Return of the Viking - script summary

   

            script summary


Author of the idea: Din Bender
Author of the script: Kirsten Fire


For cooperation:
E-mail: astroy768@gmail.com


"Return of the Viking"

(The main character of the film is a Norwegian Viking, a king of the 9th century - Arnold the Wild-Headed. According to the script legend, he ruled the fortress city of Thornheim and its surroundings until certain events. Arnold's appearance is classic Nordic - he is above average height, thin but sinewy, he has long blond hair and a beard, blue eyes, a strong-willed face with high cheekbones, he looks 30-35 years old. He is handsome, impulsive, frank, rude and charismatic).

BEGINNING

Setting: Norwegian hut of the 9th-10th centuries. An old storyteller sits by the fireplace, surrounded by curious, soot-smeared, fair-haired children. There are three of them: 2 boys and 1 girl.
BOY 1
Old Eirik, please tell us about the journey of our former king Arnold the Wild-Headed to another world! Is it true what people say about him?

STORYTELLER
Some of it is true, some is fable. But I am sure that Arnold really did visit another world. I have plenty of reasons to think so!

BOY 2
So what happened to him?

GIRL
Tell me, Old Eirik, you promised!

STORYTELLER
I'll tell you everything, don't rush, little wolf cubs! I was still a youth then - a little older than you! And I saw everything with my own eyes!
(The storyteller's story may be accompanied by footage of the events he describes - this is at the discretion of the director)
Our king Arnold, the ruler of the city of Thornheim and your village, and the neighboring villages, returned from a military campaign with great booty. How he rejoiced! How he looked forward to feasts with his relatives and all the people. But great grief awaited him at home.
As soon as he stepped over the threshold of his hall, Arnold learned from the governor that his beloved wife and two sons had died of a recent illness - black fever, as had many people from his people.
Arnold, the victor in many battles, could not hold back his sobs. He fell to his knees from the pain that had struck him, and for several days and nights he ordered that no one be allowed to see him. So strong was his love for his wife and sons. Instead of feasts, he declared a national mourning. And because of the bitterness of loss, he, being a king, did not bring a sacrifice to the gods - neither on the occasion of a successful campaign, nor at the festival of the beginning of the sowing season... That is how angry Arnold was with the gods that they did not protect his family.
BOY 1
And what did the gods say to that?
STORYTELLER
The gods were silent. They continued to rule the world and watched us from their heavenly palaces...
(drinks from a mug to wet his lips)
GIRL
Go on, Old Eirik!
STORYTELLER
And then, little Brunhilda, Arnold faced new trials.
Soon, a severe famine began in all of Arnold's lands due to crop failure - the land became infertile. Cattle died from unprecedented diseases. People fell ill and died from malnutrition. Everyone understood that this happened because of the wrath of the gods. The people were dissatisfied with the rule of their king. Everyone knows that the gods are angry with a ruler who does not honor them properly. The people reproached Arnold to his face - they believed that the gods had deprived him of good fortune and turned away from him. And with such an ill-fated ruler, all his subjects were doomed to suffer... But the king only smirked in response. The priests made sacrifices, trying to rectify the situation, but it did not help.
BOY 2
But why did he do this? Didn't Arnold feel sorry for his people?
STORYTELLER
I think Arnold simply lost faith in the mercy of the gods and decided to save his people on his own. And he did everything he could: he opened the city's storehouses and distributed the grain reserves to the starving families. He spent all his money, but the people continued to grumble.
And one day Arnold learned that things had gone too far. His old nurse, Brigitte, told him about a plot: Arnold's relatives wanted to sacrifice him himself in order to finally appease the gods (as they did in the old days!). They saw no other way out - they wanted to rid their lands of disasters so much. This caused the king's anger at everyone around him. He lost trust in everyone.
GIRL
How could Arnold be so stubborn? Why didn't he listen to people? Apparently, the gods punished him for a reason!
STORYTELLER
Don't jump to conclusions, little Valkyrie, for the story has only just begun! So, listen to what happened next.
Arnold then arranged a sumptuous feast for his relatives and warriors. And in the midst of the celebration, he accused them all of ingratitude and treason, and then cursed the gods themselves! This was unheard of!
Even the king's younger brother, Harald, his right hand, could not contain his indignation and said: "The gods and men have heard your blasphemy, and you will have to answer for it!"
In response to this, the king became furious. He overturned the tables, set fire to the banquet hall and shouted, addressing the gods:

(the burning banquet hall, in the center of it Arnold, in the smoke, screams)
ARNOLD
I curse you, gods of Asgard, and refuse to honor you. But for the sake of this unfortunate people I sacrifice to you everything I own! I do not need a kingdom where there are no people worthy of trust! You have taken from me everyone I loved! I hate you and the world you have created. I do not dream of your halls, where you feast while mortals suffer. May you all perish! And I wish only one thing - to be where all these people whom I despise are not. And where you are not. And where those who do not honor you and do not even know you live. I am sure that this will be the best place in Midgard!
The children are surprised.

BOY 1
Why did the king say such terrible words? Wasn't he suffering enough? After all, he had condemned himself to even more!..
STORYTELLER
Arnold was young and hot-blooded. He had lost hope of help from above. And for people like him, that meant losing everything.
(continues the story)
The fire grew rapidly, greedily devouring everything around it. While the people were putting out the fire, the king went down to the cellar, took a keg of homebrew with him and staggered into the dark forest. That night, Arnold got very drunk. He could not calm down and continued to shower curses on the gods and people. And when he had finished drinking everything, he fell asleep on the ground, plunging into a drunken sleep.

Episode: THE WANDERER AND HIS STORY
STORYTELLER
In a dream, Odin himself appeared to the king in the form of an old wanderer, in a torn and shabby blue cloak with a hood. The old man leaned over the sleeping king and began to tell him amazing things!
(Dense forest, a Viking sleeps, a wanderer bends over him)
WANDERER IN A BLUE CLOAK (ODIN)
Today, a very interesting case was heard at the court of the gods of Asgard. A man was in court with the gods. He accused them and blasphemed them. And the gods listened to him attentively. Their opinions on the verdict for the impudent man were divided. Some wanted to punish him cruelly, others were inclined to mercy. Mother Frigg, they say, even secretly shed a few tears and angrily looked at the Allfather, awaiting his decision.
And Odin sat and kept silent. He waited for the madman to finish speaking. And then he decided: “This man does not see the obvious. He does not understand the law of cause and effect. Obviously, he has gone mad from the misfortunes that have befallen him, and he is acting to his own detriment. But one cannot pass a harsh sentence on madmen. The one who does not know must find out what is the cause of his misfortunes. And the gods accept his sacrifice and give him what he asked for.”
The drunken king, listening to the wanderer, tries to sit up, groans half asleep: "Who are you?!" He rubs his eyes, sits up, looks around. But the wanderer is gone, there is a dark forest around. He thinks that he dreamed all this. He says: "Go to hell, ragamuffin!.." and falls asleep again.

