章 24: Hexham
King Aelle sat on his throne having returned to his castle, his wife and daughter begged him to stay and continue the search for Blaeja, but he could ill afford to do such things with how chaotic his land had been. The burning at Lindisfarne only seemed to be the beginning, the Picts were pushing into his land and now he had to deal with an unknown invader. 'Are you testing me, Lord?!' He thought as he looked up at the cross that hung in the centre of his hall.
His land had known peace for nearly his entire rule, the only problems being occasional raids from the Picts up north, but his Ealdormen had been able to beat them back time after time. Now his daughter was missing and one of their religion's most holy places was burned down. He had sent orders to all of his Ealdormen to start sending patrols out across their land and to be vigilant, he didn't know who these villains were but he would find out and bring down divine punishment as an instrument of god.
King Aelle was snapped out of his thoughts when a messenger walked into his halls. The man's face was red and he breathed heavily as he almost ran before the King; he knelt before Aelle "I have urgent news for you sire!" The messenger said through deep breaths.
King Aelle sat up on his throne his interest piqued by the man before him. "Take a breath, good man, Give him some water!" Aelle commanded. A servant immediately poured a cup of water from a pitcher and gave it to the messenger who drank deeply from the cup. "Thank you sire, I rode here as fast as I could," he said as he drank from his cup again emptying it.
"Speak, tell me your news," King Aelle commanded. The messenger placed his cup down on the ground and looked up the the king composing himself.
"Lord Aldhelm sent me with urgent news, a group of men invaded his land from the sea, they butchered his patrol and have travelled inland," he said much to the King's displeasure. As the messenger talked Aelle's grip on the arms of his throne tightened until his arms were shaking.
"Who were these men? The Picts! Mercians! Tell me!!!" He boomed out making the man jump.
"We don't know sire! The survivors said they were tall, taller than any men they'd ever seen, that they must have giant blood in them," The messenger said in a panic. The stories he had been told to deliver frightened the man, so much so that he didn't even want to return to his lord. The survivor of the massacre cried the entire time he told Lord Aldhelm what happened, it shook the messenger deeply and he weighed the pros and cons of running away.
"Giants blood! Ridiculous! They are dead men!!!" King Aelle shouted out as he stood up from his throne.
"Oswald!" King Aelle shouted.
"Yes sire," the captain of his guard answered as he came and knelt before the king.
"I want you to take twenty men and travel to Lord Aldhems land and join forces with him, these men will not escape!" He shouted.
"At once sire," Oswald said with righteous determination. He had been one of the men deeply shocked and upset by what had happened at Lindisfarne, he remembered his father taking him there as a child where he was allowed to see the holy remains of Saint Cuthbert. Oswald left the room with the messenger to gather the men, he'd get his best men and slaughter those fiends.
Judith had watched the entire scene transpire and after it had finished she left the room —her father never realising she was even there. As upset as she was about what happened at Lindisfarne her thoughts had been drawn to other things of late; mostly her sister, but also Edward. The description of the man who had been seen with her sister could only be him. She knew no one else with white hair and she doubted her sister would've been taken by an old man. 'If she was even taken,' she thought to herself. She had spent much time with Edward and couldn't imagine him ever harming someone, he was gentle and loved learning. 'There must be something more to it.'
In the end, it didn't matter, she didn't know where they were and she knew she didn't have the skills nor knowledge to track them down. All she could do was wait and pray that they were both safe.
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Thorfinn walked next to Rollo with Blaeja and Arwyn close by on the cart. He had told the blonde girl to look after Blaeja, he knew she could look after herself but the Northumbrian princess would be very tempting to the men they were about to encounter. Blaeja was not stupid, she could see how most of the men eyed her with the most lecherous stares she'd ever received, even the men she'd been forced to court didn't look at her so brazenly.
"What happened after you sailed back to Kattegat? No doubt you returned as heroes," Thorfinn asked the larger man. Before answering Rollo looked back to check where Knut was, with his chest injury he lagged behind a bit.
"We were welcomed back in a way befitting the gods, you should've seen them Thorfinn, they had never seen so much wealth in their lives," He said reminiscing about the memory, the way they looked at him as Rollo and not Ragnar's brother would forever stay with him. However, a scowl crossed his face as he remembered the moment Knut approached them and led them to the Jarl.
"Then that fucking cunt of a Jarl stole all of our silver and gold allowing us to only take one thing!" He whispered loudly so the snake Knut could not hear them. Thorfinn frowned at what Rollo had told him, he was under the impression that Jarl Haraldsson was entitled to nothing as he provided nothing for the raid. The ship belonged to Ragnar and Floki, they had taken all the risk; Jarl Haraldsson had not even known of the raid until they left, for him to take all the gold was a purposeful move.
