The Cripple and The Shieldmaiden II

// 11 //

The company in witch they traveled grew a couple of members more. Aside the vikings and Ivar his princess there was Lord Gregor and ten of his men joining. Torhild wouldn't admit to it but she needed the rest more often because of the sickness she still felt. Nobody really noticed, except for Ase who know about her pregancy and ... 'We camp here.' Ivar nodded to a small forest, more like a set of trees pushed together.
'We can make it to Lord Cameron before it gets to dark.' Lord Gregor friendly pointed out. Ivar turned in his chariot, his gaze not open for negotiation.
'We camp here.' He repeated himself. Lady Elisabeth thought it was for her, she thanked him with a kiss an ordered her man to sat up camp. Torhild her shoulders lowered in relief and she got herself from her horse without to much problems. 'Torhild.' She closed her eyes, head resting against the saddle of her horse before she turned around. When she looked up to his faces, his eyes were a little less hatered. 'Rest.' Ivar nodded to the forest the others were making camp.
'I'm fine.'
'You don't look fine.' He clicked his tongue before she could say anything else. That was it, the more matured Ivar, paying enough attention to recognize the details. Torhild leaded her horse away and tied him on a tree before she walked over to Ase.
'Does he know?' She asked. Torhild turned around and looked to Ivar who cantered his stallion away from the other horses to a safe spot to tie him up.
'He is harder to read, I don't know.'
'He is older.' Ase corrected her. Torhild looked to the long braid Ivar had on his back and nodded softly.
'Sometimes, not always.' Torhild smiled softly before sitting down.

A extra effect of being pregnant was that she had a stronger sent for things. Mainly that meant she didn't eat meat anymore because she could almost smell the blood still on it but in this situation it saved lives. Her eyes flew open and she sat up in the improvised tent. 'Ase.' She waked her friend, looking for her axe before walking out. Half that forest, a large circle around their camp was on fire. 'Ase!' Torhild warned her friend again. How could it be a circle of fire? And where were the guards? 'Wake the others.' She pushed Ase to the left while she ran towards the other tents. The wind pulled the smell and sounds away from the camp, leaving a small gap to escape out. 'Ivar, get up.' She really didn't want to look in the tent but she did, seeing her laying so close to him maked her starting jealousy even bigger. 'Ivar.' He startled and turned around with big warning bleu eyes. 'We are under attack or at least it looks like that. Make your little princess awake, get dressed or die trying.' She commanded him before turning around, looking for a possible exit other than that one obvious gap.
'We are surrounded with fire, is this an attack?' Ase asked, out of breath.
'Not yet, but I think it will when we get through that.' She pointed out. Lord Gregor run her way with a couple of other man. Torhild could see the guards, slauthers in the fire. 'Is this a message from your friend?' She asked the lord on a more demanding voice. Halfdan pulled his axe out and started looking for another way out. But the more time they spend explaining to each other, the higher the flams got in the trees. The smell was unbearable, causing her to get pale within seconds again.
'He wasn't fond of the idea but this is an act of treason.' Lord Gregor reacted.
'So he will be punished, didn't bring Ivar along for nothing after all.' Torhild said for herself. Ase explained the possible trap while Torhild crouched down aside Ivar who crawled out. 'We need to get to the horses.' She began before looking up to his princess girl. 'Help him.' She nodded to Ivar his other arm, wrapping the one on her side around her shoulder ready to pull him up. Elisabeth had a hard time helping Ivar up so he didn't had to crawl all the way.
'I should take over.' Ase insisted while the other man started closing in on the free gap. And just as she thought, they got through and the arrows bursted in on them. 'Shield wall!' Ase commanded, getting the vikings in front.
'You get us out safly, don't worry about me.' Torhild nodded to the shield wall. Ase looked to her stomach, clenshing her teeth before walking away.
'You are pregnant?' Ivar figured the looks and words out.
'Not now.' She hissed in tension. The shield wall brought them all safly on the other side of the burning circle, but then came the soldiers with weapons, straight at them. Elisabeth let in reaction loose of Ivar, running of to her brother. Torhild drooped down with Ivar and cursed for herself. 'Nice girl you have.' She started sarcastic.
'Not now Torhild, stay close, don't get stabbed, or hit.'
'I'm fine.' She shouted back. He groaned in frustration when she stood up, pulling her axe. Ivar pulled his. It was a long time ago she stood right beside him ready for battle. Everything was different now, she was married, had a son and a second on the way and he was still Ivar but a lot more anger and with some soft girl aside him. There came three soldiers at her.
'Torhild!' Warned Ivar her but she didn't really listen. Her body was fit enough to fight, some harsh movements wouldn't harm the baby so early in pregancy. It was a really long time ago she battled to, against an real enemie anyway. She killed the both of them, the third was for Ivar. Torhild ducked underneath a sword and grabbed for a shield, fending of an arrow that came at her. The rush, the adrelaline worked her body up to the highest alert. The soldiers kept coming, she killed, three, four, five before she turned to Ivar who had a problem with four others. She ran back at him, pulled a soldier on his clothes away from Ivar and killed him by stabbing him in the back. When she turned around again the three of them pointed their attention to her. She tidened her gripp over she shield and smacked one with it in the face. Ivar trew his axe in the back of the other. The last one supriced her with his strenght. Giving her a hard enough push she smacked with her back against a tree. He grabbed the shield, kicking his fist against her face before he grabbed her shoulder, kicking his knee right into her stomach. Torhild gasped for air, losing balance and dropping on his command to the ground. He took the shield and smacked it again right in the place she swore to protect for Hvitserk. He dropped dead, by Ivar but she hardly noticed. Torhild wrapped her arms around her stomach, curled up on the ground while handeling the pain. 'Can't you listen for once!' Ivar yelled furious. The enemies dropped down by the other man, Ivar kept her safe in the time being. Her breathing came out in short passes, the pain in her stomach forced her to close her eyes. 'Torhild,' He stroke his hand over her cheek, forcing her to look at him. 'Don't loose this baby.' He warned her. He was so angry with her, but his eyes looked so concerned, walls down so all those feelings and emotions rushed in with her again.

