Storytelling is an art in all societies that suffer from long and dark winters. The ability to tell a tale is praiseworthy, but nobody knows whether they have the gift until they try. Here a farmer, known to be more taciturn than otherwise, tries his hand at telling a story and surprises everyone with the result. Soon friends and neighbors are sitting around the fire listening to him as the cold winds blow outside. He enters a contest held by a neighboring Jarl but is afraid of making a fool out of himself in a more sophisticated company. Yet the Jarl is confident that he will succeed. Fair warning: this is not the Disney Channel. These stories take place in a society in a violent era with a different set of values. Some stories are dark, grim, or otherwise disturbing.