Thorfinn scratched his chin as they walked, he knew there was enmity between Ragnar and the Jarl, but the power difference between them prevented Ragnar from doing anything but question him. "The Jarl is greedy, but there is clearly more to his motives," he said which earned a questioning look from Rollo.
"Ragnar said he did it so he would have an excuse to kill us should we fight back," Rollo explained.
Thorfinn nodded in agreement "He likely also took it to reduce Ragnar's power, we took a lot of silver and gold from the monastery, it would improve Ragnars standing greatly if he had kept his share of the wealth."
Rollo thought about it for a moment before finally understanding, with silver you can expand your lands and have more people to serve you. Before the raid Ragnar may have not been wealthy but he had desirable lands with good soil. After the raid he would've been quite wealthy and a much larger threat to the Jarl, especially considering his new popularity with the people of Kattegat. "The Jarl is scared, he has already sent a man to spy on us," Rollo said as he gestured to Knut behind them.
Thorfinn looked at the man who still had a scowl on his face. He hadn't even had a conversation with him and yet he disliked him, but perhaps that was his bias for Ragnar and his family. He would have to keep an eye on him, he didn't like how he looked at Blaeja or Arwyn. "He will be waiting for Ragnar to make a mistake, he won't risk angering everyone by killing him silently," Thorfinn theorised. Rollo shrugged he wasn't too interested in how the Jarl planned to attack them he would be ready "I hope you'll tell me what you've been doing since you decided to stay, as well as who your... companions are," Rollo asked as he eyed up Arywn and Blaeja.
Thorfinn nodded "I will tell you all of what I've done in this land, but I do not wish to tell the story twice," he said.
"Thorfinn where are we going?" Blaeja asked with a tired voice —not having woken up long ago.
"We are going to the camp where my companions are staying, after that I imagine we will be travelling back home," He replied.
Blaeja felt a jolt of excitement run through her body at travelling to a new land. While the stories that Thorfinn had told her about his home didn't sound very grandiose it was still something new and that is what she craved the most. "Will you teach me your language? if I am to learn I will need to start with that," she asked.
Thorfinn nodded "I will teach both of you my language, if you are to live in Kattegat then it'll be a necessity," he replied.
"It amazes me that you learnt the language of these people just like Ragnar, but even he struggles with it, you speak it like it is your own," Rollo said with a smile on his face.
Thorfinn chuckled "I've learnt much about myself on this journey, most of all is my talent for learning new languages," he replied.
They kept on walking for a while until the sound of chatter started to get louder and they soon arrived at the camp. There were quite a few more men than there were during the last raid, but considering that Jarl Haraldsson had sanctioned the raid it wasn't surprising.
"Look who I found off in the woods with two beautiful women no less!!!" Rollo boomed out with a laugh.
In the camp people who were going about their tasks turned around and those who were sitting including Ragnar and Lagertha looked up. Thorfinn smiled as he saw the two people who had raised him see him and stand up. He crossed the distance between them and grabbed them both into a hug which they gladly returned "It's good to see you are safe Thorfinn," Lagertha said as she rubbed his back.
"I had thought we might have to search the land for you but it seems the gods have favoured us," Ragnar said as he pressed his forehead against Thorfinn's.
"It seems they did, I worried I'd have to get my own ship back home," he said with a smile as he moved back. A giggle from behind him made him turn and he saw Floki almost twitching in excitement. Thorfinn laughed as the taller man grabbed him into a hug "I dreamed of you Thorfinn, you were surrounded by the gods," he said with a giggle.
"The gods have blessed me more than I deserve, especially since I am able to see you all again," he replied.
Ragnar put a hand on his shoulder "You have much to tell us it seems, come and join us by the fire," he said as he looked over to the two women in the cart.
However, before he could sit with them he saw two more familiar faces who approached him. Niklaus had a smile on his face as he clapped him on the shoulder; Elijah had the same stoic expression he always had but Thorfinn could tell he wasn't too happy. "I had a bet with Kol on whether you'd be dead, I'm glad that I'll get to collect my winnings," Niklaus said as he squeezed his shoulder.
Thorfinn snorted "I'm glad to see you too Klaus... even if you were betting on my life," he said with a smirk.
Thorfinn then looked up to Elijah "It's good to see you, Elijah,"
"Indeed Thorfinn, I am sure those at home will be gladdened by your presence," he said before stepping forward and embracing him. Though as he did he turned his head "Come to find me after dark we must speak," he said in a toneless voice before stepping back.
Thorfinn frowned but nodded and then proceeded to follow Ragnar to the campfire. He first made sure to lead the horse and cart somewhere within reach and let both Blaeja and Arwyn join him; while Blaeja sat next to him Arwyn preferred to stand up so she could protect her lord.
After offering food and drink to both Blaeja and Thorfinn they sat there expectantly waiting for Thorfinn to begin his tale. "I find it difficult to know where to begin," He said.
