Agnarr: No Fear of the Setting Sun

[Agnarr]

No Fear of the Setting Sun

 

 

 

The icy water felt like a million tiny knives against the skin of his face and yet there was something invigorating about it. Little more than a boy, he stood by the stream as tall as he was, discretely watching the seasoned men around him take care of the camp chores.

 

 

It was his first expedition and, in fact, the first time he had been that far from the farm.

“Com’ here, boy!â€, Halfdan called him to the center of the camp. â€œI’m gonna teach you how to set up a smoking rackâ€

Eager to learn from the Jarl’s man he walked to the fire carefully staging a careless attitude… he didn’t wanted to look like an excited little kid in front of that group of explorers, hunters and warriors.

“That’s a quick learner right there†said the man as the boy finished lashing the spars.

“Alright, will you teach me to use a sword then? You said you would!†The flourishing young man gave place to the kid in him once again.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. This again? I already told you: Once you learn how to use that empty head of yours; once you acquire some shade of bloody discipline… then and only then I will teach you to fight. Now, get to work or you’ll fell the back of my handâ€. Halfdan had a really short fuse. He was a good man, but the pain made him a taciturn fellow. Old battle wounds ached all over his body, but worst was the pain of his soul… some nights he could still hear the screams of his wife and see the raging fire, the lifeless eyes of his son.

Back in the farm the fire was always crackling, but there it was his job to start it. Halfdan taught him how to do it, as well as how to build a tripod and tan the skin of the deer the hunters brought from their expeditions. â€œI’m acting like a child. I should be grateful for Halfdan’s lessons†the boy thought while preparing a stew of freshly gathered roots and some meat and bones. Definitely not feasting material, but anything’s better than starving.

 

 

He left the stew to cook and went looking for Halfdan to apologize, but the man was nowhere to be found. He headed towards the river and walked downstream. There lying on the dirt was a small pouch. He crouched to get hold of it and suddenly a hand covered his mouth and Halfdan’s voice whispered on his ear â€œdon’t make a sound kid. The forest is boiling with Kandajarâ€. He was talking about the native inhabitants of the land. They used to be pacific people who lived of the land and made those forest their home, but when the settlers began to occupy their lands hostilities began and disputes over hunting game or women quickly became a blood feud that transcended time. Generations where born and passed away and the origin of the enmity was forgotten. Only the hatred remained and now the Kandajar were after the tracks of the trading party.

The boy and the man rushed back to the camp to warn their men but the natives were already there. Fur clad figures flooded the campsite as wooden clubs clashed against round shields. Warcries, screams of pain and terror filled the air. Steel axes and swords cut through the fur sending Kandajar to their gods at the same rate that wooden clubs sent warriors to meet the Allfather.

The boy thought his first battle would be a glorious event, where he would prove himself to his comrades but there he stood, confused and terrified, at the edge of pissing his pants.  An enormous hand shook him back to reality. â€œRun kid, hide!†Halfdan crushed a Kandajari’s face with his shield and finished him up with a thrust of his sword. The boy ran towards the tree while smoke filled the air: some trees where catching fire. He took a last glance over his shoulder. Halfdan was surrounded by enemies, swinging his sword with absolute mastery, striking fear into the Kandajar’s hearts… dying a warrior’s death.

 

 

Halfway to the top of the hill he stopped running. â€œHalfdan! I left him there, he could still be aliveâ€. As foolish as that thought was, it expressed how much he looked upto the seasoned warrior. The boy unsheathed his knife and turned around to face the campsite. A fur clad figure came rushing from the bushes and bumped into the boy. They rolled on the ground throwing punches and kicks at each other. The Kandajari’s warpaint rubbed off against the boy’s clothes revealing the face of a 12 o 13 kid, the same age as the boy who now was being choked to death by the Kandajari lad.

The savage fingers were like hooks around his neck. His lungs burned and his vision blurred. He was going to die at the hands of a wild kid… and then he remembered the knife. His hand was still clinched around the knife’s handle. With the sick rage of desperation he frantically stabbed the Kandajari on the side, the ribs, and the belly. The kid dropped dead upon him but the stabbing didn’t stop. After what seemed like the hundredth stab, the boy slipped from beneath the dead body. There, covered in blood, alone, he cried. Tears rolled of his eyes for he knew that there was no returning home, Halfdan was dead and soon        he would be too. So much for the glory of the first kill. It was all a lie.

 

 

Once he ran out of tears, the truth stroke him like lightning: He was on his own. For the first time in his life he was on his own and whether he lived or died depended entirely on him.

 

“Time to be a man. Alright, think… we reached an outpost two days ago. That’s it! If I can survive and march two days to the outpost I might get to tell the tale†suddenly he realized he was thinking out loud.  He assessed his possessions: A knife, a whetstone, flint and a steel striker.   He seized the Kandajari’s blood-stained fur clothes; they would be of much use at night. 

