When Ashley stepped forward, Anlaf held up a hand to stay the guards behind her throne. The two women relaxed, if only a small amount. Even though it was only a human addressing their Earl, he could still pose himself a threat. Anlaf's personal guards - all women - were extremely protective of Anlaf and loyal to her to the very end.<br/><br/>After Ashley finished speaking, Anlaf glanced at Gunnar, then stood from her seat. She descended the few steps of the platform so that she was on the same level with Ashley. "I am Anlaf Berglund," she introduced herself. "I am the Earl of this city, and a vast amount of land surrounding it. We knew there were still people in bunkers, having lived there since the time of the great war. Your people are the first to have surfaced in this area."<br/><br/>She looked the man over, measuring him up. It had been hundreds of years since she'd seen a human in the flesh. "The world is much changed - far more dangerous than the stories I'm sure were passed down. Your people have never had to hunt for or grow food on the surface. You've never had to protect yourself from the environment or other people..." She wasn't trying to belittle Ashley, only make him realize that his people were unprepared to survive the surface world. "There are other settlements beyond mine - others that are not so welcoming of strangers."<br/><br/>Ivar, a rival Earl whose lands weren't far from Anlaf's own, had lost his way at some point. Thankfully there was a buffer of unclaimed land between them, otherwise she was certain they would have nearly constant border disputes. Ivar seemed to have forgotten that Odin had laid the task of shepherding in the new world, and guiding the survivors out of darkness upon their shoulders. Any humans that had showed up in Ivar's lands were promptly enslaved. Anlaf still remembered the task given to them by the Allfather, though, and she was not so quick to throw away tradition.<br/><br/>"You are welcome to remain in my city until such a time as you and your people decide to leave it," she finally continued a moment later. "Your wounded people will be well taken care of. Our healers are very skilled. None of your people will come to harm while you are my guests. I assume this is agreeable to you?"