Vikings choose your fate Book 1

Chapter 28

Early in the morning, the boys take you to the woods to train with them. Over time you have enjoyed the training sessions as, considering your age gap, you are a lot stronger than most children.

Kattegat has given up fighting the sons of Ragnar even for fun as they always win, but not you. You enjoy their fights, as you have learned from them and with them, and more often than not, you have got the upper hand. Be it sword fighting or archery. Of course they have let you win, but they would never tell you.

One task you still struggle with, axe throwing, is Ivar's speciality and he does not hesitate to show off when you miss. And since the one lucky strike in the woods, you have missed more often than not, with Ivar making fun of it every chance he gets.

Visiting the training grounds in the woods, the boys carry Ivar to the stomp he always sits on and start challenging each other.

Ubbe goes first, shooting an arrow into a dead goats head, and Ivar follows, hitting the eye only inches away.

You grin, standing beside Hvitserk several yards behind them.

Ivar ducks as the arrow splits the air beside his face and both he and Ubbe flinch as the arrow in the goat's head cracks and splits, leaving your arrow in the middle.

Hvitserk chuckles and pats you on the shoulder while Sigurd hands you another arrow and you split Ivar's as well. Pleased with your work, you take another arrow and aim for a leaf beyond the dead animals, pinning it to the bark of the tree several yards behind the built fence. A smile hushes on your face at the sight of Ubbe's impressed look.

In the meantime, Hvitserk and Sigurd choose axes and swords, and fight one another while you join Ivar, who pouts at your hit. "Oh, come on. I've learned from the best" you say, tickling his neck.

Holding on to your hand, Ivar turns on the stomp to watch as his brothers fight and just as they pass a target, he releases an arrow that shoots past Sigurd and hits spot on.

Hvitserk takes that shot as a challenge and attacks Ivar, indulging in a fight that gets him a sword pressed to his throat. And when Ivar releases him from his grasp, Hvitserk swings his body around, the sword before him. Both stand still, their blades at each other's throats, laughing.

Amused by the fight, you challenge Ubbe and dodge his sword by a mere inch as it cuts off a strand of hair that lands in the mud. You spin around, glaring at the golden lock of hair sailing to the mossy ground. "How dare you" You puff your chest, swing the sword around and hit Ubbe with the handle of the axe you hold in the other hand.

"Hey, fair fight" he mutters as he defends himself and you two battle each other across the field until you stumble over a root and fall, the axe slicing into your arm. Ignoring the sting and the blood, you jump back up and turn to Ubbe, the sword before you, the axe in your other hand. "Stop" he demands, but you keep fighting on until he drops his sword.

"Ubbe!"

"You're hurt"

You shrug your shoulders and pull the arm from Sigurd who inspects it at once. "And on the battlefield I might die if I hesitate. You cannot stop because of a small nick"

Ivar giggles at your reaction and glares at Sigurd. "She will be a better warrior than all of you"

"If she can best me" Sigurd picks up the sword and challenges you, ignoring the injured arm.

You scoff as you hold up your sword and attack him. His head only millimetres from your blade, Sigurd manages to dodge your attack and spins around his sword cutting through your sleeve, but not the skin. In return, you run around a tree, cut your path and attack him from behind when he chases after you. With now the upper hand, you throw him to the ground and hold the sword to his neck, your foot on his back. "I win" you laugh as you let him go and walk over to Ivar to drink some ale he hands you.