𝟕. 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝

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𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕; 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝
(𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗏, 𝖾𝗉 𝗂 - '𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗌𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀')

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕; 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝(𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗏, 𝖾𝗉 𝗂 - '𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗌𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀')

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𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐑𝐊. In three days the people there would be celebrating one of their Saints' day and that meant the majority of them would be inside the church. It would be child's play for the Norse people. Still, despite knowing how easy their next battle would be, they had to make a sacrifice so their gods could bless them. Ubbe Ragnarsson stood in the crowd watching the two Saxons boys they kidnapped to obtain information from, they were tied and clearly scared as a woman licked the knife that would soon cut their throat. Ubbe couldn't bring himself to chant and cheer like the ones around him were doing, that didn't feel right. He couldn't stop the sacrifice, but he also wouldn't continue to stand there once the two boys started screaming. Pushing his way out of the crowd, Ubbe left without an exact destination in mind, he simply wanted to put some distance between him and those children.

Sigyn found him staring at the stream near their camp, she was also avoiding what was happening back there. "Ah, I see child sacrifice is not your thing either." the boat builder's daughter approached the Ragnarsson with a cup of ale in her hands, which she soon offer to him.

Ubbe took the cup drinking most of the liquid in it. "We need to make a sacrifice before the battle." he was trying to convince himself that at least those boys' death would be for something.

The shieldmaiden let out a humorless laugh. "Not like that." she crossed her arms against her chest and let her gaze move towards the place where the sacrifice was happening. The chants had stopped as well as the frightened screams from the boys, she could only hear the cheers coming from her people. It could only mean they were already dead. "It's done now, though." she took the cup from Ubbe and drank what was left.

The duo remained in silence for what felt like hours but were, in fact, only minutes. Both of them stared at the small stream as if the water from it would show the answer to all their troubles. Ubbe and Sigyn were relaxed in each others' presence, she considered him to be a dear friend of hers and he thought the same of her. It was comforting to know someone else also thought their people's current actions weren't the best ones.

"Do you think attacking York is a good strategy?" the eldest son of Aslaug asked suddenly.

Sigyn shrugged. "From what Ivar told me, York is closer to the sea, and if we ever get ambushed it would be easier to leave. Besides, the thick walls can offer us the kind of protection we don't have out here in the open."

"And you trust Ivar?"

"You don't?" the young woman arched one brow in amusement, the Ragnarssons' bickering was entertaining, to say the least. Honestly, Sigyn wasn't sure whether she trusted Ivar or not, but he clearly had a gift for making good strategic plans and with that, she couldn't argue. "His plan for the battle against King Ecbert's army was effective." she pointed out. "Ivar's a bit mad, but so is my father, perhaps madness is the price of being smart and creative."

𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄, vikingsWhere stories live. Discover now