FIRST DAYS IN A NEW PLACE
(forest in the mountains, Georgia, present day)
Day 1. Arnold wakes up and does not see the familiar area. He finds a clearing in the forest and follows it to a clearing in the mountains, from where a view opens onto a village with neat houses of a modern European type. Unknown structures (power line poles) rise in the clearing.
The Viking whistles in surprise and admiration and goes down even lower. Now he sees a dirt road. And decides to follow it to residential buildings. As a result, he walks along a residential street and listens to people talking in the yards. This is an unfamiliar language. His face shows bewilderment and anxiety. He spies on these people. The Viking observes the life, the everyday life of modern Caucasians of the 2020s.
In their yards there are strange chariots (cars). - On which strange people leave their farmsteads. They have no horses, but they have chickens, ducks, rams, goats and cows... He does not know who these people are...
Not far away there is a bell ringing, and he follows the sound and sees the dome of an Orthodox church. He sees that the people standing there are making the sign of the cross. He understands that he has arrived in the land of Christians. Then he decides to make contact.
Seeing how they are grilling shashlik in one of the farmsteads, he knocks on the gate and goes in, addressing the owners in his native language (sounds like Icelandic, but rougher). He greets them and says that he wants to buy food. The male owners do not understand him. They ask him in Georgian: "Brother, what country are you from? Maybe you're lost? There's a refugee center down here in the village. There are a lot of foreigners there. Maybe you're from there? Should I take you there?"
The Viking does not understand their speech at all and shakes his head from side to side. He is tired and hungry. He shows the Georgians with gestures that he wants to eat meat. And, rummaging in his pockets, he hands them a gold coin (Norwegian coinage, 9th century). The men whistle in surprise. The owner of the house asks: “Is this a souvenir? A collectible?” The Viking does not understand. Then the owner takes the coin, checks it with his teeth, makes sure that it is gold, and gives the Viking all the meat from the grill and some lavash. He invites the guest to dine at his table. But the Viking shakes his head and goes out the gate. He returns to the forest, eats greedily, drinks water from the spring. He makes himself a bed from branches and leaves and falls asleep.
Day 2. Arnold wakes up from the cold and raindrops. A real downpour has started. He runs along a familiar clearing to a clearing and further down the road to the houses. He rummages through his pockets, but he has no more coins. He understands that he will not be able to buy anything else. Arnold looks for shelter and quickly finds it. An abandoned garden, and in it - a half-collapsed hut. He goes inside the building. He sees a shovel, a hoe, a rake, an axe and a saw. There is an old carpet hanging on the wall, a rolled up piece of polyethylene lies in the corner. Viking rips the carpet off the wall and makes himself a bed, covering himself with polyethylene. This is how he sleeps. He is woken up by a dog that has wandered into the hut, licking his face.
Day 3. Arnold, waking up, laughs, playing with the dog and for the first time in 2 days says: - "Buddy, you are the first one in this place who I am really glad to see! Believe it or not, I don't know where I am. Am I dreaming this, perhaps? But the dream dragged on. And I can't wake up! Friend, I need to go home. I must have gone too far from my native places." The Viking eats fresh fruit in the garden, stuffs a few in his pockets for spare, takes an axe and a saw with him and goes back to the forest. The dog runs after him, but soon he is called in Georgian: "Barber, home!" And the dog, wagging his tail in a friendly manner, runs away. The Viking spends the night in the forest again, having built himself a hut and covered it with polyethylene.
Day 4. The Viking wakes up and leaves the hut. He decided to go in a different direction today. He walks for several hours and comes out onto a clearing again, and from there he can see a highway with cars scurrying along it. He goes down to it. He is shocked by the speed of the cars. It gets dark. The Viking returns to the forest and talks to himself:
ARNOLD
"This simply cannot be! This is not a dream. I have never seen anything like it. Did that crazy old man really not dream of me, did he really tell me the will of the gods? Odin, answer me! Where am I? - He shouts. There is no answer. He continues to reason with himself: I am definitely not in Asgard, not in Vanaheim, not in Jotunheim and not in Helheim...
I am certainly in the world of men, in the world of the living, but they are not like any people I know. They have plenty of food - so much so that their gardens stand abandoned and unguarded. Their houses are beautiful and abundant. They ride in horseless chariots at insane speeds. Are they sorcerers? Or has their god enriched them so for some merit? They dress in strange, bright clothes - both men and women... Their music is played by invisible musicians. And everyone has such in their homes! How can I understand their speech? Perhaps they know where my land is and how I can get there? Odin, I know that you sent me here. How do I get home? At least show me the direction!"
Suddenly a raven lands on the ground in front of him. It looks at Arnold attentively. And flies off towards the forest - where the Viking came from. Arnold understands that he needs to go back.
Day 5. The Viking returned to his hut. Returning, not far from his camp, he hears the croaking of a raven. He goes towards the sound. Under a large oak tree sits a raven and pecks at a piece of fresh meat. Under the tree lie several large fresh pieces. And there is a metal dish with milk. The Viking greedily pounces on both the meat and the milk. He is hungry, and eats it raw, along with the raven. Having had his fill, the raven flies away, and the Viking returns to his hut. He wants to find out who brought the meat to the oak and decides to watch this place.


