NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48: Broken Bonds
The mood was solemn around the campfire just outside of Darkmoon forest. The remaining men from both Ragnar's and the Jarl's camps both feasted together around the fires; the latter knowing that with their Lord defeated they had no choice but to side with them. It wasn't too bad however, Kattegat was a small place and a lot of the men here had known each other for years and had fought together for just as long. They were willing to put these new grudges behind them and move on, there was no reason to fight any longer.
A lot of them were tired of the fighting, on both sides of the conflict they'd seen how miserable a place Kattegat had become, but while they were willing to forget, some wouldn't forgive. The Jarl had done awful things to his own people and the men under him had been the ones to carry out those injustices. The thing stopping them from getting their revenge was the new Jarl. A lot of the time magic was an unseen force that worked as luck or curses, sometimes you would see someone set something on fire or conjure some animal. Thorfinn had however sent over a dozen grown men to the ground with the wind.
Needless to say, Thorfinn was the main topic of conversation on both sides. There were many stories about Thorfinn, from his slaying of a Dragur to his slaying of an Ulfhednar in Northumbria. Then there was his most recent one... the slaying of the Leviathan.
"It is a falsehood, no man can slay that which is divine," one of the jarls men said shaking his head as he drank from his cup. There were a few murmurs of agreement from some of the others, even some of Ragnar's men nodded as if they didn't wholly believe it.
"Perhaps so, but we have all seen the tooth that Thorfinn carries, that could only be from a beast bigger than a ship," Bard replied which also brought murmurs of agreement.
"Bah! Easily could've been carved from a white oak, they are strong and can pierce normal wood," another of the Jarls men added.
"You all miss the point that only that which is divine can slay the divine, no mortal man can slay a god," Gorde one of Ragnar's men shouted out over the mumbling of the rest of them.
"Then perhaps Thorfinn is touched by the divine, a god in human skin?" Someone else commented.
This caused silence to envelop the campfire with all of them looking around at each other, some of them a little unnerved.
"RAAHAHAHAHAHA!"
A loud deep laugh broke the silence, those who sat down looked to the source and saw Rollo who sat down on a tree stump by the fire and warmed his hands. "Your mother has been telling you one too many tales," Rollo said to them before he started laughing again.
"You laugh Rollo but can you explain the things Thorfinn has done, he must either be divine or someone even more favoured by the gods than your brother!" The same person commented.
Rollo's smile soured when his brother was mentioned. He had always lived in Ragnar's shadow, and now that shadow only seemed to grow. "Why would a god walk among us in the body of a boy, your words make no sense," Rollo said grabbing a mug from a man next to him and drinking from it.
"It is not for us to know their ways," Gorde replied.
"How would you explain Thorfinns powers, he is thrice younger than me and yet he has slew a Draugr," someone commented.
Rollo grunted as he took a bite from a piece of meat. "A seiðr perhaps, he is not the only one in Kattegat."
"None that I've seen crack the very world around them."
Mutters of agreement echoed from those around them. Rollo stayed quiet as they started to discuss what he'd done again, hearing of Thorfinns exploits and his power bothered him. He was fond of the boy, but he didn't understand why the gods favoured him so much. What was he doing wrong? Why was he looked over so often? Was he not a powerful warrior, did he not bring honour to the gods in battle, did he not sacrifice enough? His fists tightened around the mug, straining the wood until it cracked.
A familiar giggle sounded out snapping Rollo out of his thoughts. "Thorfinn is not a god, a god would not content himself on farming for years on Ragnar's farm," Floki said as he approached the fire.
"What is your belief then Floki," one of the others asked.
Floki sat opposite Rollo taking an offered drink and sipping from it. "He is not a god... but he is of the gods, their blood runs through him."
"Which god?" Someone asked.
Floki shrugged. "Who is to know, perhaps it'll all be made clear in the future."
They continued to talk into the night about Thorfinn, about Ragnar, about the Jarl, but mostly they spoke of the future. Rollo and Floki told the Jarls men of the land to the west as not all of them had been. They all listened with rapt attention as they spoke of all the gold and silver, the foreign god, and the houses that were like small mountains. But what interested them the most was that the people who lived in this land were weak, cowardly, could barely defend themselves. By the end of the conversation, every man and woman were ready to board the ships and travel there in search of their own riches.
