Ingvar smiles a long toothy grin, amused at the insolence of their captive.
"I heard Skraelings were cowards... but this one seems to have a spine. GOOD! You don't get to Vahalla just by skewering the young and the old. RIGHT MEN? ...I just hope their women put up as much fight. " HAAARRR HAR... heh.
"How 'bout it Skraeling? Where's your village? I didn't sail through the icy wastes to chat with the likes of you... so tell me where your village is, where the WOMEN are" he says, leaning in "or the zombie king can find hemself a new pet."
"My father's axe longs for the taste of native blood"
Captain Gunharr moves forward patting Ingvar on the shoulder.
Easy lad. Let the man savage speak. He must be right scared of the lot of yah by now!
Gunharr gets in real close to Tornuaq. He whispers, but Ingvar, Gaeirmund and Gudrun can all hear what he says to the Eskimo prosoner.
So you’ve seen something in that Skraeling mind of yours have you? Tell us… where won’t you be leading us if I were to let me boys cut out your tongue.
Tornuaq rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "And you call me savage." He clears his throat and says, "Well for starters there isn't a chance I'm leading you to my village. I killed a few of yours already after I saw what you did to the Thule and will gladly die any death to save my people. However if you wish to go to the mountains to visit your Asgard you had to ask. There's no reason to treat a guide with such hostilities."
Captain Gunharr's eyes widen when Tornuaq says the name of the ancient Viking home of the gods. He pushes everyone aside to get closer to him.
Quiet boys… Asgard? Have you seen it then Skraeling? Can you see the mountain as the prophesies said. Can you lead us there?
As Gunharr speaks excitedly with Tornuaq, Tristan (the mountaineer) approaches Ingvar and Gaeirmund.
The mountains…. No wonder they insisted I come along on this journey. They told us this was to be a simple raid. They never intended to colonize Helluland did they? Melkorka and the other witches were leading us to the mountains all along.
Tornuaq's eyes shift over to the new comer, he doubted the treatment from him would be any better but he was at least still in one piece if only because of this Blue Man. "Yes I can take you to the mountains and lead you to Asgard but I do ask what's this all about? The more knowledge I gain the easier it is for me to focus on where to go. Is Melkorka and the other witches like shamans? Hmm... Suppose you wouldn't know what a shaman is. Are they woman who talk to the Gods?"
"He asks too many questions!" Gudrun bellows, "Captain! A little time to show him who's boss, it's all I ask!" He grins, "You know he's lying...he's only telling you what you want to hear for information!!"
"Wait...he killed some Norsemen already? This skraeling? If he isn't the world's dumbest boaster then he's a slimy trickster. Gudrun, you're right about those questions; he want to know everything he can about us so he can forge some sneaky little Loki-style plan and make us all wake up with daggers in our eyes."
Tornuaq shrugged, "If you say so but don't expect to go to Asgard easily if at all then, doesn't matter what you do to me, things work the way they work."
"Things work they way they work ? That's the one thing I can never say nae to. And if you've killed Vikings mebbe you are a real man. Anyone got an idea how to get to Asgard before Ragnarok?"
Captain Gunharr lowers his scramasax and cuts Tornuaq's hands and feet free from the ropes binding him. He lifts the skraeling off the horse with little strain to his undead bones. The captain reaks of stale sea water and he whispers in the Dorset Hunter's ear so all can hear.
Melkorka is a powerful hag much like your own Shaman. Though her skills in the god's craft pale in comparison to the witch Melkorka. The Gods laugh at your Shaman from their mountain crypt. You have seen it haven't you? through the knife? You've seen Mount Odin.
Tristan moves in closer... and nudges Gaeirmund.
Mount Odin? There is no such place. Odin dwells in the halls of Valhalla in Asgard.
Gunharr continues to speak softly to Tornuaq.
Tell me Skraeling. Have you held the scramasax long enough to feel the mountain itself? To learn it's secrets?
"Important guy. Probably got a mountain named after him sooner or later. I want to hear what this Skraeling has to say - anyone who's seen Asgard is someone."
Tornuaq stood and rubbed his wrists, looking out onto the tundra but shook his head and looked away. Instead he glanced at the others around him and looked at the Blue Man. "I do not doubt that your... Melkorka would laugh at our shaman's powers, she is new to being a shaman and half the tribe does not trust her, the elders are always bickering about her. She loves a man in our village and it is forbidden and her head is always in the clouds, why I doubt that Kirima would know a whale song from the song of the Gods." Tornuaq grit his teeth and held back the anger but he added in more of a shout. "My people need guidance from a real shaman, not some silly girl! Even before you Northmen came my tribe needed guidance from the Gods!"
Tornuaq spat in the snow and paced in a small circle, he was angry but was not stupid enough to think of running and did not want his captures to think that either. "I have felt power course through my veins since I have held the scramasax, I have seen things that before I would never know about. Passages through the mountain, a giant tree, a powerful white bear, a huge axe that shines as does your weapons, a bridge, a long building... I have heard whispers of great power but I admit I do not know what these things mean. The scramasax does not tell me the meaning, only just shows me visions."
Captain Gunharr grins wide from ear to ear. Miniscule crustaceans dance about the spaces in his teeth.
You let me worry about the meaning of your vision Skraeling. Now hold the knife in your hands and tell me what you see. Focus on the mountain and the scramasax will show you the path.
The remaining Vikings crowd around, all eyes on Tornuaq the Dorset Hunter.
Tristan, the mountaineer, seems very apprehensive and calls out to any who would listen.
Do you trust this man? He will lead us to our deaths if he is to be our guide into the mountains. You must see this.
None of the other Vikings seem to pay Tristan any mind and stare intently at the interaction between their undead Captain and Tornuaq.
