WRATH OF THE NORTH [BJÖRN IRONSIDE]

PROLOGUE

It almost felt like a hundreds of years ago yet like yesterday. A notorious little village in the white mountains were called home by a hundred of people. Snow slowly fell from the sky as parents took care of their children, trading food and other necessities. The sky started to turn darker by each passing minute, each day getting shorter.

A grown man with broad shoulders, his long blond hair braided by his wife each day, and dressed in a large fur cloak walked out from one of the larger cabins. A large cloud of smoke made its way out from the chimney. The man everyone called Thyr watched over his people as he almost looked like a shadow, dressed in all black.

Thyr let his eyes wander up the large mountain that continued up towards the sky, forcing itself between the clouds.

"Father, look what I caught!" A familiar little voice squealed in happiness. Thyr looked down at his daughter on the ground. She held a hare with an arrow in its skull proudly. The smile on his daughter face filled him with joy and warmth. Only his daughter and wife could make his body forget the bitter cold in the mountains.

"Look at that Vál," Thyr exclaimed with a big smile on his face as he patted the girls wild blond hair. Her hair had never been cut since the longer hair she got the more warmth it would provide her, he had said but his wife loved the long hair since she could braid it beautifully. "Why don't you show it to your mother," He said and the eight year old ran inside with a big smile on her face. Her enthusiasm made him chuckle, showing his straight white teeth.

"Thyr..." The blacksmith said as he walked across the open area. Cabins were surrounding an open middle point where they alway lit a big fire that radiated warmth. Thyr smiled at the older man with big arms clad in dirty black clothing, like the rest of them. The old man raised his hand as he greeted him with a smile. Yet before he made it to the main cabin an arrow was quickly shot through the air before penetrating through his shaved skull. He collapsed onto the ground and blood stained the white snow. Thyr's eyes widen as panic filled the village.

"Angela!" Thyr yelled as he pulled out his sword from his black belt with a big metallic sign on the front. It was a raven. More people got killed by arrows flying through the air. Thyr quickly blew the horn to warn everyone about the intruders. He saw men and women ready to fight with swords, shields and bows leaver their homes.

"Thyr what is it...oh my gods!" His wife gasped when she ran outside. She reached for her sword inside as she as well got ready. The horn had been blown which meant a threat to their home, their people.

"Whose attacking us?" She yelled but Thyr couldn't answer the question. Intruders, human intruders were very uncommon here in the mountains  this far up in the North. It was only their people that could live with the cold. No man from the shore or other kingdoms here could survive these conditions.

"Only the gods know... take Vál out the back and tell her to run to her spot okay. She cannot come back until one of us comes and get her," Thyr ordered his wife who nodded. The serious and stern tone in his voice would make any other woman either pull up their dresses or let their eyes widen in fear. His roles could switch quickly which was one of his assets. No matter how unpredictable a situation could turn out to be he always found solutions.

Vál stood behind layers of snow covered branches and watched her home being torn to pieces. She could only catch small glances between the cabins. She watched in awe as she saw her father easily kill men who stormed towards him. However her mother had been attacked from behind while shooting her arrow out of Vál's sight.

Vál stopped breathing as she saw her mother's body being penetrated by a smaller knife through her back. Her father stopped his actions as he saw the love of his life, the mother to his child and soon to be baby fall lifeless into the ground. A loud, almost roar, left her fathers throat. As he focused on his wife a man shot an arrow through his chest yet he didn't react. He only pulled it out before running towards a man who ran to attack him but another arrow struck his body, right in the throat. Blood poured from his white skin and got slightly invisible when it soaked the black clothing.

Tears streamed down Vál's cheeks. Her body feeling numb and paralyzed as she saw her parents and heroes die in front of her. Her mouth hung open yet no sound slipped past her lips.

Only two men were still alive in the village. One intruder and one father of five. The intruder ran towards the man with a sword and attacked the man who quickly shot an arrow at the man. It hit him in the chest, a little above his heart. He yelled out in pain before lastly slicing the father's head off then falling to the ground.

She had no idea how long she sat there behind the bushes. The sky started to turn into a light shade of gray when she slowly raised from her seat. With heavy steps she walked towards the village, her home. The snow started to fall and the already covered ground creaked with every step she took.

Soon she stood above her father. The blood had dried a long time ago and snow had started to cover his body. Without feeling the tears they streamed down her cheeks. She sat down next to her father, the greatest man she had ever known. She saw the small pendant necklace under his cloak. She carefully removed it from his neck before placing it around her own.

It would prevent her from forgetting where she came from, who she is and remind her that her parents would always be close. Even at her young age she promised that she would avenge her parents death, her peoples death.

Little did she know, her wrath would make her unstoppable.