Signy was an orphan raised by the renowned boat builder Floki and his wife Helga. Growing up, she was best friends with the sons of the great Ragnar Lothbrok. However, when her half sister is to be sent to get married and Signy steps in to swap plac...
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The air was buzzing with electricity. The electricity of the fight surrounded us all. I stood silently, sword in hand. The thrill. The thrill was all I could feel. War always felt exciting, exhilarating. The rush before, the rush as you slice at a person's throat. To battle is what we are born for, to fight is a feeling that nothing else in the world can give us. It's our core programming.
"Do you think this will work?" Ubbe questioned from beside me.
I nodded, a small smile as I twirled the metal blade in my hands, "I know it will."
"And how can you be so sure of that?" Sigurd walked over to us.
"Because I'm always right." I grinned.
Of course, everything went to plan and the next thing I knew we were making our way to Wessex. A stronghold for the King. When we made our way inside, everything was eerily empty. Something was wrong. A silence had filled the village and it refused to shake. Was anyone even there?
"Something's wrong..." I whispered, my paranoid eyes now darting around the village. This could be a trap, a clever little strategy. But, we weren't fighting Ivar here, were we? We were fighting cowards who knew they could never win.
"There's no one here." I couldn't place the voice who spoke because I was still darting my eyes around the village in search of a last line of defence. Next I knew, everyone had taken off into the village. There were no traps, no clever tricks, nothing. The whole village had just got up and left!
"You look too miserable for someone who just captured a Saxon stronghold." Sigurd spoke, now stood beside me.
"That's because we didn't capture it... They gave it to us." I sighed. I walked inside the maze of stone buildings, intricate hallways and winding steps decorated the grandiose structure. For a while, I thought everything was going well. Then I heard it. The heartbreaking scream. I ran, my impulses now taking control of my body. I ran towards the scream, I had to. I had think know, I had to find out what happened. I ran through the winding corridors until I crashed through a small wooden doors, my eyes landing on the tragic sight before me.
"Floki?" My voice was shaky and barely above a whisper as I noticed the man I had come to think of as a father. He was sat on the floor shaking, holding something... Someone. My eyes darted to the long flowing blonde hair that spilled over Floki's knees as he cradled the lifeless woman in his arms.
Helga.
I ran over, seeing the closest thing I'd ever had to a mother laying on the ground with blood oozing from an open wound. Then my eyes drifted to the other body in the corner. The Mediterranean girl that Helga had brought home. She too was lifeless, but in her hand was a small dagger soaked in her and Helga's blood. She did not deserve to share a death with such a pure and perfect woman. Helga did not deserve this. Floki did not deserve this. I kneeled down beside the doomed couple, my hand resting on Floki's shoulder reassuringly. I couldn't even look at Helga, her beautiful blue eyes now cold and dead. I couldn't bare the thought of it. Tears welled in my eyes bit I willed them away. Later I could cry. Right now, Floki needed support. I gently hugged him, his own tears falling onto my shoulder.
What was to become of us now?
When I returned from Helga's burial, I wanted nothing more than to sit and cry. I had to get away from everyone. Away from all these people that crowded me. I couldn't breath, everything was closing in on me and I just yearned to be alone. Helga, this perfect woman who raised me, now lay in the dirt with nothing left within her. Perhaps she was somewhere nicer now, feasting with the Gods. Maybe. Maybe she was.
When my cabin was within sight, it was glorious. I wanted nothing more than to drown out the celebrations with my mournful sobs. I wanted nothing more than to be alone. If you cry and no one sees, it doesn't count. If you are weak and no one sees, it doesn't count.
"Signy?" A voice called out leaving my to stop in my tracks. Hvitserk and Bjorn made their way over to me. "Are you alright?" Hvitserk questioned, both of them looking concerned.
"I'm fine." I answered, my voice devoid of any emotion. It was cold, harsh, and matched my stoney expression.
"You know, it's alright if you're not." Bjorn urged.
I wanted to tell them, tell them everything. I wanted to hug my friends and remember how it felt to feel safe and comfortable. But I couldn't. I only looked at them both and turned away, "Just leave me alone." and so I left.
When I entered my cabin, I shut the door quickly behind me. My back pressed against it as loud sobs began to leave my quivering lips.
