WRATH OF WAR [BJÖRN IRONSIDE]

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

They had watched as the women had taken their three horses and rode North. When they were out of sight Björn and Vál made their way to their horses to continue their way home. Vál had given Bodil one of her daggers to feel safer on their journey to Vidar. Nothing had fortunately happened to Bodil which gave Vál some relief yet she had been shaken badly.

"So you took care of things like that when you lived up there?" Björn asked as they slowly made their way through the forests on the horsebacks. She nodded as she hummed.

"That and assassinations of course." She said and he hummed. "We visit the smaller famers every now and then, making sure everything's alright. If something have happened we hunt them down to kill them." She continued and he nodded. Even if Björn knew Vál she had changed a lot in the past ten years, he didn't really have a clue how lethal the woman was that was riding beside him. He had no idea what she was fully capable of doing and what she had done to people in those ten years. Vál could get cold when she killed yet the definition of cold had changed through out the years. Nothing in Vál's body reacted when she killed, flayed or tortured. Nothing was there. No matter how much begging, crying or pleading in exchange of riches she listened or bothered. The North had created monster that was equal to all the other monsters up north.

As they slowly rode into Kattegat again they small talked and laughed occasionally. It was obvious to the familiar eyes who watched them return that the tension between the two had calmed immensely. The younger sons sat by a smaller fire with Floki and the Norwegian brothers, everyone noting the casualties between the two. Their eyes followed their movements as they got off the horses before they walked over to them. Thyr and Björns horse was handed over to Thorun who walked them to the stall.

"How did it go?" Ubbe asked and looked at Vál.

"You got a minimum of 4200 warriors with you to England. " Vál answered and they all nodded approvingly. "400 warriors from the North will arrive in six moons." She continued with a nod before she and Björn walked towards the great hall for food. Halfdan moved closer to his brother, lowering his voice.

"If she keeps that up she might be Queen one day, never thought Lagertha would have competition right under her nose so quickly." Halfdan said and Harald nodded with a smile.

"However Lagertha is better on the throne for us now." Harald said and Halfdan nodded. "Yet there's other ways for Vál to become Queen without competing with Lagertha." He added and Halfdan smirked when he realized what Harald was hinting at.

"I thought you already had your Queen in mind." Halfdan said and Harald chuckled. "Your thoughts surprise me brother." He continued and Harald only shook his head slightly before drinking from his cup.

Vál and Björns heavy steps echoed through the empty great hall. The only one present was a servant who stood silently by the door but quickly got out to fetch them food and drinks. They sat down opposite each other and food were soon placed in front of them. Both of them dug in quickly.