...
In one of the tents Thorfinn still slept, his body sweating as he shivered and moved around; by his side was Arwyn who looked down at his feverish body with an emotionless expression. She wondered how things could change so fast and in such a short time; she even considered whether she was under some sort of spell or not. Or perhaps the spell she was already under was broken and now her true feelings were surfacing. It was all too confusing.
Hate, anger, lust, love, reverence.
It all mixed and thrashed inside her like waves crashing against the stones of the shore. She gripped the hem of her woollen dress as anger and frustration started to boil within her. She reached forward, her smooth hand caressing Thorfinns cheek, he was warm. Yet despite the feeling of pleasure that came from their skin touching she found herself tracing down his face until her hand came to his neck. Her breathing increased as she moved forward lifting a leg over Thorfinns waist so she was straddling his body. Even now she could feel the hardness contained in his hosur, and she had to push down the jolt of pleasure it gave her as their places rubbed together.
One of her hands was already wrapped around his neck, her breathing increased even more as the other joined it and she was now choking him. She wanted to do it, she could feel it deep in her soul, a voice roaring for her to do it, to end his life. Yet she couldn't, she couldn't exert any pressure she couldn't slice his neck open with her nails. In the end, all she could do was lie down on his chest and listen to his heart which continued to race.
She hated Thorfinn.
She loved Thorfinn.
...
Thorfinn ran through the forest as shadows chased him, shadows numbering so many that he couldn't count them. He couldn't escape them, no matter how fast he ran they were only moments behind him. Sweat began to build on his brow, his heart was beating out of his chest, he had no weapon, his magic would not answer him, all he could do was run. One misstep and it was all over, he'd be taken and devoured by the creature that haunted him.
But hope shone in the far distance as he could see a light, an exit to this dark forest he found himself in. He heard the shadows behind him grumble and roar in discontent and he got closer and closer, he felt them get closer and closer as they tried to get him. They were close now, so close that he could feel the wind from their swipes hit his neck. They were almost on top of him.
*CRASH*
Thorfinn leaped the final distance breaking out of the treeline and rolling down the hill before slamming hard into the ground. Despite the pain he felt he was already on his feet looking at the shadows that followed him yet they never left the forest. He could not even see what they looked like. He backed away slowly until he felt comfortable enough to turn around, only when he did he was somewhere else entirely.
He was in Kattegat and it was the middle of the night, yet strangely enough, people still walked around and did their usual chores as if it were day. Thorfinn walked down the muddy road calling to a few that passed him and yet they did not answer, as he looked around he saw that everyone was preparing for a celebration of sorts, pigs and sheep had been slaughtered and were being carried to the Jarls Longhouse, flowers littered the road and men and women wore their best clothing.
"Hey!" Thorfinn said loudly to a man he recognised. It was Orm and he was with his daughter who was dressed in a pretty blue woollen gown with a crown of flowers on her head. Orm did not even turn his head to Thorfinn when he shouted prompting the young lad to walk up to the man and grab his shoulder.
"Orm what is going on?" He asked.
Orm looked at him blankly before he started laughing and a bright happy smile appeared on his face. "She is coming," he said before shaking Thorfinns hand off and ushering his daughter away to the Jarls Longhouse.
Thorfinn frowned, what was happening? Who was coming? Thorfinn continued down the road following the large amount of people that seemed to be walking there. While people did not interact with him unless he forced them to, they did interact with each other. Kids danced in the street singing "She is coming." Men who had hated each other for generations laughed together and spoke of the glorious day it was going to be.
Thorfinn could do nothing but follow and try to discover what madness had afflicted his home. The crowd got denser as he got closer to the longhouse.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
A shout of pain caught his attention as he got closer, he started pushing through the thick crowd trying to get closer as the shouts of pain only got louder. He finally got close enough that he could see and what he saw made his heart almost stop. Rebekah was on a stone altar in the centre, her belly had grown massive from her pregnancy and right now she screamed as she gave birth.
Thorfinn started shouting and pushing people out of the way, but it got harder and harder the closer he got. Rebekah's screaming got louder and louder until there was a squelching sound and then a moment later the sounds of a baby crying.
