The Cripple and The Shieldmaiden II

// 23 //

'Did mother not wanted to come?' Torhild asked her brother. The great hall was a little to small so they build the largest fire outside, all gathering around. Raynor sat aside Hvitserk, eyes wide open looking to the fire.
'She was needed home. I had to say that she is proud of you.' He smiled.
'I'm not a queen yet.'
'You will.' He reassured her. Torhild forced a smile on her lips and looked to Raynor and Hvitserk. How did she had to say her brother and mother that she didn't wanted to be a queen anymore? Or even worse, that she fell for Ivar again. 'Can you handle him?' It was like Björn readed her mind. Torhild followed his eyes to Ivar who was laughing aside Floki. Seeing those two together maked her smile in an instant, the kind of smile she couldn't hide.
'Yes.' She reacted without looking away. Björn laid his arm over her shoulder, giving her a hug from aside.
'There is only one person who can contain him, it's you.' He complimented your skills to keep Ivar in check. She looked how he walked away.
'I'm also the only one who falls in love with him every time again.' She spoke for herself while walking over to Raynor and Hvitserk. Ase stood aside the both of them, she gave Torhild a promesing look. Ase was the only one, besides Hvitserk who knew about what was going on between her and Ivar. And she wasn't exacly happy with it.
'The fire is so big mother!' Raynor pointed out.
'Didn't saw it, you are right.' Torhild answered with big eyes. Raynor smiled and pulled her aside Hvitserk on one of the wooden seats. That whole heathen army was precent on this meeting, most of them sat in the dark, Torhild even couldn't see them all, they were with so much.
'How are you doing?' Hvitserk asked without looking at her. Torhild looked aside for a moment, studying his face.
'I'm pushed to a throne, I lost you, I lost my child, I lost a lot of allies. How do you think?'
'I'm sorry Torhild.' He looked aside to her, his gaze sensere. 'Maybe you should get back to Kattegat.'
'It crossed my mind, but what would I be, a coward.' She said on a softer voice. Hvitserk shook his head and smiled on something that Raynor did with the earth underneath his feet. 'How are you?' She asked back. He looked at her and she tilted hers a little, in concern.
'I'll manage. The faster this is over the faster I can get back to Kattegat.'
'And what are you gonna do then?' She asked carefull, he shrugged.
'Live on my life, read the Mediterranean again, I don't know, something that,'
'Doesn't involve me.' She finished his sentence. Hvitserk laid his head in his head and sighned. Lucky for the both of them Björn asked for some attention and the conversation ended there. He hated her, he didn't show it but he hated her for what she did. She looked down for a second and when Torhild looked up she tried to get all her attention to the task at hand, conquer England. A rider approached from through the crown, his horse a little nervous about the fire. He looked from Ivar, to Torhild and to Björn not knowing who he had to turn to with his news. Ivar pointed towards Torhild and she stood up after changing a look, walking over to the man. 'What news?' She asked, looking aside her to her brother who joined her.
'The kingdoms are gathering their armies.' He announched.
'How many?' Björn asked practical.
'More than the heathen army contains.' The viking said. Torhild looked up to her brother, he looked to the army gathered around the big fire.
'How many men has that Lord?'
'Eward? Only a quarter of this army. Half if we have Aethelred joining us.'
'So with stenght we won't win this.' Björn said, stroking his hand over his beard.
'Where are they holding up? Making camp?' Torhild asked the man.
'South in Cameron his kingdom.'
'I've been there, it isn't large enough to keep that kind of an army.' Torhild reacted confused.
'What is closeby?' Björn asked.
'Lord Ballard his kingdom.'
'Thank you.' Björn thanked the man. He nodded and walked away with his horse. Torhild looked up to her brother who was gazing into the flames. It weren't the numbers who maked the finals to the battle, it was the thinking, the strategy. Torhild looked to Ivar who gave her a questioned face. She turned back to her brother and looked up.
'Give me two days to investigate.' She began. Björn looked from her to Ivar and nodded softly.
'Take Ivar, he is here the longest, he knows this land the best. Go alone, you won't be noticed then.' Just like that he let her go. He didn't warned her for Ivar, he didn't hold her back, she was surpriced. Björn turned around to his people, knowing he would lead this army must been hard for Ivar to accept but to be honest, Ivar was relaxed aside Floki, they talked and talked and Torhild wanted to know what there were still talking about. He was more himself, more himself thans he ever saw him since she came back here to England. 'Our scout just comfirmed that the armies are gathering for an attack.' He shouted out over the army. Torhild stayed still aside him, everybody felt still. Raynor sat curled up in Hvitserk his lap, looking with those bleu judgy eyes to his uncle. 'That means we need to be ready!' He followed. The army reacted in balder and Raynor startled. Running of, not to his mother, not to his uncles but to Ivar. Everybody followed that little boy running to the man everybody was a little scared of. Ivar said something to him and Raynor nodded, sitting aside his father. Torhild looked aside to Björn who was watching her before he looked back to Raynor. It wouldn't take Björn long to figure it all out.