Scene: MEETING WITH KATERINA
(The second heroine of the film is a girl named Katerina, she is modern, informal looking, wears gothic and rocker clothes (and the same jewelry - gothic pendants, spiked bracelets, etc.). She is white-skinned, with dark green eyes (smoky eyes makeup), with long black hair, Caucasian appearance, looks like she is 20-25 years old)
In the evening, the Viking sits near a large oak tree and dines on the food he got during the day. Suddenly, he sees a silhouette of a girl in a black dress among the branches. She walks quietly, silently. He watches her, hiding in the foliage. The girl, approaching the oak, begins the ritual of offering. She lights candles and incense. She puts pieces of pie under the oak tree, pours milk into a dish. Then he strips naked, raises his hands and says (in Russian):
KATERINA
Here I stand before you, Great Spirit, Master of the Forest,
Father of all the wild and free!
I am pure and natural before you, as on the day of my birth. And I thank you for the sign that you gave me. You led me from the land of death to a place of peace and joy. Hail, Master of the Forest! Hail, Father of all living!
The Viking understands that the girl is not a Christian, he runs out to meet her, worried, saying:
ARNOLD
"In the name of the gods of Asgard, help me!" (in his native language, closer to which is modern Icelandic)
The girl is in deep shock from the man who suddenly appeared from the bushes. She is embarrassed, quickly grabs her dress and wants to run. But the Viking grabs her hand. She screams, breaks free, runs, trips over a branch and falls. The Viking runs up to her. He holds his palms open, showing that he is unarmed. He repeats in his language (closer to which is modern Icelandic): "I will not harm you, let's go back, your things are there. I just need to know where I am - In the name of the gods of Asgard! Just tell me...".
The girl takes a deep breath, realizing that this is not the rapist. And suddenly repeats his last words: In the name of the gods of Asgard? (in Icelandic). - ; nafni ;sgar;sgu;anna? Gu;ir ;sgar;s?
He says, rejoicing: Yes, yes! In the name of the gods of Asgard! Do you understand me?
She says in Russian: Do you know about the gods of Asgard? The Viking spreads his hands in confusion.
KATERINA (switches to English)
Do you speak English? May I help you? Where are you from?
The Viking says hopefully in Old English:
ARNOLD
Help me, I know this language a little! I'm from Tornheim… I don't know how I ended up here!
The girl answers in English: Yes, now I understand you much better. Well then, we'll figure it out now...
She quickly puts on her dress, and once dressed, introduces herself to the Viking:
KATERINA
I am Katerina. You can call me Katie. What is your name?
ARNOLD
I am Arnold.
KATERINA (continuing the conversation):
Okay, Arnold, I will try to help you. You are lucky that I read about your gods…
She gestures to the Viking that they should return to her things. Her backpack is under the oak tree. She takes out her smartphone, finds Google Translate and asks the Viking to say something in his native language. He says: "In the name of the gods of Asgard! I want to know where I am." Google identifies his speech as Icelandic, the girl reads the translation. She looks at the Viking in surprise and says (all further communication between them takes place in English, for the convenience of the plot):
KATERINA
- You're in Georgia. This is Sakartvelo. You're in the Caucasus, Viking!
ARNOLD
- It can't be... I've been carried so far... It's impossible!
KATERINA
- Where are you from?
ARNOLD
- I'm from Thornheim, the land of the Norwegians. I'm the king of Thornheim and the villages around it!
KATERINA
- Are you kidding?
ARNOLD
- No. I'm telling the truth.
KATERINA
- Okay, king, save your strength. How did you get here?
ARNOLD
- I don't know... I don't remember... (he grabs his head, trying to remember, but he can't). I was very drunk.
KATERINA
- Now it's clearer... Don't rush, everything will become clear soon. Drink some water! (she hands him mineral water from her backpack. He drinks it, winces and looks at the strange water with bubbles in surprise and gives it back to the girl, with a distrustful face)
ARNOLD
- Can you help me, Katie?
KATERINA
- What help do you need?
ARNOLD
- I need you as a translator and guide in this land. You have this magic thing…
KATERINA
- Which one?
ARNOLD
- This one (nods at the smartphone).
KATERINA
- Everyone has this thing now! It's called a smartphone. Why don't you? Don't you like the fruits of progress?
ARNOLD
- I don't understand what you're talking about. My people and I don't have boxes like that with the spirit of the translator! Who made them for you? Dwarves or elves? I'm a rich man in my country, but even those who are richer than me don't have such a thing. I swear to you!
KATERINA
- You're joking, right? Is this some kind of prank?
ARNOLD
- No, I assure you. I have no reason to lie.
KATERINA
- Then tell me honestly: were you following me?
ARNOLD
- Yes.
KATERINA
- Why?
ARNOLD
- I saw an offering under the oak tree yesterday. I wondered who in a Christian country brings gifts to the gods. I thought that this person would be able to understand me…
KATERINA
- Hmm... Surprisingly, you guessed right. - the girl laughs. I hope you're not planning to rob the local church?
ARNOLD
- I am. But first I need to know how I can get home. How much and to whom do I need to pay? I urgently need to see my family - I didn't part with them on very good terms.
KATERINA
- My friend, you're quite the joker, I see (smiles incredulously). Let's check where you live? My magic thing will quickly show you what's going on in your street right now!
ARNOLD
- Are you serious?
KATERINA
- Absolutely!
ARNOLD
- I told you, I live in the fortress city of Thornheim, I am the ruler of this city and the surrounding area. My street is the main one in the city. There is also a large square for the ting...
KATERINA
- Let's check now! (winks at the Viking) Look here: open Google Maps. (does all the necessary manipulations with his smartphone) The fortress city of Thornheim, you say, Norway, yeah... The main street, the square - here, look... And you don't have smartphones and cars? Don't make me laugh! You don't live in a remote village, Viking. This is a normal modern city. Well, look at this beauty!
The Viking looks and can't believe it. He zooms in, zooms out (imitating the girl's actions), looks at the landscape on the smartphone screen and says, shocked by what's happening.
ARNOLD
- This can't be! I was there a few days ago. And I even caused a small pogrom. And all those houses and palaces weren't there! And the riverbed was different. And there was forest all around... There weren't such a great number of streets, people... They couldn't have appeared there overnight!
Tell me, what year is it?
KATERINA
- 2024 AD...
The Viking's face is filled with confusion. He tells her after comprehending this information:
ARNOLD
- Tell me, did you know that Odin is a cruel and treacherous god?
KATERINA
- I read about it, but I haven't had the experience yet to be sure of it.
ARNOLD
- Just trust me that it is so...
Episode: INTRODUCING SAKARTVELO
Katerina asks Arnold if he has any documents with him - a passport or a driver's license, paper or plastic. He barely understands her and answers that he does not have any papers on him. The girl asks him to look carefully. The Viking turns out his pockets, showing her that they are empty. Katerina thinks. She says to Arnold:
KATERINA
You seem to be in deep trouble, boy! You don't remember how you got here and you don't have any documents. I can't imagine how you'll be able to return to your homeland anytime soon... I need to think about it!
She invites Arnold to come with her to the village. Katerina rents a small house there, adjacent to a cliff. She introduces Arnold to the owners of the house as her friend from Norway.
To facilitate his communication, she gives him a smartphone. Katerina works remotely as a designer. She rarely left the house before meeting the Viking. Everyone around her is surprised that she has an attractive foreign friend with a strange and wild appearance.
Episode: TBILISI TOUR (just a video sequence with music)
Arnold sees the metro for the first time, a modern big city. Both heroes are overwhelmed with emotions! They go up to the monument to Mama Georgia, eat shashlik at the sulfur baths, go to the Second Hand to buy modern clothes for the Viking. In the souvenir shop, Arnold is interested in the drinking horns. Katerina buys and gives him the biggest one. Arnold wears it on his belt and drinks from it in the restaurant. Some adults and children want to take a selfie with him and tell Arnold that he looks a lot like a Viking. Katie laughs at these words, and Arnold becomes sad - since everyone around is having fun, thinking that these are jokes.

