Vinland Saga
	 Volume 4
	  Chapter 28
	   Night Attack

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Chapter 28
Night Attack

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[Lord,]
[Must we truly be pure in our lives?]

[Daddy said to me,]
[You'd punish anyone who doesn't obey your teachings, even the angels.]
[Is that true?]

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Anne: (Ahhh...)

[I might not understand what your design for the world is...]
[All I can say,]
[is that your holy Heaven seems very far away.]

Mother: <Anne!>
	<Stop playing around and come help with the supper.>

Anne: <Oh!>
	<I-I'm coming, I'm coming!>

[You sit upon high in Heaven,]
[and watch us from above.]

[That knowledge is hard for me to bear.]

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[Central England]
[Earldom of Mercia]
[December 1013]

Askeladd: You can't complain to ME about the weather, Lord Ragnar.

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Askeladd: Besides, I'm a sailing man. I might know the weather at sea,
	but inland, especially in a place like England, it's out of my area of expertise.
	In fact, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who could have predicted this much snow in early winter.

Ragnar: I'm not speaking of that.
	What I mean is that Lady Luck is abandoning you, Askeladd.
	The moment we changed course to take a shortcut past the snow, it turned to THIS mess.

Map (left): WALES
	Morgannwg
Box: [Present Location]
Arrows: Original Route
	Altered Route
Map (bottom): Severn R., MERCIA
	Bath, ENGLAND, WESSEX
Map (top): Chester, Gainsborough (Danish Army Command)
	DANISH TERRITORY
	Derby, Leicester

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Ragnar: It is madness to push your way straight through the heart of England.
	Your men are rattled, at the very least.

Askeladd: My men are battle-hardened veterans. They do not shy at the thought of danger.
	They still follow my orders without a second thought, do they not?

Ragnar: ...Turn back to Wales.
	We cannot cross Mercia now.
	If we're to quarter up for the winter, better Wales than here, much as I hate to admit it.

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Askeladd: {...Bah.
	Christians and their obsession with mercy. It's not worth my time.}
	If we were to turn and hike the long way back in this snow, we'd have to leave the valuables behind; my men won't take to that.
	Besides,
	We can't camp the night under these conditions. We need shelter.
	Welcome back.
	How goes it?

Man: We're all in formation. Ready to go any time.

Ragnar: ...There is always a backlash when luck abandons you, Askeladd.

Askeladd: Lord Ragnar...

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Askeladd: What has got you so terribly concerned?
	Raiding and pillaging
	is the time-honored occupation of the Nordic people.

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Father: <Please give us this day,>
	<our daily bread.>
	<And forgive us our trespasses,>
	<as we forgive those who trespass against us.>

Anne: <Say your prayers!>

Father: <And lead us not into temptation,>
	<But deliver us from evil.>

Kids: (hee)(hee)(hee hee!)

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Father: <For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.>

Family: <Amen.>

Kid: <Daddy?>
	<Why do we pray everyday?>

Father: <Hmm?>
	<Because Jesus tells us to.>
	<And everything Jesus says is right, because he is the son of God.>

Kid: (mmg mmg)

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Kid: <What happens if we don't pray?>

Father: <Well, it means you're an heretic, doesn't it? God'll punish ye.>
	<When you die, you'll go down to Hell.>
	<It's a very frightening place! Demons all over! And you'll NEVER GET OUT, forever and ever.>
	<You don't like demons, do you?>

Kid: <No.> (shiver)

Father: (mm-hm!)
	<Neither does Daddy.>
	<On the day of reckoning, good little children will go to Heaven.>
	<You remember that, little one.>

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Anne: <The day of reckoning...>
	<It's just so hard to believe that one day soon, everyone's going to be taken to either Heaven or Hell...>

Mother: <Ooh, what if we're separated? That'd be dreadful.>

Father: (you don't seem too concerned...)
	<...Better than us ALL winding up in Hell.>

