[ act ii - burn the kingdoms down ] CHAPTER FOURTEEN ( the battle of york )
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ALTHEA'S HORSE CAME TO A SLOW STOP AS SHE looked out upon the English town of York. She was glad to know that her husband, Gunnar, was finally back at her side. His horse came to a stop next to hers. Althea breathed in deeply, she did not understand why they needed to pillage this city as it was nowhere near where they had to be, but she understood. She understood that they would not be landlocked, surrounded by Saxons on all sides.
The tactics from the mind of Ivar the Boneless were that of a madman, but a great one at that. Although she did not understand, she agreed with every plan he had brought to the table. Althea's thoughts ran wild from things that seemed mundane in that moment before battle, slowly she slid off the horse that was as white as her hair. She handed her reins to someone from her army.
She drew her sword and the ax of her ancestors, the ones who helped create the land she stood on, she walked towards Ivar's chariot. Gunnar following behind her as he handed his reigns to the same man Althea had. Gunnar pulled his sword from its sheath and spun it in his hand. She watched as Hvitserk climbed up to stand next to the madman that was his younger brother.
Her eyes locked with the piercing electric blue eyes of the youngest son of Ragnar Lothbrok - her face was stern, without any emotion, and without any command, she walked past the sons of the greatest Viking to ever live. Taking charge, her feet carried her towards the gates of York behind her the great heathen army followed. The screams of the men echoed through the air around her, her men caught up with her quickly, trying to protect their princess. She watched as the Saxon soldiers began readying their bows. Althea lost sight of her husband.
She was worried but knew he was better and just hoped that if he still had any remaining pain, he would come find her. She could see the men on the walls of the city readying their bows. A Saxon gave an order and the arrows were released. Arrows whistled around them, one as close to her ear that she could feel the tip of the arrow make a slight abrasion, the arrow was then lodged into a Viking behind her. In a blur, the battle seemed over as the Saxons were no match for anyone, let alone a Viking.
Althea followed the men to what seemed like a place of worship, they had pushed the doors open and stopped, staring at them. She could hear the sounds of people but they did not seem scared at all, as they carried on with their activities. She was surprised to see that the people had not noticed the commotion outside the walls of this holy place. She stared at the sight in front of her they were speaking in a language she did not understand. It was not that of their normal tongue. It was not until a woman turned around and screamed, alerting everyone else heathens arrival.
She watched as the men she was with started to slaughter everyone in the building, although she was a murderer she would never kill someone in what they believed was their holy place. She and her men stood idly by, she would not give an order for her men to attack. She watched but it soon became too much when Althea witnessed a man slay a woman with a newborn in her arms. She could soon hear the screams of a man, the screams were loud and deafening till they turned to a gurgle.
