The cripple and the shieldmaiden

// 1 //

Two years it has been since she last saw home. And now she was on her way back, more trained, more skilled, more fierce. Mighty fighter, as her name explained, Torhild didn't failed her mother. All her life she lived up to the idea of becoming like her mother, Lagertha, one of the most fearsome shieldmaidens their were. But instead of learning at home she traveled further through Norway, looking for challenges that would make her and the other young women better. And that she found ...

She stopped her horse on the hill, her cloak rocked on the soft wind, the white animal underneath her a little nervous. 'Home sweet home.' She said with a soft voice, petting the horse while looking to the small village underneath the hill. The others girls were excited to, the horses took it over and just started to move their bodies, begging for a fast gallop down to the village.
'Your mother will be so proud Torhild.' One of the girls said. Torhild looked sideways, smiling from ear to ear.
'She will be proud of all of uss.' Torhild replied before she pushed the animal forwards. In the two years she became to love the horse a little bit, he ran faster, his muscles moving underneath that soft white skin. The shield on her back smached against Torhild's back by the speed that her horse produced. The others laughed while galloping behind her. Torhild looked over her shoulder, grinning before she sent the horse on the pad towards the village. Their hooves maked an enormous cloud of dust. Some of the people in the village came outside, yelling towards their returned daughters. They were all shieldmaidens now, willing to defens this town, willing to follow Lagertha into battle.

Torhild drove her horse further, towards the little hall that was build in the center of the town. She held still, looked smiling at the building while she tried to remember how it was since she left two years ago. Her dark eyes glided over the surrounding, observing the people who came outside. They watched her but nobody said anything. She frowed her eyebrows and jumped from the horse, walking towards the hall. But when she pushed the doors she didn't saw what she expected. She expected her mother on the throne, or at least the owl her mother always carried around. But there was nothing but emptiness. 'Torhild.' She janked her head around to the old man who can inside. She smiled, recognized the man who saved her life when she was a little girl with a heavy fever. He looked at her, admiring the changes she went through. 'What did the gods do with you, so grow up and confident.' The man moved closer by, laid his hand against her cheek and she could only smile.
'I'm glad to see the gods are still having faith in you.' She replied with respect. Her eyes stared to the throne again. 'Where is my mother? Björn?' She asked softly. Björn, her half brother was often away, on raids, following in the footsteps of his father, the famous Ragnar Lotbrok. Torhild could only dream of a father like him, her own father she never knew, died when she was to young to remember him.
'There is a lot you have missed young warrior.' The old man said.
'Is my mother dead?' She asked immidiatly. In two years a lot could change, she knew that the minute she drove away on her horse. But the loss of her mother wouldn't help her. She wanted to show her mother what became of her, wanted to battle, go raiding.
'No but you better ride to Kattegat, all answers are there.' He bow like she was some kind of a princess now. She nodded, her cloak like a twister following her body back outside. What kind of answers she would find back in Kattegat?

The last time she was here it was a big village, without defenses, without major traveling in and out. Now their were people walking through big wooden gates, shieldmaidens all over the place, on the walls that never where their before. The fact she weared a shield give her enough status to go inside without interrogation. Their were extra builings, in the harbor layed about twenty ships, the people were trading. Torhild was supriced by all of this. Her horse walked through the people to the great hall were two shieldmaiden stood before the wooden door. 'Torhild?' One of them asked supriced. She didn't know the situation so she became carefull, distant. A good shieldmaiden was practical when necessary and this was sush a situation. 'Where is my mother?' She asked flat, chin a little up, strong and confident.
'Inside.' The other woman pointed. Torhild nodded, jumped of her horse, left her shield with her horse and gave it to a stableboy who passed by. She took a deep before taking the couple of stairs to the great hall. 'Their are a couple of guests inside. But you look good princess.' One of the shieldmaidens said. Torhild looked to the woman and smiled a little by the comfort she got. Despite the fact that she was a full grown warrior now ... she was a little nervous to see what changed. Her long dark brown hair felt before her shoulders when she pushed open the doors. Their was music, amusment but all of that felt silent with the confident which torhild walked in. This was a place for kings and queens, she always knew it to be a place for Ragnar and Aslaug. But when she watched to the throne there was no Aslaug of Ragnar, it was her mother, the owl on the back of the throne. Torhild ignored the looks of all the people and walked to the front, held still before her mother who looked at her as if she was a stranger.
'My daughter.' She finally said. Lagertha stood up, looking up and down over Torhild's body.
'My queen.' Torhild bow. When Lagertha was close enough she laid her hands on both sides of Torhild's face.
'The gods have answered my prayers.' Lagertha smiled before she turned to the people in the great hall. 'Torhild has returned home, not only stronger, not only a shieldmaiden but as the princess of Kattegat.' She announced before hugging Torhild. Torhild smiled proudly, glad to see her mother back after all this time.
'You have a lot of explaining to do mother.' She said while pulling back.
'That can waith, you look ready for battle, I want to hear all your stories.' Lagertha smiled while giving her a cup.
'Little sister.' Said a voice from behind. Torhild turned her body toward the great hall and looked to Björn, he was looking at her with a grin, gazing his eyes over her body. 'Not so little anymore.' He laughed. She knew her half brother was big but it looked like he had grown again, or was it the beard? The hair maybe? She gave her cup back and trew her arms around him, greeted him with a kiss on his cheek.

It felt as a relief, to see both her mother and half brother safe and in Kattegat. She spended years here with Björn, it was still the best place to learn. And now her mother was on the throne, queen of Kattegat and more. Torhild had so many questions but didn't knew where to start with it. Her eyes met a couple of eyes that maked her smile a little. Yes, that was one of those question, where were Ragnar his sons. And the answer was right their, Ubbe stood in the corner, winking at her, Hvitserk on a chair besides him. No sigh of Sigurd. And then she met those ocean blue eyes and the little smile there was faided away. Ivar just stared, not blinking, not smiling, just intense staring and Torhild only stared back. Finally she nodded a little and the corner of his mouth slid a little up before she turned back to her mother who pointed her to a chair on the right of her. 'Tomorrow we hold a feast.' She said to the people and everybody stared to bawl.