Peace was new to our people, but with a larger population comes greater responsibility. When I was a lad it would have been unthinkable that the best ship of the fleet would be used for mere fishing; it would have been an insult to the warriors and the spirits of those slain in past great battles. Yet just a few short years ago, the wise and aged of our village made their decision. It was a hard choice...sacrifices were made, sages were consulted, and councils were formed. The gods seemed unconcerned. "A good omen," insisted the sages, who felt that if Odin truly did not approve, his wrath would have consumed us all.

Odin's wrath never came.

*

I was sorry to see the old ways go. Much of what I prize as my own was earned in many territorial battles. Fine metals, jewels, and furs decorate my home. A small island to the southwest yielded some rich treasures and a young bride for me. How could I forget such bounty? To do so was impossible. As I trawled the seas when the Arnoth last sailed, I thought of my father's face, stained with pride, as I flew on my first warship nearly thirty years ago. As I mended the net, I thought of my first rough weapons, cudgels and spears crafted by my own hands. As I slit and beheaded the fishes that were to feed our village, I thought back to the foreign warriors I'd defeated not so long ago. Their blood flowed about my feet, and their limbs piled behind me as I tore through their land.

And the women. Being young, I'd never known the flesh of fair maidens until my first battle. Makreth led our battalion into a tiny shoreline village, inhabited with the former dregs of our society. He'd chosen this target carefully; when he was a boy, many wild women and shiftless men were cast out of Nangren during a week-long feast to Odin. Odin was most pleased, Makreth continued, and took kindly to the outcasts, sending them to a small, cave-filled inlet. The lazy men managed a few ramshackle huts and took the women as wives the best they could. But these were not fine women, Makreth warned; these were lusty women, wenches who saw fit to bed any man they felt like taking. One vile harlot had seduced Makreth's uncle when he was a wee tot of only six. She had been caught with her lips upon the boy's member. Makreth knew she'd be elderly now if she still lived, but revenge was on his mind.

"You're a young, fine group of warriors," Makreth bellowed to his soldiers. "This battle shall prove to be no difficulty for us, but it is good practice, something you require before we sail to other lands. There will be little treasure for us to take, but the women are plump and fair. For many of you this shall be your first taste of woman, but I promise you, it will not be your last!"

We laughed heartily and ate well that night. I dreamt of a large woman, with blonde, curly tresses down her back. She resisted me, yet opened up willingly at my command. I sank into her, deeply, satiated by power I found in the softness beneath me.

The morning broke grey and hazy. We donned our furs and our best boots and trekked most of the day. At nightfall Makreth stopped the march at the foot of some small hills. We camped there that night, confident our fires would not be seen because of the hilly terrain. All of the young men slept fitfully that night; none of us removed our boots.

Makreth wasted no time in the morning, waking us swiftly and quietly. There were at least one hundred men in our company, and several seasoned veterans out for a little fun. Makreth assured us there would be no more than seventy villagers.

We climbed the hills quickly, finding the soft green grass gave way to quick flat stone. It was only minutes before we were at the apex of the peak, and I began to feel uncertain. Things had been too swift, too simple. At first, I shrugged it off as nervousness, but when I saw the village I knew my fears had been true.

At least fifty huts lined the coast below us. Two large meeting houses sat in the middle of the village. Many milled about in the open area in the centre of town, marketing and visiting, even at this early hour. One young warrior gasped. But to turn back was unthinkable. We would not leave our first battle as cowards.

Makreth considered the situation. "Their men are not around," he noted. "We could take several hundred of them in this state. It would teach their men well, leaving their women and elderly unguarded. I see that in forty years, they have learned nothing!" Makreth's voice rose as he spoke, excitement flaming in his eyes.

"Come, men, we have no time to lose!"

Like a storm we descended upon the town. Our feet pounded on the hillside like a heavy rain, and our cries were like thunder in the innocents' ears. My mind was unclouded but unfocused. I feel to this day that Odin was guiding all the young men, preparing us to be grim and determined soldiers in his immense legion. We easily gathered up about two hundred people within minutes, and threw them all into the bigger of the two community houses. I alone slaughtered at least seven young men who had time to gather arms and try to defend their village. I admired them for trying so valiantly in the face of unyielding defeat; they had to know their puny staffs and trowels would do us no substantial harm. Valhalla held its arms open wide for those who knew no fear in battle, and I felt glad knowing that my spear was sending these men to a fine and honorable place.

