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You are certain silver will be of more help to the war effort than any service you could provide. It is with a sore heart that you part with 1200 pieces of silver, yet, it is not with some small measure of pride that you show your Gran the land grant which now bears your name.
However, you know that your standing in the village would suffer if you were to wholly turn your back on the war, so, you offer your boats as transports to the lord, either to ferry his men or, should he indeed lay siege to the enemy's castle, to carry the supplies necessary to maintain it. For this service you receive only a pittance but it allows you to remain out of harm's way without also earning the epithet of coward.
The days that follow are quiet. You spend your time directing your boats under the guidance of the lord's son, Alveson. Men and material are swiftly carried to the enemy's gates, behind which, for the moment, he remains secure. The ransom from Renault comes, along with an assurance from the viscount that he will have no further part to play in this conflict (itself a more valuable concession than the 100 pieces of gold paid for his beloved nephew). The 180 silver pieces that the reeve receives for his role in attaining this ransom, he passes on to you, as promised.
The reeve, for his part, distances himself from the war. Even the loss of his reputation and the bulk of his fortune has not taken with it his enterprising spirit. He now concentrates all his energy toward the completion of his granary and the reconstruction of the village. The treasure from Ragnvald's boat amounts to some heathen trinkets: a drinking horn, an arm band, a carven idol, and a helmet (in which Ragnvald was buried, as requested). Nothing that could restore the reeve's fortune--yet instead of discarding these items, he has taken to wearing them. The church is disgruntled by such a flagrant display, but they have their hands full with the war and the homeless and can make no fuss about it yet.
In this way the month passes. There are some small skirmishes between the lord's men, but it seems he is not interested in pillaging the enemy's lands. He will oust him from his castle by force and, depending on the judgement of the king, either win it for himself or relinquish it for a greater concession in land or silver. The siege is maintained through the harvest, which, with the reeves help (he hires laborers from outside with the last of his money) is a bountiful one. Haroldson's wife also gives birth to a healthy son near harvest time. They have not forgotten the service they owe you, which will begin in a months time.
For once, there are no rents to pay. You are a free man, the first of your line. And the ruin of the village has elevated you to the position of the most eligible bachelor. Your Gran, for one is busy with matchmaking, sensing your loneliness.
You decide to:
>Accede to her choice of bride
>Delay till after the war
>Refuse to marry entirely
>Write-in