VIKINGS || GYDA

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟗

With the sound of iron striking, I clench my eyes shut, awaiting the blow. It doesn't come. Inching my eyes open I see two silver shards, crossed over in a struggle. I stare up in shock of the red haired man that stands above me.

"Nels?" I gasp.

He grunts as he shoves Horik's sword to the side, the king's body following with it hitting the ground. Nels takes my good arm and stands me up right, reaching to his side he takes his axe and hands it to me.

"Hide away to the side!" He pushes me in the direction away from the fighting. He sprints to ward off the men that charge towards me. Looking to the other side I see a cascade of onyx hair whip around Horiks men, slicing them down—Eira! Thank the gods she was okay.

The pounding in my shoulder grew more violent as I was now up and moving. I halt in my steps with the pain being too great. Looking to my shoulder, I grit my teeth as I take a grip to the tail of the arrow. I near scream when I cannot break the end off, the pressure only pushing the arrow deeper. My breaths have turned into heavy heaves as I take Nel's axe and saw the tail away. It works. Only the body remained in me.

As I walk to back away from the fighting, knowing I'd only be a liability to Nels and Eira, I am stood still as I bump into the back of someone. Turning around I am met with a man nearly as big as Rollo. He wields a huge axe. He sounds a yell as he advances towards me.

I exhale breaths of surprise as I duck and weave from his swings, grasping how close they had come to my flesh. It was mere luck that he hadn't sliced me down yet—he was formidable with his weapon.

I ran myself manic as I dodged his advances, I try to jab hits in places I could, but I wielded with my non-dominant hand, they were only flesh cuts. Not enough to stunt a big man like him.

Conjuring all my remaining strength, I slam my axe hard against his, and it is knocked right out of his hands. But I failed to react quick enough as he immediately kicks mine out of my grasp.

With my wound getting the better of me, I fail to duck away from him as he collided his fist hard into my stomach, where the almost healed wound I collected by Nels was. I felt my whole insides rupture at the blow of his pointed knuckles.

I clamp my hands immediately to my middle as my body crumbles to the ground—my temple breaking the fall. As I lay there on the ground, I could now feel my shoulder dripping it's crimson content down my chest. I could feel my insides ache with inflamed vibrations of pain caused by his blow. The wound had healed over but the flesh beneath was still raw. It felt like it did the day I got it.

The pain within coiled me more into myself. I lay, groaning in a mournful torture. Squinting my eyes open, hot blood encases one of them as it runs from my temple. I willed myself to stand but I just couldn't. I felt completely spent.

Looking up through my one clear eye, I see the brute had acquired his axe again, and stood above me ready to strike down.

With a whip of her onyx hair, I watch her thrust her two swords through the back of the man—two iron claws peeking out through his chest, blood spurting from the slashes. She pulled them through once more, his eyes glazed over in death as he fell to the ground. Next thing I knew she had me cradled in her arms as she wiped the blood from my face.

"How bad are you hurt?" She is frantic.

My breaths are rapid as I try to form a sentence, "You're okay? He didn't harm you?"

She shakes her head, worry etched in her eyes as she peers down to me, "Can you stand?" She asks.

It would be a slow torture but I would try. Eira laces my arm around her neck, she gently takes ahold of my waist as she lifts me to stand.

It happened without ease, my body succumbing to the attacks upon it today. As Eira and myself stand, Nels emerges from the woods, blood spilt across him as he runs to stand before me.

"What's left of Horiks men have scattered, alongside the king and his son." He is breathless.

"We have to get Gyda to a healer. And we must warn Ragnar. Do you think he knows of Horik's treachery?" Eira holds me closer.

"I do not know. You must run and alert him. Here, give her to me—I will get her to a healer."  Eira unhooks my arm from her shoulder as Nels bends down to lift my legs from the ground, he holds my back and under my knees as he carries me through the woods. I feel myself shake as I lean my head into his chest.

"How did you find me?" I mumble through his shirt.

While he moves fast, he takes the time to peer down and reply back, "I saw a pair of Horik's men usher Eira into a hut. She seemed distressed. I charged in before they could do more harm. They had her tied to a chair. I got it out one of them of where you were. They said that Izoc had you in the woods."

At the mention of his name, both of us turn to the sound of foot steps. There stood Izoc, breathless and sweaty from running. His eyes are wide and petrified as he realised who he had stumbled across.

No one moves as I feel Nels heart pace faster. I feel his grip on me tighten protectively as his eyes glare deeply to Izocs. I don't get the chance to speak as he is as swift as anything to place me to the ground and charge straight for Izoc with his sword drawn.

I call for his name but he doesn't hear it as he catches up to Izoc who had tried to run away. My elbows hold me up as I lay on my side, my body having no energy left to stand.

Nels drives his fists hard into Izoc, his body stumbling from tree to tree as Nels took charge. He lands one to his jaw, it knocks him to the ground. Izoc cups his face and cries out, Nels does not let up as he pick him up by his shirt and slams him down on his knees, his sword now pressed hard to his throat.

Izoc's head is held up weakly as he kneels before Nels. Izoc's face had no trace of smugness anymore. He had no weapons or warriors by his side, he had no chance. He knew it too as he looks up, unfazed by the quiet rage in Nels gaze. Unsettling us all, his lips pull away to reveal an amused smile, his blood embedded into the crevices of his teeth.

"You'll never win. My King has never known defeat." He eerily angles his head to glance over to me, before he is forced to turn back as Nels pulls him back to face him, "You don't look at her. You look at me!" The veins in Nels neck are prominent as he barks his orders down to Izoc.

Izoc only shakes his head as he looks him up and down, "You think you can protect her? That whore and her family will be erased by the nights end."

"Speak of her like that again and I will send you to Niflheim. Tell me what Horik's plan is and I may reward you with a worthier death."

His words are rolled off his tongue with ease as he grins up to Nels, acceptance presence on his face, "I will never betray him. She will die today as will you—long live King Horik!"

Nels is rough as he drags his sword across Izoc's throat. His blood splashes to his face as he shoves his body back down to the ground.

I watch on startled as Izoc chokes on his blood, his nails digging into his opened throat as he slowly gives into his demise. His eyes are wide and frozen open as his body ceases its tremors.

I only look away when Nels picks me up into his arms again. He holds my head close to his chest as he exhales a trying breath and continues his path back to the town.

I try to remain awake. But everything hit me at once. I felt my eyes roll back, my head falling from Nels hold, my arm slipping to hang loose from his shoulder. There is only the sound of his faint panicked voice before I let my mind fade to black.