Many isolated skirmishes began after the main battle was through.

Several of us went from house to house, searching for stragglers and treasure. There was little sound outside the community house. Occasional fires crackled in pits; we threw sand on them, fearing some hidden child or woman would use the fire against us. Our group had searched at least ten houses when we began to split up, more confident and growing impatient for the captive women.

At the second house I checked alone, I found a young girl. She was not more than ten and was frightened into immobility. Her soft body was adorned in the standard wear for women in this village: a large grey-brown cloth wrapped around her, cinched at the waist with an aging leather band. Thin pale legs stuck out from under her. Enormous brown eyes darted from me to a pile on the floor. Sensing that it was a valuable item, I strode immediately towards the pile. I kicked it; it was a woman. The lady had once been pretty, but sickness had torn at her body. The excitement of the attack had driven her to try and protect her young one, but her body clearly had failed her.

The girl shook violently as I looked around the hut. Not even food, or dishes, or furs to take as a prize! Throwing open the dirty cloth that hung over the door, I peered out, and saw very little going on. A fellow soldier had found himself a woman, a short, plump housewife thrown face down into the mud, with her skirts thrown over her head. She was dressed well, for this village. Likely a merchant's wife, I decided. Ulv had tossed aside his weapon and was fumbling at the enormous bulge in his leather pants with one hand, as his other hand smashed down on the woman's neck. When his shaft had been released from its binds, he grabbed the woman by the waist and knelt between her legs. I was impressed with Ulv's size but mesmerized by the vision of the woman, legs spread, her pink slit in plain view. Ulv guided his hefty shaft towards the woman. Holding it tightly, he rubbed it up and down her slit, then plunged in fiercely. A loud, raspy cough escaped from the woman's lips. Ulv stuffed his small leather pouch into her mouth and thrust viciously into her. All I could do was stare at his member disappearing into the woman.

A rustling behind me shook me out of my daze. The girl had seen what I had, and was frantically trying to escape from the hut by tearing at the straw walls. She'd anticipated what I'd not yet thought of. My manhood was thick and throbbing as I grabbed the girl by the back of her dress. She squealed and tried to claw at me. The small child was so pathetic, I had to laugh. As I began to drag her outside I wondered if I should do the deed in plain view of the others, or inside in private. I certainly was not as big as Ulv, and I was self- conscious. The squirming girl would not be easy to subdue without hurting her, and I didn't want her dead. At least, not yet. What happened to her after I'd had my fun was of no concern to me. But it might not look good if I had to slay such a little one to get my way with her.

I turned back into the hut and threw the girl down on what passed as bedding. The lump that was once her mother was in the way, taking up at least half the floor space; I hurled her limp, rotting body outside. The young girl began to shriek loudly but quieted when I smacked her gaunt, pale face. The leather belt she wore was old and rotten and snapped easily under my hand. A few seconds later the cloths that were her garments were piled on the floor, and her body was naked before me.

She'd not yet begun to develop, despite being marrying age in less than two years. Her breasts had not grown at all, yet she had dark, full nipples, which were hard from the cool morning air. Between her thin hips was a soft mound of flesh, parted in the middle. Her young body stirred me. I seized one half of the broken leather belt, wadded it, and forced it into her mouth to stop her screams before they started.

She tried to sit up, but I forced her back down. My bulk blocked her way out of the hut and she didn't try to escape. I unlaced my leather bindings to release myself, I was uncomfortably hard. Blood rushed through my ears, almost muffling Ulv's grunts and moans from outside. I withdrew my hardness from my pants, feeling its weight in my hand.

I ignored little girls stifled screams as I pried her legs apart. Her hairless slit parted with her legs, revealing a soft, red flesh interior. I ran a calloused finger between her lips and then into her slit. She was so tiny, each squirm and thrust from her young body vibrated down my finger. I slid my finger in further and felt a barrier; was she shallow as well as small? Before I had time to wonder any more, my finger had penetrated the thin barrier, and I remembered Makreth telling us about virgin finds. Now, I regretted my decision to take this maiden out of sight of others; a virgin would have impressed even Ulv.

