WRATH OF WAR [BJÖRN IRONSIDE]

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Both Vál and Björn had followed Vidar and Ulvar to their great hall. Björns eyes had not stopped roaming around the foreign place Vál called home. He was met with one large table in the middle of the room with smaller ones on the side. He noted that their wasn't any thrones or anything, only the tables. Vidar and Ulvar took a seat next on the opposite side of them in the middle of the large wooden table.

"So the great Ragnar Lothbrok is dead?" Ulvar said sounding almost defeated. "Even the best warriors dies one day." He continued and looked down on the table. Björn did as well, trying to swallow the lump of emotions building in his chest from Ulvars words. However anger soon took over when he thought that he hadn't died in the battlefield, instead he had been killed by a king as a prisoner.

"How come you want 400 men and women from us?" Vidar asked and looked at both of them. Even if there wasn't a king or earl in the mountains there was leaders. Vidar was the commander of the North, Ulvar was second in command but they were united with the people. They never used their power as their advantage towards the others. They were given the roles since they had gathered everyone and made everyone fight for the same purpose. They had both excellent skills in battle and were extraordinary leaders who fought for their own people no matter who stood opposite them. They did the same work as the rest only that they were titled commanders plus in arguments without unanimity their votes were conclusive. They couldn't live without a leader in mountains since the extreme temperatures they faced could turn everyone mad at the end of the day. Without a leader they wouldn't have been organized which would only result in their own ashes blowing in the wind.

"We're leading the largest army to Englad to avenge Ragnar's death. We have 3800 people already and we need 400 more warriors." Vál said. "We need your support in the heathen army." She continued.

"It's not our battle. We can't send the majority of our men in with the current situation up here." Vidar said.

"My father took you in—" Björn begun but Vál cut him off as she kicked him in the leg under the table.

"We have always supported important battles, my father accompanied Ragnar on his travels and now we're obligated to aid." Vál said and silence engulfed them. "If not we're breaking one of our own rules and I know you're the one holding onto them Vidar." She continued as she looked the man in the eyes.

"We can give you 150 of our best warriors." Vidar said after he exchanged a look from Ulvar who had remained silent this far.

"Both you and I know there are 400 warriors here than can follow us." Vál argued.

"175 is the most we can give you Vál." Vidar said and she rolled her eyes as she got annoyed by the fact that Vidar was straight up lying in her face. She knew the potential in the North, she had promised everyone in Kattegat 400 warriors and she was not returning without them coming along.

"If you can raise with 25 warriors you can add more." Björn said and the men ont he opposite side looked at him.

"We're 600 hundred people here in the area. Yes, we can send 400 men to leave since 200 is more than enough to protect the surroundings yet there's one problem you southerners are missing which we in the North hasn't forgotten. Haraldssons attack is still cut deep among most of our warriors which makes it difficult to college 400 men who willingly would fight for you and not kill you instead." Ulvar said and Vidar nodded.