"And what happened then?" He obviously knew that she was referring to her. Ronja gave a deep sigh as if her heart was burdened down by the thoughts.
"I was raised there, trained with them. Learned the way to fight, the way of the true Gods."
⚠️Warni...
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The sun was setting down on the second day of their traveling. They traveled past the roads avoiding any contact with humans. Something that Ronja couldn't understand, but she didn't question Birger just yet. Her ass was hurting, and she wanted to make her horse push him off his.
For the first few hours, she didn't mind catching up, but then his voice made her annoyed. It was like nails being nailed onto her scalp. What was with men and boasting. When they finally settled far from the road, and somewhere in the middle of the forest, she was ready to smash his head into a tree. Did he not get the hint when she was absolutely quiet. Sighing, she rested her head close to the fire and closed her eyes.
*
The tension in the air annoyed him. The first day without her eyes on him, and he felt lost. He hated the feeling, being deprived of her attention made him angry. Even a small sound made him snap, and people around him noticed, they avoided him even more. It was getting dark again, and it made him nervous that she wasn't back. Did they encounter Harald? Was she dead? Was she alive? Did that fucking Bridge do something?
Ivar sharpened his ax for the millionth time today, he was planning on spending there the night as he did last night, but a scream brought him out of his thoughts. He grabbed all of his weapons and ran outside as fast as he could. But what he saw was not something he was expecting.
The city was burning, and he could see dead people everywhere. Was he that deep in thought he didn't hear an attack. Charging into the battle headfirst, he sliced at his enemies. How could this happen? They were ready for a siege, not an invasion. His arms never got tired as he sliced at his enemies, and soon he found himself covered in blood. He felt the droplets sliding over his face and he could taste it in his mouth. His eyes searched over the place as he cut the man charging at him open. The warriors of Kattegat, were scattered around disordered. They were not ready for this.
His eyes caught a sight of Torvi surrounded by men. His brother nowhere around, and Ivar found himself running to her aid. He bent under one of the man's arm and cut his neck. He kicked another coming at him and threw his axe at his head. Now he was happy he had two of them. The man's scream blended with the cry of a woman.
Ivar's head whipped towards Torvi, and his gut twisted. An arrow point was sticking out of her throat, and the only thing she did was gurgling blood before slumping forward. Guilt tucked at him, but he didn't have time for this. He ran, fighting his way through to the great hall and looking for a familiar face. He wanted an explanation.
He could hear the arrows wheezing past him, and he did his best to zigzag. His stomach was tight with the rush of adrenalin, and his fingers itched with excitement. He loved the rush of bloodlust that was floating in his veins. He loved the smell of blood around him. His hand swung left and right until he came before the Queen of Kattegat. He turned ready to go on and leave her to be killed. Her husband took his throne for all he cared she could rot.
'Promise me you will protect her,' he wanted to run out of this city and find Ronja that was all he wanted, but her melodius voice made him stop. Damn the woman! Cursing he spun around.
His ax flew at the man that pushed her down, hitting him in his temple. He didn't waste time charging forward with a booming roar. Ivar picked up his axe and killed every man standing in his way. Once he stood in the middle of bodies, covered in blood that he could taste on his lips as it slid over his face, he turned to the Queen. Gunnhild was sitting there, cupping her stomach trying to regain her breath. So Ronja was right, the Queen was with a child. His hand outstretched forward. At the moment, it seemed that Gunnhild trusted him more than the shieldmaidens around her as she accepted his hand.
*
She woke up with a strangled gasp. Sitting up, she tried to regain her breath and put a reassuring hand on her chest. Looking around, she noticed how dark it was and how long she must've slept when she saw the embers in the fire pit. Birger was sound asleep across from her and Ronja rolled her eyes, so much for keeping watch.
She stood up, her knees shaking from the dream. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember it anymore. Picking up her gear, she started walking through the forest, trying to clear her mind. Stumbling because of the tree branch in her way, she realized that she walked further than she thought. Before her was the trading road, and her brows furrowed in confusion. In the mud were horse and footsteps marks.
Bending towards one of the trails, she noted how it was old few hours. Picking up her head, she regarded how much trails there were. So many of them and so long that they reached the hill fifty meters away from her. Suddenly her mouth gone dry as she looked behind herself. The line was going as far as she could see, leading for Kattegat. Cursing, she stumbled into the woods and tried to find her way back to her horse.
*
Pushing his way through the guards guarding the great hall, he noticed how his brother was screaming furiously. "Somebody must've opened the gates for them!" He yelled outraged and pushed a chair over in his fit. The only thing that seemed to bring him back was his wife. Gunnhild opened her arms for the bear-like man, and he gladly leaned into her. Ivar noticed his brother Ubbe sitting at the table his head in his hand. He loved Torvi, and today he didn't only lose her but also his unborn child.
"Someone must've let them in and, conveniently, Haldor nor Ronja are here." Ivar heaved, a sigh escaping him, he knew that Haldor couldn't be trusted.
"She wouldn't betray us, especially not your pregnant wife." He knew that it was not his business to tell, but by the gasps, in the room, he was glad that he took the attention of Ronja. Bjorn turned with a murderous look towards his wife, or maybe it was adorning look. For Ivar, Bjorn's face looked the same all the time.
*
She held the knife to his throat, her breath ragged, and he startled awake. "You betrayed me!" Birger looked as if he was ready to piss his pants, and Ronja tried her best to even her breathing. She was seething with rage, and her insides were filled by uncontrollable vengeance that Vidar filled her with.
"You weren't there for me, were you?!" She felt pitiful. She trusted Haldor again, and it will cost her the people she bonded with.
"We were stopped by Harald on our way, and he offered us a deal. More money than Bjorn and promised Haldor something he wanted since you were a child." Bile rose in her throat. She wanted to kill, destroy everyone who aspired to stand against her happiness. That's why he always said she deserved a King, he wanted her to marry Harald. Looking straight into his eyes, she sliced his throat. Without a second regret, she was sitting on her horse and riding towards the man that she loved.
