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There were many who angered Ivar The Boneless. Many people had fallen at his sword, brave warriors and cowards alike. Few escaped his wrath. And this traitor was no different.
As Alfild lay unconscious, healers working to ensure her safety, Ivar could think of only one thing.
He could not bare to look at her. Not when she was like this, not when he had not killed the man who did this to her.
"Brother, what happened?" Ubbe rushed into the room, Hvitserk just behind him. The two looked startled, moonlight still leaking out through the doorway that they had just entered.
Ivar was silent, blue eyes filled with an unyielding rage. A rage that threatened to swallow him whole. His hand grasped the hilt of the traitor's knife, a grasp so tight that his elder brothers feared he would draw blood. Beneath his grip, the wooden hilt began to splinter, suddenly shattering and toppling to the ground.
Slowly, the dark eyes of Ivar The Boneless made their way up to that of his brothers. "There's someone I need to kill." Was all he said. It was enough. Both Hvitserk and Ubbe knew instantly that something had happened. Something that they could not let slide.
*****
Upon finally hearing of Alfild's condition through the gritted teeth if their little brother, the older ragnarssons understood instantly. Both wished to see the girl, but first they knew what must be done. Erik had to die. There was no escaping this.
Through the black streets of York, the three brothers led small groups to find the traitor. Silently, their warriors scoured every corner of the town. Finally, the last place in which they looked, was the home of the accused. They didn't believe anyone was stupid enough to go there after committing such an act. And yet, there he was.
The door slammed open. The three brothers stood, weapons at the ready. Their eyes were cold, no compassion or light. Now he would suffer. Ivar was certain of that.
Soon enough, the man was bound, kicking and screaming as he was tied to the back of a horse. His face was held firmly in the ground by one of the warriors.
"What will we do with him?" Ubbe asked, confused as to why he was not yet dead.
"First, we will make sure he suffers. Then we will blood eagle him." Ivar answered with a cold tone.
"blood eagle?" Hvitserk spoke up.
Ivar nodded, a menacing smile, "Yes Hvitserk, that's what you do to traitors."
"Ivar do you not think-" Ubbe began trying to reason with his little brother. It was no use.
Quickly, Ivar interrupted again. "I think that you were too much of a coward to Blood Eagle Egbert, as we should've done, and now you're too afraid to kill this traitor too."
"Killing him and torturing him are very different things." Ubbe responded firmly.
"He deserves to suffer." Ivar answered stubbornly.
"He's one of us, we don't even know that it was him." Ubbe argued. "We should just kill him."
Ivar's cold eyes glared at the eldest brother as though he could kill him with just one look. "Tell that to Alfild."
"Hvitserk?" Ubbe asked, hoping for support. But what his brother said next was not as he had hoped.
"I agree with Ivar." He answered. "We should blood eagle him."
Before Ubbe could say another word, Ivar exchanged a look with the warrior that stood beside the traitor. Suddenly, the horse was sent off, Erik dragging along behind him on the cobbled floor bellow. A wicked grin grew on Ivar's face as he watched and listened to the agonized screams in the distance.
But those screams were nothing compared to what was to come.
Erik would be blood eagled, and Ivar made sure that it was him who inflicted the punishment. As the axe hit into the traitor's back, loud screams emerged from him. He hadn't even been carved open by the time his screams echoed through the darkened streets. Ivar took great pleasure in knowing that the traitor, who he did not even find fit enough to call a man, would never make his way into neither Odin's Hall or Freyja's. He was condemned now. Condemned to icy damnation. And to Ivar, that was all he could hope for and more.
I just want to say that searching up gifs for Ivar was probably my favourite part of writing this book, thank you for coming to me TED Talk.
