Daughter of Lothbrok

I. Evening before sailing

Thyra came to Floki with her eyes highlighted in black. Floki had a wife, Helga, and a daughter, Angboda. Floki turned to Thyra and smiled slightly at her

"Ready for your first raid?" Floki smiled with mead in his hand

"You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to it," Thyra nodded with a smile. This year was her time, and that was the time when she was supposed to go on a raid with her father, mother and brother for the first time, away from Kattegat. She was blown away.

As she stood leaning against a stone rectangle in which a fire was blazing in the middle of a large room, she felt a familiar gaze on her. She turned her head slightly to the side and noticed that Athelstan was standing in the shadows. Called a "priest" by some, but now he was a former priest.

Athelstan used to be a monk at the English Monastery, which was the first place Thyra's father and his men attacked when they arrived in England. Floki burned the place and Ragnar had a few monks captured for sale into slavery. Athelstan is among them. When they sailed back to Kattegat, each surviving man had one thing to take away. Ragnar took Athelstan. Athelstan spoke Viking language a little, as he traveled and spread their faith about Jesus. Ragnar saved his life. All the other monks were killed. Athelstan worked on the farm for Ragnar under the pretense that he would not die. Ragnar was not stupid and he knew that Athelstan could tell him a lot about England. As time and years passed on Kattegat, Ragnar and Athelstan became great friends, and Athelstan even embraced the Viking faith and believed in Odin, Thor and other gods. After Ragnar became an Earl and later king, Athelstan became an important part of the Kattegats' success in England. Ragnar gave him time to train and the monk became a warrior. Today Athelstan lived with them. He had his own house, but he spent all his time with them in the Great hall. Athelstan didn't have many friends, mainly because a lot of people condemned him for still being a Christian. Although he already had a sacred bracelet on his hand and did not wear the cross.

Athelstan gave Thyra a nice smile. Thyra smiled back, but her examination of the former monk with long hair and beard and a cute look was interrupted by Floki.

"I wonder what you still see on that priest," Floki said and took a bite of a piece of chicken

I don't know... Athelstan has been living with us for a long time. He's come a long way to fit in, and he's a great friend to Ragnar," Thyra said

"Mhm... Sure," Floki said, not even looking at Thyra. He didn't give her a look until Thyra stood up and her dress fluttered around Floki's face. Thyra bypassed the group of Vikings and came to the wooden pillar by which Athelstan stood.

"Will you sail with us to England?" Asked Thyra, leaning against the wooden pillar without looking at the former monk

"Ragnar told me I'd be his John the Baptist, so I guess I'll have to go," Athelstan chuckled. "Why do you ask?" He asked, looking at Thyra leaning against the opposite side of the wooden pillar

"Uhm just like that... This is my first raid this year, and I'll be glad if you're there," Thyra replied, staring at Athelstan from the ground. Then she transferred her weight to her body again, "Maybe it could be fun not only for fighting," Thyra winked at him and left. Athelstan stared at her for a moment.

Athelstan met a lot of women on the Kattegat and even slept with some of them. Perhaps he regretted a little when, when he was on Kattegat the first night, Lagertha and Ragnar, when they were still together, invited him to share a bed. But he refused at the time because he was a monk. Thyra reminded him very much of Lagertha in her face. But her behavior was like Ragnar. She was patient but at the same time fearless, and she was a shieldmaiden. He had significant feelings for her that he didn't want to admit to himself, and at the same time he was a little afraid of Ragnar of what he might do to him. Thyra was many, many years younger than Athelstan, after all, and she was mainly the king's daughter. The daughter of his master and friend, with whom he did not want to lose trust.

Athelstan shook his head at his thoughts, and continued to watch the action with folded arms