Young Duke

It has been a year since I joined in the ranks of kingdom of Sami. In that year I’ve trained and participated in nation’s actions and discussion by my best ability. Now I am a shiida of shire Oulu where I ruled one small village as my fief. Now I rule all three villages in it.

But I can’t help it to watch in south, in the lands where I arrived here. My oldest memory is when I see my village burning from hill fortress near that village. At older age my father taught me to hunt and fight and often when the raiders did not attack, I fought against other kids from same and nearby villages. Our lives were not this easy I’m now having but we were happy. Sometimes a trader from far away stopped by to trade our furs and weapons for something he had bought far away, once he had a strange man in odd costume the trader asked for someone to house him and teach him our language so that he could tell of his land and faith and asked counter only for that we would tell of us. Trader offered payment for the one who would take him in. My father agreed as there was extra space in our home as mother and two of my brothers had died in winter in fever and he was interested in a strange bow the merchant had in his ship.

The man’s clothes looked like dress and he called himself as scholar or missionary I can’t remember which it was. But during the summer he stayed at our home he studied our language and culture and learned them both soon. Then arrived the winter and he thought that to pass time he would teach us to read, write and speak his language my father learned few words but I learned all but to write it. After I had learned some of his language he told me stories of great castles and brave knights who fought dragons, saved princesses and many other stories of the distant lands he also said this was first time for him to face winter this cold.

During next summer he left with trader over the West Sea to the direction where ‘draken’ boats arrive each year. But before trader left I traded some furs for a map and book of northern lands written in language the visitor had used. From the map and book I found out of small kingdom up north and after I had become man two years ago I travelled up here and joined in the ranks of Sami.

Year ago after I joined I was surprised of the ‘alliance’ with Vikings. I still don’t have much trust on them but as long as King William says they are allies of us, I will not disobey his commands, despite how much I dislike them.

“Young one!” the old shaman of Oulunkylä interrupted my thoughts.

“Aren’t you supposed to the port to pray Biegga-almmái for good winds and calm sea?” He asked me to do that third time today.

“I will. I will. I might just in case sacrifice few fishes for Ahti and Vellamo too, while I’m there.” I am not native to Sami but we have similar culture with different names for gods and spirits.

He started to laugh and after his old lungs gave up he grasped a bit of air and said “Why can’t you give up on your old gods and spirits? It would help you to get closer of villagers.”

“How much closer I can get to them? I was a simple hunter not too long ago and haven’t I worked with them to build this village. I worked as much as they did, we all spilled our sweat to the land we now walk on. It has been busy year but my work has just started.” He nodded and we walked out of my keep.

It would take two days to walk in the coast but I was in no rush the gods and spirits wait until someone enters in their domain. I should pray for Tapio once we camp for the night I thought myself while we took the dirt road to port.