A few days had passed since Ragnar had finalized the "Scarborough Strategy" against the Franks.
The Boardroom formerly known as the Great Hall of York was buzzing.
Ragnar had summoned every Jarl, Chieftain, and minor Lord from Northumbria and the newly acquired East Anglian territories. They had arrived expecting a feast. They expected roasted boar, flowing ale, and perhaps a speech about how much loot they would plunder from the Franks. They did not expect a Powerpoint presentation.
Well, the 9th-century equivalent: a large slate board covered in chalk diagrams.
Ragnar sat on the High Seat. He was wearing his executive armor polished steel over a tailored wool tunic.
He looked at the assembly. These were proud men. Men who defined their worth by the number of warriors in their personal "Hird."
Ragnar stood up. He simply tapped the slate board with a pointer stick.
