Shield maiden ~ Vikings

»42«

BROOOOOO A HUNDRED THOUSAND READS WTF?

I mean, most of the reads are on the earlier chapters. The quality of this went to hell like ten chapters in so I don't blame people for giving this fic up lol.

*

"Listen. Who can tell the saga of Björn Ironside? Perhaps only Odin, his ancestor. But unworthy as I am, it falls to me. They say the hearts of women are turned on a whirling wheel . . . but my heart belonged to him. And when he died, the High One cried aloud. I knew him as a man. I knew his weaknesses, and I knew his strengths. But if you ask me, will we ever see his likes again, I would say no. Farewell, Björn Ironside. Farewell."

*

Tamdrup

"Here's to victory, my friends!" Oleg yelled, raising a cup.

His men cheered.

"The battle of Norway is not over yet." Ivar said. "They have only retreated, and probably back to their fortress at Kattegat."

"But probably without their talisman. Their hero. Their leader. They say you killed him yourself."

Ivar looked down, smiling. "Mmm . . . I cannot be completely sure that Björn was dead."

"It's not possible to kill Björn." Hvitserk said. "I saw him, getting carried off the battlefield with my own eyes."

Oleg narrowed his eyes. "But you cannot say that he was still alive?"

"Uh . . . no. No, I cannot."

"So," Ivar turned to Oleg. "when do we leave for Kattegat?"

"As soon as we have repaired our ships. This business must be finished. I confess, we lost more warriors in the battle than I had expected. You vikings fight hard." Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened and two men were dragged in. "Who are these prisoners?"

Hvitserk stood. "This is King Olaf, once the ruler here. And this is King Harald. King of all of Norway."

"Is all that true?"

"Yes." Harald said. "Alas to say." He smiled weakly. "You cast your net And when you hauled it in, you found that you have caught both the King and the Joker."

"King Olaf's jokes were never, never my taste."

"Oh!" Olaf turned to Hvitserk. "I thought we got on famously, Hvitserk, son of Ragnar."

"Well, do you remember me?" Ivar asked. "I, too, am Ragnar's son."

"Oh, I know who you are. Ivar," Olaf said in a rough voice, making the cripple laugh. "the Boneless." Ivar laughed again. "From the sewers of York to the Silk Roads, your name is legendary."

"The question is," Oleg said lowly. "what to do with you both? In what ways can you possibly be useful to me?"

"I have no intention of being useful to you." Harald spat. "I won't bargain for my life. For a viking, that would be demeaning. To us, death is bliss, and I rush to bleed."