Stealing the Valkyrie

Fate

Rollo's smile never faded no matter how much his little Saxon kicked and screamed with every step. She had pleased him although he could not explain it to her. The man she killed was called Ake and not long ago he had cheated Rollo out of a lot of money and it was not something he could easily forget or forgive.

So seeing Ake's end met by a woman who was barely big enough to reach his chin had amused him and it was a fitting death in Rollo's opinion. This Valkyrie might not have been a warrior like the shieldmaidens he fought with, but he could see her fighting spirit, even if it was hidden underneath the frail exterior the Saxon men expected of their wives and daughters.

As he carried her to where the slaves were being held she continued to struggle, clawing his back like a wild animal but Rollo simply chuckled. He enjoyed the weight of her writhing around on his shoulder and it only gave steam to his imagination. Soon enough he would have her in his bed and what a night it would be.

When he finally dropped her to the ground she landed in a pile of skirts and flailing arms before quickly standing up to remind him of the beauty which had first captured his attention. Even in the almost dark he could see her pale unblemished skin which stood in contrast with her raven black hair. Her features were striking, making her seem like a creature of legend yet she was not. She was standing before him. Flesh and blood, waving her fists and cursing him in vain.

Rollo knew the odd native phrase but not enough to understand the exact details of what she was proclaiming. It didn't matter to him anyway. Even with her face screwed up she remained just as captivating and he couldn't resist the smile that held onto his lips. Women with wild tempers certainly made for the better bed companions and women with beauty such as this made for even better mates. He would be the envy of all around him and she would produce beautiful, wild, raven haired children.

"Ragnar is looking for you," Rolf said and Rollo grunted. Taming his Valkyrie would have to wait at least a little longer and perhaps the wait would quell some of the fire that raged in her temper. Although Rollo wasn't entirely sure he wanted that.

He instructed Rolf to bind her hands and keep watch for when she tried to escape. In Rollo's mind there was no question of if, only when. With the unruly look in her eyes, escape would only be a matter of time and he wasn't going to lose her before they had been properly introduced.

"Brother," Ragnar smiled when Rollo found him. "We have done well this night."

"You were right about this place," Rollo conceded, watching as the flames engulfed what was left of the village. Their bounty was good and the men of these lands had been no match for the sheer number of vikings. Certainly no match for Rollo who was unstoppable when the blood lust took him.

"I want you to take some men to scout the woods and kill any stragglers," Ragnar directed.

Rollo grimaced, his hands balling into tight fists. The main fight was over, Rollo should have been relaxing and enjoying his spoils yet his brother was sending him on a lesser man's errand and, from the smirk on Ragnar's face, he knew exactly what he was doing. Sometimes there was no end to Ragnars provocation.

Still, Rollo did as he was asked, finding warriors hiding in the woods and dealing them a swift death at the edge of his blade. Twice he came across sobbing children and perhaps it was more cruel to leave them alone but his bloodlust was ended and he had no interest in slaying pitiful creatures.

When daylight was finally breaking over the scorched earth the air hung with death and Rollo ached for rest. Instead, he again found Ragnar. His beady eyes were surveying all the prisoners while Athelstan stood at his side, speaking in the tongue of the Briton's, coaxing them to speak with him.

They all remained mute. All except the priest. The priest begged, his face puffy from a night of sobbing and his hands clasped together in desperate prayer. Athelstan soothed him, patting his head and offering the blessings of a fallen angel. A holy man turned heathen Viking and at that Rollo couldn't help but laugh. These priests were all the same, terrified of meeting their God, which only made killing them taste even sweeter.

But Rollo's smile was short-lived. Before long the priest began to point towards the Valkyrie and his brother's gaze was as hungry as Rollo had ever seen it.

"The daughter of the Lord," Athelstan relayed, "betrothed to King Aelle's son."

This news only made Rollo happier with his conquest and before his brother could even think to claim her he took a stand. "She's mine," he asserted, laughing as he relayed the way she had killed Ake and quietly hoping there would be no contest to his ownership.

"Perhaps we could ransom her. Hm? Ask for her weight in silver," Ragnar said and Rollo could not tell if his brother was toying with him.

"That could take weeks. We already have more than we can take home."

"That is true but she is worth more than simply being a slave, no? She is the daughter of a Lord. I could send you to bargain for us and if you're quick I'm sure we could set sail before the seas change."

Rollo towered over Ragnar and this time he would not accept his brother's orders so easily. "I will not bargain for her. I am claiming her now and I don't want her to be my slave. I will make her my bride and she will bear me sons."

Ragnar laughed at this, his eyes dancing with pleasure, "you will marry this Christian woman?"

For a while he had looked for a woman who would be worthy to carry his sons. The way she killed Ake had caught his eye but it was her beauty which had sealed her fate to his. It was meant to be that he had found her. He was sure of it. "I will," he said with determination.

"Well then I wish you luck, brother. Keep the Saxon and we will bring her back to Kattegat."

Ragnar's words should have pleased Rollo but he found himself filled with suspicion like he always did when it came to his brother. Competition was deep rooted in their bond and there never seemed to be a single thing which Rollo did, or had that Ragnar did not take, or better. But this time Rollo would not share. He would keep his little Valkyrie close. The closer the better.