The Cripple and The Shieldmaiden II

// 24 //

'How could it happen,' Ivar began on a really soft and patient tone. 'that Aethelred became a king yesterday?' The slight hint of his all consuming anger dragged after it. Torhild didn't looked up, she just looked to the table, twisting over the words that Edward had spoke earlier.
'He isn't a king yet, he is allected by the lords.' Lord Edward tried to make the situation a little better. Aethelred had switched side, what left them with even less men to pull into battle. In the time that she was captured by Lord Cameron they had brainwached that young king to other ideas. The idea that the vikings never should landed here in the first place, the idea that those vikings did more harm than good, the idea that this wasn't their ground to own. That idea gave a young naive boy like Aethelred enough to change sides, certainly when all the lords stood after him on that side. What left them with only Lord Edward and by the looks of it he wouldn't be long a lord anymore.
'Don't you have a say in this, as a lord? Don't all the lords have to agree?' Ubbe asked.
'Yes but what is one lord against a young king and all those other lords. They declair war upon you Torhild.' He explained.
'I'm gonna let that boy scream like a little pig if I get my hands on him.' Ivar hissed.
'It isn't his fault, he just has the wrong advisor.' Everybody looked to Torhild and she looked only slowly up. 'If he wants a war, then war is what he get.' She reacted. It was simple as that, they weren't the kind to pull back in a fight. She would prove those soldiers the value from being a viking.
'I will ready my soldiers.' Edward nodded.
'We take them by suprice, it's the only way we win.'
'Then I suggest we come up with a plan, and rather fast.' Edward replied on her. Everybody turned their head to the door, Ase walked in and gave her a promesing look before she turned to Ivar.
'Lady Elisabeth is here for you.' She announched. Torhild looked away from Ase to Ivar. What was this girl doing here?
'The traitorous sister comes to terms, let her in.' Ivar his smile darkened. Torhild looked how the girl walked in, panting. But none the less she still looked as gorgeous as always.
'Ivar, I've come to warn you, can we talk?' She fell almost before his feet and Torhild frowned. Talked about an dramatic entree.
'Talk.' He reacted. He laid his hand under her chin, their eyes met and Ivar smiled a little. 'I missed you.' He whispered. Torhild looked down after he said that, feeling the knot in her stomach turn over.
'I need to talk to you. I escaped my brother to warn you, if he noticed that I'm gone he will search for me.' Elisabeth almost begged him. Everybody was silcent, Torhild looked to her hands, fold together in her lap. Some man helped Ivar out and when the door closed she looked back up.
'Who is that?' Björn asked.
'Ivar his fiance, before this all started anyway.' Ase explained, walking over to Torhild and taking place aside her.
'He was planning on marrying?' Björn asked a little shocked. Nobody would see Ivar as the marrying type, Torhild knew that best from all.
'He would do it to help uss. Past case, I don't trust her.' Ubbe reacted.
'Ivar can handle her.' Björn gestured with his hand to the door, bringing this meeting to the point again. 'I need as much details from where the fight will take place.' He went further, looking down over a map before he looked to his sister. 'You still want to go?'
'Yes, I leave tonight.' Torhild answered.
'Where?' Hvitserk asked a little confused.
'I want to investigate the battlefield, or at least those kingdoms. Looking for some weak spots.'
'No way you go outside.' Hvitserk reacted. Torhild smiled a little and looked up to him.
'Nothing that can be worser than I already had.' She said on a friendly tone. Hvitserk clenshed his cheeck and she was glad he did it. At least he didn't lost all his humanity, he still cared, althrough it wasn't much.
'Ivar is going with her.'
'Ofcourse he will.' Hvitserk reacted, he snapped and Torhild didn't dare to look up to her brother. Hvitserk stood up and walked out, everybody kept silent until Torhild stood up to, walking out without giving anyone a look.

Raynor didn't understand. She said she would go for a couple of days and he was angry that he couldn't come with. 'I need you to hold on to this. I fit get's messy, use it.' Torhild smiled while handing him the wooden axe that Ivar maked him. 'All the brave fighters have to stay here Raynor, that's you to.' She said softly, stroking her fingers through his hair. He looked up, his bleu eyes sharp and challenging.
'Why is Ivar coming than?' He asked stubborn.
'For my protection. And he knews this land better than anybody else, he will guide me.' She explained. Raynor wrapped his fingers around his little axe and looked in front of him.
