Old Wounds

Old Wounds was a virtual representation of one of Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.
==Description==
Eivor met with Estrid to discuss her arrangements to return to Francia.
==Dialogue==
Eivor went to meet Estrid in the marketplace.
*Anglo-Saxon Woman 1: Did you hear? The Danes tried to kidnap Lady Estrid.
*Anglo-Saxon Man 1: I was there! I saw it! Not much of a raiding party. Just a ragtag band, chased off by Aelfred's men. Laughing as they went.
Estrid saw Eivor coming.
*Estrid: There you are, Eivor! Over here!
Eivor spoke with Estrid.
<tabber>
|-|If Estrid was helped first=
*Eivor: I came first to help you. Your need seemed more... pressing.
|-|If Estrid was helped after Birstan=
*Eivor: They are, though time will tell if the fire is rekindled.
</tabber>
*Estrid: And now my marriage awaits your executioner's sword.
*Eivor: Will it not be strange to leave this place? You've lived here half your life.
*Estrid: Yes, but what is to keep me here? A loveless union and the dirt mounds of two babes who never took a breath.
<tabber>
|-|You miss Francia?=
*Eivor: Have you always missed Francia?
*Estrid: I have. Or rather I miss the woman I was when I lived there. Somewhat freer and more hopeful.
*Eivor: And what of our plan, the great Lammas kidnap? Is this a Christian feast?
|-|You speak with sadness=
*Eivor: You speak with some sadness. Has your time here always been tragic?
*Estrid: There have been tears, but also great passions. Love, foolishness, regret. Yet is that not all lives? The best lived of them?
*Eivor: And what of our plan, the great Lammas kidnap? Is this a Christian feast?
|-|Let us discuss the plan=
*Eivor: And what of our plan, the great Lammas kidnap? Is this a Christian feast?
</tabber>
*Estrid: Yes! It's a wonderful evening, a blessing of the harvest. Full of fruits and fires, drinking and dancing.
*Eivor: Revelers with muddy minds and glazed eyes. That's good for us. And what of the ship that will sail you home?
*Estrid: I know just the one! And her captain is full of fire. Come, I will take you to him.
Estrid led Eivor to the ship's captain.
*Eivor: This captain, who is he?
*Estrid: Not much more than a boy in his seventeenth year. Full of youthful bravado.
*Eivor: A Saxon?
*Estrid: A Dane. Though Eadred calls you raiders. He says that you are here to steal England.
*Eivor: Some may be. But I've come to settle a stretch of land. I'm not so keen to return to the winters of my birth in Norway.
*Estrid: Norway, ah! It must be beautiful. Rugged and fearsome. And cold as anything, the frozen North.
*Eivor: So cold that the light hangs in the sky. A road for the Valkyries, who carry our dead warriors to the eternal feast.
*Estrid: An eternal feast would be a merry end.
Eivor and Estrid arrived at the destination.
*Estrid: We are here.
*Eivor: This is a brothel.
*Estrid: The captain's name is Hrolfr, called Rollo in my tongue. Tell him of our new plan and agree to whatever reward he demands. He may take some convincing, for we did not part on the best of terms.
*Eivor: I'll bring him round by force or persuasion. Just be ready for my signal at the Lammas festival.
Estrid left as Eivor tried to enter the brothel.
*Rollo: Ah!
*Eivor: Rollo?
*Rollo: (groaning)
The door opened and Eivor walked in on Rollo engaging in bondage foreplay with a prostitute.
*Rollo: Please, I'm just a poor Christian brother with nothing left to give!
*Anglo-Saxon Woman 2: Someone's at the door, Rollo.
The woman turned away to service another client elsewhere.
*Rollo: O! Is it that I asked for?
*Eivor: Estrid sent me.
*Rollo: Did she now? As a parting gift for the man who rattled her bones, huh?
Eivor leaned against a table by the window and picked an apple from a bowl in its center. She chuckled and smiled at Rollo's situation.
*Eivor: No, I'm here to collect you.
*Rollo: Can it wait?
The door was knocked on again as Eivor saw soldiers through the brothel's window.
*Anglo-Saxon Soldier 1: Oi! Bring out the one they call Rollo! The king's men want to ask him a few questions.
