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That night, the Vikings made camp. While the others wished to settle down, Ivar The Boneless had other ideas.
Alfild listened as Ivar talked to his brothers about finding new strategies and marking out the terrain. None of them seemed particularly eager to listen to begin with, but Bjorn listened and took on board his little brothers points.
"What do you say?" Ivar had persisted.
Bjorn shrugged, not entirely sure but knowing that Ivar could be onto a good plan. "If it works, it is a good plan. If it doesn't, it is a bad plan."
"I will go with you." Alfild decided after listening to the brothers converse for a while. None of them seemed to notice that she'd ever even been there.
Ivar quirked up a brow curiously at her, "And why would you do that?"
Alfild climbed up onto her horse, sitting face to face with him. "To make sure it is a good plan." She smirked with a shrug before riding off. The truth was, she'd truly begun to enjoy the raid and she wanted to win. She'd mostly forgotten about her true reasons for being here, though her distain for Ivar still stood strong.
The pair stopped when they came in view of the battlefield. It was a large area with small hillocks and open fields. In Alfild's mind, she began thinking up the optimal way to use the land.
"Why did you come out here? From what I heard, you had no reason to avenge my father. Besides, I thought you hated us." Ivar mused as he too watched the landscape carefully.
Alfild knew that he would soon catch on to her contradictions. He was too clever not to. And Alfild loathed him further for that. Why could he not just be like everyone else? That being said, when she first met him, that had been what she originally admired.
"It is true." Alfild confirmed. "After Brunhilde died, I had no one. She was just another person that I loved and lost, just adding to the list. I thought I was cursed. And, for so long, I hated all of you for it. I thought I'd never get over the pain. But I did." Her words, that had previously been filled with vulnerability, turned cold. "As queen, you learn to put yourself and your emotions second. And, if helping to avenge a great hero like your father will bring new allies to my kingdom then that is what I will do."
Ivar listened and gave a small nod of understanding, accepting her justification. The two sat in silence for a moment before suddenly, a spark of genius appeared in the Prince's vibrant blue eyes. A plan. A plan so mad that it may just work. A plan that even Alfild had to admit was impressive.
On the ride back, the two further discussed strategies. Ivar listened as the girl told him some of her ideas in previous battles and Alfild listened when he told her his own concepts.
Though the queen hated Ivar for killing her mother, there was something oddly comforting about speaking with him. She saw strange reflections of herself in some of his mannerisms. The connection that they had both felt the day they met was still there. Only now it was clouded by loyalty and anger.