'Will there be a war mother?' He asked after a little silence. Torhild looked down before she pulled Raynor against her chest. She never should have brought him here, she should never come in the first place. It was all for nothing anyway, with Aethelred claiming the throne. She lost her baby for nothing, she lost Hvitserk for nothing, it was all for nothing. And now she would bring Raynor in the middle of it, he was four years old and would get glimps from violence.
'Yes, maybe.' Torhild answered his question honest. He looked back up and let his axe rest on his lap before wrapping his arms around her. Torhild kissed his hair and slowly breathed out in the moment.
'Will somebody die?'
'Possible.' She whispered, not thinking about it herself.
'You? Ivar? Father?' He asked with a tiny voice. Torhild cupped his little face and looked into his amazingly concernede yes.
'That is for the gods to decide. We will do everything to keep standing. That's why I need to leave now.' She tried to convise him. He nodded and embraced her again, Torhild did her best not to cry again.
'I love you mother.' He murmured against her dress.
'I love you to little man. Listen to your father, do what they say, alright?'
'Yes.' He forced a smile on his lips and Torhild kissed his forehead.
'I will be back before you know it.' She winked brave. His smile grew bigger and she breathed out in relief, knowing that he accepted it that she would go. For all she knew she could die and was this the last moment she had with her son, so she was glad to have a happy memory, the brightest smile of all the Heathen army.

Floki was making Ivar his horse ready when Torhild walked over. She shoved her axe and sword in her belt and leaded one of the horses out of the stables. 'Where is Ivar?' Torhild asked after putting the saddle on the black horse.
'I thought he was with you?' Floki reacted. She hadn't seen him since Elisabeth arrived. That girl was here almost the whole day and she didn't want to think about what the two of them were doing in all that time. She left with enough daylight to get home again and after kissing him with so much passion she believed in it. Torhild didn't got further on it and saddled her horse in silence. And when he showed up it the time had past already a time.
'Where were you?' Torhild asked him frustrated. Ivar pulled up on his chariot and looked at her.
'Saying goodbye to my son.' He reacted with the same kind of frustration as she did. Torhild looked to the saddle before pulling herself into it, ashamed that she got so angry, jealous even.
'Bring me as much details as you can.' Floki said to Ivar. He maked himself comfortable on his seat and looked over his shoulder in the dark to Torhild.
'I'm already waiting for a long time.' She only answered his gaze. He sighned and commanded his stallion to move. Floki petted Torhild her leg before he looked the both of them leaving the settlement. She walked after him, her brother stood on the wall, waiting.
'Not back within a week and we attack.'
'If they aren't faster.' Torhild reacted on his words.
'Stading talking is spilling time Torhild.' Ivar shouted.
'Travel safe.' Björn only said. Torhild nodded and pushed her heels in the gelding, he cantered after Ivar his chariot. She was looking forward to it this morning, leaving with for a while but from the moment Elisabeth showed up all her pleasure about the idea fadded away. They drove in silence for a long time. Torhild gazed in the darkness, a little tensed, listening to every sound she heared. It reminded her on those hours in the rain, almost freezing to dead. An dit weren't the nice kind of memories to have.
'Angry?' Ivar asked after, what seemed like hours, no talking.
'No.' She answered without looking aside to him.
'Jealous?' He asked further. Torhild looked down for a moment and that was enough to bring him into a laugh. She didn't react on it, she didn't even looked at him. She pushed her horse even a little faster, walking ahead from him. 'Are you jealous of Elisabeth?' He asked her, still laughing.
'By the gods no.'
'So, you are jealous of what she has with me?' He asked.
'I don't trust her, that's all.' Torhild reacted on a neutral tone, not looking over her shoulder to him. Was she jealous? Yes, from the first time she saw that girl. And just as he always said that Torhild was his, it kind of felt like he was hers to. 'What did she had to say?' Torhild turned around in her saddle, looking to him, he still had a lot of fun with this.
'She warned me about her brother and Cameron, saying she didn't wanted to go back. She spilled certain details, I spilled mine, promised her I would safe her. She believed me. We kissed, we did more than that and then she left.' He shrugged. He did more than that? Torhild looked back in front of her, repeating those words in her head. He did more than that ... what was he saying, did they ... 'Why aren't you traveling with me in the chariot?'
'Because I can get away from you now.' She answered him coldly. She couldn't stand him sometimes, saying he would do everything to be with her but behind her back getting on another. The silent grew larger and they both travelled further without saying a word. After a couple of hours they passed a creek.
