Not Too Late

Regret

Yn's POV

*

I feel rotten leaving. Guilt washes over me like a wave. I've never left his side not even when he wanted me to but he needed to learn a lesson the hard way. I wouldn't let him die that's for sure. But he needs to know who the real enemy is. I hear a thud beside me and a voice following it. "I figured you'd be here" "You know me already that didn't take long" I roll my eyes and he chuckles. "My wife takes a liking to you, you know that?" "Yes and I find it annoying, how she likes to meddle in my business"

"She likes to know the new comer's" "Well I would like to keep me a secret, the real me" He looks at me curiously. "So there's really a good side in you after all" I sigh and continue looking at the water. "I know we didn't have the greatest start Bjorn but i think we can bounce back from it" "Oh really? How so?" I give him a side glance and smile slightly. "Well you're already here speaking to me and hadn't killed me yet I'm guessing that's a start" He goes to reach for my face but I catch it. I turn my face towards him.

"I don't mess around with vikings let alone vikings with wives" I throw his hand away. "Ragnar was a good man ashame how he died though" "you knew him?" "I was, not very old but I have a very good memory and it was a horrible way to die. In King Aele's case it was necessary" I look to see him getting red in the face from anger. "Do you think it was necessary?" "I'm not a cold blooded killer Bjorn, I don't kill just for the fun of it. I kill with reason and whether that reason is valid or not it doesn't matter at the end of the graceful day I am still breathing and that is all that matters" "You work just as Ragnar did he always needed a reason"

"Do not compare me to him our predicaments are opposite from one another no one has been through what I have which makes me mysterious, Ragnar was predictable we couldn't be anymore opposite" Before I could say anything else I hear a dreadful noise. I rush to my feet leaving Bjorn on the sand bank. I see smoke filling the air and I run faster. I stand corrected. Vikings can't be trusted. I push open the door of the Great Hall. "Igor! Igor where are you!?" I look around frantically as the panic starts to rise. "I'm here!" I follow the tiny voice. All the way into Bjorn and Gunnhild's room. I see him curled up in the corner.

I fall to my knees. "Igor.." He lifts his head and I see his tear stained cheeks. I open my arms and he rushes into them. "I'm sorry I'm so sorry I should have listened" "Sh sh sh sh it's okay it's okay that doesn't matter anymore" He cries into the crook of my neck. "I'm so sorry..." I pull away from him and check him for wounds. "Tell me what happened" "there was a girl, much older than me and she kept touching me then a man came over and got angry and I panicked so I used one of your methods and kicked him in the kneecaps. Then he spilled another guy's drink and then weapons come out and I ran in here"

He starts to work himself up again so I pull him in a hug. "I'm just glad you're okay.." "I won't leave you again I promise, you were right" That's the moment I regretted it. Just because I had to learn the hard way at a young age doesn't mean he should have. I hold him tight before I look him in the eyes. "This is my fault, this isn't your fault you hear me? You have nothing to be sorry about" "We we're both at fault" I kiss his forehead and hold him once again. "Come on let's get our of here" I grab his hand and lead him out into the chaos.

I sit back at the sand bank with now Igor by my side. "Why is it you don't trust Vikings? Even before we got here you hated and distrusted them" "They did something terrible that I could never forgive them for, even me saying it would make me physically sick. They not only ruined me but they ruined any chance I had at having the life I wanted" "Tell me about it" I take his hand in mine. "I wanted children always did. Believe it or not I never wanted to be a murderer" "then how did you become who you are now?" "A bad man took me away from my family one day and then bargained me at war"

I roll my eyes so the tears don't fall. "The bargain didn't work so I ended up in my first official war. Not knowing what to do I just killed everyone in sight. But I wasn't as skilled as I am now. My sword barely left the ground. Someone attacked me and pinned me to the ground with knives in my limbs. No matter how much I screamed, no one came for me. Not until after the war had ended and my side won" I look to see Igor intrigued at the story. "And when we won the bad man took me back to his village and trained me, he beat me, he tortured me and it was all apart of training. Half of these scars are from disciplinary action, because I wouldn't obey. He put me in a mindset that everyone is the enemy and it's stuck ever since because I've had it drilled into my brain more times then I could count"

A tear slips down my cheek and Igor wipes it away. I look at him and give him a smile. "that bad man was a viking and I swore I would seek my vengeance upon him when I was ready and the time was right. We would meet again." "You would do anything to make him feel the pain he put you through?" I contemplate the question. Would I do anything for revenge? I look at him as he tries to figure out my answer. "Let's go I'll watch you tonight while you sleep" He nods his head as we both stand up and head back to the royals bedroom. We walk in and I lay him down. "Get some rest okay?" "Will you ever answer my question?" I pull the blankets over him.

"When I figure out the answer I'll give it to you, deal?" "Deal" He lays down and shuts his eyes. I walk back into the great hall and see Bjorn and Gunnhild. "What's the damage?" "He wants to kill the boy" "He can take me instead" Gunnhild whips her head to look at me. "You can't" "That little boy was and still is my responsibility and I will take the punishment for him" I take deep slow breaths. "Then I'll lead you to him" Gunnhild looks at Bjorn surprised and disgusted at the same time. "Very well"