*Rollo: No, no, no, no, no, no!
*Eivor: Just a second!
Eivor dropped her apple and answered the door with a bow.
*Eivor: Good day, sir, come in.
As soon as the soldier stepped through the door, Eivor slammed the door on him and then barred it.
*Eivor: Move, move!
Eivor took out her bearded axe and chopped Rollo free from his bonds.
*Rollo: Some help here!
*Anglo-Saxon Soldier 2: Bloody fucking Danes! Open this door.
Rollo drew up his pants, collected his hammer from the prostitute who serviced him, and lept out the window with Eivor.
*Eivor: Out! Now!
*Rollo: Follow me!
Eivor and Rollo fought the king's soldiers.
*Anglo-Saxon Soldier 3: We found your camp, Dane! Your friends are trussed up. No one can help you now!
*Anglo-Saxon Soldier 4: I'll rip your heart out Dane!
*Rollo: Even ale-addled, I'm worth ten of you! Surrender to Rollo Longshanks! Where are my men, you lap-dogs?
The Vikings defeated the king's soldiers and spoke to one another.
*Eivor: Estrid did not lie. You have fire!
*Rollo: And who are you to Estrid?
*Eivor: Only a friend. I'm Eivor, of the Raven Clan.
*Rollo: Norse, by the music of your speech. Then you must forgive me. Those Saxons knew about my camp. I was mind-drunk to leave my warriors behind!
*Eivor: Go to your men if you must. Only tell me where to find you. We have much to talk about.
*Rollo: Northeast of here, by the river's mouth. Follow me, or come when you can.
Eivor left and searched the brothel for any more information that may have helped.
*Anglo-Saxon Woman 3: Run a brothel they said, spend most of the day lying on your back. Job would be a good 'un without the lusty swains of Essexe.
Eivor found a note.
:Special Services:Brother Musevus: delights in oil. The hotter the better.Brother Alexander: seeks the company of the sweetest of beards.Brother Martin: Two ladies (one blonde, the other excessively hairy)Brother Asen: he likes to drink. And watch.Brother Michael: goats (make sure Phillipa has her horns filed)Friar David: candles (we must order more from the priory)Brother Tepavus: rough
Eivor left and caught to with Rollo.
*Rollo: Saxon bastards! Rollo the Imprudent? I'll show them! I'll be Rollo the Gelder soon enough!
*Eivor: Or Rollo the Screamer if you don't keep it down.
*Rollo: Was it you who gave Ivarr the Boneless his name? I hear talk of his deeds around the campfire but the name I never understood.
*Eivor: He was Boneless before I met him. Now he's bones on a pyre, that's all I know for sure.
*Rollo: And King Aelfred? Can you imagine their king in the sky-blanket Týr sends our land? He'd be bluer than my father on nights the mead is strong. He'd fall asleep in the snow with a dog keeping him warm. Ah, this talk makes me long for the old times. The good old times!
Eivor arrived at Rollo's camp.
*Rollo: No! What is this? Why are my people bound?
Eivor spoke to Rollo.
*Rollo: It's worse than I feared! So many of my people gone...
*Eivor: ...and the rest at each other's throats. They believe one of your number is a traitor?
*Rollo: Lork and Gerhild have been at my side all season. I don't like to doubt them, but my people are taken, and my ship is gone.
*Eivor: If the traitor lives, all of you are at risk. Let me talk to them. The innocent have nothing to hide.
Rollo nodded in agreement.
*Rollo: Very well. But do not let Loki whisper lies in your ear.
Eivor went to investigate.
*Ake: While you were drinking and whoring, Rollo, the Saxons attacked us. And these two were nowhere to be found.
*Rollo: Neither betrayed us, Ake! Gerhild is my sworn shield-sister and Lork served my father well.
*Eivor: Seems like the Saxons didn't get all of Rollo's clan. I should speak to both, and see if I can find some evidence around the camp.
Eivor spoke with Gerhild.
*Eivor: Gerhild, is it?
*Gerhild: Aye, Rollo's sworn sword-sister. I've served him proud and true. You cannot think I betrayed him?
<tabber>
|-|Where were you?=
*Eivor: You weren't here when the Saxons attacked.