"The beginning is usually the best," Lagertha said with a smile making some of the others laugh.
Thorfinn breathed out before telling a censored version of events. He left out the parts that were too personal to share amongst the crowd such as Eowyn and the loss of his child. He also didn't tell them about his time spent learning in the castle, apart from Ragnar he didn't think any of them would truly understand. Though when he mentioned the werewolf he got a few laughs from the men who didn't know him, Ragnar and Lagertha however looked at him with confusion and Elijah's expression didn't change as he believed him.
"You expect us to believe such a thing boy," a man said standing near Knut.
Thorfinn looked up and his annoyance grew when he saw who had spoken. Magnus Eriksson, Jarl Haraldsson's son and heir, was also the one who wished to have Rebekah for himself. It annoyed him that despite all he had been through there were people who still called him boy, had this been a few months ago he may have lost his temper but he was different now. "No I do not expect you to believe my words, but perhaps seeing for yourself will convince you," Thorfinn said as he stood up and walked to his cart.
He reached into the back and drew out his black cloak with the wolf head shocking everyone who saw it. Even Ragnar and Lagertha looked shocked at the sight of it as it was too large to come from a wolf and it was plain to see it came from a single animal, and if that wasn't enough to convince those who doubted him then the large skull that he pulled out certainly did.
"By the gods," multiple men whispered as they saw the huge wolf skull in his hands.
"Have I proven my words to your satisfaction?" Thorfinn said as he looked at Magnus with a smug smile.
"You have these trinkets but how do we know it was you who actually fought such a beast, perhaps you used silver to purchase it," Knut added giving Magnus another malicious glint in his eyes.
"Knut speaks true, there isn't a man here who wouldn't struggle to kill this beast and there are many who would fail, you haven't a scratch on you," Magnus stated which formed some murmurs of agreement from the others.
Thorfinn laughed at him openly which made the smile melt off Magnus's face. Thorfinn walked back to the campfire and then took his tunic off exposing his body as well as the numerous scars he had from battling with the werewolf as well as the ones he had received from Edgar.
Ragnar and Rollo looked proud when they saw the scars and so did Lagertha but she did look a bit worried as the boy had been unmarked when he left to go raiding. "It seems that Thorfinn has provided enough proof of his claims or are you still not satisfied Knut?" Rollo said with a smirk on his face as he looked at the man.
Knut just scowled and didn't reply, Magnus kept his mouth shut as well knowing he couldn't sway anyone's thoughts anymore. "Who are your companions?" Ragnar asked as he picked at his food.
"Arwyn and Blaeja, they are my women and that is all anyone needs to know about them, I'm sure I don't need to say what will happen should anyone touch them," Thorfinn said loudly as he looked to the strangers in the camp.
"Do not worry your women are safe, no one here will touch them, if they try I'll kill them myself," Rollo said trying to reassure him. Thorfinn smiled at him gratefully before taking a seat again.
The rest of the afternoon they caught up and Thorfinn asked about Bjorn and Gyda. He liked hearing about his home and it made him all the more anxious to return; Blaeja was quite happy that Ragnar could speak their language as it allowed her to ask questions about their way of life and home.
Ragnar had told Thorfinn that he planned to raid Hexham tomorrow. Thorfinn snorted as he knew that most of the people would be in the church on Sunday and knew it was a smart move on Ragnars part. Thorfinn also managed to take Lagertha aside and speak to her.
"I wish to ask you a favour," he asked her.
"If I am able to do it then of course," she replied with a smile.
"I want you to train Arwyn, she has a gifted body, if she were to be trained by a warrior such as yourself then I imagine she'd become a shieldmaiden of legend," Thorfinn asked.
Lagertha raised an eyebrow but looked to Arwyn who stood by the cart, she looked frail and didn't seem to have much muscle. "She doesn't seem gifted, but I trust you Thorfinn, if you say she has potential I will train her," she said.
"Thank you Lagertha," he said, Thorfinn smiled gratefully and went over to Arwyn to tell her the good news.
When he arrived he saw that she was staring intently at Niklaus. "Is something wrong Arwyn?" He asked.
Arwyn snapped out of her thoughts but the frown was still present on her face. "That man," she said, gesturing to Niklaus.
"He wears poison around his neck, I can feel it, when he came near me it almost made me sick," she said as she looked over to him. Thorfinn frowned, he didn't understand what she was saying but knew she wouldn't be untruthful with him.
"I will talk to him and see if I can discover why he wears it," Thorfinn said as he brushed his hand through her hair making her sigh in contentment.
"Lagertha, the woman over there is going to be training you to fight, it would be a waste not to make use of your abilities, is that agreeable?" He asked.
"Of course lord, whatever you say," Arwyn replied. Since he had gotten all of that out of the way he finally walked over to where Elijah and Niklaus sat. He took a seat next to them, Niklaus smiled welcomingly while Elijah maintained the same stoic expression.
