their kinsmen. A path was cleared through the main path leading to the central square, the sides filled with people.
Of course everyone noticed the changes in the troop. Only half of the young men had returned alive, hundreds of Beastmen docilely followed their new masters, the unique Beastgirls especially surprised the Frost Wolves with their appearance and at the sight of the horde of Ice Wolves another cheer of excitement went up.
No grief or sorrow could be found despite the enormous casualties. In the cruel world of Norsca, death is an everyday occurrence and one of many ways for its people to become closer to their Gods. Tears are for happy events, like marriage or birth, and tears from sadness are a despicable sign of weakness.
Once all his men had trickled into the square Erik drew his Greatsword and waved it around above his head, a signal he had previously discussed with his men.
Picking up their weapons and shields, the now excellently disciplined Marauders formed up in their units and ranks, presenting a neat and orderly battleline.
On the podium, Jarl Ingolf sat atop a throne and amusedly watched the display before standing up, silencing the still cheering people so he could speak.
“Welcome back! You left as little more than boys and through your trials and tribulations, you have returned as full-fledged adults and accomplished warriors! The feast has been prepared and enough ale and mead has been taken from the cellars to keep us drunk for the entire week of feasting!”
At the mention of a weeklong feast everyone loudly cheered, Erik and his men included, forcing Ingolf to stop talking momentarily.
When he tiredly waved for silence once more, he then continued.
“During this feast, we expect each and every one of you to regale us of your exploits as we tally up your Trophies and for you to contribute to the posterity of the tribe…”
As Ingolf continued talking for a while more, eventually his speech ended with the message that the feast would begin at sundown and only end 7 nights later. This way the loot could be piled on the podium and the victorious Hunters could return to their parental homes for a while and get a bit of rest before the final challenge posed by the feast.
Erik had long spotted his loved ones in the crowd, standing near his home at the edge of the square. But before he could go and join them for the long awaited reunion, Erik had to speak to Jarl Ingolf about accommodations for Wulfrik and his men as well as the enslaved Beastmen.
Thank's for the chapter.