Destiny Enslaved (editing)

part 43

Bjorn POV
It had been a rough couple of days.
First, it had been dealing with the hurt of being rejected by her. Then I had to spend the voyage avoiding her whilst keeping a permanent eye on her; she had to be kept safe.
Then that whole debacle on the beach...
This is insanity.
I couldn't think anymore- not when I constantly thought of her and as I heard those murmurs of dissent spread through the fleet i... I couldn't take anymore. So we left and I tended to the affairs of arranging a feast to keep my mind off of her.
Then we had a problem.
‘’Tanaruz!’’ it was Helga's voice screaming for the child she had basically stolen. But at least the girl gotten herself killed... yet.
Just then jogging through the tents appeared floki
‘’Floki!’’ I called out to the disturbing man – though part of me had disdain for him over  this whole mess that I was in; he was my father's dearest friend.  ‘’what in Midgard is going on?’’
‘’its that girl- she ran away from Helga – hit her with a shield!’’
‘’so?- what are you doing about it?’’
‘’Helga is going mad thinking someone might hurt her- shes in hysterics’’ he all but hissed at me. ‘’I have to find her – bring her back to safety...’’ he finished with a distant stare.
He knew that ‘safety’ was a kind word for it- another would be imprisonment. But then again was I any better to Asa? Was she with me for ‘safety’?
I felt- something for her. It was primal; a need for her in my life that seemed to overrule all others- even Torvi...
That was going to be a whole different sort of mess to deal with.
I was pulled from imagining the worst- namely murder- by Helga’s shrieking which was now upriver near Asa.
‘’Floki- if Helga hurts her I won't be held accountable,’’ I said in a steely tone as I tried to look through the woods for any sign of trouble.
‘’I understand’’ was all he said
Again, Helga screamed.
I had to act quickly- Helga was unstable and Asa... what would she do to protect her own?
‘Tori!” I barked to the young man. He quickly darted over- he had been diligent in his duties since Fell had turned on me. Though since the incident on the beach he had kept his distance from Asa... I would still have to watch him.
But for now, he was present and eager to be given more orders to occupy his time.
‘’ yes, Drott?’’ he stood firm in his stance that was ready for a fight even now.
‘’gather some men go to the Seer’s camp and find out what is happening- protect her by any means. Understood?’’ I looked down on him as he quickly turned over the information in his head.
He gave a sharp nod before running to call names of warriors nearby. They started to gather to the side of my tent- this was not a discreet method. In fact, it had drawn the attention of most of the camp. They gathered in my peripheral as I continued to talk to men who could arrange search parties in case Helga had scared them off.
A moment later Magda was running over to us- a bad sign. I set my face like a stone to meet her.
‘’Bjorn! The seer has run away- she ran from Helga into the forest. I dread what might come upon them in there.’’ She was breathless as she pushed the words out quickly.
‘’where is Helga now?’’ I asked with little patience.
‘’here, Bjorn!’’ Floki’s voice sang as he came to the forefront of the crowd.
He had Helga restrained in his arms as she writhed and jerked to try and free herself- she was feral.
I heard footfalls then. Beating hard against the earth from down the road which led to Paris.
Suddenly she burst forth from a fog that rose seconds before. She held the hands of the two young girls whilst the older woman came to their side; she looked at the warriors with a vicious look of warning.
‘’Asaroul!’’ my voice was echoed by Magda. And after a few seconds of tense silence, she finally spoke. Though it was like one of the Christian church bells.
‘’Ambush!’’
I didn't pause to question her word. Immediately I roared to the camp ‘’Shield wall! Shield wall! Shield wall!’’ the Warriors overcame their shock letting their instincts kick in heading my command.
Tori ran to my front with the men he had gathered. They readied their shields but waited as she ran with her women to my side.
With her by me, I felt more settled and ready to take on what was coming.
We heard them then like rolling thunder.  Slowly metal-clad men came into the camp – slowly their eyes adjusted from the fog to falter in their steps when they were confronted by our terror.
Men closed the circle to cut off their escape. And they were trapped. The faces of warriors were morphed into hungry beasts wanting their blood. They were angry. They had lost faith in me and now they would take out their frustration on french flesh.
I would see a frenzy that I had no hope of controlling- it would mean war once more with France and no further trade or support from them...
She came closer, her voice was a hoarse plea. ‘’stop’’
I couldn't react. She had scorned me. I had lost a lot because of her already and this was the price of her influence.
I stared into the forest that held curlicues of fading fog. I did not know where to go from here...
She had continued talking- not to me but to herself as she stared with anguish in her silver eyes as she watched the scene unfold.
But then she moved away from me toward the line of men who were protecting us. They had moved in to tightly group their prey, beating their shields barking as they readied for blood. She came feet from the french but there was no chance of her getting through or stopping this...