Kid: <But Daddy,>
	<Why does God want to judge the world, all of a sudden?>

Father: <Oh, there's nothin' sudden about it. It's been decided since long, long ago.>
	<A thousand years after the resurrection of Christ.>
	<That's just twenty years from now.>

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Father: <In another twenty years, God will cast all the wicked down into Hell.>
	<Only the good will be saved, and they'll go on to live in a new world.>

Kid: <Does the wicked mean the Danes?>

Father: <Yes.>
	<They're the worst of all.>
	<Stealing, killing, defiling young women: if it's bad, they do it!>
	<God must have known that such evil people would come to exist.>
	<But if you follow Jesus' word, and obey his teachings...>
	<Where do you think you're going, Anne?>

Anne: <Nature calls.>

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Anne: <{Oh, no! Oh no no no no!!}>
	<{I don't want to be ripped apart by demons!!}>

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Anne: <Ahh, but...>
	<It's so lovely...>

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Anne: <{I put it on again...}>
	<{How much must it cost, I wonder...?}>
	<{Would God forgive my sin, if I went back and paid for it now...?}>
	<{Not that I've the money to do so...}>
	<{Why did I have to go looking through the market, when I didn't have any money in the first place?}>
	<{There were so many lovely things there...}>
	<{Lovely things that caused the Devil to tempt me...}>

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Anna: <{No doubt a bad girl will be cast into the fires of Hell on the day of reckoning...}>
	<{I can feel God's eyes watching me at this very moment...}>
	<{...Out of my entire family...}>
	<{I'll be the only one who doesn't get into Heaven...}>

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Anna: (hrrrrg!)
	<Ohhhhhh!>
	<It even looks lovely on the left hand!!>

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Anne: <?>
	<Who's there...?>
	(Oh!)
	<I-I have to hide this!>
	(oh dear)

Willibald: (Run awaaaay!)
	<Run away, good people of this village!>
	<You are all under attack!!>

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Willibald: <The Danes are atta...>

Viking: Shut the fuck up, priest!
	Damn his hide.
	Gag this wretch!

Anne: <?>
	<Huh? Huh???>
	<What's this?>

Bjorn: What just happened?

Viking: Sounded like that drunken monk.
	The one who came tagging along with the prince...

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Bjorn: The hell is that damn friar's problem, anyway?
	Are his wits truly addled?

Vikings: What was he shriekin' in, anyway? English?
	Tryin' to warn the villagers, was he?
	No idea.
	Frankly, it's a waste of my time tryin' to understand what these Christians think.

Voices: (aaah)(eeek)

Vikings: Ahh.
	Sounds like they've started over there.
	You suppose they've noticed?
	Not my problem.
	Let's go.

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Bjork: Howdy!
	We're the dinner inspectors!
	Ahh, it's bloody warm in here. Brings a man back to life.
	Sure are a lot of kids in this place.

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Father: <Wh->
	<Who are you people? What are you doing here?>

Bjorn: Oooh, barley and milk porridge and some dried meat.
	Oh, but why'd you go and put those onions in? I hate onions!

Viking: Take anything that might make for a weapon.

Father: <{!}>
	<{A sword?!}>

Viking: (Close that door, it's freezing.)

Kid: <?>
	<Daddy...?>

Bjorn: Blech!!
	(disgusting!)
	Ugh! I can't believe you LIVE on this garbage!

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Mother: <What...?>
	<Now you see here!>
	<There's no need to waste perfectly good food! The Lord will->
	<Puni...>

Kid: <Mommy!>

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Father: <Honey! Are you all right?!>

Bjorn: What's the phrase in English, again?

Viking: "All food."

Bjorn: Ahh, right, right.
	Okay, fella.
	You. (tkk)
	"Give all food."
	"Or kill you."

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Askeladd: Is this ALL?
	Where are the people?

Bjorn: Rounded up outside.
	62 in total.
	24 kids.

Crowd: (waah waah)
	(aaah...)
	(I'm chilly!)
	(awaa! awaa!)

