rebirth of the old

chapter 3: With great loss comes great sorrow

The soldiers in Harald's army fought ferociously....to the point where Ingrid and the defenses her clan had set up were soon rendered useless as Harald had ordered his men to destroy all the archer towers by setting them on fire as well as setting off the traps and setting up a blockade from the docks of frostheim as to prevent help arriving for the clan.

Ingrid and her family as well as the other villagers were desperately trying to fight off the invaders but it seemed that the invaders had a better understanding of their defenses than they had thought. Eric shouted, " We have been betrayed!" Sven responded, " How do you know that father?!" " it seems to be the only likely explanation as to why we are losing this fight!" Olga rushed to protect her husband from a near-death experience in which she became the victim instead and dropped to the ground. Ingrid rushed to her corpse and teared as the raging invasion went on and shouts of death and glory layered over her mourning of her mother.  Sven grabbed hold of Ingrid arm and took to her a nearby house for cover, Sven assured that it would be alright and that Olga would be alright. Ingrid didn't accept this statement and punched her brother in anger as he continued to weep over her mother. 

Ingrid was swinging her sword and constantly invoked Odin's name in the hope of a greater outcome.  In the blink of an eye, a horse ran and paraded in the middle of the town square!

everyone was stunned until the smoke revealed the very man Ingrid and her family feared to meet: King Harald himself. it seemed even in times of war the enemy felt the need to make a grand entrance.

Sven recklessly clenched his sword and bolted towards king Harald hoping for a desperate kill only to have an arrow swiftly slice through the air and pierce his heart as blood dripped from his mouth and king Harald laughed at his death.  

Merciful, king Harald approached the hopeless Ingrid and offered her a deal which she could not refuse. he offered asylum in a foreign country in exchange for her clan's whole kingdom. Ingrid let go of her sword and shield and knelt on the ground as she pondered about the offer that was presented before her. 

A single tear dropped to the ground and Ingrid quickly realized that all was lost and that she needed to leave. the water from her eyes mixed and mingled with the blood-soaked mud and ground as she lifted her head and saw blood death and pain surrounding her in the center as if they were all looking at her with disbelieve and anger for their loss.