book of old days

Chapter 78 Groceries and Dogs
"You came at the right time, John, I have prepared your two-handed sword for you."

Saying this, Ragnar put down his work, turned around and entered the forge, and handed him a two-handed sword wrapped in leather. This sword was exactly four feet long, just as Sean had requested, with an open front. The blade and tsuba are cross-shaped, and there is a counterweight ball at the end of the sword. If you encounter a heavily armored enemy, you can turn the two-handed sword upside down and use it as a hammer.

Just by looking at the shape of this weapon, one can feel its terrifying lethality.

Xiao En took the sword and couldn't put it down. The handle still needed a little processing, but otherwise it was flawless. He swung it in the open space for a while, and the blade brought a gust of air, whistling across the air.

Ragnar was very surprised: "You really know how to use a two-handed sword, and it's not bad at all!"

Sean smiled "modestly", "That's right, your craftsmanship is not bad, how much is it?"

Ragnar waved his hand, "Forget about the money, when I come back from winter hunting, you can accompany me through a few tricks."

"Ah, I'm about to tell you about this. Count me in this winter hunting."

Ragnar became interested when he heard that, "Oh, you finally decided to join, what changed your mind? Don't tell me that you are doing your old job as a fur trader."

Sean smiled. He felt that he could be more honest with Ragnar. After getting along for so long, the two were considered friends.

"Hehe, I've seen it from you. I'm actually a writer. I came to Nordfössen mainly to collect folk tales, to explore ancient legends, to experience the unique beauty of wild forests and snow fields, and to find some inspiration for my new book. .

But I don't think there's anything interesting to be gained by just staying in this town, so I want to go further north with you, in the desolate and cold wilderness, in the forest where wild beasts are infested, in the legendary There must be even more exciting sights to be seen on the high mountains where the gods live. "

writer! ?Ragnar looked Sean up and down, "I have to say, I almost believed it, forget it, if you don't want to say it, you can pull it down, anyway, I don't mind bringing an extra person, but if you want to join the time now, I'm afraid It's a bit tight, we will set off after the second snow falls, according to the experience of previous years, there are still ten days at most, you have to hurry up and prepare."

Sean nodded, "What preparations do you need?"

"There are a lot of things to prepare for. The most difficult thing about winter hunting is not only hunting, but more importantly, surviving in the cold north. Believe me, it is not an easy task. Many novices stay behind because of insufficient preparation. maimed, or even died there.

First of all, you need to purchase materials, a lot of materials, I can give you a list.

Then there are dogs and sleds. In the northern forests and snow fields, it is impossible to ride a horse, and it is even more impractical to walk. You can only rely on dog sleds. You need at least eight sled dogs. It would be better if more, and a A sled to carry supplies.

Dogs can’t be bought and used immediately. You have to train them and get used to them for a period of time. Although sledging is not too difficult, it still needs to be learned, and it takes time.

In addition, you need warm clothes. Of course you already have this. There is one last thing - I will tell you when you come to my house at night, and I will show you to meet other people by the way. "

Sean nodded, "Okay, see you tonight then."

He got the list of supplies from Ragnar, and at a glance, he found that there were quite a lot, but he had money, so as long as it could be solved with money, it was nothing.

Before purchasing supplies, Sean first came to Xiong’s hometown. The bear fur coat was ready. Sean took the big fur from Xiong Lao’s hands and put it on without saying a word. The bear fur coat is one piece. In the traditional style, it can be put directly on the body. Since it is made of a whole bear skin, it is quite wide, and it can wrap his whole body in it.

As soon as Xiao En put on this bearskin, he immediately insulated from the surrounding cold, and his whole body was wrapped in thick fur, which was extremely warm.

He walked around the yard, and he didn't feel a trace of cold at all, but he felt a little funny, and the way he walked around inevitably made Sean think of the doll costumes in Disneyland,

Fortunately, some key parts of the clothes have been tightened, which is relatively less bulky.

In order to prevent being accidentally shot, Mr. Xiong also thoughtfully prepared an oversized red smock for him, which can be worn outside the coat for easy identification.

After bidding farewell to Mr. Xiong, Sean came to the grocery store.

Not sure where to buy the sled, he came here to try his luck.

The clerk recognized him. During this period of time, he bought a lot of things in the grocery store, and he was considered a regular customer.

"Do you sell sleds here?"

"Of course, do you want a single board or a double board?"

Sean was speechless, "What I want is a dog sled, the kind that can carry people and goods."

"Ah, this one is gone, you can go to the carpentry workshop in the town to have a look."

Sean shrugged, "Then let's buy groceries first."

He bought directly according to the requirements on the list.

30 meters of cable, two bundles of fine hemp rope, one bundle of coarse hemp rope, tents, kerosene, hand axes, nails, bandages for dressing, shotgun ammunition, dried mushrooms, salt... He bought a lot of them, and he had to hire A man helped him to the carriage.

All these things cost him five gold pounds.

The next step is to buy a dog. Just ask Milok for this. Milok specializes in training dogs, not only hounds, but also sled dogs.

"You've found the right person for me." Milok immediately introduced Xiao En enthusiastically when he heard that Xiao En was going to participate in the winter hunting.

"Sled dogs don't have that high requirement on the dog's breed, as long as they are obedient and have good physical strength, but it is the most important thing in winter hunting activities.

Sled dogs are not only the main force of transportation, they can also be used for vigil at night. If you don’t have a bearskin coat, it’s also very good to hug the group. When you encounter a large beast, you can also serve as a hunting dog. It can also be used as emergency food when necessary—of course This kind of thing is extremely rare. Generally, when it is necessary to kill a dog, it must have run out of ammunition and food. At that point, people can eat it, not just dogs. "

"So I suggest you buy two more. There are too many things in the northern forest that we can't understand. Sometimes there will be wild beasts in the middle of the night to snatch the sled dogs away. Those wild beasts that move in the dark are elusive, and you can't even hear them." Hearing their screams, maybe when he wakes up, there will be only a pool of blood and a few dog hairs left."

Milok was talking nonsense, but Sean only regarded it as a sales phrase, but anyway, he was not short of money, so he took good advice and bought ten adult sled dogs. These sled dogs all had thick hair and looked similar to two Ha, it should be a similar breed of dog, but the expression is much more ferocious. Probably in this cold and harsh north, there is no soil for them to survive by being cute.

(End of this chapter)