VICIOUS [IVAR THE BONELESS]

CHAPTER FOUR

Freya stepped onto the boat, enjoying the feeling of being free for once in the wooden boat. She ignored Ivar, Astrid and Harald, which she shared a boat. Hvitserk held his own boat with soldiers and Freya only smirked when he avoided her glances. Heahmund stepped onto her boat as well as she took a seat in the back of the boat.

A loud thud was heard and something hard hit her foot. She looked down and saw her armory, messily thrown at her feet. She looked up and saw Ivar looking at her, his intense stare burning through her skull. He only raised his brows, taunting her but she only rolled her eyes before removing her armory from the ground.

The boats set sail as she ignored the people waving to their king, some even yelling at her and Heahmund to die during battle. That the swords of the enemies would slowly kill them in torture. Heahmund however heard everything, however his eyes were glued on the edge of the boat as he sat on the ground. Soon he said a prayer, only Freya and Ivar understanding and Ivar only snorted with a smirk spreading on his lips.

"It won't help." Ivar said, tasting the bishop as well. However Heahmund continued and Freya begun to check her blades.

The ships moved in high speed, clashing with the soft waves and soon they had made their way around the corner from the land of Haralds kingdom. Freya sat in her own thoughts with her blades, both Harald and Ivar watching her. However the sound of a horn blew with made both Harald and Ivar frown. Harald stood up and Astrid stood beside him. Their faces filled with surprise as one ship with foreign banners sailed straight towards them in high speed.

Freya saw their faces and quickly stood onto her feet as Ivar moved to the side of the boat to get a view of whatever was heading their way. Her eyes widen as she saw two men standing in the front of the boat. Broad shoulders showing no sign of self- consciousness. She squinted her eyes and not long after her mouth hung open. She ran to the front of the boat, almost falling off yet taking a firm grip of the almost dragon like figure in the front.

"Ilfred? Althen?" Freya shouted with wide eyes. Harald placed his hand over the sword and before Heahmund could move any further a dagger was placed against his neck. Harald signaled for the ships to slow down.

"Freya!?" Ilfred shouted. Their ship also slowed down yet still kept going towards them. Althen looked behind them, waving to something behind and soon their ship changed course. The new angle of the boat let everyone see everyone on board. Heahmund saw his warriors as well as two unknown men. Happiness spread through Freya's body. However soon an arrow came flying, barely missing Althens cheek and Freya's head quickly snapped back, seeing one of the warriors with the bow.

"Don't shot!" Freya screamed at him, the look in her eyes made the archer slightly put the bow down. Ivar chuckled.

"You don't command my men." Ivar said and stared at her. "Sink the boat!" Ivar yelled and Freya saw warriors nock their bows. As Ivar opened his mouth to give the final order Freya threw herself at Astrid and before she knew it Freya pushed a dagged against her throat. Astrid tried to fight her off yet Freya had the upper hand, almost every single move she made caused the dagger to slightly sink into her skin a little. Haralds eyes widen and darkened as they met Freyas.

"Let my men be or I'll slit her throat." Freya threatened and Ivar only hugged as Harald raised his hand.

"Don't shoot!" Harald commanded all the warriors. However neither warrior moved an inch, they all seemed to wait on Ivars orders. Harald clenched his jaw as the majority of Ivars warriors aimed at the ships belonging to Freya's friends. Ivar only chuckled. He didn't trust Astrid, her death would only be beneficial for himself, and Harald deep down yet he wasn't concerned about the Norwegian king at the moment.

Ivar certainly didn't want anything to do with Freya's friends. He needed to infect her mind and their presence wouldn't aid in that matter.

"They can help you to defeat that Lagertha woman!" Freya said and Ivar only raised his brow.

"Really?" Ivar said, sounding uninterested. "They haven't shown anything remotely close to an cooperative manner." He continued and Freya stared at him.

"They do as I tell them." Freya begun. "They are under my command." She continued and Harald snorted.

"A weak one." He muttered and Freya drew tiny droplets of blod down Astrids neck. He swallowed roughly.

"If you let them come with you'll have three assassins against Lagertha. I'll order them." Freya said desperately almost.

"How are you so sure they'll follow you?" Ivar said, skepticism clear as the blue sky in his voice.

"Because we will kill people like you." Freya said. "Those two men and very bloodthirsty for pagan blood I will assure you." She continued, speaking nothing but the truth.

The tension was tight as Freya looked into Ivar's eyes. Ivar thought about it, creating new strategies with the two men he didn't want with him on the way to kill Lagertha. He looked at the men standing on the ship. Neither men looked away as their eyes met, it wasn't like when he looked Freya in the eyes. Metal against metal. It was more of a gentler tone in their eyes than Freya, yet he had his ideas from previous experiences with Freya that she was something else, something wicked and dark.

"If they can get on the boat, they can come with or else they're gone." Ivar said, shocking everyone and without thanking him or even giving him a smile he turned to look at her friends she had missed so dearly. Astrids body fell to the ground as her throat was released. The dagged against Heahmunds throat was released. Astrid moved closer to Harald as she rubbed her throat, soon his large hand rubbed over the slight mark.

Three unknown men on the new ship carefully moved the boat and as they did so Freya could hear Ilfred commending the warriors of Heahmund to follow the ships close behind. King Harald and Ivars ships started to move one again and as the ship passed Ilfred and Althen jumped onto the boat.

"We keep high speed for losing time here." Harald commanded the ships, yelling his order and his warriors answering.

Freya stood before Althen and Ilfred and before they could react she embraced them both in a big hug. A sigh left her lips and she mumbled to them how grateful she was for them to be with her whole and alive.

"We would never leave you behind." Ilfred said and she hummed. "Aethelwulf took the easy way out, he didn't care for anything else than his family." He continued.

"It will bite him in the ass in the future." Freya said.

"Are you alright?" Ilfred asked and she only hummed again.

"As good as I can be." Freya answered. "I need to speak with you." She mumbled as low as she could so Ivar wouldn't hear, she didn't even want Heahmund to overhear their conversation.

"When we reach Kattegat." Ilfred said and looked at the King, Ivar and the brunette woman.

"Why don't you introduce your friends?" Ivar said with an evil smile on his lips. "Freya." He added. "There's one king on the boat and one prince. They should kneel." He continued and Freya bit the inside of her chin.

"Ilfred and Althen, this is Ivar as you have met before." Freya said and Ivar's smirk only grew wider. "And that's King Harald Finehair with..." She continued and frowned at Astrid.

"My wife." Harald said, proudly yet Astrid only glanced at him before looking back at Freya's companions. "Queen Astrid." He added and she looked uneasy yet quickly covered it as she nodded to the two foreign men. Althen and Ilfred stood tall and proudly, not showing a sign for them to kneel before the pagan royalty.

"Kneel." Ivar said with a shrug of his shoulders yet the men didn't move. His brows almost got knitted together as he grew angrier.

"Kneel." Ivar repeated himself.

"We do not kneel." Ilfred spoke in a calm yet threatening tone.

"We'll see about that."

*

such a boring chapter but hey it's traveling time!