The cripple and the shieldmaiden

// 26 //

Lord Edgar wasn't sure how to handle her. He didn't say much except for a short greeting and looking back at her ... probably thinking what the meaning was of this. 'What? You thought I wouldn't survive?' She asked him. It was hard to put so much effort in looking strong and confident when she felt only pain. The lord came from the throne and walked over to her, a soft smile spreading over his lips.
'I'm glad you survived but you don't look so good princess.'
'I'm fine.' She reacted immidiatly. Ase followed her to the throne and Torhild was glad that she could sit down for a moment. The soft fabrics of the animalskins maked it comfortabel for her, giving her enough strenght to look back at him.
'I guess your brother doesn't know you are here?' He turned around, facing her again with Ubbe at his side. The oldest brother was alert, his hand resting on his belt where he easily could pull his knife.
'No.' She answered. Little did he know that her brother currently was taking back the settlement. Lord Edgar nodded and smiled again, like he was pleased over what she just said.
'I like you Torhild, your mind works the same way as mine. I guess you're not here to talk battlewounds?' His green eyes amused scanning hers. Torhild lifted her chin a little and looked down at him.
'I want to make a deal.' She announched. His eyebrow kicked up, surpriced.
'We have already a deal.'
'No, I have a deal with king Aethelwulf, not with you.' She corrected him. He nodded, approvingly, before he putted some fingers forward in a jesture for her to get further on the subject. 'Simple, you let us go, unharmed, every last one of uss and I give you the promise to never come back again.' She explained. It was nothing more than a diversion but she was also a little curious about what he was going to think of this. Torhild had many journeys to come and England wasn't the only place to raid so ... she didn't have to come back.
'You are in no position to make that deal, your not the leader of your kind.' He said with a small grin, his eyes narrowed. He was right, she wasn't in the right position.
'I will, when I am queen.'
'Your gonna kill your king or queen back home? Who says the people will follow you?' He asked. Torhild looked towards Ubbe who followed it all with a little amusment in his eyes. Even Ivar would love this subject, or at least the part where she should kill her mother for power ... not that it was the plan, Torhild wasn't out for power. 'Besides, isn't it a Ragnarssons who should rule?' He asked, looking aside to Ubbe.
'I could marry him, we rule together, the people would followed two such leaders.' She pointed towards Ubbe. He smiled by the thought of it, offcourse he smiled. The sons of Ragnar weren't strangers to marry proposals. Ubbe already married Margrethe and Hvitserk offered his loyalty already once before to Torhild. But her words maked him thinking, clearly ... so she let him. 'I can tell everybody what you did, starting a war where you certainly in would die. Or I can go home, raid aside the mediterranean sea and never come back.' She clearified the deal for him a little further. He was still in the thought that he could get out of here, that nobody knew what he had done.
'Who says they are willing to believe you?'
'They will,' Ubbe reacted, giving him a short grinn. 'Trust me.' Torhild give Ubbe a short smile, trying to keep her body in such a position that the pain was a little easier to handle.
'So you go home, kill however is in charge, marry him and never come back here?' He setted the deal a little more in place, Torhild nodded.
'You get your land back and never have to be concerned about vikings raiding your lands again. Cause I think that thats why you are here, we are on your land.' She pointed to the ground underneath her feet. He started passing around while he tried to progress this information. Torhild let her eyes fall on the five soldiers who sat on the table, following the conversation intensly before she looked back at that man ... she couldn't bare to look at him any longer. The silence was strong, even from outside there wasn't a sound. What was only good news, that meant that her brother and Ivar killed the people without sounding any alarms.
'I don't believe this princess. Who says that you aren't gonna go home to get more men and later come back. You are not gonna tell me that you don't had a plan to take me down, or take this settlement back.' Lord Edgar said after that long silence.
'I always had a plan.' She reacted, impatient. Lord Edgar smiled, a smug smile that chases the goodebumbs over her tired body. 'And who says I need to get more people, maybe they are already here.' She shrugged nonchalant. Just as he wanted to speak the dubble door from the great hall pushed open and her brother came in, a sword covered in blood, his eyes hunting those of the lord.
