Madelyn heads over to Peter whilst he is cooking and kneels down to say, "can you please cook for an extra person this morning, we need to send Aenis off with some food for his journey?" She steps back outside and savours the morning sunlight before breakfast.

"Are there any preparations you would make before we send Aenis on his way?"

"There are no further preparations required, I have arranged food so unless our friends wish to make a personal sacrifice then we are ready to proceed". At this Madelyn walks over to her pack and removes a silver ring from a small trinket box, she walks over to the pyre and places it with Aenis’ belongings. She walks back to her pack and removes a taper, and a small pouch containing her flint & steel. She walks back to the head of the pyre and sits on the ground. "Rolf I am ready!"

Rolf takes a number of weapons from the dogheads (who were defeated in the battle where Aenis fell) and adding them to the pyre.

As Madelyn shares her own personal sacrifice with the pyre, Rolf turns to the others. "It is common among our people to offer something to the departed on their final journey. I did not know Aenis well, no more so than the rest of you, though I am grieved at his passing and my own failure to prevent it." He pulls out a silver coin and lays it near the corpse. "Aenis, I wish you well on your journey. May it prove a happier one than this one."

Facing the others again, "If any of you feel the desire to honour Aenis with a parting gift, are have any words to say, please feel free to do so"

Mandrake stands silently by the pyre, paying his respect to their departed friend.

Peter, too, pulls a silver coin from his purse and places it by the corpse. "May your journey be quick," he mutters quietly.

Taking a coin of silver from her pouch, she moves carefully to lay it with the dead. Turning to the others, she pauses.

"Aenis was not well known to me, as being new as many of you," she states softly. "Still, he stepped forward when his people needed him and showed no fear. What he did, he did for home and hearth, land and love. No man can wish more of himself, nor give more than he."

She wipes a tear as her emotion overtakes her. "Into battle he strode with the heart of a gallant warrior, and a warrior's death he earns. No man sent him, no man's lack caused his death." She looks at Aenis' corpse for a moment. "I wish you well, calling you hero and friend. Prepare a path for those who follow, and know that we will carry your memory with us from this day forth."

Wiping her face, Elsbeth returns to her place to allow the ceremony to continue.

Callum walks up to Aenis pyre. "I never knew this man and I have nothing of worth to give him. I said only a few words to him and I cannot honour him by talking of his deeds done and enemies killed, but I take heart that he died in battle. I salute him as a warrior." Callum steps away.

He pauses, giving the others the opportunity to speak or participate as they wish. Finally, he turns to Madelyn. "If you would...." He moves aside, giving Madelyn the centre stage.

Madelyn watches in silence as her comrades step forward and offer sacrifices to their departed friend. When everyone is gathered she stands.

"If you would...."

A look of nervousness crosses her face; she has never had to do anything like this before, and wants it to be suitable to the situation. She turns to Rolf, "Rolf, please could you prepare a torch?" She looks over the pyre again, "is there anything I have missed", she thinks to herself. Everything seemed to be in place, and she cannot bring anything else to mind.

When the torch is burning strongly, she takes it from Rolf and steps forward, thrusting it deep into the pyre. As the flames take hold, she takes a step back and raises her arms, lifting her head to the sky …

"To every man will come the day when death walks through the door, friends, we are here to give honour to a fallen Norseman, Aenis, by no other name do we know him. Oh Gods, let it be known to you that Aenis fell in battle and deserves a warrior's reward. May the flames purify him of mortal taint and may the smoke usher his soul to the Halls of Valhalla where he may forever live in eternity. Gods upon his final journey do we place Aenis into your hands, and when death finds us also, let it be in glorious battle."

Madelyn pauses, gathering breath, then holding one clenched fist aloft, she yells at the sky, "AENIS, HAIL"

Rolf watches as Madelyn thrusts the torch deep into the pyre. Then, in Norse tradition, echoes Madelyn with a raised fist and an eager "AENIS, HAIL!"

Rolf watches the flames climb higher in silence. A brief concern crosses his mind, "Which of my charges will fall next?" But he pushes it aside for the moment, giving his full attention to Aenis as is respectful

"Aenis, Hail." Calls Peter. His call is strong, but it is not the shout of the others, nor does he raise his fist towards the sky.

The flaming torch is applied to the pyre, it takes a while to catch and then gutters slightly before the fire takes. It seems an age before the fire sets properly though, and you are waiting for perhaps 20 minutes before the fire starts to burn properly along the length of the pyre. Another 10 minutes or so and the heat is getting intense and you can smell burning and singing hair and flesh, a little later and it is too hot to stand too close to the pyre, and you need to move away.

From lighting, the pyre takes about 4 hours to consume the body and most of the wood. Another hour and the wood is reduced to glowing embers, and another 2 hours before the embers turn to ash with the occasional hot area.

So seven hours after the pyre is lit there is nothing left of Aenis, except for a pile of ash with the odd scrap of melted silver, in the bottom of a shallow pit ready for burying.

For the hours until the pyre is transformed into ash, Rolf stands vigil. At the last, the sun riding heavy in the afternoon side of the sky, Rolf begins work to fill in the shallow pit. Filling the hole proves far less effort than digging it originally. When the work is done, Rolf turns his attention to a healthy helping of dinner.

Elsbeth remains silent, alone with her thoughts. For quite some time she simply sits and watches, her lips occasionally moving in prayer. For all her bubbly energy, she remains quiet and attentive

Peter stands quietly for about 15 minutes and then nods towards Madelyn and Rolf, and then moves back to the round house.

The funeral passes quietly, the service went well, the body burned successfully, and the grave is filled in. There are even a few flat stones in the pile in the roundhouse that can be placed along the length of the grave as a marker.