The cripple and the shieldmaiden

// 12 //

The corner of her mouth lifted a little when she parried the sword of Ubbe. He tilted his head, also smiling, pulled back and attacked again. Torhild backed away, concentrated on the fight that everything around her just faded away. While everybody was settling in and making raiding plans Torhild used the spare time to train, keeping her body in shape. She did what Ivar suggested, she kept her focus on the importance of the journey here. She couldn't get home with the story that she failed because of her distraction towards Hvitserk. So it was all about focus, temping the boys into fights, training the shieldmaidens. 'Come on Torhild.' Ubbe challenged her. Torhild had a weak for fighting with one weapon, she was used to a sword and axe. She pushed him back a little, used her slim body in the advantage, ducking underneath his attack and hitting him in the back. Ubbe laughed and turned around to her. 'Do you have an idea what you gonna do with king Harald?' He asked. Torhild lowered her sword and shrugged.
'Punishment.' She answered.
'Björn doesn't want you to. You don't have to, Lagertha wouldn't find out, she isn't here.' Ubbe began. Torhild narrowed her eyes, looking aside to Ase, Ivar and Hvitserk who sat in the grass against a tree. Hvitserk looked at her like he always does, with admiration. But none of them reacted on what Ubbe said so she turned her head back to him.
'Why are you saying this?' She asked, confused.
'I'm just saying that king Harald proved his loyalty here, he is of use to us.' The fight was over, Ubbe putted his sword back in his belt.
'Yes, but he attacted Kattegat, my mother, after our backs. That deserves punishment.'
'So is killing my mother.' Ivar reacted. Torhild clenshed her teeth and looked at Ivar who give her a warning look.
'So is killing your brother.' Hvitserk followed. Ase jumped up to get out of reach from Ivar who turned to his brother, angry.
'Don't test my limits brother.' Ivar warned him. Torhild looked between the two of them, sighed.
'What your mother did is unforgivable, but we didn't punish her for it.'
'I want to.' Ivar murmured after the words of Ubbe. It would keep a distance between her and Ivar, Lagertha killing his mother, she didn't blame him but she couldn't choise sides either.
'Why don't you?' Ase asked. Ivar turned his eyes away from Torhild and looked at Ase.
'Do I look like I gave up?' He asked grinning.
'So you don't think I should punish king Harald?' Torhild changed the subject back to Harald before somebody trew an axe or something.
'No.' Ubbe answered honest. Torhild knew that her brother didn't wanted it to so she looked towards Hvitserk, for his opinion.
'I don't know Torhild, I think it's not your place to punish him, it's Lagertha's.' He said after a little moment of thinking. That wasn't really a yes or no answer but she understood what he was saying.
'Ase?'
'I have an opinion in that?' She asked supriced.
'Everybody does, you are as equal as us.' Torhild smiled. Ase was kind of the right hand withing the shieldmaidens, Torhild valued her opinion as much as she did from the others.
'Whatever you decide is good for me.'
'That wasn't usefull at all.' Ubbe grinned. Torhild looked towards Ivar who looked back with an unpredictable gaze.
'Don't need to ask you.'
'Why not?' He tilted his head and Torhild smiled softly.
'Because you want to see everyone punished.' She shrugged. Ivar nodded, pulling his knife out the ground and looking at it while he turns it around in his hand.
'Punish him Torhild, let me have some fun.' He smiled devilish. Torhild looked aside to Ubbe who shook his head. But Ubbe was right, it wasn't her place, she wasn't there when it happened and fairly she hadn't a say in it.
'You're right, I deliver him to my mother when we go back home. If he survives.' She nodded.
'Thanks for taking us advise princess.'
'I'm not the princess.' She protested. Ubbe laughed and walked over to the ale who stood before the brothers on the ground, Ivar smached his foot against it so the ale dripped in the ground before Ubbe had a change to save it.
'Why are you made?' Ubbe asked him.
'It's always the same with you.' Ivar spitted on the ground. Torhild looked how he crawled away before she looked to the two brothers again.
'We need to go raid before he is going to kill someone else of us again.' Ubbe said.
'Do I need to talk with him?' Torhild asked. Ubbe shook his head, emptied the little bit that was still in the cup.
'Brother can take care of himself.' Hvitserk agreed. Torhild looked to the place where Ivar was vanished before looking aside to Ase. '
Then I go bring some good news to my brother and king Harald.' She announed.
'Be carefull Torhild.' Ubbe nodded. She bow short and walked a way from the trainingsfield.

They first raiding would set the next day and like always that was a reason to feast. Torhild stood besides her brother and looked over the great hall. 'I'm taking your advice.' She began. Björn turned his head, looking down on her.
'Wich one?' He teased. She give him a little hit between his ribs with her elbow and pointed towards king Harald. She doesn't like the man, he was looking to much, wanted to know everything. If she had to choise between those two brothers it would be Halfdan, he was more ... reliable.
'I'm not gonna punish him, it's mothers task and I'm not interfering with her business.' She explained. Björn nodded, giving her some more ale.
'You learn quickly sister.' He praised her. She bow and walked away, right for those two brothers. Halfdan spotted her immidiatly, giving his brother a smack against the chest and nodding towards Torhild.
'King Harald, Halfdan.' She bow for the both of them.
'Princess.' King Harald smiled. She hated the word princess, it was already bad enough that Hvitserk called her love.
'Did you decide the punishment for my brother?' Halfdan asked. Torhild smiled a little, looked away from Harald towards his brother while nodding.
'Not.' She answered. King Harald frowned his eyesbrows, not sure what to think about it. 'It's not my place. But if you survive this than I will take you home to deliver you to my mother.' She explained herself. The both brothers exchanged looks with each other.
'Your not so bad after all.' Halfdan grinned, looking of her body. Torhild held her cup with ale up.
'I hope you survive this king Harald.' She said with a promising look. He chuckled and smached his cup against hers.
'Keep safe Torhild.' Halfdan said.
'You to.' She bow and walked away. Now they were here she better kept those two close. Ivar sat again the wall, drinking from his ale without looking away from her. 'I feel your eyes burning in my back from across the room.' She said while sitting besides him.
'You shouldn't do it Torhild, he deserves it.' Ivar reacted. He sounded still frustrated. Her eyes felt back on king Harald, he was still looking at her. The fact she sat besides Ivar wasn't much of a reassurance for them.
'He will get his part.' She said softly. They felt in silence, Torhild stared at the people, changed looks with her brother. He didn't mind the contact she had with Ivar but she knew he held a close eye on the youngest brother of Ragnar. 'Tomorrow we raid.' She whispered in her own thoughts. Ivar looked aside, she looked back, staring at the confident smile on his lips. 'Are you going to kill my mother?' She finally asked. His smile disappeared and he looked away from her.
'I'm not so generous as you are but,' he felt silent and shook slowly his head. 'care to much about you to do sush thing I guess.' He murmuled. Torhild looked to her empty cup, thinking about what he just said.
'What do you want me to do tomorrow?' She asked, looking back at him. His bleu eyes capture hers and the stared at each other for several moments.
'Don't die.' He finally answered. She nodded and looked back in front of her.
'You neither Ivar.' She whispered. She didn't got emotional over the moment but it hits her like a wave, the friendship she had with Ivar, what it would meant when he should die. She looked aside to him, studied his face and nodded slowly for herself. She couldn't be distracted, she had to keep him alive for she was sure he would do the same for her.