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My heart was, for some reason, beating so loud that I could scarcely hear anything else at all. I was powerless once again, a feeling that I loathed more than anything else in the world. Powerless to help, unable to know what was going on, unable to keep the ones that I loved safe.
Ivar had assured me that he'd be fine, that nothing could touch him because he was beloved by the Gods. But I wasn't so certain, nor did I wish to take the chance.
"Please, Hvitserk," I spoke in the quietest whisper, too nervous about upcoming events to speak any louder. "I need you both to come back safely. Look after eachother."
He gave me a short nod in return, and a gentle parting embrace, and that was it. All I could do was watch as Ivar climbed into his chariot, Hvitserk and Astrid beside him and Harald beside them. I sent the young shieldmaiden a small wave, recieving a sad smile in return as she turned her sights towards the battlefield again.
I couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of my stomach, a horrible feeling - as if the next time I saw them, not all of them would be there.
This wasn't how Ivar died, it couldn't be. I knew exactly where and when he would die, and I knew the same for Hvitserk. As for Harald, my knowledge of him wasn't as detailed, but I was fairly certain he died in Rogaland - not the plains outside of Kattegat.
Of course, how was I to know that any of it was true? I didn't know the impact of me being here, or worse yet me staying here. Could it have changed history? Would nothing be the same as what I had learned? So far, everything had seemed correct. But I had only been a minor figure, irrelevant to any timelines - trying my best to go with the flow and not cause disturbances. But I was not so minor anymore. I was not simply some witch, some seer of the future that helped the sons of Ragnar. I was the wife of Ivar The Boneless, future queen of Kattegat. And who knew what impact this would cause?
The truth was, nothing was certain. And, for the first time in a long time, I was afraid.
"Make sure that everything has been soaked in hot water, the boiling water will stop everything from getting infected - and that will stop wounds from becoming inflamed." I instructed, crushing herbs together into a small wooden bowl as other women scurried around following my every word. Ivar may have been a military mind like no other, and in command of everything on the battlefield. But here? This was my domain. "Bodil, you keep the fires going - we're going to need them for everything that we do. And Gro, you're rather delicate - I'll need you to help Frida in extracting arrows."
"F-from people?" She gulped, eyes wide as she stared back at me.
In truth, I'd never been particularly squeamish myself - but seeing so many maimed in battle was a lot for anyone. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little queasy and unsettled after the first time Frida and I extracted an arrow from a young man's eye. It was one of the leading causes of death during battle, and hearing their screams was worse than anything I could've imagined when I first arrived.