*Gerhild: I was hunting! There's fine game in the trees outside the camp, and our people need meat.
*Eivor: What was your prey?
*Gerhild: Rabbits for stew. Rollo's favorite.
|-|Tell me about Rollo=
*Eivor: Who are you to Rollo?
*Gerhild: I am shield-sworn, so long as England and that Frankish witch do not sway him from the true path. Our people deserve better.
*Eivor: I hear envy, but of Estrid or Rollo I cannot tell.
*Gerhild: You know nothing, Raven-beak. My concern is for my fellow Danes. You'll find no treachery here.
|-|Lork accused you (Evidence)=
*Eivor: Lork accused you of treachery. He saw you with a Saxon.
*Gerhild: Lork? You believe that old crow? His bones crumble, and his mind wanders with age. Or he wallows in jealously, take your pick.
|-|I found a full game rack (Evidence)=
*Eivor: You're lying. I found racks and racks of game.
*Gerhild: You're more wit than your face suggests. I went to meet a lad from a nearby village. Rollo's not the only one who dallies with the locals.
|-|No more questions=
*Eivor: That's all for now.
</tabber>
Eivor spoke to Lork.
*Eivor: Lork, yes? What is your story?
*Lork: You want to hear my story? Then bring me a mug of ale, and we'll sit and talk as equals. Elsewise you can hang.
<tabber>
|-|Where were you when the Saxons came?=
*Eivor: Where were you when the Saxons came?
*Lork: Hunting rabbits, wasn't I? Sick to death of carrots and turnips. Then I heard Gerhild shouting and all Hel broke loose.
|-|Did you see anything?=
*Eivor: Did you see anything at all?
*Lork: Gerhild, talking with a Saxon. Couldn't hear them, but wasn't nothing good. Sure of that much.
*Eivor: Why should I believe you? You could be lying to save your own skin.
*Lork: Ask her. Says she's loyal to Rollo, but I've known her since she was a babe. Full of spite and ambition, always was.
|-|What are you to Rollo?=
*Eivor: How long has your sword served Rollo?
*Lork: I owe his father a blood oath. If that means wiping Rollo's arse until I die, so be it.
*Eivor: And if Rollo was dead, that oath will be fulfilled. You must tire of battle.
*Lork: I'll feast in Odin's hall one day. But not with the stain of dishonor on my hands.
|-|I found the full game rack (Evidence)=
*Eivor: You're lying. I found a rack full of game nearby. Enough to feed the camp for days.
*Lork: Told you, I was hunting.
*Eivor: Stick to that story, and I'll tell Rollo to take your treacherous head.
*Lork: I was sleeping in the forest, wasn't I? Heard Saxons tramping through the trees, so I hid. Not fool enough to face 'em on my own.
|-|No more questions=
*Eivor: I have what I need for now.
</tabber>
*Eivor: I might find some evidence to test their stories.
Eivor looked around and came across a hunting rack.
*Eivor: No need to hunt when the camp is full of fresh kills.
Eivor found a hiding spot, as it looked to be where someone was.
*Eivor: This looks to be a good spot to hide. Somewhere to wait out a Saxon attack?
Eivor spoke to Rollo after the investigation.
*Rollo: Have you made your decision?
<tabber>
|-|Here's what I learned of Gerhild=
*Eivor: Gerhild claimed to be hunting, as Lork did. Rabbit.
*Rollo: She rarely hunts. She's been a terrible shot since we were children.
*Eivor: Your shield-sister is jealous. She thinks you neglect your people by sleeping with the enemy.
*Rollo: She always had ambition, but she accepted my leadership, swore on her shield.
*Eivor: Lork saw her with a Saxon. She claimed he was her lover.
*Rollo: Yet she has berated me many times for taking Estrid to my bed. I did not think her a hypocrite.
|-|Here's what I learned of Lork=
*Eivor: Lork said he was hunting, but your racks are full of fresh rabbits.
*Rollo: Why would he lie unless he had something to hide?
*Eivor: He tires of his blood oath, and with your death, he would be free.
*Rollo: He has become old and frail, but he served my father well. I would have freed him without bloodshed.
*Eivor: This man knew the Saxons were coming and hid. He was either in league with them or a coward.
