Capítulo 2: The Thrall

"Father! Father! I almost beat uncle Ulf today!" An excited Bjorn exclaimed, running into the longhouse with Ulf walking behind him. The longhouse had bowed walls, forming a ship-like outline. The walls were lined with clay placed vertically into the ground, which supported the roof, along with two rows of internal posts. Outside the house was supported by sloping posts with the roof slanted.

"You did now?" A voice responded, but this voice was not that of a masculine figure.

"Yes, mother! You should have seen me! I was like swoosh!" Bjorn said, embracing the woman.

A beautiful blonde lady came into view, measuring 5'8 in height with an average build but had an intimidating presence despite her feminine looks.

She had grey eyes, with perky pink lips and the only blemish on her skin was the scar above her right eye gotten in one of the many battles she had fought.

She wore a brown smock, that barely covered her luscious thighs with her average bust exposed slightly.

Ulf, bending to get through the door, ignored the sight of the woman and instead scanned the room like he was searching for something or someone.

"Where is Ragnar, Lagertha?" Ulf asked with his eyes still darting around the room.

"Hello to you too, Ulf. Ragnar went to visit the Seer, he should be back soon." Lagertha responded in a playful yet stern voice.

This prompted Ulf's gaze to settle on the sight of Lagertha, his eyes looking at her luscious thighs, making their way up to her exposed cleavage before quickly turning away.

"My eyes are up here," Lagertha said, letting go of Bjorn as Ulf's eyes remained fixed on her cleavage.

"Are you sure, Lagertha? I think I am looking at the right pair." Ulf responded in a tone backed by lust.

"Are you? What do you think..." Lagertha paused, her eyes looking past Ulf before completing her sentence.

"...Ragnar Lothbrok." The moment Lagertha said this, Ulf jerked backward, and behold, it was Ragnar Lothbrok.

Ragnar was a muscular blue-eyed pale-skinned man with blonde hair, styled in a braided variation of a top knot and a rugged beard reaching his neck with a height of 6'0. On the right side of his shaven head, he had symbols representing his warrior spirit, and on the left side, symbols representing the interdependence of all things in life.

He was dressed in a long-armed shirt without buttons, going down to the knees, and over his shoulder was a cloak, which was fastened with a brooch with his feet comfortably in his leather boots.

"B-Brother! W-Welcome brother..." Ulf said, losing his cool upon meeting the gaze of Ragnar Lothbrok. Ragnar remained silent, breaking eye contact with Ulf and now focusing on Lagertha before bringing his eyes back to Ulf.

The atmosphere tensed up as a cold bead of sweat rolled down the forehead of the proud warrior, but before he could explain himself, Ragnar threw an arm around Ulf and looked at Lagertha's exposed cleavage.

"This is a tough one but I will have to go with my Ulf here," Ragnar said in a playful manner in which Ulf could not help but chuckle nervously. Ragnar was his younger brother but his battle prowess was nothing to laugh about.

"Father!" Bjorn screamed, running to hug his father.

"Hey, little warrior," Ragnar responded to his excited son, taking him into his embrace.

"Father! I almost landed a hit on uncle Ulf!" Bjorn exclaimed, telling anyone that cared enough to listen.

"Is that so? As expected of my son so why did you not?" Ragnar asked, patting the head of Bjorn.

"That is why I am here, to talk to you brother," Ulf responded before Bjorn could utter another word.

"Is that so?" Ragnar said with his gaze focused on his son, his expression soft and warm.

"You will tell me all about your great battle, Bjorn but after I speak with your uncle," Ragnar said, getting on a knee as he kissed his forehead.

"Okay, father!" Bjorn responded as Ragnar walked out of the house with Ulf, who had lingered long enough to sneak another peek at Lagertha, before following behind Ragnar.

"You want to tell me what brought you to my home, Ulf," Ragnar asked, getting straight to the point as both men stood a good distance from his house.

"A strange boy washed up ashore, Ragnar," Ulf responded with a voice of contempt like he had more to add but wanted to hear what Ragnar had to say first.

"This concerns me?" Ragnar asked with both brows raised, looking right into the eyes of Ulf.

"It should, Ragnar. He had a type of skin I have never seen before and that damn Hagen....!" Ulf stopped himself upon noticing the shift in Ragnar's facial expression.

"What do you mean by strange skin?" Ragnar asked, with a stern look on his face. One, which even surprised his brother, Ulf.

"Y-Yes but Hage-!" Ulf was interrupted.

"Where is the boy now?" Ragnar kept up with the interrogation.

"He is with Hagen, Ragnar." Ulf said. He had wanted to tell Ragnar about how Hagen openly disrespected him but this seemed way more urgent than something that trivial.

Immediately, Ragnar stormed off with Ulf trailing behind him, wondering just what had occurred to make his little brother this unsettled.

[Foreign Tongue], "Am I alive?" The child, who had just opened his eyes, asked himself with his eyes spotting the intimidating physique of Hagen, he bore resemblance to the men who had taken him away from his home and instinctively tried to stand up but was too weak to.

"Take it easy, child," Hagen said in a soft voice, getting up to hand him a cup of water.

Hagen was a man that believed in the Gods, as well as fate. He didn't believe that this child washed up ashore coincidentally and that was why he saved him.

The boy was reluctant but knew he would be dead if this man's intention for him was death and Hagen's face was far from friendly looking.

He accepted the cup of water and stared at it for a good minute or two before gulping it down, but almost choking in the process.

He glanced at Hagen but Hagen's eyes were fixed on the tattoo embedded on his chest, it was one he had never seen before unlike the one on his forearm, and the boy instinctively tried to cover up by raising his blanket.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable." Hagen apologized with a smile but it was pointless as this was a foreign language that the child did not understand.

"HAGEN!" A voice called out, it was the voice of Ragnar Lothbrok as loud bangs against his door soon followed.

"Do not break my door, Ragnar or I swear to Odin it is your arm I will break!" Hagen warned, walking towards the door as the bangs suddenly stopped.

The rescued boy winced, he became very uneasy

"It is fine" Hagen reassured in Old Norse and despite the child, not understanding, these words calmed him down as Hagen opened the door.

Ragnar did not wait for an invitation, brushing past Hagen and into the house with little resistance from Hagen but it was different when Ulf attempted to do the same as Hagen blocked his path.

"What do you think you are doing, Hagen?" Ulf questioned with disdain on his face.

"You are not welcome in my home. Ulf, brother of Ragnar." Hagen said with his eyes lowering to see Ulf grab the sheathe his blade was in but even he was not stupid enough to harm Hagen in his brother's sight.

Ragnar approached the boy slowly, noticing his trembling but he kept going with a hand stretched forward in a bid to show he was not a threat, he knew he was a slave thanks to the brand

"BOOO!" Ragnar screamed suddenly, taking the boy by surprise who screamed in return but it was one of fear.

This made Ragnar burst out laughing with Hagen shaking his head in disappointment.

"You have not changed, Ragnar," Hagen muttered.

"Hey, Hagen! Get in here! I think I killed him!" Ragnar shouted but in reality, the child had simply fainted.