The cripple and the shieldmaiden

// 18 //

The spear balanced on her flat hand. 'You sure you want to do this?' Torhild asked Ase. The girl stood before her, swinging her spear from left to fight, looking for the limits of her pain. Ase got hurt in the battle, a rider drove his horse right at her, pushing the animal against her shoulder whereby it pushed out of his place. A healer did the best he could for her and althrough it was healed, she did still felt enough of it. Torhild had only nine shieldmaidens left, it was heartbreaking but she didn't showed it to anyone. She tried to be strong, for the others but when she was alone she felt the sadness pressing on her shoulders, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
'Don't hold back for me Torhild.' Ase pulled her out of her thought. She nodded and looked aside to Björn who sat before the great hall, watching them. Torhild took a better grip over her spear and nodded towards Ase, giving her permission to attack. The girl came at her, fearless like she always was. Torhild pulled her spear up, blocking the attack before she started to fight. It looked like a dance, wood against wood, girl against girl. Torhild could see that Ase still had a lot of pain, it weakened her attemps to get through the defenses of Torhild. And it didn't took Torhild long to break her down, turning around her body and smaching the spear against the back of Ase her shoulder. Ase felt down on her knees, toutching her own shoulder.
'You're not healed Ase.' Torhild said concerned. She helped her friend back up and looked at the shoulder.
'I will be fine, let me come on the missions that the king will give.'
'No,' Torhild shook her head right away. 'You stay here, heal, we need you if the battle will get real Ase.' She explained further. Ase sighed and nodded on the advise of Torhild.
'Do you have a plan?' She asked, looking towards Björn. Torhild followed her gaze towards her brother, Björn was always in thoughts, blaming himself for what happened and thinking about a solution.
'No.' Torhild answered slowly.
 'And Ivar?' Ase asked. Torhild started the laugh, looked aside and shook her head.
'You don't want to know his plans, it involves assasin a king in cold blood and taking over a kingdom.'
'There is nothing wrong with that.' Ase laughed while walking away to her own place. Torhild smiled softly before she walked over to her brother, sitting aside him and looking just the way he did.
'How is the plan coming?' She asked after a little bit of silcence.He turned his head and looked at her.
'Work in progress.' He smiled softly. There was always a soldier who watched her, or him. The soldiers always kept an eye on her and the brothers.
'Care to share with your sister?' She asked softly, trying not to attract the attention of the soldiers who already where watching. Björn shook his head slowly and pushed his body up, walking in the great hall. Torhild followed him, Ubbe en Hvitserk sat around the table. 'Ivar wants to assasin the king.' She said when the door felt shut behind her. It was the only place the soldiers didn't go in, because she almost friendly asked them not to.
'Maybe we should let him.' Hvitserk said with a mouth full. Torhild walked over to the boys and sat aside Hvitserk, taking some of his food with a short smile.
'You don't want to get him in control of the situation. He has King Harald already behind him, I would be carefull.' Torhild explained. Ivar let a hugh part of his guard down around her so she saw a little bit more of him than usual, not that she was all the time with him. In the two days that had past there wasn't much changed. He kept an eye on her but so far that was it.  'So you better have a plan before he goes through with his.' She told the boys. Hvitserk didn't care much, he just at further. Ubbe putted his knife in the table and turned it slowly under his finger, thinking about it.
'The plan is simple, we take the settlement back first.' Björn announched. They turned their heads around when the door pushed open and Ivar crawled in.
'Making plans without me?' He asked sarcastic. He crawled to the table en pushed his body up, sitting aside of Torhild. He looked towards Hvitserk who sat on the other side of her and she just gave him a warning look not to get in to the whole "you are my property" thing.
'If my mother comes, we take back the settlement, nobody of his soldiers lives to see another day.' Björn explained. Torhild chewed on a piece of bread, her head resting on her hand.
'They will send other riders, for messages, controlling the place?' Ubbe replied on the plan.
'I can go. He won't be suspicious if I'm there.' She said. She felt Ivar his eyes almost stung in her body but she ignored it while looking at her brother.
'Not alone.'
'I will accompany her.' Hvitserk offered. King Aethelwulf wouldn't mind if Hvitserk would join her, he was not a threat, not like Ivar was.
'Again with the whole hostage thing, why can't I go?' Ivar asked, already raised in anger.
'We know what you want to do Ivar, besides, you in that castle is asking for problems. And we need you here.' Björn answered. Torhild looked aside to Ivar who sighed stubborn and laid his head over his arms, pounting. He didn't got further on it because of what Björn had said at the end. Yes, they needed Ivar and his brilliant mind here if they wanted this to work.
'So until the arrival of queen Lagertha we just do what they ask?' Ubbe finally said. Björn nodded slowly. He didn't agree with it but it was the only thing to buy some time. When Lagertha would arrive with more manpower they could move against king Aethelwulf, until then they had to do his bidding.

Ase interrupted their plans by walking in. 'We have problems.' She annouched with a serious face. Torhild looked to her brother who kept his cool and pushed away from the table, walking outside. Torhild walked after him, Hvitserk and Ubbe helped their brother. She didn't saw it immidiatly when she walked out, but when she saw it she felt a certain anger brewing in her body. King Aethelwulf had send more men, from another kingdom. They were pulling a woman on the street before they searched her house and this they did with everyone.
'From now on, this settlement is mine.' A man on a white stallion began. He must be some kind of a right men to the king, she didn't recognized him. He held his horse still before the great hall, a couple of riders aside him and looked towards the brothers and Torhild, smirking with hatered and power. 'Princess Torhild.' He began. Ase pulled slowly a knife out of her belt but Torhild shook her head while she passed by. The man got of his horse, fully armored and intimidating. Torhild changed a quick look with her brother for she walked over to him. She looked up, tried to keep her proud up when she saw the mockery on his face. He pushed his hand up, fully in armor and slapped her with the back of his hand right on the cheek. The impact was so big, she felt right to the ground. She heard strugglings behind her, Ivar hissing against his brothers to let him loose. 'The king caught your lie, you are not a daughter of Ragnar, for that you fall as property under the king. He is so generous to give you one last change. Don't ruin that princess.' He smiled down to her. She stayed put on the ground, her cheek heated from the blow. She felt some blood dripping down from her it while he got back on his horse. Torhild pushed up on her hands and turned her head towards her brother, he had his fist in rage ready but tried to keep calm when the soldier road of with his men. It didn't took long before somebody dropped aside her.
'Look at me love.' Hvitserk demanded. Torhild clenshed her teeth, in heat, in anger, in fear and douth before she pushed her body up, ingoring him and walking away before somebody could hold her back.