The Youngest Ragnarson

Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

Durham was full of celebrations that night but in the basement of the hall thyra was caged and alone after being defiled by sven. In the heat of the party kjartan stood.
"Everyone, Ragnar the fearless... is dead!" Cheers erupted from all around. Ashter watched on as they all cheered for his father's death, he had blood and tears on his face. Across the hall a dane sat staring at ashter.
"We have ragnars lands and daughter." He turned and pointed "And his youngest son, 'blessed' by the gods himself. Whoever can hold steadfast against him, gets to keep the boy". They dragged ashter to his feet and gave him a sword, albeit blunt, but a sword no less.

Ashter stumbled steadying himself both hands on his sword anger in his eyes. Multiple men got to thier feet to best this fifteen year old boy but had no such luck. When Ashter felt himself tiring he lit his sword with fire and the man who was staring before was his only opponent now. It was exciting to watch for the other men, thier swords constantly clashing, if only he could use his daggers but he had to keep them hidden so he could keep them. Ashter had his feet knocked from under him and he fell to his knees the fiery sword now extinguished and a blade to his throat. Ashter looked up to the person who bested him to see a man of similar age to uhtred. Kjartan stood, "he is yours boy, do with him what you will".

Ashter was rebound and dragged through the hall to a small room. Once in the room he was unbound and left to do a he pleased while the man sat on his bed. Ashter went to the corner and sunk to the floor thinking over the events of the past few days.
"You not going to tell me your name, ragnarson?" Ashter shook his head defeatedly looking up to meet eyes with his supposed 'master',
"Ashter, Ashter Ragnarson... what about you?"
"Sihtric, I'm kjartans bastard son"
"It seems we've both got the shit end of the stick" Ashter grumbled, sihtric laughed.
"How old are you boy?"
"Fifteen. And you?"
"Eighteen"
"You're the same age as my brother-"
"Young ragnar?"
"No, uhtred"
"Ahhh, the saxon"
"No, he is a dane"
Sihtric chose now to change topic,
"They say you are blessed?" Sihtric looked curious.
"I suppose"
"Are you not going to tell me?"
"You'll find out"

Sihtric tried to engage ashter into more conversation after that but the boy was in shock and still thinking over the last weeks events. A blanket was thrown at him,
"If you're going to sleep on the floor you'll need warmth." Sihtric then had a cheeky grin "You can always join me on the bed or have it when I'm not sleeping" this confused ashter,
"Thought I was your prisoner?"
"We're both prisoners here, think of it as being my... ward?" Ashter fell asleep before sihtric that night and sihtric moved him from the floor to the bed then left.

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Ashter had been there for two weeks and grew to like sihtric for all his little niceties. Last night was restless for Ashter, he could hear his sister screaming while sven assaulted her. When this happened ashter would curl in on himself and just sit quietly, sihtric always stayed in the room with him, just watching, he could see how hard it was for ashter. That's when he decided to make every other aspect of ashters time there somewhat enjoyable. Ashter had shown sihtric his blessings after some persuasion. He had been told by kjertan if he were to bend without being ordered to he would be killed on sight but sihtric let him do it in private.

Ashter and sihtric were in sihtrics room,
"I wish to bathe" ashter muttered, playing with fire in his hands. Sihtric looked up,
"when was the last time you bathed"
"The day before-" ashter stumbled with his words, he didn't want to bring it up.
"Lets go find you a lake, Young ragnarson". Sihtric stood and pulled ashter to his feet grabbing a towel for the boy. They were walking through the camp when they bumped into some of the men ashter bested the first night.
"Why is your bitch not bound sihtric?"
"Because he's well enough behaved unlike you " they continued on like the interaction never happened.

They arrived at the lake and sihtric just stared at ashter doing nothing.
"Well are you going into the water or not?"
"I am! It's just-, stop looking". Sihtric did as told and turned around,
"no magic water funny business"
"I wasn't planning on it, its not like I can escape and get a ship to Ireland, kjartan would have me hunted down before I got the chance and only odin knows where uhtred is". Ashter had gotten undressed and entered the water, he had fun bending the water every which way and soon he splashed some over sihtrics head. Ashter was laughing his head off, sihtric looked like an angry wet rat,
"I said no magic water".

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Ashter had heard men in the encampment speaking of how uhtred had gone to ubba and been made out as a traitor to thier father. While Uhtred and Brida were meeting with young ragnar who had returned to England on the news of his father's death.

They heard a rustling before uhtred stood and watched as his brother removed his hood,
"Did you kill my father?" Were the first words spoken between them. Uhtred looked dejected, "You need to ask?".
"Did you kill my family?" Young ragnars voice was rising now. "He didn't" brida cut in.
"I'm speaking with uhtred... I won't ask a second time" ragnars sword was being drawn now along with uhtreds dagger.
"If you believe that I would kill our father, our mother and our family..." uhtred threw his dagger to the floor, "take your revenge."

"I knew it, I knew it" ragnar had tears gathering in his eyes, relieved that the the truth was different from what he'd been told. Ragnar embraced uhtred, "I had to be sure, I knew it". They were sat by the fire now,
"So, kjartans story is that the English rose against our father, encouraged by you. He claims to have revenge himself for the killers." Ragnar spoke.
"Did you ever believe him?" brida asked.
Ragnar chuckled, "never... but he is lord kjartan now, he has three times the men and the ear of Ubba." Ragnar continued "when I kill him, it will need to be planned."
"When we kill him." Uhtred corrected. Ragnar looked to uhtred,
"It will be dangerous."
"It must be done. He has our brother and sister"
"Ragnar, we're with you." Both uhtred and brida said.
"We will get them back, you will sail with me?"
"I will" brida said before uhtred.
"I have sworn to Alfred-"
"It means nothing"
"Well, if you have sworn... then you must keep your word." Ragnar encouraged making brida displeased.
"I need this revenge, like I need water. When the time is right I swear I'll be with you. For Ashter. For thyra."
"I know." The family split ways, brida leaving with ragnar.

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