*Rollo: A sad fall for a great warrior no longer in his prime.
|-|I'm ready to accuse=
*Rollo: Have you come to a firm conclusion?
*Eivor: I have.
*Rollo: Let me hear it. Both choices will pain me, but let it be the truth.
|-|I'm not ready yet=
*Eivor: On second thought, perhaps there is more to be learned.
</tabber>
*Eivor: Nothing more can be done here, but your warriors might still be alive. And I will need your help, after they are free.
*Rollo: There's a Saxon camp with a dock at Port Walton. It might be they were taken there.
<tabber>
|-|If Lork lived=
*Lork: Always knew there was something wrong with her.
*Rollo: Spare me your sullen words! My heart is torn. Go, find something useful to do.
|-|If Gerhild lived=
*Gerhild: I told you I was loyal. How dare you doubt me?
*Rollo: Forgive me, Gerhild. But even now, there are some who will. You should make yourself scarce for a while.
</tabber>
*Ake: I've heard of a safer place than this, south of Colcestre. Let's you and I go take a look, shall we?
*Eivor: I'm sorry that your people suffer, Rollo.
*Rollo: Thank you, Eivor. I have much to think on as we journey.
*Eivor: I'll leave you to those thoughts.
Eivor left to find and rescue Rollo's men. Eivor arrived at Port Walton and found Rollo's men caged.
*Eivor: Rollo's men, caged like plump hens.
Eivor freed Rollo's men.
*Norse Warrior 1: Let's give the ravens a feast of Saxon blood!
*Norse Warrior 2: May Fenrir gnaw your bones!
*Norse Warrior 3: Valhalla awaits us!
*Norse Warrior 4: My sword will bring you sleep!
Eivor and Rollo's men took out all the guards at Port Walton.
*Eivor: Rollo's men are free. Now we discuss the terms of the kidnap.
*Norse Warrior 5: To the dock! Make the ship ready to sail!
Eivor met Rollo at the port's docks.
*Eivor: Your axe-arm is strong, Rollo.
*Rollo: Never doubt me, Raven-Feeder. These Saxon king slaves did.
<tabber>
|-|Your loyalty will be rewarded=
*Eivor: You showed great loyalty to your kinfolk. Stay true to that, and your name and deeds shall spread far.
*Rollo: Good advice. Such is my fiercest desire.
*Eivor: If it's renown you want, then aid me now. I have a task that will set your name ringing through the longhalls.
*Rollo: O! Tell me!
*Eivor: I need someone with a swift wave-steed in good repair to bring the Lady Estrid across the sea to Francia.
|-|Your pleasure-seeking blinded you=
*Eivor: These warriors want a leader, not a lovesick boy who spurns them for whores and mead.
*Rollo: You shame me, and rightly so. Love cuts deeper than an axe, but I'll dwell on the pain no longer. My people need me.
*Eivor: As do I. You owe me a debt. I call on it now.
*Rollo: My axe is yours. Speak.
*Eivor: I need someone with a swift wave-steed in good repair to bring the Lady Estrid across the sea to Francia.
|-|I need your help=
*Eivor: I need someone with a swift wave-steed in good repair to bring the Lady Estrid across the sea to Francia.
</tabber>
*Rollo: Another kidnap scheme! Estrid is unshakeable. All right, then. Let we two triumph where one failed.
*Eivor: I need you stout-hearted in this, whatever your passions for Estrid.
*Rollo: We had our time together. Now that's done. I will not fail you here, nor her.
Eivor took her leave as she nodded.
*Eivor: We will meet with your men inside Colcestre, on the night of the Lammas festival.
==Outcome==
Eivor helped Rollo identify a traitor within his clan, rescued his clanmates, and secured his aid in the break-up kidnap scheme.
==Gallery==
ACV Old Wounds 5.jpg|Rollo bound to the brothel's rafters
ACV Old Wounds 7.png|Eivor escapes the brothel
ACV Old Wounds 12.png|Eivor interrogating Lork
ACV Old Wounds 15.png|Eivor and Rollo fighting soldiers in Port Walton
ACV Old Wounds 16.png|Eivor freeing Rollo's caged men
==References==
*Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
Category:Memories of Eivor Varinsdottir
Category:Memories relived using the Animus HR-8.5