The crowd erupted into applause as Rebekah gave birth as they clapped their hands and roared in approval.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" Thorfinn screamed as he pushed people to the ground. He was stopped however when someone grabbed his arm, he turned around and saw that it was Rollo.
"She is coming," he said the same jubilant smile on his face.
Thorfinn ripped his arm from his grasp before he fell into someone else, when he looked up he saw it was Ragnar.
"She is coming," the man said the same grin stretched ear to ear.
Thorfinn pushed the man away and broke out of the crowd. He rushed toward the alter that Rebekah lay down on before he was tackled to the ground by two people. He roared as he threw the first one back, but the second one managed to straddle him.
It was Lagertha, an unnatural smile plastered on her face "She is coming."
Coming up next to her was the second person who'd tackled him, his childhood friend and Lagertha's daughter Gyda. "She is coming."
Thorfinn threw them both off before making it to the alter. "Rebekah! I'm here! I'm here!" He said as he grabbed her holding her close. As he held her he could feel her crying into his chest, except when he listened closer he realised she wasn't crying but she was laughing.
Thorfinn pulled back to look down at Rebekah who had the same eery grin as everyone else. "She is coming."
Thorfinn stumbled back from Rebekah who started to laugh again, he hit into Rollo who grabbed his arms and held him in place.
"She is coming."
They all started to chant as Thorfinn thrashed in Rollo's grip. They all started to move closer to Thorfinn holding him down. Lagertha, Ragnar, Floki, and everyone he knew were there and they all pinned him to the floor as they chanted those three words. Thorfinn roared as he tried to get himself free but he was powerless.
*Schlick*
Thorfinn looked down as a dagger had been impaled into his stomach. The one wielding this knife was none other than Arwyn.
"She is coming."
Arwyn twisted the knife making Thorfinn roar in pain. She then pulled it out before stabbing him again and again. All while his friends and family stood over him watching with a smile.
...
"AHHHHH!" Thorfinn yelled out as he sat up in his tent having awoken from the nightmare. He panted heavily as he looked around his fists tensed and his muscles coiled ready to be released at a moment's notice. It took a few moments before he realised that it was all just a dream, that he was in his tent and what had happened wasn't real. His breathing slowed and his heart stopped thumping inside his chest. He took a deep breath before wiping his face and pushing his hair back behind his ears.
"What strange dream was that to have found its way into my slumber," Thorfinn muttered to himself. He considered the idea that the creature from the forest was taking its vengeance on him for the threat he had made, but dismissed it as Floki was sure they could not leave the forest boundary.
Looking around the tent he saw Arwyn curled up next to him she had taken her dress off and lay naked. Something which stirred the desires within Thorfinn; he ran his hand along her smooth thighs, once they had been soft now were tinned with muscle, but no less enticing than they had once been. His hand slipped from her thighs to her lower stomach but before they went any further he stopped. This would have to wait, there was much that needed to be done and a five-day journey back to Kattegat ahead of them.
Thorfinn got up grabbed his tunic from the ground and put it on as he emerged from the tent the cool north wind greeted him, prickling his skin. It was early morning, perhaps a few hours after dawn. Many men had taken to sleeping next to the campfires instead of returning to their tents. A few of the men were up and about preparing themselves breakfast but a majority of them were asleep. Thorfinn grabbed his sword and strapped it to his belt before heading across the field to the Jarl's side of the tent. Not many men stayed over here as it sent the message that they are still loyal to the old jarl, something they would not want to send... if they valued their lives anyway.
However the Mikaelsons were an exception as Thorfinn was going to be family with them soon, and he would much prefer to not kill his brothers by law.
Walking over to the Mikaelson tent Thorfinn gripped his sword handle —preparing for any kind of sneak attack. He wouldn't put it past Mikael to try and kill him this way —he'd tried to feed him to a leviathan not too long ago.
Thorfinn pushed past the flaps of the tent and emerged inside to see Finn sitting down sharpening his blade. Niklaus was asleep still recovering from the injuries he'd gained in the forest, and Mikael was currently tied to a post. As soon as he saw Thorfinn a scowl overcame his face and Thorfinn thought he might rip through the bindings to attack him. "Why are you here boy!?" He growled out. "Come to gloat!" He spat out.