Episode EMBASSY
Katerina and Arnold go to the Norwegian embassy in Georgia. But since the man has no documents and says that he has no living relatives or friends in Norway that he can call, there is no way to identify him... They listen to Arnold, but so far they cannot help. Viking is advised to search thoroughly for his documents and report their loss to the police, and also to remember the contacts of his acquaintances who are Norwegian citizens. Viking is upset, he knows for sure that there were no documents and they will never be found. He understands that everything has changed incredibly in his homeland. And since he cannot return to his era, he decides to live in Georgia for now and study this country and the modern world.
Katerina, who was initially skeptical about the information that Arnold is a Norwegian king from the past, comes to the conclusion that he is indeed a man from outside this era while observing him. She writes about her observations of Arnold in her diary. The girl helps him study the modern world. And she decides not to argue with him, not to laugh at him, but to accept his story about himself as true for now, until all the circumstances are clarified. She tells her friends that her Scandinavian friend is a tourist and role-playing reenactor who deliberately behaves strangely in order to get used to the role of a Viking.
Episode ADAPTATION
Arnold wants to thank Katerina for her help. He gets a job in the village on a farm as a handyman. The owner of the farm offers the Viking his barn as a place where he can live. The Viking agrees.
With the money he earns, Arnold treats Katerina, buys her gifts. He makes her surprises with his own hands - souvenirs made of wood - animals and birds. They often communicate in the forest, where they met, learn each other's languages. In gratitude for the gifts, Katerina gives the Viking a medallion with runes and puts the decoration on his neck herself.

Episode CONVERSATION IN THE FOREST
(setting: forest, night, Arnold and Katerina are sitting by the fire and talking)
ARNOLD
- Tell me, to whom were you making an offering under the oak tree when I saw you?
KATERINA
- To the Green Man, the Master of the Forest.

ARNOLD
- You brought him gifts, but the crow fed me!
KATERINA
- The Master of the Forest knows best how to manage what is in his domain!
    ARNOLD
- We also sacrifice to the gods in the forests. Our lives depend on them. But we sacrifice them generously - living flesh and blood. And what did you bring? (contemptuously and mockingly) Pieces of bloodless meat and milk! Why are your gifts so meager?
KATERINA
- Frankly, I am against bloodshed. It seems to me that gods and spirits do not need flesh and blood at all. They are interested in something completely different. - Our attention, love or at least respect... They are of a different nature. And only we - mortal people and animals - need to feed on flesh...
ARNOLD
- This is our nature, we are created by the gods like this. And it is unlikely that they put something in us that is not inherent in themselves!
KATERINA
(conciliatory, wanting to avoid an argument)
Shhh... Do you hear the night birds singing? It is so beautiful around... I do not understand why sometimes this world is beautiful as paradise, and sometimes disgusting and cruel, full of blood and pain...
ARNOLD
- Do you have sympathy for the Christian faith? For sweet tales about heaven on Earth?
KATERINA
- To be honest, yes... I believe in God, as a kind Wizard who will one day transform this Earth, make it a paradise for all good people... And with the rest - will deal fairly - will burn their rotten souls and bad deeds in a cleansing fire...
ARNOLD
- And our soothsayers talk about a terrible fire in which all the worlds of Yggdrasil will burn one day. And something about an eternal happy life in one of the chambers that will miraculously survive, which will not be touched by the flames of the giant Surt. But I do not believe in these fairy tales...
KATERINA
- You are so disappointed! It must be hard for you to live... But I believe in everything that gives me the strength to live on, that inspires me!
ARNOLD
- And that is why you believe in a kind Christian God and at the same time bring gifts to the Master of the Forest?

KATERINA
- Exactly! The good God sometimes answers my prayers. Sometimes even through the Master of the Forest... Once I prayed to the Heavenly Father for help, and the answer from him was conveyed to me by a forest maiden. And it saved my life! What do you say to that?
ARNOLD
- The Allfather has many names and faces. He sees and hears us all. But do not delude yourself. He is a great trickster. And if yesterday he was kind to you, it does not mean absolutely nothing about your tomorrow...
KATERINA (laughs)
But we have TODAY. And it has you and me. And this magical night. And I am grateful to the Allfather for this!
The girl timidly presses herself against the Viking, looks at him with hope, and he hugs her back, but remains focused on his thoughts and thoughtfully looks into the fire, throwing firewood into it.

Episode CONTRADICTIONS
In the process of communicating with his girlfriend, Arnold learns what happened to his people over the past centuries. - How rich and successful the Scandinavian countries are now. He eagerly watches videos about Norway, Denmark, Sweden on YouTube.
The girl shows Arnold the famous TV series "Vikings". He watches a little, and then tells her:
ARNOLD
We are not as bloodthirsty as they showed us here. All our battles are connected with the extraction of food, goods, new lands - so as not to die of hunger. I would gladly declare peace to everyone and develop trade with neighbors. But when the lives of your loved ones are at stake, when you do not know whether you and your children will survive this winter or not, then other rules come into force. After all, your neighbors are in the same conditions. And no one wants to die of hunger.

