By The Gods - Vikings

Chapter 7

I ran up to the docks, Egil by my side. We stood and watched as the ship's were loaded with men and supplies. Egil wrapped his arm around me and with a smile, urged me to go and speak to my kin.
I stepped up to the edge of the docks, craning my neck to look up at Bjorn who stood a solid foot taller than me. I smiled proudly.

"Goodbye, Bjorn. May the Gods protect you." I hugged Bjorn tightly, not wishing to let go. He wrapped his arms around me and smiled.

"Stay safe." Was all he said before stepping onto his boat.

I turned to Hvitserk with a fragile smile, "Good luck."
Before he could hug me or kiss me or whatever else he had planned, I patted him on the shoulder and walked behind his family to my husband's side. I watched as Aslaug, Ubbe and Sigurd all said their farewells.

Then, without waving them off, I walked away. I walked away from the docks, away from the sand. I walked away from the crowds of people and kept walking until Kattegat itself was nothing more than a distant memory.

I had to clear my head for what was to come. Soon Ivar would leave with his father for England. Soon I would have to betray Aslaug and the only friends that I had ever known. I needed to prepare myself.

I stormed through the forest, the trees towering over me and looking down with confessing distain. The wind howled the word "traitor" over and over in my ear.

I could smell the blood, see the ocean blue eyes of my dearest friends glaring at me with utter contempt. I could feel Lagertha's disappointment when I failed her, I could see Aslaug's same disappointment when I betrayed her.

All of it ran through my head. The massacres, the violence, the pain. Things would never be the same again. Nothing would ever be the same.

I fell to the ground, tears brimming my eyes as I let out a bloodcurdling scream.

I followed it by crying out, begging it all to stop. Praying to the Gods for answers, for salvation.

All fell still and silent in the forest. I had screamed so loud that I undoubtedly would not do it again for a while. Now all that was left was pain and confusion as I lay in the dirt, weeping. My salty tears hit the dusty ground creating a small puddle where I lay.

"Look who we have here."  a scrawny man approached me, making my skin crawl.

"A pretty little thing, aren't ya?" Another, more muscular man, approached behind his friend.

"What's a girl like you doing out in the woods all alone?" The first man asked.

"Don't you know it's dangerous?" A much larger man than I asked, also coming out of the shadows.

By now, I was on my feet. My head bowed as I wiped my tears. I looked up at them, rage burning in my unforgiving icy eyes. "Yes. For you." I answered.

Suddenly, I swooped to the ground, leg sweeping the scrawny ring leader. He toppled down with a harsh thud. Two of the other men ran at me swirling axes. I hadn't brought any weapons with me. I grabbed one of their arms, kicking off from the tree behind me and flipping over them. I kicked one of them in the back, grabbing his axe and throwing it at the mountain who ran from behind me. I kicked one of the men's knees down so that he would topple to the ground, before pulling his arm behind his back and breaking it. I walked over to the scrawny ringleader, pressing my boot against his face.

"Any last words?" I asked.

"You missed one." He cackled. Before I could react, the man whom I thought I'd killed by burying an axe in his chest hit my around the back of the head.
I toppled to the ground.

Everything went black.

The last I heard was, "We'll get a good price for this one."