The cripple and the shieldmaiden

// 23 //

IVAR'S P.O.V

Itwas always harder to get his horse and chariot throught a fighting mass than it was for the vikings who had actual legs to fight with. But it didn't change a thing for him, he felt never more driven to kill an enemy than now. Althrough he wasn't that fixated on the battle they had with this kingdom, his eyes laid on the lord, following his every move while his axe swung by an enemy, and with enemy he wasn't only thinking about those soldiers from this kingdom, he also killed his soldiers. The rage he had bottled up came out all at once, his eyes gazing over the battlefield that crossed over streets and a courtyard. Some soldier pulled himself on his chariot, trying to attack him from behind. Ivar pulled his knife from his belt and reached behind, sticking the knife in his throat, hitting a major artery. He started laughing when the man fell from the chariot and grabbed to his throat. When he looked foward again he saw that most of the fight was over, he pulled his horse to a stop and gazed over the army from vikings and soldiers from Edgar. First thing he saw was that white stallion from the lord, cantering over dead bodies with not even a smear of blood, he could bet on it that the bastard did nothing in this battle except for waiting and claiming victory. His eyes traveled down to a viking who walked by. 'Give me that.' He pulled the bow and arrow out his hands and turned a little in his chariot, laid the arrow on the bow and pulled the string. He aimed, on that arrogant face of that Lord who sat with a smug grinn on his horse watching the last parts of battle.
'Ivar.' Hvitserk panted.
'Do you not see I'm bussy brother.' He hissed without loosing sight of his target.
'It's Torhild.' Just as he wanted to loose that arrow that name came in and just with the tone Hvitserk said it he lost his interest in the lord. He lowered the bow and looked to his brother.
'What is it?'
'She is stabbed, we need you to get her out of here.' His horse starled when he hitted his reins against the animal, following Hvtiserk throught the crowd.

It couldn't be Torhild but when he saw her their was no denying that. Her skin turned pale and icecold while the blood leaved her body through the wound in her stomach. She hardly moved in her brothers arms, her dark hair braided ... just hanging there. Fear hitted him before he could even notice, she couldn't die, what would he do ... he looked up to Björn who started talking. 'Do everything you can to keep her alive.' Björn said to Ase before he looked up to Ivar.
'Protect her.' And the only answer he could give was a little nod, words stuck in his throat while looking down to the girl who even meant more than his own mother. Ase jumped on the chariot and Ivar looked up in a second to see Lord Edgar smile. 'Go!' Björn commanded.

'Her polse is weak Ivar, we need to get faster.' Ase yelled from behind him. That little more pressure broke him entirely.
'I can't actually ask my horse to fly all the way to the settlement.' He reacted with a sneer. But despite that ... he kicked his reins against his horse again, motivating the horse to get a little faster. Almost, they were almost there. She would live, he wouldn't call her a princess anymore and he wouldn't fight. The fight ... it couldn't be her last interaction with him, yelling at each other.
'How can she loose so much blood and,'
'Shut your mouth Ase.' He yelled in the wind.
'Don't get angry with me.'
'I will be a whole different kind of angry when she won't survive this ride, if she dies on your hands.' He threatened her. It was his inner instinct, protection himself meant protecting her. He killed his brother already, he couldn't loose her to. The settlement showed from over the small hill and his horse almost sounded relieved when it galloped over the little path between the houses. 'Get me a healer!' He commanded a woman who stood watch. The soldiers who stayed behind didn't ask much questions, the sight of an almost dead body on the back of his chariot clarified enough. He pulled his legs to one side while Ase pulled Torhild in her arms bringing her in one of the houses. His eyes only watched the blood, sunck in the wood of his chariot and it felt like his heart torn apart. It took him seconds before he pushed his body from the chariot and crawled inside. The healer arrived shortly after, immidiatly laying his hand on her forehead. Torhild didn't even reacted, her head just layed still, eyes shut. Ase unbuckled the protective gear Torhild wore and revealed the wound for the healer.
'Get her on her side.' He commanded. Ase pulled her body up and Ivar could only see the wound on the back. It went right through her body, how could she survive that? The healer began to preparate some herbs and an ointment. 'She can't get a fever of this, if she lives through this the gods have blessed her, but this doesn't look good.'
'If you can't heal her I nail you to a cross like the Christian lord would do.' He reacted in anger. Ase gave him an warning look but his eyes already traveled back to her pale face. The reaction on the ointment startled her, eyes flushed open and her breathing became more unsteady.
'It was,' Torhild tried, he moved closer, carefully layed his hand on her forehead while she drifted away a little again.
'Don't talk.'
'Let her.' Ivar murmuled.
'Lord Edgar.' Torhild whispered. Her hand shaked so hard when she wanted to touch the wound. Ivar followed her movement before it felt still again.
'Nothing more that I can do.' The healer said before he wrapped bandages around her stomach.
'Keep guard.' Ivar whispered to Ase. She sighed but nodded, squeezing Torhild hand before she walked out. The healer did to and Ivar looked back to Torhild, dropping his anger, dropping his guard and pressing his lips against her temple. 'I'm sorry for what I did and will do.' He said with a soft broken voice, looking at her eyes who closed again. He stroke his fingers over her hair while one tear slipped from the corner of his eye. 'I'm gonna kill him, I'm gonna kill them all and there is nobody really who can stop me.' The left over from his anger fadded in the sadness he felt. He let his forehead fall against her shoulder, fear pushing his emotions from one way to another. 'I can't loose you Torhild, I can't loose the only person I love.' In the grief of that moment he grabbed a small wooden box that just stood there and throwed it throught the room, yelling his anger and grief out before falling into tears against her body again.

