Valkyrie

Chapter Nine: Season Two

A day out of sea and I started to feel better. I became used to the choppy waters, but I was very discontented by the boys. Including my own husband and my lover. Ubbe allowed me to still go to Wessex, but he is certainly forbidding me to fight. It’s not even the fact he cared for my safety, it’s just because thralls aren’t allowed to fight unless ordered too. Tears kept threatening me, but I wiped each one away. I felt like a fool of how I acted, when Ubbe asked me to go sit with him when I came back to Kattegat, I should’ve done it. 

Hvitserk came over and placed a blanket over me, “Are you alright?” He asked.

“I’m really embrassed right now,” I confessed.

“You shouldn’t be…” “We love you, Sigrun, and we have such high respect for you,” Hvitserk said,

“You’ve done things that no woman has done before!” He took my hand in his and placed a kiss on it. I smiled at him.

“If our mother couldn’t grant your freedom, we will!”

“She is going to stay a thrall…” Ubbe said, from behind us, I glared at him with a cold gaze as a tear came down my face.

“Why is that?” Hvitserk said.

“Because a woman with freedom is a dangerous threat!” Ubbe snapped.

I turned quickly to him, “Husband or not…” I growled going over to him and up to his face.

“Thrall or not…” My breathing became heavy, “I’m going to fight, not for you, not for your brothers, but in the name of Ragnar Lothbrok, the greatest Viking of our time!” 

“If you want me to stop me, you’re going to have to kill me and I know you don’t have the guts!” 

I brushed past Ubbe and sat over in the corner and continued to wipe the tears from my eyes. From the corner, Sigurd was carving on a piece of wood, he seemed disappointed; hopeless. He could not help me and he feared to stand against his brother.

Ubbe sat next to me, his knees against his chest, “Why are you doing this to me? I thought you loved me?”

I sighed and then began to chuckle, “Don’t try to manipulate me…” 

“I’m not manipulating you, I just want to know if you love me?”

“I do!” I mumbled.

“Then why are you constantly disobeying me? You never did with my mother.”

“Because I held my tongue for the sake of my life and you and your brothers, now she is dead, I’m free!” 

I got up and went to the other side of the boat where Ivar was sitting, he was sharpening his knife; minding his business. He kept his lips closed tightly, as if words were threatening to escape. The wind brushed past him, making him shutter. I took my cloak off and wrapped it around him.

I sniffled, “I saw the horse and carriage that Floki built you, you will look magnificent on the battlefield.” 

“You are still coming with us on the battlefield despite what Ubbe said?” Ivar asked, humbly.

“I just told him, he would have to kill me to stop me,” I smiled. Ivar smiled back; a smile of relief. 

“Besides you guys need me on the battlefield to watch over you.” Ivar scoffed, glancing over to me, and then back to his knife. 

--

Wessex was nothing that I pictured. I pictured lovely fields for farming and wildflowers, but it was nothing but the smell of manure and dirt fields. It was muggy and cold. It was too cold for my taste for the Spring, some parts we hit rain. Despite the disgusting weather, I pushed forward and prepared for the battle.