KATERINA
Don't be upset. These are just movies - beautiful fairy tales, a show, a deception. Hardly anyone seriously thinks that this is how it all really was!
Arnold learns from conversations with Katerina about the Scandinavian sagas of Snorri Sturluson and the theories of Thor Heyerdahl, a famous Norwegian scientist. These people talked about the connection between Scandinavia and the Caucasus. About how Odin and other Aesir once lived on earth, but they were not gods, but great people and one day migrated from the south to the north... These ideas confuse Arnold's mind. This seems strange to him, because he knows for sure that Odin is a god, not a man. One day he understands how to explain this contradiction to Katerina.
ARNOLD
You see, Odin likes to travel around the worlds. Sometimes he takes the form of a man, sometimes a wolf, a snake or an eagle. Who knows, maybe one day he came to the North as a wanderer from the southern lands. And there may be traces of him in the Caucasus. And why he does such things - only he knows.
KATERINA
Maybe to teach us something? For example, not to be afraid to change our lives and build them in a new world?
DIALOGUE: The main characters about Russia and Norway
One day, Arnold asks Katerina:
ARNOLD
Why did you decide to help me?
KATERINA
Our situations are similar. You say that you lost all your loved ones and suddenly found yourself in another world. Something similar happened to me.
ARNOLD
What exactly?
KATERINA
- My big country attacked a neighboring one - small and peaceful, to take its resources. Or to sacrifice a lot of people to the gods. I don't even know what to think now...
ARNOLD
- So what? This is the norm for us. It would be strange to be stronger and not attack a weak neighbor...
And relatives kill each other for resources and power. And if you are not strong, you will die first. It's just life.
KATERINA
- You don't quite understand! This logic was common in your times, when there weren't enough resources for everyone - because of the harsh climate, lack of knowledge and technology. You were starving. The lives of your loved ones depended on the success of your raids and wars.
In our country it was different. People lived well, they were provided with everything they needed and even luxury items! They lived and traveled at the level of the kings of the past. And they certainly didn't need food! But they went to war with a brotherly people because of money or because of propaganda. And the rest - cowardly kept silent and supported the fratricidal war...
ARNOLD
- I don't understand - what business do you have with them? You weren't obliged to fight. Your job is a woman's, simple. You should read your books, teach children science...
KATERINA
- It's not that simple. Our ruler and his mercenaries began to imprison and kill people who spoke out against this war and against all the crimes of this government. And I was among those who disagreed. I faced betrayal by friends and attacks by enemies. They wanted to put me in prison. But I decided to stay alive and free. Then I had to flee my native land...
ARNOLD
- Why didn't you and those like you defend yourselves, fight those who oppressed you?
KATERINA
- We couldn't. We were unarmed and disunited...
ARNOLD
- And among us, only slaves are unarmed.
KATERINA
- I've heard about it! It's quoted so often these days! But it doesn't help matters. Modern people are very different from people like you. We'd rather run from a threat than take up arms. Even men! We're afraid of bloodshed and death.
ARNOLD
But it's a shame for you to be so cowardly! It's especially shameful for your men. They deserve this humiliation! And you women had better find other husbands and fathers for your sons, if you don't want to live your lives as slaves.
KATERINA
I understand you. What you say is close to me. But I myself cannot fight tyrants. I am too peace-loving. How can I explain to you what people like me feel? We do not want to multiply evil... We think about how to overcome it peacefully, without violence.
ARNOLD
This is what Christianity has led you to...
KATERINA
Christ did not teach cowardice! He taught mercy - even to enemies, which, by the way, is difficult for most people to apply in life... He taught that everything has consequences: he who takes the sword will perish by the sword. What a man sows, that he will also reap. Even if you look at your people - they were drowning in wars and strife, you were poor. But your country became rich much later - and not through robbery and violence. But through peaceful trade in natural resources. Now your people live very well, securely! Isn't this a sign that he received a reward from above when he changed morally and became peace-loving?
ARNOLD
By the gods, all that glitters is not gold! I have seen how the Norwegians live now. And I think that there is little courage and bravery left in them. Wealth has corrupted their souls, an alien religion has lulled their vigilance. Look, today foreigners, refugees from the eastern countries dictate their laws and customs to the Norwegians. And they remain silent and compromise. Desert natives rape our women... And their husbands and brothers are unable to protect them! This is unthinkable! We would NEVER allow strangers to humiliate us like this on our native land! My people have changed greatly... I doubt that I will meet anyone like me in my homeland today... (bitterly)

Episode CONFLICT OF WORLDVIEWS
Conflict at a Georgian feast - with Christians.
Discussion about faith, which turned into a fight.
At one of the Georgian feasts, the toastmaster raises a toast to God, to faith. Everyone drinks. Arnold and Katerina too. And then a tipsy fellow villager asks Arnold - what does he believe in? The Viking answers that he is not a Christian. And explains to the Georgian that he does not believe in his gods, but knows that they exist. And that he honors them, talks with them, but does not worship them like a slave. He is their distant descendant. And therefore does not grovel, and sometimes - argues with them and even goes to court. Then the drunk villager tells the Viking that this is nonsense. - There is only one true God - Jesus Christ. And everyone who is not him is insignificant demons. Then he approaches Arnold and tears the medallion with runes given to him by Katerina from his neck, throws it on the floor. Shows him the cross on his chest and says: "Wear a cross, not these trinkets!" Arnold becomes furious and punches the man in the face, drawing blood. People pull the fighters apart. Katerina calms Arnold and convinces him to leave the feast and discuss everything in silence.
The Viking threatens to kill Christians and burn their churches. The girl tries to explain to him that violence will not solve this problem. That religions have been and will be. Their forms change. And the goal is to control society, in one form or another. And personal knowledge is something completely different.
And no one can enslave a person with personal knowledge of the spiritual world.
The Viking agrees with her in some ways, and disagrees with her in others. He continues to say that Christians know nothing about reality, that they do not even know the real Christ and have replaced him with a false god, who, in their opinion, writes off all their sins for hypocritical repentance in a slavish pose...

Episode VEGETABLE GARDEN AND ROCK
A girl grows greens and vegetables in a vegetable garden behind a house she rents in the village. The vegetable garden is adjacent to a rock. Further on are mountains and a forest. A Viking helps her cultivate the land. The rock gets into the frame.
The girl says to the Viking, approaching the rock and pressing her cheek to it:
KATERINA
This is a magical place! When I touch this stone, I seem to hear the hum of centuries, the whisper of history. The crystals of this rock keep amazing memories... - About all the peoples who walked these mountains, shed their blood here, loved and fought...
The Viking answers her thoughtfully and sadly:
ARNOLD
I think you're right. The Earth remembers everything... Perhaps the feet of my ancestors once passed here. And this is probably the answer to the question of why the gods sent me here...
KATERINA
You say that as if you regret it! Is it really that bad for you here?
ARNOLD
I feel good with you. But I can't stay here for long. This is not my world. And I am an Alien here.
KATERINA
But why? You found a job here, established relationships with the locals, met me... I think we are having a good time...
ARNOLD
Besides you, I have no one to talk to here and nothing to talk about. These people smile at me, but they don't look me in the eye. They prefer to stare at their smartphones for hours. They are empty to me! Their god gave them such prosperity, such wealth, that my people can't even dream of! My people don't even imagine that such prosperity is possible! And yet here, as with us: people envy each other, even relatives. Everyone wants to show themselves richer and stronger than the other. Outwardly, they are kind, but they carry their poison inside. There are also those who don't give a damn about anyone, even their wives and children. They stare into their magic boxes all day long. I suppose Loki invented them to make fools of people! And he, the master of deception, did it well! These thickheads, even when crossing the road, don't look around, but at the screen, damn them, Jotuns!
The girl laughs.
KATERINA
But they are peaceful and not aggressive like your people.
ARNOLD
They are simply more hypocritical. For me, open, honest hostility is better than hypocritical friendship.

Episode PAGANS IN GEORGIA
Arnold wants to find pagans in Georgia. He shares his desire with his friend. He and Katerina visit Uplistsikhe (a cave city, the last stronghold of paganism in Georgia before Christianization), Svaneti (where the Svans tell them about their faith and light fires in honor of their ancestors-guardian spirits).
I wonder if there is a connection here? - Katerina ponders. - These people have preserved the ancient pre-Christian traditions of venerating the spirits of their ancestors as guardians of the entire Family... Are they far from your gods or not, what do you think?
She tells the Viking that in the sagas written down by Snorri, it was mentioned that the Aesir and Vanir were once people, and after death they became gods for their descendants - they heard their prayers from heaven and helped in important matters.
Katerina concludes: People in ancient times believed in roughly the same thing - in the continuous growth of the spirit - even after death. And in an eternal connection - with those you love...
The heroes visit Prometheus' Cave. Katerina tells Arnold the legend of the Georgian hero Amirani, his feat for the good of people and imprisonment in a cave by the supreme God. Arnold immediately remembers the story of Loki, also chained in a cave, and notes the difference between these characters. Amirani had noble motives, he gave people fire, and Loki was an envious person and a blasphemer of the gods, the killer of Baldr. Nevertheless, both were imprisoned until the end of their days...
(Filming can also be done in pagan places in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey. It depends on the budget).

