In which after the numerous losses she was forced to experience, Ylva the Dread begins to lose herself, slowing descending into madness like her brother and father before her. Will she be able to save herself before she's far too gone to be saved?
V...
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At where his father had set up camp the day after their defeat at the hands of King Olaf, Rorik stood near his father. He sighed, his arms crossed as he watched his father stare into the distance. "We're surrounded," Bjorn spoke up after a moment of silence, "Let's acquit ourselves well. I don't intend to miss out on Valhalla."
"Bjorn!" A man suddenly called out as he and others dragged a man over, "We found him in the camp. He says he needs to speak to you."
Rorik rolled his eyes, recognizing the man to be one of the ones who had swum away like a coward when the attack on them began in the water.
"What is the matter?" Rorik asked the man in an angered tone as he moved toward them, "Haven't you betrayed us enough, coward?"
"I have a message from King Olaf," The man informed Bjorn in a weak tone, "He won't attack if you agree to meet him."
Having had enough, Rorik stepped forward, beginning to unsheathe his ax.
The man sighed, turning to give him a stern look. "He also said you can forget about all that, if you kill me."
Bjorn sighed. He turned, exchanging a look with his son, who was watching him closely.
Bjorn had noticed Rorik doing it ever since they left for the journey together. He knew Rorik was studying him, picking out the differences between his way of dealing with things and Ylva's. It was obvious he was doing so. Many others did the same.
He knew the look on Rorik's face, too. He was wondering if his father would actually obey the man and let him get away with betraying them. Ylva wouldn't, that was for sure.
Ylva would refuse to heed Olaf's command. She'd most likely take the man's head and send it to Olaf as a way to say she would not be ruled by anyone, especially a man such as him. She'd claim if Olaf wanted to make orders, he'd have to do it himself instead of sending weak men such as the man standing before him to do all the dirty work for him.
That was the type of ruler Ylva was. It made her different than many who ruled in that day in age. She didn't send people to do her dirty work. She did it herself. She got her hands dirty.
It was why many people loved her so much. She did everything herself. She wasn't the type to sit back and let everything be done for her. She showed the people that she was just like them, unlike people like Ivar who wanted people to treat him as though she were a god.
It made her like Ragnar. People adored her and some even viewed her to be like a goddess and great hero to her people, but she was never that and she knew it. She knew she was an ordinary woman and made sure people were reminded of that.
Turning back to the man standing before him, Bjorn began to glare. He stepped toward and before the man could react, Bjorn had headbutted him in the face.
