Fighting, Honour and Valhalla || Vikings x The Originals x TVD

Darkmoon Forest

Thorfinn walked through the village, two guards trailing behind him. They were there on Lagertha's request, even though he found it unnecessary. She'd insisted that the Jarl might have spies lurking, waiting to put a knife in his back, and as much as he disliked the idea of bodyguards, Thorfinn relented. Still, it seemed laughable. Wherever he walked, the villagers greeted him warmly, offering small gifts or words of thanks. In just a few days, he'd done more for them than the Jarl had in years, simply by providing food to those who had been deprived of it for far too long.

His thoughts drifted back to the prison he'd uncovered a few miles outside Kattegat, hidden deep in the forest. He had killed the guards without a second thought, freeing the prisoners who had been held for no crime other than disobeying the Jarl's whims, he smiled as he remembered Orm getting his daughter back, that is how the people you rule over should be. As he passed the edge of the village, Thorfinn's eyes locked onto the line of stakes being erected. It was an added defense, something the village had lacked. The Jarl might return, but he would find Kattegat much harder to take.

Thorfinn had no delusions about the upcoming conflict. Mikael was dangerous, and Darkmoon Forest was filled with worse things than outlaws and bandits. The Ulfhednar, wolf-men, were the true threat, a clan of savages who could tear a man apart in seconds. He had fought one before in Northumbria, barely surviving. That fight was etched into his memory, a battle he was lucky to have walked away from. It was their weakness to silver that had saved him then, so he'd ordered the blacksmith to coat a dozen daggers in silver. The man thought him mad for using such wealth on blades, but Thorfinn had paid him from Magnus' stolen silver, so it didn't matter.

With the weapons prepared, Thorfinn now headed toward the Mikaelson home, his guards following closely behind. He had stationed more men around the house to ensure no one left. Thorfinn didn't trust the family, especially Kol and Esther. It was an open secret that Esther practiced magic, and Kol, from what Elijah had told him, shared his mother's gift. No one spoke of it openly, but everyone in Kattegat knew better than to cross them. But right now Thorfinn needed to look for more ways to deal with the Ulfhednar, the silver daggers may not be enough, Esther might have dealt with a few of them in her life and had ways to deal with them.

As Thorfinn approached the door, he signaled to his guards to follow him inside. The path was quiet, the guards who usually patrolled the area disarmed and locked away. They reached the door, and Thorfinn knocked hard with his fist. No answer. He knocked again, harder this time, but still nothing. With a muttered "Aliese," his eyes flashed gold, and the bolt opened. They stepped inside cautiously.

"Search the house, bring the family to the main hall," Thorfinn ordered, his voice low.

He made his way down the hallway, heading toward Esther's personal room. Elijah had warned him never to go in there, but Thorfinn wasn't about to heed that advice now. "Sorry, Elijah," he muttered as he reached for the door handle. He tried the spell, but this time it didn't work. The door wouldn't budge. He pulled harder, only to be thrown back as runes lit up across the surface, crackling with energy.

A mocking laugh filled the air behind him. Thorfinn turned to see Kol standing in the corridor, his lips curled into a sneer.

"You're a fool if you think your weak magic could break my mother's enchantments," Kol said, his voice dripping with contempt.

Thorfinn stood, rolling his shoulder to ease the dull pain from the fall. "Good thing you're here then," he replied, stepping toward Kol.

Kol raised his hand, and before Thorfinn could react, a wave of pain shot through his body, bringing him to his knees. The agony was unlike anything he'd ever felt. It was as if his very bones were on fire.