His Shieldmaiden *Vikings/Hvitserk Ragnarsson/Halfdan The Black*

fimm

Kara was sitting as she whittled away at a piece of wood she had chosen from a pile at Floki's workshop, her brows furrowed as she tried to focus when she heard someone approaching from behind her. She turned towards the sound of the footsteps and froze, her eyes meeting Lagertha's as the woman knelt in front of her. Ragnar leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his head tilted as he watched how Kara reacted to seeing her mother.

"Hello, my love." Lagertha whispered, hugging her daughter as she looked at her ex husband. Ragnar gave a nod and turned, leaving them silently so Lagertha could talk to her daughter. "You had a dream." Kara looked at her mother, nodding once as the other woman frowned slightly, looking down at the table.

"You were being beaten by Sigvard's men, you had bruises and cuts on your face." Kara informed Lagertha, the young girl's fingers running over where the wounds were in her dream. Lagertha grabbed her daughter's hands and sighed, kissing her knuckles gently as she looked over her hands.

"Did you tell Bjorn?" Lagertha asked her, looking up to look at her daughters face.

"He asked." She answered, smiling as her mother ran her hand over her hair. "Did you kill him?" Kara asked, relaxing as her mother nodded.

"I am the Earl of Hedeby now." She grabbed Kara and the girl giggled as Lagertha tickled her sides, pulling her daughter to her chest as she basked in the sound of her daughter's laughs. "Come watch me train with the others." Kara nodded and stood, following her mother out to the front of the Great Hall.

"Can I come to England?" Kara asked, looking up at her mother as they walked outside.

"No, you need to stay here. I have spoken to Floki and he said that you could stay with Helga, this way she can have company while he is away as well." Lagertha stated, kissing Kara's forehead before she grabbed a sword and a shield, walking out to the other shieldmaidens. Kara sat there before she heard a sigh, looking over to see Ragnar sitting beside her.

"Hello, Kara." He greeted, smiling at her before he took a spoon full of his food into his mouth. "Your brother told me you want to be a shieldmaiden." He murmured as they watched Lagertha spar, catching the movement of the girl nodding from the corner of his eye.

"Yes, Earl Ragnar." She answered, looking at him as he let out a sound of understanding.

"I shall find you a suitable teacher. Your brother is still learning, we must find you someone who is seasoned." He said as he looked at her, grinning as her eyes widened and she went to say something when someone interrupted them.

"That was not expected." Princess Aslaug said as she walked outside, smiling as Ragnar stood and placed a stool behind Kara. She placed a hand on her swollen belly and looked over the yard, watching as Lagertha fought.

"Yes, but pleasant." Ragnar responded, sitting back down next to Kara.

"What do you think of it." Aslaug asked her husband as she ran a hand through Kara's hair, tilting her head to the side as she untangled it gently.

"I think the Gods are playing a joke on me." Ragnar muttered, glancing at his wife.

"It is no joke." Kara responded, smiling as he looked at the young girl and gave a nod.

"I know." He shoveled more porridge into his mouth and looked behind Kara, his eyes on the Princess before facing forwards, watching Lagertha. "What do you think?"

"I like her."

"My former wife?" Ragnar sounded shocked and confused, shaking his head as Aslaug nodded.

"I would rather be her. She is formidable." Ragnar let out a sigh and laid back, looking at the ceiling as the two girls beside him laughed lightly.

"The Gods are having a good time with me today." He murmured, closing his eyes as he thought about his current situation.

"Mother, what will happen to Jarl Borg tonight?" Kara asked as she washed in the tub, her eyes on her mother as the woman grabbed a dress for her daughter.

"He will be given the Blood Eagle." Largertha said as she walked behind her daughter, kneeling behind her as she moved the girl's hair. "Ragnar will take a knife and cut down along his spine," Kara shivered as her mother ran her finger nails down her back. "Then, Ragnar will take an axe and he will chop the ribs away from the spine. After this, his lungs will be removed and laid across his shoulders. If Jarl Borg remains quiet, he may enter Valhalla." Kara took a cloth from her mother as she stood, wrapping it around her body before she stepped out of the tub.

"And if he makes any noise, he can't enter the halls of Valhalla?" Kara asked, watching as her mother nodded.

"It is a punishment for one who angers the Gods. It was prophesied by the Seer that this was to be Jarl Borg's punishment." Kara let out a sound of understanding as she stepped into the dress laid out by her mother, slipping it on as she thought about the night. "Come, sit here so I can braid your hair." Lagertha instructed when Kara finished dressing, gesturing in front of her for her daughter to sit. Kara sat on a stool as her mother braided her hair out of her face, closing her eyes as she felt her mother's fingers move through her hair. When her hair was done Lagertha placed a cloak over her daughter's shoulders, looking her over before she walked towards the door. "Come, it is time."

The girl followed her mother outside, walking towards the gathering to see that Ragnar was dressed in ceremonial clothes, the torches lit, and the drums lines up along the entrance as everyone awaited for Jarl Borg. Kara looked over at her brother and saw that he was watching his father, looking to her right she saw Helga standing alone as Floki stood across from King Horik. The drums began and Kara felt Lagertha pull her daughter to her when Jarl Borg turned around the corner, his body becoming still as he took in his surroundings before he looked at Ragnar, his body visibly releasing a breath before he moved forwards to meet his fate.