Chapter 116: Game, Set, Match

A man of wisdom charts

through shoals of adversity

wracked by dark night waves

their motions unknown.

-

Tides rage, wind blows

rocks grasp and tear

sea foam and fog blind

hazards to good sailing.

-

But a course can be charted

the fears of the crew calmed

a steady hand at the rudder

and the foresight to go on.

-

Sailors unsteady themselves.

the face of the unknown, fear,

what is not understood, panic.

Snared beasts lashing out

-

Key is knowledge and insight

therein lies wisdom, direction.

A course plotted through danger

the final sinking forestalled.

-

Comprehend the battering waves,

learn of the scudding shoals,

watch the sky with a fair eye,

and consider their motions.

-

See the crew and know their fears.

The wise, the weak, the new, and the bleak.

Know your crew, know your course

And chart accordingly to never sink.

—Raðsnjallamal, The Words of The Wise Counsel, from the Saga of Forseti, Reformed Norse Canon

Foreshadowing
Put spoilers here

Epigraph Tie-In

 * The epigraph is themed around knowing how the world and people actually works as opposed to how one thinks they work to chart a proper course. The chapter shows the following:
 * Fergus, not realising how insensitive he was, unknowingly hurting Eret by saying "Look at what my lass found" as if Eret was an object.
 * Hakon, knowing he doesn't want to be a person who rules by force over a restive populace that resents him, appeals to the Eirish by turning their traditional games into a grand competition and gifting them the equipment required to play it.
 * The priest who was preaching against the pagan Hooligans suddenly losing most of his flock since he could not predict the Buffalord spit curing all manner of ailments causing a lot of Christians to change their minds.

Links to the Chapter
ArchiveOfOurOwn link