[h3][center][color=0072bc]THE SACRIFICE[/color][/center][/h3]
[center](night before leaving Kattegat)[/center]
Isgred was nervous. She had led many rituals like this before, but one would surely be the biggest. Most of the large raiding party as well as a lot of the city’s inhabitants would come and pray for the raid’s success. And of course, the Seer would be watching. Isgred closed her eyes and mumbled a short prayer to Freya, the patron of the vǫlur – not as part of the ritual, but mainly for her own peace of mind.
 
The sun was setting, it was almost time. Isgred walked to the pen where the girls were just finishing cleaning up the bull to be sacrificed. It was a huge black animal, the biggest and the most fearsome that she managed to obtain in such short time. She had already given him two doses of an herb mixture to make him docile and while his movement was slow and shaky, he was still trying to push her away with his head or kick her. She nodded with a satisfied smile. This was a good sacrifice; the Gods will surely be pleased.
 
For the last time she straightened her simple white robes, she let down her hair and removed all trinkets and jewelry. For this night, she was but a humble servant to the Gods.
 
There was a large crowd already gathered around the flat runestone at the edge of the city. Other girls in white were chanting beautiful and rhythmic melodies and the people listened, mesmerized. Isgred walked over to the runestone, raised her hands and joined her voice with the girls’.

Isgred could feel the strength running through her body, resonating with the melody. She dropped her hands down and the chanting stopped. Four strong men brought the bull to the runestone and tied his legs. Fortunately, the herb mixture seemed to be working. Otherwise it would not just be the bull’s blood that would end up in the bowls prepared on the runestone, but probably Isgred’s as well.
 
[color=0072bc]“Hail Odin!”[/color] she yelled into the silence and the crowd repeated after her. [color=0072bc]"Hail Thor and Freyr! Tonight, we have gathered here to present an offering to the Gods, and ask them for protection on our journey, strength in battle and glory in Valhalla!”[/color] The crowd cheered but Isgred could hardly hear them. These moments were the reason she couldn’t understand how someone would choose to believe in a false foreign god. Right now, the Gods were so real to her, she could almost feel their presence.
 
One of the girls handed her a knife and Isgred bent down to the bull. With a deep breath, she buried the knife into his neck and a stream of blood burst out. The girls were catching it into large bowls, but Isgred held the dying animal as a mother would hold her dying child, feeling its breath get harder and its heart beat slower. When the bull’s heart stopped and Isgred stood back up. Her arms were already covered in blood, but she reached for a bowl and dipped her fingers into it. She drew lines on her face and then spread her arms. [color=0072bc]“The Gods have blessed us!”[/color] She was certain of that. The crowd shouted out in joy.
 
The men and women going to the raid lined up below the runestone. Isgred took the bowl and approached every one of them, painting their faces with fresh blood and extending the blessing of the Gods to them.
 
When Isgred finished, she ordered the rest of the blood to be taken to the harbor and smeared onto the ships’ figureheads. She remained at the runestone, reading the runes that were covered in blood and those who weren’t, trying to catch a glimpse of the future. The rest of the people dispersed to either celebrate or do other things. Isgred had to smile. Rituals like this usually awoke deep primal desires in everyone and how to better honor the Gods than to plant a seed of a new life?

Aksel had watched the sacrifice only a few feet away from Isgred and he let her mark him with the blood as he prayed to Odin for a good outcome. He felt in his whole body that it would be a great adventure. He looked to his left to see Reidun in her ceremonial robes pouring the blood over the ships figureheads. There were marks on her face and she was covered in blood before she was finished. After she was finished he watched her pray to Odin and the other gods.