Thorfinn grabbed a chair and sat down rubbing his eyes and ignoring Mikael. He turned to Finn "Did he try to escape last night?" He asked.
Finn put the whetstone down and nodded. "A couple of times, he mostly made threats and insulted both of us, I had to put Niklaus to sleep as he started to crack."
Thorfinn sighed as he nodded, taking in all the information. "If I may suggest Jarl Thorfinn..." Finn said prompting Thorfinn to look back at him.
"Slit his wrists and leave him here to die, he'll not benefit Kattegat while you rule," Finn said causally.
"Fucking traitor!" Mikael spat out his anger overwhelming. Had it not been for the ropes covering most of his body he would've strangled his son and choked the life out of him. "My son! My blood betraying me to this... child!" Mikael shouted as he thrashed against his bindings.
"Thank you for your suggestion... but I don't think we need to go down that path," Thorfinn said as his gaze turned to Mikael.
This silenced both men, surprising them. If anyone wanted Mikael dead it should be Thorfinn. "I am going to marry your daughter, she will have my child soon, your grandchild."
"Those of my blood will never accept you!" Mikael spat.
Thorfinn scratched his cheek as he looked at the man before him. "You sent me to die at the hands of the Leviathan, yet I did not die, I slew the creature and brought you back its heart."
"Is the word of Mikael so fickle that he would go back on it, is that how you wish to be remembered, as a rat who could not be trusted, that he has no honour," Thorfinn said harshly which only served to build Mikael's anger.
"You would drag my name through the mud, say that I have no honour..." Mikael said his words trembling with rage. "Yet it was Thorfinn who was welcomed into the Mikaelson home, given food, given a bed, trained by one of Kattegat's best warriors."
"And how did he repay this kindness, by going behind the patriarch's back, bedding his daughter, filling her with his seed and making her grow heavy with his child," he continued to speak his voice growing louder by the moment. "Turning his own children against him, stealing his daughter away, making his children lie to their father."
"You speak of me having no honour, but where is the honour of Thorfinn Helbane!" He said practically shouting.
Thorfinn found himself speechless. In truth he had never thought his acts dishonourable or bad as they came from a place of love, everything he did for Rebekah was because he loved her. Yet he could not help but see the truth in Mikael's words, he had snuck around behind his back and impregnated his daughter, after which he stole her away. He could understand why Mikael hated him.
"You are right, my actions were not honourable, but I would do them all again just the same," Thorfinn said with a steely gaze as he looked at Mikael. "I love Rebekah deeply, we are bound together in this world and the next, but I should've acted with more honour."
"I do not wish to kill you, Mikael," Thorfinn said as he leaned forward. "Rebekah loves you despite your harsh nature, so will offer you a chance at life."
Mikaels scowl remained on his face as Thorfinn spoke, however even after he had finished he did not reply. "Pledge your loyalty to me as your Jarl, keep your word and allow my marriage to Rebekah, in return you keep your lands, everything the old Jarl has given you."
"If I don't?" Mikael replied.
"I cut your head off as a sacrifice to the gods," Thorfinn said blankly.
Mikael seemed to consider the offer contemplating whether a life under one of his most hated foes would be better than being killed right now. "Let us end the fighting Mikael, I don't want to continue it against my wife's family soon to be my own."
"We will soon be bound by blood through Rebekah's child. You have much to gain from this offer," Thorfinn said trying to convince him.
Mikael growled before he breathed out. "Very well... I accept your offer," Mikael said, the words struggling to come out of his mouth.
"Cut him loose," Thorfinn instructed, turning his head to Finn.
Finn nodded and moved to follow Thorfinns instructions. "You're making a mistake," he commented as he moved towards his father. "My father does not forgive, nor forget, you'll regret this one day."
"You are no son of mine... my son is dead," Mikael growled as Finn cut him loose.
"I know..." Finn replied.
When Mikael was cut loose he stood up to his full height standing a head taller than Thorfinn. Yet Thorfinn did not back down when Mikael stood in front of him. Thorfinn drew his sword and held it horizontally. At first, it looked like Mikael would not do anything but eventually, he bent down and kissed the flat of his sword. "I pledge my loyalty to you as my Lord and chief, I swear this upon my ring," Mikael said before standing up.