She turned back to me with one last plea for help. But still, I could not stop this- it may be the cost of keeping Asaroul by my side. She had saved many lives by warning us of this attack. But now I would again have to explain her actions.
A flash of steel indicated that it was about to begin.
But with a voice like a clap of thunder that seemingly rang form all around, she called stop in the old tongue.
With that, we were frozen. All of us. I saw the panic begin to rise in the eyes of the Vikings as she stood with her fist raised over us as though she were holding our will.
I could have fought – tried to break the spell with my willpower but... I didn't. Instead, I surrendered. I closed my eyes and begged for the feeling of her touch on my soul to consume me.
I heard her cry. My eyes snapped open with alarm and I moved to her side without thinking. I didn't even register that I had been freed from her grip. I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She started but I kept contact with her.  through her dress, I could feel her toned body, tensing and resisting. I spread my fingers kneading her flesh gently with my fingertips.
Her fist dropped and the woman who had aimed to make the first strike followed through with her swing though the target had long gone.
Everyone faces were confused and fearful as their eyes darted around eventually landing on me and Asaroul.
‘’they are not to be killed !’’ I shouted which was quickly met by mutterings of dissent, it was then that I realised that I could use this situation to my advantage- everything lined up and made sense with the addition of one lie. ‘’they are to be ransomed! That is why I brought us here- my oracle foresaw this treachery – she has made us rich!’’
They whooped and cheered as their eyes filled with glints of greed.
With that left to permeate the camp- the rumours of how much Asa knew would spread and exaggerate quickly. In the end, they would probably say she has chosen me because she sees the Vikings future.
Perhaps she did...
In the tent alone with her was torturous. Every moment I wasn't touching her stabbed at my heart. Why had she turned on me/- now she was telling me that she had run away from me...
Was this some sort of game to her? Did she look down on us mere mortals and our affairs?
It wouldn't be unusual for her to be weird like the others I had met who were gifted like her- well I had not known anyone like her- she was a power I feared could not be contained.
But was it for me to limit her?
‘’Why did you come back...?’’
She was walking away but my tired voice stopped her. She turned but I looked to the floor not ready to look into those silver eyes- she had not known any of this so what was her real intention for coming back here?
  ‘’I did not want you to get hurt when I saw the soldiers...’’ her voice trailed off. I looked up to see that her silver eyes were daring form side to sid seeing horrors of what could have been.
She had come back for me?
Why?- she had rejected me and been the cause of my humiliation before the fleet. But now thanks to her that had been rectified- people now feared what she could know or do... they would add her power to my own and we would be a mighty adversary.
She would not meet my eyes as the silence in the wake of her truth still hung between us. The murmuring of the camp could still be heard as it began to buzz with the energy that came with the prospect of peace and gold.
‘’You came back for me? Why, Asa? After all, you have put me through you tell me this-‘’ I approached her slowly. She still would not look at me. She trembled as I came inches from her. ‘’why did you find your way back to me?’’
I raised my hand to place a finger under her chin softly guiding it upwards so that I could bring her back from the nightmares.
‘’i – I can't explain it, Bjorn. The thought of you being taken from me- it felt like I would burn the world for doing it... it scared me.’’ Her voice was meek as she stared into my eyes.
‘’how do you feel now?’’ I closed the space between us my hand encircling her waist tenderly savouring the feel of her warmth whilst restraining my beast-like nature that wanted to claim her- to show her I knew exactly how she felt. But I would not take her. I desperately wanted her to claim me.
I wanted her to show that fire that always reared its head when she was passionate; she was my valkyrie – sent by the gods to avenge my father and fulfil my destiny to outshine him.
But she was also a woman; a goddess who I wanted to worship freely.
I would not force her to take my affections... she was above me I only wished for her grace to shine on me.
Asa tried to avoid eye contact; fearful they alone could say something that could never be taken back.
I took her hand and pressed it over my heart.
It was sudden and unexplained and I knew she would be curious to know my implications.
Her head whipped back to me; first fixing her steely stare to my hand and then to my eyes.
As she looked up, resting her chin against my chest, visibly relaxing in my arms. I could feel her fear leave us as her coiled muscles became supple in my hand.
Her eyes were something beyond a simple human’s understanding; slowly as she began to accept herself her eyes bloomed. From their cold silver to the warm gold that matched her painted scars. She was overall alluring from head to toe; especially to a Viking... I knew that from this moment I would cement my destiny by her choice.
‘’Bjorn...’’ she said my name slow and unsure. Her lips parted to elaborate but they quickly shut again.
There was deep insecurity within Asa and I would willingly devote my life to soothing its ache.
She looked away to our hands entwined on my chest as it heaved. I couldn't lie- it was taking some effort to not make the whole thing easier and act like the cliche Viking; interpret her silence as consent.
But I wasn't that man- I didn't want to be one of them.
I wanted my Asa