'Are you going to fight?' Ase asked while parrying Torhild her sword. Torhild painted, lowering her sword before shaking her head.
'I don't know. What do I need to do with Raynor?' She asked back. She wanted to protect her son, she running of to battle wouldn't do anyone good. Cerntainly not if Ubbe, Hvitserk and all the others would fight, leaving Raynor all by himself in case it would go wrong. She thought of sending him home to her mother but what else would stop her to be reckless? Everything she did, she did for that boy.
'I can take care for him.' Torhild turned around to Floki, a smile immidiatly spreading over her face. Ase took it as a break and walked aways so she and Floki had some time to talk.
'I won't burden you with my child.' She smiled to him.

'You are not sweet child. The gods had leaded me here to you.'
'I'm happy that you are here. We needed you.' She reacted, not only talking about herself, but also in name of Ivar. Ivar wouldn't admit it, that he was full of joy with Floki being back, but it was pretty obvious, despite that Ivar didn't say a thing about it.
'Ivar told me all about it.'
'Did he.' She said a little low voiced. Floki cupped her face, stroking a strain of her hair back behind her ear.
'I know how it is to know sadness, I lost my daughter once. I lost my sweet Helga.'
'What saved you?' She asked him softly. Floki smiled, stroke his thumb over her cheek and looked her deep in the eyes.
'It's a bad thing to ignore the things drifting in you head. You should let them free Torhild, go after them. I did, it brought me peace, it brought be back to you and Ivar.' He explained with the most care. Torhild closed her eyes and smiled. 'If this is over you should consider some peace for yourself, my door is always open for my two most favorit childeren.' He pulled his hands away. 'You become sush a beautifull woman Torhild, it saddens me to she the darkness in your eyes.'
'You know who's fault that is.' She reacted softly. Floki sighned, looking over to the settelment, his hand maked a weird gesture for a moment, looking up to the sky like he was praying.
'You fill Ivar with so much light, causing you to fall in the darkness. When you look for that light again it causes him to find that darkness again. You need to find a balance. The gods pressuring you both but they aren't angry about the discissions you take, they do it with a purpose.' His voice sounded so joyfull almost, despite the subject wasn't that joyfull. But it calmed her mind, eased her body, just like Ivar always did it. 'I have some great plans for the both of you.' He giggled, walking away again. Torhild smiled, looking how his fingers curled in the movements of his body.
'Thank you Floki.' She said after him.
'For my sweet child, everything, waith and see, waith and see.' He replied, leaving her behind with so much questions. What was Floki planning on doing? He was right over one thing, he agreed on certain terms with what Marion always said, she needed to listen to her own instinct and heart. Her eyes went up to the cavalry that approached, Lord Edward. Torhild walked back to the great hall just in time for Lord Edward his arrival.
'Princess, I see your army has arrived.' He greated her, jumping from his horse.
'Lord Edward.' She greeted him back, leading him to the great hall where the six leaders of the Heathen Army stood, the brothers Halfdan and Harald and the sons of Ragnar.
'Tell me something good.' Ivar began. Edward his face flattened a little and he looked aside to Torhild.
'I don't bring that good news I'm afraid.' He announched.