⚠︎︎-𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗-⚠︎

ᑕᕼᗩᑭTᗴᖇ 7

It was just a little further. Bálburunn stumbled down the last hill on the mountain, running into a tree. She gripped it with her good hand before pushing off.

The town at the base of the mountain stood still as the redheaded child staggered into it. She was clutching her disfigured arm. A bag full of fur and bones tied to her back made her look small in comparison. The girl was drenched in blood. An open wound stretched from the edge of her shoulder to her chest. A black gash on her thigh matched it. She was white as a sheet when she collapsed soon after her entrance. The women gasped, rushing over.

"That fur," One of the men said, stepping forward. "That is of Ógurligr. I know it." The crowd erupted in mumbles, surrounding the sickly girl.

"Yes!" Shouted the blacksmith. "She came to me only weeks ago, asking about the beast in the mountain. She wanted arrowheads to hunt him. I told her to find a different mission, but she refused."

"She asked about my missing animals," said another civilian.

"Me too,"

"Silence!" The leader of the town stepped forward, staring at the unconscious girl. "Bring her in."

Björn followed his father across the land to see Jarl Borg. The strange woman they met on the road eyed Ragnar the whole night, and Björn did not like it. Ragnar and Lagertha had been arguing before they left. Björn wanted to trust his father, but he knew that it was possible he would cheat on Lagertha that night.

The next night was when he heard them. They made love only ten feet away from Björn.

"I hate you. It's disgusting." The boy said as he approached his father the morning after.

"I could not help myself." His father said, staring with piercing blue eyes.

"Shall I tell that to Lagertha? Your wife?"

"If you want."

"You must not love her that much after all, no matter what you say, no matter what people think."

"I don't care what people think. I do love your mother."

"Swear to me that it will not happen again." The boy said, glaring.

Ragnar hesitated. "I swear to you. It will not happen again." He pulled his son in for a hug. "I love you."

Ragnar refused the strange woman that night. Björn smiled as she shooed out of the room, embarrassed.

When they returned home, Lagertha and many others argued with Ragnar about his choices during the journey. Ragnar snapped at his wife, causing Björn to jump in.

"Do not argue, you two!"

There was a silence before Ragnar looked at his wife. "I am weary and I am blood-sickened, and that is the truth."

"Who is Aslaug?" Lagertha asked. Ragnar threw his plate across the room.

"Stop." He growled.

"Who is Aslaug?" She repeated.

"She is a princess. We met in Götaland."

"You just met her?" The woman asked, unimpressed.

"Lagertha," Siggy interrupted, shaking her head.

"What has the boy told you?" Ragnar stared at Björn. His piercing eyes cut through his son. Björn had to look away. "What did you tell her, boy?"

"It doesn't matter what Björn says. What do you say?" Lagertha gritted her teeth.

"I say..." Ragnar stood up, kicking his chair and walking towards their bedroom door, "We should not wash our dirty clothes in front of others."

Björn stared at the fire. He could feel himself shaking. His mother followed Ragnar out of the room, face red with anger. It was going to be a long night.

He tried to distract himself with thoughts of Bálburunn as he tried to sleep – what was she doing? Where was she? He could only imagine she was wreaking havoc on somebody's life, but he would rather her be with him, even if it meant her wreaking havoc on his own life. If she had seen what his father had done, she would have tried to kill him. Perhaps Ragnar would show an ounce of regret.

Björn looked up at the ceiling. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep.

Bálburunn awoke to a woman tending to her forearm. The lady had dark hair and eyes. She stared at the redhead, hesitating to talk.

"Our saviour is a child no older than fifteen. The Gods sent you to rid us of the great bear Ógurligr. Thank you." The woman all but whispered, tying the bandage at the girl's wrist.

The redhead sat up. "Where..."

"You are in Botarskal. The Earl would like to speak with you when you are ready." The woman said. "Your arm still needs healing, as does the injury on your leg but the wound on your shoulder has closed. It has been three days since you entered the town. Many did not think you would make it, but I knew in my heart that you would come back."

"Thank you," The girl said quietly. She swung her legs off the bed. Her thigh lacked mobility from the bandages on it, but she could still walk. She made her way to the Earl's longhouse, townspeople eyeing her with admiration as she passed them.

"You have awoken," The Earl spoke as she passed through his doors, "Please, eat."

Bálburunn sat at the dining table. A servant girl gave her a plate of cooked chicken. She dug in, eating it as fast as she could. She hadn't realized how hungry she truly was. They gave her a cup of ale, which she chugged down instantly.

"The people of my town have informed me that you slayed the great bear Ógurligr. He has killed many of our people and livestock."

Her green eyes stared at him while she ate.

"We owe you a great debt," He continued, "Where are you from? What is your name? Do you have any parents?"

"Bálburunn." She said, throwing a piece of chicken into her mouth.

"And who did you travel with? My townspeople say they saw you alone, but surely, someone accompanied you to hunt the bear. Did they fall during the fight?"

The redhead paused. "What makes you think I did not fight the bear alone?"

The Earl laughed. "You are but a child. As I said before, Ógurligr has killed many of our townspeople and put a curse on the town itself. We used to go on hunts with twenty men and women to kill the beast, but all came back dead or injured. There is no way a mere child could..." He slowed his speech under the girl's intense stare. "I only wish to credit all responsible for the death of Ógurligr. I should like to have them present when we reward them for their acts. It was a blessing from Odin."

The girl looked around the room, eyes scanning across the empty hall. Her orange hair glowed under the candlelight. "All those responsible are already here, sir."

The Earl's lips formed a thin line. He sighed. "Then, we shall bring forth our gifts to the heroine."

Two slave girls came from a small hall off to the side, one carrying a large horn, the other carrying a pillow with a sparkling ring.

"May I present to you, the Horn of Botarskal. If you ever find yourself in the need of men for a battle, you may call upon the people in this town to raise their arms. We are in debt to you. Secondly, I present my most prized possession – the ring of Odin's breath. You may sell it for much coin, or keep it for yourself. It is my offer as a thank you for saving my people from more years of slaughter."

Bálburunn stared at the objects, then back to the man. "Thank you."