Heart of A Viking

Chapter 13

Lír walked back into the great hall trying to hide the tears that stained her face. She stopped when she noticed Ivar's scoul. "What is it"? He motioned his shoulders like he didn't know what she meant. She gave up and walked back to their room, wanting to see her baby.
Walking into the room, she noticed a horrible feeling she had. Lír walked quickly over to Leif's crib. Her heart sunk when she saw it was bare. She turned back when Katla entered the room. Lír rushed over to her. "Where is Leif?!" She began to panic.
"I-I don't know. Ivar took him from me last night." She ran back out to the hall and looked at the guards. "Out!"
She grabbed a cup and threw it at Ivar. "Where is my baby?!"
"I don't know what you are talking about." She threw another cup at him.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about! Where is he?!"
"It doesn't matter. You should forget him." Lír marched up to her husbands face, before she could say anything he grabbed her by the throat. "He is dead Lir! And it is all your fault! I told you to stay away from my brother, you caused this not me!" He let go of her and pushed her off of him. She coughed and tried to catch her breath. "Where is he?" She said in between sobs. Ivar stood and slowly walked out. He turned back, "It doesn't matter." For the first time he seemed ashamed of himself.

-------------------Days Later----------------------

Hvitserk dismounted his horse, despite the many furs he was still frozen. He entered the great hall relieved to feel the warmth of the fire.
The cheering and laughing stopped when people noticed his presence.
"Who are you?" A dwarf walked up to him. "I am Hvitserk. Son of Ragnar Lothbrok. I am here to meet King Olaf, we are to be allies." He was stopped from walking forward.
"Friend, I have just traveled a very long way. Will you at least let me warm myself by your fire? Is this the hospitality of an ally?!"
The dwarf was supprised, "First you show up unannounced then you insult us?!"
Hvitserk decided not to argue, "Yes, you're right. Where is King Olaf, I need to speak with him. I-"
"I will take him to you, but first take off your clothes." He looked Hvitserk up and down.
"W-what?" "You heard me. Take off your clothes and I'll take you to him."
Hvitserk complied, already sick of this place. He was lead out of the hall and back into the snow. They opened a door to a shack covered in snow, they pushed him inside and left him.
He was blinded by steam and heat.
"Hvitserk Ragnarsson, " King Olaf was sitting peacefully. "Ivar told me he would send you to make an alliance."

Hvitserk and Olaf warmed themselves before returning to the great hall. It was empty when they returned, they were greeted with ale, they went to sit by Olaf's throne, he was the first to speak. "I've been dreaming about raiding with Ivar for a while now. The spring cannot come quick enough."
He looked down to Hvitserks face, he could tell something was wrong with him. "What is it?"
Hvitserk sighed "I didn't come here to make an alliance with Ivar. I came here to ask you to join me in attacking Ivar and taking Kattegat from him."
Olaf said nothing but jestured to his guards to take Hvitserk back to the sauna.
Hvitserk was strung up like a goat about to be sacrificed. The dwarf entered and stared at him. "It's funny, the irony. Overheating in the coldest place on earth."
"Enough irony. King Olaf has something to say." He cut Hvitserk down. They walked back into the hall where Olaf was still sitting.
"I have decided to join you against Ivar."
Hvitserk sighed in relief.

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Lír sat on her bed, her eyes were locked in one place but she wasn't looking at any one thing. She gently shook her head and snapped out of her daze. She took a deep breath before getting on the hard floors, she faced the ground, closed her eyes, and crossed her hands.
"It's been a long time. I know that you're probably angry with me. Angry with me for abandoning my family, my country, my faith, my life, all of it. Perhaps every bad thing that's happened since is my punishment." She became frustrated with herself. But I'm wrong, you can't be angry. You can't be angry because you don't exist! This is useless!" She got up and stormed out of the hall. She walked through Kattegat unure of where she was going. They people of Kattegat tried to greet and complement her but she ignored them. She just wanted to be away from people. She made it behind the last house in the town, she walked along the back gate the was around the town. Lír stopped when she noticed a strange pattern on the wood. She nocked a plank down to investigate, as she pushed on the wood it opened. It was a door to the outside. She quickly closed the door and put the plant back up. She relized that Ivar had probably created this for an escape.

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Björn Ironside stood on top of a large hill, staring down at another viking army. He went down to investigate, to his supprise he could walk right in. He went straight for the biggest tent in the camp, where he found his brother Hvitserk drinking as usual.

Hvitserk hear someone enter, he turned his head to see his brother. He turned back, not showing that he cared. "Björn. What are you doing here?"
"What do you think? I am going to take back Kattegat. I suppose you are traveling back with this army for Ivar." Hvitserk stood and snickered. "Just the opposite. I am going to attack Kattegat. Attack Ivar, with King Olaf, and you I suppose."
Björn took Hvitserk into his arms.
"Ah, my bother! This is the happiest day of my life!" He let Hvitserk go. "But why?" He seemed puzzled.
"Hm. Ivar has done too many horrible things. To the people of Kattegat, to me, to Lír even." Björn didn't question it further. They went on to start their battle plans.

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Lír walked back towards the great hall, where Ivar just got done speaking with his spies. "Lír, come here." He held out his hand hoping she would take it. Lír couldn't look at him, she stared down at the floor.
"Hvitserk has betrayed me. He and king Olaf have joined with Björn. Would you happen to know anything about that, hmm?!" She didn't respond.
"Lír-"
"No, Ivar. I know nothing." She tried to walk away from him.
"Wait. The townspeople are coming to the great hall soon. You should take your seat."
She huffed, she was in no mood for this, but she agreed and sat on her throne. Ivar joined her as people started to enter.
"People of Kattegat, spring is coming. That which was dead comes alive again, " He looked to Lír's broken face,  "this time last year my wife gave birth to a child. A bautiful boy, my heart was full of love for him but-." Ivar swallowed hard "But the gods cut his life short. I don't know why, no one know's why, but they have their reasons. It is harder for my wife to except, to loose a child she carried inside her body. But the will of the gods cannot be denied. York has been abondoned and retaken by Saxons. Myself, my brother Hvitserk, and King Olaf planned to attack York together. But... they are not here."
The crowd started to gasp and talk with anger. Ivar bit his lip and raised his hand to silence them.
He stood and began to pace.
"Things have changed. We will not venture out and attack York! We will strengthen the defenses of our great town. They will not over come Kattegat!" The crowd cheered in agreement. Ivar continued his tirade as they shouted "Odin! Ivar!"

Lír stood to join Ivar reluctantly and took his hand. She couldn't smile or look at the faces of the warriors of Kattegat. Ivar ordered them to start preporations, as they filed out she let go of Ivar's hand and walked away.

"Where are you going?"

"I-i don't know. Just somewhere alone for a while." She kept her eyes on the floor.

"Hmm. Well be well rested. We will be having a long celebration once we win."

All she could do was nod. She quickly shuffled away as she could no longer hold back the tears.

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This is the second to last chapter of this story. Yes, the next will be the last.😢.

I don't want to say I'm giving up on it but that's basically what I'm doing.  I'd like to start focusing on my other stories.
I've been trying to work out Lír's story, I don't want to end it but I can't see it going anywhere else.
The final chapter will be posted within the week. :(.