The Only Girl

014

While taking a stroll the next morning, Isi's eyes fell upon Floki. His head turning in all different directions, searching for something. At first Isi thought he had spotted some Saxon warriors, but realised he wouldn't have been so calm.

"Floki are you alright?" She asked, walking over towards him. Startling him slightly.

"The child has gone missing. Helga has sent me to find her" he replied with a small sigh, his head pointed to the ground. Isi knew the orphan girl would never replace the child they had lost, Helga was just trying to fill the missing piece of her. Isi felt sorry for the two, she couldn't understand their pain.

"I shall help you, I'm sure she can't have wondered far" She reassured him.

"Thank you Isi" he smiled before the pair parted ways, disappearing into the clouds of thick fog. She knew how attached Helga had become to the foreign girl. However Floki did not seem too sure, his love remained with his fallen daughter.

The fog made it hard to search for the girl, and not knowing how long she had been gone only made the search even harder. She could have left during the night, early this morning, who knew.

She hadn't even learned of the young girls name yet, so shouting for her was not optional. While searching, Isi had to dodge the voices and silhouettes of her older brothers. After last night, knowing she was out would only earn her another lecture. A lecture that was unneeded.

Isi reached the edge of the river, her eyes fixed on a piece of fabric caught on a branch. Without thinking, Isi walking into the water, her dress clinging to her legs. She immediately began thinking the worst, how would she tell Helga that the girl had drowned.

Isi let out a sigh of relief once her eyes found a shadow hiding behind a fallen tree. Slowly she started approaching her, her hands up to show her she wasn't going to harm her. She couldn't hurt children.

Isi crouched down beside her, the girl shifting slightly, she looked terrified. "It's okay I'm not going to hurt you" she reassured her, placing her small hunting knife down onto the dirt.

"Why did you run away?" She asked, the girls eyes travelling up the Isi. She never responded, probably because she never spoke her language. She was from a foreign land after all.

After many chances of not getting through to her, Isi decided it would probably be best if she found Floki. Maybe he could provide some help of getting through to her, he did go to her country.

***

Being the cheerful girl that Isi was, she playfully pushed Sigurd and Hvitsirk while they continued their journey to Wessex. Though her brothers seemed displeased about her joyful mood.

With Bjorn leading the way and the army, he allowed her to have no fun. But with her being Hvitsirk and Sigurds favourite sibling, they let her step the boundaries slightly.

"Sister I love you dearly but if you don't stop behaving like a child you will get us all killed" Bjorn growled, stopping Isi in her tracks.

"Brother we are in the middle of nowhere, if I die then it will be my own fault" she argued. Though from the looks her other brothers were giving her, she decided to leave the argument there.

Arguing with her brothers would serve her no good, they were older and would always play that card against her. Though Isi was wise, possibly wiser then some of them, but Ivar was some competition.

Noticing her sisters sudden mood change, an idea popped into Ivars head. He knew what it was like being bossed around by his older brothers, he loathed it undesirably.

He coughed to grab her attention before leaning over towards her. "Let's get some practice in later hm?" He saw the smile grow on the young girls face, she was in need of some practice, her arm would do her no favours in battle.

"I love you Ivar!" She squealed, jumping onto his chariot and embracing him in a hug of gratitude. However their rare moment was interrupted by a man approaching them on a horse. He was no stranger, they sent him out late last night to gather information on the kings army.

He informed them that the Saxon army had increased massively in numbers, only a day's journey in between them. It didn't give Isi much time to prepare for battle so she had to make do with what she was given.

"You can make camp, I want to take a look at where we are going to fight" Ivar told his siblings blankly.

"What are you talking about?" Ubbe asked, all eyes on the youngest brother. Ivar rarely told anyone of his plans or his thoughts, which left his siblings blind.

"They will expect us to fight in a certain way. Why should we do that? Why don't we fight in a different way and surprise them" he suggested. Isi couldn't help but agree with him. Vikings always fought the same, they would lose many men if they continued to fight the same.

"I agree with Ivar" she said, her brothers eyes turning to her. "We could lose many men fighting the same all the time, change can be good"

Their brothers joined them at Ivars chariot, looking at them questionably. "Our warriors won't understand what's happening" Hvitsirk spoke up, making a fair point. They were used to fighting in a certain way.

Isi zoned out once they began arguing, all making valid points. In the end Bjorn joined Ivar on his trip to the battleground, the other siblings left to set up the camp.