VIKINGS || GYDA

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑𝟎

As my eyes lifted awake, I only wished to shut them again. The consequence of my consciousness being the pain that came with it.

My body jolts upright without my consent as cold hands journey much too deep upon the tender flesh of my stomach. The perpetrator backs away in fright as I jump away from their touch.

"Who are you? Where am I?" I look around the small hut and at the large wooden table I found myself laying on. The woman approaches me with a kind face and hands raised that bared no ill intentions.

"Gyda, I am Althea, I am a healer. You were brought here by your friends. Your family is outside...would you like to see them?"

Not feeling confident enough to converse I only nodded my head softly to her as I took the time of looking down my body. I had been stripped bare of my shirt and armour, leaving only my pants. My shoulder and torso were concealed under the gauzes that spiralled my wounds, leaving my stomach bare to the cold.

My body sat up at the sound of a door roughly hitting the wall. I could only regard my family in a stagnant manner as they all came charging towards me. My mother was the first to fuss over me with questions, Bjorn stood at her side with an equally worried look. I could only watch on in exhaustion to their moving lips.

"Gyda."

Bjorn and mother part from their positions in front of me, letting through father who held a look that I knew all too well. I hold his eyesight as he stalks closer. His fists are clenched tight to his sides. He was rageful.

"Eira told me that the slave boy you set free was involved." I nod my head softly.

"Yes father. But he was no slave, he was working for Horik the whole time. He was a spy sent to watch me. It's my fault, I should have been smarter."

He is silent for moment as he turns my words over. He surprises me when his voice raises in a harsh manner, "Yes, you should have been smarter. Had it not been for Nels, you and Eira would be dead. You've got to use your head more! You may be a warrior of the kings guard but you have got a lot to learn."

Shame filled me. He was right to scorn me, what kind of a warrior am I to be so foolish. The door flings open once more, in the doorway stood Floki with widen eyes, his axes ready in his hands.

"Ragnar! Its time."

As I search the faces of my family I realised they all knew something I didn't.

"For what?" I inquire. Father eyes me but doesn't acknowledge my words as he moves to leave. Seeing the cut look upon my face, mother steps forward, cutting father off as she gestured to me.

"Ragnar..." Her gaze dominates fathers, who grudgingly steps aside and signals her to go on. She turns to me then.

"We have set a trap for King Horik." A trap? While I knew we had no positive relationship with him, I never would have guessed that they were sitting on a plan. How long have I been kept in the dark on it?

"Since the king first came to Kattegat we have had informants close to him feed us all his plans; both Siggy and Floki have succeeded in discovering his treachery. Horik had planned to wipe out Ragnar and all his family. He wanted Siggy to kill your little brothers. He ordered Floki to kill Bjorn. His army is moving into Kattegat as we speak to kill all who are loyal to your father."

I could take the foulness that Horik inflicted on me, I could take the threats and I could take his attempt to kill me—but him plotting to wipe my family out, to murder my brothers, my parents, and everyone who cares for us; a fire like this had never burned so ferocious inside me.