Winchester
No one POV
Freya was standing next to Henry as they approach and Henry said "Your father is going to kill me" and Freya said "Why? Because we kissed."
Henry said "We did a lot more than that, and we are not married" and Freya said "Do you regret it" and Henry said "No, but there are rules."
Freya said "I don't understand that about you, and where you come from, there's all these rules you must follow, such as do not murder, but yet others can murder and not be punished for it."
Henry said "Well, you have rules like that too."
Freya said "True, but I still have never understood it, Do you wish to stop" and Henry said "No. I quite enjoy it."
Freya said "Well, anything that can be so enjoyable can't be wrong can it" and Henry said "I see all of those were right about us."
Freya said "I suppose" and Henry said "It is quite an interesting story, we are opposites, the Viking and the" and Freya said "Christian, perhaps they might sing a son about us."
Henry laughed and looked at her and Freya said "Alright, why do you look very worried" and Henry said "You know, my past , that assassin my treacherous uncle sent won't be the last, It'll be more, a future with me is dangerous."
Freya said "I know. You should know by now, I'm not afraid of danger."
They walked up to a moneastry and Ragnar said "What is that place?" and Athelstan said " It's a Christian church, a minster. A large one. It may be Winchester."
Ragnar said "Is it important? " and Henry said "If it is Winchester, Saint Birinus is buried there. It's a place of great pilgrimage."
Freya said "And will there be treasure there?" and Athelstan said " Yes. A lot of treasure."
Floki smiled and noticed something while looking over at Freya and Henry and Floki said "What's up with you two?".
Freya said "What?" and Floki said "You seem different."
They moved towards Winchester and Ragnar said "What is it with you two, your smiling a lot" and Freya said "Yes, I smile, Father, I can smile when I'm happy."
Ragnar said "No, no it's not that, see you've always been a terrible liar" and Freya said "Oh, that's not true, I can lie when I need to, like when I hold back my distain for Aslaug."
Ragnar said "You insult her every chance you get" and Freya said "Believe me, that is holding back. If I were a terrible liar, I would have said much more when you said I should marry an old man."
Ragnar said "I did not say you should marry an old man" and Freya said "Oh no no right, you only suggested it. I marry King Horik. Like I'm some cow to be sold off for a good prize."
Ragnar said "That is not what I meant,you've been alone these few years alone and angry. I only want you to be happy."
Freya said "And the fact that you would benefit from that marriage does nothing to suade your decision. I haven't been alone."
Ragnar said "What about a family, do you not want children some day" and Freya said "I do, but when I marry, it will be of someone of my choosing, I don't care what others think."
Freya rode up closer.
They are spotted and the townspeople hide inside the church, while defending soldiers take their stand against the Northmen.
Freya took out a bow and arrow and they fought the defending soldiers.
Freya was fighting another one while another pulled out his sword and Freya kept fighting and she was brought down and the man turned and Henry stabbed him.
He held out his hand and Freya took it and Freya said "Thank you."
Henry said "Well, you saved me now I have saved you, perhaps it should be our thing" and Freya looked up at him and said "Perhaps we shouldn't get used to it."
Henry said "Good idea."
They walked inside the Moneastries and King Horik said "Freya."
Freya annoyed said "King Horik."
King Horik said "Where have they all gone?" and Floki said "There should be treasure.
He said there would be treasure. Where is it?".
Athelstan said "I's over there" and King Horik said "This?! This is not treasure! This is an empty wooden table."
Henry said "You are mistaken, King Horik. The treasure is here. You're standing on it."
He reached under the table of the altar and shows them the treasures and Horik laughs delightedly said "You were right."
He grabbed the coins and Henry said "Yes, something or someone can be more than one thing, they might look like such a chair, or a King, or a Christan but inside there could be more, whether good or rotten."
Freya looked at him and Horik said "You insult me, Christian" and Henry said "Why, you think yourself rotten."
Freya smiled.
Floki said "Now, I see why you enjoy his company so much, Freya,that one has guts."
The Vikings took the treasures and Athelstan said " It is a Christian habit to bury the bones of the revered dead beneath the alter."
Warriors laugh and chatter excitedly.
Freya looked at the body ad Ragnar said "Who was this?" and Athelstan said " It must be Saint Birinus."
Ragnar said " You keep talking to me like I know what a Saint is."
Henry said "A Saint is a man who has lived a particularly holy life, performed some miracle, or been martyred killed for their beliefs. I should know it well, Athelstan repeated it to me many many times. Along with my parents."
Athelstan said "You learned it."
Ragnar said "But I am dead. What use can I be?."
Athelstan said "Christians believe that the bones can still exert benediction. Can perform miracles."
Freya said "What is a miracle?" and Henry said "Miracles are things... which are impossible to do."
Later, Outside
Freya was watching next to Henry as Bishop Swithun was being tortured and King Horik said "Shoot again."