Pain had brought tears to the girl's face. Her eyes were tightly closed and her small body rigid. I withdrew my finger and rubbed the blood and juices on the tip of my shaft for lubrication. Wasting no more time, I positioned myself against her slit, spreading her open with my hands, and thrust in.

Thirty years later, I still remember the feel of the soft flesh parting beneath me. My prick was embedded halfway inside the small girl, who was now limp from shock and fear. I withdrew a bit and shoved inside her again, feeling wetness grow in her. Thrusting in again, I felt my hardness reach the end of her tunnel. Breathing heavily, I began to stroke her with my shaft. I leaned down and licked a large nipple. It stiffened; I licked harder, until I lost control and bit down. I drew blood. The girl only moaned softly.

My cock was sore from the tightness and my balls were full. I knelt between her tiny legs, held her hips high for easy access to her slit, and began pounding furiously into her. Her head lolled as I grunted and spilled my seed inside her.

Before I knew what was happening, Ulv and another warrior were patting me on the back, congratulating me. My softening prick, streaked with blood and my own semen, plopped out of the girl. Ulv grabbed my manhood and grinned, baring white teeth. "You will be as big as Ulv soon, boy! Let's find more virgins, and leave this spent child to whoever finds her next!"

The girl hadn't stirred once. I wondered if she was dead, but knew that, dead or alive, a body that young would not go unnoticed.

I laced my leathers as I walked out of the hut and toward the community house. Bloodied men and women lay in the dirt around me. One woman, close to my own age, lay sweetly against a doorway. Her lips were parted invitingly. I went to her and grabbed her by the shirt; her severed head fell into her lap before I noticed the blood. "She was a good one, she was," said Ulv. "I am displeased with whoever killed her. I wished to take her home."

Just outside the community house, a warrior was taking his prize, a young man of fourteen or so. The warrior's bare ass thrust forward rapidly into his victim's body, which was bent over and clearly in pain. He was a fair boy with a nice shaft of his own that betrayed his lust.

Ulv stepped inside. The community house, unlike the huts, had a set of wooden doors with a latch on the outside and in. I followed and was shocked to see so few people inside. Some elderly citizens huddled in corners, and a few of our men wandered about.

"Where's Makrath?" demanded Ulv.

A stout warrior answered from across the room. "He took a woman to a hut. The others were led off to shore. Mostly women," the warrior said with a smirk. "These wenches are hearty, to be sure. There is little treasure, and we may have to burn the village to claim full victory for Odin."

Ulv and I nodded in agreement. I searched and found few women worthy of taking, knowing more women were at the shore. I decided to leave these women to the men who remained in the building, some of whom were taking advantage of the opportunity. Ulv had already exited the house, headed certainly in the direction I intended.

I wandered through some huts and found a few furs and trinkets worth keeping. A young man feebly tried guarding his stash of coins, which were worthless in our village but could be melted down for their metals. I had no time to reason with him, choosing force instead. A sharp bludgeon to his skull silenced him while I rifled through his belongings. He had found many items from the sea, it seemed, and his small trunk of treasures was the biggest find in the village.

The young man was not dead, I noticed, as I loaded all the bounty into his trunk. It had been a half hour since my last conquest and I was again feeling the need to take a villager; the young men outside the community house had given me an idea. Buggery was certainly against the laws our gods had decreed, but anything that defiled the enemy was right in the eyes of Odin.

Using the sharp end of my spear, I ripped open the man's leathers.

He had not donned a shirt yet that morning, and was now naked before me. His shaft was large for his age, and I wondered if it would stir despite his state of unconsciousness. Quickly I lowered my mouth to his manhood, which stiffened as I licked and suckled. Rolling him over, I noticed the ripe curves of his hips. His ass spread before me as I prodded his orifice with my own shaft. Precum had oozed to the tip of my prick, making the slide inside the man easier. His hole felt tight but I thrust in with ease; I determined he had done this before. He was warm and welcoming and began to awaken as I pounded into him.

I reached between his legs as he propped himself up on his elbows, and I grasped his hardness with my hand. He gasped and moaned, a much more receptive host than the little girl had been. My balls slapped against his own, which were tightly drawn up against his body. I felt familiar stirrings in my gut. A moment later, I let loose with many streams of my semen inside him. The young man's own hardness was falling limp in my hand, and I realized he had spilled his seed on the dirt floor.

I did not hesitate, but stood and sheathed my manhood quickly.

