Sophie Ealhmunding, a young woman enslaved and thrust into the world of the Vikings, quickly captures the attention of every man in Kattegat, especially the gaze of Ragnar Lothbrok, the king of Kattegat. Will she endure his cruelty, or will her rebe...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
WITH A RAPID HEARTBEAT, Sophie sprinted desperately away from the individual who had thrown the axe at her. She plunged deeper into the woods, eventually reaching the river, which blocked her path.
Terrified, she spun around, her eyes scanning for an escape route, only to find no one pursuing her. There was absolutely no one in sight, waiting to harm her. Was she losing her mind? Was it all a product of her imagination?
Judging by her surroundings, Sophie knew she was lost. As she prepared to move again, she heard nearby rustling, triggering her defensive instincts.
In her mind, she formulated an escape plan while anxiously waiting with widened eyes for her pursuer. To her astonishment, the predator was none other than Ubbe, one of the brothers she had been avoiding for the past few days.
However, there he stood, panting, hands outstretched to show Sophie he meant no harm—only for the axe in his hand to derail his intentions as she bolted once more.
"Sophie!" Ubbe shouted as he sprinted after her. This time, however, she was much slower, and he managed to knock her to the ground, pinning her down.
"Get off me!" Sophie writhed, attempting to escape from under him, but her efforts proved futile.
"Stop fighting," Ubbe spoke into her ear as he maintained his hold. "I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then let me go," Sophie hissed.
"And you won't run away from me again?" Ubbe panted.
"No," Sophie breathed, finally conceding and going still.
With that, Ubbe released his grip, allowing her to roll onto her back and then sit up. She eyed him warily as she stood, dusting off her dress. "Why are you here?" she asked.
"To teach you how to fight," he said.
"You almost killed me," she told him.
"That's not true."
"How's that not true?" Sophie asked.
"Because, as I said, I'm here to help you," Ubbe reassured.
"I don't need your help," she said before turning to walk away from him.
"Don't you want to learn how to fight like Torvi?" Ubbe asked, following her.
"No," she replied as she took long strides away from him. How did he know about her training with Torvi? It was probably Queen Aslaug.
She could hear Ubbe's footsteps behind her before a sword landed at her feet. "Defend yourself," Ubbe said from behind, and before she had time to react, he swung his sword at her.
Sophie managed to duck just in time, her hand finding the sword which she quickly grabbed before regaining her footing. One undeniable aspect of her was her speed and fast reflexes.
The second swing was harder than the last, and this time Sophie swung her sword as well, the sound of clashing metal resonating in the air.
She had to admit that Ubbe was much more powerful than Torvi, whom she had grown accustomed to fighting with.
"What are you doing?" Sophie breathed out.
"Teaching you," Ubbe said.
"I said I—" Sophie was cut off as a third swing came at her, and again she defended herself, barely.
"Less talking, more fighting," Ubbe urged, following the third swing with a fourth one. "Go on, hit me," he commanded her.
Sophie didn't need to be told twice as she channelled her anger and swung her sword at him, but she failed as Ubbe grabbed her arm, twisting her around, and threw her to the other side.
This time she stayed down for a few moments, trying to catch her breath, as Ubbe waited impatiently for her to stand. "On your feet," Ubbe commanded again. "Come on."
"You're a terrible teacher," she panted as she found her feet.
"And you're a terrible student," Ubbe replied before swinging his sword again. However, this time Sophie failed to defend in time and found herself once again in Ubbe's grasp. He grabbed her by the neck of her dress, pulling her closer and pressing the sword against her skin.
She flinched, her chest rising and falling with each breath as she stared into his eyes. "Never hesitate," he advised, his gaze intense, making her want to flee before he released her.
He held out his hand for her to hand him the sword, and she obeyed, watching as he sheathed it before speaking again. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he turned to walk away.
"What about Torvi?" Sophie asked, following.
"I'll be the one teaching you from now on," he informed her.
"What if I don't want you to?"
"You have no choice," Ubbe told her.
Sophie was somewhat glad for the opportunity to fight one of Kattegat's best warriors, but the fact that she had disappointed Torvi made her curse herself. She must have looked foolish in front of him, but who cared? She was trying to learn.
Sophie liked Torvi, but having someone more experienced was better for her, despite him being one of Ragnar's sons—those she had been trying to avoid. She had to remind herself that he was not like Ivar or Sigurd, that he was a good man, and that he genuinely intended to help her. What could go wrong?
Her thoughts circled back to her initial fear upon seeing him in the woods, and the questions resurfaced. How did he know she was seeking Torvi's help, and above all, why did he want to help her instead of Torvi? Did Torvi ask him to? Had she grown bored of her?
She needed to calm her mind and think clearly.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
