Fighting, Honour and Valhalla || Vikings x The Originals x TVD

The Second Raid

For the past three days, Thorfinn sat around a campfire doing nothing but stare into the flames. Arwyn rested her head on his lap, she still sometimes wept because of her sister but for the most part, her years had dried. Thorfinn didn't much care about Eowyns death, but what he lamented was that her death meant that his child would never be born into this world. This filled him full of regret and increased the anger that he felt towards Eowyn, if she hadn't poisoned him then she wouldn't have been taken.

These were the thoughts that constantly ran through Thorfinns mind as he stared into the flames of the campfire. Arywn was more just upset at losing her sister, Thorfinn had not told her what Eowyn had tried to do; Arwyn was loyal and didn't deserve the conflict that such knowledge would cause. Blaeja had been worried about the two of them as it had been two days since the incident at the camp and they had not spoken since, even when she had tried to engage them in conversation.

This was not how she imagined her adventure beginning, seeing Thorfinn massacre a group of people had shocked her, but thinking about it a bit more deeply she realised she didn't much care for these strangers, and if they wronged Thorfinn he was within his right to take revenge. Right now she sat by the campfire reading one of her books, or at least trying to. The language in this bound book was unlike anything she'd seen before. Blaeja was able to speak a number of other languages but this one truly puzzled her; usually, she wouldn't bother with books she couldn't read, but the wanderer who had sold it to her said this book instructed someone in the art of changing one thing into another.

"I think it's time I went home," Thorfinn said out loud, his voice echoing across the forest. Arwyn moved up from his lap and looked at him and Blaeja put her book down.

"What do you mean?" Blaeja said, asking the question on Arwyns mind as well as hers.

Having fatherhood ripped away from him so soon after learning about it had left Thorfinn feeling slightly melancholic. He wanted to go home and take solace in the arms of the woman he loved, he missed Rebekah, he missed Gyda and he even missed Hild. He didn't want to be in this foreign land anymore, at least for now. "I have spent enough time in this land, I have acquired wealth and knowledge, now it is time I went home and put it to use," He explained.

"You are free to go, I will give you some silver to make your own way," he said looking at Arwyn. She had been loyal to him since the beginning, he would reward her by giving her freedom.

Arwyn shook her head "I do not wish it, my place is with you," She said a little desperately. She did not want to be abandoned by her lord, especially at a time when he needed her the most —and when she needed him.

Thorfinn nodded "You are welcome to join my household as a free woman, I will not take you as a slave," he said, Arwyn smiled and pressed herself closer to him. Thorfinn then looked to Blaeja who had a smile on her face as well.

"I came with you to see new lands, I would like to see your home as well as what you plan to do with your land," She said to which Thorfinn nodded.

"My people should be coming back to this land soon, we will set up near the coast and wait for word of their arrival," Thorfinn stated.

He then leaned forward and gave Blaeja a serious expression "We will most likely raid and pillage your land when they come, are you prepared to witness this?" He asked.

Blaeja didn't respond for a moment but nodded soon after "I don't like seeing people in pain or being hurt, but I do not feel any responsibility to the people of this land, I won't do anything to stop you," she stated. She was only really interested in travelling, she felt no attachment to this land or its people and wouldn't shed a tear if it were to burn down. If the greatest empire in the world was able to fall so low then a Kingdom like her fathers could disappear in an instant.