'So this is it?' The lord asked. Torhild saw Hvitserk walk in with Ivar crawling beside him. She changed a quick look with Ivar who setted his attention rather fast on the lost. King Harald and Halfdan turning their attention two the five soldiers who already jumped up to defend their lord. But it was an easy game, their were more vikings in the room than Christians. And then her mother came in, fierce like she always was. Her blond hair braided while she shoved her sword back in her belt before she looked up. Torhild pushed her body out the throne, her hand against her stomach as like she wanted to support her injuries
'This is it.' Björn smiled. The lord pulled his sword pointing it towards Torhild. Despite the fact that she was just out of reach, Ase pulled her axe to protect her. Even  
'I could kill her.' He said. The pressure of the situation maked him handle irrational. 
'No you won't.' Lagertha began, stepping to aside her son. Torhild sowly sat down again not been able to hold her body up. Ivar crawled over the wooded floor until he was aside her throne. She felt more secure with him around, not that she had something against Ase but Ivar was a better judge of character and he knew Torhild.
'And who are you?'
'Lagertha, queen of Kattegat, mother of Björn Ironsside and Torhild.' She presented herself with so much power that the lord knew immidiatly that his end was near. 'Did you really thought that we vikings wouldn't find a way, that we are like your christian soldiers and just do what is asked from us? You came in our homes and took our things, our rights, you attacked my daughter and for that my wrath will be sweet.' She explained him.
'Didn't the princess warned you.' Ase followed. Torhild looked aside to Ase who looked at this with a confident strong smile, it were the woman who had the power now and it held her straight for a moment.
'I won't die on the hands of a pagan woman who has been here for minuts.'
'You won't,' Björn smiled pointing towards his sister. 'She will deside your faith.' He announched. Torhild took a carefull breath, relieved that her brother gave her the change to do this by herself. She wasn't in a position to kill somebody, how much she wanted to kill him. In the time she was awake and resting she had thought of all the ways she could make him suffer, the viking ways and the christian ways. Maybe she could nail him on a cross, the possibilities were numerous. Torhild gave her brother a thankfull look before she looked back to the lord.
'The gods have decided your path, your faith is fixed.' She whispered before she nodded towards King Harald. Halfdan and Harald killed those last five soldiers without any trouble so only the lord was the one left.
'King Aethelwulf will hear of this princess en you will wish that you were nailed on that cross when you had the change.'
'I will not be afraid of you Christian souls!' She shouted, her body in reflex out of her seat before she felt the pain and all the color pulled out her face, her hand reached to the wound. Ivar grabbed her by her arm and pulled her back in the seat. Torhild tried to suppress the tears while she looked up to him again. Ace came forward and pushed the lord on his knees before her feet. He started laughing, loud and amused, not afraid of his own dead that was coming.
'You are already afraid.' He chuckled.
'Ivar.' She hissed through her pain. Ivar, with his arms crossed over the arm of her chair looked up to her. She met his bleu eyes, burning in rage and a desire to kill that men for her. 'Bloodeagle him.' She said to him. Ivar turned his head, resting it on his arms again while he looked to the lord with that wicked smile.
'You will wish you never crossed us.' He said. 'Get him out, lets give the gods a feast.' Ivar commanded Ase. She pulled the lord up and pulled him out, king Harald and Halfdan following. As soon as that lord was away Torhild dropped her attitude. She pulled her hand away and looked at the blood. 'You should rest.' Ivar whispered.
'I wan't to see him suffer and die.' She reacted softly, looking down at him before she looked to her mother and the others. Lagertha was watching her and Ivar intensly. 'I'm glad you're here mother.' Torhild smiled tired. Lagertha snapped out of her staring and walked over to her daughter, softly embracing her before she looked down to her hand covered in blood.
'I'm glad that I could help but by the looks of it your are already a queen on your own.'
'I couldn't do it without Björn and the others.' She replied, looking down to Ivar as first.
'A good queen knows when to advise the people close to her, she also knows when to rest. You have to take it easy Torhild, go rest.' Her last words were concerned, motherly. Torhild grabbed her mothers hand and squeezed softly in it.
'Thanks mother, but I want to see him die.' She said a little more confident, stubborn. Her body had to hold on a little longer and then she would sleep, hours if needed until she was enough healed to take on Aethelwulf. 

I think it's safe to say we need a Ivar angle for that bloodeagle part. Or not?