Dialogue: ACES AND VANIR
KATERINA
You are from the people of the Aesir, I am from the people of the Vanir! - (laughs, with a bit of coquetry, flirting with the Viking)
ARNOLD
Are you serious now?
KATERINA
- Absolutely! Your compatriot from our time, the Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl, found information in historical archives about where the historical Aesir and Vanir lived before the famous campaign of King Odin to the North. So, my roots are from the area of ;;Lake Van, where my ancestors, the Vanir, lived. And you are a descendant of the Aesir clan, according to your well-known myth.
ARNOLD
- I know that among the Vanir women there were powerful witches. Like Gullveig and Freya. Now it is clear who you are.
KATERINA
- Don't flatter me! Can a runaway be called a strong witch? It seems to me that strong witches are those who control the minds of rulers, influence their decisions. Like Freya, from whom Odin himself took lessons in witchcraft.
ARNOLD
- You know, sometimes it happens that a strong magician is forced to go into exile. Or for his mistakes. Or as a test. Even such a great sorcerer as Odin could not avoid this one day...
KATERINA
- You're right. (Smiles thoughtfully) At least it gives me strength and hope - such understanding of yours. Thank you!
(the heroes communicate more and more confidentially and intimately)
ARNOLD
- Once upon a time, the Aesir and the Vanir fought...
KATERINA
- But no one could win, both were strong.
ARNOLD
Then they decided to make peace and exchanged hostages. And instead of wars, they indulged in love.
KATERINA
- So Vanadis-Freya became the beauty and strength of Asgard. Njord tried his luck with the stern skier Skadi, and Freyr amazed goddesses and giantesses with his sexual power!
ARNOLD
True, things didn't go so well for the Aesir, who were given hostage to the Vanir...
KATERINA
This also makes sense. The Vanir gave the best of their kind to their allies. The Aesir cheated and the exchange was unequal. But in the end, these peoples preserved peace. The Vanir took root in Asgard. The best shine everywhere, they can show their qualities everywhere, even among foreign people they will become indispensable, if not their own.
You, perhaps, are a cunning Aesir! You seduce me with your speeches about the love of gods and goddesses! But you look like a god - you are like Freyr! (kisses him, he reciprocates her feelings)

During the journey, Arnold develops a strong feeling for Katerina. In gratitude, he gives her his amulet medallion, which he received from his mother on the day he came of age. A spark runs between them and they make love in the forest. At night, she sings him a saga from the Elder Edda in her incorrect Icelandic, and he laughs at her pronunciation.

Episode DEFENSE AND ATTACK
The heroes return to the village. Arnold hears that the neighbors are not respectful enough to Katerina. - They make fun of her behind her back, consider her a girl of easy virtue - for living with a barely familiar man before marriage. They tease her when she does not see it. He does not like it very much.
One day at a Georgian feast, Arnold hears a vulgar proposal to Katerina from a neighbor, and beats him up severely.
Turning to Katerina, the neighbor says: “Katie, how am I worse than your Viking? You have free morals, you will give yourself to me too, if I pay you well. Look, he will leave soon, and I will stay, agree!” Katerina feels awkward, embarrassed and says: “No, I am not one of those. You were wrong about me.” The Viking, hearing this dialogue, goes wild, grabs his neighbor by the lapels and slams his head against the table.

Friends of the neighbor who was beaten half to death call an ambulance and the police. The neighbor is taken away by paramedics, and Arnold is taken to the police station. He does not resist, walks calmly with the police, he is even interested - to visit modern guardians of law and order. Katerina is very worried about what happened, sits, covering her head with her hands. Then she goes to the house of the beaten man, asks about his health. A tearful woman, the neighbor's elderly mother, who comes out on the threshold, tells the girl that he is now in intensive care. In the morning, the owners of the house ask Katerina to leave the house, terminate the lease with her. They explain to her that her boyfriend is too violent. And they do not want to quarrel with the neighbors.
When Arnold approaches Katerina's house, she is standing outside with her suitcases.
Walking towards her, he says, laughing:
ARNOLD
- Imagine, they let me go because I have no documents! A person without papers and cards is nobody to them, like an invisible man! They just wrote down where I live and let me go!
But Katerina meets him without a smile. She is irritated. Looking reproachfully at the Viking, she says to him:
KATERINA
- What have you done?!
ARNOLD
- Aren't you happy to see me?
KATERINA
- You almost killed a man!
ARNOLD
- He insulted you!
KATERINA
- So what? You beat a man for his words! This is unacceptable!
ARNOLD
- He got off easy...
KATERINA
- You don't understand: you almost killed a man! This is a crime! Do you understand?
ARNOLD
- And I thought it was a crime to call a decent woman a whore...
KATERINA
- You're acting like a madman! You've gone too far! Because of your fantasies that you're a Viking, you think you have the right to kill people!.. I was ready to put up with any of your obsessions. But there are limits to everything! - You're crazy!
ARNOLD
- What is it. And I thought you'd be glad to see me...
KATERINA
- Are you kidding me?! Leave me... I'm leaving.
Arnold looks at her with bewilderment. A taxi pulls up, Katerina quickly runs up to it. Arnold helps her load her suitcases.
He asks her when she gets into the taxi:
ARNOLD
- How far are you going? Maybe you'll tell me, what have I done wrong to you?
KATERINA
- It's no use! Be kind, don't look for me!
The girl slams the door in his face. She leaves. Arnold's face darkens, he turns around and walks away down the road, in the other direction.
Katerina arrives by taxi in Tbilisi, to her friend Nana. She meets her, opens the door, hugs, consoles.
Arnold is left alone in the village, he is very upset about what happened. So much so that he wants to leave the village. And as a farewell, he decides to rob the local church.