'We should let the horses rest here for a moment.'
'They can pull through, we can't waist time.' He reacted on her words. Torhild didn't listen and slided from her horse, leading him to the water so he could drink. He pushed his nose in and started to drink. Ivar leaded his horse aside hers and let him drink to. Torhild crouched down, cupping some water and splashing it in her face. She was tired, all this riding in silence wasn't making her any more alert. She filled a horn that she got out one of her saddlebags and walked over to Ivar who crawled down and sat on the egde of his chariot. She offered him the horn but he grabbed her harshly around her wrist.
'Ivar no.' She protested while he pulled her with so much ease closer. 'Don't.' She warned him.
'What is wrong with you Torhild.' He hissed. She tried to get away from his grip but giving the fact he used his hands and arms a lot more because of his legs, she couldn't find a way out.
'Nothing.' She fired back.
'You thing I care enough about Elisabeth? That I love her?'
'It was pretty obvious Ivar.'
'It is a lie Torhild. How many times do I have to say that only person I really care about always will be you. Yes, she is pretty, she qualifies better as a woman than you sometimes. But you really thing I fall for that fragile piece? I like it when you are jealous but I hate it when you overreact.' He said.
'You are hurting me.' She groaned. Ivar looked down to her wrist and let go in an instant. Torhild turned around, he grabbed her arm.
'Talk Torhild.' He demanded. She jerked her head around and look at him, angry, furious.
'Do you think I love to see that. How you can kiss her in front of everybody, how you can say you missed her in front of everybody while I have to do everything to convince everybody that I'm still madly in love with Hvitserk!' She shouted. 'I'm not jealous of her, I'm jealous because you can have her where everybody can see it and I not. I have to pretend that there is nothing between the two of uss, I have to pretend to Raynor that his real father still is Hvitserk. Hvitserk hates me, he wants to get back home so he won't have to look at me again.' Torhild snapped. She hated it, looking at him but not being able to be herself around him. Always doing right by others but not by herself. Ivar looked at her, stunned and speechless by her breakpoint. Torhild turned away and walked back to her horse, he was eating some grass nearby a tree. She slided down against it and looked in the distant while Ivar stayed on his chariot, his head leaning against the egde while he looked at her. Torhild looked the other way, convincing herself that it was the right thing to do.
'You should never kissed me on that chariot.' He whispered. Torhild thought back on that moment, the first kiss she gave him. In that moment she never thought if would gave so much trouble in the future. She was in love then, now she loved him, what was a big different. Then they played a game, now they were serious, matured.
'We should keep going.' Torhild sighned, getting up. Ivar lifted his head from his chariot and obseved her. 'Please Ivar, can we go.'
'You know I never stopped thinking about you.' He said before she even got the change to get on her horse. She turned around to him and nodded slowly. 'If this is over, I'm going with Floki. You should come.'
'I don't know.' She whispered.
'I won't let you go.' He warned her softly. She smiled a little and lookd back to her horse.
'Do you thing there will be a happy ending for uss?'
'Come here and I show you.' He reacted. Torhild turned back to him and slowly shook her head.
'We need to get moving.' She pointed to the road. But with saying those words she walked over to his chariot. He wrapped an arm around her waist and she willingly placed her lips on his. Normally he was so eager around her and now she just felt his concern, his love, his hidden tenderness in that one kiss. Her fingers shaked a little when she stroke his face.
'You are the only woman I ever cared for, the only woman I ever loved, the only woman I wish I could marry. Do you believe me when I say that?' He asked, his head resting against hers. She nodded and looked into his bleu strong eyes.
'Did you and Elisabeth,'
'No. I wouldn't hurt you in such a way. It was an act, every kiss, every word, it was a lie. You should known me better.' He smiled. Torhild placed a kiss on his forehead and pulled away.
'That's just it, sometimes I don't even recognize you anymore. You matured Ivar, that heart of yours is growing without you even noticing it.' She said, placing her hand on his chest. 'I love you to.' And she walked away, her hand slipped through his before it felt aside her body again. She pushed herself in the saddle and turned around to him while he was getting his body back in place.
'Let's go discuss battleplans.' He nodded while guiding his stallion back to the path. Torhild followed him and smiled a little, knowing that he loved her, knowing he wouldn't let her go, that was all she needed in the time to be. He was peacing her back together.