Mixed Blood (ON HIATUS)

Chapter Seventeen

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"Where do you think you are going?", barked Augun.

"Like I said before, I am going to my training classes.", I turned back to him, crossing my arms.

"No. You need to have your hair tied up. You cannot have it flowing around while you fight."

"Elga!", yelled Augun.

She came rushing in, her hair flying about her wrinkly face. "Yes?", she asked sarcastically.

"Do her hair. She has training soon. Fix her.", he chuckled a bit, then patting my shoulder he whispered, "I wish you the best of luck. You will suffer more here than you will within your training."

Elga motioned Augun out of the room, waving her hands as she did so. "Go! Leave her be! She has had enough of you for one day!", she yelled as he exited the room, somewhat facetious in her tone.

"Thank you.", I breathed.

" I know his ways. It took me a long time to have that much control over him.", she said, sounding as if she had just quaffed down a large mug of ale.

She immediately stopped the conversation and began concentrating on "fixing" my hair. She pulled a wood made comb from the dresser and dragged it through my hair relentlessly. She ripped through the knots and through the nests of hair that had knotted to look like that of a platypus tail. My head was forced back every time the comb ripped at my hair, pulling out large clumps of blonde curls that had tangled. I grunted at her motions, gritting my teeth hard.

"My, my. You have the Scottish curls.", she gasped knowingly.

"Thank you?", I turned to face her but she put a palm on the top of my head and turned me around sternly.

"Do not move.", she would say throughout he entire process.

Eventually, she had finished combing my hair and began to braid it into small sections at the top of my head, letting it flow out once she reached the ending to the top of my head.

"Thank you.", I said repetitively. "How ever did you manage to do this within the nick of time?", I questioned.

"I did not speak or move my attention elsewhere", she replied. And with that, she had pushed me out of the room and down the stairs. "Good luck", she whispered softly. "May God help you on your journey."

What journey? I thought. Despite my doubts, I moved on without any voiced complaints. The door to the training class was nearly impossible to miss. You had to travel through the door at the bottom of the stairs, down an adjoining alley, and into a large, mal-groomed courtyard that was most likely one hundred years old.

Many Vikings of all ages stood in straight lines along the vine and moss covered cobblestone, as if making room for a superior Viking. Almost as if they were afraid. I went to the end of the right line, clasping my hands together nervously.

A large man walked into the courtyard, pulling a half smirk at the sight of me.

"Jeg ser vi har en ... jente her. Du må ha gått til feil sted . Birger ! Ta damen tilbake til hennes kamre!", he barked. I see we have a ... girl here. You must have gone to the wrong place . Birger ! Take the lady back to her chambers!

A man, that I identified as Birger, grasped my arm and began to pull me away from the courtyard.

"Stoppe!", I yelled. Stop! Birger froze, as did his training mates. "Jarl sendte meg her ! Vi har gjort en avtale!", continued as I moved my hands to and fro. Jarl sent me here ! We made a deal!

"Fine. Now get back in line!", he snapped as he pointed a finger to the corner of the courtyard.

"Of course! You speak English too.", I explained sarcastically as I put a cuffed hand to my forehead.

"Get back in line!", he demanded once more, still pointing an accusing finger. "So be it.", I huffed as I stomped heavily to the line.

"Alright Vikings! We will be training you to fight and strengthen yourselves. I should not hear of complaining, cheating, or weaknesses! You will be ranked every day until your training is over. We order the line from tallest to lowest man. All men will be treated equally! If somebody starts a fight you will finish it! You may not kill your fighting opponent. You may only injure your opponent. The fight will end when they subside. Are the rules clear?", he yelled, as if trying to intimidate this flock of men, and me.

"Yes sir!", we all replied in unison.

"Well, I think that we shall start the first fight. I will tell you what you did wrong and what you did right once the challenge is over.", he replied.

"Birger! Choose first!", he ordered.

"I choose the scrawny lass over there!", he spat as he pointed to me. I strutted over to him, my arms crossed. "What are you waiting for? Ladies first.", he joked. "Oh! Then go ahead!", I replied facetiously.

A sound of amusement went over the crowd as Birger pushed me into the middle of the courtyard. "May the best 'Viking' win.", I whispered to myself.

I stood in a stance, watching his every move. He had left his sword exposed and unguarded as he turned around to smile pridefully at a man. I took that to my advantage by bringing sword to his his, and twisting it until his sword faced the ground. He turned to see me smirking at his failure as I drove his sword into the ground.

His eyes darted to the broken ground as his sword stood bent from impact. He chuckled and pulled his sword from the ground, dirt hitting my face as he did so. "Fight me like a man!", he screamed.

"Fine. If you wish."

A/N: The pain! The agony! And it's only Day 1! Poor, poor Lagertha! Don't forget to vote and comment! Bye!