Here’s another Camp NaNoWriMo Update! I missed yesterday’s, but that’s fine. I’ve already been getting some good feedback from my beta readers as they look at the (very imperfect) writing that is underway. Today’s writing looks at some of the first Roman explorers to reach Nix Insulam – Otherwise called Iceland – and their encounters with the Nortlanders who were already there.
- Total amount of words: 7,197
- Progress today: 1,607 words
- Goal: 50,000 Words
If you like what you see, remember that you can get my latest novella – The Last Gladiator, on Kindle, Nook, and for all other e-readers through Smashwords! Onto some of today’s writing. Remember, this is the roughest of rough drafts, but any critiques are always welcome! Click beyond to see today’s snippet!
Anticipating a battle, I quickly ordered the weapons broken out on board. My brave men lined the deck with their repeater crossbows, and the ballista was loaded. To call me surprised when we were welcomed with open arms would be an understatement. They invited us to a feast in the nearest town – Ingolvik – where warm hearths and a safer harbor awaited us. Their leader also warned of the bad luck of this place – according to him, one of the original Nortland explorers had the misfortune of being murdered by his slaves here, for not honoring the gods. For a moment I scoffed, hiding my humor behind a cough. Yet, I found myself compelled to leave. Immediately. Inviting them aboard to help guide us in, I fished a coin from my pouch and tossed the golden denarius into the harbor. Neptune, keep us safe in the land of ice and snow.
We hoisted anchors and traveled west. With the locals accompanying us, we made good progress. I tasked Caius with watching them. “I want to know what they think of our ship and our expedition. Perhaps they can help? Denarii or force, I care not which you use.”
“Kidnapping any of them will not be smiled upon, Rimor. It makes no sense to burn such a bridge behind us. We know not their forces.” The captain, as usual, was correct, if overly cautious. However, it seems caution was the correct thing to follow, for soon enough, the great harbor at Ingolvik came into view from behind a huge mountain. A large town nestled against the waterfront, while farms stretched out in all directions, green pasture land dotted with shaggy cows and livestock. Rough dirt roads stretched into the interior. At least forty vessels crowded the wooden docks of the harbor, and I ordered our ships to remain at anchor. Trusting as I was not, I did not want to risk anchoring right on the docks.
We ferried over in the ship’s longboat. I was excited and, truth be told, nervous. Meeting new cultures was always risky, and with the consistent enmity between Nortlanders and Romans, there was always the chance of this ending poorly. Would these inhabitants be members of the Kingdom, or independent? We pulled up next to an empty space on the docks, and I clambered up, several of the ship’s marines following behind me. A large party of men and women, dressed in furs and woolen jackets, stood before us.
Modern Papyrus 