Þórsteinn had left the sacrifice a little earlier and by the time it was over he was already sound asleep on Uffr's ship. He tried to enjoy the sense of being on deck again for a while before drifting into sleep, but it didn't take long to completely relax thanks to the lulling water. He had his back and head supported against his belongings, and his front covered with a cloak, under which he held a dagger in his hand, just to be sure. From the distance came the sounds of merriment and sacrificial games.

But from the ship itself came the sound of sneaking.
[color=fff200]"Wake up, Þórsteinn Halvardsson. I said wake up, you bastard!"[/color] the young man said and kicked Þórsteinn's leg. 

And he did wake up. Above him, against the moon, loomed a tattooed, almost beardless face of a young, dark-haired man, and in his hand was a sword. Þórsteinn hardly recognised the chap just as he pressed his weapon on Þórsteinn's neck.
[color=0072bc]"Ívarr Hoskuldsson..."[/color] Þórsteinn said. [color=0072bc]"Geir's little brother."[/color]
[color=fff200]"I am not so little any more, you bastard, am I,"[/color] Ívarr said. [color=fff200]"And you better not move and listen to me carefully."[/color]
[color=0072bc]"You better make it short,"[/color] Þórsteinn said.
Ívarr felt the point of Þórsteinn's dagger against his ribs. [color=fff200]"Always prepared after that night, I see,"[/color] said Ívarr. [color=fff200]"How ironic, that I could die just like my brother did, isn't it."[/color]
[color=0072bc]"Maybe you should stop following his ways and sneaking up on people when they are asleep. I don't want to kill you, Ívarr,"[/color] said Þórsteinn. [color=0072bc]"Your brother plotted against me, everyone knows it! That's why I killed him. I had every right."[/color]
[color=fff200]"Do you think I care about rights?!"[/color] Ívarr hissed. Muffled shouts of drunk people were coming from the rune stone area. [color=fff200]"I have a duty to avenge my brother! I won't accept any silver, so forget about wergild."[/color]
[color=0072bc]"Then what are you waiting for, you little shit? Do it!"[/color] said Þórsteinn. 
Ívarr said: [color=fff200]"No, no, no. I am not going to bring bad luck on myself the very night before our raid by killing a fellow shield-wall mate! That would be a bad start, Þórsteinn. Especially since we've just had a sacrifice. Oh wait...you weren't there, you unbeliever! Now the gods are on my side! And I am going to see the priestess, and make her curse you as soon as we land! You are a dead man walking, she'll have you hanged for Odin's sake."[/color]
[color=0072bc]"What are you talking about, you stupid maniac? You can't be serious, you can't be coming along! You're insane, you're unstable, just like Geir was!"[/color] Þórsteinn shouted.
[color=fff200]"Oh, yes; I am very much serious. My kinsmen in Skåne saw you passing through after your outlaw period was over. Rumours spread, you know. As soon as I heard you were going to Kattegat, I decided to come here myself. Now I have joined this raid, too, which was unplanned. But oh well, now I can both kill you and get rich! The gods truly [i]are[/i] on my side!"
[/color]
[color=0072bc]"My knife is on your side, so you better shut up and leave and spew your nonsense elsewhere!"[/color] Þórsteinn said. A child in rags was watching from the dock. 
[color=fff200]"I will leave. For now. But as soon as we get into a battle with the Saxons, you better watch your back."[/color]
[color=0072bc]"They will never let you come along when I tell the top guys what you are like."[/color]
Ívarr laughed at that.[color=fff200]"What! You think they are any better, you idiot? These are raiders, killers, thieves, and rapists. You think some of them are not on my side?"[/color]
[color=0072bc]"Not if they have any sense in them."[/color]
[color=fff200]"You forget something, Þórsteinn. The word 'gold' makes even the most sensible men lose their minds."[/color]
[color=0072bc]"You don't have any gold! You're piss poor! Your whole family is because Jarl Harald took it all from you, even though you're his cousins!"[/color]
Ívarr laughed again, this time more manically. [color=fff200]"But you do, Þórsteinn! Yes, I know... You hid some treasure that you earned in your exile, didn't you? Nice, foreign treasure, the people say."[/color]
Þórsteinn glanced aside and saw that the sky was still red from the ritual flames. [color=0072bc]"And how exactly are you going to find that treasure, stupid? No one knows where I hid it! And I won't tell you, especially not if you kill me, smartass!"[/color]
[color=fff200]"You really are slow, aren't you?"[/color] said Ívarr. [color=fff200]"Think!"[/color]
Þórsteinn became angry and tried to push the enemy away. [color=0072bc]"Stop playing games!"[/color]
[color=fff200]"It's simple. We sail to the east, follow a river down south, and we find...Hmmm, who do we find? Oh, yes: your wife, Þórsteinn! The chieftain's daughter! I am sure that won't be a hard thing to do! Surely someone's heard of a northman of your disposition sojourning in those parts."[/color]
Þórsteinn dropped the dagger and grabbed Ívarr by his tunic. [color=0072bc]"You will do no such thing! And she doesn't know where it is anyway!"[/color]
[color=fff200]"Oh, yes, I will do that. And don't say that... I know she knows, she must know! Surely you had no secrets between each other?! Also, what do you think is going to happen? Is she going to tell us where the treasure is, or is she going to be stupid and cover for you...even after we threaten her entire town with flames? Well, of course, she is going to tell us. But let me tell you a secret, we'll burn the place down anyway and loot it, and then her entire family will be put to a very special test. But don't tell anyone!"[/color] Ívarr took the knife from the deck and tossed it to Þórsteinn. [color=fff200]"Better keep that."[/color] He grinned one more time and sheathed his sword. [color=fff200]"Sleep well! We have a lot of rowing to do tomorrow!"[/color]

Þórsteinn watched him leave and approach the child he had seen before. Ívarr gave the child a coin, and pinched its cheek. Then he turned around and waved to Þórsteinn with a huge smile on his face.