Sword and Spice (Askeladd x OC)(Vinland Saga)

12. (Nov 1009) Wager

"What the hell were you thinking? Do you have a death wish?" Cillian berated me in modern English as soon as I was within earshot, likely still wary of any eavesdroppers. His arms were crossed, his expression a storm of fury, but I merely smiled at his outburst, hoping he would see my amusement in my eyes. His narrowing gaze told me he did.

"I told you I wanted to speak to whoever knew of Thorfinn's whereabouts alone. That hasn't changed. It's not my fault you forgot."

I walked past him, eager to move away from Askeladd's camp. The last thing I needed was for Askeladd to suspect I had any deeper connection with these Vikings beyond being a traveling cook.

Still, with Cillian lurking so close to their camp, I didn't doubt he suspected something. However, I doubted he could ever come close to the truth.

"Venturing over there alone was reckless and foolish," he admonished, his steps falling in line behind mine as we made our way back to camp. "What if you instigated a duel by failing to hold your tongue and ended up provoking one of them? Or worse, what if you were unmasked?"

"Then I would have dealt with it as I always do," I replied firmly.

"How would you handle it?" he pressed, his voice firm and unyielding. "You can't negotiate your way out of confrontations with men like that. And you're just a woman. If they decided to turn violent, no amount of evasion on your part would protect you from their brutality. Do you understand the dangers you've exposed yourself to?"

He clicked his tongue disapprovingly before adding, "Given your strange behavior in recent days, you might even welcome it."

I whirled around, my fury momentarily consuming me. "How dare you lecture me about the risks I choose to take! Not after the hell you put me through, the torment I endured for your vision! Plus, fuck you, Cillian!" My hand rose as a dismissal, and I readied myself to turn around again, to march into camp, but Cillian had other plans.

He brushed off my outburst as if it were inconsequential, his dismissive attitude only stoking the fire of my rage. "Need I remind you what your sisters endured-"

Without a second thought, I unleashed my fury in a swift, violent punch. The impact sent him crashing backward, his body hitting the ground with a thud. As he lay there, dazed and bloodied, all I could hear was the harsh rasp of my own breath and the eerie silence that enveloped us, broken only by the distant echoes of laughter from Askeladd's camp.

Cillian gingerly sat up, his hand cradling his injured chin, blood staining his cheek and his split lip. I felt my own blood trickling down my clenched fist, probably from nicking his nose guard. The blood on his cheek was more mine than his.

With deliberate effort, I slowed my breathing, waiting for Cillian to rise again. "Don't you dare bring them up to prove a point. You have no right. None at all, especially when it's your fault."

He spat blood to the side, a defiant gesture that only fueled my frustration. "Is that an order?"

"Take it however you want. I'm done with your bullshit tonight."

Turning my back on him, I began to walk away, but Cillian's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Everything I've done, everything I do, is because of you. It's always been for you. Don't you dare forget that."

Despite the heavy burden of his words weighing on my already conflicted emotions, I pressed forward, refusing to let what he said deter me. Still, I couldn't resist throwing my own words back at him, my tone firm with determination. "And remember this, Cillian: I'll discard you without a second thought. In the grand scheme of things, you mean nothing to me."