The trunk left with me, and I did not look again at the young man.

The trunk grew heavy as I searched more huts, and more men were coming back from the shore to search as well. I scanned their faces for Makreth, to tell him of my good fortune, but did not see him. Deciding to stop for a while in a particularly secure hut, I found a nice rug to sit upon while I lay my treasures aside. The hut was large, with two rooms, and a hole in the wall to let in light. A growl in the other room brought me to my feet. Quietly, knife in hand, I drew aside the cloth in the doorway to gaze inside.

Makreth stood with his back to me, completely naked. His powerful muscles stood tense under his skin. The room had been demolished, with the tiny wooden pieces of furniture smashed into kindling.

Beyond Makreth was a woman, still large and firm despite her age.

Both were frozen in a frightening pose. I felt I was about to witness Makreth break this woman into bits.

Then the woman cackled. "Even at six, ye uncle was bigger than that," she howled. The woman! This was the one Makreth wanted revenge upon! It was true, she was evil; only a harlot would admit to bedding a young child for gratification. Even a bride must be ten before she can be taken into the wedding bed. What manner of foul woman was this? Perhaps a sorceress, as some had been known to exist in other lands.

"You're a vile wench, Cartha," Makreth said slowly. "I shall take you with my shaft whether you are dead or alive. It makes no difference to me."

I was frightened, knowing Makreth meant every word. The woman's eyes glittered with fear for a moment as she considered her options. Then she saw me, peering over Makreth's shoulder. A sneer spread across her haggard old face.

"I'd take ye and yer friend willingly, so I might as well cooperate."

Makreth spun around and faced me. I had never seen such ferocity in man before, nor have I since. Amazingly I had enough wits about me to begin to stammer a grovel, when Makreth grinned, a cold, heartless grin.

"You'll be invaluable to me, boy," he said. "Go, and hold the bitch down."

I did as he commanded. She was frail and weak, and her bones bent like soft spring twigs. Makreth's shaft stood straight in front of him, huge and bulging. His thrusting would surely break the old hag in two ... but then, that was probably the point.

Makreth ripped at her clothes, revealing a ghostly white body, slightly saggy breasts but a surprisingly firm torso. Her slit was slight, reminding me of the young girl I'd taken earlier that day. The hag had remained motionless, until Makreth grabbed at her small nipples, twisting them roughly. She hissed and squirmed. I held her arms behind her more tightly, as Makreth slammed his palm over her mouth. I gave him a bit of cloth that had torn from my shirt in battle. He tied it with a knot in the middle, which he shoved into her mouth. I fastened the ends together behind her head while Makreth held her arms himself.

Her arms felt ready to break as I yanked them behind her back. Her legs didn't move at all, and she was likely crippled. Makreth was lucky she had lived this long.

Makreth spread her legs apart and jammed his hand into her slit.

He sat on his knees, one hand relentlessly twisting a nipple, the other hand working its way inside the wench.

"You'll like this, bitch," Makreth gasped. "You're used to tiny boys, but this morning you will feel what it is like to be taken by a real man. The lad and I will see to that."

The witch was squirming as best her old body could, but it was no match for my strength. I took her tunic and ripped a long strip of cloth from it to tie her hands with. Her hands were easily secured behind her back. I moved out from behind her and she fell limply to the floor. Her eyes twinkled with hatred.

"Boy, take her from behind. I think the whore needs to be skewered up the arse."

The lady was evil and ugly, her deathly pale skin covered in spots and sores, her bones sticking out beneath the leathery white flesh of her back. Either in my youth or fear, I was somehow able to rally my member to the task. In no time I was stiff and my pants were about my legs. I bent the old hag over while licking my palm; I ran my wet hand down the length of my shaft to lubricate it. My prick poked at her and she screamed. Face down, with bum legs, she was unable to do anything to stop me, and soon I found my cock buried inside her bowels.

I thrust back and forth quickly, enjoying my work more than I realized. Seeing Makreth grasp his own member, I got an idea. Holding the bitch about the waist, I managed to sit up, then lean back against a wall, buggering her while she sat atop me, facing Makreth.

Makreth grinned, and stepped towards us.

His own member was wet on the tip from precum, which had left small thick droplets on the dirt. The woman's hands tore at my stomach in fear, as Makreth dropped to the floor, positioning his own bulbous prick at the mouth of her tunnel. I smacked the woman about, to stop her squirming, and Makreth's hands fell atop mine as he grasped her waist. "You damnable bitch," Makreth muttered as he tore into her with his shaft.

