160 CLX. The Harbor

"Here it is, we've arrived! Finally, this time we can see it from the inside!" said Reidar, happy to see the town of Halm a few miles away.

"I've never come this far from the village, but I've heard a lot about Halm. Its port is very famous and the streets of the city are beautiful, taken care of in detail" said Agnes, his eyes shining, happy to finally be able to travel.

Karl smiled and caressed her face, continuing to ride.

"Agnes, do you know who the Jarl is?" asked Dag, curious.

"No, I have no idea... but a few days ago, after you delivered my village the wagon and the two horses, I heard Urr and Darr, the two elders you spoke to just now, discussing a possible trade route with this place. The fact is, they didn't mention anyone, they talked about a 'city council'" she replied, trying to remember.

"Ah, interesting. They seem to have a more evolved form of government than many cities in the south of Okstorm. Maybe that's the reason why it's so beautiful. Let's go and see, I'm very curious!" exclaimed Dag, speeding up the horse's pace.

After about 10 minutes, the adventurers entered the city, passing under a stone arch, on which was engraved the name 'Halm' in elder futhark.

From the start, the atmosphere was welcoming: being late afternoon, darkness was falling on the coast and the streets of the city were perfectly lit, with small torches, similar to lampposts, evenly distributed at the same distance from each other.

In addition to their usefulness, they also had a decorative power. Beneath every wooden pole that held a torch at its top, there were flower pots, the scent of which inebriated the city center.

Its inhabitants, who walked busy through the streets, looked closely at Dag and his companions, but with a smile printed on their faces, decidedly more friendly than the people they usually had to deal with.

"I don't see many blacksmiths and craftsmen" Karl said, looking around.

"As I explained earlier, the port of Halm is the most important in the region. Over the years, the city has been populated mostly by traders and travelers. Many of them live there, while others only stop for a short time in the many inns near the port" explained Agnes, who indirectly knew a lot about it.

"That's where we're going. We have to figure out which boat to take to get to Sjolnir" Dag said, who got off the horse grabbing his reins, to enjoy the walk and lighten the load of Aslan.

His companions did the same and made their way to the port, ecstatic at the sight of the beautiful city streets.

They arrived in front of a circular square, with a large fountain in the center.

From behind it, they could see the large boats docked at the pier.

After passing the square, both on the right and the left, the two arms of the port were full of inns, next to each other.

The lights coming from the windows of the hovels reflected on the water under the boats, even giving the port a very nice and relaxing look to see.

Dag approached a man intent on tying a rope to a docking.

"Hello. What boat do we need to take to get to Sjonir?" he asked.

The sailor turned to him, interrupting what he was doing, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Hello to you, travelers! So, if I remember correctly, the last boat for Innsjo left a short time ago. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until tomorrow morning" he said, touching his chin with his wet hands.

Dag looked at Reidar, who was already checking the map.

"Innsjo is the closest port to Hevnen, Captain. That's where we have to go" he said.

"Well, then I guess we'll stop for one night. Tomorrow morning how do I know it's the right boat? There are so many here..." Dag asked.

"You must look for a man named Emil. He is in command of the boat that will take you to Innsjo. Wait for a second... your companion just called you 'Captain', did I hear right?" replied the sailor, who looked at Dag from head to toe.

"Yes, it's true... but I'm another kind of Captain, I have no naval experience" Dag chuckled, putting his hands forward as if to justify himself.

"And what kind of Captain are you? I don't want to mind your business. I'm just asking out of curiosity. I see many different travelers every day, but I've never seen anyone wearing armors like yours" the man asked, looking intently at the Clan symbol engraved on Dag's leather jacket.

"We are explorers of the Hammers Of Thor Clan and he is our Captain, as well as being one of the Clan Masters" said Karl, inflating the figure of Dag, who for a moment felt embarrassed but played the game.

"Oh! I didn't think there were Masters so young. I wish you a pleasant night here in Halm and I would recommend a tavern. Its name is 'the Red Rose', you find it about a hundred yards that way" the sailor continued, bowing his head out of respect for Dag and pointing the way to the tavern.

"There's no need for bowing, thank you for your help!" said Dag, greeting the man, who was astonished by the gesture.

"If there's anything I can do for you, you know where to find me!" he said, greeting Dag and his companions with his hand.

"Am I Master of the Clan without knowing it?" he asked, chuckling.

"Yes, you are. I'm sure you will, so it's better to get people to treat you with the respect you deserve, brother" Karl replied, as Agnes looked at him satisfied.

Dag turned to Reidar.

"I'm sorry to admit it, but this time I agree with Karl, Captain" he said, smiling.

"Well, that man when he heard the word 'Master' changed his expression... I could get used to it! Hahaha" Dag said, arousing the laughts of his friends.