Signy was an orphan raised by the renowned boat builder Floki and his wife Helga. Growing up, she was best friends with the sons of the great Ragnar Lothbrok. However, when her half sister is to be sent to get married and Signy steps in to swap plac...
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"What are you thinking about?" Hvitserk asked, noticing that I'd drifted off into a world of my own. This, of course, was not uncommon to me as I kept almost everything I thought internalized.
I smiled gently, "Just about how things used to be."
"I've been doing that a lot lately too." He confessed warmly.
I gently rested my head on his shoulder, a tired yawn escaping me, "I'm sure when this is over things will go back to normal."
"Signy, nothing has been normal for Ivar since the day you left to get married." Hvitserk told me.
I said nothing in response to him. I knew my departure hurt him as much as it hurt me. I knew that in all my years I'd never build a connection with someone that would come close to the connection I'd built with him. He was my home. No amount of running and playing Queen could change that.
Again, I drifted into a state of silent pondering. My head lay against my friend's shoulder as the ocean rocked me into a tired serenity. The world seemed to disappear behind us as we sailed through the water. There was no sound of hooves on the ground or hum of insects in the air. The ocean was the only noise, and she sang her enchanting songs until I could think no more. Just me and the deep blue. Our minds one like all those who'd died at sea.
"Paris!" someone called out, making me jolt up. Hvitserk chuckled lightly at my shock and we both made our way to the front of the boats.
What I saw before me astonished me. It was like nothing I'd seen before. Tall stone walls towered up into the heavens and I remained wondering how on earth they kept such vast quarters clean. Helga would've had a field day with a place such as this. Though, she would've forced me to help her of course.
My eyes wandered around the city as we entered. I tried my hardest to keep my mouth firmly closed but it fell agape every time I saw something vaguely intriguing. This place that we were visiting was a whole new world to me. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I should've started a new life long ago but responsibilities tend to prevent one from just running away. Oh how I'd love to run away. But running wasn't my style.
"What are those?" I asked, pointing to the holes within the stone walls.
"They fire arrows out of them." Hvitserk answered.
"What are those?" I asked again, pointing to a stall full of strange fruits.
"Food. They eat them." Hvitserk continued to answer.
Again, I pointed. This time it was to a man walking towards us wearing strange garments. His hair looked weird, like that of a child or a woman. His clothes were rather impractical. One could not fight in such attire. They were too... Weird. He looked like an elf. Was this alfheim after all? Had I tripped and fallen into their world? "What is that?" I laughed, a little childishly.
Hvitserk smiled, "That's my uncle."
"Oh. So, he's not an elf?" I asked, making him chuckle slightly.
The two of them talked for a little while, leaving me to wander around the room and look at random objects. I think I distracted them slightly though as the two kept looking over at me. I tried my best to ignore it but, after a while it began to agitate me a little. As any sane person would, I decided the best course of action would be to ignore my issues. I saw a pair of objects that looked like they began on a chess set. Of course, I never learned to play chess. Ivar challenged me to a game multiple times when we were growing up but ever time I declined. As I couldn't play, I decided to try and juggle the pieces. It was going okay for a moment... And then I dropped them.
They hit the ground with an almighty thud. "oops." was the only word that escaped me. Rollo and Hvitserk looked over at me, neither seeming particularly amused by my utter boredom. I looked over with a sheepish grin and waved.
"Does she really need to be here?" Rollo asked, not quite angry with my presence, more miffed by my apparent lack if braincells.
"Queen Signy is a valuable ally, she needs to be here, trust me." Hvitserk backed me up, sounding as though he was trying to convince himself more than his uncle.
"Signy?" Rollo asked, a little curious. He seemed to recognize the name. "The little one you used to steal apples with?" He laughed.
I smiled, recalling the memories of my days as a master thief. Hvitserk had always convinced to go along with his devious schemes, much to Helga's disapproval. "The one and only." I smiled.
"You're a Queen now?" He asked. I nodded a little, a sudden wave of shyness flying over me. Rollo smiled at this news, walking over to put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Your father would have been so proud of you." Then he took a moment to reminisce, "No wonder you're helping them. You and Ivar were always two of a kind. How is Helga? Did she go with you when you became Queen?"
The thought of Helga wiped the smile clean from my face. My eyes clouded with tears but I managed to hold them back with a shaky breath. "Helga isn't- She isn't-"
Hvitserk noticed my struggling and walked over to finish my statement. "Helga isn't really around anymore, uncle. She was buried during our last raid in England. Floki left a little after."
"Hell's dead?" Rollo seemed genuinely saddened by this news. From what I'd heard from Floki, the man before me denounced all of us when he betrayed King Ragnar and became a Christian. But news of Helga seemed to truly hurt him. "I'm so sorry." He said after a moments recovery. "Helga was a good person."
"She was." I smiled through the tears that brimmed in my crystal eyes.
Negotiations continued as planned. Rollo agreed to help us in our battle. He seemed rather enthusiastic, actually. From the stories I'd heard from Floki, I hadn't expected this. It seemed this Christian traitor knew my father just as well as Floki and Helga, that they were friends. He'd told me stories that I'd never heard before, taught me lessons I thought I'd never have to learn. When the time came to leave, I was honestly saddened to go.
"Thank you, Rollo, for everything." I smiled.
"Stay safe, Signy." He returned.
Again, I felt that feeling that I couldn't shake. A wave of unknown pain as I felt something I'd never experienced before. A feeling that my fight was almost over, my story almost complete. I already had everything I wanted, but I was yet to pay for my sins. Soon, I knew I would. "I'm not sure the Gods will me to, I'm afraid. I fear I will not see you again Rollo, so thank you again. When I see my father, I'll be sure to thank you on your behalf as I know you will not be going to where he now lives."
And, with that, I climbed aboard the ship. One final voyage before I saw the man I was fighting for. I always knew it would be him that I would die for, it was a fate that I'd long since come to terms with. To me, there was no greater honour than to die for someone you loved. And who could I ever love more than Ivar?