The sounds of the woman's muffled cries urged me on. I swore I could feel Makreth's huge member bumping into mine through the fragile skin that separated her womb from her bowels. I enjoyed feeling the weight and warmth of both the woman and Makreth atop me.

Moans rumbled in my throat before I realized I was about to come.

Makreth's murky eyes locked with mine as I shuddered; I tried to keep my eyes open, to stare into Makreth's as I shot my fluids inside the woman, but I could not. My hands found their way to the witch's breasts as my shaft exploded inside her. When I regained my senses, I realized I had clawed the woman's teats badly. Skin and blood were under my fingernails. Makreth looked pleased.

"Stay inside her, lad," Makreth growled. He was near his climax, and the truth was, I was happy to stay inside the old woman if it meant Makreth above me, pounding viciously. For a brief moment, I wished it was me being brutally taken by my teacher and hero. The old bitch was getting better than she deserved.

Suddenly Makreth pulled out and stood above the woman. "I shall not give your womb the pleasure of my seed, woman," he said grimly. "Take me in your mouth, and if you try to harm me, I will kill you and finish the job on your corpse."

The woman needed no other convincing. I ripped off the binds and she opened her mouth. Makreth thrust into her throat. Makreth howled loudly and the muscles on his neck bulged. The witch gurgled. And that was all.

After Makreth moved aside, I tossed the woman off of my shaft. I hadn't softened as I normally did, which was surprising, considering the day. The hag lay on her side, her watery blue eyes staring at nothing in particular, drool and manseed slithering out of her mouth. As I replaced my leathers yet again, I suppressed a wry comment about the inappropriate attire for the job. I gathered my items in the other room and left Makreth to her alone.

Two young boys from our company walked by with a wooden wagon, loaded with items scavenged from the village. I knew that no one would later claim that which was not his from the pile; to do so would be dishonorable, and one might lose their life in the battle which would inevitably follow. I piled my own winnings atop the others and headed to the shore.

I know not what I expected to see. An orgy, perhaps, or hundreds of fair maidens ripe for the picking. Instead, I found a couple dozen women being savaged by many of our men. Some of the women were either unconscious or dead, I was unable to tell. I was able to pick out Ulv from the others, and went to him.

He had a nice woman with him, whom he was apparently trying to convince to undress. "I will rip this cloth off you, woman, if I must," shouted Ulv, "But for once today I'd rather not have to!"

I smiled and continued on. There weren't nearly as many here or in the meeting house as I'd imagined, and I wondered at that as I watched the men rape their women. Smoke began to ascend from the village, and I decided to head back before fire destroyed everything.

Most of the huts were on fire, and many tens of villagers sat together, watching their homes burn away. I strode past them and found the hut with the girl, her mother still in a heap outside the door. I tore down the cloth door and looked inside; the girl was still there, in the same position as I'd left her. She must be dead, as there was no other reason someone so young and vulnerable would have been ignored. I decided to take her body to the pyre with the others.

As I lifted her, I heard a soft moan. The girl had not died. I didn't know what to do with her, so I heaped her on a pile of furs in the treasure wagon, and we took her back to our village. She was nursed to health and within six months was married to one of the elders, a suitable match, as she was young enough to care for him in his declining years.

It was a good raid, for a first raid. The town burned with a vigor I've not seen since. Makreth never told me what became of the old hag, and I confess I was curious about her. He was grateful for what I had helped him with, and he sent me one of his women the first night back from the attack. She awoke me with her lips around my shaft, and rode me many times that night. She was beautiful. But when the sun rose over the distant mountain range that morning, she returned to Makreth.

Much has changed since then. No more do we get wives from other villages, nor do we rank our elders upon their well-won battles. Perhaps that's about to change. The last voyage of the Arnoth was many months ago, and it was a mere fishing voyage. Now, we have learned of a large settlement to the east, on the northern coast. Some of their men arrived in our village to trade a few days ago, and now many of our daughters are missing. A ship was seen sailing to the northeast just this dawn. The elders are meeting to discuss battle.

My weapons are sharpened and my leathers are oiled. Bless Odin for allowing an aging man one last chance of victory on a distant shore.

The End