Visions

Ert sat at the main table in the longhouse, a wondrous feast of meats and vegetables before him. Älsten sat at the head of the table, tapping it with his silver knife. He stood and sang the viking word “grið” (peace). The room swiftly fell silent, and Älsten repeated his song. In unison, all in the room stood and banged their tables before singing “allr (for all)!”

Ert sat again, watching the embers from the open fire in the middle of the room rise up through the hole in the roof overhead, when he noticed they weren’t actually rising.

They were frozen in place.

Ert looked around the room, and his friends, family, and crew mates were also frozen, some in the process of retaking their seats.

He stood after feeling compelled to walk over to the fireside, and the fire grew brighter.

A hole within the fire opened before him, and he could clearly see the starlit night sky through it, although it was still evening outside. Then he saw a bright light… a new star appeared at the centre of the hole, with a ring of fire around it, which rapidly spread outwards. Then everything, including the room, went black.

Ert opened his eyes to find himself lay on a cold floor, his reflection visible beneath him. He could hear a constant growling noise, and the floor was moving, not too dissimilar to the deck of the longboat.

Hastily, he stood and turned, attempting to run over to one of the walls, only to find himself back in the noisy longhouse. He returned to his seat with a furrowed brow, took a large drink from his horn of ale, and tried to forget about the odd visions he was beginning to see.