Chapter 95 - Preparation For The Yule 1/2 Festival
Hakoon who was melting some gold crosses and other pieces of the same material.
Look at Ibssen and Gerd, who were working on making wooden frames for the glasses as well as polishing amber stones for the glasses.
"Ibssen, don't you think it's a waste to make these amber lenses, it wouldn't be better to use quartz."
Ibssen, who was cutting some pieces of wood, stopped for a moment and shook his head.
"Gerd, you forget that quartz is found in crystals and that to make lenses, we would need an enormous crystal, which we could break to make smaller pieces.
Within amber, we do not have those problems since the shape it has, and the transparency is more than enough to make the lenses quickly.
Not to mention, it's a resource that merchants bring a lot to the island so we don't have to struggle to get it, plus when we polish it correctly, we can see through it. "
Gerd looked more interestingly at the piece of amber he was polishing.
"By the way, Hakoon hasn't told you anything Einar about the drink they are going to serve at the Yule.
Since I heard a rumor in the town that Einar is likely going to prepare something other than the Mead of all the years. "
Hakoon frowned "Unfortunately I have heard nothing, but if the drink that comes to prepare has a better taste than the herbal liqueur.
I am sure the Herald's fame will increase greatly. "
While this was going on in the cow pen, Einar was milking a cow.
Einar, who was gently squeezing the cow's udder, filled the wooden bucket with its precious milk.
"Kassia, please remember to give me a warning when the milk that is boiling on the campfire gets thick."
Kassia who was moving a large wooden spoon in a metal pot looked at the boiling milk "There is still a long way to go but as long as it has the consistency you asked for, I will tell you, but Einar why do we have to wait for the milk evaporates."
Stopping for a moment, Einar removed the bucket full of milk and placed another one "We have to do this so that the milk concentrates and evaporates milk is formed.
Which is much sweeter because the water evaporates, leaving only the sugars and natural fat in the milk. "
Helmi, who was helping Felipa distill alcohol, listened curiously to what Einar said and turned to see the honey in a jar.
"But if the milk is going to be sweet, why do we still need honey, maybe the drink you are going to prepare is very sweet."
Einar smiled and stroked the cow in front of him.
"It might seem that it will be too sweet, but because it is going to be diluted with alcohol, the flavor will be perfect, and thanks to the snow, we will keep the drink fresh.
So that when the Yule is celebrated, everyone in the town can drink enough, even you, but it should only be a little.
Because, unlike the absinthe that we make, this liquor is much more dangerous since being sweet it is very easy to get drunk. "
Felipa, who was supervising the stills, stroked her chin and began to think about the curious taste of the drink that Einar was going to prepare.
But while she was thinking, Elin came to the fold of the cows, who had in her hands a rope that was holding a large goat who did not understand why they had moved her from her home.
"Einar, don't worry, I can continue milking the cows since your father asked to come for you.
because he needs your help to find a tree big enough to place it in the middle of the town. "
Einar got up and when he turned to see his mother, was surprised to see a big fat goat "Count on it mother, we only need two more buckets of milk to finish.
Felipa, please take care of them. If they need anything, do not hesitate to search for me. "
Felipa, who suddenly became the one in charge of taking care of the three women, only laughed when she saw her mother's face, who seemed not to have understood Einar's little joke.
On the outskirts of the village, Sven, who was carrying a large ax, was glad to see Einar arrive.
"Good thing you have arrived early. The warriors have already advanced, along with Ansgar to the forest behind the hill.
According to Ansgar, in that place, he could see a large tree near the edge of the forest, although some lumberjacks cut wood in this place.
This is not a good place to get wood because of the difficulty of climbing the slope, not to mention that the forest we have to the east of the village is much better. "
Einar, who was walking with his father, followed the footprints that the warriors had left and after climbing a small hill.
He could see a small forest spanning a few hundred meters. Following his father's guidance and the footprints he had left, they went down the hill.
Upon reaching the beginning of the forest, they found Eskol, who was waiting for them leaning on a tree stump.
"Sven, Einar follow me as Ansgar showed us where the enormous tree is, but we can't start cutting it down because of its size we can't know where it will fall."
Einar and Sven looked at each other for a few seconds and followed Eskol.
At the edge of the Einar forest, he could see a great thick, large, leafy tree that was seen to be a few hundred years old.
"Father, I understand the Yule needs to have a large tree, but we can occupy this tree to make the Keel of a large ship."
Seven laughed and patted Einar on the shoulder "Of course we are going to use it to make a great ship and we can also use it at the Yule festival.
Since the tree of the Yule festival is only a symbol to honor, our people who died and to the ancestors.
Although previously our ancestors gave it another meaning, with the expeditions that your grandfather made, many things changed.
Now the real question is how are we going to cut down that tree so that it doesn't fall where we are. "
Einar stretched out his hands and using a rope that one warrior had brought to drag the tree, he measured the circumference of the tree.
Doing a few calculations in his mind, he pointed out to Ansgar, "Ansgar I want you to climb the tree and that in the thickest branch that you find away from other trees and ties this rope.
Which should function as a weight to guide the fall of the tree, so a large stone is tied to the end of the rope.
As for me, I am going to mark the areas where we have to cut so that the tree falls without problems away from any obstacle. "
After saying those words, Ansgar took a rope and began to climb the tree as he did in his childhood.
Although he did not understand why Einar had given him the order, he had no problem reaching a thick branch in which he could see that the tree would not have any obstacles in case it fell.
After tying the rope to the thick branch, he began to descend slowly until he reached the base of the tree.
With the tree clear, Einar used his father's ax to start making a large triangular cut in the direction where it was supposed to fall.
Due to the large size, it took a while to leave the guide made in the tree. When Ansgar finished with the help of other warriors he tied a large rock to the rope.
It was at that moment that other warriors began to cut the great trunk of the tree, following the marks that Einar had left.
Because they would take a while to finish, Einar with the help of his father and Eskol used some thick tree bark.
To make some primitive sleds, which will serve as a base so that the tree can slide in the snow without problems.
After a while, the tree started making some strange noises so Einar gave the order for everyone to move away as the tree was about to fall.
They all walked away from the tree and watched as it began to lean with the help of the weight on the rope.
So after loud noise and a few shavings of wood that flew out of the tree, it fell into the snow, making a small tremor when it reached the ground.
Seeing that everyone was fine, Sven approached the large tree and after touching it, he nodded.
"This is just beginning, boys, we have to move this tree to the little sleds we made, otherwise it will be impossible to take it to the village."
With everyone's help and Einar's guidance, they were able to place the tree on the makeshift sleds.
After this, different ropes were tied around the branches and the trunk of the tree.
This was all done so that the warriors would hold her and start pulling the great tree as they walked through the snow.
It took them only half an hour to reach the end of the forest, but they knew that their little adventure had only just begun, as they had to climb the hill in front of them.