𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄, vikings

𝟐. 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐; 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬
(𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗏, 𝖾𝗉 𝗑𝗏𝗂𝗂𝗂 - '𝗋𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗀𝖾')

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 Sigyn arrived at the blacksmith's shop, she had asked for a new set of knives and a sword to take with her to Wessex — it would be her first time fighting against the Saxons and Sigyn didn't plan on going to Valhalla just yet. Did it make her less of a Viking to feel scared before a great battle? Well, there wouldn't be courage without fear so maybe it was alright for her to feel all that anxiety and apprehension. She wouldn't tell about her fears to anyone though.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite shieldmaiden!" Sigyn heard as soon as she left the blacksmith's shop carrying all her brand new weapons. A few steps from her was Hivtserk with a sly smirk on his lips.

Sigyn looked him up and down, his clothes were a mess as if he had gotten dressed in a rush — the brunette figured he probably did, and checking the direction he was coming from she figured why. "Busy night?"

Hivitserk's older brother, Ubbe, had gotten married the previous day — Sigyn went to the ceremony and everything, she was friends with the groom after all. The thing was: Margrethe, the bride, used to be a slave working for the princes, and three of them — that Sigyn knew of — used to share her — as if she was an object, the boatbuilder's daughter couldn't begin to explain how much she disliked their attitudes —, so when the eldest brother decided to claim Margrethe as his wife the younger siblings had to back off. Or so Sigyn thought.

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, Sigyn?"

She scoffed and kept walking. "You wish."

He chuckled but didn't push the subject further. "I see you are prepared for battle already." the girl felt one of the knives attached to her waist being taken away. "What do you say? Think you can win one against me?"

"We both know I can kick your arse while you are sober," there was a proud smirk on her lips as she spoke, still walking with the prince trying to catch up with her. "imagine what will happen when you are recovering from a drunken night."

"I guess we will have to see, huh?" there went another knife of Sigyn's.

"Give me back my knives, Hvitserk." she demanded. "Don't be childish."

The prince only grinned towards his friend and held his arms up as she tried to catch the knives from him. Predicting what would come next was a kick on either his stomach or his balls, he moved around the shieldmaiden before she had time to act. "C'mon, Sigyn! Don't you want your new knives back?" he taunted.

As soon as her green eyes met his blue ones Hvitserk realized two things: he had gotten on her nerves and his challenge was accepted. Being trained by Lagertha herself, Sigyn wouldn't back down to any man who messed with her — no matter if it was in a playful manner or not. Seeing the girl was ready to advance on him, the Ragnarsson secured the two knives he stole from her in the back of his belt. The first punch came before the boy could defend himself and he would most likely have a dark bruise on his ribs later. In seconds they were both moving in synchrony as if their silly fight was a well-rehearsed dance. Every punch Sigyn threw next, Hvitserk caught and every time he tried to hit her back the shieldmaiden dodged his blows with agility. Then Sigyn got close enough to knee his groin, it was an unfair move and the young woman was aware of it. But, by the gods, she didn't have all day to play combat with Hivtserk! While he groaned in pain, she quickly took her knives from him.

"I warned this would end up well for you." she mocked the prince who bent down in pain and then turned to leave. "See you tonight! Hope you can walk until then."

༻✵༺

𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄, it was time for the sacrifice. All people that currently were on Kattegat stood at the main square ready to ask for the gods' blessings in the battles to come. That wasn't just an ordinary sacrifice, however. They were about to send out the largest army yet, being defeated by the Saxons wasn't an option — their people would hardly recover from such failure. An outstanding sacrifice was necessary. A person. Earl Jorgensen was the one who volunteered, how could he refuse an opportunity to feast with the gods later that same night and the for all the nights to come? Drums were being played as the man walked towards the center stage where the ceremony would happen. Soon came Lagertha dressed in white to perform the sacrifice, she walked like the queen she was not minding the death glares Ivar was giving her.

Sigyn stood with Hvitserk and his brothers, she could see her mother on the other side of the crowd holding Tanaruz closely — the young shieldmaiden prayed to the gods that the girl wouldn't bring more sadness to her mother but only the opposite —, by Helga's side, as usual, stood Floki with Ivar sitting on a chair in front of him. Why did her father have a good bond with the cripple full of anger issues but not with her? Sigyn wondered the same thing time after time.

"So, Earl Jorgensen." Lagertha began looking deeply into the man's eyes. "Are you ready to sacrifice your life to appease and honor the gods?"

"I am not afraid." he answered in a heartbeat.

"The gods are ready." as the queen said it a man ripped the Earl's blouse out of him. Lagertha then started chanting words, which the crowd repeated after her.

So it happened. Lagertha held out her sword and pushed it into Earl Jorgensen's stomach, only for him to hold onto her shoulders and push it further. The tip of the sword was visible at his back. The queen and current priestess took the sword out of the man and immediately he fell to the ground, his blood pouring all over the stage. Like everything else in the world, the dealings with their gods were also solved with blood.

All ended up with blood, that was the Viking way.

A/N
THIS IS A FILLER CHAPTER GUYS and i'm sorry it's so short (and lame too?), i promise the next one has more action! and i have already started writing it, so it should be out soon