Freya Ironside, Gifted by the Gods

Death and Escape

Ivar, Hvitserk and King Harald would have attacked them soon.

Freya got dressed and ready, she grabbed her axe and sword and walked out of the great hall with her father. They walked through Kattegat to get to the back entrance. Lagertha was walking at the front, followed by Bjorn and Ubbe and Freya and Halfdan right behind them and all her shieldmaidens.

Bjorn stopped in front of Guthrum as Freya went to stand next to her mother, "It is a proud day when a father takes his son to his first battle" Bjorn said to his son; Torvi had Asa in her arms and Hali by her side, but Bjorn didn't say anything to them, he just walked away with Guthrum to the horses. Freya, looking gravely at her father, accompanied Torvi and her siblings to Margrethe and kissed them goodbye after Torvi had. She smiled viciously to Margrethe as she walked away beside her mother and Ubbe and she joined Halfdan who had just stopped talking to her father, he was waiting for her next to her horse.

"It's time, my love" he said sharply, none of them were in a good mood. Nonetheless, he kissed her and helped her mount her horse; they were really going to fight them, they really were.

Lagertha and Bjorn were to the front, followed by Halfdan and Ubbe, then the Sami king and his daughter, and last Torvi, Freya and Guthrum.

Lagertha and Bjorn looked at each other and then at King Svase and Princess Snaefrid, Bjorn nodded and they detached their warriors from the main army and went into the trees. Freya, Torvi and Guthrum moved their horses closer to Ubbe and Halfdan's and continued their silent march.

They arrived at the battlefield, a big illy clearing up in the mountains, surrounded by trees. They could all see each other, Ubbe staring at the brother who betrayed him, Hvitserk staring back at him and eyeing Freya avidly; Ivar and Lagertha staring each other down; Halfdan and King Harald ... brother against brother, family against family.

Freya, her mother and brother stopped slightly behind Lagertha and the others, the Queen had her son to her right with Halfdan and Ubbe to her left.

"This is not right. It is not right that the sons of Ragnar should fight and slaughter each other. We will send emissaries" said Lagertha firmly, hoping to prevent a fight, "I agree" said Bjorn and he turned to Halfdan, who was ready to follow him and they trotted forward.

Freya feared somehow King Harald would have been able to get his brother back with him and that she would never see him again, she felt nauseous as she watched him go.

She could see both Ivar and Hvitserk from afar and she suddenly felt a fit to her stomach when she landed her eyes on Hvitserk once again, she loathed him but she felt even worse when she saw that King Harald had chosen him as hostage.

Bjorn and Halfdan met with King Harald and Hvitserk. They swapped hostages and the armies got back to their bases and talked.

Freya wanted to kill her ex-husband but she could not, she would have given start to a war when there still was a possibility for them to end it without fighting amongst themselves.

She watched as her father returned with man she despised and left the man she loved to their enemies.

Hvitserk looked at her as soon as he was close enough to talk to her but he didn't talk, not yet. Freya was the first to turn her horse back, "Guthrum" she called for her brother, he waited for Lagertha to allow him to leave with his sister early, she nodded and Freya and Guthrum made way back to camp.

"I know you don't want to see him" he said as they galloped back, "It's not that. We need to tell the Sami to stay hidden for the day, Hvitserk must not see them or we'll have no more surprise" she said, he sighed, "You're right" and he began to go even faster.