Trond, the Giant Slayer

Trond loved raids since childhood. And how could a youth not love them, when after each raid all his grown-up relatives brought in so much interesting and valuable stuff into the house? And the scars, wow, what awesome scars would the wounded get!. And girls love boys for their scars. Trond recalled how his grandfather used to say:
– A raid – The best thing there could be in your entire life! Those plump Southerners are practically born to be poked at their soft bellies. The most important thing – Take a lot of beer with you, and set your sails straight. We, uh, had an incident once… – His grandfather would fall quiet after these words, and pensively scratch his waist.
Trond didn’t remember anything else about his grandfather, as he left for a raid once and never came back. The elders said that he was now feasting in some heavenly halls. Looks like it was so much better in these halls than in his home village, that soon after Trond’s uncle joined his grandfather. Thankfully, his mother had three brothers and five sons, so they managed to run the household more or less. Things got hard during the Winter, but in Summer, on the other hand, the earth cleared from the snow for a whole week, and you could even play ‘raid’.
When Trond survived his fifteenth Winter, his temples were shaved and he was allowed to wear an axe on his belt. This meant that the boy became a warrior. Next Summer he, together with his friends, would go sail along the river Southwards or Eastwards – to pay a visit to the ‘soft southerners’ who the older relatives often made jokes of while drunk. The lad trained himself in throwing his axe, learned to hold a bulky wooden shield, and even jumped on a riding deer once, belonging to the skald Gunner, while he wasn’t looking. The animal gave a kick and sent Trond flying, after which the young man decided he will forever remain a foot warrior.
And then came his first raid. Drakkars filled with his fellows, the rattle of weapons on shields, battle cries. Throughout the entire journey up until the first southerner settlement, Trond spent his time at the nose of the ship, looking out into the foggy coast to be the first to tell his comrades of their target. Then there was much blood on the blade of his axe, a few minor dents in his shield, and a wealth of loot. No longer a boy, but a man, Trond was exhilarated. After the first raid came the second, third, fourth, tenth…
The mighty-looking warrior now called Giant’s Bane didn’t simply take part in a raid, he led the raid. With a great axe in his hands, two axes at his belt, shield behind his back, hair flying in the cold wind. But the warrior was dressed only up to his belt, the heat of the upcoming battle warmed him. Anyone could hardly recognize the youth in him, who never managed to ride a deer. But in his heart, Trond was as happy as he was many years ago.