He kept his hand on her shoulder, while he protected her from any other danger. But there wasn't danger anymore. Torhild tried to steady her breathing but the only thing that now worked was Ivar being so close. When it all was over Ase ran over and looked down on the both of them. 'No,' She whispered. Torhild tried to sit up but Ivar didn't let her.
'Don't tell anybody.' She gasped in her words. Ase looked confused for a moment. 'Please, Ivar?' Torhild begged hardly recognizable.
'I could really kill you right now Torhild. How could you put yourself in danger.'
'I need to agree with Ivar on this one Torhild. You are to reckless and maybe,' they all felt silent when the rest of the man came back.
'We need back to the castle.' Lord Gregor announched before he saw Torhild laying.
'She needs to go back to the settlement.' Ase said.
'No.' Torhild protested
'Not now!' Ivar bited to her. Torhild took a shivering breath and closed her eyes again trying to safe her own body from losing something important.
'I have healers to. It is a to far ride in her condition. We don't know what she has.' Lord Gregor began after a quike look over het body that seemed fine on the outside but wasn't on the inside.
'Get her in my chariot.' Ivar commanded Ase. She nodded, even in the worst time the two of them could work together for once. Ase pulled her up and Torhild groaned in pain.
'Hvitserk is gonna kill me.' Ase said during the walk.
'He is gonna kill me first.'
'Why? You don't have to tell him how reckless you were.'
'Because I protected Ivar, it wouldn't happen if I would let him defend his own.' Torhild said a little shaky. Ase murmured something for her own before she sat Torhild carefull a little up in the chariot.
'How does it feel?' She asked concerned. Torhild felt the pain going away for a moment but maybe that could only mean the worst.
'Like I got kicked in the stomach, hard. I don't feel anything else.' She answered honstely. If she would loose the baby ... she must have pains, cramps right? She didn't felt that.
'I hope it. The gods didn't give you this child to take it away shortly after.'
'England cursed me the first time, it surly wants to do it again.' She forced a exhausted grinn on her lips, turning her head towards Ivar who pulled himself up on the chariot. Ase walked away and Torhild looked to Elisabeth who walked with tears in her eyes after her father. 'What did she lost? A ring?' She tried to sound sarcastic.
'We aren't all that tough as you Torhild.' He replied, holding still for a second aside her.
'Hardly, I'm hardly tough. Look at me, beaten again, literally this time.' She murmured.
'Yes and tomorrow you stand up again. That is what I admire of you Torhild, you got kicked down and you just stand up, head high, smile up.'
'It is just a cover for what I feel on the inside.' She whispered. Looking at him with a tired and painfull look.
'I know, still, that's what kept us always together.' He reacted rather soft.
'Still?' Ivar looked at her, looking over her body before he pulled his body further up on his chariot. He didn't answer that question. Was it still something that kept them together? Their understanding, their connection to look in to that troubled part of each other? She rested her head against his chariot while he leaded his horse to the others, getting back instead of moving fowards. She was cursed, England cursed her.

Bonus for you guys, two in one day <3
But the real question ... will she loose the baby?