Being the daughter of Ragnar Lothbrok wasn't easy. Let alone being the sister to the best warriors in all the lands.
Isi grew to be the best shield maiden that ever lived. Even better then Lagertha. Which was surprising because she was a great warri...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Isi I need your help, we need your help."
Isi made eye contact with Eric as he walked around the corner of the hut to join them. He obviously heard the last sentence that Ubbe had said, he nodded in approval to invite him in. Which she did.
Eric handed Ubbe a cup of mead as Isi put Nikolas and Bersi into their room. War was something they shouldn't have to hear about at their age. Though from how anxious Ubbe seemed, Isi could tell that it would be introduced very soon.
She exited the room and took the seat next to Alec, who still didn't seem to be trust his uncle just yet. He soon would, Isi was certain.
"Why do you need my help Ubbe? You have done just fine without me so far" Isi said as she took the cup from her husband.
Ubbe took a sip from his as he took a moment to think.
"I have done well while we have been apart it is true, I have a wife, a son....but that will all be taken away from me if I didn't come here."
"What do you mean it will be taken away from you?" Alec asked, his mother's hand on his knee to tell him that he didn't need to be so defensive.
"I suppose your mother hasn't told you all of her childhood stories when she put you to bed had she?"
Alec shook his head.
"Well, let me inform you" Ubbe began, placing his cup on the table in front of him, ignoring the glade he was getting from his sister.
"Your mother is a very strong woman, the strongest I have ever met. She has suffered plenty in her lifetime, as we all have. You see...."
"Alec" Isi told him.
"You see Alec, me and your mother lost both of parents many years ago. Then we lost our brother Sigurd, who died at the hands of our other brother Ivar" Ubbe explained.
"She has told me about that, how Ivar wasn't like the rest of you....he was ruthless. You have another brother Hvitisirk who mother was close with" Alec said looking over at Isi.
Isi smiled as she remembered the old times. How they felt so long ago, which they were.
"So what does the past have to do with your visit Ubbe?" Isi asked before taking another sip from the golden cup.
"I was getting to that part" he smiled. "Right now Isi, Bjorn is calling all the king,queens and earls of Norway to help fight the next war....the war against our brothers"
Isi almost chocked on the air. She was aware that they had fallen out, but a fall out as big to have a war seemed a bit far.
"After I told them that you had 'died' Hvitisirk didn't handle it as well as i expected. He became a junkie. During one of his relapses he...killed Lagertha"
Isi stared at him in shock, if anyone was going to kill Lagertha she expected it to be Ivar. She was also shocked that Hvitisirk had turned down such a dark path, needing alcohol and drugs to feel somewhat happy. Things surely had changed.
She decided that she had had enough story times and brought Alec to his room. Telling him that he didn't exactly have to go to sleep but she didn't want him to hear anymore of her past.
Just as she was leaving Alec stopped her.
"Your past does make you who you are Isi."
She turned to him in the doorway, the light form the living room illuminating the teenage boy.
"I know you aren't my real mother, but you saved me instead of killing me and that's something a mother would do. I think you should help Ubbe, it may save us and your remaining family."
Isi silently nodded before closing the door behind her. The living room was empty, Ubbe standing outside on the porch while Eric stood in the kitchen.
He hugged her once she came close enough, placing a kiss atop her head. He knew this was hard for her, this was hard for all of them.
"I understand seeing him suddenly is a shock dear, but you know he wouldn't have come if it wasn't necessary" he told her, squeezing her slightly.
"Perhaps your right, if I do not go maybe Bjorn may just loose the battle" She sighed in her husband's chest.
Eric cupped her face, pulling it into his own and kissing her deeply. She kissed him back, her hands around his neck to pull him closer to him.
"Go speak to him, you have some catching up to do" he whispered, his forehead now pressed against hers.
He left her and went into Alec's room allowing them to speak privately. She wasn't looking forward to their talk, she wasn't sure what he would tell her, their had to be many stories. It had been years since they had last spoken, since he sent her away to make her own life, which she had. And now he was asking her to abandon it.
She wouldn't, even if the gods asked her themselves. As selfish as it sounded, if she was going into war....Isi was planning on taking her children with her.
She was done being a coward.
"You have done me proud Isi, you have done mother proud, father...Sigurd" Ubbe greeted as he heard the door close behind him. "I know they are looking at us from Valhalla, father would be disappointed in Ivar and how he has tore this family apart."
Isi sighed as she stood beside him, looking out onto the fields around the place she calls home.
She took a deep breath, debating on her decisions and if she was making the right choice.
"I will help you Ubbe. I will join you and Bjorn in the battle against our brothers."
Ubbe looked down at her, seeing the hurt and struggle in her eyes.
"But if any harm is to come to my family, as much as I love Ivar and Hvitisirk....I will kill them."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that" Ubbe breathed.
