DIVINE [HVITSERK RAGNARSSON]

4: FOOLISH

CHAPTER FOUR - 'FOOLISH'

A grey fog set over the Scottish lands as the morning chill set in, bringing with it a frost that settled on the blades of grass. The tents of Bjorn Ironside's raiding party held a frosty roof too, for the coldness had frozen the tiny droplets of water that lay above them. The raiding party had been in Scotland for over a week now, pillaging a town or a monastery before moving their camp along and then plundering the next town they came across.

Asta hugged her furs closer to her shoulders as she emerged from her tent, immediately engulfed by the fog as she did so. The girl was an early riser, and this day was no different as she wandered through the deserted camp. They would raid again today, she knew, one last time before they made their way back to Kattegat. Asta felt a looming sense of defeat running through her - she had secretly trained for months only to travel with the Ragnarssons and not leave their camp. Her father's eyes were on her all the time and she knew this, but she was hungry for a battle.

As she reached the middle of the camp, Asta slowed her steps. Her eyes fell upon the braided hair of a warrior and she sighed, silently asking Odin why it was him of all warriors she came across on this foggy morning.
"Hvitserk Ragnarsson." She spoke from behind him. Hvitserk jumped slightly, pulling his mind back to reality and his eyes away from where they stared deep into the forest. "I did not know you were an early riser." Asta's words were shrouded with hints of annoyance that he had ruined her peaceful morning.
"Yes, well, there are a lot of things you don't know." Hvitserk grumbled to the girl.
"You're preparing, aren't you?" She asked him. "I've seen my brothers doing it before battle." The girl was unsure of why she was attempting a conversation with someone who had been nothing but unpleasant towards her, but she had always disliked unpleasantries so the least she could do was try.
"You know nothing of battle, of fighting." Hvitserk sighed, not even bothering to look up at the girl.
"I know more than you think I do." She said sternly to him, growing tired of his attitude. "Anyway, I shall leave you to your moping. Perhaps I would like to prepare." She smirked before walking away, leaving Hvitserk alone once again.

It was now that the Son of Ragnar looked up, watching the girl walk away towards the edge of the fogged forest. He watched her long hair in the breeze as she sat down against a tree and rested her head on the bark. There was something different about her, he thought to himself, different from her brothers that irritated Hvitserk to no end. He watched her still as she sat and pondered, and he pondered himself, too.

Perhaps I would like to prepare.

What did she mean?
Hvitserk sighed as he stood up, wondering to himself over the girls words. He hoped she wasn't as foolish as he was beginning to think she was, but she wasn't his responsibility and her decisions weren't his burden.
Hvitserk saw his brothers as he wandered into Bjorn Ironside's tent, all of them pacing and preparing for the day ahead.
"Are we ready, brothers?" Hvitserk grinned as he entered the tent.
"We've had word from a scout." Ubbe sighed, "they've sent reinforcements to all the large towns. Including the one we are raiding today."
"So, what?" Hvitserk shrugged his shoulders as he frowned at his brothers. "We admit defeat and sail home right now?" He was angry that his brothers seemed to be giving up so easily. After all, they were Vikings, they were warriors and they were Sons of Ragnar. What were some reinforcements to them?
"I don't know, Hvitserk." Bjorn Ironside muttered. "We aren't an army, we're a small raiding party. We don't want to lose people."
"We won't. It is probably a small amount of men, just as a precaution. We don't just give up." He finished his sentence shouting, and Ivar began to laugh at him.
"Hvitserk, Hvitserk." He chuckled mockingly at him. "Always so angry."
Hvitserk glared at his brother, but said nothing in return.
"I agree with him, however. I don't think we should give up. I say we raid, and we kill those Christian reinforcements."