The first night was cold and it took his full effort to get a fire burning. The boy munched a few berries and fell asleep by the fire, wrapped in furs, smothered by fear. Fear of the Kandajar, fear of wild beasts, of the dark.

 

 

He woke up at dawn and resumed the march. A constant feel of being watched was making him more and more paranoid. A stick broke somewhere behind him. The boy was trembling. A muffled sound of metal against metal. Enough. He started running blinded by fear and his stalkers race after him. The warcries of his pursuers put wings  on the boy's feet as he sprinted through the woods. He reached the edge of the forest and slipped on a patch of naked stone causing him to fall downhill into the rushing river. The kid was dragged by the current and hit his head against a floating piece of wood.

 

 

 

Many hours he lied unconscious on the river bank, until the kick of a heavy booted foot awakened him.

There stood a tall man, his torso covered in leather armor, carrying weapons and a shield. â€œGet up lad†the stranger offered the boy a callused hand. â€œAttacked by the Kandajar, weren’t you?† The boy told the man about the events of the last few days and even if he didn’t knew the stranger; he had to get something out of his chest: the fear. He told the man about the fear he felt at night.

 

The stranger gave him a lupine look, â€œHow old are you, kid?† â€œI’m 12 sir†the boy answered.

“Twelve… If you start training now, we’ll be on time to get you initiated before you are too oldâ€. Only then did the boy notice the other men, carrying similar armor and weapons.â€You’ll travel with us!†the kid was in no position to reject such an offer â€Just stay close to me, in case one of my comrades turns… we’ve got a full moon on the wayâ€

“Turn?†the boy asked. â€œYou’ll see soon enough†The enigmatic stranger showed a grin for the first time. â€œName’s Ragnar by the way… cheer up, lad you’ll be safe. We’ve got no fear of the setting sunâ€

 

 

 

 

Before he became a wolfwarrior, the main character of my challenges (the kind of man I strive to be) was just a kid who was lucky enough to run into the right mentors. But let’s cut the boy some slack. If he didn’t had the basic survival techniques taught to him by Halfdan, he wouldn’t have made it through the woods.  And that will be the special aspect of this challenge.

 

GOALS

 

• Do some research on survival techniques and try one each week - (15%)

• Practice pull-ups and chin ups every day following a GtG plan.  - (15%)

• Eat Paleo every day with just one weekly variance (add description and/or picture of every meal) - (45%)
• Keep on practicing my bodyweight skills at least twice a week - (15%)

 

SIDE QUESTS

 

• Perform an action in relation to reenactment each day - (5%)

• Stuff to Do Lists(this time the number of items may range from one to four) - (5%)

 

Last challenge I fashioned a list of rewards depending on my score. In the end, despite of having earned the new pack of plates, I won't be able to buy them because unexpected  expenses left me with less money than I had thought. So option 2, pull-up bar it is!(and "the primal blueprint" for kindle 'cause is not that expensive)

 

REWARDS

 

A- Full sirvival Kit 

 

B- Fire Starting Kit

 

C- New spice rack to upgrade my batch cooked meals with.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following, the pics look great.

[Wild Wolf]

Oh man!! Love it dude!

Wildpool

"Daddy needs to express some Rage."

[Volki]

Sweet man looking forward to your goals

[Xena]

following :-)

[maegs]

Dude, those pics are AWESOME. I'm super jealous

[Marauder]

Found you!

[mom2sjm]

PLACEHOLDER

 

In the meanwhile I'll post the pics [member=mom2sjm] requested:

 

 

thanks for posting these awesome pictures! my son was very impressed and inspired.  me too.  looking forward to next challenge!

[Charlie_Quinn]

Cool pics

[DJtrippyT]

Wow! Love the new pics!

[QuietRiotGrrrl]

Awesome armor and pictures!

 

[Rurik Harrgath]

Following along for my Viking Brother From Another Mother (and Father). 

[Agnarr]

Following, the pics look great.

Oh man!! Love it dude!

Sweet man looking forward to your goals

following :-)

Dude, those pics are AWESOME. I'm super jealous

Found you!

 

Thank you all, is great to have you following

 

Week1 Day 1

 

Survival Skills: Started reading "S.A.S. Survival Handbook" by Lofty Wiseman

 

 

 

 

GtG Pull-ups: 5 pull-ups, no chin ups

 

 

 

 

Paleo Eating: 

 

Lunch: Chicken and veggies

 

Dinner: beef and salad

 

 

 

Bodyweight Skills: Short practice before dinner. 

 

 

Reenacting: Finished some info posts

 

 

 

Stuff to do List:

• Buy appropriate clothes in case any job interviews come my way(I'm actively looking for a new job, so it's a possibility)
• Send my resume to a company that's currenly hiring

[Agnarr]

thanks for posting these awesome pictures! my son was very impressed and inspired.  me too.  looking forward to next challenge!

Cool pics

Wow! Love the new pics!

