Bóthilda woke in the morning feeling a little sore from the night before. As she dressed she noticed a large bruise formed on her shield arm where she had been struck by one of the sticks. She muttered to herself to remember her shield next time as she finished getting her brigandine on. With her axe in it's place on her left hip and her shield on her back, she left her room to go to the common hall to meet with her uncle and other companions. 

"Good morrow niece." He gestured to an open seat across from him for her to sit at. "I pray you rested well."

Bóthilda sat down and quickly started to eat the food that was set on the table. "Just a bit sore from last night's ordeal." She said in between bites.

"Slow down or you will choke." Tørmun chided. "The court won't open for at least another hour." He tore a chuck of bread off and used it to soak up the fat from the sausage. 

"Yes uncle. When do you plan to leave?"

"In a few more days. There are several places still to stop on our route. Mostly small villages though there are some larger ones to stop through."

There was a silence following for a few minutes before Bóthilda spoke up. "Could you let father and mother know I will come home again? I know father won't worry as much but you know how my mother is. She doesn't think women should fight and that I am more likely to come to harm."

"She is not fully wrong Bóthilda. Though in your case you will probably leave them regretting underestimating you. Here take this." He reaches down to his boot to retrieve a dagger with a slightly longer blade and a wickedly sharp edge. He offers it to her hilt first. "Consider it a parting gift from me. And be carful it is as sharp as it looks. You aunt gave me that just before you youngest cousin was born. Anyway I'm sure she wouldn't mind you having it and don't go losing it either. I expect to see it next season when I come back through here." 

Bóthilda nodded. "I'll keep it on my person at all times and sharp as well."

"Good. Now let's finish eating so I can get to work sell these goods, maybe buy some, and you get to the castle. I will try to be up there at noon to see you and pay my respects to the Earl or his steward."

The pair ate in silence for the remainder of the meal and went their separate ways afterwards. Tørmun watched his niece go up the street through the crowd to the castle for a few moments before turning to sell his wares. Bóthilda went up the streets to the castle taking her time and arrived just as people were being admitted to the hall. She stood third in line behind a two merchants who had complaints about some of the caravan merchants under selling goods similar to theirs. She listened to them as they complained to each other and to anyone who would listen.

"Can you believe the nerve of these peasants! They are under selling our goods. I've seen their wares and there is no way they acquired any of that for so little a price." The first man said.

"I know. Those Wood Hollow traders can be the worst. They sit right on the border so whose to say they haven't been trading outside the kingdom. I've heard the Earl of the village made a pact with the trickster God with the lead trader, the Smith, and the captain of their milita." The second man said without trying to be discreet.

Bóthilda tried to keep calm as they spoke. Fortunately for her the steward began listening to and giving solutions to the merchants. Neither were fully satisfied but still a bit more content than before.

Bóthilda stepped forward and spoke. "Thank you for your time. I came here today to enter the service of the Earl in the Jormundgard if he would have me."