Although Sigurd and Hvitserk had agreed with Ivar not to babysit you, upon your arrival in England, the massive camp you had created and the nearing battle, they keep an eye on you wherever you go.
The second morning after your arrival, you go exploring in the woods and find herbs you have never seen before, new flowers, different trees, and far off on a trail that leads through and over hills, you spot horses. And beside those horses, men in armour, marching on in direction of your camp. As they approach, they use the hills to hide and walk quiet through the woods and over the small stream.
"They are coming" You throw at Sigurd who hides behind a tree and when he steps onto the broad hill side, he sees the army as well, thousand men or more, following the scouts.
"Let them"
You both head back to camp and inform the others and by the late afternoon, your entire army has assembled and waits for King Ælle as Ivar tells by the flag.
High upon the hill, the King's army stretches over the green, a smug grin on his face as he sees the few Vikings on the other side. No more than a dozen men rise over the hillside, their swords drawn, eager to attack the English army.
Floki is the first to prance onto the battlefield, grinning. And while The king and his men watch as he toggles closer, their eyes widen in horror when more Vikings follow, then more, you with them, and Hvitserk. Ivar and the others stand in the middle of the front line, Vikings all around, ready to strike.
The short lived battle ends with King Ælle captured and dragged by Ivar's chariot until they reach the site where he had killed Ragnar. High up in a tree they string him up and let him dangle.
"It is time" You say, the dagger in hand. You give it to Björn who has the honours of cutting into King Ælle, but in the end it is Floki who gets to blood eagle him and after the masterpiece is created, you hang him back in the tree. "One down" You brush the blood off on a patch of moss and grin at the brothers.
In the evening you all have a feast, but the five brothers sit around a fire arguing. Floki overhears them and scoffs at how ridiculous it is, but you distract him and the two of you start dancing around and drinking. Your cheers loud enough to attract the attention of the brothers who soon join in with other men and women. All together you dance around the fire and sing and prance, your swords drawn to re-enact the last battle of king Ælle.
The night passes fast and the next day, you use the rivers to travel into King Ecbert's kingdom unseen. Along the river side, you find and raid a small village to gather food and weapons as well as gold and what ever else you can find.
Grinning, Hvitserk slays a man that defends his wife and chases after her, but you block his path, your hand on his chest, trying to prevent whatever he has in mind. He glares at you, but before saying a word, you run after the woman.
Inside her homestead, she hides inside a room where you find a cross on the wall and a strange book with words like the ones you once learnt. You place your finger on your mouth when you spot the woman and, the sword in hand go through the drawers and rooms of the homestead.
Screaming a young boy runs at you, a pitchfork in hand, but you strike him down before he can harm you and drag his body into the room where the woman hides behind her bed. She cries out and cradles her dead son as you storm out of the homestead and join Hvitserk.
"Find anything?" He grabs your bloody sleeve, but you pull it from his grasp.
"Nothing of interest"
Hvitserk pulls a metal arm ring from his pocket and takes your hand. "I did" With a smile he places it on your wrist, in addition to the one yo had forged a long time ago, and hurries off to the next homestead where screams die at the slice of swords.
For a moment, you stand still, the arm ring splattered with blood on your wrist. Your shaking fingers cover it with your sleeve and you run after the others, through the village and when nothing is left to take, you return to the boats and travel up stream.
The brothers choose a spot on the river side to camp for the night. After the long day of sitting on a boat and watching the water of the river, you drop onto a tree stomp at the bonfire and listen to the other Vikings brag about their findings. Some hold up coins, others jewellery and one in particular, Sigurd, prances over to you and sinks to the ground right beside you.
"Have you seen this?" He holds up a dagger, the handle decorated with a leather cord, an intricate floral design on the blade. "Bet they stole it from someone" Sigurd grins as he places it on your belt.
"Why give it to me?"
"You might need it someday, and it suits you" Sigurd places a kiss on your forehead and joins his brothers at the grand bonfire in the middle of camp where most Vikings chant and dance.
For a while, you watch the embers in the fire hiss and rise, shoot into the night and burn out, but then you grow tired of it, all of it. The blood on your clothes, the screams, the raids. You stand up, have a look around, Ivar and Ubbe waving at you, and you wave back, but instead of joining them you walk away.
Do you. . .
. . . go for a swim in the river? - then continue with Chapter 46
. . . go for a stroll in the woods? - then continue with Chapter 47
. . . go to the cliffs? - then continue with Chapter 48
YOU ARE READING
Vikings choose your fate Book 1
FanfictionVikings AU: You are Siggy, daughter of Björn and Þorunn, born in 804 AD after the return from England where Þorunn suffered grave injury. However, as much as Björn loved you at your birth, he abandoned you after Þorunn left Kattegat to never return...