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Askeladd: Count two kids as one adult, and that leaves...
	50.
	They'll have enough food to last 50 through the winter... (hmm...)
	That's not going to feed an entire 104 full-grown warriors.

Anne: <Oh, dear God.>
	<Oh, dear God.>
	<They've got everyone rounded up...>
	<Who ARE those men?!>

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Askeladd: Well, friar, as you are His Majesty the prince's instructor,
	and a guest of our humble host,
	I will overlook this one transgression.
	But the next time you attempt to interfere with my plans...
	I will kill you right on the spot.
	I have no love for holy men, understand.
	Are we clear?

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Father: <A->
	<Are you men Danes?>
	<Can any of you speak our language?>
	<Please, please! Just leave half our food! Only half of it!>
	<As long as you leave half, we can still survive the winter!>
	<We have suckling babes among us...>
	<Please...>

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Askeladd: <Newborns? Ahh, yes.>
	<Well, don't worry. We've got you all accounted for.>
	<No need to fret about making it through the winter.>

Father: <Oh.>
	<Really?>
	<You mean it?>

Askeladd: <Of course.>
	<No more worrying about the winter.>
	<Not this one, or the next, or any, ever again.>
	<We will be releasing you from ALL of your suffering, in fact.>

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Father: <...>
	<Huh?>

Willibald: Askeladd, they are not fighters.

Askeladd: What will they eat, if we spare their lives?
	If we spare them, we'd have to keep them under watch.
	Just one escapee goes and alerts the neighboring area, and the entire country will know we're sitting smack among them.
	We can't have that, priest.
	How's the hole coming?

Viking: Nice and snug for 62.

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Ragnar: Askeladd...
	These are good Christian folk...

Askeladd: And your point?
	This is the best line of action to ensure his Majesty's safety.
	Anyone ELSE feel like objecting?
	No? Good.
	In that case,
	take it away.

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 - Page 196 -

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[After that, I walked.]
[Where and how, I can't remember.]

[But the next thing I remember is that the snow had stopped.]
[I stood in a field, alone.]

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Anne: <...God...>
	<Are you watching me now?>
	<Have my brothers and sisters,>
	<my Daddy, Mommy, Granddad...>
	<All reached you up there?>
	<I think my worries were right.>
	<You didn't take me up to join you.>

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Anne: <Of course you didn't...>
	<I mean, even after everyone was killed,>
	<My heart is still beating with excitement.>
	<After all, now that I've seen...>
	<That there are men,>
	<men so evil...>
	<They could willfully ignore your laws...>
	<And disregard your punishments...>

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Anne: <It makes my heart race with excitement...>
	<Just like the moment...>
	<When I stole this ring...>

Vinland Saga 4 - End

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Vinland Saga Map
Thorfinn's Travels

Earldom of Mercia
Under sudden assault from heavy snows during the march, Askeladd decided to stop here and attack this village, waiting out the winter with shelter and food.
Askeladd, Anne

Brycheiniog
One of the small kingdoms in the mountains of Wales. Askeladd's band was "captured" at one border and "released" at the other, after negotiation.
Asser

Morgannwg
Askeladd's band sails across the River Severn to this small Welsh kingdom to escape Thorkell's pursuit.
Gratianus

Marlborough Near Bath
Thorkell chases the Danish Army with Prince Canute held captive. Askeladd waits, plotting to strike Thorkell and take Canute from him.
Canute, Ragnar, Thorkell, Thorfinn

North Sea
NORTHUMBRIA
Askeladd's Planned March
York
Sweyn's Strike in 1013
Gainsborough
DANISH OCCUPATION
Derby
Nottingham
Leicester
Stamford
Lindsey
East Anglia

Strait of Dover
London
ENGLAND
Earldom of Mercia
Severn R.
Bristol
Bath
Winchester
Wessex
English Channel
Lyme Bay
Cornwall
Bristol Channel

WELSH KINGDOMS
Brycheiniog
Morgannwg