Two days before he saw the heathen army return. He sat before the house, sharpening his knife with no sign or a trace of emotions. Björn and the other brothers walked in front and Ivar saw no sign of that white stallion. 'Is she still alive?' Hvitserk asked as soon as they were in range. Ivar looked up, almost uninterested in what he ask.
'Where is Lord Edgar?' He asked Björn in return.
'Torhild?'
'No no,' he held his knife up, stopping Björn from walking in. 'Where is Lord Edgar brother.' He asked again, impatient.
'Behind, we could go, he was finishing the deal. If you don't let me pass,' but before Björn could finish his sentence Ivar pulled his knife away.
'She is alive.' He replied, nodding inside. Nothing changed in two days, Torhild didn't got a fever but she didn't waked up either. Ase walked through the army and crouched beside him.
'Lagertha arrived.' She whispered. Ivar looked up to her, the plan he had, spreading with a small grinn over his face.
'Good, I need to talk to her.' He said.
'I make your chariot ready.' She nodded before walking away. Ivar looked to his knife, pulled it up to eye level, turning it against the sun. It was Torhild her knife and he was planning on using it to kill a lord and a king.

Ase road a horse before his chariot, leading him the way in the woods, far out of sight from any scout from king Aethelwulf. When they drove aside the river he could spott six vikings ships, good enough for a hugh backup, the backup they needed. Lagertha stood surround by her shieldmaidens on a open spot. She turned around, her face flattened immidiatly when she maked eye contact with him. 'Queen Lagertha, how nice from you to finally show up.' He greeted her sarcastic.
'Where are my son and daugher, I expected at least one of them.' She demaned. Ivar crossed his arms over the seat, losing his grip over the reins a little while he looked at her. He felt bad for being so arrogant again but it was his only way to cope with the emptiness that Torhild left behind in his body.
'Björn is just back from battle and Torhild,'
'She is injured.' Interuppted Ace him. He gave her a warning look but she ignored him.
'How bad?' Lagertha asked. It didn't do much on his expressions but he was glad to see that her eyes looked concerned in a moment.
'Pretty bad, she was stabbed in her stomach, slept for over two days now.' Ase explained. Lagertha looked to the water, staring in the distant while she progrecced the news she got.
'The gods are testing her.' Ivar said almost softly. Lagertha looked up to him again.
'Why are you here?' She asked. Yes he hated her, he still wanted to kill her for what she did to his mother but there stood someone in his way and he couldn't bare the thought of Torhild not speaking to him because he killed her mother.
'Good you ask. I need you to come with me and kill a lord, and a king, now we are on it.' He said almost cheerfull. Lagertha looked aside to Ase who shrugged.
'Why?'
'Your son and daughter made a deal with king Aelthelwulf, we get Torhild back and let his soldiers in our settlement, we do his bidding and in return he doesn't attack us. But then he send a Lord who ruined our whole settlement, leaded uss to battle he could easily win himself and gave his men the command to kill Torhild,' he felt still for a moment, watching Lagertha intesly. 'So, you're in?' he asked in the end.
'I'm in.' Ase said. Ivar gave her a small grinn before he looked back to Lagertha.
'Good, first I wanna see Björn. If we come up with a plan I will do it with him, not with you.'
'Hush, I'm the only one who kept your daughter safe all those weeks.' He smiled dark. Lagertha lifted her chin, not willing to give in to him. He laughed softly and shook his head. 'I will get your precious son.' He annouched, guiding his horse back to the settlement.
'Ivar.' Lagertha said. He stopped and turned around, frowning his eyebrows.
'Is she gonna survive?' She aksed. He thought of Torhild her pale skin, her unsteady breath.
'Is for the gods to decide.' He answered with a little more emotion than he wanted to. He turned around again, drove of, back to the settlement, back to the girl he loved ...

Note; I wrote this (actually had to write a imagine) because I couldn't hold myself and didn't want you all to wait to long. First time in Ivar his point of vieuw, I hope I did a good job at it? Should I maybe do it again ... let me know! =D