WRATH OF WAR [BJÖRN IRONSIDE]

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

An earl from a place she couldn't bother to remembered was introduced to her by Björn before they walked away towards the great hall. Vál had been to focused on Egil, the man that gave her an uneasy feeling deep down. The three men were still standing by the beginning of the docks, talking but Harald had broken their gaze as he joined the conversation with Egil and his brother. Vál sucked on her teeth before deciding to go back to her cabin and leave one sword and her bow. However she could feel Egils eyes on her as she got closer to them.

"Vál." Harald said and she stopped in front of them with her arms crossed over her chest. She ignored Egils lingering eyes over her body as she raised her brow at Harald.

"Harald." She said shortly.

"I don't believe you've met Egil." He said and Vál only looked at Harald before looking at Egil.

"I'm Egil yet some call me the bastard." The younger brunette man said with a smirk as he held out his hand for her to shake but she looked him in the eyes, then down on his hand then back up again without a single emotion visible on her facial expression. Harald cleared his throat and she looked at him.

"Björn said something about you being an earl?" Vál said as she looked back at the young man. She squinted her eyes slightly as he smirked. There was a certain feeling his body oozed which didn't sit well with her. The feeling surprised her as she didn't think of him as an opponent. Slightly shorter than her, small and the only thing indicating of him being in a battle was the scar across his face. Egils eyes had roamed her scars she had, noting the slightly prominent yet faded scar over her eye.

"Earl to be." Egil said. "My father is ill and its only a matter of time before it rests on me." He continued, lying to Vál who looked at him without revealing any emotion. Halfdan looked at Egil in the corner of his eyes before looking back at Vál, trying to see if she bought it. Egil looked to the ground as if he was getting emotional yet she didn't bought it, at least she didn't show it.

"Yet you still go to sunny places when your father is slowly slipping away." Vál said, challenging him with her brow raised. "Only a few people manages to do that." She said which caused Egil to frown. Before he or the others could answer the sound of the horn blew again. No more boats were arriving which filled her with anticipation. She left the three ment without a word yet they followed her to see what was happening. A smirk spread across her face when she saw people walking out from the forest, Vidar and Ulvar with their 400 men. Her eyes quickly found Ulvar and she smiled at him which he returned.

"Great to see you again." Vál said as she walked up to them. She was embraced in their arms before she knew it. Vidar holding her slightly longer as he moved his lips to her ear.

"You got 450 men to add to the heathen army." He told her and when they pulled away she smiled at him with wide eyes.

"And you told me only 150 would want to join us." She said and slapped him on the arm.