Awesome armor and pictures!

Following along for my Viking Brother From Another Mother (and Father). 

Thanks! it's great to have you on board!

[Rurik Harrgath]

Really looking forward to the survivalist goals in your challenge, buddy.  I've intermittently introduced similar pursuits myself from time to time!

[obax]

Following for the survival skills. 'Tis an interest of mine, and one I'd like to learn more about.

[DarK_RaideR]

How come no one Rurik hasn't posted it yet?

[Nymeria]

Yay!  You finally have some goals posted!  I'm doing GtG pull ups this time around, too.  And of course, I'm also here for the survival skills and bodyweight stuff.  

[Volki]

I really liked your story

I look forward to hearing about more survival goodness

[Agnarr]

Really looking forward to the survivalist goals in your challenge, buddy. 

Me too! is a subjet that really interests me

 

Following for the survival skills. 'Tis an interest of mine, and one I'd like to learn more about.

I'll post every source I use in case someone wants to read more on the subject.

 

How come no one Rurik hasn't posted it yet?

He probably got used to my challenges being titled after Amon Amarth songs

 

Yay!  You finally have some goals posted!  I'm doing GtG pull ups this time around, too.  And of course, I'm also here for the survival skills and bodyweight stuff.  

I've become a huge fan of bodyweight stuff, especially handbalancing, So you can expect to see those things on future challenges as well

[DJtrippyT]

 

I've become a huge fan of bodyweight stuff, especially handbalancing, So you can expect to see those things on future challenges as well

 hey if you like handbalancing check out 

@miguel_hand_balance on instagram. He's great.

[Agnarr]

I really liked your story

Thanks!

 

 

 hey if you like handbalancing check out 

@miguel_hand_balance on instagram. He's great.

 

I will! thanks for the heads up

 

Week 1 Day 2

 

Survival Skills: Wrote a list of practical survival/camping stuff to do on the weekend. some can be done at the same time, other will have to be discarded

 

 

 

 

GtG Pull-ups: 6 pull-ups, 6 chin ups

 

 

 

 

Paleo Eating: 

 

Lunch: Lettucce,tomato,cabbage and carrot salad w/ olive oil dressing

 

Dinner: Chicken and sliced beetroot

 

 

Bodyweight Skills: nein

 

 

Reenacting: finished a shield handle.

 

 

 

Stuff to do List:

 

• Buy a rasp
• do some research on possament techniques

[Agnarr]

Week 1 Day 3

 

Survival Skills: Read through the whole chapter on traps and snares in Wiseman's book... I'm really concerned about not having the cojones to kill and field strip a cute bunny or a squirrel on a survival situation. Just reading about some of the traps made me shudder...

 

 

 

 

GtG Pull-ups: 5 pull-ups, 5 chin ups

 

 

 

 

Paleo Eating: 

 

Lunch: Last batch cooked meal of chicken and veggies. I'll have to cook more

 

Dinner: mix of ground beef, scrambled eggs, tomato and spinach. very good actually.

 

 

Bodyweight Skills: 

• 80 Squats(two sets of 40)
• 40 Push-ups(two sets of 20)
• 40 Walking Lunges(two sets of 20)

Reenacting: Interviewed a new applicant

 

 

 

Stuff to do List:

• Go pick up my chainmail shirt(someone else had it)
• Pay the pool's monthly fee(btw they are doing  maintenance work so I could not swim, and I won't till march the 7th)

My GF... let me start from the beginnig, her name is Narella but everybody calls her Nare and from now on that's how I'll call her on these forums. I've grown so fond of you guys it just feels weird to keep on saying "my SO" or "my GF"... so, Nare came home this afternoon and stayed for dinner. I love it when we have dinner together on non-weekend days, but that's exactly the reason why my workout was so barren and my pull-up count decreased since yesterday: spending time with her makes me amazingly, incredibly, wonderfully happy, but it also renders me sedentary as fuck(pardon my french)... I gotta get her interested in exercise again.

 

She keeps complaining about not being happy with her current weight and even if I don't mind some sexy curves(I know some of you are on the same team  ), I'm just worried about her health(her family has record of both diabtes and hypertension) but when I suggest her to come work out with me like we used to do last year she just drowns me with excuses for not doing it. I guess it won't happen untill she makes a click... until she has her Harajuku moment like I did on July 2015.

 

EDIT: OMG! OMG! OMG!

 

 

have you seen the north american tour dates? They are playing a bazillion gigs!

[Charlie_Quinn]

I think you can forgive yourself for dropping 1 pull up and chin up each! And I wouldn't call a load of push ups, squats and lunges barren either!

 

It can be hard when a loved one isn't as interested in exercise as you are but you are absolutely right not to push her. She needs to come to the decision on her own.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

My guess is when she's complaining about her current weight she's not fishing for solutions, she's wanting you to validate her feelings. If she wanted help doing something different she'd ask you to help her come up with a plan.