Valdi turns his blue eyed gaze towards Oleg and his wife.
"Well there ye have it. If the man promises to turn his efforts toward helping to maintain the trading post and does not abet or abide the other brigands in the area. Indeed, if he makes himself of use to you, will you allow him the shelter of your walls?"
Oleg looks like he is about to issue a particularly nasty retort, but a biting look from Svetlana closes his lips and sets his blood boiling. His face turns bell pepper red and the grinding of teeth can be heard until he throws his hands up in the air and turns away, storming off to go...patch up the roof of the stables. Svetlana watches him walk away, a satisfied look on her face, before she turns back and turns her piercing gaze on Happs. The (former) brigand actually flinches from the gentle woman's look. She stares at him for a few moments before nodding to Valdi.
"We accept your protection Happs, but we will both be watching you."
To his everlasting credit, Happs manages to meet her gaze and nods once, solemnly.
"Now then! Who's hungry?"
Valdi nods at Scvetlana.
"I shall go beard the lion in his den." and he follows his brother into the stables.
Vidar is tending to the horses, they don't talk back, and making sure they will be ready for another ride today when he sees his brother approaching. In skald he says, "Is the man dead?"
Valdi grunts and leans against the door-frame.
In Skaldic he replies
"The man yet lives, and shall continue to do so if he proves himself repentant. I do not trust him, but it is not up to my personal opinion of the man. He will not be travelling with us though, our mission is to dangerous to risk him betraying us. He will remain here, Oleg has agreed to offer him the shelter of these walls as long as he makes himself useful. He claims some skill at the hunt, let us hope he i s abetter hunter than brigand."
"Hrumph.. So he has seen the error of his ways? He has agreed to aid our cause?" Vidar waits for a response. He is hoping that devil Happs has told the group all he knows. "I do not like leaving these good people alone with him. We should drag him in chains with us until he can prove he no longer works for Kressle. That is all I have to say of the matter." Vidar attempts to soothe a braying horse as he looks it eye to eye. "Hush now, hush. I know we have a mess to clean up here but I think we should get moving as soon as possible, even if just to scout the surrounding area. Surely they did not ride all night to die today. There must be a camp nearby."
"I believe that he has seen what will keep him alive. As for admitting the error of his ways he will have to work a lot harder to prove that, and I suspect that Oleg and Svetlana are not going to be easy judges to convince."
With no other choice other than to concede to the group's will, Vidar looks his brother in the eyes and nods. "Shall I collect the bodies and feed them to the dragon's breath or to the world serpent? (He means burn them or bury them.) "There are some fine bows they gave us. Mayhaps we should test them on a hunt to help fill our host's stores? It will give us the opportunity to scout the land."
After speaking with Valdi, Vidar will attend to the bodies, either burying them or burning them, but maybe after the breakfast that Svetlana is cooking. Then he will take a suitable bow and quiver of arrows and see if anyone else is interested in going on a hunt later today.
While the others argued, Andra at first just watched and listened. She didn't actually care, one way or another. Eventually, she stands, goes into Oleg's house, and comes out a bit later with some bread and a little butter (presumably made by Svetlana). She sets these items aside, and unties the bindings on Happs' hands.
Picking up the bread and butter, she holds it out to Happs. "As promised."
"I do not know brother. You would have to ask these souytherners what their custom is. Either way we have some work to gathering wood or digging holes."
Exiting the stables he sees Andra offeringHapps bread and butter, thereby forming a guest-bond, at least he assumes that maybe these southerners follow a similar custom. Among the northerners once you partake of a hosts food you are honour bound to remain at peace with the host while you are a guest.
He just gives a curt nod to Andra and a grim smile.
Walking back over to the others.
"So what shall be our next move. Do we settle in and prepare to defend, or do we go hunt the dragon in its den, as the saying goes?"