"And I accept," Thorfinn replied.
After he had pledged Mikael left the tent leaving behind Finn and Thorfinn. "We are going to be leaving soon, get Niklaus up and get some of your men to pack away the belongings of those who perished," Thorfinn instructed.
"Yes lord," Finn replied.
It was a few hours later after everyone had woken up and eaten that they had finally packed up the camp and were on the road. As they had lost quite a few people they were moving slower as Thorfinn did not want to leave behind such valuables, and so people carried more and carts were weighed down. People still moved quickly however as there was an autumn chill that blew in from the north, men walked faster to keep their balls from freezing. Thorfinn who walked near the head of the column by his horse was slightly melancholic.
He thought of the Jarl, of everything they'd lost because of this petty dispute. A part of him wanted to blame Ragnar as well but he couldn't, Ragnar was looking to the future of their people. The Jarl feared this, he feared what the future meant for him, in one trip Ragnar's wealth outclassed the Jarl —if he had not stolen all of it. While he thought on this he could not help but remember words that Floki had spoken to him.
'When Ragnar sails west he does not do so for his people, he does so for Ragnar.'
Those words echoed in his mind, in essence, he could understand the Jarl's worry for the future and what it might bring. He did not want him becoming the Jarl to come between him and Ragnar, his heart told him that such a thing could never happen. But he did wonder.
Was Ragnar the ambitious man that the Jarl believed him to be?
Thorfinn cast these thoughts aside, these are the kinds of thoughts that brought this incident in the first place. So many fighting men lost because of the desperation of an old man, he would not allow it to happen again.
No matter what.
...
Further down the column, Ragnar walked with his brother. Both had rarely spoken since the incident in the forest though it was mostly on Rollo's part. He could not shake the visions he'd been shown, and while Thorfinn had told them that they had been a trick conjured by a forest spirit. He wondered if they had some truth to them.
Rollo would be the last to admit that his brother overshadowed him, yet he was the first to know that it was true. In those visions, he saw a very likely future, one where Ragnar is hailed as a king and he is nothing, forgotten, by man and god. Rollo had promised that regardless of whether these visions were true or not he would not allow them to pass. He would no longer allow himself to be overlooked by those around him, he would craft his own legend separate from his brother. He needed something though. He needed power.
Power like Thorfinn wielded.
Ragnar held no animosity towards his brother. He simply found himself consumed in his own thoughts; like Rollo, he wondered if the visions in the forest were a warning of a bad future, and despite being told otherwise Ragnar would simply not risk allowing this future to come to pass. A life where he is forgotten, not known for anything, not even any family.
His legend gone.
Ragnar wouldn't allow that, he knew the gods had plans for him and he would take full advantage of their blessings upon him.
"Does it not bother you, brother?" Rollo said abruptly.
Snapped out of his thoughts Ragnar turned to Rollo. "Does what bother me?" He asked.
Rollo looked around before stepping closer. "That you could've been the new Jarl, you were fighting Haraldson were you not, a few more moments and you could've taken his title."
"Does it not bother you that Thorfinn, a boy who used to plough your land is now your lord?" He added.
Ragnar laughed before turning away. "I never wanted to be Jarl, Rollo, it was Haraldson who forced it upon me," Ragnar replied.
"You did not answer my question, little brother," Rollo said.
Nor did Ragnar as he kept walking, Rollo did not ask the question again, instead leaving it to fester. Standing a small distance away from them was as Floki who eyed them with something akin to suspicion, yet he did not say anything nor announce his presence.
It was a long journey back to Kattegat, none of the men who had left came back the same, it was a journey that changed all of them to their core.
(AN: So we are back to Kattegat with our new Jarl. The end of the arc is approaching and we are going to be in for a time skip. Some canon events are gonna stay the same such as Aslaug and Ragnar. However, Lagertha will not be leaving and marrying that other Jarl. Fucckkk that shit. This is gonna be a pretty long time skip, 4 years just like in canon. Thorfinn is gonna be a grown ass man and be pretty much a G who will have no equal when it comes to the regular ol Vikings. However he will still not have found a magic teacher and so his magic ability won't improve a lot. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter.)
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