Episode CHURCH
A Viking breaks into a village church at night. He makes sure that there is no one there, and starts to act. He smashes icons, grabs gold objects, finds money and puts it in a bag. Suddenly, a church minister, about 60 years old, gray and bearded, in black monastic clothes, enters the temple with a gun at the ready. He shoots at the window, the glass shatters, and immediately takes aim at the Viking.
Arnold stops, looks at the monk from under his brows and takes out a dagger.
MONK
You are lost, my son. Give me back what you took here and go home.
ARNOLD
I don't know how to find my way home. I would give anything for it!
MONK (answers with a quote from the New Testament):
"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
(and adds)
If you leave now, I will not harm you or call the guards.
The Viking smiles bitterly. He puts the bag with the loot on the floor and, with the elder's gunpoint, leaves the temple into the night.
Episode PRAYER IN THE MOUNTAINS
A Viking goes into the mountains alone, in complete despair. He calls upon the gods and, sobbing, asks for a chance to fix everything.
ARNOLD
Oh, my Gods, whom I have blasphemed and cursed! I ask you to forgive me for my reproaches and curses. For abandoning my people in times of grief and famine. My wife and my children, I left you alone for a profitable raid, without my protection. My dear, you begged me to stay home. The desire for quick profit took hold of me, and as a result - I got what I wanted. But at what cost? You are dead, and I didn’t even have time to say goodbye to you…
- I understand that everything, absolutely EVERYTHING, depends on us, on our choice. What we sow today, grows tomorrow. We take lives, and lives are taken from us... And we can’t get away from it. Neither gods, nor people, nor Jotuns... That is why no one can avoid Ragnarok. Because the seed of evil was thrown into the earth...
The Viking tells the gods that he cannot bear to live in the new world, without a loved one. He feels like a stranger here, and will never become a family member. Katerina is the only soul close to him here, but he brought her problems. Arnold repents of his impulsiveness and wants to disappear...
He meets the night alone in the forest.
And in the morning he returns to the farm, where he works, helping the owner with the construction.

Episode RECONCILIATION
Katerina visits the man who insulted her in the hospital. He is already recovering. He is on a drip. She brings him a bag of fruit and leaves.
She walks alone through the city, looks at men playing backgammon, drinking wine and laughing at cafe tables. She looks at the bustle of people rushing about their business, constantly pushing her, not noticing her in their haste. Before her eyes are shots of her and the Viking's happy moments.
After walking through the streets of Tbilisi and feeling sad alone, Katerina realizes that she loves the Viking, despite his violent temper. She comes to him to make peace.
He approaches the barn where he lives and knocks.
ARNOLD (from behind the door, sternly)
Who are you?
KATERINA (gently and simply)
The one who loves you... Will you listen to me?
ARNOLD (opens the door, looks at me incredulously)
What do you want?
KATERINA
I came to make peace... I'm sorry I hurt you so!
ARNOLD (softening his tone)
Even if you tried very hard, you couldn't hurt me.
KATERINA
Will you let me in?
ARNOLD (smiles bitterly, invites her into his room with a gesture, she enters and touches his hand, tries to cuddle up to him, but he pulls away)
What do you want, woman?

KATERINA
Stay with you.
ARNOLD
You can't...
KATERINA
I can. I want it.
ARNOLD
Tonight?
KATERINA
Tonight and always!
ARNOLD
Are you sure about that?
    KATERINA
Yes!
ARNOLD
How have I, a violent lunatic, deserved such mercy?
KATERINA
I love you! Don't be so cruel to me, please...
ARNOLD
I've never been cruel to you, Katie. But you must understand me: I'm an outsider here. I will never be like the men here and I'm not going to live by their rules.
KATERINA
I don't demand this of you! I only ask you to be careful!
ARNOLD
Don't say that. Such words, spoken by a loving woman, kill the courage in a man.

KATERINA
Okay, I won't. I just want to save you from unnecessary problems, from clashes with the locals...
ARNOLD
I am who I am. I will not change. Either you accept me as I am, or you better leave now. I am not made of stone... I have become attached to you, but I can give you nothing but problems. I plan to leave here. You didn't have to get used to me...
KATERINA
Please, don't leave! At least don't leave alone! Let's do it together! I will help you with the language, with contacts, like before! You'll see, everything will work out!
ARNOLD
This is possible only in one case.
KATERINA
In what, Arnie?
ARNOLD
Will you become my wife?
KATERINA
Yes! If you are not joking…
ARNOLD
I am not joking. You are my only joy in this world!
After a night spent together, they announce to their friends their intention to get married, to have a wedding feast for themselves and their friends. Arnold has no documents, so instead of an official registration, the couple will be married by a girl they know, a representative of the Universal Church of Life, according to a pagan rite.

Episode WEDDING DAY
A Viking goes to his bride with flowers. She stands in a long white wedding dress surrounded by friends, looks at him with a loving look, smiles at him.
Suddenly, on the way to her, his body crumbles into dust, he disappears. His clothes and a bouquet of flowers that he was carrying in his hand remain on the ground. All the guests are shocked.
The bride runs to the place where the Viking disappeared, touches his clothes, hugs them to herself, sobs... She does not believe what happened.
At night, Katerina tries to commit suicide by taking pills, but her friends find her unconscious, and the girl is taken away by ambulance.

Episode RETURN
(The Hut, the Children, and the Storyteller)
BOY 1
So, did Arnold just disappear, vanish into thin air?
STORYTELLER
He disappeared only for the people of that magical world. But he appeared in ours… The gods decided to give him a chance to correct his mistakes.
GIRL
It's generous of them, but how sorry I am for his bride! What happened to her next?
STORYTELLER
Let's get back to Arnold's fate. I'll tell you about his girlfriend later.
The children nod.
STORYTELLER
Arnold woke up in his native forest, in the same place where he fell asleep. It seemed to him that he had seen an amazing dream. He thought that he had drunk too much the night before, and now he needed to put his affairs in order.
Arnold entered the doors of his konungsgard. And met amazed looks. No one expected to see him there. Especially his younger brother Harald, who became king in his place. Arnold was told that he was considered missing. He had been missing for exactly a year...
Arnold then understood everything - that this was the work of the gods, that he had not dreamed of another world - he had really been there. And he told his brother that he did not claim the power that he himself had refused. But he had a desire to help his people.
Arnold convened a large council of nobles, bonds, artisans. He took the floor, told where he had been and what he had seen. Few believed him then. Such incredible things and events he described!
But Arnold was not speaking empty words. He spoke and drew, shared with us the knowledge he had gained in that strange world. He told us what technologies should be used in agriculture to avoid crop failure, how best to treat people and livestock, what new goods could be produced for sale and exchange with neighbors. He had nothing to prove his words with except his new knowledge. And he swore by the gods that everyone would appreciate their benefits in time.
He initiated his brother, King Harald, into the secrets of new trade routes, of establishing connections with other countries - based on the information he had learned from scientific sources in another world.
And after the council was over, Arnold told everyone that he had one very important matter to attend to. And he went alone to the Caucasus.
BOY 2
Why did he do it?
STORYTELLER
He hoped to get back to that magical world, to find his bride, although he understood that he could not cope with the journey through time alone. But the hope of seeing Katerina again was stronger than his common sense.
GIRL
Tell me quickly - did he find her? Were they together again?
STORYTELLER
Alas, he did not. There was neither that world where he lived by the will of the Allfather, nor those magical things, nor those people, nor Katerina.
Everything in that land where he came was practically the same in terms of development as ours. No miracle happened.
But Arnold found the place in the mountains where he and Katerina lived. But it was a wasteland, overgrown with weeds and thorns. No house, no garden... Only a familiar rock towered over this wild area. The very one that Katerina liked so much. And it was on it that he carved his message to her in runes.
BOY 1
Why? She wasn't there!
STORYTELLER
Yes, but he knew that centuries would pass - and she would appear there. And perhaps his message would be preserved, and she would see it. And that would console her... He decided to use the only chance to somehow contact her.
GIRL
What did he write to his bride, Old Eirik?
STORYTELLER
He wrote her the following lines:
Katie, I have returned home. So the gods decided. Then I found this place and wrote this for you. So that you would know: I did not want to leave you. I fell in love with you. I believe that one day we will meet again.
GIRL
What a pity that they never got to meet...
STORYTELLER
Only in a dream. Arnold dreamed that she found his message...

