Quietly the alert guardsman approached Ólafur, raising his double headed spear ready to aim at the strange, naked intruder with his long blond hair, sitting on his knees in front of the precious hoard of swords. The young guardsman was known to his friends as Aasim, which appropriately meant ‘protector’ or ‘guardian’ in their language, since he was appointed to guard the great treasure of captured swords which belonged to the Emir.