After getting you situated, with healers making medicine to help heal your sickness and your wounds, Ubbe had gone out and found Lagertha's frozen body.
She had been covered in snow and ice, her skin as white as her hair, dried blood peeking from her lips.
Yrsa hadn't stopped crying and neither did anyone else.
When the room was empty and you heard Torvi's weeps, Ubbe's angry voice and people whispering, you slowly crawled out of bed. You could barely hold yourself up so you shouted for a slave, watching as one ran in.
"Help me to Lagertha." You coughed
"My Queen-"
"Now!" You ordered
The young woman nodded and helped you walk into the throne room where Lagertha's body lay on a table, Torvi standing over her while Ubbe paced around.
Upon hearing your cough, everyone's eyes snapped to your own teary ones.
"Astrid, you should not be standing-"
"Quiet!" You hiss to Ubbe who frowned and sighed, stepping out of your way
You limped to the table before you finally managed to reach your aunt. With a whimper, you frowned at her cold state and sat down beside her, holding her hand as silent tears fell from your eyes.
"What was she doing here?" Torvi sobbed. "What of my children? Were your dreams true?"
You frowned at this, finally remembering why you two had travelled back to Kattegat.
Your silence scared Torvi to the bone. "You don't know." Ubbe said, rushing to comfort his crying wife as she stared at you with wide eyes.
"No. No, Astrid clearly knows. Astrid. Tell me what happened." Torvi sternly said
Hali died. The village was attacked. Hvitserk killed Lagertha.
"She's still in shock, Torvi. I'm sure the children are-"
"No. No. I have to go. I have to find out." Torvi said, rushing out of the room with a slave following her.
"Where is my brother?" Ubbe asks a guard as he rubs your shoulder to try and comfort you. "Where is Hvitserk?"
Ubbe noticed how you let out a shaky sigh at his brother's name and grew confused. Why were you now upset at the mention of his brother?
"Go and find him. I need him." Ubbe sighed
The guards nodded and left the room, shutting the door's to the hall behind them, leaving you and Ubbe alone with Lagertha's body.
"Come, Astrid." He huffed, prying your hands away from Lagertha's and gently picking you up, carrying you to the back room so you could rest.
-
Torvi had returned with Asa, seeming to behave as if she was fine after finding out of Hali's death.
A slave named Gyda had willingly sacrificed herself in Lagertha's honour, to serve her in Valhalla.
You smiled at the thought. Odin had chosen Gyda because Lagertha's first and only daughter was also named Gyda.
She had died of the plague at the age of 12 and Lagertha never had another child. At first, Torvi had volunteered to sacrifice herself to accompany and serve Lagertha in Valhalla.
Unaccepting, you ordered for a woman to bring in a raven so that Odin himself could choose. And the raven landed on Gyda's shoulder.
You stood beside Lagertha as she laid on the bed that had been placed on a boat. Her body was cleaned and she was now dressed in white, prepared to begin her journey to Valhalla.
"Farewell, Lagertha... my shield. One of my heroes. One day, we shall meet again in the halls of the Aesir, and you will teach me once more how to fight as a woman and how to prevail. For us woman always prevail. That is what you helped teach me and that is the truth." You sigh, sitting beside her. "I love you, Aunt Lagertha. There is really nothing else to say. I know that you will look after my sister, Angrboda, as Ragnar has, just as I know you will look after my son, Baldur. There will be so much for you to do... but please don't forget them. Angrboda is always curious and will wander off so you have to keep an eye on her." You chuckle before it fades and tears shine in your eyes.
"I must live in the world without you. But I know that wherever I go, you will go with me... and give me hope and courage." You shakily said, placing a kiss on her forehead.
Yrsa walked up the ramp and onto the ship. You helped her on and watched as she walked toward her grandmother.
"Goodbye, Lagertha. Don't worry. The Valkyries will ride alongside you and guide you to Valhalla." Yrsa said before running back into your arms.
You weren't surprised that Bjorn had arrived just as the boat was about to set sail. The people, on the other hand, whispered to themselves upon seeing him.
"Bjorn." You frowned, going to tell him but he grabbed your arm.
"You don't need to tell me, my friend. I already know." He sighed. "My mother is dead."
With that, Bjorn moved to stare at the boat, tears in his eyes as he sat down and quietly spoke to his mother.
The boat was set in fire before the ramps were moved and the ropes were pulled, cracking and breaking the ice.
It was a sad day in Midgard, the world finally coming to accept the death of Lagertha Ingstad, the greatest shield maiden of all.
The sun shone bright that snowy day. Everyone could feel Lagertha's presence.
Even Ivar as he looked to the sunny sky high above as he remained in Kiev.
Even Hvitserk as he weeped in his bed, the memory of killing Lagertha being one of the worst ones he had.
Even the gods could feel it as they feasted in their halls, looking to the doors to see when Lagertha would come through.
Everyone weeped that sad day. You included.
Looking up to the mountain, you saw Lagertha's former shield maidens draw their lit arrows. Firing, the arrows landed around the boat
As the boat moved further and further away, you smiled when you saw Lagertha standing at the back and waving to you all. But you frowned when you realized that you were the only one who could see her.
Your frown grew when you realized that this was Lagertha's spirit saying goodbye, for you would not see her again until you reached Valhalla...
Yrsa moved onto the ice and brushed the snow away, looking underneath. You didn't hesitate to follow once you realized why.
She could see Lagertha to. She was like you.
You brushed away the snow and sat beside your daughter with a smile, seeing what she saw.
Lagertha, beautiful and glowing in the water. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be at peace as horses danced around her. The glowing spirit sunk further down until she reached the bottom where she rested beside Ragnar's own spirit.
Two lovers, fated to be together for all eternity. As Lagertha rested beside her former husband, you watched as she slowly turned into sand with a smile and realized that she had finally made it to Valhalla.
When both Ragnar and Lagertha's sand figures dissolved, you let out a shaky sigh as tears filled your eyes once more.
"Did you see, Mama?" Yrsa quietly asks, still looking down at the water
"I saw, darling. I saw. You are like me." You whispered as you pulled her into your arms.
-
Ivar looked back down to the castle before him with a confused frown and sighed.
"Did you see, Mama?" He heard a little girl ask
He jumped in shock, looking around for a young girl but saw nothing. Then he wondered who this girl was. Why did she feel familiar?
"I saw, darling. I saw. You are like me."
Ivar froze at your voice and slowly smiled. He hadn't heard your voice in years. It was still calming. Both eerily and mentally calming.
"What do you mean? How am I like you?"
"You can see what others cannot. See, we can look around and see our lost loved ones, our lost warriors, we can even see the gods."
"But you said Papa is a god. Why can I not see him?"
"Perhaps you have seen him, Yrsa. But remember, you don't know your father. You don't know what he looks like."
Ivar smiled as he listened to the two of you, sitting down outside the palace and listening closely but he frowned when the conversation stopped.
Had that truly been his wife and daughter or his imagination, he wondered.