They kept shooting arrows at him and the vikings cheer and the bishop groaned and kept praying and Henry looked disgusted and looked at Athelstan.
Freya glared at Horik and Horik said "Freya. You know, I've been speaking with Princes Aslaug, seeing as she is married to your father and she's here, she's been here for the past four years while your own mother has"and Freya said "Listen to me very carefully, King Asshole, My mother is Lagertha, My mother will always be Lagertha, and the reason that she left is because of her, She is not my mother, and if you say the same thing again, I am good with a bow and arrow."
Freya walked away.
In another building, Freya walked around and was searching it and the other Vikings looked at another part.
Freya walked around and she found a little boy hiding and Freya looked at him and the little boy looked terrified and Freya said "No , no it's okay, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."
Freya bent down in front of him and she looked back at the door and said "My name is Freya. What's your name?".
The little boy said "Joseph" and Freya said "Joseph, hmm that's a very nice name, a friend of mine told me a good story about that name. Here."
She handed him a blanket and Freya said "I need you to put this over your head and cover with it, and be very very quiet, so they don't hear you, alright."
He nodded and Freya put the blanket over him and got up.
Freya walked out.
In the camp
Freya walked up and Floki said "I have something for you, Athelstan. Henry. Don't you want it? Are these not the images of your God?".
He handed him the bible and Athelstan said "I told you before, and I will tell you again: Our God is Odin, the all father."
Floki said "I know you told me. Only... I don't believe you. At least that one is honest. About certain things, oh and here's a gift for you, Henry."
He held up the hand of the Bishop and said "The hand of your holy man, I believe." and Floki smiled and Freya said"What is wrong with you?".
Floki said "I got that boy you love so much a gift, not as great as your kissing, I admit" and Freya said "Keep talking, Floki, see what happens."
With Ragnar and Horik, Ragnar said "So tell me, how do you find England?" and Horik said " It is a pleasant land, rich with treasure."
Ragnar said "You are right. This land is rich. But here... here is the real treasure!" and he touched the grass and said "Earth? Have you not seen? Everywhere we go, there are crops. There is food growing. I am a farmer and the son of a farmer, and this is what I understand. Compared to our poor countries, where it is hard to farm, hard to live. Here, it is easy. If we lived here, we could feed everybody. There would be no hunger."
Horik said "I like your thinking, but here is my question: Will the Saxons simply invite us to live among them, hmm? But if we are to create an alliance with us, My wife cannot have more children, and I did hope to take another wife.Your daughter would be a good one, but not for me, for my son, Eriendur."
Ragnar looked at her and Horik said "Between us, it would work well as an alliance, and well, clearly you don't want your daughter to marry a Christian, she's yours to do with as you please."
Ragnar said "Freya would do as she would want, as she has told me many times, and I wouldn't expect anything else."
Later
Bishop Edmund rode up as a general of King Ecebert's army and Bishop Edmund said "Who can speak to us?".
Ragnar walked up and said "I can."
Bishop Edmund said "I have been sent here by Ecbert, King of Wessex. The king regrets your attack on the holy church at Winchester. He wonders how much longer you intend to remain in his kingdom?".
Ragnar said "Well, that depends."
Bishop Edmund said "Upon what?" and Ragnar said "Upon what he'll offer us to leave... or what he'll offer us to stay."
Bishop Edmund said "Stay?" and Ragnar said " Yes, we want to make peace with the king."
Bishop Edmund said "Peace. "
Ragnar said "So we don't have to kill any more of you."
Bishop Edmund said "I will relay your message to the king."
Bishop Edmund walked away and King Horik in Old Norse said "Wait!" and King Horik kills the general and they all looked surprised and Floki giggles.
Later
Freya was sitting next to Henry and Freya said "I hate Horik" and Henry said "Yes, you do not hide that well."
Freya gave him a really look and Henry said "I hate to defend him, but it's true, the General was trying to see how many people were here."
He looked up and Freya said "What is it" and Henry said "I'm just worried about my uncle, I really don't want to live my life afraid, that's how I felt before, but the past few years, I didn't think about him at all, it was like a fresh start."
Freya looked at him and said "Do you want to do anything about him" and Henry said "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."
Freya said "I don't, I can look out for myself. But it's sweet your worried."
Henry said "So your really going to take the risk for me" and Freya said "Yes. And you know, if you don't want to deal with your Uncle, then don't."
Henry said "He sent assassins to murder my family, and those assassins died, so I got revenge against the people who murdered my family, but I don't want the throne, I don't want it, I know the cost it brings, Honestly, I just want a calm quiet nice life."
Freya said "Really, me too" and Henry said "Really? You" and Freya said "I mean, I enjoy being a shield maiden, I do , I just it's just I miss the farm, you know with Gyda, and Bjorn, and just being a family, I want to go back to taht someday maybe with a family I make someday."
Henry said "That doesn't seem like such a bad idea."
Freya smiled and they kissed.