Thorfinns eyes gazed at Niklaus' chest where he saw a necklace around it. 'Isn't that the one he always wears?' He thought to himself as he looked at him. "What is the story behind that necklace Klaus?" Thorfinn asked curiously.
Niklaus was surprised but quickly recovered as he grasped it in his hand. "Mother gave this to me when I was young, she said as long as I wore it that it would protect me," he replied.
"What is the stone at the bottom?" Thorfinn asked.
"A moonstone, it is rather beautiful is it not," Niklaus said as he looked at the necklace before putting it away.
"Niklaus can you give me and Thorfinn a minute alone with each other," Elijah asked. Niklaus was curious about what he wanted to say but shrugged and walked off to refill his cup of ale.
As soon as Niklaus was out of earshot Elijah stood up and walked over to Thorfinn before punching him in the face. The hit was hard and it split Thorfinns lip open and let the blood pour out from it; Thorfinn had to raise his hand in the opposite direction to stop Arwyn from charging over here. He could guess why he was being hit and knew he deserved it "I didn't wish to make Rebekah upset by not returning, but I didn't feel my mission was done," Thorfinn tried to explain as he rubbed the blood away from his mouth.
Elijah felt like hitting him again but just tutted before sitting back down. "That is not the only reason for my anger," Elijah stated.
Thorfinn climbed from the ground and sat back next to Elijah "Then tell me what I have done so I can make amends," he replied.
"You disrespected me by fucking Rebekah when I told you not to, and you disrespected Rebekah when you fucked Hild, you have much to make amends for," Elijah said with a look of anger on his face.
Thorfinns eyes widened, he didn't know how he found out but if others were to then it wouldn't be good. "But that is not the news I wish to share with you, in truth if not for the circumstances it is joyous news," Elijah said as his features softened slightly.
"Rebekah and Hild are both pregnant with your children."
If Thorfinn hadn't been sitting he was sure he would've fallen over on his back. Both Hild and Rebekah were pregnant with his child, that was some of the most joyous news he had ever received. He felt the melancholy he had been under ever since Eowyn's death start to recede a little, but with that also came the fear that the same thing might happen again. Quickly raiding didn't matter and the only thing that did was getting home as quickly as possible.
"I have enough silver to last a lifetime to take care of both of them, I promise I will do this," Thorfinn stated.
"You will marry Rebekah?" Elijah asked though it was more a command than a question.
"I will marry her, that has always been the plan," Thorfinn stated.
Elijah nodded "Good, while I am disappointed with your actions I cannot say I am surprised, it is rare to see people more in love than you two," he said.
"When we arrive home I will be taking Rebekah to your home under the guise of taking her to Upsala, she will stay with you until she gives birth and the child will grow up with you," Elijah told him.
Thorfinn nodded, he didn't much care about the details of the plan, as long as it meant that he could stay with Rebekah and his child. "Thank you, Elijah, it gladdens me to know you're on my side," Thorfinn said as he put his hand on his shoulder.
Elijah let a small smile crack on his face "We will be family one day, we already share a connection through my nephew... and I think I will feel better once we start our training again." The ominous tone in which he said those words made Thorfinn feel a little uneasy but he laughed it off.
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Two women walked along the ride of a river bank practising their act as they juggled balls between each other. They had a few more weeks until they reached the next city and so they decided to work on a new routine that may make them the star attraction of their little troupe. "Come on Eda, throw the balls higher, they won't find this entertaining!" Edina said to her twin sister who started to throw the balls even higher. They had eight of them in the air between them which was a new record of both of them, something which excited them greatly.
However, Eda saw something that shocked her greatly and promptly dropped one of the balls as she let out a shriek. "What is it!" Her sister shouted.
"By the water!" Eda replied and Edina turned around and saw that there was a girl who had washed up. Her body was pale and still; both women rushed over to the bank of the river and pulled the girl further in. They thought she was dead when they flipped her over but as they touched her she started to cough.
She was a beautiful, blonde and frail little thing, both sisters wondered why anyone would ever hurt her this way. "Don't speak, we are here to help you," Eda said to the shivering girl. Who looked up at her with suspicion and concern.
Both women pulled the small girl off the ground —something that was easy due to their acrobatic bodies. "Our camp isn't far, we can warm you up there," Edina said.
"T-Thank y-you," the girl stuttered out.
(AN: We are close to getting home boys, after we do we can look forward to Thorfinn building up his land and exploring the old cave where Hestein got all the iron from. Thorfinn likes stone but he has no knowledge on how to cut it and construct it the way the romans did, something he'll need to learn. He also has a village full of people bound to him now. Anyway that's just a bit of a tease for Arc 2. Next Chapter we have the raid and them going home. I hope you liked the chapter.)
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