Episode MESSAGE AND HOPE
A girl returns to her village after the hospital. The owners of the house called her and said that they heard about the tragedy at the wedding. And that she can return to live in her old place if she wants. Katerina returns. She becomes wild and withdrawn, wanders alone through the forest and waits for her beloved. One day she works in the garden near the cliff and sees something on it that was not there before - a barely noticeable runic inscription, already knocked down, preserved in fragments.
KATERINA (exclaims):
Arnie, it's you! I know it's you! Was everything you told me true?
The girl sees her name and the beginning of a phrase there, but cannot understand what it means. She photographs this inscription, takes an imprint of it, studies literature on runes. She is sure that the Viking left her a message, and wants to prove it.
The girl searches for scientists, sends them her materials by e-mail - to substantiate the reality of time travel. But the scientists write formal replies or remain silent. One Norwegian scientist sends her an exact translation of the phrase. He also writes that the inscription could not have been made recently. It is very old, it is difficult to establish the exact date. It is necessary to go to the site, study, but there is no funding for this at the moment. Katerina, reading this, cannot hold back her tears. She goes outside and tells everyone what is written on the rock, that Arnie wrote it for her. She shows printouts with runes and their translation. The neighbors look at it with disbelief, shaking their heads. And advise her to have a good rest.
Episode NEIGHBORS DISCUSS KATERINA
The men are sitting at a table in the yard. There is backgammon and coffee on the table.
NEIGHBOR 1
- Have you seen Katie? She's completely crazy with this story! She says her friend is from the past! And somehow he scratched a message for her on a rock!
NEIGHBOR 2
She's definitely crazy, she probably made this inscription herself.
NEIGHBOR 3
This northerner was a magician, he tricked her, played around and left. And the girl went crazy!
NEIGHBOR 1
I don't understand her! There are so many good men around, and she's fixated on this scoundrel! What are these women thinking?
Scene in a cafe CONVERSATION WITH A FRIEND NANA
Katerina tells her friend (woman) that she witnessed a miracle.
KATERINA
- Arnold wasn't lying, he really was from the past! He didn't forget about me, he left me a sign that can't be ignored. And this miracle gives me hope to live on.
FRIEND NANA
- I don't know what to believe anymore... Everyone is telling their own versions. It's crazy! The main thing now is to concentrate on yourself, on your life, on your work. We've all witnessed the inexplicable. I saw him disappear! And everyone saw it. But ask them about it now - they'll start denying it. No one wants to look crazy. So forget it, Katie. You have your whole life ahead of you! I'm sure Arnie wouldn't want you to live in the past.
Episode ARNOLD'S FUTURE
(The Hut, the Children, and the Storyteller)
BOY 1
And what happened to Arnold next? Why didn't he stay with us and rule with his brother?
STORYTELLER
Two rulers can't live on the same throne... Arnold understood this well. He remembered that he had given up his power over Thornheim voluntarily to save his people. He had served his people well after his return, passing on to us all the knowledge he had received in the other world. And he was right - it had improved our lives in many ways. Although, unfortunately, we couldn't apply everything he had told and drawn to us. Only then did we believe him - and not even all of it...
And having passed on all the knowledge to us, he decided to cross the sea for the sake of life on a new land. He wanted to build his own world there.
Arnold set off to conquer a little-studied island in the north together with Ing;lfur Arnarson. Now people call this land Iceland. Rumor has it that our former king stayed there. He founded his settlement there. And ruled the people wisely and fairly.

GIRL
And did he get married? Was he happy?
STORYTELLER
Arnold got married. But I can't tell you for sure - was he happy. As a man who experienced a real miracle and had the honor of talking with the gods, he often felt melancholy in our world...
We heard rumors that he had two wives. One daytime - the one who became the mother of his children and ran his household. A good, homely woman. Her name was Ingrid. And the other wife, the night wife. They said that she was a v;lva. The king met her only on special nights. But the surprising thing was that no one saw her except King Arnold... However, he loved her dearly, often consulted with her in especially important matters. And he very rarely told his friends about her, forgetting himself over a mug of mead. Who she was, what her name was - I don't know. Maybe all this is just tales and gossip, of which there have already been many about Arnold the Wild-Headed... Or maybe he dreamed of her...

Episode THANKSGIVING
Katerine comes to the forest and makes a generous offering under a familiar oak tree. She thanks the Allfather for everything that has happened to her and asks him to grant the Viking a happy fate, wherever he may be. Having performed the ritual, she silently prepares to leave. Suddenly, two ravens fly in, look at her, caw and peck at the offering. The girl laughs with relief - she has been heard, the gifts have been accepted. And tears flow down her cheeks...
With a happy smile, but with tear-stained eyes, she stands, swaying, as if in a trance, and in a breaking voice sings a song from the Elder Edda:
    “She sees:
the land rises again
from the sea,
green as before;
the waters fall,
an eagle flies by,
he wants to catch a fish from the waves.
The Aesir
meet on Idavoll-field,
they talk about the mighty belt of the world
and remember
the glorious events
and the ancient runes
of the great god.
Again,
they must find in the meadow
in the tall grass
the golden tavlei,
which they once used for play.
The grain will grow
without sowing,
evil will become good,
Baldr will return,
he will live with Hod
at Hroft in the halls,
in the dwelling of the gods - is that enough for you?

Evil will become good,
Arni will return...
My Arni will return!
Is that enough for you?”
THE END

Note: This story is dedicated to the Allfather and all His people in this world.

At the moment this is a summary, with time I plan to write a full-fledged script. I will be glad to cooperate with an experienced screenwriter, as a co-author of the idea and script.